Joined: 09 Nov 2006 Posts: 28 Location: the Netherlands
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:44 am Post subject:
Everybody- Thanks for your kind words!
It's true, if people only share the good things in life and never the struggles you tend to feel youre the only one who doesnt have a perfect life sometimes. In our society admitting that something is wrong still is sort of taboo and people always tend to say everything is great when you ask them how they are. So thumbs up for CB for starting this thread!
And even though there are stories of illness or other troubles, I still see at least a spark of happiness in each one. This makes me think its sooooo important to celebrate the good sides of life, especially with the ones who are dear to you. I recently lost a good friend of mine, already an elderly lady and she died in her sleep without ever being ill before (thats the way to go, isnt it?). I just saw her the day before she died, we had tea and lots of cookies and a big laugh and I am just so grateful I have this to look back upon.
Rainey- Ill try to think of something Dutch which is good enough to share with you. The basic Dutch menu consists of potatoes, meat and veggies on the side, nothing culinary shocking. Or in wintertime, they mash the potatoes and veg together and call it stamppot. I say they because my family is part Italian so we ate a lot of pasta, gnocchi etc. Something nice with stammpot though is a regional specialty from the south called zuurvlees (sour meat- actually not sour at all but some vinegar is used to get the stewing meat nice and soft). Variations of this dish occur throughout the country under the name stoofvlees, draadjesvlees and hachee. The recipe we use here in the south is of no use to you because it requires peperkoek to bind the sauce, but theres also a lovely recipe with bread and mustard which Ill translate for you.
Another part of the Dutch menu stems from the spice trade in the 18th century, since then the use of exotic spices, especially in cookies etc. is widespread. On the 5th of December we celebrate the birthday of st. Nicholas (Sinterklaas in Dutch) who brings presents to the children. Sound familiar? However, he comes on a steam boat from Spain and is accompanied by chimneysweep-helpers in brightly coloured suits called Zwarte Piet (black Pete) who deliver the presents to the children at night. Sinterklaas arrives a few weeks before the 5th of December. Actually this year, hes coming tomorrow! (Saturday the 18th that is). In the weeks before the 5th children can put a shoe in front of the fireplace (preferably with a carrot or some hay for Sinterklaass horse) and maybe, if theyve been good, Sint or Piet puts in a toy or some pepernoten (pepper-nuts), small nut-sized sweet cookie-like thingies flavoured with mixed spices. Or the first letter of your name in chocolate. Hes a great guy!
Besides the pepernoten there are several other nice things that are baked for Sinterklaas that you might find interesting. Ill dig up some recipes and post them in the recipe-section.
An al-time favourite of mine is gevulde speculaas- two layers of spiced, slightly soft cookie-dough filled with marzipan. Ohh, or amandelstaaf- marzipan rolled in flaky pastry, served warm. I loooove marzipan.
Great, isnt it, how nice food can always put this big smile upon your face! I wish you all the strength to deal with lifes blows, the joy that can be found in sharing the good things in life with the ones you love and the comfort that comes from sharing the bad things.
Enjoy everything while it lasts.
Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 256 Location: Richmond, VA, usa
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 3:20 pm Post subject:
Glad to get everyone's updates....we are trying to master empty nesting & my husbands schedule change (he only works weekends.....as u can see, we have no social life) It is nice to have him around during the week though & a lot more gets done around the house. Our son just got his first "real" job as a trainer at a Gold's gym so he may soon be able to pay for a few things himself. Our daughter is in Paris this year as a teaching assistant (english)....she also located a wonderful situation to be a semi au pair (demi pair??) for a family in return for a room near Montparnasse...I am really wanting to visit, but need to make some $$ first so I have signed up to be a substitute teacher but the paperwork is taking eons....so for now I am home with my 2 very old doggies (18 & 14) and 3 cats.....I hope u all have a wonderful Thanksgiving (neither child will be home so I am trying to lasso some neighbors to eat the huge bird I bought) _________________ Make me half the person my dog thinks I am.
Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 218 Location: Heaven, actually.
Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 2:48 am Post subject:
Although I am one of the new ones, I thought it would be alright to post my two cents as well, if nobody minds.
I am headed to meet my boyfriend's parents tomorrow, for a week of giving thanks in Arkansas, of all places. Being the Adventure Girl that I am, it sounds like a nice, serene time, half working, half playing, half sleeping (we hope!).
We have been in the midst of a lot of changes. Brian has just been through a company buyout and is not interested in working for the new ownership conglomerate. He is finding it a limited market for jobs in Montana and we are trying to not leave for greener pastures right now, if we can help it. He is interviewing by phone next week.
I am four months into a new hospital and trying to learn how to do open heart surgery, which is like learning to walk all over again for someone my age. Its stressful and I do not have the constant exposure I need to become proficient in a short enough time frame to please the perfectionist in me. I was also asked today to be Momma Hen to a new student, once a week, to bring them up right into the world of surgery. Its a test of my skills both tactile and communication. Its the big league, in a sense, and I am honored and nervous at the same time.
It is coming on my second winter here in MT and it is brutal and long to say the least. Last year I trashed my knee out in the snow and wound up on dry dock, having surgery myself, and sitting out until spring. I dread the minus teens temperatures, the lack of things to climb without getting frostbite, and the icy darkness. I am better suited to rain like I had in Portland (my last home) than the frigid wind. I have a feeling I will be curling up inside my new stove this winter...
I get to cook Thanksgiving for my BF's family this year- my first time cooking in a hundred years or so. It should be a total gas...!
Its been great to get to know names in the past few weeks online, and knowing a little about the lives associated with the C&Z-ers is very, very pleasurable. I find myself rooting for people on a daily basis!
Thanks for this thread, its been such a joy! _________________ There is only one way to die- With a full stomach and a good tan.
Ooh, ooh, tomorrow I get to meet Madame Shawshank!!! ...ahem, excited, moi?!! he said with sorry attempt at coolness....! I am mucho excited. Excited with a side salad of excited and excited sauce! We meet outside the National Gallery in London, facing Trafalgar Square... ready to have a day and a bit. _________________ Confusion comes fitted as standard.
Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 1196 Location: buried under a pile of books somewhere in Adelaide, South Australia
Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 11:31 am Post subject:
Griffin, you'll have a wonderful day. Give Madame and Sieg big hugs from me! _________________ Doing what you like is freedom
Liking what you do is happiness
Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 154 Location: North of Auckland, New Zealand
Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:59 am Post subject:
First of all, thanks everyone for sharing...it's lovely to read about other people, and the things they have done, the things they have experienced, the people they have met etc.
Myself - well, I recently found out that the unit we are renting (and love living in) has been sold. The house wasn't even listed on the market :sigh:
Anyway, we will be moving into the loft above the garage at my mother's place, which will be great as we will be able to save LOTS of money (for travelling) while Sy is at uni (again).
And, I'm slowly winding up the busiest month of birthday baking. In my family alone, there has been 9 birthdays, and I am Chief Birthday Cake/Cupcake Maker. The last ones I made were beach themed, for the two "beach bums" who "thankfully" combined their birthdays.
Now I just have a month of baking for Christmas! :sigh:
Joined: 08 Dec 2005 Posts: 224 Location: kingston, ny
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:18 pm Post subject:
This seems like the best place to post this. My very favorite-est teacher ever has a son who is going to be performing at Carnegie Hall this week along with the INPRAVDA group! World reknown cellist and fiddler, Slava Moroz (his mom, Natalia Gutman) and his wife Olga Dyachkovskaya will also be playing. This young man has had many ups and downs (he has bipolar disorder), but music is his passion! As I'm sure you can imagine, she's super duper excited.
Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 2498 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 2:50 am Post subject:
That is very exciting indeed! We can't wish life's lows on anyone but we sure can join in wishing them the highs that only people who struggle can know. How wonderful to have this opportunity to know of such a triumph!
I often think that our society invents "new" concepts like "bipolar" to distract us from how narrow the road has become. In another era such people would have an opportunity to apprentice with the people who would treat them as individuals and know that everyone has something wonderful inside them looking for the person to show them how to develop it.
Cheers to your teacher and her/his son! _________________ God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor
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