Nope, don’t sit too close to me if you don’t want to catch a cold too. I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather for a couple of days now, it wouldn’t do for you to get it too. Let’s enjoy our gorgeous coffee with the whipped cream and pepernoten on top!
- I promised to tell you about the pepernoten in my previous post, didn’t I? Well, in the Netherlands we don’t get visits from Santa Claus at Christmas Eve, but we celebrate the birthday of Sinterklaas on the 5th of December.
The saintly bishop doesn’t get presents for himself, he gives them away to children who have been good all year. We are gearing up to the celebrations here, buying presents and eating lots of special candy, like pepernoten. They are like small domed cookies with a special speculaas taste that you can get from a mix of herbs.
- If you would like to try your hand at making them yourselves, here is the recipe. It’s copied from a community cookbook “Cooking on Clogs” that has family recipes compiled by Dutch ladies who had emigrated to other countries and really wanted some of the Dutch specialities. These should be little tiny balls… about the size of the top joint of your little finger. If you are able to use the commercially mixed Dutch Speculaas herbs you should use 2 3/4 teaspoons instead of the separate spices.
- I’ve been playing some the New Style Boutique 2, Fashion Forward this week ( only available in Europe and Oceania) and I read the visual novel Code Realize on the Vita. Not much in the way of news there, but I was surprised to read that Nintendo is opening eShops in the remaining European countries. If you live in Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, or Romania you will be able to access the eShop too starting December 10th at 15.00h CET. The shop will accept Euros as payment. Honestly, it never crossed my mind that the eShop wasn’t available everywhere!
Well, I’m glad I don’t live in America so that I don’t have to jump into the Black Friday race. Don’t think I’d have the energy right now! I think I will go home and do nothing for a bit, see if I can feel a bit better tomorrow. Till next week, my friend, enjoy your weekend!
I’m glad that I don’t live in your neck of the woods. You only have a few more days to get your Xmas shopping done.
And the worst thing is, that nowadays we tend to give each other something for Christmas too! My wallet…
Hi Yvonne and happy holidays to you and your family! Sinterklaas. At last I have an answer to what I didn’t understand in “Miracle on 34th Street.” A mother brings her adopted Dutch daughter to see Santa Claus. When the little girl sits on Santa’s lap she calls him “Sinterklaas not Santa Claus. I’ve always wondered why. Thanks for the info! Your recipe for pepermoten interests me…I’ll have to buy anise seed. For my T’giving contribution, I made molasses cookies…they were perfect! I could see the layers of bottom crunch, soft middle and sugar tops. I’ll be posting soon…please stop by!
Since that day years ago when I picked up a garment and someone yanked it out of my hands, I deem this event too dangerous for my well being…and that was waay before Black Friday was a popular event. But the funny thing about that tug-of-war was, when we looked up at each other, we had to laugh because we were friends! I gave in and let her have it. No, not for me! I hit the stores before stuff is picked over and before the frenzy! Time to watch “Miracle on 34th Street” again….one of my faves! Nice chatting with you, Yvonne!