{King Crab Legs from Costco}

When we had to go back and forth to Costco several times for husband Pieter's hearing aid test and adjustments, I had spotted their great King Crab Legs and we brought some home...

A previous supper for friends, I completely forgot to take pictures...
So here we are for an Al Fresco Supper on our Balcony!
Complete with Crab
This was the evening before we left for Florida...
June 26

Those legs were really huge

Haha, having to bring everything to the balcony and avoiding that one of our felines would slip out... was quite a task!
We even had an Oriental Lily 'Belgrado' in a small Baccarat vase.

Something is missing...

Something missing was not the utensils for cracking those crab legs... like our Rösle Nut & Seafood Cracker and the Lobster Picks from Italy.

Snapping away with my iPhone 6 Plus I still did not notice...

Oh my goodness I forgot the Diablo Sauce! Click link for recipe.
Here it is straight from the fridge and not looking good for the photo.


BUT it was a delicious and simple meal.

Do you also love crab meat?

Thanks for your visit!

{Persian Cucumbers & Slicer}

As stated before, both my husband and I are the son and daughter of a market gardener so again, knowing cucumbers is not foreign to us. But Dad grew the long English cucumbers and now we saw these Persian Cucumbers at Trader Joe's. Had to try them out!

Yes, this is their size and as you can see inside my hand they are not large.

Seedless, sweet and crunchy product of Canada.

We know in the Ontario region there are a lot of market gardeners with Dutch last names...

But we, being Dutch by birth, never actually did slice them as thick as shown above!
Unless you want to eat them just raw.

Being seedless is an added bonus too, no need for scooping out the seeds with a spoon, after cutting the cucumber lengthwise.

No, we don't peel them but they get sliced paper thin on this typical Dutch slicer!

Below my post you will find some links to e.g. a Japanese slicer that is available here in the USA.

This time I used Greek yogurt with some grated garlic and fresh ginger.

That's how it looks like...
Not quite the same as the Greek Tzatziki for which lemon juice and dill gets added to the garlic, no fresh ginger.

These are English Cucumbers but just to show you different ways of preparing them.
Here I used some olive oil with natural vinegar and Italian herbs.

When I was in Japan in July of 2007, one of our sister city members went to the early vegetable and fruit market for buying. He was so kind to make photos for me from all the fresh produce.
Guess these are small, Persian looking cucumbers as well, with daikon it looks like.
My Japanese blogger friends for sure can fill me in on that...

How are you slicing and eating your cucumbers?

Related links:

Benriner Japanese Mandoline Slicer
Shenzhen Knives. Ceramic Blade Mandoline Slicer
Rösle Adjustable Vegetable Slicer with Grip, Stainless Steel
{Healthy & Quick Vegetarian Supper} | previous post by me showing Cucumber salad

{Wishing YOU all a Happy 3rd ADVENT Week!}

The time is passing ever faster it seems like... It is gray and dreary looking outside with some rain. But inside we can create a cozy setting with the use of some votive candles and with natural things from our own garden. Wishing you all a Happy 3rd ADVENT Week! Stay cozy and warm.

On eBay I once got a hold of this Baccarat Crystal Vesuve / Vesuvius Caviar Server (2 pcs) because the inset was missing... But it works perfect for floating candles with fresh flowers.

Here I used fresh cranberries for inside.

To the left you see our Rösle Universal Fire Lighter which works great to light candles or whatsoever.

Also a WMF silver candle snuffer...

To the right you can see some yellow Ilex berries from our Ilex decidua 'Finch's Golden'

The berry yield this year is poor, also on the red Ilex, shown to the left with barely any berries...

The Pyracantha Firethorn berries we had plenty and also the red Nandina or Heavenly Bamboo berries.

The table runner in Portuguese Guimarães white work, we bought in Coimbra in 1994 while on tour through Spain Portugal for 19 days.

Used on top of this red Hardangar tablecloth it looks perfect.

Closeup where you see those Heavenly Bamboo berries to the left and the Pyracantha Firethorn berries to the right. 

You also get to see the great quality of fresh cranberries we got from Costco Wholesale.

I've made Cranberry Conserve out of them. Below you find the link to my post with recipe.

Making photos during the dark days of the year is hard in itself but trying to capture those flames of burning votives is even harder...

Don't you love the hand embroidered detail of that Portuguese Guimarães white work?

Wishing YOU all a Happy 3rd ADVENT Week!

Related links:
{2nd Advent & Great Family Time} | previous post by me
{3rd Advent} | previous post by me
{Silk Brocade for our PRINCE OF PEACE} | previous post by me
{SUPERFOOD For Your HEART ♥ CRANBERRIES} | previous post with cranberry conserve recipe

{USEFUL TIP: Peppermint Tea for Anti Bloating}

• When living in The Netherlands, our back neighbors were from Turkey and I learned quite a lot from their culture. 
• They passed on age old remedies for certain ailments. One of them was, serving hot tea from fresh Mentha Piperita leaves. 
• Sure I learned about this USEFULL TIP as Peppermint Tea for Anti Bloating. 
• Since than, I've been drinking this soothing Peppermint Tea for decades, adding also some healthy Green Tea as well. 
• We always keep mint growing in our garden. So how do I brew this useful tea? Let me show you...

• Freshly brewn inside our Mandalay Chartreuse by Mason's teapot.

• With my Gardena Garden Scissors I did snip off a handful of Mentha Piperita leaves from our garden.

• Rinsing them off in my Rösle Strainer...

• Together with a bag of green tea they go inside the teapot while the water is boiling.
• Pour the water over it and let it steep for a few minutes before pouring into your cups.

• I used Trader Joe's Organic Green Tea...

• Peppermint-Green-Tea with a healthy chocolate dessert, decorated with edible marzipan rosebuds...
• Why don't you sit with me?

• Closeup from the Peppermint-Green-Tea and my dessert...

• Please sit down and join me...!
• By  the way, this amazing chocolate dessert came out of the freezer and works great for freezing it!
• Below the post you find the recipe for this diabetes type 2 and heart healthy 0% cholesterol chocolate dessert.

• This is a very soothing and relaxing tea, you ought to try it for yourself!

• No, I did NOT add any sugar...
• So what do you think? Are you going to try this out as well...?

Below are some links for more info.

Related links:

Mandalay Chartreuse by Mason's  available at Replacements Ltd.

DOES HOT TEA HELP BLOATING & GAS AFTER MEALS? 

Gardena 359 All Purpose Stainless Steel Garden Scissors

{Our Liz & Telepathy + AMAZING Chocolate Recipe!} | 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

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

{New Rosle Items in Our Kitchen}

Just like to share with you some practical improvements in our kitchen. We added some great new Rösle items. From Europe we did have a plastic wrap dispenser, foil and paper towel holder but they never lasted long. A total of 3 we have had and when I wanted to order again I realized better getting now one with lifetime warranty. So here came Rösle into play. More expensive, yes, but I paid already a lot for my three plastic ones and they come apart too quick. Guess they're made that way, to make us buy again? We also had a hard time finding the fitting rolls, as they were not as big. Now we can fit the economically sized larger rolls from Costco wholesale, so over time we save money... 

Here they are! Husband Pieter had the idea for hanging them adjacent to each other and they just fit perfect that way. The hanging rail is exactly the right size for between the cabinet space. We are very pleased with them. Below this post is the link about: More of Our Kitchen where you find the old plastic one still hanging... Since than, one of its cutters had broken and was hanging limp and no way of repairing it. Annoying things and I bet you they build them on purpose that way. What do you think?

Stepping back a bit more to get a better view.
As a reply to Diana Evans' comment: 'I love your round sinks!!!' - They are Italian, ILVE is the brand. Here in the USA they only import ILVE ranges. Our sinks crossed the Atlantic inside our suitcases...
Since we did replace our previous jasmine white ATAG sinks from The Netherlands.  They no longer made them. Sooo glad I found these ILVE from Italy!
Our faucet is Danish, Damixa.
~0~

Below I will give you the link from where I got the Rösle items.

Also showing you a nice Rösle video.

Another New Rösle Kitchen Rail & Wall Attachment Set

Rösle Multi-Timer Digital for doing multiple tasks in the kitchen besides the oven timer.

Rösle Universal Fire Lighter - great for lighting candles etc.

This is our coffee supply corner as you see...

Coffee - Instant Coffee - Cocoa with milk frother for making a cappuccino.

A lot of Rösle gadgets living inside my bamboo drawer organizer... 

Did you know that Rösle offers a lifetime warranty on all product?

Above are the reasons why I LOVE this brand. 

Do you own any gadgets from Rösle?

Related links:
{Our Kitchen Improvements} | previous post by me
{More of Our Kitchen} | previous post by me
RÖSLE Produktfilm - Offene Küche - RÖSLE Product movie -  The Open Kitchen

{My Lace Crocheted Placemats}

Today I've set the table for you, using my handmade Lace Crocheted Placemats. They're done in a French DMC Cébelia thread in white, using a Neue Mode pattern. Cébelia is a 3-ply 100% combed cotton and double mercerized for a smooth and silk finish, which makes it easy on the crochet hook as well. For the inside I have used a Swiss cotton damask in a woven stripe pattern, bought in St Gallen, Switzerland. The table is set for serving a yummy spicy corn and lentil soup, using a recipe from Tammy, from T's Daily Treasures blog. Link to the recipe on her blog you will find below. I also used floating candles with fresh gardenia, jasmine and rose blossoms for center pieces. Will show that more in detail in my next posts. Now my crocheted lace...

This is the placemat with the crocheted lace edging that I did hand crochet. 

Inside is made out of Swiss striped cotton damask and the napkin is also from striped cotton damask.

French Baccarat crystal Piccadilly glasses and Wedgwood cream color on cream color Gardenia bowl for the floating candles with flowers.

Four placemats and three Gardenia bowls with floating candles and gardenia, jasmine and rose flowers. Replacements often has them available, see link below.

Does any of you use floating candles with flowers? 

Detail of crocheted lace edging, using the flash of my camera for better view.

Anyone reading my post, who also crocheted placemats in combination with fabric?

No flash used but I turned the light above the table on for a more yellowish and soft light.

But you get the idea...

More in detail...

My version of the spicy corn and lentil soup, using lentils from Trader Joe's and sweet golden corn instead of creamed corn. 

Recipe follows below...

 These lentils are perfect for this recipe! 

TIP: For easily separating those Trader Joe's Steamed Lentils, use this SUPER Rösle® Turner for Nonstick Pans (Rösle® Pfannenwender für beschichtete Pfannen). Using the end side of it for breaking up, than hash it with the flat side. Works like a gem and fast. One of my most favorite kitchen tools!

Below I will provide a link for this Rösle® item #10680 

This is the placemat in the Neue Mode magazine. 

Instead of striped fabric I used woven striped damask.

That was a Dutch version of the Neue Mode magazine.

Now, let's eat the soup as it is no longer piping hot and the smell of the fresh cilantro is calling us to the table. Delicious and healthy soup and rather easy to make. I find the plucking of the cilantro the most tedious of all. But I do use the entire bunch of it as we both LOVE it.

Cilantro (Coriander or Chinese parsley) functions as a natural diuretic and is a great detox herb as well.

Related links: 

Spicy corn and lentil soup recipe from T's Daily Treasures blog

Setting a Pretty Table Learn from Mariette 

Creating Heirloom Pieces Learn from Mariette
Rösle® Round HandleTurner for Nonstick Pans

Wedgwood Cream Color on Cream Color for 10 Inch Gardenia Bowl Replacements Ltd.