Quaintr

If the complete lack of logic in the store will not ruin my mood, the male chauvinist pigs staff usually will. Disrespectful awnsers are the rule, not the exeption.

"Lady, you know, there are men who can do this for you." (I know, but I can do it better.)
"Can I help you carry the massive weight of this little board?" (Do I look like I need help?)
"Are you sure you need a construction bucket? The cleaning buckets are in alley 8" (You didn't really say this... I hope.)
"Ohh, what a nice board you have my lady. Please don't tell me you want to saw it in pieces?" (No, I would like to break it using your head...)

Oww, and the last thing: don't you MEVROUWTJE me!

Update I: the most annoying thing of all the above is the simple fact he cut my board 302mm instead of 300mm... so the darned thing doesn't fit. Have you ever tried to saw 2mm off of something? !@#$%^&*
Update II: me solved problem! Me Jane, you Tarzannetje...

There is a good reason why I have been so quiet the past week... before & after:

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In the series "i'm emptying my cupboards" the "I've Promised You To Cook Some Nasi, So Now You Have To Keep Your Promise And Come Over And Eat It" dish.

I promised him a few (3?) months ago. But like it sometimes goes in this country, we didn't get round to doing it. The need to empty my cupboards, freezer, and fridge gave me a good reason to invite him over for some food. The dish was a success, and i took the leftovers into work and my colleagues liked it as well (and wanted the recipe).

So i made it. With risotto instead of pudding-rice, since i had to finish the risotto... I tried to make it even sweeter than the recipe in order to satisfy the American tastebuds, and at work i tried to prepare my collaegue and warned her that it might not be sweet enough. Her reply was: "Well that's what happened with all the stuff you baked so far." So both of us were in for a surprise when she actually thought it was very nice and sweet enough. The big question that remains now: have my tastebuds changed?

For some it means Venereal Disease, for some it means Valentines Day. I'm not a great lover of VD (both of 'em). Maybe some of you remember last year? That occupied my mind for a long time and gave some of my friends a good laugh. That's why i was very, very, very surprised, but very chuffed to get one rose (with card AND name) from him.

When the mail arrived i was in for an even bigger surprise: a x-mas card!

So after the September storm (incl power cut), the leaking roof (still going on), the furnaces that stopped working in the middle of winter, the ice storm, the high winds (last week, a lot of people without electricity again), the latest addition:

the washing machine has stopped working. 

Very annoying, although i can't get upset about it anymore. 2 weeks and i'll be out of here.

Do I need to say more?

From our series "emptying the cupboards", i am happy to present: "The American Fast Food Dinner, Not Quite As Fast"

So he (not the originally planned he, but another he) came over for dinner, since i have to finish everything from the freezer, fridge, and cupboards (really???). When my housemates found out i was going to make some food they decided to stay in and praise me a lot even before the food was served! I finished my chicken drumsticks and sweet potato. Mjam.... this was turned into parmesan chicken and oven-baked sweet potato fries, accompanied by freshly steamed green beans and broccoli. Of course it took longer than going to your KFC, but with less transfats, fats, and additives it was worth the extra hour. (ow and the American(s) thought it wasn't really typically American fast food, but it was very nice nonetheless).

"Not that i want you guys to drink more, but i've never seen this... You stopped drinking completely when you're food arrived!"

This 'taking it slowly' probably was a good thing, cos after 5 'last' drinks i still felt fine. However, 8 hours later my stomach decided that i had had too much to drink...

So today i hang out with my colleague, a 'real' American (with a capital of course). Americans do everything (or almost everything) by car. So i just burst out laughing and started to instruct him in a loud (too loud) voice how to use a pedestrian crossing at the traffic lights, and which button to push to make sure you would cross at the right side. Very interesting that was. 

Furthermore the emptying of cupboards continues (although eating out today didn't help). I've made orange-chili-truffles. Not with milk but with leftover cream, and not with 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, but with 4 ounces of milk chocolate and 2 ounces of 99% dark chocolate. The orange liquor is homemade and needs to be finished off in 3 weeks. Not sure if i'm going to manage, but we'll see. I'll keep y'all updated *wink*.

Yesterday it sunk in. Only 3.5 weeks to go... What happened? I've lost at least 4 weeks... (okay, 1 due to the snow, and 1 before my b-day, so that leaves 2 lost weeks). But ok, time to actively start clearing out. So yesterday i wanted to have something sweet, i opened my cupboard. No, no, no, no, no, nothing sweet. Except for some sugar and chocolate chips. Luckily i also had some flour and butter, et voila: chocolate-chip-zandkoekjes (kind of sugarcookie with chocolate-chips, but different).
So the quick recipe:
100g flour, 50g sugar, pinch of salt, 75g butter, and as much chocolate-chips as you like. Mixed quickly, role out, and shape/cut in any way/shape/form you like. Put in a pre-heated oven (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 15-20 mins. Bon appetite!

The ad said "a small and compact hometrainer, but stable and solid." 

A man and a woman came, tried out the hometrainer for a full 5 minutes and concluded it was 'too little' for them... they expected something bigger, a bit more normal sized.

?!?!

Why, WHY, would one react to an ad saying 'small and compact' if you expect to see something normal sized?

Update: Sold!

 

I guess these and other pictures may be found here in a short while...