Saturday, 1 January 2011

New Year, Cassoulet and Behind Closed Doors

Last night we celebrated the New Year in French time, watching an excellent show on  the French Channel TV5.  Great cabaret of amazing magicians, faultless acrobats, jugglers, etc. An amazing show totally unlike anything the BBC provide for us!!!  This time change was a brilliant idea I thought, as it meant we celebrated an hour before UK time and we were in bed and asleep at a slightly more sensible hour.  Our neighbours for once, were celebrating with friends, so we had a very peaceful night!  I hope that all my followers had as good and peaceful an evening as we did.

Today we are celebrating the first day of 2011 with a cassoulet so we remain French for today as well.  For my recipe which has been on the blog before see HERE.


I thought perhaps we could have a look at a few more interesting doors as well, which I found in a walk around La Rochefoucauld in May 2010.'Cause when we get "behind closed doors" - if you know the old Charlie Rich song


Then he let's his hair hang down
And he makes me glad I'm a woman
Oh, no one knows what goes on behind closed doors!!






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44 comments:

  1. Anne in Oxfordshire1 January 2011 at 14:33

    Hello Diane .. that sounds like a very quiet evening :-) just like us. Hope you are both feeling alot better.

    Arni has been ill, and was a bit worse last night and yesterday. He is up and down ..

    I saw both Mainland Europe and the UK new year in.... was online with Leesa .. so saw it in with her .. and then she saw it in with me and Arni ...
    Take care Anne xoxo

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  2. Diane1 January 2011 at 15:05

    We too had a very quiet evening. I really enjoyed it. The doors look intriguing - I need to know whats behind every one of them! XXX

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  3. Diane1 January 2011 at 15:13

    Anne it was the best New Year we have had for ages, normally the party next door makes sleep impossible!!

    Hope Arni gets better quicker than Nigel who is still not right by any means but he will have to go back to work Tuesday, he has been ill now for 3 weeks. He says it still feels like his chest is in a vice!

    I hope 2011 is a good one for you and your family. Best wishes Diane oxo

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  4. Diane1 January 2011 at 15:16

    Diane how I wish I had x-ray eyes and if only those doors could talk..... Diane xx

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  5. Deana Sidney1 January 2011 at 15:48

    I made a lovely dinner and it was a nice quiet holiday at home. The neighbors were at it all night long but... well NewYears comes but once a year. Love cassoulet (ok, admission, it's my post next week). Yours looks wonderful and it just the best dish for a cold night.. it feels like home.

    Have a happy new year and thanks for those door pictures... I am crazy for doors, weird, right?

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  6. My Little Space1 January 2011 at 16:01

    Diane, Happy New Year to you & yours! May all the good things coming to you in year 2011. What a comfort food to start on the first day of the year. And thank you again for sharing such wonderful pictures with us. Have a great day! And do remember this day, this month & this year....1/1/11 !
    Best wishes, Kristy ((hugs))

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  7. Noushka1 January 2011 at 16:17

    Happy New Year once more!!
    Lovely doors!
    What a dinner party with cassoulet!!
    That's our speciality here around Toulouse!
    Keep well, à bientôt!!
    Love,
    XXXXX

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  8. Schnitzel and the Trout1 January 2011 at 16:17

    A good day to you. I must really make the extra effort one day, and try your cassoulet. We just love it so much, though I will admit, we had one once in a lovely restaurant in Toulouse that tasted like it had been reheated several times. Very dry and disappointing.

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  9. Diane1 January 2011 at 16:39

    lostpastremembered then we are both wierd as I also love doors LOL. Looking forward to your post next week to see what diffrences you have in your cassoulet. Diane

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  10. Diane1 January 2011 at 16:42

    Happy New Year to you as well Kristy. Yes there is only one 1/1/11 :) Thanks for all your comments over the past year. All the very best to you and your family Diane x

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  11. Diane1 January 2011 at 16:44

    Thanks Noushka, I love doors they always fascinate me and I always want to know what is behind them :)
    à bientôt Diane xx

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  12. Diane1 January 2011 at 16:47

    Susan when I made my first cassoulet I had a problem with it drying out which is why I say in my recipe, have boiling water standing by so that it does not dry out in the oven. Strangely enough I have not had that problem since and they have always been moist. The only difference when I made the first one is that I had no duck fat so I can only think that is the answer!! Diane

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  13. Mary Bergfeld1 January 2011 at 17:34

    Cassoulet sounds like the perfect way to begin the new year. I hope that 2011 brings you a full measure of good things, especially continued health and happiness. Blessings...Mary

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  14. Diane1 January 2011 at 18:21

    Mary I had originally planned it for Boxing Day, but we did not feel well enough to enjoy it. Now I am glad, as it is the perfect way to see in the New Year :) Take care. Diane

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  15. tinyskillet1 January 2011 at 18:58

    Diane it sounds wonderful, the French celebration, the casserole and good company! We always have to go to friends of ours each year, this time I was glad because our new neighbors have teenagers that often stay up and party all night.(Where's the parents?) Anyway so we missed most of the noise there, and it quieted down by the time we went to bed.

    I am happy to finally get to see your door photos. I love all the colors and even the old worn down ones. Interesting, you show a lot of arched doorways. Now I'm on the hunt for more!

    I wish the best of 2011 for you and your family!

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  16. Olga1 January 2011 at 19:15

    What a great exclusive collection of closed doors! When I see such interesting ideas I always think, what an original project for a lifetime. I envy you a little.
    Thank you for your comment about the postcards. LOL.

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  17. Diane1 January 2011 at 19:27

    Lyndsey, there are many arched doors as you say, I could walk for hours just taking pictures of doors :)

    Our neighbours are in there 30's with a teenage son, they all can party all night, and as our house is attached we have no chance!!!
    Diane

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  18. Diane1 January 2011 at 19:29

    Olga I just love the old doors around the villages in France, I just wish they could talk and that I could see through them :) Love that frog LOL. Diane

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  19. Joyful2 January 2011 at 03:08

    I had a very quiet and satisfying New Year's eve as well. I am busy getting organized for the New Year and will continue with my organizing and decluttering projects for the next week or so, to get the new year started just right.

    Your cassoulet looks great and hardy for cold weather eating. I also love all the doors and the colours are beautiful also. I do know that Charlie Rich song, lol! It is sure cold here right despite no snow. Today I am making a turkey thigh with stuffing and mashed potatoes for our small dinner at home.

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  20. Gaelyn2 January 2011 at 03:16

    Great collection of doors. If they could only talk the stories they'd tell.

    We also spent a quiet early to bed evening. Happy New Year!

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  21. Fernando Santos (Chana)2 January 2011 at 09:50

    Olá, gostei das fotografias e do texto...Espectacular....
    Feliz Ano Novo....
    Cumprimentos

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  22. Diane2 January 2011 at 11:20

    Joyful, glad you had a good New Year. I will not be doing much cooking for a few days as we have masses of chicken soup, pumpkin soup and left over cassoulet to get through :) Diane

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  23. Diane2 January 2011 at 11:22

    Gaeylyn, you are so right, and if I had x-ray eyes as well...... LOL Diane

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  24. Diane2 January 2011 at 11:29

    Fernando Santos, Muito obrigado por seus comentários. Diane

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  25. Happy Frog and I2 January 2011 at 19:20

    I'm glad you had a lovely New Year's Eve. I had a very busy and fun one as we were hosting a tapas party. A good time was had be all though. Really enjoyed the photos of the doors.

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  26. Diane2 January 2011 at 21:12

    Happy Frog and I, Sounds like your New Year was fun even if you were the hosts. Glad you like the doors. Diane

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  27. Velva2 January 2011 at 22:24

    Happy New Year! Love door photos, the cassoulet and the fact that you were able to peacefully get to sleep at a sensible hour.

    Looking forward to enjoying your blog posts in 2011.

    Velva

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  28. Faith2 January 2011 at 22:45

    Your New Year's celebration sounds relaxing and wonderful...and I love the cassoulet! That is one dish I would love to try my hand at. Wishing you and yours a very happy New Year!

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  29. Diane2 January 2011 at 23:02

    Thanks Velva and all the best to you as well for 2011. Diane

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  30. Diane2 January 2011 at 23:05

    Faith the cassoulet is quite easy as long as you can get the ingredients :) I usually do the firt part in the saucepan early, then the rest of it goes in the oven abut 2 hours before I am due to serve it. Happy New Year to you as well. Diane

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  31. Pame Recetas3 January 2011 at 02:42

    My evening was not that quiet, and didn't go to bed until five a.m., we had quite a party at home with family and friends, I really enjoyed it, but I must say I'm terribly tired. Big hugs and the best for the New Year

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  32. cocoa and coconut 3 January 2011 at 09:25

    So glad you enjoyed your French style New Year! That casssoulet looks delicious. As for those images of doors, I really do believe the French have the most exquisite and diverse styles I've ever seen.

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  33. Diane3 January 2011 at 09:54

    Pamela I cannot stay the pace anymore, I need my sleep these days!! Best wishes for 2011, Diane x

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  34. Diane3 January 2011 at 09:55

    Brittany I think you need to move to France, it seems to be where your heart is. Mine is certainly there :) Diane

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  35. Terrianne, Call me Ree3 January 2011 at 20:33

    Hi Diane,

    It sounds like you had a wonderful New Year. And a great idea, celebrating early. I also celebrated the New Year in France, proverbially speaking. Only for me, in America, it was 6 hours early. I was on the phone with Daph and could hear the fireworks and screaming in the streets and then 6 hours later, I was awakended by the same celebration here. =)

    Your dish looks fabulous. And as always, I love seeing your amazing pictures of places I dream to visit.

    I want to thank you so much for your heartfelt support and encouragment. Not only are your words appreciated, but they were also needed. I'm harnessing all the good and love I can to stay strong through this most precious time in my life, challenging as it can be. Knowing people like you are in the world makes all the difference.

    I wish you a magical and very Happy New Year!

    OOOx

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  36. Diane3 January 2011 at 20:55

    Ree thanks for all your kind comments during the year and I am hoping and praying that all will go well for you over the next few months. I will be keeping an eye on your posts to see how you are getting on.

    I hope you get to visit all the places in France one day and that you can enjoy them in 'real life'.

    Keep well and take care. Hugs Diane

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  37. Marjie3 January 2011 at 23:21

    Ah, the closed doors! Don't they make people wonder, though?

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  38. Pam3 January 2011 at 23:41

    Diane, it sounds like you had a great quiet New Years! We did about the same here. Your cassoulet sounds very tasty! I love, love the doors and remember the Charlie Rich song. Doors always intrigue me, absolutely none like those near us but I always love it when you have the pics of some over your way. Hope you and Nigel have a wonderful healthy happy year!

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  39. Diane4 January 2011 at 07:57

    Marjie they certainly make me wonder LOL. Diane

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  40. Diane4 January 2011 at 08:00

    Thanks Pam, I hope 2011 is good for you as well. Doors to me are absolutely fascinating, or maybe it is just curiosity!! Diane

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  41. Chubskulit Rose4 January 2011 at 19:12

    I like those different kinds of doors.. Happy new year!

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  42. Diane4 January 2011 at 19:58

    Thanks chubskulit and the same good wishes to you. Diane

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  43. Valerie Harrison (bellini)7 January 2011 at 09:14

    When travelling doors are also a favourite subject of mine.

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  44. Diane7 January 2011 at 11:34

    bellini valli, thank you for visiting and your comment. Doors really fascinate me! Diane

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