LONG WEEKEND FEBRUARY, day 2:
Utrecht [Saturday, Feb 20]
After spending a day and night in Amsterdam, I traveled back home. I made a stop over in Utrecht to meet with Jelle and get a tour of his new appartment.

I walked from the station, stopped to check out shops and to take a picture of the infamous thinking hare on Neude square.


Thinker on a Rock by Barry Flanagan

After the grand tour of Jelle's appartment (I was impressed:) we went into town for some sightseeing and shopping.


Domplein, in front of the warmonument for the resistance (WWII)


The Dom tower, Utrecht

After (book)shopping we went to the arthouse to see 'The HurtLocker' and had pizza near the canals. (Funfact; for the movie 'Amsterdamned' the canals of Utrecht were stunt-stand-ins)




After dinner Jelle walked me to the station and I continued my journey back home.

Loot:

I scored some really good books at Savannah Bay, most importantly the final part in the Green Carnation trilogy by Floortje Zwigtmans. I've been waiting for that book since 2007. Jelle hadn't told me it was released last week, because he wanted me to buy it at his favorite store. Bastard. Still: yay!
I also got a pile of CDs to try and ofcourse another Triple Chocolate Cookie.

LONG WEEKEND FEBRUARY, day 1:
Amsterdam [Friday, Feb 19]

Parked my bike at the trainstation


Reading on the train (Audrey Niffenegger - Her Fearful Symmetry)


Amsterdam trainstation (has been under reconstruction for years now)


Keizersgracht Amsterdam (on my way to 'Nine Tiny Streets')


Detail ancient cinema Tuschinski

After shopping, I sat down in cinema de Munt for 'Where The Wild Things Are'. At 18.15 I met with brotherdearest and we walked to the Leidsestraat for food.


On our way we passed the side-entrance of the Kalvertoren.


Foooooood: shoarma + cheese (LARGE:). Omnomnom.

After dinner we met Benthe at the cinema for 'The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus'. Amazing film:) We then went to brotherdearest's newly decorated appartment (big sister approves) and I got to spent hours in the bathtub with my book and bubbles from Lush (ma-bar). AWESOME.






Next morning after breakfast I said goodbye to Hans and Benthe

Ahw: brotherdearest was still feeling miserable. Brave smile!


Waiting for the metro to catch a train to Utrecht for the next part of my long weekend adventure.

I already had bought bags full of pressies for myself:

From left to right:

Traintickets and moviestubs

Triple Chocolate Cookie

From American Book Centre: Point It (which was stolen during my trip to London in January)

Present for mom from Lush (where I had also bought bathbars for myself and brotherdearest)

American junkfood from delicatessen in Amsterdam: Mac&Cheese, CheesePopcorn, Poptarts

Wrapped up present for myself from Mail&Female: KamaSutra HoneyDust and a free condom (anyone?)

Bag from White Teeth Store: two ultra hard toothbrushes (Koh-i-Noor 795) angelwings and fancy toothpaste

From comicbookstore: Buffy The Vampire Slayer S8, Volume 2 + 3

Hair!

Monday 15 February 2010


Tonight Thursday 18 February 2010


Dyeing...


"Radiant Red" it says on the box....

To be continued:)

The CupCake Experiment
PART 5: Honey CupCakes
I had been looking for an easy recipe this weekend, because I had company coming over and figured I better not try anything complicated. So when I saw Sillie's Honey CupCakes I asked her for instructions. And even though I only needed to add honey to the basic cupcake I made in my first week of the experiment, I royally fucked up this time. I blame it on nerves and eagerness. I forgot to soften the butter, so my batter was rather lumpy and I once again overloaded the cups... Here is the result in pictures.














No, I didn't throw them on my kitchen counter out of frustration; the cupcakes were still fluid on the inside and lost balance when I put the tray down.

Luckily I still had time to try again before my visitors arrived...




What the hell?


Okay, this time I may have been a bit aggresive.

I will redo the experiment next weekend. When I've calmed down...

On Saturday I invited the neighbour and his kids over for a movie-party up in my loft. It was a present for N's 9th birthday a couple of weeks ago. They brought 'The Cat In The Hat'. Which is an awfully bad film, but I had promised they could watch whatever they want. Apparently they had seen it a million times already, because there was giggling before every horrid joke. It's a good thing they have me as a neighbour now; they obviously need my guidance. *grins*



Don't worry, I hid my grumpy side well; a good time was had by all;)

Heh. Feels like I started another tradition: the Friday dinner experience:) Just like last week I started with a sauce and varied on the recipe. This was supposed to have broccoli and mushrooms, but I changed it to green beans and carrots:)


The carrots had dirt on 'm, that's how fresh they were! I cleaned them myself, I feel so proud:) Okay, so the beans came in a jar. But they were biologically grown (as were all the other ingredients), so I still get some good-little-cook points, right?


Boiled the vegetables for a minute or two, then added slices of ham. Added the sauce.


Instead of grated cheese, I made a pretty pattern *g*


In the oven for 25 minutes (180C)


Tadaah!


Served with mashed potatoes. Delicious.

I thought we were done with it, but today it started snowing all over again!

This morning (08.00)

Parked my bike at the busstop.


View at the busstop on my way to work: see? Snow!

This afternoon (17.20)

The place were I get on the bus back home (about fifteen minutes walk from my official busstop, which has not been in use since August 2009 because of -and I quote the buscompany- 'problems with infrastructure'. Apparently the citycounsel last week agreed 'something had to be done'. *golfclaps*)

...Anyway...

I'm freezing, but cheerful (If you can believe that). Bus was half an hour late, but at least if came eventually:)


Brave bike is still there. Cycling through the snow wasn't as difficult as last week. It was easier than walking;) I got home around 19.00, about 45 minutes later than usual.

Oh winter.

The CupCake Experiment
PART 4: Carrot/Walnut CupCakes with Creamcheese frosting
Part 3 was posted in my LiveJournal
I've learned so much these past few weeks I felt ready for a more complicated recipe. I feel much more confident making the batter. I can make the basic batter almost without a thought now. I chopped up the butter before whisking and used less raisins than last time before adding the other ingredients.

I remembered how to chop the walnuts from one of those cooking shows on tv. I'm quite proud I didn't cut myself.


I also managed to shred the carrot without injuries!


I had enough batter for a seventh cupcake.
Not enough space in my oven though. Ahw.


After experimenting for the past few weeks,
I chose to set the oven between 4 and 5 for twenty minutes.
(Receipe says 175C, but according to my oven that's about 210C)


Tadaah!


Ingredients for frosting: creamcheese, powdered sugar,
a spoon of lemonjuice, a drop of vanilla extract and a walnut topping.


Frosting was a little too thin (thanks to very fluid creamcheese) but it tasted delicious! And the inside of the cakes was perfectly cooked; nice and crumbly.
I had another person taste them for the first time; she loved them too - and I'm sure she didn't just say that because she's my mom;)