Top 5's :D

I love music and I can't have a day without listening to some nice tunes. When I was a teenager, I used to listen to a lot of depressive music about death and sadness and broken hearts etc. And I used to be pretty sad as well.

Then one day I was just downloading some music and came across some Caribbean reggae and soca tunes which was so much happier and from one day to another, I just dropped the rock/metal music and started to listen to happy music instead such as reggae, soca, dancehall, latin vibes and some rap/hiphop/rnb stuff. So ever since then, my net alias has been Miss Sunshine (thereby the background of my blog name) and I've been listening to happy, positive music. Music has a great impact on me, so why make yourself sad by sad tunes when you can make yourself happy by happy tunes ? :)

I love singers with beautiful voices and even though I keep myself updated with the latest music, I have some all time favorites that always make quality music :)

My 5 top reggae singers & some of their awesome songs:

#1. Gyptian                                                                 #2. Jah Cure
                        

#3. Peetah Morgan                                                     #4.  Lukie D
                     
#5. Lutan Fyah


 And my top 5 latin singers are these:

#1. J. Alvarez                                                                  #2. Khriz y Angel
                 

#3. Baby Ranks                                                             #4. Nova y Jory
                      
#5. Tito El Bambino


Big ups to these amazing artists ! :) They are all men lol but I like beautifully singing men :P

- Stef

Chimichurri! :D

Normally, I team up with Theo every weekend to have fun together. But this weekend, he is away on snowboarding vacation, so I'll have to manage the fun on my own :P lol.

So besides all the boring stuff like schoolwork and laundry which are not fun to blog about, I was thinking of switching over to the Argentinian cuisine and try to make Chimichurri!

One of mine and Theo's favorite restaurants is an Argentinian one in The Hague and they always have a cute little pot on each table with something red and oily in it which tastes amazing together with your steak and baked potato or fries or anything. It says in the menu that this is Chimichurri and that you can eat it with everything and is typically Argentinian :) So I was doing some googling and I found a nice recipe which I think will qualify for my experiment.
This is the recipe and I think it sounds amazingly nice:


120ml olive oil
60ml red wine vinegar
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
                                                                                                                 1 bay leaf , finely chopped

 Whisk olive oil with the red wine vinegar. Add the remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well, then stand for 2 hours before using. This will keep, refrigerated, for 5 days. (Source)

I'll skip the cumin though, because that's a spice which I am not fond of at all. But it will probably work out fine ! :D So Argentinian theme this weekend. Maybe I will try to make my own BBQ sauce as well ? The restaurant has an AMAZING home-made BBQ sauce. So it must be doable!

I'll be very happy to have my baby back for the weekend after this one though, it's only 10 days without him but everything is just so boring without him around/on the phone. So I can't wait to be together again with my love ! :D

Here is a pic from Venice last year in February :) Sitting in the sun near the San Marco Plaza :P It was so awesome to explore it with my lovely baby :)

- Stef

Tunes that make my heart dance! :D

It may be a rainy morning, but who cares ? :) Sunshine can come in different ways and today, my sunshine comes from hearing these lovely sunny tunes ! :D And I'm gonna have Spanish class in school. I just started my "Business Spanish" course at school and it's pretty difficult, but the whole Spanish thing makes me feel like listening to Latin music even more and to listen to the lyrics ! :D

This one is a new favorite ! Eddy Lover - Te Dolio

Gregory Ayuen - Outta Control

 

J. Alvarez - Dejame llegar


This week has contained a lot of partying and some party pics will come later !! :D

Have a wonderful Thursday everyone ! :D
- Stef

Quality ingredients = quality food :)

 This is my conclusion from yesterday's cooking. And unfortunately, I was too lazy to go and buy really high quality basmati rice (the one from the supermarket is NOT the same) and the stupid supermarket only sell Greek yoghurt, and it should be turkish yoghurt which is so much nicer.. My Persian dish worked out alright, but of course it's never the same as when someone who knows how to do it makes it.

When my precious Theo is back from his wintersport vacation next week, I'm going to make one of our favorites: Zereshk polow baa morgh :) Which means real basmati rice with berberis and saffron and chicken in a turmeric tomatosauce.. This is something I know how to make and it is seriously one of the best dishes ever !! It really looks beautiful as well and I found out this is a common Persian wedding dish actually, when I was doing all the googling the other day. I'm really looking forward to making this again, it has been a long while!

Have a nice Tuesday everyone! :)
- Stef

I cannot hold myself any longer!! :O

It's settled. Tomorrow, I'm going to cook Persian food!

It's been many years now since I used to eat different absolutely DELICIOUS Persian dishes on a regular basis. If you hear it for the first time, it may be hard to imagine what the food is like - is it the same as Arabic food? Nope, it's something completely on its own !
After my first meal I was sold and the Persian cuisine quickly climbed to the top of my favorites! The Persian kitchen involves so much care and the food that results from all the effort and care is heavenly, absolutely amazingly delicious!

So tomorrow, I'm gonna make one dish that I just managed to find on google, because I had no clue what the name was or what the ingredients were.. I just knew what it looked like. So after 1 hour of googling Persian food recipes (Could have spent that hour on schoolwork, but that just didn't really work out) and I finally came across it and I'm so happy now!

Tomorrow, nothing is gonna stop me and I'm gonna cook away !  Here's a pic (I borrowed the pic from here) It's called Khuresh Karafs.
It looks strange, but the taste is sooooo amazing. Eat it with some nice basmati rice and cold yoghurt on the side.. Oh my my... How I have missed this good food. So tomorrow is the day!





I'm also really really curious about another recipe that I came across "Grilled corn in the Persian way" and this includes marinating corn in red chili, saffron, turmeric, olive oil & salt for 30 minutes. Grill the corn and finally top with some salt flakes.
(Pic is from here)

So my tip throughout life, if you ever run into a Persian person, make sure to invite yourself over for dinner ;) Because I may try hard and all, but it never turns out EXACTLY the same as when someone from that country makes it... But I'm gonna give it a try anyway! Because sometimes, you may dream of delicious food, but at one point you have to stop dreaming and just make it, because it's no use to wait around until someone else is gonna cook for us, so if you want to eat something nice then just get off your butt and make it yourself! :D


- Stef

My new pretty favorite "thing" ! :D

 This is a follow up on the sneak preview in the previous post :D Now I've purchased the remaining necessary items namely "sallad oil" (no clue what it is, but the Dutch called it slaolie) and some red roses :D

You color the water and add the oil as a top layer and then the plastic flower candle can float around! I seriously love it. When I saw it at the convention, my jaw dropped and I just HAD to get this thing... I'm such a victim for "pretty marketing", but I don't care! This is such a creative and innovative piece of decoration, I just couldn't walk by it.. May sound a little dramatic, but if I wouldn't have bought it, I would have spent the rest of my life thinking about it :P lol!

 The nice thing about this "thing" (got nothing better to call it) is that it consists of 2 parts, you can use them as a vase for flowers, decoration sand, fill them with water which you color in whichever color you like

(you receive the 3 base colors yellow, red & blue and so you can create all colors with them)
and you can have candle flowers floating around there :)

You can match the water with any kind of real flowers you want to use, just like I matched my red roses with red water :) You are most likely going to see more photos of versions of this "thing" in the future! :D






 I really love my new thingy :) 

- Stef

How to cook super-nice rice! :D

More than 1000 views by the way! :D Cool!

Today I've made a spicy Chili con Carne which should be served with rice.
It may seem very easy and carefree to cook rice, but if you want really really 'nice rice', you have to put some effort into it! I'm gonna pass on some tips that I once received from a nice Middle-Eastern woman:



1. Use rice of high quality. I like long-grained rice e.g. Basmati.

2.You need to rinse the rice well before beginning anything else. Measure up how much rice you want to make (3/4 glass = rice for 1 average person) and put it in a large bowl which you fill with cold water.




Use your hand to rinse the rice and the water will become blurry from the starch. Pour out the water and add new cold water. Repeat this until the water is completely clear



3. Boil water in a large pan. Add a lot of salt! (E.g. 3 tablespoons per 1 liter)
4. When the water is boiling, add the rinsed rice and boil on high heat for 3- 4 minutes. If you taste a rice grain at this stage, it should be a little soft but with a hard middle.

5. Pour the rice and the water through a filter.
6. Wash the pan in which you boiled the rice. Add butter and let it melt. Make sure the heat is low and then add the rice to the pan again. If you want, add some more butter on top as well.

7. Make sure the heat is not too high, it should be rather low. Leave the rice with a lid on, and after about 10 minutes, the rice should be steaming. If it's not, turn up the heat slightly and if it is steaming really a lot, turn the heat down.
8. Steam it in total for about 30 minutes. Taste it and see if you want it softer or not.
9. Voíla! The rice is now perfectly cooked! The crispy bottom in the pan is the yummiest, so don't throw it away! :D Mix it in the rest of the rice or add it on the side of the plate.


This is the way I was taught, and so far, everyone who tried it really likes my rice and compliment me about it! So good luck if you try to make it :)


The Chili con carne turned it really delicious (first time I'm making it) and it was really simple!
500 g minced beef                            2 chopped onions
1 chopped red paprica                   1 crushed red chili pepper
Crushed tomatoes from a can    1 tablespoon tomato puré
1 teaspoon cinnamon or more    pepper & salt

Do: Fry meat and veggies first, then add tomatoes and spices, simmer for 15-20 minutes, taste and add whatever you want more :)

Furthermore! I hope everyone is having a nice V-day! I haven't done anything special, just got back from Amsterdam today after a NICE weekend indeed! I was welcomed by some mail from my wonderful parents and they sent me this cute little set of chocolates ! :)

In the weekend, I went to a biiig "Househould convention 2011" and it's mainly targeting women.. So it was full of things that women like and of course a heck of a LOAD of shopping-crazy women! It was wonderful !
I bought 6 really nice hotel stays at an auction, 2 of which only cost €1 ! :D So this V-day may have not been that special, but Theo and I have a lot of nice hotel stays to look forward to within the near future! :D

This thingy really got my attention and I just had to get one! This is a sneak preview, this is not what it's supposed to look like, I will fix it within the coming week and then I will show the WOW-factor that I was struck by at the convention! :D It's soo pretty ! So from this year and on, I will be part of those crazy women coming to the convention with a huge suitcase and just FILL IT with nice stuff !:D I loved it! I'm gonna save up big time for next year!

 I'm a sucker for buying new pretty things.. Oh well, at least I don't spend my money on ugly things :P Yup, shopping pretty things makes me happy and I think I'm not the only girl of this opinion! ;)

- Stef

I love LOL-moments at the store :P

 So today I went to the city to buy some stuff, among others some V-day cards.

I actually sort of collect funny cards.. I did not intend to start any form of collection or so, but it just started with me encountering cards that were so funny I wanted to keep them to myself just for a laugh instead of giving them away.

So every time I buy a card for someone, I come home with like 3 additional cards besides the card for the person.. And then I put them in a bag and so there's my little "collection".

Today I had another Laugh-Out-Loud moment at the store, because it was the most random V-day card ever!! It's just totally my humor:

 First you just glimpse at the front page and open it to see what it says.. and it says that ! Then you go back to the front side to look again and you really see the expressions of those chicken faces!! Hahah, brilliant! So this one is gonna stay with me :P

Just wanna take the opportunity to tip about a beautiful set of songs that just came out :D As you know, music makes me smile from the inside and especially when I hear tunes like these:

The riddim is called O.M.G. Riddim, and I really understand why, because this beat is so absolutely beautiful and heavenly, there's no better name for it!

These are 2 of the songs that are on the replay at my place tonight :D



*Baby come rooockkk with meeeeee right na-na-na-na-na-now* Highly addictive!



Enjoy as much as I do!!

- Stef

Yes, I like Valentine's Day ! :)

 As of recent years, so many people sort of decide to boycott Valentine's Day because "it's just a consumer holiday" and "I show the ones I love that I love them every day and not just one day per year"... Bla bla.

Sure, there's a heck of a load of commercial stuff around V-Day and sure, I agree that you should show the ones you love that you love them more often than just once a year. Of course.

But, let's be honest - do we really tell everyone that we love how much they mean to us every day of the year? I think the answer will be 'No' for must of us.

V-day is not just about having a boyfriend or not, spending a shitload of money, no, it's just there to celebrate the love we have in our lives! If you do it more often, good :) But don't be a hater :P

My whole childhood I would wake up and find a box of chocolates, candy or a little rose plant or a plush animal with a cute little card from my parents on my nightstand :) Not that my parents wouldn't "love me" any other day of the year, but that sort of stuff was just so cute! I really liked that and I am not ready to boycott this cute and loving holiday for no reason at all!

It's not about money - I think it's idiotic to spend crazy amounts of money when it's not necessary, it's the thought that counts :) Meaning, maybe take the time to write a nice card for someone, take the time to buy a little cute something or even make something by yourself e.g. a photo collage or a dinner. My mom always taught me: It's the thought that counts. Those are golden words. It's not about what you get, it's about the fact that you got something. So whatever it may be, just be happy that someone else took the time  and thought of YOU.

And one more thing, if you get a cute card from a friend, family member or loved one, doesn't it make you smile? Yes, I thought so!

So instead of hating on V-day, let's spread smiles around us by little simple silly commercial things :) Why not? We are just humans and it's highly questionable whether we don't do stupid things every day anyway! (E.g. making ourselves look better instead of just waking up and going in the morning, making a mess in our house just to clean it all up later etc etc. Everything is stupid if you look at it in a certain way, so let's NOT!) :D

Last year I was trying to make a nice dinner for Theo, including a dessert with home-made merengue! That didn't really work out too well since they came out all beige :/ But it was fun trying!

 

 Tomorrow I'm going to check out some cute V-day cards in the city centre! (Either made by Sheepworld or Leendert Jan Vis!)

 Thanks for checking in with me :) Have a nice "V-day weekend"!

- Stef

Sunshine Tip for better bling :D

I think everyone learn and discover different tips and tricks that make everyday life a lot easier!

Here is my favorite (random but useful!) tip !

  
Do you have earrings or other silver (not necessarily REAL silver) jewelry that has become dusty and dark and is not shiny at all anymore? And become sad that it doesn't look as nice as when you once bought it? Don't worry :) It's fixable and you do not have to throw your earrings away!

 Solution: Apply toothpaste to the earring or whatever it is, rub it over with the paste and wash off with water. The jewelry becomes as shiny and blingy as if you just bought it!

Watch out: If your jewelry contains e.g. shiny stones that are glued to a metal surface, be sure to use cold water and dry well afterwards, otherwise the glue may be damaged and the stones may fall off! :(

In this way, you can maintain your collection of blingy items and make sure that they shine to the maximum every time you wear them!

 Here's where I stand every morning choosing what earrings to wear for the day :) And the toothpaste trick often takes place like 10 minutes before I need to leave my house for school because I always dig and choose and often I choose a pair that have not been worn for a little while and the shininess is not there :P I hope you like my tip and find it as useful as I do :)

Enjoy your shiny jewelry now! :D

Peace :)

- Stef

Dreams of Amsterdam :)

Ever since I set my foot in Amsterdam, I just loved it ! For a small-town girl like myself, this vibrant city was just something else! I have to laugh when I think about this: My first time to Amsterdam was with some people from my school. I talked to one of them recently and we were talking about that particular visit and how amazed I was and he said "Yeah, you wouldn't stop talking about it for weeks afterwards!"

The time has come for me to make some decisions and choices regarding my future, and I must say the thought of living and working in Amsterdam is very attractive to me! Imagine, being in this fun city every day :)

The pretty bridges everywhere and the canals :)

The nice Vondelpark where everyone goes to enjoy the nice weather!

Queen's Day (30 April) Amsterdam turns into the biggest orange party ever ! :) I find it really amazing that such a big party is arranged and that everyone, regardless of age, just goes there to party the whole day !

 I'm gonna work hard on making my dream come true to work in this cool city ! :D After all, making a dream come true does not include sitting around waiting for it to just happen, you have to make it happen!! :D

Here's a happy dancing song for you: Kes the Band - Where yuh from



Peace out !
 
- Stef