Thursday, December 27, 2007

A winter wonderland and dinner anyone?

We drove up north on Saturday morning since our Christmas Days fell in the middle of the week this year. It gave us a 5 day period to spend up at Cranberry Cottage. We took a detour on the way up through the heather fields of Doldersum as we knew this area would be very beautiful with the frozen frost we were having.


This is a condition that happens in Holland if all the conditions are just right. It must stay frozen for a few days and the mist and damp start to form beautiful ice crystals on everything. It was virtually no wind which in itself is unusual for Holland but also helps with the ice formation.

This is an area I have shared with you before on both blogs as the Scottish Highlanders (cows) graze here often and you are able to get some wonderful close~up photos. Today they were somewhere warmer I presume.


Even a simple wire fence to keep the wildlife in becomes a thing of beauty!


In August, this is a field of purple heather but for now the grasses and heathers are frozen in a wintry white.


If you click on the photos, you can see the detail better as with the deep crystals on this shrub.


Unfortunately, Saturday was the last day to see this pretty sight. It was all vanished the next day but it really boosted our feeling like we had a bit of a white Christmas here afterall.


Christmas dinner for us this year was started with a Spanish wild mushroom cappuccino. This is a wild mushroom soup with a layer of real cream laced with Madeira.


We then had Carpaccio Milano which is a thin slice of roast beef rolled with spinach, salad and roast potatoes.


This was a new recipe for the potatoes and was so tasty that I thought I would share it with you.

Small new potatoes with skins
Red onion
Rosemary
Black olives
Sun dried tomatoes
Salt and pepper

Precook the potatoes with skins on so they start to soften. Now cut the potatoes in half and place in a dish with a red onion which has been cut in half rings and rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with olive oil and roast in 175C/350F oven for about half an hour. Once the potatoes and done, toss in black olives cut in half and sun dried tomatoes which have been sliced.


Dessert was an ice cream yule log. I love decorating a dessert plate by first adding some whipped cream and then sprinkling the plate with cocoa powder. It gives a festive look.

21 comments:

Joanne said...

Heidi ~ What beautiful pictures! I wish I could have seen the beautiful white crystals in person. Your dinner looks delicious. I'm fascinated by the soup you served first as the cappuccino :) Would you share the recipe??
Hugs, Joanne

Mia said...

Wow, such beautiful pictures of frost! It all looks very pretty and Christmassy. And that is the way everything looked here too, up to the day before Christmas Eve. Then everything just changed to brown, rainy and windy. And that is the way our Christmas weather has been since then.

I really enjoyed the pretty pictures from you cottage. What a lovely place to spend the festive season. And you recipe looks very tempting indeed, one I will have to try soon.

Sweet Cottage Dreams said...

Good day Miss Heidi!!

LOL about being on the same page with the bagpipe music! I just love it and love the songs you chose for your blog. I may steal the first one..that is if you don't mind.

So glad that you like your little surprise. I stitched it a year and a half ago after having back surgery and being layed up for so long. And I will make me a tote for sure and keep it for me for a change. ha.

I have caught up on your posts. Like you, time at the computer has been relatively slim as I have been very busy getting Christmas things done, too.

Heidi, these ice photos are amazingly beautiful. The ice on the trees and the fence reminds me of a feather tree. Just so pretty and how blessed to have been greeted with such a treat upon arriving to Cranberry Cottage, which I might add is splendid! What a restful place to hang your hat and pick up your needle!

This is getting rather long and I need to go take my shower now. Yes, it is late and I am still in my scotty jammies. ha.

Give Dagi a kiss from me and have a great weekend. I need to get a post done so our friends don't hang up on me. !! Oh no!! :)

love ya!

Becky

Sweet Cottage Dreams said...

PS: Your recipe sounds delish! I'll have to give it a try! You are quite the cook extraordinare!

Oh, yes you may have a cookie and just let me know when you'll be by!
:)

Roberta said...

Heidi, just love the look of the land with the frost and ice. How very charming and fresh everything looks.

Now, would love to come to your house for dinner - it looked and sounded delicious.

I am finally getting caught up with messages and blogs.

Yours is always a special treat.

In friendship
Roberta

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Hi Heidi!
I love Cranberry Cottage! It looks like a lovely place to be. I envy you!

Your dinner also looks wonderful. Thanks for the recipe!
Hugs,
Penny

Mary said...

I just love the pics of the frosty landscapes - and that fence looks like someone came by with fringe and carefully decorated it for Christmas!

Oh Heidi - this recipe for the roasted potatoes will be tried soon - I love roasted vegs. and this makes potatoes sound really tasty. The wild mushroom soup served as a 'cappucino' with Madeira wine and cream is awesome - I think this would impress dinner guests and I may 'steal' this recipe too! Everything looked and sounded wonderful at the table.

Glad you're back safely - are you planning a big New Year's Eve celebration? What do they do in Holland?

Nancy said...

Thank you for sharing these pictures Heidi! They are gorgeous. It almost looks like there are small white feathers covering everything. The picture of the fence is my favorite. It's amazing!

Your dinner looks wonderful, delicious and beautiful too! Glad you had such a nice time at your cottage.

angelasweby said...

Heidi,
What a wonderful trip you had up to Cranberry Cottage. Your photos are just amazing. The countryside reminds me of an old scherenschnitte, (I'm sure I've spelled that wrong..haha)that wonderful art of filigree papercutting. It's straight out of the Ice Queen scene in Narnia!

I definitely wish i was there sharing your meal. It looks and sounds out of this world. I will be trying out your potato recipe very soon :>)
Hugs, Angela

Susan in SC said...

Your pictures are just lovely (as usual). You have a real talent with photography. And, apparently, you are very talented in the kitchen as well since your meal looked delicious! There is no end to your talents and gifts!! Thank you for sharing! Susan in SC

diane said...

Thank you for sharing these, the pictures of the frost on everything is just gorgeous! It is more frost that I have ever seen on anything and like you, I thought "white Christmas one way or the other"
Your time at the cottage sounds magical and your food is to die for! YMMMMMM

Anonymous said...

Nice dinner! I love food too! The pictures are very good. My favorite is number 5. Dont't like the cold weather but it looks wonderful. Groetjes, Elly

Nancy said...

Oh I love the fence. That turned something so simple into such a beautiful thing. Makes you look at things in a different way. The trees are so pretty.
That dinner looks yummy, and of course Jos and I would be waiting for the desert.
Love you, Mom

Amy Marie said...

I love it when everything freezes. It's so beautiful! Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Anonymous said...

Everything is so beautiful Heidi...Love your cottage. What a wonderfully festive atmosphere.

Thanks for the recipe.

Karen said...

OK I commented on my other post about your deee-lishes dinner, but I meant to do it here. I'm trying to get caught up on blogs and getting confused - imagine that, LOL.

These pictures are breath taking. Isn't mother nature an amazing thing. We are having this exact thing where I live right now and it's been around for since yesterday. it's like something out of a picture. Glad you could enjoy it on your side of the pond.

Hugs - karen

Kristen said...

Heidi these pictures are beautiful! The food looks wonderful as well. Hmmmm, this would be a yummy meal when we come visit. :) It all looks great! Glad to hear you got somewhat of a white Christmas!

Carolien said...

Beautiful pictures, Heidi! And thanks for the recipe, it sounds 'lekker!'

Greetings, Carolien

Reginas Cottage said...

Heidi
Wonderful pictures ot frost,I like it
all.Some days before Christmas we had
here also frost,all look out directly
much beautiful.Now we have raining and thereto shall it still frost.
Your dinner looks very delicious,would it possible,this you
the recipes puplish?
Wonderful romantical cottage.
Ganz besonders herzliche Grüße
Regina

Rhondi said...

Hi Heidi
I arrived at your blog today via Mary at Across the Pond. That frozen frost is amazing. It must be beautiful to see the entire landscape covered in it! I love your Christmas dinner. So much more creative than our traditional turkey dinner. Those potatoes look good. I'm definitely going to try them.
Rhondi

the tattered nest said...

Hi Heidi! what a perfect setting for Christmas! thanks for sharing these photos..glad to hear you enjoyed your time away! Happy New Year to you!!!