Raspberries and Cream

Who says you have to spend a lot of money to enjoy a luxurious desert? We bought raspberries on sale at SaveMart and a pint of heavy whipping cream.
Once the cream was whipped in my Kitchen aid I filled a pastry tube with the cream. I squirted a dab of cream into each raspberry and filled a Sunday dish with berries and cream. Voila! Simply, inexpensive and very tasty.

Rijsmuseum - Rembrant Anyone?

My first thought when I planned my business trip to Amsterdam was "Why would anyone want to go there?" Legalized marijuana and prostitution seem to be among its claims to fame which no doubt appeal to many, but not me.
Browsing through a tour book a few famous names caught my eye - Rembrandt, Monet, Van Goght, Van Dyke and so on. Dutch painters, right! So I started at the Rijksmuseum, bought my Museum card, and spent every spare minute enjoying many of man's greatest expressions of emotion and beauty.

Tomato Time - Think Global

Last year I had an abundant garden full of Archie Millet's AGE tomatoes - Archie's Good Eat in'. This year I patiently tended the little plants, watching the green tomatoes start to grow. Sadly, upon my return from Europe I found that Bambi, his mother, sister, aunts and cousins had stripped my tomatoes down to the stems.

But God provides. At Church this week two friends invited me to share in their bounty. Rachel's garden gave me tomatoes from France, China, Japan, Russia, and plenty from the USA. Beth's garden is overflowing with AGE. Break out the canning jars.

Netherlands Specialty

Croquettes are a hot, hearty Netherlands dish. You can choose a variety of fillings from beef and gravy to more spicy chicken fillings. Be careful on that first bite!

Goodbye Basel - Rats, I Forgot My Camera

Tonight is my last night in Basel, Switzerland. It's a bittersweet night.

I am very excited to be going home to my family.

Yet there are many things I'll miss. I've made some great friends at work. I've seen incredible museums across the spectrum. I've enjoyed Movenpic  the best ice cream in the world (except for Leatherby's toasted almond, of course.) And I've stood by the Rheine river watching the water, boats, and people flow by.

Having seen so much, I decided to leave my camera at the hotel and just enjoy the warm fall evening. What could be new enough to be worth photographing after six weeks  in town?

Silly me.

Barfüsserplatz was quiet at first, just me and my last Movenpic ice cream. As I walked away from the restaurant I heard drumming and clashing cymbals across the way. Walking towards the alley (hand casually clamped over my wallet) I saw a Chinese dragon doing the dance I usually only see on Chinese New Years. And no camera. Sigh.

I enjoyed the walk back to my hotel and my last walk across the Rheine. A few blocks from my hotel I saw my first Swiss cat. And no camera. It was a long white cat with large black spots and too skittish to visit with, unlike the relaxed Dutch cat I met at the Hermitage Museum in Asterdam.

The moral of my story? When travelling, ALWAYS carry your camera. You never know what surprises lurk around the next corner.

Low Bridge, Everybody Down

The Amstel river is a gentle Netherlands river. Children swim and play as small barges and pleasure craft make their way to their destinations. Drawbridges are rare where I live, so I found this a charming diversion while waiting for my bus.

Gee Wilikers

Maybe not so common a saying these days, but the G. Wilikers shop is alive and well in Solving, CA.