October Foodie

Foodie in October, with some food photos that I have not posted so far...

Moist and Delicious

Assorted food I cooked/baked and ate...

The healthy cherry tomatoes....

apple.compote.remake

This is my second try of apple compote, this time using Granny Smiths green apple, fresh vanilla pod, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and a lemon (that I didn't use because the apple is quite acidic)

Apple compote and cheese on puff pastry, with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon powder.... nice, warm and aromatic

Apple compote with plain yogurt and again a touch of cinnamon powder, a perfect breakfast...

Apple compote with plain yogurt -closed up...

::figgie::

The other day I bought a pack of figs, although the appearance is not very enticing but figgies taste quite well, as long as you can overcome the texture of the soft skin… and you will be able to enjoy the inner beauty...

The appearance

The inner beauty

Red and seedy flesh...

Yum!!

Even better on a puff pastry

:backache:

I have been busy since the beginning of the week, working mostly from home but the work is rather intense (financial estimation for a complex proposal), need to wake up early enough to catch Philippines and stay later than CET time to handle queries from UK. Thanked God that the figures are all derived and submitted.

Along the way, I beginning to have some emerging pain on my back, backache as some called it, near my waist and it has distorted my sleep for the past few nights, and I ended up waking up in headache and also developing a pair of panda's eyes...

I am not sure if the pain is due to the fact that I sit long hours behind my computer on a not so ergo desk/chair at home or due to my posture or it is due to the stress or again due to the side effect of the diabetes oral medication...

It's Friday again, technically I am still on 50% work only so I am not going to sit in front of my computer further. And hopefully with the weekend the backache will go away...

Autumn Scents - Apple Compote

After the walk in Wassenaar and the taste of pancake with cheese and apple compote, I fall in love with apples once again.

I made this last week a day before our long weekend at Spa, Belgium...

The key ingredients - apple,cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon...


30 min of baking in the oven, the aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg is flourishing and fill our home
We didn't eat it on the day the compote was made.

On the morning of our departure to Spa, I add Kraft cheddar cheese to the compote and then cover it with a puffy crust pastry...

The outcome is quite satisfactory, though the cheese is not salty enough to bring out the natural sweetness of the apple. Still it is not bad for the first try.

I will make apple compote again, since apple is all around and cheap in the autumn season. We have 2 granny smith green apple sitting on the table, which is too sour to eat as they are. These will soon turn into apple compote, but a soft and stew base version that can easily goes with yogurt, or even with cold cut at lunch.

.seven.years.

Today marks our 7th Wedding Anniversary, time really flies away quickly...

Our lives may be difficult, we may be fraught with health issues, financial concerns and various other circumstances. Life at the best of times is not always easy, but God has been with us all these while. The bottom line that in the process of life, we do indeed need someone who can bear witness - to share our reality and to mirror it back to us and above all to grow towards each other. Without another, our lives become pointless.

The scripture says "Two is better than one" and that is definitely true in the past 7 years, may God bless our marriage with many more 7 years to come... And may I end with the greatest wedding vow "In good times or bad times, till death do us part",,,

:a.celebration:

Last night we had our dinner at the restaurant of the hotel to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary, in fact the trip to Spa is to mark this special celebration.... The anniversary is actually today (25th October) but since we are driving back today and also tomorrow is Monday, so last night's dinner marked the celebration...

For starter, I fancied warm soup, so I ordered this...

Chestnut and Truffle soup

Foie Gras for Johannes , nicely presented with the spices used in the syrup and the compote

Main course for Johannes - Cod fish with barley rice

I ordered a wild game dish - baby deer in wine sauce

Eet smakelijk

Cheers for significant 7th!!!

La Source de Spa

We went to Thermes de Spa in the evening, the water in the pool is extracted from the SPA spring sources and it contains high minerals. The water temperature is just about the body temperature, so even if you are not moving/swimming, one can still enjoy the spring water comfortably. I didn't swim much tonight as I am already tired from the two walks. But just soaking in the water itself is already great especially I was sitting on a spot with bubbles.

The main indoor pool, not many people at that hour, which is perfect for us to relax without the crowds...

The red area behind is the solarium... There is also a huge sauna on the first floor which I went briefly and completely

The indoor pool looking out to the outdoor pool but it is already dark at that hour. Having said that I went to the outdoor pool for a short while to recollect the Japanese onsen experience, there is enough steam due to the air temperature and the water temperature differences, there is a superb view of the town of Spa from the top but the water is just not as hot as the hot spring in Japan.

Johannes enjoying his swim....

All in all, an active Saturday, 2 walks and a swim....

Sauvenière Walk

We attempted another walk in the afternoon, starting from one of the Spa spring water source - Groesbeeck in search for another spring - Source du Tonnelet

Starting from one of the spring source - Groesbeck, the walk is not clearly signed and thus difficult to figure out at first where to start and end...

Later we noticed the path is signed with white paint, and it led us along a very small stream descending to the deep forest woods...

Capturing some shots

Johannes in the middle of the woods

Definitely a walk to remember in October

We didn't make it to Source du Tonnelet as the path suddenly ended up at the normal road and the air suddenly turned damp and becoming cold. We just turned back to the same path and got back to where we started. The return route was quite a challenge for me as it involves quite a ascend...

Still to me, is not about finding another spring source but it is about the walk itself, enjoying the nature, the Autumn scenery, breathing in the fresh air with a crisp of pine, hearing the fallen leaves crush under our feet and observing the leaves falling from the tree when the wind shakes the trees....

Balmoral Walk

The day started with a relatively bright and blue sky...

The morning view of the hotel surrounding...

We decided to check out the woods behind our hotel at Balmoral area...


The front view of Radisson SAS Balmoral

Let's start the walk....

I will follow his footsteps...

Although there are plenty of withered and fallen leaves, but the trees in the woods are not as yellow/orange

The brown leave in contrast with those on the ground and the green trees behind...


Walking and keep walking... a bit of overcast but that didn't stop us from walking....

There are plenty of nice and stand alone villas/bungalow houses everywhere in the woods and along the trails. Most of them have big woods compound that marked private/privé. There must be a lot of rich people hiding in Spa and living a good life...

Another hugh and big mansion along the trails...



Although unauthorized trespasser are not allowed in the compound but hey, I don't understand French :p....

It was a short and easy walk but a good start on Saturday morning ...

.sometimes.

Sometime we have to pamper ourselves....

Last night after the swim, jacuzzi and steam bath, we wind down at the hotel bar...

A chilled beer for Johannes and a glass of house red for me

Yummy olives

Some Ardennen sausage to dip in sweeten mustard sauce. Some cubed cheese (which I don't fancy)

This is what we had for breakfast at the patio of the restaurant this morning, surrounded by the nature...

My breakfast - first round, consists of bacon, 4 mini chicken sausage, a scope of baked bean, 1 soft boiled egg, sauteed mushroom, 2 slices of bread and some sliced cucumber

My second plate - Wasa crackers with chorizo, assorted yummy French cheese... stinky but taste like heaven!!

Johannes 2nd breakfast plate, a confluence of sweet and savory ....

The mid afternoon snack after the walk, the club sandwich is not great but the Belgium fries is soooo go-od!! I am not a fries fan, but this one is crisp but not oily... we both fight for the small portion of fries.