on the search for tibetan barley bread i found this nice site with all kind of bread experiments, in dutch though. Wie bakt mee? the recipe for french bread is tempting. but first i will pursue some terra cotta tiles for my oven.
old sweaters, some soap, a hot wash and there you have your own felt for all kinds of crafs projects, like flowers , hats and .... or check out all the other ways to use your old sweater at always chrysti .
writers can be made to a certain extent, but then, to be one of the great writers, they have to have certain characteristics according to Orwell and Komrij. failure, loneliness and sadness in everyday live can be compensated by the creation of a private world through a facility with words. this means though also that you have to have an ability to handle with loneliness. you have to be patient enough to let yourself find the right words in the right sequence. by your experience with troubles in real life you have the ability to handle frustration and problems in putting down a world in words. sander kooistra writes on these subjects on his blog: writers are born (article in dutch) why we write
if you feel like cleaning your lungs, try eating broccoli or cauliflower more often. they possess the component sulforaphane, that cleans your lungs from bacteria. link to an article on this subject in dutch. link to an article on this subject in english .
two weeks ago i enjoyed drinking wine after a hard days work in the garden. unfortunately it worked not well and i was so ill. so, you can guess, i decided never to drink alcohol anymore. and what appears, a week later, the newspaper heads with 'alcohol can shake it'. the range of non-alcoholic drinks is rising. recipes for mocktails: http://www.cocktailrecepten.nl/artikelen/alcoholvrije-cocktails.html (in dutch, select non-alcoholisch in the search bar) http://www.cocktail.uk.com/db/viewAllCocktails.asp?type=4 (in english) but of course, just some clear water with or without bubbles and pure juices are already a feast to drink.
if you do not feel fit, maybe oil pulling will make you feel better. It is a very old Ayurvedic medical means to clean your mouth, teeth and whole body. just by pulling one spoonful of oil in your mouth for 20 minutes. het blad on oil pulling (in dutch) amanvida mondolie (in dutch) oilpulling.com (in english)
never knew that chestnut mushrooms are a big source of vitamin D. now that autumn arrived with less sun hours, you have an extra reason to eat them. bake them with garlic and lemon juice or put their matured version, portobello mushrooms, in the oven, filled with some cheese and garlic.
we all know the energy savings tips, but sometimes it is nice to read them again, just to reconsider our behaviour: besparen doet u zo! by Eneco, in Dutch
reading enhances your ability to sympathize with someone else's values, according to psycholinguist Jos van Berkum. he held his inaugural speech in at Utrecht University on 30 September on 'Zonder gevoel geen taal' (without feeling no language).
just have been searching knitting garn for a poncho. it is not easy to choose the most sustainable one. finally decided for recycled polyester, not natural, but sustainable. searching too? check these mainly dutch websites: phildar ecolo yarns apart trikoo ecotex wolkokerbreishop
we recycle plastic, paper, green wastes, water, clothes, shoes. but still we throw away reusable things. what to do with the milkpackages. in rotterdam studio hergebruik sells objects from recycled materials. go to studio hergebruik
in these days of more and more internet deals real dealz nederland offers every week a sustainable deal. the trend, to have a sustainable counterpart for all popular products and services, is positive. to the real dealz website (in dutch)
almost never thought about the amount of water needed to produce our daily needs, like bread, fruit, rice and the like. thus we seem to use more than 2.5 times more water than is sustainably available. a start for more agriculture in wet areas and more simple food like water from the tap instead of juices, milk, coffee and lemonade. www.voetafdruk.org (in several languages but mainly english)
handmade is finally trendy again. crafts have a revival. homemade cake, handmade clothings, homemade meals, handmade juwellery .... slow food, slow life, slow ... see my (dutch) page on design and craft (ambacht)
an aunt of mine just past away. she and her daughter were/are slightly handicapped. the, also handicapped, colleagues of my aunt held beautiful speeches. my father too, but much more less expressive. when people, without handicaps, grow up, they seem to become handicapped in expressing their feelings and thoughts. while people with handicaps often do not meet these restraints in expressing themselves. is not life fair, dividing restraints fairly.
it seems that women are more interested in using herbal teas than men. is it women's interest in health or do women feel more small inconveniences than men. the witch in women to search for natures power i wonder. black tea though is favorite for men or rooibos. teas with stronger tastes. taste can be developed. no proof for genetic/gender origin of like or dislike of herbal teas.
nothing so relaxing as reading children's books. kameleon, dolfje weerwolfje, harry potter, charlie and the chocolate factory, the wizard of oz. wonderful. compare that to the literature of luigi pirandello, adult stories of roald dahl. fantastic but depressing. what do we do when growing up to deserve these negative reviews of live.
9 years old and angry. he does not want to be like the others but he does not want te be different. life can be quite hard to like. and what can i do about it. stay patient, be creative and be happy. and wait until he finds his own way, knowing that we love him.
the name of the rose enfolds like a rose. this book has so many aspects, theories and philosophies in it that one can read it and reread it endlessly. fantastic.
while we long for a short schoolday with a long afternoon, the majority (in fact only 1 parent voted with me) of the parents voted for the child care services during lunch and a longer school schedule. too bad for us. the chance of a contiunous school schedule had now disappeared. but well, the school director also prefers the child care services at lunchtime as he thinks that a longer schoolday means more working hours. he is the expert so i should not grieve too much.
i gave him away, just like that. because i let him go, just like that. he was so cheerful. he was so tense. he was so playing. with my love he was one. he was sweet. he was difficult. he was too much. life hurts. he was not mine. and i let him go. life hurts
should we protect our children from the little accidents that lure in all corners? we do not. we teach them the risks and give them responsibility. of course my heart bounces sometimes but to live is a taking a big risk.
mondays mean vegetarian meals here, in answer to paul mccartney's call for meat-free mondays. other days we vary, but mondays are fixed. a fine initiative.