Dutch "boterkoek"

Such a lovely brocante shop in Spakenburg.

I could have bought so many things....but I didn't.

They also sell products from a local flour mill.

I brought this "boterkoekmix" home with me. 

Boterkoek (butter cake) is a traditional Dutch recipe

and I hadn't eaten it in years.

It tasted so heavenly

(there is so much butter in it - 250 grams)!

The Netherlands

Are you ready for some Dutch pictures?!

The old fisher village of Spakenburg.

 The view from our apartment.

My sister bought a dog, a very cute little dog.

The kids wanted to spend the night with my sister and her family, but my daughter is really afraid of dogs. 

She always has been, I'm not sure where it comes from.

But this dog is so kind and funny and kid friendly, 

that she even dared to touch him!

Beautiful mosaic decorations.

 We like to eat fish when we are in Holland.

 Love this color, we call it "ossenbloed" (oxblood). 

It is somewhere between red and brown.

And now we're back home again. 

School is starting on Tuesday.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend.

 

The Netherlands

After almost 30 years of living in Luxembourg, 

still feeling so very dutch...

Baby chickens

On my friend's farm today...

...31 baby chickens...

...so cute!

This week in my kitchen

I am linking up with Heather (Beauty That Moves) today.

 

In the garden again

It feels really good to be in the garden again. 

We cannot believe how warm this spring has begun.

New strawberry plants. 

The creek at the end of the meadow behind our house. 

I am just very worried about the apple trees. 

Hope it doesn't start freezing again. 

Spring cleaning - the urge to purge

It must be the exceptional beautiful weather

for this time of the year, that makes me 

really motivated to declutter my house. 

I want more space in our home and in my head.

Son number two sorted out his high school 

books and I added some of the kids' books.

Clothes, clothes, clothes... 

Both kids have grown so much.
  

Even more clothes!

How much stuff can you hide in five

small kitchen drawers?!

Kids' stuff, mostly broken or never 

played with, used oil and 

expired/unwanted medication

for the recycling center.

I'm not done yet!

Mowing the lawn

 She loves to help to mow the lawn.

(we better take advantage of this voluntary-lawn-mowing-phase,

it'll be over before you know it!)

On my bedside table

(Actually I don't have a bedside table, my books

are on the floor next to my bed).

I bought this book a couple weeks ago and I

have read some pages every night. It is a jewel!

I didn't know Susan Branch. She is an 

author/watercolorist who has published many books.

I stumbled upon her last book by coincidence.

We have travelled around the U.K. twice and

we would go back there anytime.

I loved the pages about Beatrix Potter.

 

Hill Top farm is on my list now of places

I want to visit before I die.

Knitting

The 2nd hot water bottle cover is ready.

 Although it is officially spring, temperatures are

 below 0°C at night. When I bring the kids to the

bus stop around 7.30 every morning, 

we still need our winter jackets and hats.

Today is going to be a beautiful day

with lots of sunshine.

I hope your day will be beautiful too!