DC Pride Parade

Last year we missed the DC pride weekend and all the festivities, so we were eager to be a part of the scene this year. So much fun energy in this city! Here are a few pictures...

This weekend last year we were in NY for my med school graduation and for Nane and Poppy's 60th wedding anniversary celebration. It's hard to believe that a year has already come and gone since then. Today happens to be Nane and Poppy's 61st anniversary - happy anniversary to the best couple!!! xoxoxo

Summer fun at the park

Cousins!

Dylan got to enjoy the past few days with her cousins on Daddy's side of the family - cousin Isabel had her Bat Mitzvah yesterday near Annapolis, bringing lots of family near to us. Here are a few good pics of Dylan with her cousins. There are only a few...it is getting much harder to photograph her now that she's always on the move! 

Mazel Tov Isabel 💚

How to juice: beet carrot apple ginger

A friend of mine recently asked me for a step by step explanation of how to make juices at home, so I thought I would share the instructions here in case others were interested. 

I use this Breville juicer - its easy to use, has a big mouth for your veggies/fruits (so you don't have to chop them very small), and its relatively easy to clean.

For my favorite juice, beet carrot apple ginger, remember 3,2,1 and ginger. 3 carrots, 2 apples (you can cut back on this to make it less sweet though), 1 beet and a nice piece of ginger.

Wash your veggies/fruits, then roughly chop your beets and apples so they fit in the juicer.

This is what it looks like when its done! Give it a mix before you drink. I like to drink my juices cold. If I am bringing them to work, I'll put them in an insulated mug with a few ice cubes in there so it stays cold. If at home, I like to serve over ice. 

Finally, to make it super easy for the next time, wash your parts immediately after (even before you enjoy your juice) - its easier to clean then. 

Enjoy!!

Dylan's birthday parties

Yes, birthday parties. This girl has it good. Geeta threw her an awesome party at her favorite park, the Westminster park in our neighborhood. All the other nannies and local babies came to celebrate, and David was able to swing to snag a few photos and this hilarious video: #babiescrying. Almost every baby, including Dylan, is crying. I highly recommend watching, its pretty funny.

Here are a few good pics from the party. 

Then, Jill and Rachel came down to visit and we had a second party! And yes, Dylan got a Mercedes for her birthday.

Hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day weekend!!!

Dylan is one!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET DYLAN!!!

We have been crazy about you since the day we met you.

Hagelslag

It seems that every time I go to Europe there is a new thing that I pick up on that becomes a part of our life here at home!  Several years ago, after a trip to Paris, I startied drinking espresso rather than coffee with milk, and it stuck.

This time we discovered Hagelslag. Hagelslag is the Dutch version of sprinkles. They look the same, but there are two important differences. 1. They are eaten for breakfast 2. They are not made out of wax and hydrogenated oils as they are here. The two most well known brands of Hagelslag are owned by Heinz(!) of all companies, yet they are not filled with the garbage (HFCS and the likes) that the Heinz US products are tainted by. 

And yes, Hagelslag is eaten for breakfast!! Check out this site to see how they do it! They definitely don't skimp on the Hagelslag! Our fine dining hotel breakfast in Amsterdam included two large bowls of sprinkles. On a side note - the previous hotel in Bruges had a huge block of white chocolate at a carving station when you walked into the restaurant for breakfast. For those of you who don't know me...my two weaknesses when it comes to sweets are white chocolate and sprinkles. Needless to say, I want to move to these glorious places that serve these foods for breakfast!

the happiest Dutch kid I know

My sister in law told me that she read this article recently about how happy the Dutch children were, and that having Hagelslag for breakfast is a part of the daily routine and its not something the kids overdo in the Netherlands. Its amazing. It seems to make sense. Those things that are not so forbidden are less exciting, aren't they? I think I found the article my sister was referring to and its pretty interesting (read it here) - actually they call the Dutch kids the happiest in the world! One thing they talk about is that despite the rather liberal appearance of the Netherlands (Amsterdam's famous red light district and coffee shops), that Dutch families are actually pretty conservative, and put a great emphasis on their home life and children. They respect their children as individuals and don't see them just as extensions of their own selves. Having meals at home with the family is the norm, including breakfast. We noticed that Victor's school started so much later than when Jill and Rachel's school started, allowing time for breakfast and a casual walk to school together. 

The good news is - you can buy Hagelslag on amazon! We've already placed our first order. Here's to living Dutch!!

Victor