Getting Ready for Queen’s Day!

Queen’s Day is the biggest holiday in the Netherlands. It happens on 30 April every year and Amsterdam gets an influx of more than a million visitors in just that one day. The city centre shuts down, and residents across the city chalk out turf on the sidewalk to reserve the space for their mini yard-sale, bar, cookery stand, or whatever else their heart fancies.

Grant and I are doing our stand for the third year in a row. Last year it was cocktails, the year before it was cupcakes and cocktails, and this year, it’ll be the same.

Because I’ve got my cupcake company to promote now, we’re going all pro. I’ve been making signage:

Nomzilla's getting ready for her big day

And we’ve got our booze purchased for our delicious “Queen B” cocktails:

Tonight, I’m baking 24 royal wedding themed cupcakes for an order, then on Friday after work, I’m baking 160 chocolate, vanilla, and lemon cupcakes.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP – that’s a lot of work to do.

Celebrating Baby Axel with a Baby Brunch!

Two of our very dear friends and fellow Canadian expats here in Amsterdam recently had a beautiful baby boy. I wanted to host a little brunch for them while her lovely mother was in town, and luckily the weather last weekend cooperated.

On the brunch menu:

The Almighty Canadian Caesar (the ultimate brunch cocktail)
Roasted vegetable tart
Roasted and sugared grapefruit
Nikki’s awesome fruit salad (thanks Nikki!)
Homemade English muffins
Rhubarb and apple compote
Toasted rye with lemon creme fraiche and smoked salmon
Bacon and sausage
Torta Mimosa
Rotolo alle Nocciole

For those Amsterdam-dwelling expats that miss a freshly toasted English muffin slathered with butter, I implore you to make your own. It’s really easy and so satisfying. The recipe I used uses a food processor, but you can do this perfectly well without one. Instead of pulsing the yeast/sugar/water, just mix it and let it rest and just use a good ol’ wooden spoon to do the rest. Everything else stays the same. Check out: 2 Stews: English Muffins recipe

(I stupidly did not take any photos of my beautiful Italian cakes – duh.)

The brunch was really lovely and it was small enough (11 of us) to make for a very relaxed afternoon. Luckily the grey skies cleared and we were able to sit outside and eat. Oh, and did I mention the fantastic onesies we made for baby Axel?

One of us (oh, me) made a onesie dedicated to the greatest fake band on the planet, Surprise! Snow Leopard? Truck Stop.

Grant did a particularly well-crafted onesie:

It was a lovely afternoon, and boy do we love baby Axel!

Congratulations to Axel’s lovely parents, Rochelle and Maarten!