Here are several samples of the cookies Ella spent the day yesterday making. Trying to use an American recipe in a country that uses the metric system has posed some challenges, all of which I think we’ve mastered by now. Another of the challenges we’ve overcome is figuring out in France what Americans refer to as “powdered sugar,” a key ingredient in the frosting. It took some doing, especially because granulated sugar is referred to as powdered sugar here. And what we call powdered sugar is called iced sugar in France.

The other ongoing challenge is remembering that the grocery stores are closed on Sundays. And since Ella planned to make the cookies yesterday, a Sunday, she needed to make sure she had all the necessary ingredients on Saturday at the latest. Lo and behold, we were missing powdered sugar and our nearby small grocery store doesn’t carry it. But Melinda came to the rescue and took a late tram trip with Ella to Leclerc on Saturday to get it. The end result? These beautiful cookies. And as good as they look, they taste even better.

Being a person who likes to spread the joy, Ella sent several cookies to Christine’s house last night, took enough to school today for everyone in her homeroom to have one, and shared some with Manon and Alice, our lone two English students today (Romain had an exam).

Happy Valentine’s Day!!