May 9 2024 - Cracking the Code

 

I was looking up information about poached eggs and got to wondering if cracking the code comes from something related to egg cracking.   The 'crack' part of the phrase does refer to breaking so 'breaking the code'.  There are lots of definitions online.  But who knows the rest, given all the crazy retrievals on google.  And the only article with some sense of origin is from usdictionary.com so is dumbed down - for example where does the expression come from?  It has its roots in cryptography, with no dates or first references.  So we'll leave the eggs and crack the code and visit the tulip field.    Definitely a Dutch connection in this growing field.

Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Jan 21 2024 - National Dute Heritage Day

 

The Grand Oak is a "culinary market" - a lovely large farm-type building with a big kitchen making lunches, breads, baked goods, and then dinners-to-order.  I pulled into the parking lot yesterday and it was fully parked.  Later, I found it it was a celebration day - Dutch Heritage Day.  It was complete with Stroopwafels, croquettes, bitterballen, Dropjes and so on.  Where there are Dutch desserts, the Dutch will gather!   The formally recognized celebration day is May 5th - the day the Government of Canada has marked for honouring the sacrifices of the Canadian armed forces in the liberation of the Netherlands and to honour the many contributions Dutch Canadians have made.  The liberation date is May 4th.  Add to that, the month of May is Dutch Heritage Month.  And then there is April 26th is Doningsdag - the date marking the birth of King Willem-Alexander - also known as King's Day. Here's a question on the internet:  Does Canada have stroopwafels?  And the answer: "Maple Terroir's Maple Stroopwafel Waffle Cookies are a Canadian-style version of the Dutch stroopwafel, with a filling made with pure maple syrup! The waffle dough is made with Canadian flour, butter, and eggs. The filling is made with butter, eggs, pure maple syrup, sea salt, and other ingredients."

I found these two pictures of the Grand Oak taken in the fall when they have colourful displays and the massive oak tree is showing its colour.  And then their social media post on the celebration day. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

June 6 2022 - Ideal vs iDEAL!

 

Ideal used to be something that was a model of perfection, excellence and beauty.  Now it is iDEAL - some domain name for something related to buying things. It is an e-commerce payment system used in the Netherlands.   I seem to be fascinated by the transformation of words from meaning something into being products.  Once Redbubble took down one of my photos of a Dahlia saying it conflicted with a Disney trademark.  It might have been the word enchanted.  I wonder if we might get to a point of not being able to write freely in public.   At least with this transformation, there's a distinction based on lower and upper case. "iDEAL is an online payment system that circumvents the need for the Dutch to have credit cards. Instead of inputting your card information, paying with iDEAL takes you directly to your personal online banking website where you transfer the money directly to the business owner." And we think we know why the Dutch don't want to use credit cards - cost of the card and cost of credit interest. I suspect it is that Dutch concern over money.   Here's the answer they give: "Let’s start by taking a look at the Dutch word for debt: schuld. Schuld is a word that has a second meaning: guilt. That’s right. Because the Dutch still hold some characteristics from their time as a primarily Calvinist society they believe in only taking what they need." Grimsby is home to many Dutch who arrived after the war. So my opinion is based anecdotal and individual observation.  I found a website that wanted me to know the generalized answer to What is Dutch mentality?  The website is  aboutthenetherlands.com  "The Dutch are known to be very direct and opinionated, generally happy, realistic, punctual, and greedy. Besides, the Dutch really like to split bills, have an early dinner, and they love to complain." "Even though every person is unique, Dutch people seem to have common behavioral patterns that stand out. It is not for nothing that there is a famous dutch saying that when directly translated says: When you act 'normal' your behavior is crazy enough." The website is the work of Leon van den Berg who describes himself as a Dutchman, extremely proud of the beautiful country in which he lives. Lilycrest Gardens is abundant and beautiful this year and there may even be some first blooms - particularly if Brian has one of the earliest lilies - Enchantment.   Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

The Sun Will Rise Again

It is only a few days to the Winter Solstice and then the sun will start to rise again. As we approach Christmas, we focus on its traditions instead of the dwindling light.  In Niagara, we have Dutch Bakeries.  This time of year is when Dutch baking reaches its zenith.   Yesterday at the Old Post was a series of almond baked treats.  The bakery rack was set up in the middle of the store, and piled with these.  One of the bakers gave me a tour of what differentiated the many treats. The most frequent Dutch treat that is available all year round is Boterkoek or Dutch Butter Cake.  It comes in a small round just over an inch high and is a dense, slightly raised cake with almond flavouring and garnished with almonds. A flaky puff pastry that encases a soft, flavourful almond paste centre is made for Christmas.  It is a very small roll, so that when cut is the size of a cookie.  This means there is a lot of almond with just enough flaky pastry. There were many Dutch stollen piled high - it is a cake-like fruit bread with yeast.  The Dutch version has almond paste in the middle. And a Christmas bread was out yesterday - - Kerststol.  It is an oval-shaped fruited Christmas bread - and it what is filled with?  Almond paste. The Old Post is no modern bakery.  It has no relationship to Tim Horton and McDonald's monster size muffins or Starbuck cookies the size of plates. What lines the shelves are dozens of old-fashioned treats.  Cookies like we made when we were small - they are small. Scones, pies, squares, breads, tarts are sized for one person to eat - not for a crowd.  The staff range in age from young to older and all enjoy their products and tell you about them. It is a wonderful experience to enter that world each week. Today's sunrise pictures come from St. Augustine, Florida.  I noticed a pair of dolphins in the lower left of the second image, swimming through the golden waters.

On Being Cheap

I was in Harvest Barn yesterday - it is a local produce and bakery store in St. Catharines (like the old days of grocery stores in yesterday's daily post).  The cashier asked the lady ahead of me if she wanted to buy a carry bag ($.05) or use one of the small meat/freezer bags as they were free.  The lady had only 2 pounds of butter, and she wanted a bag because the butter was cold.  She accepted the little bag over the bag that cost the five cents.  Then the cashier told me how she uses these little freezer bag for all kinds of things.  And concluded with:  "I'm cheap". So I wondered what "cheap" is and how do we recognize it.  Here are 5 major differences between cheap and frugal from money.usnews.com 1. Cheap and frugal people both love to save money, but frugal people will not do so at the expense of others. 2. Frugality is about assessing the bigger picture and having the patience to cash in on the simple savings strategies. 3. Cheapness uses price as a bottom line; frugality uses value as a bottom line. 4. Cheap people are driven by saving money regardless of the cost; frugal people are driven by maximizing total value, including the value of their time. 5. Being cheap is about spending less; being frugal is about prioritizing your spending so that you can have more of the things you really care about. When I read the full article, I was a bit discouraged.  It points to a lot of rationalization by the 'frugal' author for choosing where and how to spend money:  a lot of one's internal conversations are taken up with mundane decisions.  It is a start, though, and helps to understand this significant topic. And a search for the country with the reputation for being cheap?  Two countries show up: Holland and Scotland!