Over the last few days I've done quite some cooking, in preparation of the first weeks when the baby arrives. I'm not exactly sure what's in store for us, but everybody says we'll be very busy and tired so I figured it's useful to have some frozen healthy dinners ready.

I made enough macaroni sauce for seven meals last week, and recently I cooked a huge batch of chili. I'm very happy with my two electric burners that allow me to cook on the balcony -- it's great for "smelly" foods like garlic and onions.

This week I'll also freeze babi pangang and perhaps some other dishes.

Suggestions?

It was snowing tonight and we woke up to a white world. It's the first snow this season, and it will disappear soon.

Last year when we visited D.C. for Sasha's interviews there was a very thick layer of snow in February, so there's still a possibility, but it has been a very mild winter so far.

I took three pictures and stitched them together with Hugin, an excellent tool.

In what seems to be good news for Dutch citizens abroad a spokesperson for minister Spies said that sending the controversial dual-nationality law to the Dutch Parliament "currently does not have priority". Radio Netherlands Worldwide reports that minister Spies did not mention when she will submit the proposal for review to the Tweede Kamer, and said that she will determine the time-frame of this "herself" -- apparently distancing herself from her predecessor Minister Donner who had earlier said that he would send the proposal before Christmas.

"A U-turn compared to last year"

Eelco Keij, spokesman and initiator of the protests again the proposal: "This means a U-turn compared to last year, and it seems that because of the public pressure the government is (temporarily) backing off. Needless to say, we remain alert, but for now it comes down to a 'standstill victory'. The exceptions for dual nationality for Dutch people abroad remain unharmed, at least for now."

The minister's remarks come after significant publicity around the effects of the proposed laws on Dutch citizens abroad, including in The Economist and the Huffington Post. The Economist wrote: "By seeking to toughen its nationality laws, the Netherlands is bucking a global trend". The online petition against the proposal currently has more than 20,000 signatures.

No formal decision to delay or postpone the proposal has been made, so it remains to be seen how things will ultimately play out. Says Keij: "we'll keep monitoring".

Minister Spies was named Minister of Interior and Kingdom Relations after Mr. Donner was appointed to be the new Vice President of the Council of State in December 2011. The proposed law has as goal to limit dual citizenship for new Dutch citizens and would impact Dutch citizens abroad as well.