Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Restaurant-for-a-Day in Lelystad

Wilma and Dirk-Jan's farm was a charming spot for an outdoor eatery catered by Maria Kookt.
World Restaurant Day was on a sunny Saturday, May 17.
This local restaurant-for-the-day was in Lelystad, the Netherlands.
Zorgboerderij Lelystad Jeep is multi-purpose.
The Jeep held the forks, spoons and knives, and was part of the buffet line with the bread and butter. 

The menu created and catered by Maria Kookt.

Maria and Wilma teamed up again to make the whole set up Pinterest-worthy.
Adam and the other kids had plenty to do. Jump, ride, run, play...or...
Stand next to a perfectly positioned bail of hay for mom's pictures.

Maria introduced new guests to her restaurant-for-a-day.
Maria, Wilma and Janneke served fresh homemade elderberry lemonade with a sugar rim. 

Homemade elderberry lemonade with a homemade tag, too. 

Wild flowers, zuccini pies, sack lunches ready to be enjoyed.
We also had salad from a jam jar and a chocolate chip and peanut bar tagged "with love." 

"Cooking with love provides food for the soul. "
Maria's husband often gets to be Peter, the photographer with love or the guy who fetches stuff with love.

Maria and Wilma thought of every detail. Soon they will do a wedding together at the farm.
Yes, it was wedding-picture-perfect.

Maria Kookt is on Facebook.
Wilma
and the Zorgboerderij Lelystad are also on Facebook.
Go LIKE and get notified for the next World Restaurant Day.


Friday, May 9, 2014

Mother's Day Jam with Fresh Dutch Strawberries


Adam's Strawberry Jam, the final product. Now scroll to see the sweet production.
Saving Gram's Yummy Mother's Day Jam until July when she visits.
First time fearless jammers: Britt 11, Adam 10, Julius 9. We are going to make jam for our moms.  

Prep time. Cutting 2.5kg or 5 lbs of strawberries. 

Junior Master Chef Britt's method.
Junior Master Chef Julius picking the best berries for his mom.
Adam making sure we all cut the same size, Master Chef style.

Supervising Master Chef Judge / Dad John giving some instructions.

Stirring the pot. Adding 2.5kg or 5 lbs of jelly sugar.

We are jamming. Action shots.

Master Watcher Mom Tammie hoping to get a taste. Van Gilse Gelei Suiker should have been filming us. 

Since 1882, some Dutch kids might have been making jam for their Dutch mommies.

Almost forgot the lemons.
Lemons best squeezed with tongue out, Master Chef technique.  

Strawberry red and ready to cook. 

Boiling hot strawberries go into our jars.

We had 6 jars, exactly enough for 3 moms, 3 omas and some taste testing.

Cooling down. Upside down. That's what the instructions say. Tomorrow we make our own labels.

Britt's jam. Her mom and oma will be surprised by this sweetness.

Thank you Van Gilse Sugar Company!
Van Gilse saw our jam day pictures. They need to get Facebook and Twitter.
The kids are very happy with special sticker book of jam labels and a cookbook with some sweet recipes.