Author Archives for Ellen

Visitors

This place is not visited by many people. I do hope i give each visitor something to think about, something to look at, something to enjoy. Something new maybe, at times. But other times i won’t.

I do have a Google Analytics counter on this website. I watch it once or twice a week. On average i’m between ten and twenty visitors a day. Sometimes a bit higher, up to fifty. Sometimes lower, below ten.

I am thinking about this counter. I do like all the things i can look up in Google Analytics. But there are many things i don’t use at all. A week ago i did a search for another solution. I came across Piwik, now called Matomo. This is a self-hosted solution with no limitations. It is still on my list of something to read and do research about.

Ii is the part where i share the visitor data of my website with Google which i am uncomfortable with. I don’t use ads, i don’t do any difficult things with the data. I simply do want an insight in the amount of visitors and where they are coming from and what they are reading.

The image below gives the top ten most visited pages of this website. The homepage is at the top. Second is my page about Björk. To my surprise. The archives and about page are coming next. Then it is The most expensive jewelry in the world. I did enjoy making this post. Did research for this, spend a long time searching and trying to find good images for this one. I can imagine why people enjoy looking at this too. Still, i do have many more interesting pages. Ooh well.

Next is my post about Alberto Giacometti. A painter i admired especially in the 80s. I’m glad people find this interesting. Still have a soft spot for his work.

Then does come one my own personal favourite posts: Scritti Politti – Roundhouse, London – 5 February 2016. A very personal post about something which might seem little to anyone else. To me it is very important. Something which to this day makes me very happy, that i was able to give these drawings to Green Gartside. I’m very happy this page is in the top ten. Good one!

True Love. Next on the list. Bit of a rambling post. Yes, about true love. In the world. Between people. In movies. And no, not for me. Not yet anyway. Still hoping it might happen someday.

Joy of Baking is a nice post about a youtube channel i have been following for years. To this day.

The contact page is the tenth number on this list. Just a bunch of information about where i have left footsteps and fingerprints.

I am still thinking about changing my analytics tool for this website. Or if i even need one. Hmm. I think i do. Too curious about the visitors.

Too curious about you.

*salute*

Published on October 4, 2018 at 6:00 by
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De kanarie in de kolenmijn

Anoher book from the library i have been reading over the past few weeks. A Dutch book this time, De kanarie in de kolenmijn (The canary in the coalmine). A book written by Marianne Thieme, current leader from the Dutch political Partij voor de Dieren and Ewald Engelen, professor Financial Geography at the University of Amsterdam. Both write one half of this book.

Ewald Engelen writes from a economical standpoint about the world’s current situation.

  • Scaling-up. Companies are getting larger. They use their power to influence politics and decision making. For their own advantage.
  • Debt. We live in increasingly larger amounts of debt.
  • Wrong measurement instruments. We determine a price not the value of something.

Marianne Thieme writes about biodiversity and ecology. Many species are becoming extinct. Also drinking water is a desperate need. We currently spend too much drinking water on our food and clothes, while we should spend it on nourishing people.

Both Ewald Engelen and Marianne Thieme come to the conclusion that we need to think and set our priorities differently. Not on money, but on the people and animals and plants living on this planet trying to make it liveable for themselves.

Published on October 3, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Models

Over the past weeks i have been watching more fashion related films on youtube. I will be doing some posts focusing on these movies. First is the models. Fashion models. These are the films that are standing out for me.

Haute le Mode
A recent discovery. He talks fast, critical. Might take some getting used to. Many reviews and roasts of fashion shows and public events.

George Michael’s videos with 90s supermodels

Freedom

Too Funky

Published on October 2, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Heart of Gold

The past few weeks, whenever this song came along, my heart jumped up. I have known this song since the early 70s. I did have the album, but i sold it when i was around sixteen years old. Still regret it to this day.

I hope you enjoy this version.

Neil Yong
Heart of Gold
I want to live, I want to give
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold
It’s these expressions I never give
That keep me searchin’ for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
Keep me searchin’ for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old

I’ve been to Hollywood, I’ve been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold
I’ve been in my mind, it’s such a fine line
That keeps me searchin’ for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
Keeps me searchin’ for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old

Keep me searchin’ for a heart of gold
You keep me searchin’
And I’m growing old
Keep me searchin’ for a heart of gold
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold

Published on September 28, 2018 at 6:00 by
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A pleasant day

Nothing out of the ordinary really. I went to the shop Het kookpunt to look for a stand mixer. Way too expensive. After that i stopped by at home to change my shoes to slippers. It was a bit too warm to wear shoes. I stopped by the ice cream shop and sat outside eating my strawberry ice cream with whipped cream. Daniel came by on his bake. I yelled. We talked for a short while. Than i walked on to the Hema. No stand mixers there. Ooh well. I don’t really need one, i was only thinking about it. Past the supermarket and back to home.

And then ll the things i was thinking about while i was walking olong. The wind through the leaves. The sun shining on the water. The yellowing leaves. The eyes of people.

I did feel happy. I still do. Well, apart from what i am thinking about. Falling in love. Not yet. Not yet. Work. Work!

Published on September 27, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Another day

This morning i worked in the garden de Tuin op Hofbogen. Harvesting the beans, the courgttes. Watering a bit. Talking with some visitors. Good weather.

This afternoon i went to the market and got me some leeks. Yesterday i thought about making a leek and chicken soup. Which is what i did! I also used fresh ginger. Some loose leaved cabbage from the garden. A courgette, because, well, i have so many! It tasted good. Tomorrow i will do something with the beans i have. I might blanche them and put them in the freezer. I also want to do something with the green tomatoes i took home today. A green tomato chutney!

The plant in the photo above is a Doornappel. I posted this picture in the Dutch permaculture group. I saw this plant today in the garden and was curious. I talked about it with the other people, but nobody knew what plant it was. In the permaculture group within minutes two people replied with the correct answer, the doornappel, the Datura stramonium. A member of the nightshade family and a very poisonous plant. Careful!

Published on September 26, 2018 at 6:00 by
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A house with a garden

A dream that is coming up more often is a house with a garden. I don’t know where. It could be here in Rotterdam. Somewhere in the northern hemisphere. Within the climate i know and have lived in my whole life. Maybe a bit warmer. Or colder. A large garden would be best. With vegetables. And a greenhouse. A planting and seeding area. A cold frame. An area for flowers. Roses. Nasturtiums. An area where i can sit down and read. Smell the herbs. Drink a glass of wine with friends. Or tea. Eat some self made courgette cake.

A garden like Alys Fowler has and which she writes about in her book The Edible Garden. Not straight lines, not beds all perfectly in rows. But curvy, with vegetables and fruits mixed up together. A couple of trees. Berry bushes to the side. Some asparagus. Some artichoke.

That is a dream i have. That is what i love to think about. Crazy!

Published on September 25, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Appeltaart

A proper Dutch apple tart. Delicious!

Ingredients
Dough

  • 200 gr soft butter
  • 160 gr light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 300 gr flour
  • bit of salt
  • 1 egg
  • breadcrumbs

Apple filling

  • 100 gr raisins
  • rum
  • 1 kilo of Elstar apples
  • 100 gr walnuts sliced coursly
  • 4 tsp sugar
  • 1 bag vanilla sugar

Preparation

  • Rub a 24 cm wide springform in with butter and cast flour over it
  • Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Dough

  • Whisk the butter, light brown sugar and cinnamon
  • Sift the flour over it with a pinch of salt and add one egg
  • Mix to a supple dough and leave to rest in the fridge for at least fifteen minutes
  • Divide in three parts, one part for the bottom, one part for the side and one part for the top
  • Roll out two parts and put this in the springform
  • Divide the breadcrumbs over this

Apple filling

  • Put the rum over the raisins and leave them be – i did this at the start of making the cake
  • Peel the apples and cut into course pieces
  • Put in the raisins, decide for yourself if you want to sift out the rum (i didn’t)
  • Mix the apple, raisins, walnuts, sugar, vanilla sugar and cinnamon

Put together

  • Put the apple filling in the springform
  • Roll out the rest of the dough , slice this into small ribbons and cover the cake with them
  • Break an egg, scarmble this and cover the ribbons with it
  • Bake the cake in 60 minutes
  • Let the cake cool a bit
  • Serve with some powdered sugar and whipped cream if you like this

Published on September 21, 2018 at 6:00 by
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