DUTCH OLLIEBOLLEN---FAT BALLS

The Tulip Festival is in full swing in Holland, Michigan.  Dutch food is available at the Civic Center and on Windmill Island.  Our favorite Olliebollen is served on Windmill Island.  Click on the address under the picture to make your own Olliebollen. 


Olliebollen or Fat Balls.  Don't let the name stop you from making them.  They are fantastic.

http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2010/11/dutch-oliebollenfat-ballshappy-new-year.html

LIFE GOES ON WITH A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFICULTY

Tom's Spirit left this life as we know it in the wee morning hours of the 28th of April.  He travels where we can only dream.  For me, my life as I knew it ended.  Our hopes, dreams, and our every day life routines ended.  For me the world stopped.  Yet, I look out the window and everyone else is going about their business as if nothing had happened.  There are plans to honor Tom to make, demands are made on me that I don't feel I can handle with my mind swamped with grief.  But, life goes on.  I must.  My children and grandchildren hold me up and support me even though they, too, are bowed with grief.  Life goes on in this world as Tom travels to worlds we are not privileged to know.

It is time for the Tulips in Holland, Michigan.  Even though it has been unseasonably cold, make that frigid when the wind blows, there are tulips in bloom.  Yesterday my family went with me to the opening day of the Tulip Festival.  Tom loved taking pictures of the tulips and eating Olliebollen so we did the things he loved to do.

Photos by Cindy:

Tulips for Tom.

Field of tulips on Windmill Island, Holland, Michigan.

The Swan Windmill.  It is the last windmill that was allowed to leave the Netherlands.  During Tulip Time, visitors not only can visit the mill and other features on the Island, there is also a reenactment of the Holland area in the 1700's.  Native American, British troops, fur traders, early settlers, and merchants are all there to share their lives.

IN SO VERY LOVING MEMORY OF TOM

Tom passed to his Glory on Thursday April 28th.  He left knowing how much he was loved by his whole family as children, grandchildren, his sister and brother-in-law, and myself, gather in the hospital to hold his hand, kiss his face and tell him over and over again that we loved him and were so glad that he came into our lives. 

We will never forget him and will forever miss him.  He was a truly good man.  To quote his best friend of thirty years, "The best way to sum up Tom was integrity.  I never met another person with higher personal standards than Tom Heiner.  Honesty was his lifestyle.  His life was lived the way God intended.  I shall miss you my brother."

To imagine going on without him is almost impossible for me.  Izzy and I have lost half our family in 2 months time.  However, because we loved him we will go on and honor his memory.  He so enjoyed working with me on the blog so somehow the blog will continue. 

These pictures were taken when he still had his mustache.  He is dressed for one of his band concerts.  He played the clarinet.  He also made the world's best barbequed chicken.

He loved life and so enjoyed going to all his grand-children's musical and sports events.

He loved hats and had one for every occasion.

We miss him so much.  Have fun in Heaven.  Time is relative so I will see you soon.  Lots and lots of love, julie

TOM IS RESTING PEACEFULLY

Tom is resting peacefully. His battle with cancer is over. Now he is just sleeping while he waits for his transport to Heaven. God Bless!

CANCER RULES BUT DOGS DON'T DROOL!!!

What do you post when a life hangs on the next breath taken? The only thing that seems to be in my head is a variation of an old Garfield The Cat cartoon saying, "Cats rule and dogs drool."

The ferocious beast that is cancer has come out of it's dormant state to ravage Tom. last Thursday our life was reduced to a hospital room. Cancer rules our life.

However Izzy would be incensed if someone said she drooled. For a little girl, she has a darling short beard and she would never walk around with drool on it.

WHen you face a situation that has become dire, you find out how little you really need in life. I find that all I really need, besides the clothes on my back, are a toothbrush, clean underwear and a shower, if possible.

MOM'S CAKE BROWNIES WITH DUTCH COCOA #2

I started typing my family cookbook at least 40 years ago.  I typed it on my 1960 Smith Corona non-electric portable typewriter that I had taken to college with me.  There was no spell check and white-out was the only way to get rid of mistakes.  There are at least 6 editions of the book as I started putting just the ingredients under the titles as I knew how to make everything and I didn't need directions. 

My Mom and I on my 10th birthday.

Then my son, Mitchell, said that the cookbook won't help him as there were no directions.  Then I decided to antidote each recipe, and on and on.  In the early 1980's I bought a used Radio Shack computer and started typing all over again and again.  There always seemed to be something to add.  My computer used the big disks so when the smaller disks replaced the bigger ones, Mitchell took my disks out to the missile fields to convert them to the smaller disks.

Mom's Brownies with one egg.

http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2011/04/moms-cake-brownies-with-dutch-cocoa.html

Mom's Brownies with two eggs.

This little history is because I am not sure if my Mom's wonderful brownies had one egg or two eggs.  I have all the editions in the basement in boxes but I really don't have the time right now to search through them all for the original recipe.

Some of my more modern Droste tins.

My Grand-daughter noticed that in the ingredients one egg was listed.  In the directions, it said to add the eggs.  I have now made the brownies both ways and they both taste marvelous.  The two egg version is more cakey and I think it is my Mom's original version but the whole family loves the version with just one egg too.

MOM'S BROWNIES #2

I probably haven't had my Mom's brownies made by her since the early 1960's so it is hard to remember just exactly which recipe is hers.  This recipe looks more how I remember them as they had more height than a regular brownie.  What I do remember is that she never used any cocoa for her brownies except Droste's.

1/2 c butter

1 c sugar

2 eggs

2 T cocoa mixed with 1/4 c water
1/2 t vanilla

1 c cake flour

1/8 t baking soda

Ingredients:  Cake flour, sugar, Dutch cocoa, baking soda, eggs, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs; beat well.  In a little bowl, gradually mix water into cocoa.  Add cocoa/water and vanilla to butter mixture; beat well.   With a spoon or spatula, mix flour and baking soda together; add to cocoa mixture and stir to mix.  Pour into greased or foil-lined 8x8-inch pan.  Bake in preheated 325 degree F. oven for 40 minutes.  Cool on a rack.  When cool dust with powdered sugar.  Cut into squares to serve.

I use non-stick aluminum foil to line my pans when I make bar cookies or brownies.

Line pan with non stick side up.  Leave "handles" on opposite sides of pan for lifting out the brownie for easy slicing.

Mix flour and baking soda together.  Gradually add water to cocoa, stirring to remove any lumps.

Cream butter with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Add sugar and beat well.

Add eggs and beat well.

Add cocoa mixture and vanilla.  Mix well. 

Stir in flour/baking soda mixture just until moistened and mixed.  Bake in preheated 325 degree F. oven for 40 minutes.  The two egg brownies take longer to bake than the one egg brownies.

Cool on wire rack.

Lift brownie out of pan.  Dust cooled brownies with powdered sugar.  Cut. 

Cut in opposite so you have 16 brownies.

Luscious.

I love these wither made with one or two eggs.

I feel my Mom's love.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE??

This picture was taken this morning, April 18th.  There is two inches of snow on the picnic table and it was still snowing.  We are not suppose to have Winter Storm Advisories in April.  That is extreme even for Michigan!!