Dutch Treasures (oh, please)June 28, 2006 I bring you some photos of precious items we brought back from our two years in Holland. I'm not going to show you the Delft-blue china, or the wooden shoes, or anything shaped like a tulip. These are the less touristy things, mainly from the pantry. |
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First, the contraband. The moving company hired by The Man (Chris' employer) said NO SPICES WILL TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY. However, the actual movers had a different idea, and they packed up everything we had before we could do anything about it. (They also packed the shoes I took off for a minute, and they packed an onion. They were quick.) |
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I've never seen this sold in the US, but it's Rooibos or Redbush tea. I still have this box because I'm like saving it or something, but I'm sure it's just gone bad by now. This tea is a big part of Alexander Mccall Smith's books, which I enjoyed reading while we were there. |
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Get a loada this hot mama! This hairspray is like the equivalent of AquaNet in the US. Cheap, and will hold up in a hurricane. But lookit the BIG GROOVY HAIR on this babe! Woooo! |
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Funny story here. In Holland, I used Albert Heijn's online grocery ordering service, and had groceries delivered. A godsend when you don't have a car, cuz beverages get really heavy on a bike. Anyway, I wanted to cook something with mushrooms, and I knew the Dutch word for mushrooms is "paddestoelen". I did a search for this on the website, and ordered what I thought would be a can of mushrooms. This arrived instead. Little, decorative, candy mushrooms. I did not use them in the stroganoff. |
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Big mistake here. I wanted gum. I bought a lifetime supply of what seemed to be normal and sugar-free. One thing I forgot is the Dutchie's fondness for black licorice flavor. This gum isn't cool and refreshing, it's like a box of Good n Plenty! Black licorice is not a flavor I like, so this was a bad investment. |
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This is a smart idea that I've never seen in the US. These are called ijsblok bags, and you use them instead of ice cube trays. Got a little dog in the picture for ya. |
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You take a bag and fill it with water. (Giant American kitchen sink spouts really don't work well...the bag should fit over the spout.) |
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Then you tie the top and throw it in the freezer. No spilling, and the ijs bloks just pop out when you need one. |
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I've shown these on verypink before...you can see that I haven't opened the box. Won't catch me taking one of these. |
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These next pictures are stolen from the Albert Heijn online ordering website. I want to show you the foods that are considered "American". These are "Cool American" Doritos. To Americans, they're Ranch. To Europeans, Americans are all ranchers or something. |
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Big Americans pizza. This is "Texas"-style, no less. It's really just pepperoni, but not as common in Holland as I would have liked. If you've read previous posts of mine, you already know that these are items we found on pizzas in Holland:
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Dot BBQ Fry Grill Sausages American Style. Notice the American flag waving behind the words. To Europeans, American food is all about ranching and grilling. |
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I take that last statement back. This meat patty is called a "Filet American". Okay, so it's a hamburger, right? Yes...but if I'm not mistaken, THEY EAT IT RAW. That just ain't American. |
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The Snuggle Bear brings softness to clothes in Holland, too. But instead of Snuggle, his name is Robijn. Another funny story...Chris got to Holland about a month before I came with the dogs, so he could scope out housing, etc. So he was on his own with his laundry, and he hadn't taken any Dutch lessons. (I took private lessons before we left.) So when I got there, I discovered that he had been washing his clothes with fabric softener for a month. When I noticed (and laughed and laughed), he said, "Well, at least my clothes smelled good." |
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One last photo. The Basenji Rescue group is having a calendar photo contest. Since we have a new Basenji rescue and a new camera, I'm participating. Here's a shot I'm sending in, of Lou picking a fight with his big brother. Ike doesn't really look too bothered. |
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My email - staci@verypink.com |
Chris' email - barkless3@yahoo.com |
