Somewhere in the Middle

Here's to a New Year.

Bonjour mon ami! Oh, it's been so long since I've written. It was a nice break though. I'm feeling a bit rusty... where do I even begin? 

The past few months have been really good... A trio of family birthdays, visiting my sister and her new family in California along with a trip to Germany & France over the holidays with R, Mr. Plantsman. But the most exciting news of all? The weekend of my birthday, S accepted a civilian position here in Belgium which means we'll continue living in Europe once he retires from the military. We're thrilled to say the least.

For a few months there we weren't sure if we were moving back to the US or staying here. In fact, while I was in California visiting my sister S received an offer in DC. I'll admit the idea of moving back to the US was a bit exciting. Moving every 3 years can be a positive thing... making new friends, exploring your new surroundings, and starting out with a  fresh new outlook. But it also feels good to be in a familiar place. And we really do love living in Europe. So I feel we've made the right choice. I'm so grateful the transition has been a smooth one. Thank you to everyone who kept us in their prayers. I'm looking forward to this new chapter in our lives.

In the past, S & I talked about how we wanted to give Lil' C some sense of permanence once he retired. And in one sense we are... luckily our choice to stay in Belgium doesn't require any major changes for C. Yet our community will continue to change. I wonder what effect it'll have on him. Lil' C can be quite shy at times... is it a manifestation from living in a foreign country or is it a natural personality trait? I'll never know. Overall though I think living overseas will be a wonderful experience for him.

Now that we're switching gears & making the transition to expatriates I can't help but look at our life in a different perspective. Lots of questions too...

How can we make ourselves feel like we're a part of a bigger community?

Will our time here continue to be a marathon of travel opportunities?

How do I prevent myself from shutting down & meeting new people when I know they're going to leave in another 2-3 years?

And most important, how can S & I help C develop a sense of American patriotism when he's lived most of his life in Europe? This question concerns me the most. I want C to feel that the United States is his home. Ultimately, I want C to make his life there with us. I know... I know... I'm probably getting way ahead of myself here. But these are things I think about.

Over the summer when we boarded an overnight train from Bergen to Oslo, Norway we met a family from California. When the mother asked C were he was from he said, "The United States."

She asked, "But what state are you from?"

And C replied, "The UNITED States".

So she asked him again, "You're from the United States but which state?"

C replied again, "The UNITED States."

The woman & I started laughing and I explained that C's lived in Belgium for most of his life so he doesn't really feel attached to any one particular state.

Over the holidays I bought C the Scrambled States game so he could learn about the individual states and where they're located on a map.  He loves the game. It's a start at least. And our annual trips to the US will help. Who knows maybe C will feel as we do... Somewhere in the Middle... one foot in Europe and the other in the United States.

Strawberries + Hot Milk Cake

I love strawberries but sometimes the sweet ones are hard to find unless of course you live in sunny California. Around this time of the year, you'll find makeshift stands selling the sweetest, most fragrant strawberries ever. I remember driving home from work & buying a huge case for under $10. Strawberries also remind me of my wedding cake... a simple butter cake with fresh strawberries. ;)

Last night not only did I make a delicious dinner with grilled chicken & pasta but I also made hot milk cake. Rarely do I make a home-made dessert while I'm cooking dinner but it was the strawberries - they made me do it. I just couldn't resist these pretty little thing. And the hot milk cake is so delicious with strawberries. They compliment each other so well. Shortcake is good too but I find the hot milk cake is sweeter, lighter & definitely moister. They're a perfect little couple.

2 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2/3 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Milk-Cakes-with-Strawberries-and-Cream-241911#ixzz0quh2m8Up

2 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2/3 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Milk-Cakes-with-Strawberries-and-Cream-241911#ixzz0quh2m8Up

2 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2/3 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Milk-Cakes-with-Strawberries-and-Cream-241911#ixzz0quh2m8Up

2 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2/3 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Milk-Cakes-with-Strawberries-and-Cream-241911#ixzz0quh2m8Up

2 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2/3 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Milk-Cakes-with-Strawberries-and-Cream-241911#ixzz0quh2m8Up

Hot Milk Cake (courtesy of Epicurious.com)

·  2 extra-large eggs

·  2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

·  3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

·  1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

·  2/3 cup whole milk

·  5 tablespoons unsalted butter

·  1 pound large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

·  1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

·  1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray six 3/4-cup custard cups with nonstick spray. (Instead of using custard cups I use a loaf pan and bake the cake at 350°F for about 25 mins.)

Using electric mixer, beat eggs in medium bowl at high speed until thick, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in 2/3 cup sugar; beat until thick and pale yellow, about 1 minute longer. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add flour and beat 30 seconds. Bring milk and butter just to boil in small saucepan, stirring until butter melts. Add hot milk mixture to batter; beat until blended and smooth, about 30 seconds. Divide batter among prepared cups. Place cups on rimmed baking sheet.

Bake cakes until tops rise (tall rounded peak will form in center of each), turn pale golden, and are firm to touch, about 16 minutes. Cool in cups at least 20 minutes. Toss strawberries and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl to coat; let stand 20 minutes for juices to form. (I tend to use less sugar depending on the sweetness of the strawberries.) Using electric mixer, beat cream, powdered sugar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in another medium bowl until peaks form.

Remove warm or room-temperature cakes from cups and transfer to bowls. Cut off rounded top of each cake. Spoon some of berries and juices over. Cover berries with tops of cakes. Spoon whipped cream over, garnish with remaining berries and juices, and serve.

2 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2/3 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Milk-Cakes-with-Strawberries-and-Cream-241911#ixzz0quh2m8Up

2 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2/3 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Milk-Cakes-with-Strawberries-and-Cream-241911#ixzz0quh2m8Up

2 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2/3 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Milk-Cakes-with-Strawberries-and-Cream-241911#ixzz0quh2m8Up

2 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2/3 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Milk-Cakes-with-Strawberries-and-Cream-241911#ixzz0quh2m8Up

2 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2/3 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Milk-Cakes-with-Strawberries-and-Cream-241911#ixzz0quh2m8Up

2 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2/3 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Milk-Cakes-with-Strawberries-and-Cream-241911#ixzz0quh2m8Up

A New Horizon

The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."

— Chris McCandless

I've had this quote tucked away for some time now but when I read it today it seem to fit perfectly into my life right now.

In the next few months many of the women I've become very close with will be moving back to their home countries. Craft Grrrl, Numeracy Grrrl, South Africa Grrrl, and Turkish Grrrl - they'll all be gone by the end of the summer. It's quite sad but unavoidable with the lifestyle we lead. With the possibility of us moving as well I haven't made an effort to make any new friends. I just don't have the energy. Nor do I have the desire to try to make some friendships work. If they haven't reached a certain level of intimacy at this point I've resigned myself to believe it's just not going to happen and I need to move on.

A few weeks ago I wrote a very emotional note to Peace Grrrl (who moved last December) and she wrote me a sweet note advising me to explore the benefits that transition brings. My initial thought was, "But I'M NOT the one transitioning." But the more I thought about it the more it made sense to me just as the quote above.

Being the one left behind is so much harder. The person leaving has a new adventure to look forward to. There are so many things to be consumed with... researching neighborhoods, finding a home, new school, etc. I know... I've been there. You switch gears and began to channel all your energy into your new future. But what changes for the person who stays.

I've given this a lot of thought especially since we found out that we'll probably be living in Belgium until the end of the year. But not only for this reason. If we continue living in Europe as permanent expats saying goodbye to friends will become a constant issue I'll need to deal with. But like Peace Grrrl said, focus on the positive side of transition. If I remain positive and open I know there are many wonderful things waiting for me. So in a way I'm looking forward to the joys and experiences a fresh new start will bring. ;)

Euro Disneyland :: Paris

Somewhere between your teenage years and adulthood an adversity to amusement parks begins to development. I know so many people who don't enjoy amusement parks or at least the fast, scary rides... you know the ones... with the health advisory signs and where you pretty much scream throughout the entire ride. lol! Yeah... well, those are my favorite rides! lol!

So when I received notice about a trip to Disney I just knew we had to go. I also knew C would love to go. Plus, it would be a great outing while on Spring break. I invited my girlfriend from South Africa to go and she brought another friend. We had the best time!

C knows South Africa Grrrl's children well since they've been in a few sport classes together & they all go to the same ski school in Germany. My South Africa Grrrl is awesome... she's funny, easy going, and loves to chat. Which is why I was so upset when she told me they were moving back to the US. :( So many of my friends that I truly enjoy spending time with are leaving this summer. And the ONLY reason I haven't gone into a deep state of depression is that I knew South Africa & Greek Grrrl WEREN'T moving. This was horrible news to receive at 6 in the morning!

The kids had a blast on the bus... talking, playing with their stuffed animals, eating, and playing computer games.

Of course, the park was crowded but we made the best of it. The kids waited patiently as we made our way through those crazy queues. As the day went on, the lines actually appeared shorter which was great.

The past two years we've gone to EuroDisney, we didn't leave Fantasyland and it was perfect for C. But now that he's a big boy we've transitioned from Fantasyland and C was ready to experience a little more excitement.

This photo was taken on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride just as the boat is going up a hill. You can just see how excited C is! lol!

Of all the new rides C rode, he really enjoyed Star Wars, Big Thunder Mountain (he screamed the entire time) and the Haunted House.

The ride home seem to go a lot quicker than it did earlier in the day and even though the kids were tired no one slept. While the Moms talked the kids sent each other messages on their DS computer games. They were being super silly and playing with this Minnie Mouse veil too. It was really funny.

We had a lot of fun that day! And now that C got his first taste of a real roller coaster I hope he's on his way to becoming a little thrill seeker just like his Mommy. ;)

Spring + Bikes + Holland = Cycling through Flower Fields

This past weekend we drove to the Netherlands to go bike-riding and of course to see the Spring flowers in full bloom.

Even though we've done this same trip twice already I always enjoy it. I love bike-riding in Holland; it feels so safe. Love those roomy bike lanes - I wish we had them here in Belgium.

Even though the sun was shining bright the wind made it feel so much colder. We rode our bikes for about 5 hours through dozens of flower fields.

Being that we had such a harsh winter many of the tulips weren't blooming. There were many fields that look like rainbows full of daffodils and hyacinth with a sprinkle of tulips.

Once we turned in our bike rentals we crashed from exhaustion. We never made it to our dinner reservations at Casa di Mamma. It was a shame because I really do love this place; we went last year and loved it. Instead we ordered room service and watched "Up". I'd heard about this movie briefly during the Academy Awards but honestly I had no desire to see a film about a grumpy old man who goes on an adventure with a little boy. But wow was I wrong - I absolutely LOVED this film! Especially the first 5-10 minutes when they show the past 20 years of the couple's life together through photographs. And that little boy was too cute. Sweet movie.

Sunday morning we went to Keukenhof. It was another gorgeous day... perfect to walk around the gardens. Spending several hours at Keukenhof is quite easy but S wanted to try and get home early so we gave ourselves a time limit of 3 hrs. Since we've visited the gardens before I thought 3 hrs would be plenty. Plus the crowds were insane! So many people! If you look at the photo below the place looks empty but I waited 10 minutes to take this shot; S almost had to rope off the area just so I could take this photo. lol!

There were lots of tulips in bloom outside but inside the Willem-Alexander Hall there were so many varieties in full bloom. Some of these tulips were as tall as Lil' C.

I love vibrant colored flowers but this champagne colored tulip really caught my eye.

These tulips were just gorgeous like someone hand painted each petal.

Here are a few more beauties...

The main reason I wanted to go to Keukenhof was because of their orchid exhibit. I love orchids.

A few years ago when we were living in Northern VA, the US Botanical Garden had a special orchid exhibit and it was amazing to see the variety of orchids. And this past weekend was no different. Seeing such a huge range of orchids was really interesting. They're such unique flowers.

I love how blooms can last 3-4 months but at the same time they can be a bit delicate if you don't know how to care for them.

Inside the exhibit hall, there were orchid experts ready to answer any of your questions. I learned a few tips that may help me produce more buds on my orchid. And hopefully, they'll be on their way to looking more like these orchids.

Our Family Heart Maps

The Heart Map C created last year was such a fun project that I want to make it a yearly project. I think it'll be a great way to see how C's interest change not to mention his handwriting, spelling, and drawing skills.

This year though I thought it would be nice if S & I made heart maps too. S isn't necessarily your "Arts & Crafts" type of guy... electronic & science games are more his style. So asking him to create a map of the things he loves and paint a heart using watercolors wasn't really his idea of a fun project. But he was a good sport and created a map - one without words mind you but a very nice one indeed! ;) Here they are in more detail...

 

I'm excited to frame our maps! I think they're going to look great in our house.

Your Life Story in Six Little Words

I'm hooked on NPR. I love their American Life stories. Every week I listen... I laugh, cry, laugh some more and then spend the next few days thinking about that issue. If you haven't listened to the  series I highly recommend it. 

NPR has a range of interesting stories. Like this one I just came across.

I knew right away what my six words would be....

Valentine :: Love Books

I just love Valentines.

Love seeing little hearts everywhere.

Candy, cupcakes, flowers, fabric, you name it... all in pretty shades of pinks, reds, and purples. I'm drawn to these colors.They make me happy.

Love cutting out hearts and making Valentine cards with C.

Reading children love stories to C is especially sweet. The first Love book I bought him for Valentines was "Olive, My Love". It's a super cute story about Olive's friend, Dexter, declaring All-of (Olive) his love for Olive .

This year, I found "Slugs in Love" hard to resist even for this grrrl who detest bugs & refuses to plant an herb garden for fear of slugs. But this story about two slugs desperately trying to find each other was too adorable to past on.

And lastly, "Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch" is a heart-warming story about a loner who receives a heart shaped candy box filled with a little note that says, "Somebody loves you". Of course Mr. Hatch hasn't a clue who sent him the package. After some thought he begins to think the gift was from a secret admirer. Receiving the package changes his outlook on life... he begins to dress differently, his routine completely changes and he begins to open himself up to the people around him. Mr. Hatch shares his candy with his co-workers, helps his neighbors, and throws a picnic for the children & parents in his neighborhood. After a while, he forgets about discovering the person who sent him the package & note. Until one day, the postman comes to his house and tells him he delivered the package to the wrong address. Mr. Hatch is heartbroken and thinks that no one loves him. And sadly, he goes back to his old ways. Now this sudden change throws everyone into a state of confusion until the Postman explains what happened. When everyone starts to proclaim their love for Mr. Hatch, the postman suddenly gets an idea... They surprise Mr. Hatch one Saturday morning with balloons, hearts, and a big sign that says, "Everybody loves Mr. Hatch". It's a beautiful story.

I realize you don't need a special day like Valentines to say "I love you." I'd rather think of Valentines as an extra day we go out of our way to show the people we love and care about how special they are to us. Just like in this story it doesn't take a lot... just a small note to remind us we're loved. Because really there's a little bit of Mr. Hatch in all of us. We all want to feel loved & know we're special. ;)

Gingerbread Houses :: Which is your favorite?

Of all the craft activities I've done for Christmas, making Gingerbread houses is my favorite. You can get as creative as you want. And when you bake your own houses the possibilities are endless. All of the houses turned out beautiful. Don't they look lovely all together? Like a little Candy village.

Putting the houses together was a lot easier this year. Instead of using frosting, I used my hot glue gun - a tip from my girlfriend that saved me a lot of time. Of course, if you plan to eat your houses you'll need to use frosting. Since we don't eat ours the hot glue worked like a charm. It was super easy and you can begin decorating your houses right away.

Even though I used hot glue to assemble the houses I still went through a lot of frosting! I wonder why??? lol!

We get a bit competitive when it comes to decorating our gingerbread so it can take several hours. Knowing this we waited until after Christmas. As you can see it can also be a bit messy. There was frosting and candy everywhere.

We had a lot of fun bringing our personalities into the houses. Sometimes we'd see something really cool another person was doing and we'd take the idea and apply it to our houses of course with our own little touch. C did a great job with his house but he wasn't as interested as last year... I suppose all those cool toys Santa brought were a bit more fun.

So here are our houses with some close up views of the exterior.

House #1 ~ Peppermint Love Cottage

House #2 ~ Marshmallow Coco Haus

House #3 ~ Winter Flower Cottage

House #4 ~ Starry Farmhouse

So tell me which is your favorite?? Can you guess which one S, R, C, and I made?

Not just any yogurt

As a child I was an extremely picky eater. It drove my Mom & grandmother crazy. In elementary school, I rarely ate. We weren't allowed to bring our own lunch. Everyone had to eat the hot lunch unless you had some type of food allergy.  So unless the cafeteria served pizza or hot dogs I just didn't eat. I don't know how I made it through the school day without any food. But my Mom always had a snack ready for me when I got home. My favorite were those English Muffin pizzas! lol!

Unfortunately for my Mom, my sister was also quite picky. In fact, when she was little there was a year or two where her main food group consisted of Ritz crackers. She used to carry the box of Ritz with her everywhere. No doubt there are photos of her holding a packaged roll of Ritz. lol! When we visited friends my Mom would instruct her not to ask for crackers.. but it never worked. Usually within the first 20 mins my sister would ask, "Do you have any crackers?"  If you saw how health conscious my sister is now you'd never believe she lived off of crackers. A few years back we were on our way to NYC and we stopped at a rest stop and she bought a yogurt and fruit. ?? Who buys this at a rest stop. Rest stops are for candy and chips! lol! But she's a good influence on me.

Even though my sister was a picky eater she was never bombarded with different types of drinks and vitamin supplements like I was. Mom & Nana tried everything in the hopes my appetite would increase.

I've changed quite a bit since then but I'm still a bit picky or as I like to say "selective". ;) One of things I disliked as a child was yogurt. It never appealed to me... it looked chunky and then there was that watery residue on top.  Blah! A few years after I got married, I decided to give yogurt a another try and to my surprise I actually found a few that I liked. I'm still not a fan of lumpy yogurt and whenever I see that watery topping I look away. But here in Europe the quality and quantity of yogurt is absolutely fascinating. It's quite common to go to your local grocery store and find an aisle (both sides) completely filled with yogurt. Walking down the yogurt aisle can be an overwhelming experience. So many yogurts to choose from! It also doesn't help that I can't read all of the labels. So... how exactly do I choose? It all comes down to packaging. The minute I saw these adorable, recyclable terracotta pots I knew they were coming home with me.

When R was here we went grocery shopping at Auchan in France. It's the only place I've found that carries La Fermiere yogurt. And yes, I will drive more than a few k's to buy this delicious yogurt. I absolutely love it. It's incredibly rich and creamy with a subtle vanilla taste. It's made with real vanilla beans, whole milk & cream. A package of two yogurts will set you back about 2€ which is a little pricey for yogurt considering you can buy 4 yogurts for 1.40€ but these babies are worth it! And if you add a little Pecan Praline Granola from Trader Joe they're really good.

According to their website, La Fermiere also comes in other flavors too... lemon, coconut milk (yum), blackberry, blueberry, and strawberry currant. Now if I could only find the lemon & coconut milk I'd be in heaven!