What happens when two foodies and their spouses spend a weekend together?
They visit the local market…
looking for the best produce.
They queue endless lines
… to get the best quality.
They dress a nice table ...
and open up
a nice bottle of wine. Maybe two.
Their food looks pretty…
… and the conversation is good.
Cookies
and a little chocolate heaven to add the finishing touch …
More Weekly Winners at I am Lotus.
I’m always looking for reflections everywhere I go. There for I love the use of glass in contemporary architecture. On my latest photo walk in Antwerp this sight drew my attention. I like how the blue sky and the buildings across the street mirror some color and different styles of architecture on the modern glass façade of our City Theatre.
More Weekend Reflections at James’ Newton Area Photo.
This is the last Fave Five for February already, where has this month gone to? Thanks to Susanne at Living to Tell the Story and this meme, we are able to look back and remember.
1. My sister and her husband stayed over and spent the weekend with us. We visited the weekly market to buy some nice food and spent some time in the kitchen afterwards to prepare what be had bought. We spent a lot of time at the dinner table, enjoying each other’s company and catching up on each others lives over some good food and a glass of wine. The weekend was over way too soon.
2. Chocolate. And a gift check for 25€, to be spent in a Neuhaus chocolate store! Need I say more?
3. A new way to serve hot chocolate is to poor hot milk over a chocolate praline. A very special treat at the brunch table!
4. First signs of Spring. Warmer temperatures ( today is 48°F / 9°C ), the first crocus flowers appearing and the Great Tits are checking out the real estate. I’m keeping my fingers crossed they’re going to want to raise their family in the nest box on my patio.
5. The fresh Greek yoghurt I bought at the weekly market in Antwerp. It can be used in almost any recipe to replace sour cream or cream cheese. We had it with smoked salmon, but it’s also a treat served with some acacia honey on a thick slice of fresh home baked bread.
I had another lovely week, and you?
One of the beautiful old houses of the Leysstraat in Antwerp reflected in a modern office building across the street. This is one of the first pictures I took on my very first photo walk in Antwerp with my Big Guy. Now, according to the weatherman, the sky will clear by noon, we’re going to get some fairly warm temperatures for this time of the year. We might even get some sunny spells today. I have already seen some blue patches appear, so I’m going to get my gear ready, hop on the bus and hit the town! See you!
Click the link to see more Window Views.
I was doing a photo shoot with some blue pottery for this Midweek Blues post when suddenly my attention was drawn outside. This little guy was giving the nest box on my patio a very thorough inspection.
We’ve had Great Tits nesting in it several years in a row, except last year when for some reason the nest remained empty. Each year around this time of the season, the Tits decide where they want to nest, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed they’re going to want to raise their little ones close to my kitchen window again. Me and my camera will be waiting of course!
Temperatures have been warming up a little around here, I think Spring is just around the corner!
UPDATE: Yes, they are called Great Tits! I looked it up, check it out!
Midweek Blues is hosted by Rebecca at the Dusty Cellar.
I sat on the bus on my way home from my photo walk in Antwerp last Thursday when an East European lady took the seat opposite mine. She put her embroidered shopping bag next to her on the seat, her handbag on her lap and held on to the two bags of potatoes as if they were a very valuable possession.
I just KNEW it would make a great picture, and took my Big Guy out of my camera bag and fiddled with it a little, pretending to look at my pictures. I switched on the live view and managed to adjust the lens and frame this picture without anyone suspecting what I was up to - not even the guy sitting right next to me!
Find more Ruby Tuesday posts at Mary’s Work of the Poet.
I used these little stone birds to decorate the dinner table when I had guests last weekend. They added just that little touch of Spring we’re all looking out for right now.
More Macro Monday themed photos at Lisa’s Chaos.
It’s been a fantastic week, there were lots and lots of photo opportunities.
Valentine’s day dinner for two.
Romance,
and roses for our anniversary.
I took the Big Guy for a stroll in my neighborhood …
and tried to capture the last light of the day.
Two days later I took the Big Guy to the Big City
Sweet temptations.
Spring is not quite there yet, but it’s coming!
The street musician is back.
I love to watch people watching people.
More Weekly Winners at I am Lotus.
One of my favorite buildings in the village where I live is this one. It used to be a hotel and has been restored to it’s old grandeur just a few years ago.
More Weekend Reflections at James’ Newton Area Photo.
Thanks to Susanne at Living to tell the story who hosts this Friday’s Fave Five it is now time to look back on the week that has passed and list five favorite things from it.
I love this meme, it makes me realize how happy I am, it makes me remember things I would probably just forget.
1. On Saturday we went shopping in one of my favorite supermarkets. It’s a shop for restaurant owners and I LOVE everything there. They have a food department where they sell beautiful fresh produce and delicatessen, herbs, spices … you name it, they have it. There is a department where they sell all kinds of kitchen equipment, like pots and pans and knives and professional tools, and you can also find all sorts of dishes and stemware and everything you need to dress a lovely table. It’s a Walhalla for a foodie like me! I really LOVE the aroma of the smoked garlic we bought there!
2. We were in need of new stemware, and we bought sets of wine/champagne/water glasses that match each other to replace the mismatched collection that was cluttering my closets. Can you see them, they’re on the bottom left of the collage?
Later that afternoon, I dressed a lovely table and started cooking a delicious meal with some of the food we had bought there.
3. Sunday was Valentine’s day and Monday was even more special. It was our anniversary, because we started our life together on February 15th, twenty eight years ago!
My husband spoiled me with flowers and gifts, and I prepared more glorious food to celebrate this wonderful occasion.
4. I made buttermilk biscuits for breakfast and filled them with smoked ham, rucola and cream cheese. ( from a recipe I found at Wanda's blog. It’s in her sidebar).
5. I made a couple of photo walks with my Big Guy again this week. One short walk along the canal just before sunset to capture the beauty of the evening light. That was when I first felt Spring is getting nearer. It has been thawing, all of the snow is gone now. And then yesterday I took the bus to Antwerp and made my first photo walk in the Big City with my Big Guy!! I had FUN!!!!!
