Is 'Happy New Year' too clichéd a title?

Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!

Sinking my teeth into a my one of my mum's banana muffins on Christmas morning; Cappuccino at the Turtle Café. They have the most amazing food and an absolutely adorable bookstore downstairs = perfect weekend morning

Bad evening lighting, but still perfect oliebollen... squishy, light and delicately dusted. *ahem* I dusted them.

I've been meaning to do a New Year's post, and I figured I should just sit down an write it, otherwise before you know it, *POOF* it's 2014...
It feels like that's what happened in 2012, and 2011, and 2010, and every year before that, except that as each year goes by they get faster and faster. 
Forgive me for questioning the laws of nature, but doesn't that seem kind of stupid, since as we get older we are less and less obsessed with being a year older and more conscious of the fact that moments are precious and that they won't last forever.
I wish I could say that I made something absolutely incredible for our New Year's dinner, but my dish was essentially a bunch of stir-fried vegetables and some homemade fries. It was alright, but nothing recipe-worthy.
The stars of the meal were my mum's mushroom and spinach pie, the pea and spaghetti soup and the 'oliebollen'.
Oliebollen (Dutch for 'Oil balls') are a traditional Dutch New Year's dessert-- kind of like warm doughnut holes with powdered sugar on top and wintery things like raisins and apples inside. 
My mum and dad made them, and they were scrumptious... pillowy and warm and sweet and so delicate...
I had, as expected, delicious food during my week in Delhi, including a picnic with bagel burgers from the popular Bagels Café, and chaat (read about chaat here) at a place where the super sweet but incredulous waiter did everything he possibly could to try and get my sister to add SOMETHING to her dry chaat, so that she can experience at least some of its taste-tingling possibilities. 
Of course I came back more than a few kilos heavier, but my only reassurance is that I'm not alone: people all over the world have spent the past couple of weeks enjoying Christmas feasts and indulging in their favourite holidays treats. My grandpa told us this rhyme: (translated; and BTW Halwa is a sweet, fluffy dessert and Pooris are deep-fried, cripy breads)
You'll go to Nani's house,
Eat Halwa and Pooris,
And come back fat

Couldn't have said it better myself.
My grandparents' helper makes so. much. food. And the worst part? It's lovely: puddings and cakes and 'parathas' fried to a crisp in ghee and oil...

I've kind of given up on New Year's resolutions, because I rarely follow any of them.
But this year's resolutions were actually significant, because if it wasn't for them Chocolate Tulip wouldn't exist: for 2012 I made a resolution to cook one new thing each week, and it's the only resolution I stuck with. One new thing a week led to something new each day in the summer, and the starting of Chocolate Tulip.
So eat up, enjoy, and don't doubt your resolutions just yet...

P.S.  I learnt some new recipes, including curries and sweets, so those will be coming soon.

Oliebollen
From Allehande magazine
(This recipe makes quite a few oliebollen)

300g flour
250 ml milk
1 tablespoon sugar
A pinch of salt
Powdered sugar
100g raisins (black, and/or green)
Chopped apple (optional)
7g dry yeast
1 egg, whipped

Soak the raisins for at least 20 minutes in warm water. Warm 100 ml of the milk and stir in the yeast and sugar. Leave it for 10-15 minutes, until it's frothy. Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast milk, the remaining 150 ml of milk, the egg and the salt and stir well. Add more milk and stir, until it becomes a stodgy porridge. Gently squeeze the raisins and mix them with one tablespoon of flour before stirring them into the mixture.
Cover the bowl with a warm, wet tea towel and leave it in a temperate and dry place for at least an hour, until it's risen.
Heat some oil in a wok or deep fryer and fry the oliebollen on both sides until they are golden brown. Let them cool on a paper towel for a few minutes before dusting them with powdered sugar.