{Sarasota Bay, Florida - Great Egret}

Some photos from our walk around Sarasota Bay, when we were staying at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota 

Photos taken with my iPhone...

Shown here is the Great Egret or Casmerodius Albus. Family: Herons Ardeidae.
Or in Dutch also called 'Grote Zilverreiger'... 

Formerly known as the 'American Egret', 'Common Egret', 'Large Egret', 'White Egret', 'Great White Egret', and 'Great White Heron', its official name in North America is now Great Egret.
One of the most magnificent of our herons.

Great reflection of this majestic Great Egret but it soon took off and I wish we had the better camera with us...
Great Egret has a yellow bill and black legs.
The Great White Heron is white with yellow bill and legs and is called Grote Witte Reiger in Dutch.

To us it didn't make any sense why the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall at Sarasota Bay needed to be in a purplish color...? In our opinion, this is such a disturbing color in this natural Bay environment.

One can only wonder about this eye sore and visual polution... as friend Tammy wrote about in her blog posts about a similar case (see below post).

The entire Performing Arts Hall also has mirrored glass.
That allowed us to take a selfie or better said; a 'WeFie with our iPhone.

If from 1969 on this already has been purplish...?

For sure the building and its function is a tremendous asset to Sarasota City!
All in all we had a very interesting walk.

Related links:

Spring Break Has Sprung - blogpost about visual pollution in Kuwait - by friend Tammy from T's Daily Treasures

Sight for Sore Eyes - blogpost about artificial grass and colored pavement - by friend Tammy from T's Daily Treasures

{Sarasota Bay, Florida - Anhinga} | next post about our stay at Hyatt Regency and Bay walk               

{Sarasota, Florida - Hyatt Regency} | previous post about our stay at Hyatt Regency
Sarasota Bay | Info about this coastal lagoon in Florida, USA

{Sarasota, Florida - Hyatt Regency}

On May 1, we were at the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota, Florida. We had been there once before but loved to go back to this place.

Love the exotic surroundings here at the Gulf of Mexico where this Hyatt Regency Sarasota is located.

Husband Pieter in the back of the hotel where you even can dock your own boat or yacht.

King Size bed with pillow top and down duvet at all Hyatt hotels, makes us feel at home!

Husband Pieter made a tea for me and a coffee for himself, after my drive from Orlando where we stayed at the Hyatt Place Orlando/ Universal which we can reach in about 6 hours driving from home.

That feels relaxed and even though it is windy, the balcony offers such a great view of Sarasota Bay...

At our previous stay we were informed that this is a Hyatt hotel where you could dock your own yacht in the back... you can reach it IF you have one!

View from balcony

Parking for the hotel is in the back of the hotel, you can see the cars under the palm trees.

Restaurant is right next to the dock.

This is the path that we walked alongside Sarasota Bay...

Will show you more next!

Have you been to Sarasota, Florida?

We will be back for another time; using some of our Hyatt Points for more free nights.

Related links:

{Sarasota Bay, Florida - Great White Heron} | post by me about the walk around Sarasota Bay

{Sarasota Bay, Florida - Anhinga} | post by me about Sarasota Bay walk

{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

{Storage Box Roller Casters Added}

One great advantage of following other bloggers is to pick up some great ideas once in a while. Blogger friend Daniela from the blog: Frugal Ain't Cheap, is such an example. You will find two links below this post from where I got this idea for adding Roller Casters to our Storage Box in the garage. Thanks Daniela!

We used to keep this on our balcony to store the chaise's cushions.

With our remodeled attic we now can keep them there, nearby the balcony, for use.

It is a Suncast Resin Deluxe Deck Box with Seat from Wayfair.com and now it is in our garage as a favorite lounge area for our felines.

You see the Roller Casters underneath...

Pieter glued some planks underneath with the casters attached.

Detail of such a Roller Caster that we got at The Home Depot, together with those planks and they are cheap.

Photo taken from the spot where usually our car is parked. This is the corner where it is stored and easily rolls out of the way with items piled on top.

You like it?

Related links:
How to make a rolling basket and "new" coffee table - blogger friend Daniela's example of using casters
Ikea dresser turned into kitchen recycle/trash cart - blogger friend Daniela's clever idea with casters
{Our Balcony} | previous post by me where you can see this storage box on the balcony...

{Tiny Silver Vase with Rosebud Pelargonium}

Just to give you a more precise idea about HOW tiny our Silver Repoussé Vase from my previous post: {Our Wild Violets} actually is, here it is again now filled with our Rosebud Pelargonium.

You see? There is a US quarter next to this tiny silver vase.
That vase I snatched away on eBay as it actually is the KNOB of a Victorian style walking stick or parasol!
A silver repoussé rosebud knob, that was missing its stick.
See below post some examples from Christie's.
I saw right away the use for it as it was flat at the top; now bottom when used as a vase...

Mind you, these are NOT real roses but instead our Rosebud Pelargonium...
Are they not darling looking like the real thing?!

Arranged her are the Red Rosebud and the Apple Blossom Rosebud...

Outside in the sun of our balcony...

On the balcony's teak table.
Don't you love them?

Such lovely miniature rosebuds to play with!

Now on top of our Brown Jordan Chaise...

Showing the Apple Blossom Rosebuds.

Pink edges and so beautiful.

Light does affect their color just a tad...

Are these not a dream?

Time to say goodbye!
Do you have any of these Rosebud Pelargonium?

Related links:
{Our Victorian hybrid Pelargonium Rosebuds} | previous post by me with links for source
Christie's silver handled walking sticks late 19th and 20th century | see photo below

{Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Tofu with Tri Color Quinoa}

For Healthy Living we love to shop at Trader Joe's and that's how I found these Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Tofu with Tri Color Quinoa. 

Brussels Sprouts are a favorite vegetable for both of us.

My Dad used to grow them commercially and so did Pieter's Dad, thus we grew up with them.

But that they now are being offered 'SHAVED' that was new!

High Protein Super Firm Tofu for dicing up and ready to go.

Of course, having lived and worked in Indonesia, we are so used to a Tofu rich diet and we love it!

Either in soups or other dishes.

Japanese food also uses lots of tofu and fermented tofu.

In Indonesia we call the fermented tofu, tempeh.

That too we can buy at Trader Joe's!

Wish my Parents could have seen this product; they would be amazed.

Using Olive Oil, I did first stir-fry some garlic, than the diced tofu and adding the shaved brussels sprouts.

You can use some oriental spices of your liking or add some sauce.

For a quick and healthy meal I did add tri-colored Quinoa from Trader Joe's and that was it!

Are you using any of these ingredients for your supper?

{Escada Pastel Green Jeans Suit}

Don't know about you but I do love wearing jeans and also jeans suits with skirts. One of those is my pastel green Escada jeans suit.

On Sunday, April 20 next to our Indian Hawthorn along the driveway.

Wearing a sleeveless silk cashmere mock turtleneck under the longer jeans jacket.

Husband Pieter in his charcoal Ermenegildo Zegna suit in tropical weight wool.

Matching Escada purse as well...

The silk cashmere sleeveless top has a very nice knitted lace edging.

It is the perfect outfit for early spring!

Do you like to wear jeans outfits?