{Our Oregold Roses and AARS Winner}

On April 12, our new yellow Oregold roses and AARS winners, were blooming! What a joy and they performed rather quick, considering that we bought them at Costco on February 16. They were in the ground just before we flew to Curaçao. It makes me very happy for being able to fill vases with ROSES!

Yellow Oregold roses and more yellow gold tones. Our Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold, golden live oak, makes a perfect back drop. 

Coffee will be served in Pieter's special 1960s cup & saucers from Potterie de Driehoek in Huizen, North Holland (NH) The Netherlands.

Of course, coffee with chocolates...

Pieter did snip off these white Kalanchoe blossoms from a plant that lived inside the greenhouse during winter. Fits perfect in my tiny Silver Roses bud vase!

Oregold is a perfect rose. One can tell why it was one of the AARS winners!

Okay, have to rush inside as the dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds from Costco start melting...

They are one of my favorites and I allow myself 3, and that will certainly not spike up my blood sugar levels too much.

Do you enjoy fresh roses from your garden as much as I  do?

Tell me if you too find roses a romantic mood setter, combined with chocolates...

Related articles:
{Our New Roses from Costco} | previous post by me

{Challenge Accepted + Easter Photos}

On March 19, I already did receive a challenge request from Alessandra, in Italy, for listing 10 things that make me feel good. She is writing the blog: Shabby but ohh so chic!! ←click for getting to her blog.

Okay, now it is my turn for listing those 10 things, after having waited till first several other challenges got taken care of. 

After our trip to Curaçao we first got our tax papers done. Will write about our Curaçao vacation soon; promise! 

Our garden was also begging for weeding and still needs lots more done. 

On Saturday we finally hung the long crocheted peacock curtain at our friends' home. That was a gift from us and after I designed them, a sweet elderly lady in The Netherlands did crochet them for me. My task was for sewing on numerous brass rings for hanging. My husband Pieter, did hammer in the brass nails for the rings... Mission accomplished and even before Easter!

Happy Mom in the USA...

Okay: 10 things that make me feel good...

1. Looking at Mom's photo, taken while here in the USA, still makes me smile when thinking about all the great times when we had Mom & Dad over to visit us in the USA. Seeing Mom so relaxed and happy in this photo, being on vacation and enjoying it. She worked hard all her life, gave birth to 8 children and had her health issues.

She looks like an angel with her pink feather boa. A nice transition for when she really will become an angel...

2. Calling each Sunday after Church with my Mom & Dad and hearing their voices. Feeling blessed for having Mom still around after 4 years of kidney dialysis.

3. Happy times when video calling with Liz or Anita, our daughters.

4. Having my soul mate Pieter still with me and healthy and strong again after his open heart surgery in September 2010. Enjoying the trips we make together, while talking for hours on end in the car or when walking.

5. Enjoying a cup of coffee, or our version of Chocof (Chocolate from Dutch Cacao + Coffee) with some dark chocolates with pomegranate (from Costco).

6. Getting into a fresh made bed with clean linens, it makes me sleep like an angel under the down duvet and on the down pillows.

7. Having breakfast in our bay window in the sunshine and having fresh flowers from our garden.

8. Having friends around the table for dinner and enjoying a home cooked meal together.

9. Gardening together at our great property that we can claim all as our own. Such a treasure compared to what you can own in the Old World.

10. Watching our seven felines frolicking in our garden and being purrfectly happy - just like we!
~~0~~

Ten things is by far not enough for listing it all... 

It is a joy for reading your blogs and for visiting you around the world!

Now I would like to pass on this 10 point challenge to:

1. Kerri from Artisanbella

2. Claudia from NuNu's Garn-und Stofflabor a multi-talented lady that is also great in English.

3. Véronica from Los Mundos de Nika Vintage who is also very artistic.

4. Michiko from Michiko who needs ALL our help and support after her severe accident on December 15. We need to give her lots of BLOG-LOVE. 

5. Ginger from Savannah Granny who has been having health issues and today is her Birthday so she needs some BLOG-LOVE too.

Okay, mission accomplished in about three weeks...

Don't feel pressed for taking this on. But it is my aim always for helping some others by sending visitors and hopefully followers, their way. A friendly word goes a long way!

Hope we soon will have flowers again like here, from our own garden. 

We lost most roses last year due to the heat and drought but we do have the first ones blooming already.

Happy Easter setting from previous years...

• The book from which I  made the organdy ribbons for the eggs...

High Tea/Coffee for friends...

The bay window is a favorite breakfast area and for all settings.

Have a nice week!

{My 14th Blog Award}

From Nani in Macedonia I received my 14th blog award, click Kajnani-nani blog. THANKS Nani and I will try to work it out but I will not list 15 for passing it on as that is way too many... Nani had her birthday on February 15, so you might want to congratulate her on that. Belated yes, but still pretty close.

I am also expected to reveal 7 things about myself...

♥♥

1) Just like Nani, I am a WATERMAN.

2) Am very HAPPY that my Mom reached the age of 88 on February 12! She is a WATERMAN too.

Despite her having almost 4 years of kidney dialysis, from March 18, 2008 on, she has reached this blessed age.

3) LOVE the warmer weather and can't wait for spring to really start; not just 'teasing' and back to cold again.

4) Felt happy with our new Italian Coffee and Wine Bar 'Via Col Vento' (Gone With the Wind).

Dear friends Heinz & Maria from Ristorante da Maria run it.

I got a special treat on Monday from a sweet 93 year old role-model friend, who invited both of us for lunch at 'Via Col Vento' for my birthday on February 6.

This made us feel like being back in Italy, in the Veneto area...

5) LOVE the State where we live! For an idea of how Central Georgia looks like, see: Georgia Traveler.

6) Am so pleased with the delicious Chocolate Recipe for diabetes type 2, see my previous post: {Our Liz & Telepathy + AMAZING Chocolate Recipe!}.

Had another yummy chocolate heart today after coming home from Atlanta...

6) Proud of my husband Pieter who built a sturdy 3rd bridge across the creek. High enough for high water levels, IF it will rain a lot like previous years.

7) Bought several super healthy rose bushes at Costco today because we lost almost all of ours last year due to the heat and drought. Look forward to some real home grown roses for filling a vase. 

♥♥

And now... passing it on to several lovely blogs. That is always the hard part as there are so many deserving recipients!

1) Princesa Nadie A most romantic blog with flowers and porcelain cups & saucers etc.

2) Anna from The Doll House A highly talented lady with great styling!

3) Valentina from Les Cotrions Another highly talented lady with a lovely blog full of inspiration.

4) Marian from Schunsland Yet another highly talented lady!

♥♥

Please do pay them a visit and wishing you all a lovely day; anticipating SPRING...

{Our Liz & Telepathy + AMAZING Chocolate Recipe!}

When our Liz came to visit us in December, she had a PERFECT gift for me. Sheer Telepathy... she and I LOVE red beets. So naturally she picked out a perfect high end linen & silk table runner with red beets on it; made in Israel. She must have gotten to know me very well over the past 43 years... Just look at the photos as this will reveal some AMAZING Chocolate Recipe (listed below). HOW did Liz KNOW?! When scrolling down you will learn more about this silk table runner...

The pure linen & silk table runner with the beets. Well, I made the beets into a romantic Valentine's Day setting for both of us to indulge in. A French Point A La Ligne rose candle for setting the mood.

My favorite rose silver flatware from Germany, see Johanna Gehrlein's book about it named: Rosen-Bestecke.

AMAZING Chocolate hearts presented on an Italian heart shaped plate...

A better view of the gorgeous high end linen & silk table runner from Liz Vedder...

Beets and Chocolate? 

Read on to discover an AMAZING Chocolate recipe!

Heart healthy and great for diabetes type 2.

The lovely 1950 Rose Silver pattern is stamped AMD 800. It is from Adam Manns & Sohn from Dörnigheim near Hanau, Germany. Information can be found on page 88 in Johanna Gehrlein's informative Rose Silverware book. Link is shown already in text above.

Yummy chocolate heart, dusted with cocoa; moist and rich ̶ though LOW Calorie! 

AMAZING recipe follows below!

Our own concoction of a heart healthy chocolate/coffee, named CHOCOF. Made of Dutch processed cocoa, mixed with decaf instant coffee and milk powder.

Look at the rose detail on the spoon...

Pastry server in AMD 800 silver Rose Pattern from Adam Manns & Sohn, Germany.

Detail of the upscale linen and silk runner, with meticulous stitching...

It is hilarious but because Liz LOVES red beets so much (as I  do!) she got this runner and obviously the sales person had no clue about what she was selling to her. 

These are the 'SUPERFOOD' pomegranate fruits!

Got a comment from a dear bloggerfriend: Ger from Hoorn Des Overvloeds

THANKS GER!

Liz did present this lovely linen & silk table runner in a clever window-bag.

Hand made in Israel

Love the label with the appropriate markings for linen and silk as well as cleaning instructions etc.

This was published in the April 2011, Costco Connection

Photo by Kritsada Photography

Way below, I've typed the recipe as well, so you can use the translator for other languages.

It is heart healthy and excellent for diabetes type 2 patients; without any sugar.

Both, Pieter and I were impressed by its taste! 

Baked on Sunday afternoon, I had to let it cool down and only on Monday the photos got made by daylight.

Guess that I did even lower the 62 mg of sodium by using Trader Joe's 1 mg sodium French beets, instead of the canned varieties with10% sodium!

TIP: when blending the ingredients don't add the whole-wheat pastry flour (Whole Foods) right away but put it atop the red beans and beets so it will not stay behind in the bottom of the blender.

I used the French Demarle puffed heart shaped silicon form for a half size sheet pan. The full sheet size is available on line: Flexipan Puffed Heart. 

Red Velvet Chocolate Squares

Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray

½ cup chopped canned beets, drained

7 ounces (about 1 cup) canned red beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ cup liquid egg substitute

3 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour

¾ cup agave nectar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons natural red food coloring

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine the beets, cocoa powder, egg substitute and flour in the bowl of a food processor.

Process until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through.

Add he agave nectar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and food coloring. 

Process until all of the ingredients are combined, about 1 minute.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 20 minutes, turning the dish halfway through the baking time. Turn down the temperature of the oven to 300 and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a little bit of soft batter clinging to it. It should not come out clean ̶ if it does, it's overcooked.

Let the cake cool completely in the baking dish on a wire rack. Then put it in the fridge for at least 3 hours. When it's cold, cut it into 12 squares and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 12 bars (106 calories each).

Tip: I've experimented with these squares many times in my kitchen. What I discovered is that, unlike most baked items, these squares taste best after being refrigerated for at least 3 hours. Chilling the bars coalesces the flavor and stabilizes the texture. Enjoy them cold, and you'll enjoy them more.

Per serving (each bar): 106 calories, 1.5 g fat (1 g sat/0 g mono/0 g poly), 2.5 mg cholesterol, 62 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein.

♥♥

Wishing each of you a Happy Valentine's Day and may it spill over onto all 365 days...

Related links:

Costco Connection April 2011 with recipe for AMAZING Chocolate

{Point A La Ligne the Rolls Royce of Candles} | my earlier blogpost

{Chocolate & Silver Alphabet Letters for Saint Nicholas}

Back in my birth country, Sinterklaas was celebrated again on December 6. This custom has been brought to the New World by the Dutch and continued here as Saint Nicholas before it morphed into Santa Claus. For more history on Saint Nicholas you can look The Origin of Santa Claus. One of the nice customs that come from the Dutch Sinterklaas is the giving of chocolate letters from Vander Veen's The Dutch Store. Click on the fore mentioned hyperlink as they are available in the US too. The availability is only around December. In Canada you also can get them  at The Dutch Market. 

For another Alphabet Letter in pure 925/000 silver from Giovanni Raspini Charms & Co Italy, you can look here at Giovanni Raspini. Available at Spectrenoir ←click it. 

At least we did have a wonderful Sinterklaas, together with our daughter Liz.

Chocolate letters are fond childhood memories...

What do you like; milk or dark chocolate?

Related article:

{Chocolate and Silver Alphabet Letters for Saint Nicholas} | previous post by me

{Foods that Support the Skin}

Today I want to share with you some great tips on how to keep your skin beautiful.

Simply Beautiful Skin: Skin Care Science


Diet and Skin Health -- Foods That Support the Skin



A healthy diet provides the basic building blocks and nutrients to maintain healthy skin cells.



A well-balanced diet that nourishes the skin should include:

• healthy fats, such as those found in avocados, nuts, salmon, and flaxseeds, for skin cell regeneration.

• colorful fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, and phytonutrients, to help give skin a healthy glow.

• whole-grain breads and cereals that are rich in magnesium and B vitamins for regeneration of skin cells.

• lots of water to help keep skin hydrated and plump.

In addition to eating the right foods, healthy skin requires limiting foods that can rob the skin of moisture, such as alcohol and caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and certain sodas.


Best of all, eating a healthy diet not only helps people look better, but it also helps people feel better.
Great article came from RealAge.com

Related links:
{SUGAR is your #1 enemy!} | previous post by me
Flat Belly Diet Foods - Meet the MUFAs! | previous post by me
Foods that Support the Skin | previous post by me
Natural Healing Chart for almost all Sickness | previous post by me with a wealth of information!
{9 'Harmless' Habits That Age You} | previous post by me with great tips

{Ferrero & Sewing Notions -- RIP Pietro...}

This almost gives me goose bumps, as I made these photos on April 10 after I did do some sewing and thought hey, let me share this great find with my readers... Learn from Mariette. That great find is the use of empty Ferrero gift boxes, for putting up sewing notions. It perfectly houses all kind of threads and with a rubber band around, it is perfect to sort by color. Got about five myself and it works great. You don't have to rummage through different boxes to find what you're looking for, as you clearly see the contents!

SAD to read that yesterday, on April 18, Pietro Ferrero died at age 47... May he Rest In Peace!
Ferrero Roche hazelnut chocolates are great together with a good coffee and now you know another great use for the gift box after that last one has been consumed.

A nice way to recycle and keeping our planet green! 

Glad to share this with you, but sad knowing Pietro Ferrero is no more...

{My 6th Blog Award & Secret for my Size and Weight}

Okay, it is long due but I had way too much on my plate for doing this right away. On March 15 I received notice from Rose Marie, from the blog El arte de Rosiña about my Stylish Blogger Award...

Well, it is not that easy as I am supposed to tell seven things about myself and than pass this on to 15 other bloggers... That takes time to work this out.

There are 4 duties to perform to accept this award:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

So here are 7 things about myself:

1) Dark chocolate is my favorite.

2) Avocado is yummy for breakfast (we eat a half one each day!) and great for skin.

3) Love to set a pretty table with fresh flowers and candles...

4) Love china with roses and linens with roses...

5) Love people in general.

6) Love languages as each one is a window to the world.

7) Love to read and love to write!

These are the 15 bloggers that I want to pass it on to:

1. Janny from Roses pour toujours

2. Lene from THE ESSENCE OF THE GOOD LIFE

3. Christie Chateau De Fleurs

4. Edith Mit Liebe zum Detail

5. Bikim Un peu plus jolie

6. Lilo Moment

7. Mari A pocket full of roses

8. Victoria Slightly Shabby

9. Celia's FurBaby Dolce's Adventures

10. Cecilia desde my ventana

11. Chelle French Charmed

12. Spreading the Love Roba Dolce

13. Michela Mami G Maison

14. Rosabella 'Rosabella ~ la vie en rose'

15. Zondra Zondra Art

Please do have a look at their blogs!

Related links:
{SUGAR is your #1 enemy!} | previous post by me

Flat Belly Diet Foods - Meet the MUFAs! | previous post by me

Foods that Support the Skin | previous post by me

Natural Healing Chart for almost all Sickness | previous post by me with a wealth of information!

{9 'Harmless' Habits That Age You} | previous post by me with great tips

{Our Ehrlicheer, 1934 - Richly Fragrant Daffodils}

Today I had a vase filled with our Ehrlicheer, 1934, richly fragrant daffodils.

They are available at Heirloom Daffodil Bulbs ← click it.

The china is Sanssouci Rose from Rosenthal ← click it. It is available at Replacements Limited.

You have to call ahead of time for enjoying some home made chocolates or Amaretti cookies!

In the back you can still see our {My ROZALEA® CORAL PINK birthday gift} in bloom on the kitchen windowsill.

The chairs in the kitchen are from IKEA, see: {Our new IKEA Nordmyra Chairs}.

Home made chocolate hearts and Amaretti cookies...

May spring time arrive soon to each of you and brighten your days with flowers.

{VALENTINE AROUND THE GLOBE}

♥♥

VALENTINE & JE T'AIME

I LOVE YOU IN ALL LANGUAGES...

 SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY -- AROUND THE GLOBE

A TIME FOR LOVE

CHOCOLATE

ANGELS

ROSES 

♥♥

LEARN FROM MARIETTE MADE SOME ROSE AND ANGEL CHOCOLATE

ENJOY! 
 

 TOI & MOI

♥♥

{Chocolate and Silver Alphabet Letters for Saint Nicholas}

In the Dutch tradition, today is THE DAY!

Saint Nicholas is being celebrated in my home country. Poems are written and surprise gifts are being made for a family member. Names are drawn before, and it's a lot of fun creating all this. One custom from The Netherlands I've integrated into the American life and all our American family and friends LOVE it.

Chocolate Alphabet letters! ←click it. Yummy...
Available here in the US too; click on the above hyperlink.
Also available in Canada at The Dutch Market Ltd.
Silver alphabet angels from Tuscany, Italy by Giovanni Raspini ,
available at my Zen Cart powered on line boutique:
Spectrenoir ←click it.

Have also a look at Madelief's blog Snowfakes and Crystals, she did describe so well  the time leading to the finale... when Sinterklaas finally delivers the goods. Saint Nicholas is thus Sinterklaas in Dutch. In my opinion, the Dutch way is far better and more pure, family oriented than the 'way too commercial' Christmas celebration here in the USA with Santa Claus. Christmas is a religious holiday and in The Netherlands it lasts TWO days! It is not as abruptly being amputated...
Let me show you our chocolate letters for friends; even if they will be given at Christmas time...
Most people do prefer milk chocolate and very few like the dark chocolate.
In my family it was only my Dad and me that preferred the dark...

You see also the silver alphabet angel letters together with the chocolate letters. Below I will be showing the additional silver alphabet angel letters that I have added. As with the chocolate letters, not all are available for purchase... You can always check with me if a certain letter is not shown, maybe I can obtain it for you.
For the photo session I dropped the box with my dark chocolate M and it broke; Murphy's law...

Pieter's P in milk chocolate... with the Giovanni Raspini silver alphabet angels from Italy. 

Since 1896, indeed a very old Dutch tradition!
And a younger Italian tradition with the silver letters...

 There are two sizes: 135 g and 65 g. Sometimes you have no choice...

This is how you order them, click on the image to enlarge.

Above you see some typical Dutch Sinterklaas treats from Chocolaterie Pierre.

Now I want to add some of the silver Giovanni Raspini letters that are available at: Spectrenoir.

Sorry the letter C is sol out...

The letter G is Sold out...

Sorry the letter S is Sold out...

The letter T is Sold out...

Sorry the letter V is Sold out...

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