Happy Halloween!

Sometimes weekends are packed with too much fun!

It is now somewhere between 2 and 3 in the afternoon and I’m still not, what certain people call, awake! I guess that’s quite normal if you are a wake till 3 and then only sleep 6 hours or so. But I had a great time and that’s what counts. Having fun is important!

Friday I went to see Boom Chicago but I’ve already told you about that. Saturday I went shopping with a friend. That was fun, but it was actually a total waste of time. My friend needed clothes for a special occasion, the only problem was that all the clothes were not special enough. Oh, she tried on some very outrageous or exaggeratedly creative designs but it was nothing like the thing she had in mind. On Sunday an old friend of mine came by. He had called me out of the blue on my birthday and promised to take me out to dinner one evening and yesterday was that evening.

It was a bit difficult to book a table in advance so we had to pick a restaurant at random. The first restaurant was fully booked. The second restaurant had a free table but we had to order right away and eat, drink and have fun in less than 50 minutes. That is no fun at all. So we continued our search and finally found a new restaurant with an available table. Time to sit down, relax, enjoy the evening and catching up. Chill! We were in no hurry at all but for some reason the waiter thought we were so every couple of minutes he came over to tell us that the food was on his way. In the end we just said to guy ‘hey man, relax, we are in no hurry at all’ and that helped. The evening was filled with nice food and wine, great music, tons of laughter and fabulous conversations.

My friend spend the night at my place (because he lives in another city) and we talked, laughed and talked some more. It was almost like a pyjamaparty! We had a great time…. funny how you can feel so at ease with certain people. It almost feels like coming home, everytime I see or talk to this guy again. I can’t really explain the feeling. I met him five and a half years ago, he was my b-friend for 3 of those years but although we loved each other dearly that didn’t work out and now we still love each other but on another level and we get along great and that’s an understatement.

Well, this morning we had breakfast, talked again and then it was bye bye time. I don’t know when I will see him again (he has a very hectic job) but I know I’ll see him again (for sure) and that we will have just as much fun as this time. Goodbye my friend, see you soon!

Boom!

Or to be more correct Boom Chicago, but that is not a catchy header, is it? And NO, I don’t suddenly dislike Chicago or feel the urge to blow up the windy city. I went to see Boom Chicago yesterday and I had a blast (so to speak!) For those of you who have never heard of them, here is a short introduction (shamelessly stolen from their site).

Boom Chicago is an Amsterdam institution. For twelve years, they have mixed good writing, quick thinking and high production values to create sharp, funny shows. They tour the Netherlands -- and the world -- performing at theaters, festivals and corporate events. Most people see Boom Chicago in Amsterdam at the 300-seat Leidseplein Theater, where they perform almost every night. The audience is seated around tables, and people eat and drink as well. Our menu changes with the seasons, and we serve great drinks and cocktails.

I went to see the new comedy show yesterday which takes a look at the world today. It's easy to get pessimistic. The economy is weak. Bombs are exploding. Integration and Islam are at the center of an exhausting debate. In the post-Theo (van Gogh) world, Dutch traditions of tolerance and freedom of speech are changing. The facts aren’t pretty, but there are answers. You just have to take the bull by the horns and get ready to laugh.

Boom Chicago is not exactly stand-up comedy it is a combination of improvisation, sketch comedy, music and video. I liked the improvisations best. But I liked it even more when I noticed that the people of Boom Chicago had so much fun themselves.

Well, if you ever go to Amsterdam (or if you see announcement in your area) go and see them, I can highly recommend it!

For more information about Boom Chicago or the Real Amsterdam (or if you feel a desperate need to laugh, see the new video section!) check their site. Oh and most members of Boom Chicago are American so the site is totally in English.

Time!

How did this happen? I’ve been so busy with answering mail, sorting out my finances and responding to comments, that I don’t have time to write a post for my blog. Well that is a first! No not really, I know, but it is just fun to say that! I’ll probably be back tomorrow, or not. I have a pretty busy weekend ahead of me! So I guess you will something new here, when I post something new here! Have a great weekend; don’t forget to enjoy it and smile!

Smile, it makes people wonder what you’re up too……

Other news: McDonald’s to put nutrition facts on packaging

Mindlessly eating a fat burger is going to be a thing of the past!

Customers soon will know that the Big Mac they just bought contains almost half of their recommended daily fat intake by just looking at the wrapper. Information including calories, fat, protein, carbohydrates and sodium will be on all their products. McDonald’s is introducing this new packaging style in the Netherlands (of all places) at the beginning of 2006. By the end of the year all restaurants will be using it (at least that’s the plan).

This all is part of the new campaign McDonald’s has undertaken. Now they (want to) promote a balanced, active lifestyle. They already eliminated the “Super Size” menu option.

Just so you know: a Big Mac contains roughly 510 calories and 26 grams of fat. When you also add a medium French fries, ketchup and a medium vanilla shake it comes to a grand total of 1308 calories and 56 grams of fat.

I’m lovin’ it…….. NOT!

Don’t you just hate it when that happens?

This morning I decided to skip my usual work out and I went for a swim instead (note: I don’t hate that). The water was warm, the sun was shining through the large windows, and it almost felt like summer. Well, actually it is a bit like summer over here. The temperatures should be down to 53º F by now, but today its 68º F. I guess the climate is changing after all (note: I do hate that) but that’s not what this little piece is about. Well, go on then… what’s it about? Okay, I’ll tell you!

After my swim I met up with an acquaintance of mine for coffee. I could call her a friend but I don’t see her as much as I used to and we don’t have that much in common, so acquaintance is probably the right word. We started talking about life, love, work, music, movies and other fun things and it was quite nice for a while. But then I started noticing something. Every few sentences she said this: ‘Well, I know you, you said……’ or ‘Well, I know you, you did that… or ‘I know you so well, you would never do that’.(note: Now that I do hate) I could give you a lot of other examples but I won’t bore you with those.

So here I was, sitting opposite of someone, who said she knows me sooooo well, but actually don’t know me at all. All the things she said didn’t make any sense. Was she confusing me with someone else? No, that couldn’t be it! We chatted some more and she kept on saying all these annoying things about me. I started to ponder: ‘Should I confront her with this, or is that a bad idea?’ To be honest, I didn’t need to think long about that, because my mouth sometimes has a mind of its own. Before I could answer my own question, my mouth blurted out ‘Actually, you don’t know me at all. You still think I’m the same person as I was 10 years ago, but I’m not!’ She was totally gobsmacked and uttered words like ‘But you still swim, don’t you? Okay, you lost some weight but you are still the same person in that new body, aren’t you?’

So I answered truthfully ‘Yes, I swim occasionally and no, I’m not the same person anymore. I’ve been through a lot these last couple of years and that has changed me considerably.’ And there was that gobsmacked face again. She said she didn’t know that, and she doesn’t because not everybody knows all the ins and outs but still most people see the positive changes in me. She is just sooo self-centered; she never completely gets what’s going on in other people’s lives. My mouth almost said that but I could control it for once.

Needless to say, we didn’t part on the best terms and that’s okay. But I still can’t get my head around to it. How is it possible that there are people out there who think that people never change? That people just stay the same from the moment you’ve met them? I think it’s fun to discover new things in people, new interests and changes. Well, I guess not everyone is like that, so that’s another lesson learned today.

Golden leaf!

Golden leaf!
Originally uploaded by Dakota_.

Pick a fight!

Keep the fire burning!

I got inspired by something I’ve read on 43things. People lose their way in life or lose the passion for the things they used to love (been there, done that!). It’s important to have love and passion in your life. And with this I don’t mean only in your love life, but in your life in general.

Lost your way, energy, positive flow? Don’t worry, you can change this all by yourself and it is way easier then you think. Stir up your inner flame. It’s important that you keep the fire burning. If the fire already died just ignite it again. You, yourself need to do this. No one can do this for you.

Ways to stir up your inner flame:

say NO, if your heart/mind tells you to,

spend time with people you love,

sympathize with others

rest if you need it (or even if you don’t need it)

take some YOU time

exercise

eat healthy

think about the future, pursue your dreams

spend time with people that inspire you

have a good time, do things you enjoy or inspire you

take care of yourself

make love

keep promises

be honest to yourself and others

appreciate yourself

be charitable

be intimate with people you love

tell others what they mean to you

dance

forgive

take responsibility

let others help and inspire you

do all the things you love doing.

Do all these things, or try just a few… soon enough you will noticed a small flame, that will grow into a blazing fire.

Just finished: Split Ends by Zoë Barnes and….

I didn’t like it. The story is soooo predictable. Read only the backcover that saves you a lot of time :) The very short version of this book:

Girl meets boy - Girl gets pregnant – Boy leaves her – Girl finds another boy – Marries him – After 8 years they separate because they didn’t marry out of love – Boy gets mistress – Girl gets toy boy – Both relationships don’t work – Girl and boy meet up again and live happily ever after.

Of course there are few other storylines in the book but they are not really worth your trouble. All in all, it is not a very creative story. Sorry!!

So is it a ‘bloody good read’ like the cover suggest? In my opinion NOT!

Kara-okay!

Give your vocal cords a little exercise!

Creamy Pasta with Mushrooms

Italian, Main course, serves 2, pasta

Preparation time in minutes
30

Contains per single serving:
Energy 1065 cal, - protein 32 g
Fat 69g – carbohydrates 79 g

Ingredient’s:
200 g penne pasta
2 Portobello mushrooms
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
6 slices (rashers) of bacon
125 ml whipping cream
75 g Rucola
50 g Parmesan cheese in thin slices or grated.
Salt, freshly ground (lemon)pepper

Method:
Cook the Penne according to the instructions on the package.
Clean the mushrooms and cut them up into slices.
Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan.
Put the garlic in and fry for one minute.
Put the mushrooms in and fry them over high heat for 4 minutes (let the moister evaporate).
Season well, with salt and lemonpepper.
Put everything on a plate and let it rest.
Put the rest of the oil in the same pan.
Bake the bacon until they are crispy and brown.
Take the bacon from the pan and put them on a piece of kitchen paper.
Strain the penne; reserve some of the hot water.
Put the penne back in the pan.
Add some of the cream and some of the reserved water.
Stir and put the rest of the cream (and water if needed) in.
Re-head it slowly.
Add the mushrooms, garlic and Rucola, stir lightly/slowly
If it’s hot enough, take it of the heat.
Divide the pasta over two plates or bowls sprinkle the bacon and the cheese over the top

Enjoy!!

Shouldn’t you be working?

I just found out that a lot of people are reading blogs during working hours. Are you one of them? Shame on you! ;)

At the moment 25 % of the American workforce (roughly 140 million) visit blogs during working hours, this according to new statistics. These 35 million workers spend approximately 9% of their time on blogs, which makes a total of 3½ hours per week.

The blogs people visit are not work related; they just read blogs to satisfy their own curiosity.

But is this really a bad thing? Is this really a waste of time? Or in other words: are people spending more time on the internet or are they just substituting surfing the web with reading blogs? The work still gets done, isn’t it?

Maybe blogs are just another way of social interaction, which might improve the wellbeing of workers. Maybe this is just a modern variation of people hanging around watercoolers talking and sharing the latest news and gossip.

And now back to work…. ;)

Today’s special

Phil had some great news yesterday. To celebrate this occasion I have

decorated my house today ;-)

Novastar

My favorite CD at the moment is Novastar by Novastar. I guess most of you have never heard of Novastar so maybe a little introduction might be nice.

Novastar is the stage-name of the Flemish/Dutch singer/songwriter Joost Zweegers. In 1996 he won the Humo Rock Rally and in 2000 he released his first CD Novastar. Joost went to the United States to write new songs for the next album but couldn’t find the inspiration he needed there. Washed out he returned to Belgium and he considered quieting the business totally. Luckily he met Piet Goddaer (Ozark Henry) and together they started writing song for the new album. In 2004 that new album was finally released and is called Another Lonely Soul and I love that one too.

Favorite tracks from the Novastar album: - Wrong, - Lost and Blown away, - The Best is Yet to Come.
Favorite tracks from the Another Lonely Soul album: - Never back down, - Rome, - When The Lights go Down on the Broken Hearted.

43Things

I wrote a few pieces in the past about this site and I like it, but I guess that’s pretty obvious by now.

Lately, however, I see more and more people just posting (mediocre) goals up there just so they can tick them as completed just a second later. I thought the purpose of this site was to write down your goals and share your progress. And when you see a goal you’ve achieved, you can click on the “I’ve done this” button and share a story about how you did it so others can be inspired or learn from it.

Can you win a price when you have the most completed goals, or something? If so, I can post a few average goals too: use a French bathroom (the hole in the ground kind) - not worth it, board a train that’s going nowhere – not worth it, remove the fallen leaves from the grass – not worth it (if there are still leaves on the trees) and so on and so on.

This doesn’t mean I think it’s wrong that people add completed goals to their list, but let them at least write something about it so people can be inspired or learn from it.

Weird coincidence, sign from above, fanatic religious group?

How strange is this? I just checked my blog on another computer and made a typing error. I typed http://www.dakotashabitat.blogpsot.com.... And there it was, a whole site dedicated to Amazing Bible studies. That is so not me! Is this just a weird coincidence? Or is there a fanatic religious group that makes alternative sites as soon as you post an anti-religious comment on your blog?

The hills are alive with the sound of music…

With songs they have sung for a thousand years,
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music,
My heart wants to sing every song it hears……

Okay, you get the picture… been there, done that… last night was the sing-along-a-Sound of Music-night, and I had sooooo much fun! If you ever want to do something completely different, try this. I can highly recommend it!

My friend and I didn’t dress up but a lot of others did… mostly as nuns, but there were also captain’s Von Trap, Maria’s and Von Trap children. In the foyer was a MAX DETTWEILER MERCHANDISING oulet, were you could also buy stuff to dress up in. We could not totally resist so we bought goatherd hats and some additional stuff to supplement the free goody bag.

When we entered the theatre there was Austrian music playing and the host was dancing an Austrian dance…..I don’t recommend doing that :) The evening begins with a little show in which the host will lead you through a vocal warm-up and he will show you how to use the free goody bag throughout the movie and suggest some appropriate heckles and accompanying actions (such as hissing the countess, barking at Rolf, yell ‘mountains’ when you see them, wave a piece of fabric when Maria sits in front of the curtains, yell ‘you can do it, Maria’ when Maria hesitates, shine with the flashlight to blind the Nazi’s, and, of course, cheer for Maria/Julie ). There are lots of these instructions but by the time the movie starts you just have to improvise because you simply forgot a lot of them.

Then, you sit back and watch the original 1965 (it was a good year ;)) movie in glorious Technicolor ™ with the lyrics for all the songs on the screen, so you won’t miss a chance to sing your heart and lungs out. The audience takes over as the star of the show from this point and almost anything can happen – the first rule of Sing-a-long-a is THERE ARE NO RULES! You can even leave your cell-phone on so you can tell your friends what a wonderful time you are having.

After the intermission there is a fancy dress competition and there are prices for the children Von Tramp, best dressed “whatever” and of course best nuns. The nuns I liked best. There was one group of 18 nuns and they had rehearsed a song just for this occasion. But the best part was the Whoopi Goldberg look-a-like. All of a sudden we were transported to ‘Sister Act’. Fun… with a capital F!


I had a great evening…. I’m sure I’m going to do this again.... sometime!

Wisdom?!?

Okay....

It is officially herfst, herbst, atomne, otoño, höst, autunno, outono, seronda, aŭtuno, autumnus, jesień, autumn, fall from now on! This morning the central heating system kicked in and that means that temperature droped considrebaly during the night. Bye bye summer clothes, hello winter coats, scarfs, shawls, boots and warm fluffy sweaters.

Green Tea

A while back someone recommended me to drink green tea. I’m an earl grey lover myself but why not try something different for a change. I did a little research and found this on the internet:

Since its discovery, green tea has become renowned for its pharmacological properties. While green tea is not classified as a medicine, it does contain medicinal substances. It is ranked as a leading health-giving substance in traditional Chinese medicine. The Zen priest Eisai of Japan listed several of its effects in his book, Kissa Yojoki: It has a sobering effect and prevents sleepiness; It gives a general sense of well-being; It prevents rashes; It has a diuretic effect; It prevents poor digestion; It energizes; It’s great medicine for beriberi; It satisfies thirst.

Well, that sounded way too good to be true, but hey it’s only water with some collor so why not drink it. So I have been drinking it for some months now and I must say that but skin looks better but I don’t know if that has anything to do with the tea. I started drinking more water at the same time and stopped smoking. No wonder my skin looks healthier…duh! I don’t sleep better, I don’t have more energy….but it satisfies thirst! That just deserves another DUH!

But this piece is not about my skin but about tea, so back to the teabags. This week, I don’t know why, I suddenly asked myself ‘Is green tea really that good?’ So I did some research again and came across some interesting things with the help of Wikipedia.

‘There are three main varieties of tea -- green, black, and oolong. The difference between the teas is in their processing. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and is reputed to contain the highest concentration of polyphenols, chemicals that act as powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that scavenge free radicals -- damaging compounds in the body that alter cell membranes, tamper with DNA (genetic material), and even cause cell death. Free radicals occur naturally in the body, but environmental toxins (including ultraviolet light, radiation, cigarette smoke, and air pollution) can also increase the number of these damaging particles. Free radicals are believed to contribute to the aging process as well as the development of a number of health problems including cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants such as polyphenols in green tea can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.

Green tea has been extensively studied in people, animals, and laboratory experiments. Results from these studies suggest that green tea may be useful for the following health conditions:Atherosclerosis, High cholesterol, Cancer, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Diabetes, Liver disease, Weight loss

How to Take It
Adult
Three cups of green tea per day (3 g soluble components, or 240 to 320 g polyphenols) or 300 to 400 mg per day of standardized green tea extract (extracts should contain 80% total polyphenols and 55% epigallocatechin) is the recommended dosage.

Precautions
The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, contain active substances that can trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, herbs should be taken with care, under the supervision of a practitioner knowledgeable in the field of botanical medicine.
People with heart problems, kidney disorders, stomach ulcers, and psychological disorders (particularly anxiety) should not take green tea. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also avoid green tea.

People who drink excessive amounts of caffeine (including caffeine from green tea) for prolonged periods of time may experience irritability, insomnia, heart palpitation, and dizziness. Caffeine overdose can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and loss of appetite. If you are drinking a lot of tea and start to vomit or have abdominal spasms, you may have caffeine poisoning. Lower your caffeine intake and see your health care provider if your symptoms are severe.’

My conclusion: Green Tea seems to be okay, just don’t drink it all day. Three cups is the limit. But that’s not surprising is it; too much of a good thing is never good!

It’s an odd day…

for writing on a blog. All inspiration seems to have vacated my head. What is there to write about, nothing much really!. There are not many interesting things happening at the moment so that is not an option. Outside it is grey, windy and it is raining, not much fun either!
To be honest I’m a bit down today, but not depressed!. I think it’s only human to have a these sort of days every now and then. When I first got over my depression I always panicked and thought ‘O no, here we go again!’ But now, I know better! Nothing to worry about, I just need to remember the little things I’ve learned.

Counteract your negative thoughts and feelings with positive ones. Nip negative thoughts in the bud.

Put some fun, happy and cheery music on.

Watch a great movie.

Don’t act as a victim. Take action / control.

Take you-time. Recharge yourself; soon you will be bubbling with energy.

Say what you want/feel/need to get of your chest. If you won’t, others will. Don’t get frustrated. Other can’t read your mind.

Know what you want. Have faith and do whatever needs to be done to reach your goal.
See problems as chances. See every victory as a step closer toward your goal.

Stop worrying. It will drain all of your energy, and leads to nothing.
Worrying sure won’t make you any happier.

Be prepared to make mistakes. You learn from them.

Appreciate the world you are a tiny little piece of.

Hmm…How funny is this?! I feel better already. I love the music that is playing in the background and just now the sun shined for just a second. And if that isn’t enough…I also have a little post for my blog :-)

S1ngle

This is a joke.......right?

We name him……Google.

A couple in Sweden have slapped the middle name "Google" on their newborn son, the search giant said Tuesday on its official blog.

Lebanese-born Walid Elias Kai, who works for a search optimization company, and his Swedish wife, Carol Kai, named their boy, born Sept. 12, "Oliver Google Kai."
Kai, who posted photos of young Google on a Web site, claims to be a Google fan. Really!

The proud daddy is called Abu Google, father of Google, by friends

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Today the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) had some good news to report. As it turns out active women have 20 – 40 % less chance to get breast cancer then women who sit on their butt all day. Even women who get on in years need to get active so they still can reduce the risk of getting breast cancer.

When are you active enough?
The Dutch Cancer Society advises everyone, young and old, to exercise enough. But what’s enough?. Nobody knows, really. As long as there is no further information about that, the Dutch Caner Society agrees with the Dutch standard for Healthy Living:
An adult needs to be activity (moderate intensity) each day, for at least half an hour. Sports counts of course but things like: riding a bike, taking a walk, work in the garden, cleaning the house, dance and walking up and down stairs also count as an activity.

That is not that difficult. Time to do a little dance on ‘Miss U Less See U More by Faithless’ (for a start) I think ;-)

Bubble fun!

Are you addicted to bubble wrap? Good news, you don’t have to wait for the mailman to bring the next package…Click the bubble wrap and pop the bubbles online. !

Four Secrets to Becoming Rich (and who doesn’t want that)

I don’t! Oh, what a revelation! :-) But I think I’m pretty rich….I’m happy, I’m healthy, I can pretty much eat what ever I want, I have nice friends and a roof over my head. So what more does a girl need….a little more money :-) For any one who wants more money or wants to become filthy rich here are four secrets that will help you…..

Secret one: Open a savings account and pay yourself first .
Even if you are living paycheck to paycheck, this is the key to making a million dollars, euros or pounds. Every month when your paycheck comes, pay yourself before paying any other bills. Start saving! Set up a separate savings account. If you mingle your savings with your regular checking account, you'll almost certainly dip into your savings and may never pay them back. Having your savings in a separate account is a constant reminder that these funds are earmarked for your future, and watching the balance grow is rewarding and motivating.

How much should you pay yourself?
Dead Broke: Don't pay yourself first. Spend more than you earn.
Poor: Spend everything you make and save nothing.
Middle Class: Pay yourself first five to 10 percent of your income.
Upper Class: Pay yourself first 10 to 20 percent of your income.

But if you honestly can't find a way to set aside 10% or 20 % for your future, then start out with 8%, or 5%, or whatever you're able to do with perhaps a little bit of discomfort but without great sacrifice.

Secret Two: Make it Automatic
Don't trust yourself to pay yourself first. It's not that people are lazy; it's that they're busy. No matter how disciplined they may be, they don't have time to manually write checks and deposit them into an account every pay day. Use automatic transfers. The bank then automatically transfers money from your checking account into whatever savings plan you choose

Secret Three: Windfalls
Whenever unexpected money comes your way, put all, most or at least 10% of it into your savings account. Bonuses, salary increases, tax refunds, rebates, overtime pay, income from hobbies or yard sales and other windfalls can pump up your savings account nicely.

Secret Four: Pay it back.
If you're forced to dip into your savings for an emergency, consider it a loan which must be paid back in a reasonable period of time, and set up a repayment schedule.

This works…just try it!

Italian quiche with chicken - the recipe!

Italian, main course, serves 4, hearty tart.

Preparation time in minutes:
50 waiting, 45 preparation

Contains per single serving:
Energy 710 cal, - protein 39 g
Fat 48g – carbohydrates 31 g

Ingredient’s:
50 g butter
500 g chicken breast, skinned
3 onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
fresh sage and rosemary
3 eggs
250 ml whipping cream
1 lemon
ready made pastry for quiches
salt, freshly ground black pepper

1 x 30 cm quiche tin or low-sided tartlet tin, greased

Method:
Preheat the oven to 225 °C. Melt 25g of butter in a frying pan, season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and fry for 3 minutes over medium heat, turn and fry the other side for 3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, place them on a plate and let them cool down.
Melt another 25 g of butter in a sauté pan and add the onions and garlic, let this simmer for 20 minutes.
Finely chop the sage and rosemary.
Combine the eggs with the cream in a bowl and season well. Add the sage and rosemary.
Clean the lemon and grate it. Add the zest to the egg mixture.
Line the whole well-buttered quiche tin with the pastry.
Cut the chicken into even slices and combine them with the onion/garlic and egg mixture.
Pour the mixture into the quiche tin and distribute the mixture evenly. (you can add some sliced mushrooms if you want). Put the tin in the middle of the oven.
After 10 minutes reduce the temperature of the oven to 175 °C and bake for another 35-40 minutes or until the filling has set and the quiche is golden brown.
Serve with a mixed salad and a mild rosé

Pop junkie!

Yeah, WooHoo!!

I tried one of the new recipes yesterday and I can honestly say that it was yummy!
Right at the first bite I forgot all about the grocery trip! Tasty, yummy, delicious!
What did I make? I made an Italian style quiche filled with chicken, fresh Italian herbs, onions, garlic and mushrooms. I ate it warm with a big salad on the side.

There was only one downside to this dish…… this morning I woke up with the feeling that I ate 4 dead rats during the night…. Whew! There was just too much garlic in that dish :)

Brain activity

The other day I wrote something about growing a brain. And now I found another piece about “brain stuff”.

In my opinion, the brain is one of the most powerful and mysterious part of the human body and I like to think that we can do so much more with it. As it turns out we can (duh!). The same Professor Robertson (yep, the guy from the earlier piece) published the book ‘Mind sculpture’ about doing things with your brainpower.
For instance: in this book he states that even couch potatoes can exercise without leaving the couch, just thinking about strenuous activity can make you fit.. How cool is that?

He describes how volunteers were asked to imagine they were constantly flexing and tensing one finger of their left hand. After four weeks of daily training, the finger strength of the 'virtual muscle builders' increased by an average of 22 per cent.

I don’t know if it really works, I like my normal work outs to much too even try it, but if you want to try it, here is an exercise I found somewhere else:

Psychic work-out

Imagine stepping out on a diving board, raising your arms above your head, pressing the palms together. Feel the tendons stretch warmly. Bounce on the balls of your feet. You dive into the cold, thickly heavy liquid. It moves as slowly as mercury.

Kicking your legs hard against the dense water, you thrust your arms forward and drag them around. The water resists every movement. You persevere and the solidity of the water becomes a joy-resistant but not impossibly draining. Your muscles pull hard, and your body is generating heat that takes the chill of the water a blessing.

At the pool side, you launch yourself up into the light air, every movement now easy and unfettered. You run lightly up the steps of another diving board, facing the first, and the fantasy begins again.

Imagine 10 lengths of the pool this way. After three weeks of virtual exercise, you may notice a corresponding strength in your body, experience better brain power, even enhanced psychic powers...

Weird news

Yesterday one town council political party from Enschede (that’s a Dutch city) handed out free thongs to females. This frivolous initiative is a reaction to the plans of another party called the VVD. The VVD wants to couple welfare mothers to suitable man so they won’t need to be on welfare anymore. This coupling isn’t done by a dating agency or something but by a municipal organisation. The thongs were handed out just to let people see how discriminating and sexist this is.’

This is from Saturdays newspaper…. How weird is this country I live in ;-)

New recipes.

Yesterday I was skimming through some magazines and found two new recipes I really want to try this week. So, I gathered some pen and paper and started writing my grocery list. I was really amazed by all the stuff I needed for just two dishes but, hey I can’t have every ingredient of the world stored in my cupboards, now can I? If I had, I would probably live in a supermarket :) Or not, as I discovered today. I only needed 15 things so that shouldn’t be much of a problem; I just had to go to the largest supermarket in my area. Armed with my big shopping bag and list I set out for my great adventure.

As it turned out the largest supermarket wasn’t the right choice. A lot of the things I wanted were not restocked yet, suggestion of one of the guys there: You can always come back this afternoon. Hmmmz… I don’t think sooo! I left the store with only 6 of my things, bummer! Other supermarket, same problem! Only this time I left with none of the other required 9 items. Third store then? Fortunately this store was restocked fully but their assortment isn’t that big; I left the store with another 7 items. I was almost ready to do a happy dance but I still needed two items. Store number 4 then?

Hmm.. I had to think about that first, so I went home and had a little break and drank a large cup of coffee. I needed some caffeine in my system before I could set out again. I already decided that I wouldn’t go to a fifth store. Luckily store number 4 had the last two required items, man I was so happy, I almost did a happy dance right there in the store! But I could contain myself and yelled ‘Yes!’ instead. People looked at me strange and probably thought I was a bit crazy or a weird eccentric person. I’m so glad I didn’t do my happy dance; they probably had me admitted or something.

On my way home I was thinking:
These dishes better be real tasty or else I’ve been on this whole shopping expedition for nothing. Well, I guess I can also see the bright side of this….I had a busy morning for a change :)

Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

At last I saw the movie this afternoon and I had a real good laugh….FANTASTIC!

Being a "Wallace and Gromit-fan", I was looking forward to this full-length movie for a while now. This first (and hopefully not last) Wallace & Gromit feature really lives up to its expectations. There are plenty of jokes (some a bit cheeky) but sooo funny!. It's a very humorous and colourful story. Anyone who liked the three proceeding short movies of W&G (which are more than great!), will love this full-length movie. Aardman Animations really delivered a wonderful and original result with a great sense of humour.

I don’t want to give anything about the story away, but if you want to know what's it all about just enter “Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” and Google away.

I'm thinkin' about my doorbell

Hope ya not gonna ring it, hope ya not gonna ring it! I know the White Stripes sing
‘When ya gonna ring it, when ya gonna ring it” but that was not what I was thinking yesterday. Don’t get me wrong, most times I like it when the doorbell rings but not on a Saturday morning, before I finished my first cup of coffee. And the funny thing is, before I answered the door, I already knew who it was. Am I clairvoyant, or what? No, I’m not! But these guys show up every week. Hmmz… to be honest they don’t turn up every week, but nearly every week. I’m talking about the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Most times I don’t even answer the door simply because I’m still in bed or I just don’t want to talk to them, but every now and then you need to answer the door or else they are going to ring the doorbell on weekdays too.

Back to yesterday. I opened the door and there they were, two not so nice (and that’s an understatement) looking guys with big bags and the The Watchtower already in their hands. I decided to be polite and wished them a very goodmorning as I waited on the bad news they had to share with me. Looking at their faces I already knew it wasn’t good or happy news. The first guy asked me if I’d already had noticed the signs. Not really awake yet, I was stupid enough to ask him which signs. That was a big mistake because now he could tell me all about it! Didn’t I notice all the earthquakes, the hurricanes, the wars, the trouble in the world? Was this guy thinking that I didn’t keep up with the news or something? So I said I had noticed all these things. Well according to him these were all signs…. Signs from God! Oh, it was going to be “the end of the world story” all over again. I couldn’t agree with him that all this things where signs of God. Earthquakes are caused by the movement of faults. A hurricane is a type of low pressure system which generally forms in the tropics, or is caused by a butterfly on the other side of the world, who knows :-) Wars are started by people who want their name in the history books and the trouble in the world is caused by people who don’t like to think about consequences of their actions. But that’s just my opinion and I told him that. The guys were totally gob smacked for a second. How could I possibly think that, but it was not to late… salvation was near. I just needed to read The Watchtower, become religious and I would be saved (and after the coming battle of Armageddon I would have the prospect of living forever on an earthly paradise). I thanked them kindly and said that I didn’t believe that and didn’t want to live forever; one lifetime is enough for me. They looked at me as if I was the devil in person and left. I wonder when they will be returning. Not too soon, I hope.

Funny coincidence, or a sign from above…. When I turned the radio on they were playing this song: ‘It’s the end of the world as we know it’ by R.E.M.

How about new females?

There seems to be popping up new types of males all the time. That is a bit strange, don’t you think? I haven’t read about a new type of female for ages or have I been reading the wrong articles and magazines? That could be it!

Okay, because there is no information about new types of females, here is something about this new type of males. Males who are trying to pose as a ‘metrosexual’, are way behind. Metrosexuals, a.k.a. males who have a lot of female qualities and are not afraid to show them, were very popular with woman the last few years. But now there is a new type of ideal male: The Ubersexual.

Uber means ‘The best of everything’ or meaning 'above' in german, another english translation is 'Very' or 'Super'. An ubersexual is a man who can do everything. Hmmz.. a sort of Superman, I guess! He is attractive, manly, dynamic, self-confident, classy, honest, social and strong. Or if you want the shortlist; the ubersexual is a metrosexual with traditional manly qualities. They say that Bono from U2 is an uber-ubersexual. According to Forbes the ubersexual era has started. It’s nice that they put that in print or else I would probably miss that totally. I haven’t met many metrosexuals thus far so I wonder if I ever will recognize an ubersexual.

What the difference between the two types?

A metrosexual……..

has lots of female sides and isn’t afraid to show them

loves shopping

take care of his body, uses cosmetics, dresses smart

isn’t afraid to show his sensitive side and is a superb conversationalist

Prototypes: David Beckham, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp

An Ubersexual….

is very manly and shows it

only had good sides, both physical and psychological.

can talk about his feelings, but also about sports, culture and politics

is honest and social

Prototypes: Bono – U2, Pierce Brosnan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I am not sure which type I like best. Actually I don’t even want to think about this. I only wrote this piece because I don’t think it’s right to be so narrow minded, don’t put people in boxes, stop stereotyping!.

What I Need

Borrowed from :Phil:

INSTRUCTIONS: Ok, go to Google. Type in "(your name) needs" Remember to use the quotes. And remember to replace (your name) with your actual name. First name only. Look at the 5 websites that say you need something. (Use different websites) What are the 5 things you need?

I seem to have weird needs ;-) and I didn't even know about them.

I need:
* Your prayers because it a very sad day (it isn't a sad day and I don't need prayers, thank you!)
* To be part of a loving, committed marriage (no I don't)
* A new best friend (hmmz.. new friends are always welcome)
* To be motivated (I don't think so)
* as much free space at the front of the platform as possible (because I'am as big a whale?! ;-))

Amazing

Did you ever see nature shots like the one I posted here? I discovered these photographs by photographer Yann Arthus Bertrand a few years ago and I’ve been a great fan ever since.
Yann Arhus Bertrand takes a lot of his pictures from a small airplane or a helicopter. The picures are taken all over the world. If you want more information check this site

The preconceived opinion.

One of my goals on 43Things is: Stop smoking; and I’m still doing that. I have been quit for 1 Month, 1 Week, 2 Days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 11 seconds (39 days). I have saved € 50,01 by not smoking 714 cigarettes. I have saved 2 Days, 11 hours and 30 minutes of my life, but who is counting ;-).

The other day a French guy left a comment and in short it came down to this: ‘Doesn’t smoking a joint count as smoking’? I was totally gobsmacked for a moment and then it dawned on me, just because I’m Dutch this guy thinks I’m a pothead. How rude! You will never hear me say that every French tourist is a drugs tourist. Oops, now I’ve said it! Silly me ;-)

But this got me thinking, what other strange preconceived opinions are there about the Dutch.
I know that people think us Dutch:

still walk on wooden shoes or clogs

live in windmills

eat cheese all day

have a private XTC lab in the basement

smoke weed everyday

sell weed on every corner

have tulips everywhere

always go Dutch

can’t cook

are killing people out of mercy, just for kicks (euthanasia).

are rude, annoying because we are very outspoken

are way too liberal about gay marriages, abortions, sex and drugs

In my opinion these things are just what they are: preconceived opinions! To burst the bubble….we have normal shoes, live in houses, eat all sort of things, don’t have XTC labs in out basements, some of us smoke weed, sell weed in coffeeshops, some of us like tulips/others don’t, we can cook, euthanasia is only allowed after careful consideration and there are lots of rules that has to be followed, we are very outspoken and liberal. Wow, I guess some things are true :-)

Some facts about The Netherlands:
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands
conventional short form: Netherlands
local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
local short form: Nederland
Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Capital: Amsterdam
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Climate: marine; cool summers and mild winters
Population: 16,407,491
Nationality: noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)
adjective: Dutch
Ethnic groups: Dutch 83%, other 17% (of which 9% are non-Western origin mainly Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese, and Indonesians)
Religions: Roman Catholic 31%, Dutch Reformed 13%, Calvinist 7%, Muslim 5.5%, other 2.5%, none 41%
Government type: constitutional monarchy
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch
head of government: Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE (since 22 July 2002) and Deputy Prime Ministers Gerrit ZALM (since 27 May 2003) and Laurens Jan BRINKHORST (since 31 March 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; vice prime ministers appointed by the monarch
note: there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir apparent, and councilors that provides consultations to the cabinet on legislative and administrative policy

The Manual (final episode)

Just click on the cartoon to see a bigger version

Try at least one new thing a month.

This month I’m going to do something completely new and different. On October 22, I am going to the Sing-A-Long-A Sound Of Music.

I’m going with one of my wacky friends. She’s been going on about this for months now and I finally gave in. I don’t know if we are going all dressed-up, but I’m sure we are going to have lots of fun.

If this isn’t something new, I don’t know what is ;)

Never believe the weathergirl/man!

Okay, if you live in an area where hurricanes drop by every now and then they might come in handy, but here I don’t believe them anymore. The last few weeks the weather has been lovely, and when this sunny period started the predictions where pretty accurate, but now they are really making a mess of the weather. For days now, they keep saying: This is the last day, tomorrow it’s going to rain and the temperatures will drop to 59º F. What a load of crap!!

The weather is still nice. Now they say that tomorrow will be a lot worse but the nice weather will return on Saturday. I guess I just have to wait and see.And don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining! I’m just enjoying the weather as much as I can. This morning I’ve been working in the garden. I’m just starting to prepare it for winter. Oh, and I put some heather (a birthday present) in containers.

Discovery

I came across a fun blog the other day. It’s all about facts and knowledge. An example of the things you can find there:

How did red carpet come to be synonymous with royal treatment?

What's the point of making pasta in different shapes?

Who is John Doe?

If you are bored stiff or just want something else to read, check out this blog

Grow a brain?!

What’s that all about? Don’t tell me you can grow a brain, because you can’t! You come into this world with a brain and, if you’re lucky, you leave this world with the same brain. Okay, that’s said and done, but what about growing a brain then? It’s actually quite simple; you can improve your brain and let it grow that way ;-) Hmmz…that must be difficult? No, its not, I assure you. It’s just like gardening; the most important ingredient is a good fertilizer.

All you really need to do is exercise, walking counts as exercise, and how difficult is that?
Weird hey! As it turns out, exercise helps your brain cells to grow and make new connections. Working yourself in a sweat on a regular basis is like a fertilizer for brain cells. New brain cells will sprout and will make more connections. And if that’s not enough, these new connections work better too, which in turn helps to preserve the frontal lobes, that’s the area of the brain where ageing is most noticeable.

Exercise helps your brain to make a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which creates brain cells and connections. New small blood vessels also grow with exercise, nourishing these cells and connections that would otherwise wither away under the pressure of ageing.

Good nutrition, education, and positive thinking all help to keep your brain young. But the most important factor is aerobics. It has remarkable beneficial effects on the structure and function of the brain.

Great news isn’t it? And by the way I didn’t dream this up myself; it’s the conclusion of 10 years of research done by Professor Ian Robertson - University of Dublin

I started messing with

my blogtemplate this afternoon and finally made the changes I was looking for.

Now I’m going to enjoy the sunshine for a few hours. This is probably the last sunny day with summer temperatures in autumn. So I will update my blog this evening (my time) :)

The Manual V

Just click on the cartoon to see a bigger version

Okay, that’s done and dusted for another year.

The last piece of pie has been eaten, the last birthday card was received, the dishes have been done and the last visitor has left the building. Life is back to normal. And that is not a bad thing. Life goes on; I’m just a year older.

Looking back, I had a great few (birth) days I got some nice gifts, beautiful flowers from my Mom but most importantly I liked the company. We shared some great stories and had few laughs. It was just so much fun.

Funny, how things can go in life. The last few years I have not really celebrated my birthday, I did not feel like it (being depressed and all). This year I wanted to celebrate my birthday on a sunny island but my finances would not allow that. So, what to do? Luckily this question was answered without the need to think about it. Saturday I had dinner with a friend, then my sister-in-law called and invited me to a birthday brunch on Sunday and after that some friends called to say that they wanted to come by on Monday. Problem solved, Birthday celebrated.

I guess sometimes you just need to live life and take things as they come.

Say it with a Post-it :)

The Year Ahead

Forecast for October 2005-October 2006

The year ahead will be an active one, marking a significant turningpoint in your life. Connections are made or ended. Either there is an event that changes your life significantly, or there is some kind of conflict arising from a great urge to do something different. The year a head is bound to be a very busy, dynamic, and significant period in your life. No matter what happens, you are "protected", so to speak, by Neptune, which offers you significant opportunities for creative and spiritual growth, connections with important friends and groups, and the knack for being in the right place at the right time. Success may come as a result of your ability to tune into the moods and feelings of others. Getting in touch with your own motivations and psychological needs will be beneficial as well. Watch your health--don't neglect it or skip doctor's appointments because your life feels too hectic.

Much focus this year will be on your work and responsibilities. You might withdraw on an emotional level within your family and home life,either to focus your energy on work or because of increased responsibilities with work or the family itself. Your desire for acertain level of solitude and your emotional reserve this year might be cause for concern for others around you, depending on your usual personality. Be careful not to alienate others with yourmatter-of-fact approach to the world. They might interpret your attitude as insensitive, harsh, or selfish. On a romantic level, you may be looking for excitement without too many "strings". Existing relationships may seem to you to be hindering or restricting your growth. Avoid jumping into anything blindly as a result of boredom with routine.

2005 is, and has been, a Number Nine year for you. This is a year of completion and transition. It is a time when we need to let go of things that no longer serve their purpose, and hold on to things that have a future. It can be a time when a burden has been taken off your shoulders, and it can be a year of giving of yourself. Advice - let goof things that are holding you back, give of yourself and express your sympathetic, compassionate side.

2006 is a Number One year for you. Ruled by the Sun. This is a year of action. The seeds you plant now, you will reap later. Others might find you less sociable, as you are busier than ever and you focus on your activities and your needs. Advice - Stand alone, take action,start fresh, express independence.

It looks like a busy year, with lots of exiting things happening…..ooooow I can’t wait. Hmmmz… Is this the time to start believing horoscopes?