Monday, September 25, 2017

Falling Gently



The sun shines with an intensity that smacks of desperation. Too soon the light fades and the sun's warmth is but a memory as I reach for a sweater and pull on socks. 

In the garden, fragrant roses produce bloom after bloom. The apples are gone from the trees now - jars of applesauce stand on the pantry shelf and dishes of apple crisp, half-baked, lie waiting in the freezer. The tomatoes ripen. A handful of tiny Millionaire red globes are sweet as candy. Kale will grow throughout a mild winter; who knows if that's what we'll get. Carrots and beets remain in the ground until needed. We clip bunches of Concord grapes for lunches.


As autumn tip toes in on sunny days and coolish evenings, lighting a candle and drinking tea seem the cozy thing to do. When we were in Alberta in the summer, Tim's sister told us that their mother had received a package of Dutch Stroopies in a gift basket once and had really taken to them. We shared what was left while at her place, and we took to them, as well.


But I learned that we were not eating them correctly. Our daughter's mother-in-law is from Holland and the proper way, according to Cristal, via Jannie, is to place the crisp round wafer on top of a cup of hot tea to soften a little. It doesn't take long and makes the centre melt into a sweet syrup that is delicious.

Is autumn arriving gently at your place? Have you ever eaten stroopies? What treat do you enjoy with your tea? 

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life.  

26 comments:

  1. Autumn is looking beautiful, but its really too hot! Later this week it is supposed to cool down.

    I've never eaten a stroopie.

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  2. No sweaters or socks in Maryland yet! But I would still take one of those cookies and a nice cup of tea. I can pretend it's cool outside. :)

    Good for you as you continue to enjoy the fruits of your labors . . . grapes, tomatoes, applesauce . . . gifts of the harvest.

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  3. Yes we love stroopies too. Like you we sit them atop a mug of tea to melt. What a lovely post welcoming in autumn candles are being lit here too and talk of ordering fuel for the fire. Time to cosy up ;). B x

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  4. Autumn is here, misty mornings, glimpses of low sun, and leaves everywhere. We have a Dutch friend who gave us Stroopies. We did enjoy them.

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  5. We have been to Holland many times and love the custom of Stroopies, a real joy. Beautiful photos with the candles.

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  6. Love your cozy photos, Lorrie! Yes, I've eaten the stroopies, and have given some as gifts in my teacup exchange packages. They make a lovely teatime treat.

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  7. Stroopies sound quite delightful...
    I always enjoy seeing collages and yours are among the best...
    Not much color here yet...not like fall...these are some of the finest "summer" days with plenty of heat and humidity, which is stifling.

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  8. It was so lovely to see how you are getting ready for a change of season, socks and sweaters are a part of my daily life here in Normandy also nowadays.
    I've never had a stroopie but would like to try them. Our afternoon teatime treat, usually around four in the afternoon, is a chocolate digestive biscuit and a cup of black tea wish a dash of milk. I think if I tried to balance the biscuit on the rim of the cup it would melt and fall in quite quickly, creating a bit of a mess!

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  9. No, I've never eaten stroopies but they look perfect for the top of a cuppa! It's nice to feel the change of the seasons. Of course they are predicting a very hot day again this week on Thursday. :)

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  10. Oh I do love stroopies...LOL the word at least, since I have never heard of them, but they do look very nice and I would imagine they so sweet and yummy.
    If I have anything with my tea or coffee, it would usually be a biscotti, or scone.
    Have a delightful week dear one~

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  11. I like Mary's comment...I love them too! But no I've never eaten one. Since I don't eat sugar, a treat for me is a few wheat thins with my tea or coffee. And it's still warm here but the days are getting shorter. Hugs!

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  12. I've had Stroopies before, but didn't know that's how you eat them. I'll have to try that next time!

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  13. I've never even heard of stroopies, but now I am eager to try them. It looks like such a fun way to eat them .... a real occasion! It's typical Oregon Autumn here -- we go out with our raincoats and our sunglasses and change on the go and as needed. You kind of had a 'throw-away' line in your post about 'half-baked apple crisps aiting in the freezer' ... and I thought that was the most clever thing to do EVER! Why have I never thought of that. much better than nuking the all-ready cooked frozen one..... Thanks for the great hint.

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  14. Several years ago a friend educated me on the proper way to warm your stroopies. Delicious! We are eating the last of our tomatoes, though more green ones could possibly ripen if we continue the warm weather. I am finding I am thinking of warm sweaters soon, but not quite yet. Happy Autumn Days to you.

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  15. The only way I can tell it is Autumn is the geese start migrating. When I go for my walk around the lake there is a family of geese and the gander will chase me if he thinks I am getting too close for his comfort. I will be glad when he gets his kids grown. :) He is a very protective parent.

    Stroopies - I am trying to be good, now I have to google and find out all about them.

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  16. I discovered Strooples a couple of years ago browsing through Target, yum!!

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  17. Lorrie - we are enjoying a bit of Indian Summer this week - high 60s/low 70s with lots of sunshine - and I loved your description of the sun - very apt. With my tea, I enjoy English biscuits (cookies) if we have any to hand. I have had stroopies - melt in your mouth when they're warm!

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  18. I am looking forward to the crunching leaves but that won't be for awhile. I've enjoyed Dutch stroopies in the past but not sure I knew about heating them with tea. I can imagine how that would enhance the flavor!

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  19. Autumn is lovely in your part of the world. It really doesn't arrive here until Halloween -- if we are lucky! I've never had Stroopies -- they sound very tasty. I've been enjoying Chai Spice Pumpkin loaf from Trader Joe's with my tea. I'm a lazy baker....

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  20. My husband once worked for a Dutch family and at the company Christmas party they gifted everyone a small ceramic cookie jar with a lid that you put the cookies on and sat that over your cup of tea. They must have been the same as yours ;) I still have the little jar ... filled with tea now!
    Wendy

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  21. Wonderful images of the garden in autumn. My Grandparents grew Concord grapes and every year my Grandmother would make jars and jars of jelly and hand them out to all of us. That was a big task, as she had 7 daughters and 1 son - all with families of their own. It must be so satisfying to look at those jars of applesauce and know they came right from the garden. I've never had the cookies, but they seem the perfect thing to have with a cup of tea. I love most anything with tea, but I especially love shortbread cookies. I love to dunk them :) Probably not very good etiquette, but oh, so good! xx Karen

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  22. Nice Mosaic, thanks for dropping by my blog this week Lorrie

    much love...

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  23. Those biscuits sound devine. Enjoy your fall. Springing has been creeping in here, but we have had a week or so of back to winter. My feet are cold, and I need to go and put on warm "ugg" boots and light the fire. Enjoy the rest of your week and thank you for stopping by my blog this week.

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  24. Hi, Lorrie, a lovely mosaic of early autumn. Regarding your questions, I learned what Dutch Stroopies are like right now. Good idea to use them as a lid for a warm cup of coffee so that it becomes soften. I’m enjoying gradual cooling and subtle changes in nature. As a special treat at this season, I like Japanese sweets (called "manjyu") made of chestnut paste with green tea.

    Yoko

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  25. Lovely, lovely collage. And the Stroopies look wonderful. It is interesting that i watched an English baking show on you tube and they were making Stroopies. Now I've seen them twice in a week. They didn't show how to eat them though. Wasn't today beautiful - we have had such a nice end to summer - they say it got up to 85 in Bellingham, but it wasn't that warm up here on our hill - but was beautifully pleasant. I spent a lot of time on the deck - for the rains come back tomorrow for a few days. A good day to stay indoors and make plans for Autumn baking.

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