It’s New Year’s Eve which for most Dutchies can mean only one thing – gourmetten! It’s a social activity – get together with friends and family and eat, eat, eat. You grill meat and other things, a few pieces at a time. Very gezellig (a happy, warm feeling when you do things with others – no direct translation).
the start of gourmetten – lots and lots to eat!
We had lots to eat – lots of different types of meats, as well as paprika, onions, mushrooms, bacon, pineapple (yum – you haven’t lived until you’ve had grilled pineapple), bread, and other things.
gourmetten in action!
There was also a lot of sauces – peanut sauce (pindasaus), garlic sauce, chili lime hot sauce, barbecue sauce (thanks Mom & Dad!), buffalo wings sauce, and more.
after dinner snacks
And then you have the snacks afterwards – krentenbollen (of course – oliebollen with raisins), appelflappen (apple dessert), ananasflappen (pineapple), and more. Yum!
Eten eten eten… and later, fireworks!
Life in the Hague 
I am glad I skipped lunch..
Oh how terrible it is when traditions change and people forget what they really are.
Traditionally, oliebollen were always with raisins, then at some point someone figured to make em without as well (so then it’s really just a round donut like thing)
Since they didn’t know how to call those, it seems they started naming those things ‘oliebollen’ and the ones with raisins are now either ‘oliebollen met krenten’ or ‘krentenbollen’
It’s one of those things where a lot of people of a certain age and over roll their eyes, and the future generations will probably not know any different. A shame really (ok, that last part is a joke, but it is funny how traditions and terms change *cough*sinterklaas*cough*setting-off-your-own-fireworks*cough*
Dank Niki ,Marco .Het gourmetten was gezellig en heel erg lekker.
De spelletjes leuk ,de avond was gezellig.
O ja niet te vergeten de drank was goed.
Graag gedaan 🙂