A recent trip to the doctor's informed me that my boys are a bit low on iron. So, knowing that adding a considerable amount of red meat to their diet is not for the moment in the picture (in my house at least, and not with my current budget), I've re-worked my home- made granola to have more nuts, and protein filled whole grains. It's just one element in their diet that reassures me, alongside my multi-grain bread, the good fresh eggs and fresh milk from the farm.

When I started making granola I went to my Gourmet magazine cookbook that my mother offered me for Christmas a few years' back to see what they might suggest. I've taken that recipe and run with it, altering it to the ingredients I'm able to get here in quantity and quality, and considerably reducing the fat content -- by preference for texture and flavor.

The basic recipe is as follows, though feel free to add and subtract as you wish where possible:

12 cups mixed organic flakes (oat, rice, quinoa, spelt, barley...) ; 1 cup rapadura raw sugar (dark brown and caramel/vanilla flavored it adds most of the flavor to the recipe) ; 1 teaspoon fleur de sel ; 1 teaspoon cinnamon ; 1/3 cup flax seeds (best if ground) ; 1 cup sunflower seeds ; 1 cup pumpkin seeds ; 1 cup raw almonds ; 1 cup hazelnuts ; 1 1/2 cups apple juice or cider, 1 cup sunflower oil (cold pressed). All these ingredients are organic, or as many as possible.

In a big bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, and then add the wet till thoroughly moistened. Then, on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, spread out a thin layer of the cereal and bake till nicely browned and crunchy -- In my convection oven I'm able to bake them at 300F/150C in about 25 minutes. I keep the temperature low, and the air flowing so that they'll dry quicker.

When done, I take the sheets out and dump them on a large and clean surface to cool before putting into jars. At this point I can add slivers of dried apricots, sliced candied ginger, raisins, dried cranberries or cherries (if I have them, they're oh so hard to find in France!! and generally in my secret stash I bring home from Michigan every summer).

I then jar the cereal and put it in the cupboard. With yogurt, milk, soy milk, rice milk, as a nibbly with chocolate chips mid-afternoon when I just can't stand sitting and translating yet another word... A handful after a particularly strenuous yoga session... And yes, the kids eat it too.

I've begun a new blog. It is more personal than this missive, and treats life in Provence as an ex-pat, switching gears after 13 years in Arles and as a cooking school director, raising my boys bi-lingually and bi-culturally, and discovering more about wine. I include recipes, and my discoveries in Provence. I muse and muddle my way through. Feel free to take a look, and do send me your comments.

It' been a long time coming, but, with tremendous thanks to my former (and much loved!) au pair Penelope, now a gifted web-site designer/blogger and writer, the first version of my new web site is up and ready for you to browse. I'm still tweaking it, so if you catch typos, etc., do let me know! All help is welcome. I'll be putting in more images as time passes, and flushing it out. But the basic structure is now there.

You can now see what I do, what my new fees are, what the many possibilities are (though please don't hesitate to ask if there's something you'd like to do that I've not listed. The list is not exhaustive). I'm pleased to keep the tours intimate, and small, to try new possibilities and explore this region I love so much with new friends.

I will offer the option to those who are willing, to lower the cost of a two person tour by opening it up to other interested parties. To this end I'll have a calendar of scheduled tours, to which a limited number of people can add on.

I will also continue working with a couple agents -- offering the combination tours of yoga/hiking/cooking classes and artisan tours and such. And, I'm working with one of my French teachers to design a new French language immersion program. So, keep a look out on the site. These and other possibilities are still to come.

Winter is a somewhat calm time at the winery. But there is nevertheless always something to keep you occupied. The vintner spends his time unequally in the office, in the cellar, and in the vineyards. The various tasks include following up on contacts from the recent wine fair, responding to orders, coping on taxes, employee sheets, etc., And attacking the new web site. A discreet and reserved man... it's taken some nudging to get him to contemplate presenting himself as well as his wine... or rather for his wine? Working on the story, the background, why this organic wine when there are others to choose from? I'll post a missive when the site is up and ready to take a look at.

In the meantime, the winter pruning is finished, and the vines are short and barren of all thin branches... There've been some new plantings, which will get a good dousing from the rain expected tomorrow. Soon the spring warmth, rains and light will get the sap flowing, sending out new leaves and buds. What is now a very brown and barren landscape will change almost overnight.

The tractors and machines to turn over the earth have been repaired and are coming out of hibernation to combat early spring greenery and prepare the soil. The cellar is filled with wine calmly letting its remaining particles filter out by gravity. And, as needed, the bottling of this year's rosé and white is underway.

Voila, onward to a new season.

There are only a few weeks left un-rented at this point, but should you wish to come to Provence right after the end of school (June 27 - July 4) or at the end of August (Aug 15 - 29) or perhaps at Christmas when truffles, foie gras and gorgeous dense red wines are on the menu?

Let me know if you're interested. The web site is noted below. The summer weeks are 1000E for the week end of June - July, and 900E/week in August. Over Christmas the price is 800E/week.

Our lovingly restored and decorated bed and breakfast in Arles is for sale. It would be an ideal small business for a couple, close to everything, well reviewed in numerous guide books, and full of possibilities.

The price is now at 275,000E all included (furniture, air conditioners, linens). I've some wonderful photographs that Erick took of it recently to send to those who might be interested. I highly recommend that you already have basic renovation/house repair skills, combined with some marketing know-how (or willingness to learn). Being a good cook, super sociable and multi-lingual are also useful skills for such a business.