Wow, did the weather change! (with recipe)

As sunny as it was yesterday, as rainy it is today. Wow! Last night it started in the southern part of the country and before the night was over, the thunderstorms and rain had reached here too. My stupid little doormat cat kept meowing near the door to be let out and of course I obliged...several times. But she always came running back in after a few minutes! 

I tried to get the cleaning job done I had set out to do. Remember I bought a floor cleaning implement to wash my higher-than-normal bathroom walls? Well the idea was excellent, and I got a part of the walls done but apparently I had bought something to sweep with :p Leave it to me to buy something not appropriate! I would be a terrible cleaning lady (guess that's why most of my marriage I HAD a cleaning lady, haha).

So now it's back to the shop tomorrow and buy something that really WILL do the job! But I made a nice attempt at least and what I bought was cheap enough to not get me crying plus I can always use it to really sweep the floor. 

But my hamper is really happy now, I did a load of laundry and have that hanging on the rack now. Whole place smells of 'wild roses' now. Yes, that's my fabric softener. And when this load is dry the second can go in and it's done for a bit! Usually I have one load a week just for myself, sometimes two, but now the hamper overflowed because of all the sorting I have done lately. I am not a totally useless housewife!

Like, for example, I think I perfected my Tuna Zucchini Patties! I will give you the recipe but I'll have to warn you: I cook like an Italian mama, so a little bit of this and a little bit of that until it's just right! Don't they look delicious?

Tuna Zucchini patties

For 6 patties you'll need 

1 big zucchini, grated

1 can of tuna

1 onion

1 egg

1 cup of breadcrumbs (divided!)

1-3 cloves of garlic

1-3 anchovies filets (optional but very much recommended!)

Some parsley, some chives, finely chopped

1 teaspoon of salt

lemon pepper

So you start grating the zucchini and putting it in a colander with a teaspoon of salt, somewhere that the outcoming liquid won't bother you. Then chop the onion, garlic and anchovies (I use 3 and 3 of course) and let that get soft in some olive oil in a skillet on a low flame. When it starts to get a little color, let it cool down. Oh and drain the tuna of the water or oil, depending on what you use.

Now put the zucchini, tuna, onion mixture, parsley and chives, egg and about half a cup of breadcrumbs in a bowl. Add some lemon pepper and mix well. (And taste to see if it's seasoned enough!) Put this in the fridge for about half an hour so the breadcrumbs can soak up all the liquid.

Put the rest of the breadcrumbs in a dish, form the mixture into 6 patties and cover them well with crumbs. Pan fry in some oil until they're nice and golden. On the picture I served them with sweet potato fries and ranch dip.

Cook and eat well you all, 

Hugz, Anna

Another sunny Sunday.

I was really gonna write yesterday, I swear! But just after I typed the title, Dan came back from his walk with Loki (it was raining apparently 'so Loki wanted to get home', yeah right!) and he turned on the cams on Skype. And since it had been a while...I obliged.

Not like I really had anything to write. Or like I have much to say now. You know, life just....goes on and I go with the flow.

I was a good girl yesterday, paid all my bills and went to the supermarket. It was a glorious sunny day, as it is now. So after the shopping I sat a bit outside and watched the roller coaster. Today is the last day of the fair, everything will be back to normal tomorrow!

Now of course I forgot to buy kibble for Nerys -I hadn't put it on my list even!- so today I have to visit the super again. I think I will buy one box of the Junior kibble she had all year and one box of the adult stuff, preferably with fish and mix them together so she can get used to the big ones.

I said I was gonna make the zucchini tuna patties yesterday but I forgot once-a-month-fried-fish! And it's not like the zucchini are gonna escape or something so that's dinner for today. I even found a bag of sweet potato fries on offer at the supermarket so that's gonna be a nice side! Well, I heard it's nice, never had them yet ;)

So, just another normal day! Tomorrow the weather is supposedly gonna be really bad so I have some cleaning on my list for then. Help the exploding hamper out of it's misery and make a plan for the bathroom walls (and execute it too :p).

Just got a ton of pics of my grandbabies via Whatsapp so if you don't mind...I'm gonna enoy them!

Enjoy life you all!
Hugz, Anna

A somewhat better day than yesterday....getting there!

Today was lovely and sunny, not too hot, not too cold. Perfect weather to go out a bit. Now I said yesterday I had to go tank gas and get some groceries and so I did. I went to the posh supermarket this time, they had some nice offers and so I got home with a full basket! Greek yoghurt with cherries, drink yoghurt with raspberries, some quiches, the pasta sauce I really like...many things were 2 for 1 and I even found the cheapish olive oil :p 

Put some more stuff away, and my house starts to look more and more like a home. Have to say, I like it ;)  Should have done that long ago, I live here almost 2 years now! But then again, I have nobody to share it with and I think that's what kept me from doing it.

Been planning some meals: tomorrow the zucchini tuna patties again with some alterations to make them even tastier, like garlic and some anchovies. And the day after Hokkien noodles, glass noodles and 'normal' ones with chicken and veggies. And that'll last me at least two days.

I have been contacted by a HR lady of some company, wanting to know if I am still looking for a job. It has to do with land development and I am asked for the 'telefonic aquisition'. When I just had lost my job a colleague of this lady called me and after some talking she said this might not be the job for me. I told the lady that contacted me now via email and she asked if she could invite me for an introductory evening. Well of course she can and I already have some questions in mind. I looked the company up of course and I also searched the internet for the bad side of it ;) And I found some stuff... Well, I'll keep you informed! I really want to work again but I am not taking just any job, my last two jobs gave me 'phone fear' ;)

Okay, have a good time you all!

Hugz, Anna

Quiet day, love the rain on the roof.

Time flies, even when you're NOT having fun ;) See, this was one of those days I kind of dreaded when I took Joy's challenge. 

The weather was beastly here so I stayed in. Although I have to say it again: love the rain on the roof! There just shouldn't be so much of it sometimes. 

So I did some really mundain household chores today: did the dishes, folded laundry, swept the floor... Oh and I cooked of course! 

I was gonna make pasta with ragù but I didn't have an onion. So I did it a little bit different today: some extra garlic and lots of fresh herbs! Last time I was in the posh supermarket they had PET bottles of Cirio passata (ehm, sieved tomatoes) so I got one and I tried it out today. It was nice but not so special I'm gonna buy it again. I'll just stick with my cheap passata. The Cirio canned cherry tomatoes on the other hand...I gladly pay extra for them!

But I didn't use those today. One of these days I'll make pasta alla Puttanesca again and I really like the cherry tomatoes with that! This was just a run of the mill but delicious plate of spaghetti.

I really hope the weather will be better tomorrow. Have to tank gas and get some groceries, I am almost out of all my fresh stuff! And who knows, I may run into an adventure ;) I always keep on dreaming...

Dream big you all!

Hugz, Anna

 

Haha, what I did yesterday really was different ;)

Yeah. I kinda sorta forgot to write. Not like anything earth shattering happened! 

I got mail again from my 'friends in China'. 3 kinds of nail charms I ordered almost 3 weeks ago and very much to my surprise also the Hello Kitty handbag I ordered less than a week ago!

Yes, I confess: I order really cheap shit from China on one of those websites. No clothing or shoes because that may really go wrong but stuff like phone covers, wallets, nail tools and nail charms, wig stands, hair bands and clips, a flash drive...

That was mostly a way to get over my depression 'mailbox fear'. During my last depression I opened my mailbox once or twice a month. And that's not good! So I needed an incentive to go to the mailbox more often. I had heard about those Chinese websites like lightinthebox and aliexpress and decided to have a look around.

And I found my incentive! They have some really cheap little things (and I am talking about 50 cents to €10) and the fun thing is: you have no idea when they arrive! So I have to check every day. 'Unfortunately' I have found a few favorite stores so if I order from them, I get a few lots together.

See? And then the fun goes on because I have to pick a nice color to go with the new charms and polish my nails and stick the charms on... It's hard work but I love it ;) As I said I had to wait almost 3 weeks for these but it's worth the wait.

 

What I really didn't expect yet was the postman knocking at my door yesterday! I really didn't expect the handbag to arrive yet so that was a super nice surprise. When I opened the package, I was starting to get a little bit disappointed because the bag looked really small. But it has two separate pockets on the front too so when I tried to put in all the stuff I usually have in my bag...it fit! So now I have a very nice black Hello Kitty handbag wìth a shoulder strap, but that can be taken off too (I'm not really a shoulder strap kinda gal).

 

I didn't go out today because the weather was expected to get really ugly. Forecast even predicted supercells in the province where I live. And I am sure we had one coming over: after a lovely warm and sunny day I suddenly didn't hear any more birds and that usually is a sign a (thunder)storm is on the way. And oh my, did we get a thunderstorm! With a wailing wind and lots of hard rain, maybe even hail but I didn't really look. The sound on my roof and windows was really enough. It took quite a while for it to finish.

 

Well, I really hope the weather  was better where you all are!

Hugz, Anna

Today I didn't get to do half of what I planned...

We had a few nice and sunny, although too hot, days, but as ever, nice weather never lasts long here in the Netherlands! Because it already started raining last night and today it rained or drizzled most of the day.

I did have an appointment with my doctor, the GP. Two weeks ago she gave me a home blood pressure monitor and I had to measure my blood pressure twice daily and write it all down. That was fun homework! I told her my blood pressure was always way too high in a doctors office and it came out I was right, those 2 weeks at home it was much lower! 

When I left though, it started drizzling and raining a bit harder on the way, but luckily the real downpour came when I was inside already. Was a real thunderstorm too!

Going home it was dry and so I passed by the supermarket. They had such a wonderful surprise there: 4 croissants or 4 kaiser rolls for €1! And the best thing was: the croissants were fresh out of the oven so nice and warm. So yeah, I had 4 croissants and I chose some nice lunchmeat too: roast beef, roast pork and grilled chicken. I still had some soup left from yesterday: 'Queens soup', that's a cream soup with carrots and peas and I added some smoked chicken breast. So that was dinner today! Soup and rolls, me and the kids used to have that on Saturdays back in the day.

Now I was gonna go to the gas station where my friend and neighbor Monique works part time but every time I wanted to go it started raining again. So, no.

Nerys is starting to become a real outside cat. Guess she has that from her mom, that's a real little slutty cat and she had at least 2 litters a year! Nerys is from the 4th litter I believe. But I had her castrated when I came back from Chicago (that's when they remove all the reproductive organs) so at least she's safe. Now with the rain she runs inside some more when I open the door. I get a soaking wet rag inside every time! I hear you say: why don't you keep her inside? Well, because she doesn't want to! She keeps meowing by the door until I open it!

I have put a nice blanket on my bed for her, the red one with the white polkadots I bought for Evan's cats Ezri and Jadzia. But at the moment the doormat seems to be good enough for her! She's waiting for it to get dry again...but I hear the rain on the roof and the windows. I love that!

Well, stay dry you all and have a nice day!

Hugz, Anna

Every now and then...

...you have one of those really uneventful days, the ones 'you don't write home about'. But I was challenged to write my blog every day so here I am, just ehm...winging it :p 

Yesterday I almost had a bit of a mishap: I was talking with Dan on Skype and all of a sudden my blog disappeared! And I know I save it every few minutes but had no idea where to look for it. So of course I blamed Dan...(no I didn't, I blamed myself :p). But luckily I found it again and immediately published it! Should I have to do the same again today, I would panick just as much as I did yesterday because I don't exactly remember how I did it, LOL.

Anyway, after I published it, I suddenly remembered I hadn't told how happy I am with my fly swatter! I already murdered 8 flies ànd a daddy longlegs spider! Yay me! It's just one of those things you know...when you think about the fact that you could really use one you're just going to shops that don't have 'em and when you are at the right shop you forget you need one. Oh well I have one now, bright pink with a telescopic handle so I can also get those pesky far away flies (or spiders).

Here's a random cat picture because cats are cute ;) Nah, it's my kitty Kira Nerys 2 weeks old, 2 months old and 1 year old. I posted this pic on Facebook on her birthday, August 12. Just wanna share it with you again because she is so cute!

Ok I guess this is it for today! I hope tomorrow will be more interesting but the weather is gonna be worse -it is raining now already- but I have to go to the doctor.

Have a great day you all!

Hugz, Anna

It was a sweltering hot day...

...and that is why I am writing now, with the fan still on high.

What I dislike most about days like this, is that my house (1 story, flat roof) warms up inside so much. I was sitting outside earlier, smoking a cigarette, and it was really nice. But when I came back in....blegh. Oh well, there won't be much days like this left this year so I better enjoy the sun and the warmth, right?

The yearly fair has started here. There are attractions everywhere in the city centre, one street is even closed off for traffic! I watched that bit yesterday from the other side of the canal and although there were many gambling tents and scary stuff, I also saw a merry-go-round. I wish I could go sit on a horse once again :) 

Today I went to the supermarket and in front of that is a nice size square. Usually. Now there is some sort of scary roller coaster and a kind of vomit-comet that turns 360 degrees in a few directions. The noise is horrible, not just from the attractions but also from the people yelling. I swear, I can hear the screaming here at home!

It was too hot to do much and I wasn't hungry at dinner time even. So I have to admit, I didn't really do much today. I went shopping as I said and I read a lot (reading the Sookie Stackhouse series at the moment, you know, the books TrueBlood was based on) and watched some series on the laptop.

And I started cooking really late, hahaha. I already made the meat yesterday: Ajam Pedis or spicy chicken. But I had to accompany it with some veg and some carbs! I was gonna do stirfried white cabbage and rice but I found a pack of stirfry noodles!

So I chopped an onion and 3 cloves of garlic (sorry but I love garlic!) and put that in my wok with some oil, and when it was getting soft I added the shredded cabbage and stirred it for a while on a high flame. Added some kecap (indonesian soy sauce) and sambal brandal (spicy shit) and the precooked noodles. Ready in about 5 minutes! Finished it off with some sesame seeds.

Have to say: it was deeeeelicious! And of course I have some left so I cut up the Ajam Pedis and mixed it through the noodles and cabbage so it's easier to warm up tomorrow. And I'll add some scrambled egg: whole new meal! I might even pickle some cucumber like the other day when I had my sushi bowl: that was yummy too!

Dan must be coming back from his walk with Loki and I don't have anymore to tell so, have a nice day you all!

Hugz, Anna

Some shopping....and some cooking!

My ceilings are higher than in a normal house and my bathroom is tiled from floor to ceiling. I don't have a stepladder but I do have ventilation finally. And so my bathroom walls are rather...dirty. I washed them often as high as I could reach of course but the difference started showing :p

So, what to do? I tried with my mop but to no avail. I needed something to wash and it had to have a telescopic handle so I could reach all the way to the top. Something for windows, or floors.

Only one solution: I had to go to the Action! Here in the Netherlands Action is a cheap...warehouse. I go there when I am in dire need of retail therapy because I know whatever I do , I get out of there with loads of stuff for hardly any money!

And oh, oh, oh...did I have fun there today ;) I found  a cleaning tool that might do the trick and otherwise I can use it for my floors. It's bright pink. I also found a pink soup bowl with polkadots and a matching plate. (Oh did I ever tell ya I collect bowls? :p ). And a sewing necessaire. And a pink flyswatter. And pink wash cloths. And...Well to make a long story short: I left with 3 bags and €17 lighter.

Now I also had a lot of chicken to cook today. One recipe I found online a few days ago was Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken. It looked amazing on the photo and I love lemon, and garlic ànd I found a cheap chicken the other day at the supermarket. And the other thing was Ajam Pedis, Indonesian spicy chicken, was gonna do that to put in the fridge because that'll taste better after a day or 2.

Of course I should have put the chicken in the crockpot before I left for the Action, it needed 4 hours on high after all. But I'm stubborn! So I did it after I came home (at 5 o'clock). Cut the garlic bulbs in two and 2 lemons and put them on the bottom, stuffed the chicken after seasoning it inside and out with another garlic  bulb and half a lemon, and the rest of that lemon got on top, sliced. Lid on, crockpot on high, timer on 4 hours.

In the meantime I made the Ajam Pedis and since I had one chicken breast left and was a little hungry, I breaded and panfried it. And four hours are LONG so I got to hang my laundry, decide if I wanted to do some more today (nah) do all the dishes, re-arrange my kitchen drawer and watch some episodes of Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll. (really nice series!)

When I went to check the chicken after 4 hours it wasn't done yet so I put it on low while I took my daily nap (so I can chat with Dan all night). When I took it out, it broke, LOL. But it was deliciously moist and tasty so I might give it another try. Unless I find an oven first!

So have a nice day and cook and clean safely,
Hugz, Anna

Appointment in hospital...EARLY!

You all know I'm diabetic right? Flexible regime, 4 injections of insuline a day. And it's been like that for almost 20 years now. 

Unlucky for me, diabetes usually comes with all kinds of complications. And so I am having my blood tested several times a year, have pills to lower my cholesterol, pills to manage my blood pressure (3 different ones!!!) and I get all kinds of exams...feet, eyes, the works.

So today I had to come back at the eyedoctor in our hospital. They have been looking at my eyes for a while now but thought they saw what they didn't wanna see so I got an appointment for a fluorescence angiography. That's when they make pics of your eyes while you're injected with contrast fluid.

I was a little bit ticked off because I had to be in hospital half an hour before the appointment for eyedrops. And the appointments could only be in the morning. So that meant I had to get up 2 hours before that, because I simply hàd to have breakfast, nausea was predicted. 08:30 in the friggin' morning!

Well, eyedrops went ok, test went ok too and the doctor said that I could go home if I felt allright. Man, you shoulda seen me RUN! Yes I felt nauseaus but you think I was gonna tell them? No way José!

Luckily I had my sunglasses on because the bright light was ehm, bright. Of course we had a lovely sunny day today! I went home for my daily standing appointment with Dan...and my house is a little bit darker and cool.

But damn! I couldn't see right! But I looked damned sexy with my big black pupils, pity no one could see it ;) After Dan went to work I had to go do some shopping. Went ok but oh the light! Really! Did it absolutely HAVE to be so sunny today?

When I got home I went for a nap...the early hour rise and the not working eyes took their toll. And so I didn't get to cook what I wanted to but I had some delicious medium rare steak burgers (home made on cheese onion buns) and Tom Kha Kai soup. Cant say that was totally home made but my fave supermarket puts noodles and fresh veggies and chicken in a container with a little packet of flavoring and all you have to do at home is add some boiling water. Usually I think that's too expensive but today with the eye exam I could do with some extra pampering ;)  ( Oh and it was 35% off LOL). For extra vitamins I had some Innocent Tropical Fruit Juice, that was on offer also: buy one get one free.

So that means tomorrow I will have to do some serious cooking because I have a pack of chicken breast and a whole chicken and they both expire tomorrow! Already picked the recipes though so that's gonna be ok :D 

Take good care of yourselves all!

Hugz, Anna

Not really different but...

Today I am f***ing proud of myself! I am finally at the end of a long and painful house cleaning project... You know, I had too many clothes. Most of them from when I was still married, nice representative stuff. So in fact all rather timeless and neat...but I had 4 vacuumbags full, an almost exploding wardrobe and dresser oh and a box (that's important, remember the box!). And an old suitcase full of blankies and bedlinnen. All on top of my wardrobe.

Now I have only one body (although a rather big one) and enough clothes to dress a small village. And the main reason I kept holding on to all these clothes was that I was/am afraid I can't buy any more now. Well that's my theory. But OMG something had to go here! And next to the clothes I had a whole box of handbags and a box full of knicknacks...

So I put the bags and the knicknacks up for sale. Just to see what happened. Well I sold one pretty picture frame :p But the rest I could give to a friend! She was really happy with it all. The bags...well I tossed one. (I have a bit of a bags and shoes fetish :p ) The old suitcase I put for sale too and luckily that sold the same day.

But all them clothes...I wanted to get rid of them and making pics and putting them on various websites and having to send them off to people...I knew that was gonna take too long! And I looked for those charity containers you can put clothes in but couldn't find any near where I live. So I Just.Threw.Them.In.The. Trash!!! Yes. 4 whole vacuumbags of clothes. Well almost 5. And now I have room left in my wardrobe and dresser and a box (remember the box?) of winter stuff on top of my wardrobe!

Today I finished folding and hanging everything I had left (and ironed some stuff too) and washed the clothes that had just gotten dirty from hanging in the wardrobe. I put the box on top of the wardrobe and my place looks somewhat like a house again :)  (Instead of like an exploded fashion warehouse.) 

And I have to admit: I feel soooo much lighter! Well, emotionally. I didn't just throw away old clothes but also old emotions, an old life. Good on me!

I had to do something different today though. So for dinner I decided to 'posh up' a new fave dish: the sushi bowl. I looove sushi but am really too lazy to make all them rolls just for myself. So a sushi bowl is, let's say, deconstructed sushi. Sushi rice and all the stuff you put in the rolls. And in my case today that was surimi, avocado, cucumber, nori and sesame seeds. But I added chopped chives and sesame seeds to the rice, I pickled the cucumber, rolled the rice into little balls...made a pretty plate and scattered it with nori and more sesame seeds. And made a picture of it, before I put on the wasabi mayo and soy sauce ;) 

Doesn't it just look nice? Oh and it tasted delicious too! Another thing I am proud of myself for :) 

So, all of you: be proud of YOURself and cya tomorrow!

Hugz, Anna

A little bit different every day!

Today I did one of those 'stupid' quizzes on Facebook. Titled "What would be your perfect job." And my perfect job would be...author! I was like...'ehm...okaaaay' because I don't think that would be a very good job for me really.

And then my friend Joy commented. (I always thought she has the most appropriate name, she knows how to bring joy to the world!) She said I better blog more often then :p WOW! For starters, I didn't know she knew I have a blog and probably reads it too. You know, I don't get that much feedback. For all I know I am blowing my words in the wind, or, as Shirley Valentine* would say: "Hello wall!"

I told Joy that in order to write, I'd need to have a life. Not too interesting for you all to read every day 'I got up, had my caffelatte and toast, fed Nerys, went to the supermarket...' And then she suggested something that made me think. She kinda challenged me to do something a little bit different every day! And write about that. Not to get hung up if I don't make it every single day but still.

A different route to the supermarket. Observe the people I see and invent stories about them. Sew something, sketch, sing a song...

And she is right of course! I don't have to write endless blogs about it, just a short observation every day would be nice. So I'll try! No promises, but I really will try.

So cya tomorrow!

Hugz, Anna

*Shirley Valentine: A rather frustrated housewife (with a husband and daughter) who out of pure boredom talks to her kitchen wall. But then she goes to Greece, without the hubby! Marvellous movie, I have seen it about 184 times already... ;)

Oh wow, it's been almost a year already!

Guess I should really be ashamed :p When I wrote my last blog, Nerys was still in 'the pipeline', and now she has already celebrated her first birthday! I have to say, she has been a big help in making this old garage a home...

My circumstances haven't really changed yet, still no job, still living far from everyone I know except for the few people I know here, like my old neighbor Maaike, my new neighbor Monique and of course my old co-workers Coby and Wies.

I had to fight one of my bigger depressions but the fact that in April-May I have been in Chicago for 3 weeks has been a great help in that! And when I came back I started working slowly but surely on my house.

Found some cheap stuff, like a litte table, an IKEA bookcase from Maaike, a coffeemaker...got a curtain rod so I could finally hang the lace curtains I had lieing around for years (still in the plastic :p ) so that was a start.

 And then I decided to start throwing away stuff! I had a wardrobe full of clothes and 3 big vacuumbags and a big box of clothes on top of it! (Oh and don't forget all the blankies and bedlinnen in my old blue suitcase...)I sold the suitcase and tossed about 4 bags full of clothes... I have some left in my wardrobe and dresser and the one box on top of the wardrobe, the winter stuff.

I can't tell you how good it feels to have so much less stuff! I feel so much lighter! Well, emotionally of course ;) I also tossed some of my handbags and gave most of my nice little knicknacks to Monique, together with a shopping bag full of make up. I sorted out my papers and have just little left to do, some stuff in my kitchen and an old hamper with things to sort out but mostly toss. 

So now I have something that looks like a home, I have a cat, I have some nice friends and my boyfriend is preparing to come to the Netherlands! All happy happy joy joy. Of course there are some less nice things happening in my life too but I choose not to dwell on them and just handle them when it's time.

So, now you know I am still alive ;) And I'm not gonna make any promises I can't or won't keep but I'll try to write a bit more often. Like, I have some ideas I'd like input on! Anyway, see you around...

Live life to the fullest!

Hugz, Anna