Cecile and Bryan

Thank you

I just wanted to add that K1 visa holders have a work permit stamped on their passport valid for, I believe, 90 days. That alone should be enough to request a SSN card, if done right away

This isn't true. Most of K1 visa holders don't. There are some points of entry that sometimes give a EAD stamp to the K1 holder. the only airport that does it consistently is JFK in New York, the other ones don't unless you are lucky.

I don't know for people who came here on different visas, but K1 holders can get a SSN even if they don't have an EAD yet. I got mine in October. But I still have to receive the EAD in order to work. dj_osmo, if you don't have a SSN yet, when you receive your EAD you can go to a Social Security office and they will issue you a number in 2 or 3 weeks (or longer, it's like USCIS, you can't know for sure how long it takes )

I just tried this recipe: http://sandrakavital.blogspot.com/2005/11/...n-baguette.html (great blog by the way) and it was awesome!

I changed a few things because I had to dissolve the yeast in water before to incorporate it to the flour-water mixture, so I added a little more flour, and also 1 teaspoon of sugar, and it really tastes like a French baguette from the bakery at the corner of the street

So far, that is my favorite recipe.

Coucou!

I looked at your recipe and I have few dumb questions to ask. Is the flour T65 has the same name in english? do you find this in every supermarket? Does levure sèche SAF-Instant is an american brand? can I find it easily?

I used "all-purpose flour", just the regular one in stores.

And for 'levure seche', I used Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast. It is sold in individual envelopes, each envelope is almost the right amount asked in the recipe (7g ~ 1.5cc)

Maybe I will write down the recipe since I made a few changes.

Basically,

Mix 4 cups of flour and 1.4 cups water (they are the quantities asked in the recipe)

Then I dissolved the yeast in 1/4cup of water and added 1 teaspoon of sugar (because Bryan always tells me that the yeast only works if there's sugar in the recipe)

I mixed flour/water with the yeast mixture, but since I had added 1/4 cup of water with the yeast, I added some flour to make the quantities more proportionate. I'm not sure what quantity I added, just enough so I could make the dough in a bowl (way too sticky before). Maybe it was 1/2 cup of flour.

Then I continued the rest of the recipe as it is written.

I just tried this recipe: http://sandrakavital.blogspot.com/2005/11/...n-baguette.html (great blog by the way) and it was awesome!

I changed a few things because I had to dissolve the yeast in water before to incorporate it to the flour-water mixture, so I added a little more flour, and also 1 teaspoon of sugar, and it really tastes like a French baguette from the bakery at the corner of the street

So far, that is my favorite recipe.

The future daddy seems to want to wait a few more years before to become a daddy

Everything I have in Pyrex is way too small for the recipe, and i think my biggest pot is only 5qt and I doubt it would handle the high temperatures very well (non-stick T-Fal pot) We don't have lots of kitchen stuff.

So I just looked online for prices of cast-iron pots and things of that nature and they are all very expensive :S So I'm not sure what to do at this point. I would really love to try that recipe.

We just need to find the right pan now... :S

EAD and AP approved.

I don't want to start working again!!! it's so nice to stay at home!

But at least once I receive the EAD card I can finally get a driver license.

lol, you shouldn't tell Bryan that you received the EAD.. tell him that it is denied and that you will have to wait for the greencard :lol:

Nah seriously though.. I can imagine what you mean, I wouldn't like it at all if I had to work right now, then again, might have something to do with the weather (although not today, very stormy weather today.. bleh rainseason). At the other hand, I am pretty lucky, when I get the EAD, I can still stay at home as I will work from home on my own hours

I kinda thought of not telling him but that would not be fair.

I wish I could find a job where I can work from home. Or at least I wish I can find a job that I like and pays well and isn't too hard. Wait... I think that is what everyone wants Actually I wish I could be a housewife! That would be my carreer choice. B)

EAD and AP approved.

I don't want to start working again!!! it's so nice to stay at home!

But at least once I receive the EAD card I can finally get a driver license.

I just checked on the USCIS website and my EAD and AP were approved too. No more staying at home doing everything I want, time to go back to work... I kind of feel sad about it. I guess it's life... that's still nice to see that USCIS is working though.

How do you bake your own baguette? do you have a good recipe to share?

Bryan bought me a book called French Cook Book, so the recipe is with American products and measurements so it is a French baguette from an American book, but it is still a good thing to start with (no need to convert any measurements, the yeast they ask for is just one package of active dry yeast that we find here, so at least I know exactly how much to put in there.

I want to modify the recipe though because "la mie" is quite dense... So when I find the perfect recipe I will share it

If you really want it I could scan the recipe from my book, but there are probably better recipes in the Internet.

Edit: I make my own bread at home too. Not French style, but at least it homemade.

For those who don't know it, this recipe is great for a bread with a nice crust "No Knead Bread" et en Francais

Cecy, that bread looks very good! I am going to have to try it soon! Thank you

I never noticed the difference of taste of the Nutella, but maybe it's because I barely ate it in France, only once in a while.

Thanks Lili for that list. I haven't been able to find 'pate feuilletee' here, maybe i'll look for it again at the store, in the frozen section this time

For the bread, we bake our own baguettes now, it's better

This year thanks to the suitcase, I also got 2 big jars of French Nutella. Oh the Joy, oh the Pounds I'm going to gain if I can't stay away from it.

Can't you find them where you live? Here they sell Nutella in international stores, but also at Target!

I am craving CARAMBARS! Any chance I can find that somewhere in the USA?

I found a few websites where they sell some but with the shipping costs, it would probably cost less if my parents bought some for me and sent them here. Although I am not sure how much it would cost to them.

I WANT SOME CARAMBARS!

I also think that Carambars could be a good X-mas gift!!

It is my 3rd X-mas in America, and my sisters always send me a box with French goodies, like madelaines, chocolate, mikados or also some fraisous(bobons sucrés à la fraise)!!

It became like a tradition for X-mas, and I am very excited, I should receive my big box next week!!

madeleines sound good too! I'm definitely going to have to do something like that. Do you know approximately how much they spend on shipping?

I am craving CARAMBARS! Any chance I can find that somewhere in the USA?

I found a few websites where they sell some but with the shipping costs, it would probably cost less if my parents bought some for me and sent them here. Although I am not sure how much it would cost to them.

I WANT SOME CARAMBARS!

And congrats on the interview, Joy

Nice to know that everything is fine, Steph

He enjoyed Thanksgiving but said it was weird to not have alcohol during a family holiday LOL

Ah! Good to know I am not the only one that thinks it is VERY weird!

Also, not being able to do my shopping by myself because of no Dl doesn't help... I like to shop alone and take my time. When I'm with someone else, I feel like the person might get bored at looking at things he might not want to look at...

Very true! And how do you go shopping for someone if that person is the one who drives you to the store?

I am also having a hard time finding gifts for Christmas. I don't know if it has to do with being in another country or not, but for some reason my mind completely freezes! Does anyone have the same problem?

Also, it seems that here, people give gifts for their friends too, while Christmas is just for the family IMO. So I don't really know if I should try to find gifts for the friends too...

I don't miss my family too much actually, except when I start thinking of Christmas. Other than that, I have been totally fine for the past 4 months. I haven't missed them too much as I usually am a loner too. I think this whole Christmas thing bothers me because it is an example (and quite a big one, as it was usually the one time of the year where I was sure I would be with my family) of things that change and will never be the same. One example of the things I have left behind.

Maybe I should go back to France for Christmas next year a little early to plan this though

Like you, I want to continue to do some French things, just for the sake of it. In France in January, we usually eat "King's cakes" with family and friends around the Epiphany. I guess it used to be religious, but not really anymore. Apparently they don't do it here, and what they call King's cake is a Mardi Gras cake in New Orleans that doesn't look yummy at all... So, I think I am going to bake my own cakes and do it with people here It should be fun.

This month is a strange month... I love Christmas, love the atmosphere, the food, the gift exchange, etc. But it has always been a family thing. There usually is a family dinner with my mother's side of the family on Christmas eve and the next day it's with my father's side. This year I won't be there. And it makes me feel really sad (worse than I thought I would). Actually, my mood swings a lot! For like an hour I'm really happy because it's Christmas, then for another hour I'm sad, and then happy, then sad, etc.

Bryan does not celebrate Christmas (but it doesn't mean that I can't celebrate it, therefore we have a beautiful Christmas tree in the living room, decorated by myself ) There will be a Christmas Eve dinner with his family but it is going to be so different than the ones I'm used to. Big dinners in France usually last 6 hours, and we usually have oysters, salmon, foie gras, etc. I already miss that.

And I don't have many ideas of presents. I found lots of ideas for myself (since B doesn't celebrate it I will offer myself a couple things ) but nothing for his parents or for him, for that matter. And as I don't have a driver license, I can't really drive to the store just to look around. So it's kind of hard. I think this week I'll take the bus to go to the closest mall.

I also plan to make some gingerbread cookies, shaped like little men, because this is something I have always wanted to do!!! And I think that we will try to get some seafood for Christmas day (or the next days), just to make me happy. Because even if he doesn't celebrate it, he is willing to compromise and do whatever makes me feel better, as long as it doesn't mean officially that he is celebrating it (which he does, IMO)

On another note, Bryan is sick, he thinks he has a chest cold. And I woke up this morning feeling kind of sick too... bleh!

My doctor didn't give me the DS2035 either. I plan on sending copies of my "health book" with translations to Dr. Arnold, we'll see how that works. But I'll do it only when I receive a RFE or a letter for the interview. My case has been sent to California Service Center, so I don't know if I'll have an interview...

Where is the info about the TB skin test? On the I-693 instructions, it only says we need the vaccination part:

If you were admitted as a:

A. K-1 fiancé(e) or a K-2 child of a K-1 fiancé(e), or as a

B. K-3 spouse of a U.S. citizen or a K-4 child of a K-3 spouse of a U.S. citizen, and

C. You received a medical examination prior to admission, then

a. You are not required to have another medical examination as long as your Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, is filed within one year of your overseas medical examination.

b. You will, however, be required to complete Part 1, Information about you, and submit the vaccination section of Part 2 with your adjustment of status application. A designated civil surgeon must complete the vaccination section and Part 5, the Civil Surgeon's Certification.

Yes you can definitely find fresh vegetables for good prices here. They seem to be more expensive than in Europe (sorry, I don't know about Canada) but not too bad either. I just think all the food (except junk) is little more expensive here anyway.

One place you may want to check is the "international stores" like Global Foods Market (but I don't think they are all over the US... you'll probably have to find out which stores are in your area). I have noticed that some of the common vegetables are less expensive there than in normal groceries stores. Example, I always buy avocados there because I can get at least 2 for the price I'd pay for one elsewhere.

They changed the I-693 and the requirements for anyone who had their medical AFTER 8/1. Since ours was 8/8, we are subject to the new requirements. The guide here at VJ hasn't been updated yet since it was so recent. A lot of K1 people over on the AOS forum have gotten RFEs for NOT submitting an I-693, even if it was just with the vaccinations on it.

Thats odd coz I didn't see anything new on the USCIS AOS instructions either and you might expect it to be there :S

But oh well, if it is for people after August the 1st, then I think I have not much to worry (and neither should the posters above who had their medical on time worry then I think ).

I thought it was for people who had their medical after July 1st... Oh well, I guess we'll just wait and see!

Happy Thanksgiving to everybody! I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner. Usually they have the dinner at Bryan's aunt place, but this year they didn't want to do it, so we did it at our place, just me and Bryan and his parents. It was a whole lot of cooking! but it turned out really good

My AOS was sent the second week of October, I'm expecting an RFE too for the I-693 (didn't send one, couldn't find any good info about it at that time so I figured I'll wait for the RFE to see what they really want)

Congratulations!!!