As This Year Comes to an End...

Christmas has come and gone, but the memories created this year will remain forever.  First, let me mention that this has been our first year as home owners.  We are utterly proud of our lovely little house and have spent an unforgettable first Christmas here.  I am also grateful for many other things that took place this year.  Here are a few, in no particular order:

1.  I met some lovely new friends.  They have sat with me at my dinner table, we've shared laughs and tears.
2.  I am grateful for my job as an educational assistant at the foreign language department at Helen Parkhurst.  What I love most is the thought that I really mean something to these kids. They share so much with me (good and bad things) and they know that I'm always there for them, with a listening ear, or a freshly-baked cookie.
3.  I finally started French classes! I've wanted to do this for so long but never found the time.  I am really looking forward to speaking some more French with the locals in Duras this year!
4.  And speaking of Duras- we'll definitely head back to Le Cabri in 2010.  Not only were the people lovely (and the food!), but there's a whole wine region we missed due to lack of time.  Can't wait!
5.  I was finally published!  After a lot of internet publications, I finally got to see my work in print!
6.  We've all been happy and healthy.  Sadly though, the health of Meiki (our beloved Siberian Husky) is quickly deteriorating.  She has lots of trouble walking. We see each day with her as a gift and take comfort in knowing that she's been  with us for fourteen years.  She's definitely made her mark in our hearts.
7.  We saw Paul Mc Cartney!!!  If you know us, you'll understand why this was such a big deal.  There would be no Hans, Paola, Kirstie and Meiki if it wasn't for The Beatles!  The experience was surreal- as though I were back in the 60's watching a live Beatles concert!
8.  We had a wonderful Christmas- with SNOW!!  Ok, it wasn't much on Christmas day, but it was snowing in the morning while we opened our presents.  And if you're wondering what I got, well here it is: a Mauviel egg white bowl (just like Julia's!), a Mauviel sauteing pan, Mastering The Art of French Cooking (in English and Dutch), and Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook.  I also treated myself to a pair of super cozy Ara eskimo boots- and I bought some pretty awesome presents for Hans and Kirstie.
9.  Kirstie will turn ten on the 31st of December!  Therefore, I have been a mom for a decade!  How lucky am I?

That's what comes to mind now.  I'm sure there's a lot of little things I forgot.  As this year comes to an end, I'll be drinking some champagne and giving an awful lot of thanks!  Here's to a WONDERFUL 2010!

And to sign off, here are some pictures of our holiday:

Snow!  We actually had a lot of snow- for The Netherlands, anyway.  It was so much fun to go sleighing and to build snowmen, of course!

I am convinced that I baked and cooked more than ever this year!  And yes, I even managed to feed half of my town with all my baked goods!

Kirstie's birthday party was a huge hit! This year she decided to throw a make-over party!  I am lucky enough to have two wonderful friends (and fabulous makeup artists) Ashley and Michelle. They came over to give the girls complete make-overs!  I was stunned when they showed up with professional brushes and lots of other fabulous goodies!  The girls got their makeup done beautifully!! And they even got their hair and nails done! Thanks again to my two lovely buddies! And happy tenth birthday to my gorgeous daughter!

Family Warmth

The holiday fun has started!  First, let's bake Dorie's raisin swirl bread for breakfast.  It will make a lovely French toast, too!

How about some cookies with the mint chocolate chips my parents sent from New Jersey?  The perfect way to warm us up after a day of snowy fun!  With some hot chocolate, of course!

Ooh!  That bread came out GOOD!

                                                 Winter fun!

                                          The FRUITCAKE!

Snow, lots of baking and all the family warmth in the world!  We are so blessed indeed!

Thank You Julia, For This Delicious Omelette

I’ve recently fallen in love with Julia Child. It started with the movie and then my love reached unprecedented heights once I saw her actually cooking.  As you know, I adore French food, but shamefully, I was never really into Julia.  My French food guru had always been Elizabeth David. She still is, but now Julia has entered my life.
I remember watching Julia on television while I was growing up and always thinking she was a bit odd.  Mainly because of her voice and unique mannerisms.  It’s a shame it took me some twenty odd years to look past the peculiar exterior and actually get into her cooking.  But boy have I made up for lost time!
I have drooled over her mousse au chocolat, I’m dreaming of her boeuf bourguignon for Christmas dinner and lusting after a copper bowl simply because I saw her using one.  Oh and pearls!  Just like Julie, I am wearing pearls these days in Julia’s honor.
Mastering the Art of  French Cooking will be one of my Christmas presents this year, but in the meantime I’m still cooking just about everything Julia.  From the simple to the not so simple.
Here’s a dish that I practically ran to make after watching Julia- a simple French omelette.  This one is flavored with garlic and oregano.  I filled it with chutney from Marmande tomatoes and a little Gouda cheese. Kirstie enjoyed it so much that she asked me to make her another one for dinner tonight.  I will gladly fulfil her wish- and mine.
Click here to see how Julia makes a simple omelette.

Egg-in-a-Nest

This is a really simple breakfast treat.  One that Hans likes to make for us during the weekend.  It basically consists of a slice of bread with an egg fried in the middle.  Not something you would consider a prime example of fine cooking, but definitely something good!  You’ll want to use slightly stale bread, a really fresh egg and definitely some good butter.
So, how do you make this?
Using a round cookie cutter, cut a circle out of the middle of the bread. Melt a good knob of butter in your pan.  Let one side of the bread fry to a golden brown.  This will take about 2-3 minutes.  Turn the bread over and crack the egg into the hole.  Allow to cook until the egg is to your liking.  I like mine a little runny so this calls for about two to three more minutes frying time.  Serve your bread with a glass of juice and some fresh fruit for an easy, complete breakfast.

A Little Holiday Gift to My Readers!

Ok, this is a perfect example of how over-enthusiastic I am around the holidays...

I woke up this morning with a dilemma: hit the crosstrainer or tie on my apron and bake sugar cookies. I did the latter and decided to come up with a really buttery sugar cookie recipe, just minutes after I waved Hans and Kirstie goodbye. Perhaps I was inspired by watching old episodes of Julia Child yesterday. Everything is better with butter. Period. No one can argue with that. So the butterier the cookie, the better!
I'm feeling a little guilty though because I had actually decided that Sunday would be cookie baking day. Which means that I am alone in my kitchen now when I should actually be baking these cookies with the family. I just couldn't resist. And besides, who said I couldn't bake more cookies on Sunday? Thank goodness for friends and kids at school who love me for me, and for what I bake.

Here's my early morning creation. I know you'll fall in love with them the way I have! Happy Holidays and may you eat lots of cookies!

Sugar Cookies
Makes about 45 cookies


300g flour
1 tsp baking powder
fat pinch salt
125g caster sugar
170g butter, not hard but not too soft either (cut in small squares)
1 beaten egg
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk


Tip: Using good butter will make all the difference in these gorgeous little cookies!


Put the flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor. Pulse briefly to mix. Add the sugar, butter, egg and vanilla extract. Pulse again until the mix starts to come together. Add the milk, pulse and check the consistency. The dough should be soft, not too dry. Add a drop of milk if necessary. Remove the dough from the processor and form two fat disks. Chill in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Preheat oven to 180C. Flour a work surface and roll out the dough to a circle of about 5mm. Cut out the cookies. Arrange on a baking sheet at least 10 mm apart. Bake for about 15-18 minutes and allow to cool on a rack.
The cookies can be iced, dipped in chocolate, decorated with red, green and white- let your fantasy run loose!

Prissy Hunger

How is it possible that I, someone who adores food (really, I’m not exaggerating), can only manage to drink some orange juice for lunch at work? I honestly don’t get how people can eat those soggy sandwiches or drink chemical soup from a machine. And seriously, I have tried to make sandwiches that stay fresh or salads that are edible come noon, but unfortunately, I’ve never been lucky. So I gave up. Give me that lukewarm orange juice instead.
It’s no wonder that I come home literally on the verge of starvation. You’d think that I would raid the fridge while cooking dinner, but really, I don’t. Well, ok.  If  you classify those two mandarins, a piece of cheese and maybe a glass of wine as part of a ‘fridge raid’, than you could say I raid the fridge. If I wouldn’t eat something, where would I get the energy to cook dinner anyway? And yes, I do cook dinner every night after work. Suffice to say, my meals are not always a success. Like yesterday’s potato, sausage and pea stir-fry. The potatoes were undercooked and the dish could’ve done with a little less chilli. We ate it though. We were hungry.
So, if you’re wondering where you can find my head and heart most days around three o’clock, well, I’ll tell you. I am usually daydreaming about something decadent. Not a monster of a meal, but a naughty little something. Perhaps a little bit of pate with a smidgen of cranberry compote on a thin piece of melba toast. Maybe a few rounds of spicy chorizo accompanied by a glass of sauvignon blanc. How prissy am I? Even when I’m so hungry I could eat the laptop in front of my face!

In the Mood for Christmas!

Christmas is coming and I'm thinking about everything I want to cook and eat!
This is really my favorite time of year, mainly because I'm allowed the pleasure of unmercifully (over)eating without feeling a drop of guilt.  Who cares about how those jeans fit when there's a sumptuous glazed ham in front of me!  Or a calorific slice of Christmas fruitcake prepared with all the love in the world! I would be crazy to say, "no, thanks- I'm not eating that much these days", words, which by the way, are truly, truly offensive at my house.
I am fortunate enough to have a job that allows me two whole weeks off around the holidays- and believe me, those two weeks are filled with pies, cakes, cookies, chutneys, hearty soups, roasts and casseroles.  I usuallys start cooking early in the morning, just after that post-breakfast espresso. The Christmas music comes out, I tie on my red and green teddy bear Christmas apron and I could care less if it's not dark enough- those tree lights have to be on!
Sometimes I can spend a whole day baking classic Christmas treats (stollen with dried fruits and almond paste,  muffins with cranberries, gingerbread, dense fruitcakes and my favorite- butter cookies to hang in the tree.  I also love allowing myself an entire day to make a rib-sticking midweek feast.  It doesn't have to be a difficult feast.  Perhaps just a casserole of Le Puy lentils served with some spicy sausages and a lemony endive salad. And for dessert, a simple apple clafoutis which I'll serve with dollops of freshly whipped cream. Oooh and let's not forget the joy of making all sorts of preserves!  Who wouldn't feel blissfully happy after a whole day of making jams and chutneys?  The smell alone is enough to send me into Christmassy bliss, but oh the joy of seeing those beautiful jars smiling back at me!
So what's brewing in this greedy head of mine right around now, you ask?  Well, here are my plans, which are by no means definite.  
Sunday, 13th of December:  Cookie baking day with Kirstie. I'm thinking of white chocolate and cranberry cookies, gingerbread cookies and spritz dipped in pure chocolate- sprinkled with red, white and green confetti, of course.
Wednesday, 16th of December: I'll be making some Christmas fudge to take for the kids at school today.  They have become my culinary guinea pigs and they don't mind one bit!  I'm sure, as usual, my efforts will be much appreciated.  By the way, sometime this week I'll be making a sweet treat for Kirstie's school Christmas lunch.  I think she'll ask for those white chocolate and cranberry cookies again.
Friday, 18th December:  Goodbye work!  Two weeks to cook and eat like my life depended on it! I hope lots of friends will be dropping by next week to marvel at all my lovingly made Christmas treats! But tonight I'm planning on starting the vacation in style.  Off to the French restaurant for a sumptuous meal complete with carefully chosen wines!
Saturday, 19th December:  Breakfast will definitely include Nigella's gingerbred muffins. I love their spicy aroma. So festive! I'll probably want to visit my favorite foreign foods market in the afternoon to load up on Christmas treats such as egg nog (Borden baby!), marrons glacés, fancy mustards and baking essentials.   Maybe Santa will remember that Mauviel copper bowl today! Oh, and I shouldn't forget to order our Christmas meats. Dinner will be for two tonight.  Perhaps something delicious from our butcher in Hilversum served with a nice bottle of one of the wines I bought back from France.
Sunday, 20th December:  Today I'll be making the Christmas fruitcake!  Is it any wonder that my favorite is Nigella's chocolate fruitcake?  Easy and so yummy! We'll probably head to Amsterdam later that evening for our very eccentric family Christmas portrait (taken in a booth!!) and some holiday cheer.  Dinner will be the ultimate Dutch street food- thick fries with a heavenly glob of mayo!
Monday, 21st of December:  I'm planning on meeting two friends for lunch in the city so we can exchange presents.
Tuesday, 22nd of December:  Hmmm... I think today would be a good day to attempt a Bûche de Noël and since I'll probably be in a French mood, why not also bake a pain d' epices?  If anyone visits tomorrow, they better not be on a diet!
Wednesday, 23rd of December: Time to bake my stollen!  I'll be serving them on Christmas eve and for breakfast on Christmas day!
Thursday, 24th December: My traditional Christmas eve meal has always been bagels (I make them myself), smoked salmon and assorted salads.  But first, must remember to visit the butcher and pick up my Christmas meats!  I'm not really sure what we'll be having this year, but I'm thinking of something other than ham or turkey.  Maybe a goose?  Duck?  Perhaps a boeuf bourguignon?
And that's as far as I'm going to plan!  I'll keep you posted as I go!

Who Doesn't Love a Roast Chicken?

Roast chicken is probably one of the easiest, most gratifying foods to cook.  It's basically just a matter of proper seasoning and an hour or two in the oven.  In the meantime, you can watch a movie, organize your pantry or take a bath. Of course, it's a different story if you want to serve your chicken with roast potatoes and perfectly cooked sprouts (although in my case, I have a husband who handles these matters exceptionally). If you don't have that luxury, count on having to get back into the kitchen about half and hour before  you serve your chicken.  But, if you're lazy, it's perfectly fine to serve your bird with a simple salad and a crusty baguette. A bottle of wine never hurts either.
For this chicken you'll need to  preheat your oven to 200C.  Wash and dry the chicken (preferably an organic one). Stuff four garlic cloves and a half a lemon into its cavity. Massage the chicken with mild olive oil, Maldon salt, fresh-cracked pepper and mustard seeds. Cut some shallots in half and arrange on a baking pan, Put the chicken on top of the shallots and cook for 20 minutes.  Reduce the temperature to 180 and cook for about an hour and a half, or until juices run clear.

What is Bliss?

Bliss is....

Having a husband to snuggle up to on the couch.

A daughter who writes me emails telling me how happy she is to have me as a mom.

Teens who look up to me, and love me. They really do  And they even think I'm "cool".

Having friends who come over for a chat (and my baked goods) *smiles*.

Having friends who come over for dinner...and leave my house happy and stuffed.

Coming home to my beautiful house- my dream house.

Taking a candlelight bath- complete with a glass of wine and a food magazine.

Cooking a roast chicken on a Sunday night.

Going out for lunch and a day of shopping with Hans and Kirstie.

Waiting for Christmas morning and feeling truly blessed.