Kreativ Blogger Award

Last week while visiting Pamela Koo's blog ("Pamcakes") I had the surprise to discover she had nominated me for an award. The Kreativ Blogger Award is a way for people within the blogging community to recognize each other for their writing abilities, innovative art and design, photography, and all things creative. It also comes with a set of “rules”:

1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

3. Link the person who has nominated you for the award.

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.

5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.

6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

7. Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated.

And my nominees are (in alphabetical order):

1 - Andrea from blog Brazil Nut. Andrea lives in New York and is a vegan. She writes in Portuguese. Even if you do not plan to become a veganist, Andrea has very interesting recipes and texts.

2 - Caruso from blog "Muito Japao 2". He is a Brazilian (non Japanese descendent) who lives in Japan since 2002 and is extremely passionate and professional about blogging. His blog is in Japanese and Portuguese and the quality is outstanding.

3 - Dani from Sabor & Paladar. This is quite a different blog about food. Dani blogs about cooking books, recipes, cooking techniques, food advertisement, nutrition, supermakets, street markets, hotel meals, herbs, drinks, table & kitchen accessories, and much more.

4 - 40's something Brazilian Edu from blog "Cachorro Cansado". His stories (fiction or truth or in between?) in search for real love are hilarious.

5- I have just discovered Texan JaPRA from blog "Just a Plane Ride Away". Amazing photos, everything looks so professional. I still have to explore her blog much, much more.

6 - Mariangela from "Comentario Visual e Escrito". A sophisiticated blog in Portuguese about fashion, movies, graphic design, videos, interviews, expositions, and much more.

7 - English Stuart from Invading Holland. Man, this talented guy has a fine humour and makes me wonder why do I still blog.

(You can click on their names to go to their blogs. They are all listed on the right side of this page under expat blogs or favourite blogs.)

And now the most difficult part: I have to name 7 things about myself that other people may find interesting. I think I have mentioned things about me in other memes. Anyway, here goes some:

1 - I can pick objects from the floor with my toes
2 - I can polish my own nails (fingers and toes)
3 - I have a very high myopia (-8.50) and it is not stable yet. I am a total slave of contact lenses and glasses and many times I see black points flying in front of me (mouches volantes). Therefore, I avoid driving at night.
4 - I have green fingers.
5 - I am a very loyal friend.
6 - I am a polyglot. Do not worry, it is not contagious. And yes: I make a lot of mistakes in all languages I manage.

I should write 7 things, I know, but for the moment I think that's all - not so creative, humpf!.

Me, me, me... I think I have talked enough about me, almost ad nauseum. I stop here.
Oh, and please do not forget to rush to have a look at Pamela 's blog. She is preparing a wonderful duck in a home video. The girl is a talented cook and presenter ! Thanks a lot Pam !

Pumpkins (Pompoenen) [Abóboras]

Another eye candy post: loads and loads of pumpkin compositions from Dutch gardens. As you can see in the title of this post, in Portuguese we call it "abóbora". I think it has an arab origin, like many other words in Portuguese, instead of the Greek/Latin "pepon". That is why it was difficult for me during my first years in Holland to remember about the name of this vegetable in Dutch. It was always a description such as: "that round orange veggie that could become a charriot in fairy tales and you can make soup and curries with". My husband, being the technical no nonsense and down to earth person he is, just asked: "say it in English". "Abóbora, abóbora, a-abó-bo-ra, a...bó... bo... ra..." I used to reply like that cause I completed had a black out in English. He laughed and said: "pompoen".

The pumpkin above is in my backyard and cost just 1 euro.

Because you just see and cook pumpkins for a short period of the year, it is a kind of foreign word you easily forget - or mispronounce. A couple of weeks ago I just mentioned during a party in my sister-in-law's how much I liked to eat pumpkins with shrimps (a typical Brazilian dish). I said "poenpoen" instead of "pompoen" and noticed that some guests were looking diagonally at me and a bit holding a laugh. Then a woman started talking about an incredible "pompoen fair" she had visited in Schagen - or God knows where. Then everybody started talking in turns about "pompoen" this and "pompoen" that... emphasizing POMpoen. I was in a circle and could only see the guests' mouths saying POMpoen, POMpoen, POMpoen. Like in a nightmare. So I decided to change the conversation to lighter subjects such as the world economic crisis and unemployment rates in Holland. Humpf !

This arrangement above is definitely kitsch. I cannot imagine Brazilian people using veggies for garden decoration. It is seen as disrespectful, using something edible to just rotten under the sun. But yeah... here in Hooland is cool weather at this time of the year, and some pumpkins are not even edible. I sitll have to photograph the incredibly beautiful mini pumpkins I have seen in some shops (12 units being sold for 5 euros).

This one above is so huge, this kind of pumpkin variation certainly was THE source of inspiration for fairy tales about pumpkins becoming charriots.

The flower above is not pumpkin related, no... (Ach ! Dat mag ook hier, toch ?)

Another potential charriot for Cinderella (Above).

Another angle in detail from the composition pictured in the previous photo.

This is the pumpkin I used for soup yesterday. It is a Japanese race called uchiki kuri and it is cultivated in the area of Betuwe (north Holland). It is 100% bio and you can find it in most supermarkets from September to February. Mega-hyper-super hard skin. But because I am Brazilian I never give up and made the soup anyway. I started frying diced onions and garlic in oil, added carrots and one liter chicken stock. Cook for some minutes and then add pices of pumpkin. Let the vegetables cook until they get soft. Blend wel with a mixer and "klaar is Kees".There are several recipes on the net, and this one I made with a twist: I added a small amount of coconut milk and cilantro seeds. It became silky, smooth and very aromatic. I regret now I didn't salt & roast the seeds in the oven in order to enjoy them later as snacks. Next time, maybe.

Psst ! Do you find it difficult to cut a pumpkin into pieces ? Use a good knife to make some perfurations in it and place it in the microwave for a couple of minutes (maximum power). Let it rest for a while and then you can easily cut it as you wish.