The Really Big Dream Blog - Burgundy

The Really Big Dream Blog is Burgundy Dreamer’s blog.  The blog starts in October 2009 with the words… “Today marks the day I join the 21st century, I am now a blogger!”

Burgundy Dreamer goes on to explain that… “Once upon a time there was a girl (sorry, still can’t always see myself as a woman) and a dream.  The dream was to live in Burgundy in a beautiful house in a beautiful location and run an activity centre surrounded by enthusiastic and happy people.”

Well, it seems that the house and location chose her in 2007 and the rest of it is beginning to take shape now. And Burgundy Dreamer has to keep pinching herself to make sure that this is all real. Life is good!

Indeed it is!

In fact, the only thing that could make life better is a few mushrooms and a handful of nice chewy snails!

Any mushrooms or snails on this blog then?

I hunted high, I hunted low – and my efforts were rewarded (after all, what sort of Burgundy blog would this be, without a few snails?)

The only problem is that the promisingly titled Cold Steel and Hot Snails only talks about chocolate snails!

Still, I suppose that’s safer than the real ones, eating which always runs the risk of “getting sprayed with molten garlic oil and being scarred for life!”

I was similarly disappointed to find that the enticingly titled Easter Bugnies wasn’t about those fur wrapped meaty delicacies but about some sort of pancake thingy instead.

There is a recipe for those of you who may be tempted to attempt the same but I do have to say that I tend to always prefer those easter recipes that start… “First, take your rabbit.”

Actually, to be brutally honest, bearing in mind my world class piggyness, I tend to prefer those recipes that start… “First take your pair of rabbits!”

Still, I started to get excited when I read Housework and Bunnies in Burgundy.

But that sense of anticipation soon disappeared.

You see, Burgundy Dreamer has got a tame escaped rabbit called Jeff.  Unfortunately it appears that Jeff has become a friend and I don’t suppose that I’d be allowed to eat him?

At least Burgundy Dreamer like mushrooms – even if these perfect little Gifts from god would go lovely garnishing a nice big plate of braised rabbit!

And, a final word on the recipe front….

Don’t you just love recipes that start…. “First find a child who is willing….”

If that sort of thing interests you you really need to check out Jammin in Burgundy.

Strange though, that the recipe doesn’t mention how many kilos the child should be?

Or how long to cook it for?

So, who is Burgundy Dreamer and what does she do to keep herself in Chocolate Snails?

Well, by a bit of diligent detective discovering (I’m getting rather good at this alliteration lark, aren’t I?) I learned that Burgundy Dreamer is actually Janice Barnett, who is a coach, team builder, entrepreneur, writer (www.theythoughtitwasallover.com) and trainer with a lifelong passion for personal development and an unrelenting desire to turn her dreams into realities.

Previously a diplomat working in international law enforcement she left this to set up her own coaching practice (www.pathfinderscoaching.net) specialising in career and change management.

In 2008 Janice turned her energies to developing a creative arts and activity centre in Burgundy where she now lives.

Details of this business (passion, vocation?) are to be found at www.thereallybigdreamcompany.com

What’s the weather like down there in Burgundy?

Now, I’m not saying that we’re rather passionate about the weather here in rural Brittany but…. if the eskimos have 101 different words for snow, we actually have about 176 different words for rain!

Most of them, it has to be said, rather rude!

So, obviously, I’m rather interested in the weather in other parts of France.

And I was glad to here that they have weather in Burgundy too!

In March de Perce Neige (which means Snowdrop Walk – for those of you who got stuck at chapter two of Michel Thomas’ Teach yourself French in 24 hours without any effort at all), we find Burgundy Dreamer walking 12km in the company of 600 other strange people (in temperatures as low as -10 by the time you built in the wind chill factor) when she could have been sat at home tucking into Jeff!

And, in There’s Snow Place like Home, I was surprised to find that when Burgundy Dreamer found herself buried under 8 inches of snow and unable to leave  the house, she didn’t look for the nearest protein source happily bouncing round the potager but, instead, chose to pig out on pizza and home made carrot cake!  All I can say is… “That Jeff sure is a lucky bunny!”

And I know I keep going on about it but I just can’t stop thinking about Lapin au Moutarde!

So, in What you see is what you get, whilst Burgundy Dreamer is busy running riot in the snow with a 7 year old, I have to ask myself the question… “If I were sat in her kitchen and looked out into the garden and happened to see a little bunny rabbit; would I get it?

And, if so, how would it be cooked?

Apart from the Rabbit Free diet, things are pretty good down in Burgundy then?

Well, it would certainly seem so!

In How green is my valley Burgundy Dreamer asks How many shades of green are there?

I wish she hadn’t as all I can think of are nice little goujons of rabbit resting on a bed of perfectly green spinach!

And then, in Love these days, she poses the question… “The sunsets this time of year are dramatic. I was reminded (loosely) of a description I read of a sunset recently which went something like: A smear of deep red oil paint across a blackened canvas. See what you think?”

What do I think?  ”a smear of deep red oil paint across a blackened canvas” always reminds me of spit-roast rabbit served with a spicy tomato coulis.  Doesn’t everyone think that?

Still, not every post is about rabbit stew….

No, there are some non-culinary posts on this blog…

In Les Vœux du Maire we discover that the secret of surviving winter in Burgundy is… “drinking wine and knitting in front of a log fire.”

Strangely enough, we feel much the same way up here in rural Brittany.  We do like a nice pot of stew simmering away on top of the fire though….

Just look at that beautiful view in Finding your way in Burgundy!  Look at those fields!  Just imagine all those little fluffy bunnies….

Oh bugger this!  I can’t take it any more!  It’s just not fair!  I’m going to have to stop this review here and now and get something to eat.

It’s all Burgundy Dreamer’s fault – incessantly talking about rabbits!

Now, where’s the FourteenYearOld hidden his guinea pigs?

So, summing up….

You’d have to be stark raving mad not to take a look at The Really Big Dream Blog.

It’s a fantastic trip and I’m sure you’ll enjoy every second of it.

Even if it’s unlikely that there’ll be any rabbit or snails on the menu you will still find it a tasty experience.

In fact, if you search Google for the phrase… “perfect recipes for garden bunnies”, this blog doesn’t even feature in the first 15,000 entries.

And, you know, that’s probably the only thing that lets this, otherwise perfect, little blog down.

But don’t let that put you off; come and pay a little visit to The Really Big Dream Blog anyway.

And me?  Well, I’m planning on Taking it Easy.  I would invite you to join me but, you know what they say… Trees a crowd!

All the best

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Brittany Today

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