Happy 4th of July!!

There are many incredible things about living in France.  But I am an American at heart.  So in honor of my country’s birthday, I thought I’d list 5 things, in no particular order, that make the U.S. great to me:

1. Good ole’ fashion Americana.  I’ll never forget summer trips to the cabin with my family.  It might not be the Riviera, but Pleasant Lake suited me just fine.

photo: Shady Shore Resort (Pleasant Lake, Hackensack, MN)

2a.  BBQs.  Although the French are obsessed with picnics, another American invention, sadly, they don’t barbecue.

photo: muzzleofbees.com

2b.  S’mores.  Another great culinary invention to come out of hot coals in a barbecue pit.  Did you know that August 10th is National S’mores Day??

photo: easyappetizers.com

3.  Good customer service.  Even decent customer service.

4.  Unlimited free internet access.  That works.  I love that when I come back to the States, I can go into pretty much any coffee shop, whether it’s an international chain or a local, independent operation, and have free unlimited internet service.

5.  Culinary Choice.  Not only can I find peanut butter (readily and inexpensively) in the U.S., but I can also find all of my favorites in the ‘butter’ category, including sunflower seed butter and almond butter.  And the truth is, in any relatively large city, Americans can find just about any type of food or ingredient from anywhere in the world at their local grocery stores:  the best French cheeses, Italian pasta noodles, Chinese bok choy, Ethiopian coffee, Mexican salsa….  And that doesn’t even include the variety offered in restaurants.

Wishing you a fun & safe Fourth of July!!

À bientôt,

k.