The one with our day in Amsterdam (part 2)

This is part two of the two-parter of our day in Amsterdam. Besides visiting the photography museum FOAM, we also visited EYE. This is the Dutch Film Institure, that includes a cinematography museum. In the basement are all sorts of interactive goodies, like watching movie fragments, introduced by Dutch actors. There was also a big screen, that changed colours if you moved in front of it. It was especially fun to see kids moving, jumping and dancing in front of it. We got there by ferryboat, which is kind of a big deal for me. I haven't been on the water since 2002. The last time I did, I got seasick. Very seasick. All was well, it took only a couple of minutes to get to the other side. But I think it might take me another eleven years before I get on a boat again. Still not my cup of tea.

 

The one with our day in Amsterdam (part 1)

Last sunday I visited Amsterdam together with my mom. We were only there for one day, but we did and saw so much, that is felt like we were gone for the whole weekend. I made so many pictures that I am going to make a two parter out of this one (I don't want to bore you with all of the pictures in one post).

The original plan was to visit the recently reopend Rijksmuseum. Some of the most important Dutch works of art can be seen here, like the Night Watch. When we arrived, the line was crazy long, so we decided we should come back another time. Instead, we went to Foam (the photography musem). The highlight was the exhibition Best Before End, with photo's made by English photographer Stephen Gill. If you're interested in , here's a bit more info, including a short video.

 

Sunday also happened to be the Open Garden Days. The museum's garden is usually closed to the public, but yesterday we were allowed to have a little look in the garden. I did feel a bit silly, that people came especially for the garden of the museum, and that I was only having eyes for an old fence. I am sure there were some very special plants and flowers.

 

The one with the pasta salad

When the weather gets warmer, I like making pasta salads. I don't know if this salad belongs in the 'cooking section', because all you need to do is tossing some chopped up ingredients together. It's as easy to make, as it is delicious (in my opinion).

What you'll need (serves 4):

• pasta for four, I choose this kind, because I liked the packaging :-)
• half a jar of chopped up black olives
• a big hand full of roasted pine nuts
• half a jar of feta cheese
• half a jar of grilled red bell pepper, in small pieces
• a big bowl of arugula
• salt, pepper 
• 3 spoons of olive oil

What you'll need to do:
Basically, all you need to do is to cook the pasta and let it cool down a bit before adding all ingredients. This pasta can also be eaten cold, so it's perfect to take on a picnic.

The one with the things I liked this week (part 20)

A gorgeous statue at the thrift store

My vitamines for the week

And some things on the streets

The one with all the green stuff

For my birthday, my granny, my mom and her boyfriend, gave me a new camera for my birthday back in april. These pictures are the result of me giving it a try. My mom is growing all sorts of green stuff in the garden. I haven't got a clue what it is, some sorts of lettuce? Maybe next year they could give me a green thumb. I can tell apart a tulip from a rose, but that's about it!

 

 

The one with the high tea party & chocolate-orange cake

Last weekend we had a little high tea party, and each of us made something to eat. I tried to make the drink I posted about last friday. I blendered together cooled fresh strawberries, a bit of lime juice, mint and fizzy water. I might have added some honey for sweetness, but for a first try, it tasted pretty good. The other thing I made was Nigella's chocolate orange cake, to compensate all those vitamines. I've made it several times before (also once with raspberry confiture, which is very tasty too), I think it's delicious. That's it's easy to make is a bonus!

What you´ll need for Nigella's chocolate orange cake:

• 125 grams of butter
• 100 grams dark chocolate
• 300 gram marmalade
• 125 grams of sugar (Nigella's cake has 150 grams, but I think that's a bit too sweet)
• a pinch of salt
• 2 big eggs
• 150 grams of self-raising flour

How to make it:

Start by preheating the oven at 180 ˚C. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan. When the butter is nearly melted, stir in the chocolate with a wooden spoon and turn of the heat. Add the marmalade, sugar, salt and eggs. After that, stir in the flour bit by bit. Pour into a buttered cake tin. Bake this for 45 minutes. Nigella's baked for 50 minutes, but my oven is pretty fast.

 Nigella cuts the orange peel of the marmalade into tiny pieces, but I like a bit of texture in my cake (well, I am a bit lazy too!).

The one with the things I liked this week (part 19)

These happy guys

discovering a new lunch-spot 

where they have this yummy drink on the menu
(strawberry with fizzy water and mint)

I have been searching for Wally (who is also here) for a while now. There are supposed to be 25 of them throughout the city's centre, but I can't seem to find the last 10. I know that one of them is gone now, so maybe others are too.

The one with lemon drizzle, and some other things

This lemon drizzle cake by Jamie Oliver might be on the menu next weekend
My dinnerware addiction is under control, but I'm willing to fall of the wagon for this plate
I think I like everything Julia Child has ever said
White sneakers for summer
An addiction that isn't under control (yet) is the nailpolish one, love this one

The one with fabric and sushi

Last sunday my mom and took a little trip to Arnhem. I have been looking for a piece of clear PVC (nowhere to be found in Nijmegen) for a while now, to make this clutch. There was a big fabric market in the city centre and I finally found some PVC. My mom got some fabric printed with magazine covers. We walked a bit around town and we ended our day with sushi.