December Holiday Brunch

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At our Holiday Brunch this year, delicious French-inspired food was brought by all the participants.

This was followed by the traditional “Gallette des Rois” in celebration typically of Epiphany, the day the Three Kings (les rois) visited the infant Jesus. These cakes are baked throughout the month of January in France. Composed of two circles of puff pastry sandwiching a frangipani filling, each comes with a crown and always has a trinket, called a fève, or bean, baked into it. It’s an invitation to gather, as much party game as pastry – if your slice has the fève, you get the crown and the right to be king or queen for the day.

Click below for photos from the event.

 

 

 

Holiday Brunch 2017 Photo Gallery
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Rodin Exhibit at Metropolitan Museum

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art is showcasing their extensive holdings of Auguste Rodin’s works to mark the centenary of his death.  It includes pieces that have not been exhibited in many years. It includes drawings, marbles, bronzes, plasters and terracottas by the master. This exhibit runs through January 15th, 2018 at the Met Fifth Avenue or visit here for more information: Rodin at The Met

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Visit to Bruce Museum

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The Alliance Française invites you on October 25th to join them on their

Fall museum tour. We are traveling to the Bruce Museum

in Greenwich to see the “In the Limelight” exhibit of the works of artist

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and view a film featuring the works of Post

Impressionist Paul Cezanne.  Click here for the press release from the Bruce Museum: In The Limelight_Toulouse-Lautrec_Bruce Museum Read more

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Le Quatorze Juillet Celebrated

Merci Beaucoup to Fran and Jodie Hellman for hosting our Quartorze Juillet celebration. We had lots of fun playing pétanque and ate delicious food brought by all, especially the BBQ chicken and pulled pork, prepared by Chef Fran. Even though it was still daylight when we sang “La Marseillaise”, we still lit sparklers to mark the occasion.

Click here for photos of the day
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2016 Holiday Cocktail Party

Delicious food and interesting conversations made our December 10 Holiday Cocktail Party a huge success.  Special thanks to our Hosts: John and Lawrence. John’s bartending was, as usual, spectacular! MERCI!

Scrumptious hors d’oeuvres and desserts were prepared by Marilyn, Marcel & Gail, Nancy, Renée, Carol and Marda.

It was great to see our long-time members and many new members coming together to celebrate this special time of the year!

Click Below to see a photo gallery from the evening.

Holiday Cocktail Party Photo Gallery
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A Great Cheese Making Program!

Thirty-four people attended our Cheese Making Presentation on March 6. Daniel George, cheesemaker and cheese monger, from Cato Corner Farms in Colchester, selected six cheeses to complement four paired wines. Over wine and cheese, he explained everything from the cows, to the cheesemaking process, affinage, and piecing together the perfect cheese plate!  What an interesting presentation!

Merci beaucoup Daniel. C’était fantastique!

To see photos of this event: Click HERE

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Bonne Fête de Mardi Gras!

CLIQUEZ ICI pour voir des photos de notre ARTY GRAS Party -

Bonne Fête – et Amusez-vous bien!

Les origines de Mardi Gras: Tout au long de l’année, se succèdent des fêtes qui rythment la vie des chrétiens. La fête de Mardi Gras a tous les ans une date différente, fixée par rapport à la date de Pâques, qui elle même varie en fonction du cycle de la Lune.

Mardi gras est le jour qui précède le Mercredi des Cendres.  Il y a 40 jours de Carême, entre le mercredi des cendres et le jour de Pâques.

Pour marquer le coup avant que ces privations ne commencent, la veille, le mardi, on faisait gras. On finissait les aliments gras avant de se mettre au carême. On en profite pour faire des beignets, des bugnes et des fritures. De plus, la tradition du carême veut qu’on arrête également de manger des œufs, donc on en profite pour faire des crêpes.

Par opposition au carême, le carnaval est une période de joie et de liberté où les règles de vie normales sont suspendues et où chacun fait un peu comme il lui plaît : on se déguise, on mange tout ce qu’on veut, on sort chanter dans les rues.

Lors de ces fêtes de Carnaval on retrouve toujours le principe d’inversion au travers des costumes et des jeux (maître/esclave, homme/femme), on se déguise, on fait ripailles, on offre des cadeaux, chants et danses sont de la fête.

Chars géants, parades, bals masqués, confettis et serpentins, fanfares, c’est la période des excès démonstratifs !
Chaque pays à sa propre interprétation des réjouissances avec toujours un même objectif : faire la fête !

Cet article vient de ce site: http://www.joyeuse-fete.com/mardigras.html

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Holiday Party – December 6, 2015

Members, old and new, came together for our end-of-year Holiday Party held at the Heritage Hotel in Southbury.  We were treated with delicious food and sweets from the buffet while an 8 year-old student from our Parent/Child French class played a beautiful flute solo (with no music) and then she played 5 Christmas carols while we sang. Our 6-year old student recited the poem by Maurice Careme entitled “Le Chat et Le Soleil” and a mother-daughter duo from our French for Travelers class sang a beautiful duet in French!

We are excited to have so many new families who have joined AFNWCT and we were delighted to meet them at our “Fête.”

Click Here to see photos from this event.

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CÉLÉBRATION DE LA FÊTE NATIONALE FRANÇAISE

What a wonderful time we had on July 12 for our Bastille Day party!

MERCI to Micheline who prepared all the scrumptious food and offered such a lovely setting around her backyard pool – even the weather was perfect!  Hospitality Chairwoman, Nancy creatively decorated the tables and fences with festive dish towels from different French regions and fresh flowers in vases.  Sabina also helped with bringing out the 3 courses of foods which were beautifully arranged on the buffet table.

Upon arrival, the guests were given a nametag on their back and everyone graciously participated in the game of “Which Famous French Person am I?” About 12 people played a competitive game of Pétanque, a couple of people enjoyed swimming in the pool, and the French music inspired our two ballroom dancers to a Parisian swing and everyone ate, and ate and ate, sipped wine and enjoyed a delightful afternoon together.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS
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La Vie Parisienne Deemed a Success!

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To the more than 80 members and friends who attended our La Vie Parisienne fundraising event on Sunday, May 3 at the Heritage Hotel in Southbury, we hope you had fun and we thank you for your Support!

We raised approximately $1000.00 which will go towards supporting our AF Center and French Language School opened in September 2014 in Southbury.

We also wish to thank all of the area businesses* and members and friends who generously donated gift certificates, original artwork, and other fine items for our Silent Auction, Raffle and our River Seine book stall (listed below).

It’s important to note that without our team of very hard working members who spent endless hours creatively planning, organizing, purchasing materials, fixing up baskets, and putting all the finishing touches on everything, this fantastic event would never have happened and we send you “Un Grand Merci!”:bravo

Room Settings and Themes creatively designed by Nancy Callahan; Basket Beautifications: Nancy Callahan and Carol Donahue;  Contracts: Brian Denyer, Richard Stoops, Yvonne Stoops; Program Ad Sales: Gail Gros, Rolly Grover, Evelyne Purdy and Yvonne Stoops; Program Copy and Design: Marda Gutierrez; Set up: Nancy Callahan, Carol Donahue, Jim Donahue, Michele Paquet Finn, Candida Fitts, Jean-Marie Gutierrez, Richard Stoops, Yvonne Stoops, Diane Yates with special thanks to Deb Tata for the use of her bistro table & chairs; Clean-up: Brigitte and Rod Bentley, Noelle Janatka, Gail Gros, Marcel Gros, Evelyne Purdy, Strother Purdy; Photographer: Lea Claflin; Montmartre Backdrop Created by Diane Yates

La Vie Parisienne Program  mime, carol&nancy2  committee members  rich  partycartoons.com

Mime: Jeff Smithson, Proponent of Play; Caricaturist: Bill Hernandez, Graphics Interactive LLC.

If you missed our event but wish to add a donation, please visit our Donations Page

*Please consider thanking the businesses for their generous support by giving them your business: Ace Hardware, Woodbury; Ameico, New Milford; Deb A. Tata, CFP, ChFC, MBA: Ameriprise Financial Services, Middlebury; Dietrich Gardens, Woodbury; Edwin Sparn, CatBackward: A Tale of CIA; Heritage Hotel, Southbury; Heritage Pharmacy, Southbury; LaBonne’s, Southbury; Middlebury Baking Company, Middlebury; Newbury Musical Theatre, Southbury;  Ovens of France, Woodbury; Oliva Restaurant, Bethlehem; Premier Wines & Spirits, Southbury; Riva’s Rides, Danbury;  Shutter Speed Photo, Middlebury; SPLASH Car Wash, Southbury; Warehouse Wines and LIquors, Southbury and Danbury.

SEE MORE PHOTOS
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