Dutch Paula Deen

Yeah, that's me.
The past two nights we decided to give Oma a break in the kitchen and I would try my hand at cooking for the boys here in Holland. Just going to the grocery is intimidating. Not being able to read labels, ingredients, or even use the damn oven is challenging.
I was determined to prove to my husband that I can actually cook Dutch food IN Holland.
Last night I made bratwurst with curry, potat with witloaf prokke. In English- bratwurst with boiled potatoes and endive smothered in Oma's vegetable sauce. I rocked it (if I do say so myself!). This is pretty much the extent of my cooking knowledge here so the rest should be interesting.
I'm off to the store again to figure out tonight's dinner.
to be continued...

Ok so tonight I made bacon wrapped schnitzel (pork chops), with broccoli, homemade Mac n cheese and BBQ mini potato balls. It turned out pretty darn good!
It is traditional to finish the meal with Vla which is similar to vanilla pudding but thinner. The kids LOVE it!

Here's a few pics from the local Albert Hien grocery store and my dinner tonight :)



My induction top stove










The boys eating the Vla


Produce section all behind seamless glass doors. Kinda cool.


I think these are shrimp but I'm not certain and I don't want to find out!


The cereal aisle. Yep. That's it.


Meat and cheeses


Typical Dutch shrimp. About the size of a dime! Not tasty either. :(

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Rotterdam

Andy has been so bored that we decided to do something fun yesterday just for him. We drove 40 minutes north to Rotterdam. One of Holland's largest cities and one of the largest shipping ports in the world.
We climbed the Euromast which is like the Space Needle in Vegas but without the insane roller coasters. It was cold and Gerrit was not having fun. He is not a big fan of heights. (maybe this means he won't try anything stupid when he gets older like skydiving or bungee jumping? One can hope)

A garden as seen from up top

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Boys- Unplugged

After only a few days here, Eric and I noticed something remarkable. The boys have been unplugged from their iPads, cartoons, iPods, etc and there is actually LESS fighting and more "boys being boys". As I type, they are outside playing soccer with the neighborhood kids and maybe even picking up more Dutch as they are forced to communicate without English.
They have been exploring the neighborhood, playing on the beach, and finding ways to entertain themselves. We have been super lucky as the weatherman has been way off and we are having beautiful sunny weather (which is totally out of character for Holland).
Gerrit (who tends to be our problem child) has been a totally different person. Much to our surprise. He has Dutch blood flowing through is veins and it is clear that when he is here he is in his element. We have had few angry outbursts, hyperactivity, and he is sleeping through the night. He actually eats his dinner and everything put in front of him. We haven't had to force feed him once! Anyone who knows us knows this is a huge victory.
Thijsie tends to want to do whatever Gerrit is doing so even he has been easier. Thijsie has been a bit more of a challenge, maybe because he is more like me. But overall he is also happy here. He eats everything in sight and tends to be the ice breaker when meeting new kids. He has never met a stranger. Even here.
Andy. Oh Andy. My poor, bored American son. He expected a lot more excitement out of this trip. The only thing he does is read. Hopefully we will have more excitement for him next week. I think he would much rather be home behind his computer. He is eating pretty well. He is willing to try everything we offer. He isn't as impressed with snack bar food as we thought he would be. Andy could take it or leave it. Maybe it's the teenage mentality?
It makes us very happy to see the little boys so happy. They may not ever want to leave Holland. Andy will be ready though.
This is to be continued.....



Playing with their new friend, Tijmar.


At the snack bar. Thijs is being a brat because he wanted more Frinkandel.


On a walk to see the local marching band play.


Gerrit and his goggles


This has been Andy the entire trip, sadly. Reading. Bored.

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Herding Sheep- Mol Style

Last night we stopped at a nearby playground. Unlike most playgrounds this one was located next to a traditional Dutch windmill.





The boys attention quickly turned to the dyke next to us which is maintained by a herd of sheep. The dyke is too steep for a mower to get up there so the sheep do all the work. The boys jumped the fence and chaos ensued. Who knew herding sheep would be so entertaining?

Andy on the dyke


Thijsie staying on the safe side of the fence


Baaaaaahhhhhhhh
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All good things come to an end

All good things eventually have to come to an end. In this case, it's the weather. We were fortunate to have two beautiful spring days with sunshine and warm temps. Today (and every day from here on) we get to experience traditional Dutch weather. Cold, rainy and grey. Yuck! It is rather depressing. I don't know how this culture maintains sanity.
I managed to do the worst packing ever! Coming from 90 degree June weather in Savannah to 60 degrees and rainy here. What did I pack? Flip flops, tshirts, a few shorts and even a swim suit! (I actually saw a group of kids swimming yesterday at the beach! What?!?!) this is definitely NOT beach weather. I had to buy two jackets for the boys yesterday and I may need to pick up some rain boots and rain coats in the next day or so. Even the cute new raincoat I bought is not sufficient. Too thin and not warm at all! No wonder everyone here heads south to Spain and Portugal every summer.
In addition to the crappy weather and jet lag, we are trying to get used to their sunrise and sunset schedule. It stays light out until 11:30pm each day and the sunrises around 4:30am! Last night I was smart enough to draw the black out curtains so I could get the most sleep possible. We woke up at 6:45am but the boys woke up at 11:30!!!!!!! But trying to ignore the church bells (every hour) and the chirping birds makes it hard to adjust.

Enough about the weather!

Yesterday we visited the Maasvlakte again. Each year we head over to see the progression of the most massive land project. The Dutch are expanding the ports at Rotterdam and at the end of the project (2020) it will make them the largest container port in Europe. Back in November 2010 we visited and again in 2009. In a nutshell, they are sucking sand off the bottom of the ocean and dumping it here to create more land. In a year and a half it was absolutely unbelievable how much the landscape had changed. It is a similar dredging project as the one in Dubai. It will created thousands of jobs and will be considered on of the Wonders of the World once complete.
For more information on this unbelievable project visit Maasvlakte 2.

Here are a few pics from our day:



The main Maasvlakte building


Gerrit striking a pose




Thijsie striking a pose


The boys playing on a massive scoop



This is one huge drill bit!


Climbing on the dredging pipes


Look what we found on the side of the road!


Gerrit was determined to get his hair out of his eyes.


Sitting, waiting, wishing


The stairway to the beach over the dyke.

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We made it!

After a very, very, very, very long flight we made it to Holland about 12:00 yesterday. Andy had a tough time dealing with his first case of jet lag. He reminded me of someone with a really bad hangover but without the alcohol. After a 3 hour nap we hit up the snack bar for dinner and then he passed out again about 7:30pm and slept 12 hours.
While he was sleeping, Eric's family stopped by to watch Holland get spanked by Germany in the Euro Cup 2012 last night. The boys were wired! I have never seen them so excited! No sleep for the wicked. They fell asleep about midnight and slept soundly through the night.
Weather is much cooler than I anticipated but sunny. We have already had to buy new jackets for two of the boys.
Our apartment we are staying in in Brielle is absolutely fabulous! I have attached a short video tour. My favorite gadget is the awesome induction stove top. I gotta get one of these!
Here are a few pics I snapped from yesterday.


Thijs and his frikandel.


You gotta pay to play! Debit card potty


Ready for the Euro Cup 2012


In the tub


Cora and Opa watching Holland


The view out of our window


Andy and the snack bar


Roll Tide Opa! That was funny to see him wearing that hat.
Our apartment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRTlJ4w8PFs


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Ready for takeoff! Going Dutch 2012 starts in 3...2...1...

Tuesday is the big day! We are packed and ready! This time tomorrow we will be taking off and headed across the Atlantic to visit friends and family for three (yes, I said THREE!) weeks. Maxie is in good hands here at the house. We will be staying in a condo in the heart of Brielle (one of my favorite small towns). I'm hoping for Internet. Actually I am mostly hoping for cable (but all the iPads are loaded up with movies and tv just in case) As usual I am already worrying about things that are totally out of my control. I may just have a nervous break down between now and then. Maybe a visit to the Detroit Crown room during our layover will settle my nerves? Either way, stay tuned for updates about the ups and downs and ins and outs of us traveling through Holland! It's time for GOING DUTCH 2012! See ya on the flip side!