Friday, February 18, 2011

Cake Flour

For my job I travel to Louisville fairly frequently. Recently, a friend of mine told me about a bakery in the East Market District called Cake Flour.


(Cake Flour at 909 E Market St, Louisville, KY)


She asked me if I would stop in a pick up a few treats to bring back with me to Lexington. Being a little bit of a foodie, I was happy to oblige. Let me tell you, these little flour-less chocolate cakes are one of the best things I have ever eaten. Only fitting since they were featured on the Food Network's show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate.


(Flour-less Chocolate Cake)

If you're ever in Louisville, a trip to East Market is a must. And if you're a sweets lover, you have to try one of these chocolate cakes... with a glass of milk of course!



Wednesday, February 16, 2011

My Fatherland

Two weeks ago I was on vacation in the Netherlands. While I travel a lot for work and in my free time, It was the first time that I have taken a formal vacation on my own. This trip was probably one of the best trips I have ever taken for a lot of reasons; I spent time with family I do not see often, my grandmother turned 90, I experienced a huge part of my culture/heritage first hand, and of course got to relax along the way. My only regret is that the trip was too short, but I think we all say that about vacation.

(The Netherlands aka Holland)

The first half of my trip I stayed with my cousin who lives in Leiden, a city centrally located in Randstad Holland. Staying with her was an amazing bonding experience for us. We spent a lot of time talking and catching up, exploring, trading life philosophies, and laughing. When I arrived Saturday, we went to the market in central Leiden for a snack and met up with my other cousin who took us to her flat and cooked dinner for us. Since we do not see each other often, we spent a lot of time there and just caught up with everything that’s been going on in our lives and reliving memories.  The next couple of days were filled with a lot of activity, venturing to the Hague to go shopping, have dinner, and have a little evening fun. The Hague is a really cool city, a lot bigger than I ever thought and a lot of fun places to see. My cousin and I are very social people, so we met a few people while we were out which was a blast. After a little too much fun Sunday, we just hung around on Monday teasing and laughing so hard. It was a great day. Tuesday was time to move… we woke up and headed in to Amsterdam where we, oddly enough, randomly wondered around with no purpose, just discussing our lives and our outlooks. Before we knew it, my train was leaving to head to Oma’s (the Dutch word for Grandmother).

(The Royal Palace in The Hague)

I took the train south to the Rotterdam area where my uncle picked me up and drove me to Oma’s in Zeeland. We spent the evening together and it was off to bed soon because Oma’s birthday was the next day! Waking up was quick with a lot to do; I ran to the village baker’s, picked up the cake, and the neighbors and my uncle came over for cake and coffee. It was a big day for my Oma, turning 90, and it is just amazing to me. Being in my mid-twenties, I can’t imagine being 40, let alone 90! We spent the day with my uncle and went to the village restaurant for a birthday dinner; it was “gezellig” as they say in Dutch.

(Oma's birthday dinner in the village)

The next few days I spent at my Oma’s were quiet, but more than I could ask for. Life at her house has a very particular routine that leaves me thinking, life is really simpler than we make it to be. We spent a lot of time sitting and talking over morning tea or evening coffee which is something I couldn’t have enjoyed more. We talked about work, money, memories, and politics- debatably one of her favorite topics. We went through countless family photos of my Father and Uncle as children and even pictures from my childhood. She told many stories of her children growing up and their life in the Netherlands Antilles and in the Netherlands. I really enjoyed the days at her house and am so fortunate I was able to make the trip there and spend time with her for her birthday.

The week ended quickly with a big birthday party. All of the family came to Zeeland to visit with Oma and we spent a lot of time talking at the house with coffee and tea (as the Dutchies do) and went to dinner. It was really nice to get together with family, some of which I have never met before. After dinner it was back to Leiden for a few drinks and then back to America on Sunday.

My vacation to the Netherlands was an amazing trip for me. My father was raised in the Netherlands, so it feels very comfortable for me. I have only been four times in my life, but I can feel that my roots are there. Being able to spend time with my family is amazing. We always are able to spend quality time together and for that I am grateful. Sitting at the table in drinking tea with my grandmother is something that is so valuable to me. I also appreciate the Dutch culture; the food, the language, and the customs. I already miss the Netherlands, yet I barely know anything about it. 

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Vacation

Vacaciones / Vakantie / Vacanza / FĂ©rias

However you say it, that's where I've been. I was off work a week and it was amazing and refreshing to have some time off. Returning is kind of whirlwind right now, trying to take care of things around the house, get caught up at work, and keep in touch with friends.

I hope to write a blog entry about my trip soon and more to follow about this adventure of life, but until then here are some pictures to hold you over.




Until soon...