Tried my new sandwichtoaster today...

In the instructions it said not to eat the first batch, so I first made two sandwiches with only butter, as to not waste cheese and bacon. So officially this is the second try; still exciting though:)










Tadaah!

I felt a bit sad that I had to cut off some of the crust to make the bread fit, but on tasting I learned it's better to trim it all around next time. The heat ruins the texture of the crust. The actual breadpart was delicious though.

Too bad I didn't clean the machine while the cheese was still soft. Shit.

Oudjaarsavond 2009 / New Year's Eve 2009

At mom's, waiting for her to come home (she worked until midnight)

5...4...3...2...1:

Happy New Year! Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!





First food of 2010: SNOWBALLS!



01012010 - cycling back home:

Happy Birthday to me!
My bestest friends had sent me packages. Mail doesn't ever get delivered on my birthday (which is of course an official holiday in The Netherlands;), but I saved them all like the good girl I am and didn't unwrap them until this morning. (Jelle sent me a message right after midnight telling me to open his present, I of course had to oblige;)
Look how well they all know me:

Pig on wheels made by Artistic_Sillie, so cute *cuddles*! Also chocolate, wahey!
Waterbottle and Reykjavik travel guide from Tanisafan; awesome!
John Barrowman (well, the book) from Jelle: can't wait to read it.
\o/
Thank you all (also to everyone who sent me paper or digital wishes and presents:)

Party-time!
Mom and brotherdearest came over around 13.30 for some (kiddie)bubbly and cake:

Hans opened the bottle very professionally. The cork ended up at the other end of my room, wahey!


Cake came from the best bakery in Dedemsvaart, nomnomnom. Notice how I made fancy sugar-decorated glasses for the strawberry-bubbly \o/

I had made reservations for dinner at 18.00. We walked to the restaurant and a couple of minutes later, Benthe arrived to join our party:) We ordered the Shizuan-menu for all of us.


Pekingsoup for starters was delicious. (Filled with egg, vegetables, duck)


Second course: eggrolls, beef and filled krupuk.


Maincourse: beef, pork, chicken and more beef, served with rice and noodles. Happy campers!


Couldn't get a picture of the scrumptious honeymelon (a treat on the house), it was gone so fast. Perfect.


Still life :-)


Oh how delighted we are with dessert. (SMILE!)


One final picture in front of the restaurant; it was brilliant. Oh, we also all received beautiful Chinese calenders as a souvenir:)


All tucked in for the film in the attic.
We had a great time watching Up (It was totally heartwarming;)

More presents:

Sandwichtoaster and recipes book from mom, West Wing S1 DVD from Hans and Benthe (Darwin book was belated Sinterklaas gift), card from the neighbours, Darwin DVD from mom, envelope with ridiculous amount of money from mom and dad, and last but definitely not least a coupon (BON) from mom to go do something chocolatey together (for instance making bonbons in Amsterdam).

It was one of the best birthdays I've ever had. Thanks everyone!

Continuing my series of Snowpictures!
These are made on December 21 and 22, 2009.


Remember that picture I made on december 17?
Here are the same bikes four days (and blizzards) later.


Another bike that was parked at the busstop last Monday (Dec 21).
Isn't it a gorgeous sight?


The busstop. Yes, that is a McDonalds across the street...


... with Santa on the roof!


At the other end of my busride: sunrise in Dedemsvaart


The path to my work. (A ten to fifteen minute walk from the temporary busstop)


On the way to work. Bachplein.


I find the structure of treetops fascinating.


Detail of treetop :)


At night in Zwolle; funky tree (I see the face of an elephant:)


December 22: more trees.

The end (unless it starts snowing again. We may have a White Christmas:)

"Sukadelappen"
I discovered the butcher added my favorite meat to his biological range! I tried to find the english name for this dish, but couldn't find it. It's beef from the shoulder-area and it needs to be cooked for about two hours to get it soft and chewy. My grandmother is very experienced in making this perfectly. Last time I tried it I ended up with two tiny pieces of blackened and burned meat... So this time I was going to keep a closer eye on the pan and supply it with plenty of butter and water...

Before:


After 98 minutes


Done! After about 114 minutes:)

Tadaah! Will taste it tomorrow...

"Kerstpakket"
Every year we get a big Christmasparcel from work. The fucked up traffic forced me to make two slippery emergency stops, causing my bike and I to fall over in the snow and making me drop the parcel. So I was kind of worried when I finally got to open it...


Fortunately all the breakables survived! Yay! Also: candy! Double yay!


Happy Holidays everyone! <:-)

Sinterklaas 2009
Saturday, december 5: preparations

Bought and wrapped presents, next step: building surprise packages and writing poems to explain gifts and/or gags.


For Mom: a big bag of tea (she asked for relaxing/meditation CDs, this was also a reference to the trip we made to Istanbul where she fell in love with appletea) - inside a CD from Sigur Ross


For Hans: a baseball bat and ball to kick the next burglar's ass (he moved to Amsterdam this summer and has already been robbed twice) - inside a miniature gun (glittery hanger for Christmastree:) and a poster of xkcd (map of the internet:)


For Gayleen: dog (she and Jaap got a black labrador this year) - inside a big towel (biological cotton)
For Jaap: a picture frame (with references to his photography study at the art-academy) - inside a book RoboSapiens
For Benthe: a typical AmsterdamCanal house (she moved into a studenthouse this summer) - inside two booksupports


While I was doing arts and crafts my doorbell rang, there was no-one there, but someone left a huge package on my doorstep! Attached was a poem about my neighbour and his kids and how sweet I was... and inside was Grumpy. Mixed messages me thinks, Sinterklaas! But thank you :)

- Stayed up until 04.00 to write poems -

Sunday, december 6, morning: baking pepernoten!


I only needed to add water to the flour...


After mixing the dough I made little balls of about 1 cm thick...


Flattened the balls a little bit and put them in the oven (200C) for 14 minutes...


Tadaaah! A bit oddly shaped but very tasty \o/


Sunday, december 6, afternoon: let's get this party started!


Sinterklaas cake with strawberry custard filling (from the store;).


After everybody put their presents together, this is the pile we had to work our way through. Our lives. So hard.


Guess which grinning Sinterklaas made this surprise gift for Jaap. It had a poem about walking the new dog....and he got a bag filled with...


poo! Or possibly melted chocolate. Jaap had to dig in to get to his present. (rechargable batteries in case you wondered). He did turn out to be an experienced plastic-poo bag handler though and didn't get his hands dirty. Clever guy, that one.


Another reference to the burglaries for Hans. He got a special motiondetection-light inside this surprise safe.


Gayleen and mom admire the surprise shrine, while Jaap is distracted by the dog.


Hans and his baseball bat, note the awesomely cool handle with black skull \m/


About two hours after we started; nearly through the pile of presents:)


A surprise gift for Benthe: a washingmachine; those students always bring their laundry home, she got a laundry bag inside.


Benthe reading her poem about how she only asked for tiny presents because of lack of space, Sint build her an extension so she could think big next time:)


I got a poem and surprise gift about loosing weight and having to buy new clothes. The doll was made by Saint Mom:)


The doll has her hair just like me! Look at the cool details...


... and the funky shoes! (just like mine:)
Gift was a book with cupcake recipes:)

A collection of all the poems I got:

O_o Sint apparently read my lj about the reading boy on the bus, that reading boy in the band I love (and his cute little butt) and my neighbourdude. Djeez. I have to be more careful what I put online *g*

All my presents:

So very awesome. THANK YOU SINTERKLAAS! \o/