Finally get my Professional Engineer designation (late addition)
Pay off my debt
Track the waste that I produce each week/month
I like this love list idea. There are lots of studies that show that writing down goals increases the likelihood that I will actually do them. I also believe that it's easier to make small changes to my habits over time, rather than making a bunch all at once. Plus, I intend to blog about the waste tracking, so you can keep me honest.
Tonight I went to the grocery store to stock up for the next few days. I wanted to make a casserole that I can eat for the next few days, but failed to plan ahead. I had to buy packaged pasta, oatmeal, chicken and cheese at the grocery store rather than at the market, which was closed.
Let's face it. The holiday season is all about consuming. Gifts, food, drinks. December seems to be about indulgence.
This year, I've tried to be a bit more subdued with my consumerism. I bought gifts for my family and R on my trip to Peru, and everyone's getting basically the same thing! I bought my roommate a book that I know she wants, and will share with me when she's done! And I bought my new dog nephew a toy that will keep him active and that he can enjoy throughout his life, assuming he's not like his dad and aunt...
For our family Christmas, we will be doing a similar gift exchange as we did for Sinterklaas in the Netherlands, but with just gag gifts. This is a nice opportunity to go through old things and find something that I don't want anymore, but that someone else might love!
I made my own gift bags, which can be washed (if necessary) and reused, though this is not a new thing in our family. The rule in our house is to never trust the box that something comes in. A few years ago someone got a small gift that was wrapped in a box from the Bay, and someone had written 1978 in the box. No Joke!
And I didn't get cards, though I'm on the ball enough to get them out on time, even if I wanted to.
I'm not dissappointed with the amount of waste we produced. My parents have always saved reusable wrapping paper, and all of their gifts were either in bags or reused paper. There was some packaging from some things, like the herb saver and neti pot that I got, but it could have been worse. It also gives me a point to measure from for next year.
My portable radio broke, which is annoying. In my attempt to reduce my waste and refuse to buy 'stuff,' I have yet to replace it. Instead, I'm catching up with my favourite CBC program's podcasts.
This morning on my walk to work I was listening to Spark Episode 117, and found the portions about upcycling and responsive architecture fascinating. The bits about public library design and virtual street corners was also interesting, of course, but not as applicable here.
I'm obviously way behind the game here, seeing as this episode aired in June 2010, but the content is still quite current. Perhaps we can get some Gumdrop disposal bins in Toronto?
Upcycling is the taking of products that had a previous life and
adding a new value to them. Rather than the discarded products having the same or lesser value, like in recycling, upcycling makes discarded products into something more
value. Preloved, Red Flag Design and Castor Design are the companies mentioned on the podcast, but I haven't bought anything from any of them. In fact, I'm hoping to take the idea of preloved, and make my own things, though likely with less fashiony results. What better resource is there for fabric than my local thrift shop?!
In my quest to do some baking yesterday, I broke R's oven. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was 15 years old, and everything to do with the aluminum foil fire, I've been told.
Also, I forget that all of my recipe baking temperatures are in Fahrenheit, not Celsius. So I was trying to get the oven to 752 F (400C). How the biscuits are even edible is a little beyond me.
My initial plan for dinner was a spanish style potato veggie casserole, which obviously didn't work because the oven was broken. So I had to think of a quick Plan B, and it worked out pretty well. Chicken with carrots, broccoli and rice. And we'll take the casserole we put together to his brother's house tomorrow night. And Friday we will shop for a new oven/microwave.
Later on we walked to his brother and sister-in-law's for a visit and so I could get some fresh air. Working from home, especially when the weather is as crappy as it's been the last few days, leads to me staying inside all day. We ended up walking home in the rain because I forgot the umbrella. Again.
I love the XKCD webcomic. It's funny and geeky, a perfectly amazing combination for me. Today, however, it makes a pretty sad, yet 'funny because it's true', commentary on plastic bag use that made me want to share.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I made biscuits! I call it an experiment because I tried to mesh Joy the baker's two recipes, Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits and Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits, while converting everything to metric and/or weight and substituting where I couldn't find the right ingredients.
First I combined 700mL of all purpose flour and one package of baking powder.
Then I crushed 6 sugar cubes and added them to the mix.
Crushed sugar cubes
Finally I added a dash of salt and a generous helping of pepper and stirred it all together.
Look at all that pepper!
Then I added a about 3/4 cup of butter and mushed it all up with my hands and did my best to make it the consistency of couscous. There are no more pictures until the final mix because my hands were covered in dough! I then added about 400mL of shredded cheese and mixed, then 400mL of milk, and mixed it all together. I forgot to add an egg...
We'll see what happens!
I covered a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and plopped spoonfuls of batter onto it.
R's oven/microwave combo only went to 250 degrees, so I put them in on a combination of oven and microwave, and they turned out a little chewy, but not too bad. Especially considering how bad they could have been, given all the guessing I did!
I think an egg would have made these a bit fluffier
I must mention that the last bunch I put in caused the aluminum to catch on fire - not surprising since it was in a microwave oven. I just couldn't believe it didn't happen sooner.
When that happened, we had a conversation that went something like this:
R - Everything okay?
Me - I just set your oven on fire
R - Ha ha ha, very funny
Me - Yeah, I'm not joking. But it's out now, so it's okay. Don't worry.
I went over to R's parent's place in the afternoon to have a visit with his mom. She showed me some beautiful photos of her kids and grandkids, and their travels through France. We also had tea and ate chocolates from Belgium. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon, eh?
On the way home I stopped at the grocery store to buy some supplies to make biscuits. I managed to find everything I needed and cash out unscathed! I know that most people here speak English and it would have been fine, but I was nervous.
I made biscuits, which wasn't a total disaster. Post to follow!
I ended up not eating any dinner, though, because I was feeling a little nauseous. R made me some camomile tea and we watched some TV.
Today I did a little bit of work, but R stayed home, so not a lot.
It was pretty boring, until we cycled to the grocery store! In the Netherlands! No one here understands how excited I was that this happened. R's mom has lent me her bike for the time that I'm here, and she has a great little saddle bag that carried all of our groceries in it beautifully.
Being in a small town, of course we ran into R's mom. We had a nice little chat then we both continued with our shopping. Can you believe that we found both butternut squash AND sweet potatoes? I already had an alternative for the sweet potatoes in mind when we found them. All wrapped up in plastic and Styrofoam. So much for Zero Waste... Everything here is individually wrapped. Even the bananas, which are the best fruit ever because they already come with a wonderful, biodegradable wrap!
I made the Beef and Sweet Potato Stew from Joy the Baker. Her recipes have never led me astray, check her out! It was delicious. R made fun of me because I'm not particularly confident in the kitchen. Plus I tend to make lots of messes, which are even more obvious in his little kitchen. So despite it being good, I am still working to prove I am not a complete screw up in the kitchen. Stay tuned...
I nearly forgot to add that I ate the most wonderful chip-like snack tonight. They were just the right amount of salty and crispy without being oily like chips can be. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get them in Canada, and that's a good thing!
Yesterday we decided that we would bike to Nordwijk am Zee, but today we decided to drive it instead. It was cold and threatening rain, and we were both feeling a little rough because we were out late last night.
We walked along boulevard by the North Sea. Despite being so cold and grey, it was still beautiful. I didn't want to get sand all over my boots, so we didn't walk on the beach. We also walked along the Hoofdstraat (the main pedestrian street), where bought a shirt from Esprit for 15 Euros! Horray for sale racks! We stopped at a wicked pub with an accordion on the wall and a wide selection of Trappist beers on the menu to have a hot chocolate and so I could use the bathroom.
My hands were too cold to take pics of anything outdoors
On our way back to the North Sea, we had little fried bits of white fish before heading back to the car. There were also two Australian girls trying herring for the first time. They said that the texture was a little weird but the taste was good.
When we got back, I had a nap, then we went to R's parent's house for dinner. His mom had made a delicious curry soup and Cantonese noodle dish. As seems pretty usual now, we had some great conversations and great laughs. They showed me their home video from their trip to France this summer to celebrate his parent's 40th wedding anniversary. They're a fun and crazy family!
We went out to Haventje (Little harbour) to meet up with R's friends and one of his brothers to have some drinks. It was a really fun night, I'm really glad we did it.
You'll be happy to know that I was excluded from the boring serious club!
On the weekend, R and I went to Antwerp, Belgium. It's the diamond capital of the world, with 85% of all diamonds being traded there. Yes, I made a joke about shopping, and no, we didn't.
R pointed out that signs in Belgium are after the overpasses. It means that often you see the sign as you're supposed to get off, if not afterwards. Thankfully we were aware of where we needed to go and exited at the correct spot.
We drove through the crowded street of Antwerp looking for our hotel. It's a good thing that R is a calm driver, because I was losing it in the passenger seat. I can't imagine how bad it would have been if I'd been driving. We finally found a parking lot that was right across from our hotel. Though we drove by our hotel twice before settling on this particular parking lot, not knowing how close it was to the hotel!
Old Antwerp
We got checked into our room, then set off to see the Old City. R was determined to find some french fries, which were supposed to be very good in Belgium. After wandering around for what felt like a few hours, we finally found Fritkot Max on the Groenplaats. There were 12 types of toppings!! I tried the "American" which ended up looking orange and gross, so I smothered it with regular ketchup. I also tried the curry ketchup, which was delicious!
Toppings galore, and salt, of course.
The giant tub is mayonnaise
I also tried one of R's fries with Mayonnaise. I didn't like it in 1997, and I still don't like it. But I tried it again, because you never know. I used to hate kiwis, and now I love them!
R says the Belgium mayonnaise is the best
Next, we went to Our Lady’s Cathedral of Antwerp, but only saw the entrance. Neither of us was too keen to pay to go all the way inside. What we saw was beautiful. In the Grote Markt, they were setting up for the Christmas Market. There were lots of booths and a giant Christmas Tree in front of City Hall.
Antwerp City Hall
Our Lady's Cathedral and a giant Christmas Tree!
The Christmas market led us to the harbour, where there was an awesome castle type structure called Het Steen.
It was sunny but very cold!
We walked along the Schelde river and found a neat boat museum. Again, we didn't go in!
There were lots of cool boats inside. And a parking lot.
The cold wind from the river led us to the Irish Times Pub where I got a hot chocolate and R got a beer. R had been there to the last time he was in Antwerp. Not surprisingly, it was just like every other Irish pub in the world!
On our way home, we walked along the Mijr, a street with lots and lots of shops. We stopped at a chocolate store recommended by R's mom and got a few bon bons to try. They were delicious.
We took a taxi to the Eilandje district where we had dinner at Eetcafe Bacchus. It was small and there were a few regulars there, but no one else. I was over the moon because I got to sit next to the heater! I've been cold pretty much since I got here. I ordered the 'tuna dish' which ended up being a can of tuna over a salad. It was good, but I was hoping it would be warmer. The Eilandje district used to be the harbour but it has been converted into a really neat district with restaurants and pubs.
We walked through the Schipperskwartier (red light district), albeit accidentally, to the historical centre where we had a drink at Den Bengel. They played wicked awesome music, including a disco version of 'you're just too good to be true,' so I took the opportunity to sing to R. Comedy gold, I say!
On our way home, we were passed by a really, really loud fire truck. Now I love the doppler effect probably more than the next girl, but at 125 decibels, everything is too loud!
The next day we checked out of the hotel with the trainee Puck. Who names their child Puck?! It's even weird for the Dutch!
We walked over to where we thought the entrance to the parking lot was. Though we couldn't see it anywhere. So we walked all around the Astrid plane looking for it. Finally, we realized that we had already walked by twice without seeing it!
After dropping the bag off in the car, we saw the train station, which was right beside the parking lot. It was big and majestic with four floors and escalators that had flat sections and clear sides so you could see the inner workings!
Antwerp Train Station
This made me laugh!
I love seeing how things work!
I nearly fell on the flat part...
There we are!
This is the best I could do at capturing how grand it is
Then we walked back along the Meir, and R got a jacket at Massimo Dutti (say it like an Italian would, it's fun!) on our way to the Christmas Market. It was just like I remember it, lots of the same things being sold by different vendors. We bought Belgian Waffles, which were okay, but could have been a little warmer.
This give you an idea of how big the Tree really is!
Christmas Market and the Cathedral
We found a guy selling 'Canadian Socks.' We walked over to talk to him, and he started selling the socks, but when we said I was Canadian, and R told him I was inspecting. He quickly said "They're not made in Canada, it's just a brand name." and "I chose Canada because it means quality." Along the river, there was a giant sound system blasting more 80's music!
On the way back we stopped at the same chocolate shop and got some Chocolates for R's mom. We got the car and drove home through more terrible traffic. Well, R drove, and I slept once we got on the highway.
I love playing the license plate game, even if it's just with myself! We went to Antwerp on Friday, and on our way, we saw plates from the following countries:
After work today, R and I went to Pannenkoeken Boerderij (Pancake House) for dinner. The ihop has nothing on this place!
There was a big collection of yellow wooden clogs by the door, and I was super stoked to see the fire place when I walked in!
We were seating in an area that can only be described as an old fashioned Dutch kitchen.I was so excited!
And of course it made me think of Clone High and Cinnamon Scudworth! If you have not seen clone high, you are in for a real treat.
No joke, it was like eating in the private kitchen of a delightful Dutch stereotype! There was a very large collection of yellow wooden clogs at the front, and a wood stove with Delft Blue tile backsplash by our table, where R did some cooking while we waited for our pancakes.
R ordered the Hollandse pannenkoek met kalfsragout (Dutch Pancake with veal stew). The menu said it came with tomato and cucumber, but it only came with a slice of each, which R says is very typical of the Dutch. He ate the stew, tomato and cucumber slices, then put syrup and icing sugar on the pancake! I had a bacon, cheese and pineapple pancake. It was very heavy, but delicious!
Horray for pancakes!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
This is what the radar looks like in the Netherlands currently. Yes, the country is under that giant cloud, and we are somewhere near the red area in the middle...
This is what the radar looks like in Toronto currently...
Needless to say, I shouldn't have looked at this...
