A simply perfect day!

Each year in the little fortress-ed Dutch village of Elburg, there is a Christmas event. The village becomes Christmas of 1900. It is a beautiful place to visit any time of the year but there is something really special about it each December...

The beautiful buildings and displays...

The villagers participating in the parade...

Including horse and carriages and the amazing goose shepherd and his dog...

Old world market...

Old world crafts...

And wonderful food! After a snack at a street booth, we had a lunch at an Italian restaurant. They had hot rabbit stew and white glühwein. It was such a delicious treat since we rarely go out to eat since I love to cook so much.

At the end of the day, we came home with a loaf of Elburg wholemeal bread and two oublies (old Dutch pasty with a cookie wafer with mocha cream and covered in chocolate - these are not often for sale in bakeries anymore). More fun was being able to first watch 3 young men in the rope factory as they made a rope with a loop which is woven into the rest of the rope for me to use for a fresh garden garland (will share that later after I make it) and two hand forged hooks bought at the blacksmith shop. I spent almost nothing for those items but went home with wonderful memories of watching these old crafts.

It was a simple and perfect day. We went early and left after we had lunch to avoid the crowds. I have been sick and stuck in the house but was glad I was well enough to have seen this before hand.

I will leave you with this funny photo. Enlarge the photos to get a closer look at the  impressions of Elburg but also the humor of this outhouse in front of a shop...

Heidi

There is no cottage like gnome.....

Christmas is starting to appear in the woods at Cranberry Cottage. I started my decorating this weekend. I have just a few more touches I will add when we make it back up again.

In the meantime, I snapped a few photos to share with you. Remember that crocheted gnome hat I made and the toadstools? I created a gnome tree from my Christmas tree at the cottage. I have always used the bird theme on this tree. I added the gnome hat on the bird house tree topper so I think a gnome must have moved in by now. *grins* There are toadstools on the branches. I have yet another idea but have to find some spare time before we make it back to the cottage.

This little tree skirt was made specially for my pencil pine tree. It had been a patchwork block I used for a quilt class I gave years back in 2004 which was also the first Christmas we had at Cranberry Cottage. It is a reminder of when we bought the little cottage.

Please forgive the horrible wallpaper. The paste dried too fast as the sun streamed in on this wall. We still have to redo it. A shame since I loved this paper and color. We added some things to give this area some festive cheer along with a quilt I made 17 years ago.

So now to decorate our house in the city. I am put in the mood today as we are having our first snowfall this season. It is supposed to turn to rain later today but I will enjoy gazing out as I decorate while it lasts...

Heidi

A small addition with a big effect.....

Monday evening, Jos and I went over to IKEA which is only minutes from our home. I had been wanting to buy the Fintorp kitchen rail with hooks for some time. We already had my wall with my collection of speculaas cookie molds (click for post on my previous blog) in the kitchen...

We bought two and connected them to one long rail. I hung some of my Brixton baby mugs. I just love these mugs with their homemade look...

I also hung the stitched tea towel I won in Willy's giveaway recently. I just love it and have two of these towels to make more to match. Thank you once again Willy...

It is a small addition to my little kitchen but I love the big impact it has made to give it a country feel...

Heidi

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today, I might be far away from America but the Thanksgiving holiday is alive in my heart. This is a day to remember that we are all blessed and it is the simple things that really matter. While you read this, you might want to hear a song that always brings this thought of being grateful for the simple things to my mind (click here). 

Our table is set. I love setting the table so decided to go ahead and do it very early ready to enjoy our meal. It is always just Jos and I but with my family back home in our minds and hearts. Our menu is a roasted sage rubbed turkey breast with onion gravey, cheddar-onion potato bake and fresh broccoli. Dessert is something special that I tried a couple of years ago. My mother was visiting and I wanted to do something new with pumpkin so I made pumpkin mousse. Here is what I do to make it.....

First, cut open a pumpkin and scrap out the seeds. I will be roasting them this afternoon for a snack in the evening. I only made a piece of the pumpkin and will bake the rest later. Place (half) pumpkin skin side up on a baking sheet. Add a little water just to ensure it all does not dry out. Place in a 170C/325F oven for 15 to 25 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft when pricked through the skin with a fork. Remove from the oven and turn meat-side up. Allow to cool just slightly and start scraping the meat out of the pumpkin with a spoon. It will scrap out easily so be careful not to get the skin in the meat. You will not need to mash it as you simply stir it well in a bowl. Simple and instant pumpkin puree that tastes better than any canned pumpkin.

For the pumpkin mousse for two.....mix 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree, 1/3 cup of whipping (heavy) cream, a dash of pumpkin spices and 1/4 sugar. Mix the ingredients to a smooth paste and cook on simmer for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, whip 2/3 cup of whipping (heavy) cream with a 7gr sachet of vanilla sugar until the cream is thick and has soft peaks. You can use a dash of vanilla for this instead if you don't have vanilla sugar. Fold in the well cooled pumpkin into the cream. Be sure it is cool before you do this! Now crush some crisp cookies. I used kruidnoten which is a Dutch tiny spice cookie for SinterKlaas but you can use a spice cookie or ginger cookie for this. Place a little of the cookie crumbs in the bottom of a parfait glass. Layer the mousse then another little layer of cookie crumbs half way before adding the remaining mousse. Sprinkle a little of the crumbs on the top and chill.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Heidi

A little touch of winter.....

We just spent a glorious week up at Cranberry Cottage. It was nice to be able to enjoy the last days of autumn color while also having time to get some much needed work done. Jos painted the black wood trim around the windows now in a nice light beige color. What a difference it has made. Before, the black trim stopped your eye as you looked out but now you really see the view. We look right out into the woods from the cottage so we will enjoy the new look. We still have a great deal of painting left to do but I will show you it all in the end one day. We do not get much time to be able to go at a fast pace with work on the cottage.

I bought this planter the first winter after we bought Cranberry Cottage. It has been sitting neglected on the cottage lately. I decided to make a winter arrangement in it as I plan on starting my Christmas decorating at the cottage when we can get up there next time. I have really been pulled to more natural looking decorations lately so I filled the planter with moss pulled from our side garden. Bits of periwinkle came up with the moss but I think it looks nice that way. I then added some faux hellebore's and holly berries. Last I stuck in some small pinecones to complete it.

I just hope the birds do not do too much damage to it. I could not use real holly from our garden as there are no berries this year. Last year our holly trees were full of berries so I wonder if this is a sign it will be a mild winter?

Heidi

Did you ever wish you were a gnome?

On a recent trip to Germany to go to some grocery stores, Jos noticed a bunch of large toadstools along the roadside. You know the gnome kind ... red with the white dots on top just like the gnome homes.

That prompted me to make this crocheted miniature gnome hat...

Which prompted another idea which is still a work in progress so keep an eye out in the coming weeks for more...

Heidi

There is a definite chill in the air.....

...and it makes me want to bake...like this new recipe for pumpkin gingerbread to have with our evening coffee...

...and change to our warmer winter quilt...

...oops!...I woke up Dagi who was sound asleep on my pillow...

...but the begonia plant in my bedroom window which I bought for its beautiful leaves seems to think it is spring as this is the first time it has bloomed since I bought it two years ago...

Have a great weekend and keep warm!

Heidi