Author Archives for Ellen

Meatballs and mash

I never made meatballs like these until a couple of weeks ago. These are the proper large meatballs which i used to get at home. I had a sandwich with a meatball at the frietshop Fritez here in Rotterdam. I did ask for the recipe for the meatballs when talking to the cook there. She told me you need to first bake them, then add a broth and slowly simmer them. So i decided to make meatballs myself, and hey, i’m turned into a fan! Especially since i discovered the minced beef at the butcher Mellegers close to my home. Where i got told the AH supermarket sells that kind of minced beef as a tartaar, which is sort of a chopped steak. I didn’t ask what sort of meat is inside the minced beef sold at the AH, it does scare me a bit. My advice, get some good minced beef!

The mash is simple. Just a couple of root vegetables cooked together. Then some butter, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. I should get a proper potato crusher. The one i had has broken down. I use a masher now. The mash is not as finely crushed, but still pretty good!

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Published on February 17, 2015 at 6:00 by
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A walk in Rotterdam: Noordereiland

I love walking. Preferably when the sun is shining. So last friday there was a straight blue sky, not too much wind, still cold, but hey! that’s still plenty good things to me! So i went out for a walk.

I walked through the big area where there is a market on tuesday and saturday, past my old artschool towards the Willemsbrug. At the end of the bridge, i walked down the stairs and went on the roundabout way on the Noordereiland. At that time i still thought i would go around the island, and then on towards the Erasmus bridge. Towards the end of my round trip i changed my mind and decided to go back the way i came. I went past an empty block of houses, inside to the Burgemeester Hofmanplein and past that whole empty block. All the shops where empty too.

I asked a man who stood there what would happen to the houses. If they were being rebuild, or being put down. He told me they were going to be put down. A new block of houses was going to be build there. He also said that the rent would go up. He talked about a house he visited one time in Brielle, which costs 1400 euros a month. I said to him i was happy i bought my own place 20 years ago. He smiled and agreed with me.

After that i walked on, went through the small park close to the Willemsbridge. I sat there on a free standing chair in the middle of the park. There was a small enclosed area which i didn’t understand. Until i walked past and i read the sign. It was a special area for dogs, where they could be let loose and run around freely. And pee. With fences all around. Weird.

Past the bridge i walked down to a small footpath besides the river. After that i walked up again and i was thinking about getting me something to eat. After a few minutes i decided to go to Mellegers, the butcher on the Meent and get me a sandwich croquette. The selfmade veal croquette. Which i love!

It was a lovely walk.

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Published on February 16, 2015 at 6:00 by
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My life in World of Warcraft

I started out in World of Warcraft in June 2006. I had just bought a new Macbook on which i could actually play the game. A colleague showed me the game once at work. He flew somewhere where it was all leafy and green, and close to a sea. I was so intrigued. And i could play it on my mac.

For a couple of years i kept up a blog enwowment.com on my time in Warcraft, where you can read A short history of Rada, my main character. I even mentioned lfs.nl on the about page.

Raiding is a timewaster though, and the websites i used to work on before i played WoW are deadly silent. Someday i do hope to get back to lfs.nl, but that time is not now.

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Published on February 13, 2015 at 6:00 by
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A stash of lipsticks

My lipsticks go back to around 1990, maybe even earlier. This is contrary to all the advice i learned reading beautyblogs and watching youtube clips. After a couple of years you should throw your make up away, or so they say. Some, like mascara, even after a few months. Well, I keep mine as long as it lasts.

I do love my lipsticks. Most are sheer, easier for everyday life. Some are opaque, shiny or mat. The lipgloss trend passed me by for the most part. The one from Yves Saint Laurent isn’t a true lipgloss, more like a liquid lipstick, with a long staying power. The Clinique ones i wear the most, the Chunky Cherry is the last one i got. I do know other brands now sell these sheer balm lipsticks too. It’s my next project. Well, that and finding a perfect rozy nude and a dark berry lipstick for once a year!

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Published on February 12, 2015 at 6:00 by
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Soup with vegetables and pancetta

Today i’m making soup, a sort of minestrone with a sort of pistou. I did look up some recipes in my soup recipe book and did use it as inspiration. This is what i picked out today. It will last me for four days, at least.

I bought most of the ingredients today. Some i already had. Some i forgot! Like the parmesan cheese for the pistou. But i do think i can manage without.

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Published on February 11, 2015 at 6:00 by
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Hello world!

Welcome to ellenpronk.com.

I did get this domain a couple of years ago. I am using the e-mail as my professional e-mail address, and i used subdomains for work. But i never got around to making the domain itself work. I did make designs, i did install Drupal, then ExpressionEngine, both content management systems. But i finally decided to use WordPress. Since this place is going to be a blog.

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Published on February 9, 2015 at 0:00 by
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