Fun Spooky Friday

Happy Halloween!!! 

Prague by day

Seagulls by the Charles Bridge on the dam 

Looking at the charles bridge from Streleck Island

Foxy and I on the Island with a great view behind us-more on this Island by Foxy later

Astronomical clock - on the hour it is animated

Jewish Town Hall -part of the Jewish Museum

A band on the Charles Bridge

View from up on Schoborn Gardens-Tyn Church

Prague Castle 

Hotel and Dinner

When we were in Prague we stayed at Ventana Hotel Prague. It is one of the 2008 travelers choice hotel on trip advisor. It was right off of Old Town Square behind the Tyn Church.
The only problem we had was trying to find the hotel that was right in front of our face.  We were standing right in front of the store looking for our hotel.  Oh did we feel like dumb tourists.  We were just thankful we didn't ask where it was. 

Hotel Ventana above the store

Our room with a pretty chandelier

One of the views from our Hotel room

Friday night we visited a restaurant recommended by the Hotel. It was a typical Czech cuisine restaurant called Restaurant Zvonice. The restaurant is in a bell tower with the authentic interior of the Gothic belfry with the original bell St. Maria from 1518.

The bell from 1518

We again had a problem finding the restaurant when it was right in front of us. The guy said we could not miss the tower with flags on it. Oh but we did. That was our theme for the night-where is...Oh that right just look up. 

The side we saw walking up-no door or lights

The other side-with a door and lights

Us at Zvonice Restaurant-look at how nice the menu, it is all leather 

The front of the menu

If you are ever in Prague I do recommend this restaurant. www.restaurantzvonice.cz.

My dinner - chicken with au gratin potatoes

Joe's wild boar steak - not sure why it is underlining

Joe's Desert-pancake with blueberries

I would have shown you the scallops for the entree but they were to yummy looking I just had to eat them. 

Prague at Night

Last weekend we went to Prague.  It was a great walking city and Foxy had a ball.  I almost didn't bring her because a girl in my french class said it isn't a dog friendly city.  Not true at all.  The weather could have been a bit warmer (we could see our breath and Foxy had 2 sweaters on) but at least it didn't rain.  Hope you enjoy these photos. 

National Museum

View on the the Charles Bridge-looking at Old Town Bridge Tower

Clock Tower in Old Town Square

Old Town Square with Tyn Church in the back ground

Old Town Bridge Tower (entry to Charles Bridge)

Sleepy

Hi Everyone,  We got back really late last night and today we are resting...I will post about Prague later this week! 

Friday bonus

Have you every wondered how the European women tie the scarfs so nicely?  I found this video that might help.  I have already used the one about tying it in a knot then slipping the other end through it. (hint it you adjust right it looks almost like a necktie knot)  It worked like a charm not to mention looked good.  

Hope you like it Click Here 

Fun Friday

Can you guess where we are off to?        

image from getty images

No fair if you know - the rest of you will find out Tuesday. (we get back late sunday)

Cranberries for Karen

Last thanksgiving my friend Karen was visiting, and we made homemade Cranberries. They were so easy and yummy. I saw they had cranberries in the store again, so I made some for a side dish one night.

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
340 grams (one bag) fresh Ocean spray cranberries
1 cup sugar - i use a little more
1 cup water

Dissolve sugar in water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Add cranberries - return to a broil, reduce heat. Continue to boil gently until skins break (about 10 minutes) To gel, cool at room temperature, then refrigerate. serve warm or chilled.

Boiling & popping berries

almost done and getting ready to cool 

Belgian Endive

Belgian endive is also known as French endive, witlo(o)f in the USA, chicory in the UK, as witlof (the Dutch name) in Australia, endive in France, and chicon in parts of Northern France and in Francophone parts of Belgium. It has a small head of cream-coloured, bitter leaves. It is grown completely underground or indoors in the absence of sunlight in order to prevent the leaves from turning green and opening up.  The plant has to be kept just below the soil surface as it grows, only showing the very tip of the leaves. It is often sold wrapped in blue paper to protect it from light and so preserve its pale colour and delicate flavour. The smooth, creamy white leaves may be served stuffed, baked, boiled, cut and cooked in a milk sauce, or simply cut raw. Slightly bitter, the whiter the leaf, the less bitter the taste. The harder inner part of the stem, at the bottom of the head, should be cut out before cooking to prevent bitterness. Belgium exports chicon/witloof to over 40 different countries. The technique for growing blanched endives was accidentally discovered in the 1850s in the Josaphat valley in Schaerbeek, Belgium. Endive is cultivated for culinary use by cutting the leaves from the growing plant, then keeping the living stem and root in a dark place. A new bud develops but without sunlight it is white and lacks the bitterness of the sun-exposed foliage. Today France is the largest producer of endives. (from Wikipedia)

So I tried to cook some endives, I write tried cause I had a huge problem witht eh cheese sauce. The recipe sounds easy but for some reason I just could not get it to work, so I just through the cheese on top and cooked it.
Here are some photos and the recipe if any one can tell me what I did wrong that would be great.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 whole Belgian Endives cored
1/4 cup chopped green peppers
1/4 cup red peppers
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup grated mild hard cheese
2 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese
8 slices of black forest ham
chopped parsley
salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F - In a frying pan, lightly saute the endives, remove from pan and set aside. Repeat with peppers and set aside.
2. Add flour to the oil and stir over heat until lightly browned. Add seasoning and cheeses and blend with a whisk until cheese melts. Stir in peppers.
3. Grease an ovenproof casserole. wrap each endive in a slice of ham. Place in dish, cover with the cheese sauce and cook for about 20 minutes or until dish is bubbly and brown. Garnish with chapped parsley and serve hot.

My problem was #2 my cheese got brown and hard!!! I tried it 3 times!!! I also had my endives wrapped in ham before i started the cheese which i think is a good idea then you can pour the cheese on right away.

Belgian endive's

Endives wrapped in ham

Phone to call your mom every second and say it is not working

Finish product - I just emptied the package of cheese on the endives and cooked them. 

Joe thought they were yummy!  

Figs

I liked figs!!! who would have thought that.  We have a fig tree in our back yard and they are ripe and in season - yummy! 

Tongeren

Sunday (10/12) was the most beautiful fall day I have ever experienced in Brussels. I cannot even begin to write about how gorgeous it was.
We started out going to Tongeren. It is an hour drive west from Brussels. Why did we go there…I get my new issue of National Geographic Traveler and they were talking about the antiekmarkt. (antique market). They mentioned that it is Belgium’s oldest city, founded by Julius Caesar’s legions 2,000 years ago.
The people in the city were extremely nice, not to mention we met a nice couple from the Netherlands. I would like to go back and see the site with a little more shopping.

Here are some photos from our day...

I loved these titles but not enough for a back splash in a remolded kitchen when we get home

I haven't had time to translate this - but it looks very interesting what I can understand

Crazy cut outs with a male mannequin

Big Bull Dog

Outdoor lighting?

Part of the old city wall

Fun Friday

Here is a quick look at a menu from where I grabbed lunch the other day. Notice the names of the sandwiches - Barack, John and Hillary Your can't see the other side of the menu but it say's "new" by them. 

A little color

I thought with the sky's turning grey elsewhere in the world we could us a little color today. the sky's are always grey here in Brussels. These were take in our back yard during the nice September weather.

We have a holly bush or tree what ever it is I love it. 

a sign

This was the palace of pants back in the day. If you look up on the top they also had lingerie. 

Pantalon

Here is the story behind this photo...I ordered Joe a pair of "no wrinkle & stain resistant"  premium dockers from JCPenney's. They came all sealed up in a plastic bag and all the tags on.

When he went to try them on - we noticed the waist band had this name written in black ink like a sharpie. How crazy is this! 

Good Will

Saturday we finally dropped off all the bags of clothes from my fall cleaning spree. The place is called Les Petits Riens. It is basically like goodwill. We dropped off a trunk load and took a trunk load home. (plus there will be a delivery on Monday)
Here is a photo of Joe’s finds. They are German bier mugs. I will use one for hot chocolate. So now when you come over we can serve you a beer in a real mug. (Only if you want)
 

1st Birthday!

I would like to thank everyone for following this blog for the past year! 

I have just created a blog for just me.  I didn't want to get to girly on this blog with Joe being linked to it...Click here to check out my very own blog, but still check this one out too.