Vive La France!

I have been very excited to tell everyone about our fun experience yesterday! (Monday March 21)

Our ward has a family night get together for all the young adults and the missionaries in the ward every Monday. I usually can't go because of class, and Kennan doesn't usually like to go alone. During our vacation from school we were both able to attend. It was a lot of fun! Like always we had a little lesson and then played games and ate treats provided by the elderly missionary couple.I was feeling espcially talkative that night so I started chatting with the missionary couple. They were very nice to listen, and be patient with me while I struggled to communicate. We got on the topic of unique French foods and I told them I was interested in going to a nice traditional French restaurant but was too scared because Im such a picky eater.  I think the couple missionaries last name is Boureau, anyway, Sister Boureau suggested we have a French food tasting night. She said she would prepare some of the "strange" French foods and bring them to family night for everyone to try. I was so excited! A safe place to try scary foods where no one would judge me if I didn't like them! I still don't think she understands how much I appreciate that!

So, we decided we would have our tasting night on the 21 of March. I skipped class to be able to go, and it was well worth it!
The first "course" was "Huitres" (oysters).. fresh from the sea
The second "course" was Escargot
And the third "course" was "Cuisse de grenouille" (frog legs)
Here are the pics!

This was before we all started eating. The chef is the lady standing at the head of the table.

Side note: After she had prepared all of this to bring to the church and loaded most of it in their car she thought she'd run inside to see if they had forgotten anything.. As she took a step she didn't realize the handles of one of her bags had entangled her legs and she ended up falling. Her face was cut where her glasses had dug into her nose, and her knee and hand were scraped, her glasses were broken, and as scraped up as she was, but she was still so happy and kind all night. She wouldn't let me take a picture of her however because she had a bandaid on her face... "Next time", she said

Kennan and oyster number one!

Me and my oyster. I almost ate one of these in Samoa but chickened out. So this was my first one. In France they typically eat oysters only on Christmas or special holidays because they are kind of expensive. I hadn't realized before coming here how much French culture is influenced by the ocean and coast, however a large portion of France in bordered by the ocean and it does play a big part in their culture.

  

This is Marie Poznanski. Her dad has just been called to be the mission president here in France. Marie did a study abroad in the US and speaks English very well. During her study abroad she actually spent some time in Logan!

And.... GO!

Marie's reaction

I did it. YUCK. I will not be eating these again. They were quite litterally fresh from the sea. And whats more, they were still living! Poor thing.. It mostly tasted like I was eating a chunk of sea water. And then Im afraid the poor little guy tried to cling onto my stomach in an effort to escape...It took a few hours before my tummy felt normal again..

Kennan's plate. Kennan was not satisfied with just one. He finished off four. He was also enjoyed telling Marie stories of other crazy things he had eaten and watching her cringe.

Escargots! I had tried these before while on our cruise to Mexico, however those ones were not still in their shells. Sister Boureau told me you just buy these frozen and stick them in your oven! I don't mind eating escargot. I found them especially pleasant when I compared them to the other things we ate this night.

The grand finale. This is a dish full of frog's legs. They are psychologically challenging to eat. haha!

It was not what I thought it would be.. for some reason in my head when I pictured people eating frogs legs, I imagined them eating the complete leg.. bones and all. I was pleased to learn that you dont actually eat them that way at all. You just eat them off the bone like you would eat chicken off the bone. They tasted more like fish than anything. Sister Boureau actually prepared these ones.. dipped them in butter and then flour and other things and then baked them.  

I feel that this picture will help show why I said that it was psychologically challenging to eat these.. their little feet and spines are what got me..

poor little froggies.

It was a very fun night. We also played pictionary in French/English. Often there are more Americans there than French people. There are two other exchange students in our ward, one from the US and one from Mexico. They go to the one of the other universities in town.

Anyway, that was our fun "Taste of France" night. I brought Sister Boureau flowers to try and show her how much I appreciated her doing this for me. Im sure glad we've been able to meed such nice people here!  

I also want to tell you a funny story from today! One of my professors is the man that arranges the study abroad programs here at the university. After class today he came up to me and asked which university I was from. I told him Utah State and he smiled and said, "I've got two professors from Utah State down in the lobby waiting to meet with me, would you like to come meet them?" Of course I did! They were two ladies from the Huntsman College of Business. It was fun to chat witht them. They are headed home tomorrow and I wished I had something for them to take with them to deliver to my family, but I sure didnt have anything cool on me :(. It was kind of funny to randomly run into teachers from the university here in Angers.

Well, I think those are all of my new stories! I was thinking about grandpa Cahoon during our food tasting night! I know he likes hearing about foods from different places and I just thought he would have loved to be there!  

A la prochain!