No more surprise

My kids, especially YK, can't keep any secrets from me. I know all about what they're planning to do or what they have been up to. I even seem to know their friends even though I have not met most of them.

Well, I know where that 'can't-keep-a-secret' genes come from. From me of course!

You see, I stumbled upon a wine shop yesterday and there before me were bottles and bottles of French cider. I felt like I had entered Aladdin's Cave! When a wine connoisseur enters a wine shop, he only has eyes for the real treasures. For me, I can spot a bottle of cider from a mile away.

I've had Australian, English, Swedish and American ciders but French? That I should certainly try. With an alcohol content of 2%, I wondered if it will taste like apple juice instead of cider. But at knocked down prices (more than 60% discount!), I grabbed 4 bottles to bring home to try. At least I know I could share these with the kids.

The other thing that crossed my mind was I could give Petunia a bottle too. She has invited me over for lunch next week. She's an excitable one like me, so I already know what's on the menu:

I'll make us a salad and prawn aglio oglio with spring onion and chilli? Then we'll have french apple tart with vanilla yoghurt?

I've gotten her excited about cider too. When I started reading about French cider, I have gained alot of respect for this French speciality. If you read this article, you would too.

Anyway, I had wanted to bring a bottle to surprise her when I show up for lunch but I couldn't contain my excitement, so I sent her the writeup "In France, the cider sparkles" and told her all about my surprise. See, Petunia grew up in France and she often writes with nostalgia about the French farmers in her blog.

So naturaly, I know she would appreciate a heavenly drink from France that can only be described as a champagne of the apple. At 2 percent alcohol, it can be imbibed before, during and after meals with jolly abandon. The best part it, her kids can enjoy it too.