In Limburg with Friends

From Schiphol Airport, I traveled South to Limburg with two Friends that had come with the 5:43 NS Intercity to pick me up...

End station Horst–Sevenum and we're in the South of The Netherlands!

In less than two hours from Schiphol Airport to Horst–Sevenum by Intercity.

Travel by Rail is so relaxed!

Comparing to the hectic traffic and especially on a Monday.

Sure, my original plan was to arrive on Sunday... but some 3,000 flights got cancelled over that weekend.

My happy friend Ellie (friends for 57 years) and her daughter Elvira...

See links below post for reading about our very special relation with her.

This was on May 31 with 17°C or 62.6°F in Sevenum with a maximum of 18°C or 64°F

Yes, that was quite a cool–down for me; coming from Georgia/USA...

Elvira made us a yummy lunch on Wednesday, June 1.

She's a great Lady Chef

After our lunch at about 14:00, we did video WhatsApp with Pieter in Georgia/USA, who had just had breakfast at 8:00 in the morning.

Always great to see, and hear each other over the 8,000 km distance or 4,970 miles!

Pieter enjoyed talking with Elvira's boys.

The youngest, to the right of me, told Pieter that he had to carefully read all the notes...

They'd just overheard me reply to Elvira about her question what Pieter is eating all those days.

I told them that I'd hung sticky notes from the cabinets in the kitchen for each day for getting the meals together from the freezer and such.

Yes, I'd prepared a lot of food ahead of time!

Ellie's granddaughter Famke is into aerial fabric dancing!

Got to see her doing this LIVE.

Quite impressive and don't know if I could do that?!

Weather for the coming days would be lovely with on Saturday as high as 26°C or 78.8°F but on Sunday all rain...

Friend Sissy in her Tesla electric car, took Ellie and me around my home town and we even sat on a terrace in the sun, enjoying a cappuccino or tea. 

Also ice cream with some fruit.

Indulging in those things from the past; for me at least, as I'm out of The Netherlands for 39 years.

Next day we met again with Sissy and Ellie + spouses...

Time for dinner at Restaurant De Kraal in Venlo.

My selection was Heilbot or Halibut in English

And for me also white asperges soup... It still is in season and in the USA we never find them.

My Halibut served over a bed of pasta with a lemon sauce and spinach.

Topped with a fresh Coriandrum sativum.

Edible flowers look beautiful... and yes, I ate them!

Sissy captured this photo of Ellie and me...

So grateful for happy time with friends!

To be continued...

By the way; my humble blog reached 3,500,000 pageviews!

Related links:

Flying on Delta Premium Select–Savannah to Amsterdam | previous post by me

Back Home from my 67th Trip to Limburg in The Netherlands | previous post by me

{Wedding Elvira & Bob in 14th Century Castle} | previous post by me

{Wedding Elvira & Bob - Michelin Star Top Restaurant Brienen aan de Maas} | previous post by me

{Wedding Elvira & Bob in 1662 Franconian Auberge 'De Grote Waaij'} | previous post by me

{Won-Ton Wrapper Shells + Strawberry Rose Petal Cream Recipe}

Home grown fragrant roses are perfect for using in this favorite dessert!
Important is that you got pesticide free rose petals!

Won-Ton Wrapper Shells + Strawberry Rose Petal Cream (Recipe below post)...
In this photo I did use Perfume Delight Rose petals.
~
Our Chrysler Imperial Rose below is such a large size red beauty and perfect with strawberries!

We had two blossoms to place on this little Baccarat vase (actually a perfume bottle without stopper!).

In comparison with my hand.

Again this is the very fine hand crocheted table topper from blogger friend Susan from: Ava Grace's Closet

Fully opened up...

Such highly fragrant rose petals are perfect for use in the above Won-ton-wrappers with rose petal strawberry cream.

RECIPE:

Romantic Rose Petals and Strawberry slices in home baked shells.
 Using won-ton-wrappers and brushing them with melted butter; than dusting with a mixture of (Coconut Palm) sugar and cinnamon, then place the wrappers, sugared side up, into a muffin pan.
Only about 5 min. in the oven on 200°C or 400°F and voilà.
Take out of the oven and let completely cool.

Next you whip up some whipped cream with a few drops of Rose Water (Eau de Rose) and add carefully the pesticide free Rose Petals and sliced Strawberries... Dust with powdered sugar.

Instead of Whipped Cream, you may want to use Coconut Cream instead.
Place a can of Coconut Cream in the fridge, overnight.
Carefully open up and scoop out the hardened top layer and all creamy substance, leaving the liquid for other uses like in smoothies. Just whip it with the Rose Water drops and proceed like above.

Oh, from the same won-ton-wrappers I did cut out hearts for decoration...

Using a Muffineer or a Sugar Sifter Spoon to dust off with powdered sugar! See in link below.

Related link:

{Antique French 19th Century 950/1000 Silver & Crystal Muffineer, Sugar Shaker, Caster Sifter} | previous post by me

{Acacia Flower Fritters - Beignets de Fleurs d'Acacia}

We all learn from each other and so I learned from the last comment, written by Nathalie Santa Maria from France on my post about Our Robinia pseudoacacia - Black Locust after the rain. Nathalie posts about: Birdwatching and Photography - Refuge LPO  ←(click it)

She pointed out that the flowers are being used to make Fritters, or Beignets in French.

Beignets de fleurs d'acacia  ←(click for French recipe) or Acacia Blossom Fritters

Also by +Rowena Dumlao-Giardina I found the recipe in English in her blog post: Fiori d'Acacia Fritti (Fried Black Locust Flowers) and the Medieval Town & Castle of Gradara ←(click)

Frittelle di Fiori d'Acacia (Black Locust Flower Pancakes) ←(click) for recipe

Rowena also has her own Apron and Sneakers FB Page

Did any of you ever cook with these Acacia - Black Locust Flowers?

Related link:
{Our Robinia pseudoacacia - Black Locust after the rain} | previous post by me

{Our Wild Violets}

Our Wild Violets are such lovely flowers in the wood garden!

Some call them Weed Violets... But are they not LOVELY?

Hard to photograph...

Yep, getting FACE TO FACE...

Such a lovely pastel tone for the spring...

Like a bearded, hairy edge...

Are they not pretty in a tiny silver vase?

Related links:
{Violets from our Garden and on French Country Style Wooden Tableau} | previous post by me
{Edible Flowers} | previous post by me
{Blogger Friend Dana Created These Lovely Ribbon Violets!} | previous post by me
{FOND MEMORIES} | previous post by me

{CANDIED ROSE PETALS - Recipe for YOU}

Due to still dark weather and rain... I still cannot make my photos so here is a post with the recipe for the CANDIED ROSE PETALS below:

This is a page I did scan from the book: Christmas with Victoria 1997 and it is still available at Amazon, just click the hyperlink.

The text with this photo on page 137 reads: Petal Crown

To create a small masterpiece, garnish a cake with colorful flowers.

This photo with Candied Rose Petals is from Southern Living February 1998, page 122.

Another idea came from Atlanta Magazine, June 1997...

That's how I got my idea for garnishing the chocolate heart & rose shaped dessert with candied roses.

Took a photo (today, on a dark day...) from my candied roses, see below.

Presented on a Royal Albert Princess Anne handled bon-bon dish.

Now the recipe for you:

CANDIED ROSE PETALS

18 small rose petals (pesticide free from your own garden)

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1½ teaspoons meringue powder

3 tablespoons water

½ cup superfine sugar

• Rinse rose petals, and let dry on paper towels.
• Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and 3 tablespoons water at low speed with an electric mixer until blended; beat at high speed 4 to 5 minutes until mixture is fluffy.
• Brush mixture on all sides of petals; sprinkle with superfine sugar. Let stand on wire racks 24 hours.

Yield: 18 petals

This is rather easy to make!

• If you don't have the meringue powder, try this recipe:

SUGARED ROSE PETALS:

3 large pesticide free roses

½ cup egg substitute, beaten lightly

½ cup superfine sugar

TO MAKE SUGARED ROSE PETALS:

1. Pull the petals free from 1 rose. Lightly coat each petal on both sides with the egg substitute, using a small paintbrush.

2. Sift a small amount of the sugar over the coated petals, turning them carefully to coat both sides. Set on waxed paper to dry at least 1 hour. Repeat the procedure with the remaining roses, egg substitute, and sugar.

Yield: 1½ cups.

Instead of ROSE PETALS you can also use edible flowers from your own garden such as; NASTURIUMS, SNAP DRAGONS, PANSIES, VIOLETS or DAYLILIES.

Good luck with your version...
Also interesting to try the STRAWBERRY & RED ROSE PETAL WHIPPED CREAM DESSERT; see link with recipe below.

Related link:
{INTRODUCING GUNNAR LLOYD; DAPHNA & RAYMOND'S LOVE-CHILD} | previous post by me with stawberry & red rose petal whipped cream dessert...
{Edible Flowers} | previous post by me about Edible flowers with recipes
{Lisa Boalt Richardson another Georgia Tea Aficionado!} | previous post by me with RECIPE for STRAWBERRY & RED ROSE PETAL WHIPPED CREAM DESSERT
{Violets from our Garden and on French Country Style Wooden Tableau} | previous post by me with candied violets
{FOND MEMORIES} | previous post by me showing candied violets

{Blogger Friend Dana Created These Lovely Ribbon Violets!}

Last year did yield quite an amount of wood violets but this year I only found 3... But look who came to the rescue? Very talented blogger friend Dana from Lambs and Ivy Designs, made me some perfect ribbon violets. Look here also on Pinterest: Lambs and Ivy Designs Ribbonwork

Dana made these perfect violets and I placed them in a heart shape. At the top I put the only three real violets that we had... 

The handmade violets together with the 3 real ones on a bed of moss in our garden...

THANKS A LOT DANA!  They are so perfect.

Here are my wood violets from last year, together with a lovely silver napkin/card holder from Giovanni Raspini, Italy. These lovely angels, cherubs are available at Spectrenoir.

A lovely mini-bouquet of violets tied together with an ombré silk ribbon...

They do match my cup and saucers from Royal Albert Provincial Flowers with the Purple Violet pattern.  

Available at Replacements Ltd. ←click it.

The demitasse spoons are Violet by Wallace (Sterling 1904) and also available at Replacements Ltd. Replacements Ltd. ←click it.

It is great for at least having those photos from last year's yield!

This pierced bon-bon spoon is also from Wallace in the Violet pattern.

{Violets from our Garden and on French Country Style Wooden Tableau}

It was such a lovely sunny day and the violets in our wood garden were blooming at its best. So I did snip off several to create some lovely images for you all to share. Not quite the symbol for St. Patrick's day but nevertheless worthwhile to show.

On the balcony, on top of my hand crocheted table cloth for you to enjoy... The French Country Style wooden tableau with violets is for sale at Spectrenoir ←(click it). Pensez a moi means Think of me...

I've penned a handwritten note to Celeste for Celestina Marie Desings ←(click it) who has been in the hospital with symptoms that looked very much like a heart attack but the diagnostic was she's cleared now for 95%. Let's pray that it stays that way and that she continues to enjoy good health. Celeste is such an extraordinary artist. See my previous blog about her here ←click it. 

The 925/000 silver Card/Letter/Napkin Holder with 2 Angels ←(click it) is from Giovanni Raspini, Italy. Just click here: Spectrenoir for buying info.

The Royal Albert Provincial Flowers, Purple Violet ←(click it) you can find in a previous blog with more info about them; click on the red hyperlink. Also the edible candied violets that are shown inside the glas jar, you find the recipe at the bottom of my previous blog about Edible Flower ←click it. You also can find in my previous blog those Romantic Boxes with Pansies ←click it.