Happy New Year...

- I can't believe it is now 2015.

And after a lovely Christmas holiday with the girls and both mine and my husband families, I am - once again - looking back on December with the feeling that there was so much I didn't get to do. 

Like finishing our nephews stocking (he's 3 next year), make the meringue christmas tree with licorice and raspberry decorations, send out the Christmas card to actually arrive before Christmas, do my Christmas Journal (I haven't really started yet...), make my own gift wrap etc. etc...

I absolutely LOVE Christmas and there is sooooo much I would like to do, so this year I plan to have Christmas all year - not with christmas decorations and mince pies in July, but to prepare one Christmas thing each month so I can enjoy it.

This means when we once again reach 1 December I have time to do all the baking and cooking I enjoy - with my girls of course.

So here is the list:

January: Johannes' stocking

February: 2014's Christmas Journal

March: Gift wrapping

April: Gift tags

May: ???

June: Make Christmas Cards

July: ???

August: Prepare advent calendar for the girls

September: Prepare 2015's Christmas Journal

October: Buy Christmas presents

November: Christmas Candle decorations and write Christmas Cards 

December: Enjoy baking and cooking and post the Christmas cards and wrap the presents :-) 

How do you find December - do manage to do what you planned?

So with that I wish you all a Merry Christmas :-)

Gitte x

Despite the mess...

- we still managed to squeeze some time in to do Christmas Baking with the girls - twice :-)

First time was on Thursday, where they made some "peppernuts" with Granny (pepper, because it's one of the ingredients and nuts, because that's how they are shaped). And as a demand by my little girl it had to be nursery's recipe we used.

Peppernuts or "pebernødder" as they are called in Danish is one of the oldest Christmas Cookies dating back from the 1700's - and I think most families have there very own recipe. It is a must-have for Christmas (which is a bit of a problem as ours have already gone...) and it was one of the eatable things they used to put in little cones on the Christmas Tree.

If you would like to try them yourself, here is what to do:

375g of butter
375g of sugar
850g of flour
3 eggs
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cardamom
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1-3 pinches of white pepper

Kneed it all together until you have a uniform ball of dough. Take a piece of the dough and roll it into a long snake-shape about ½ inch thick and then cut into ½ inch pieces (see 2nd picture of the girls). Roll each piece into a ball and bake for 10-12 mins. at 200 degrees.

If you would like them really crunchy, put then all back in the oven once it has been turned off, whilst it is cooling down.

I really hope this makes sense :-)

Happy Baking

Gitte x

Time to JYD...

- so going down town earlier today I was on a mission to find something I could use for my Christmas Journal for 2014.

Since I haven't managed to do one for '12 and '13, it's very important for me to get one done for 2014 - but I am also aware that there are lots of other thing going on, so I have set up a few criteria:

• I have to use a finished book - i.e. a notebook or a folder.
• I need to find a set colour scheme.
• Most of my embellishments etc. have to be pre-made.
• It will mainly be a photo journal with a few comments supporting them.
• I aim to get each day done the following morning.

I knew exactly where to go. We have this great store called "Søstrene Grene" where you can get anything from interiors and toys to candles, napkins and crafty bits and pieces at very reasonable prices.

And they didn't disappoint - and this here is what I found:

So now it's just getting started :-)

Have a fantastic day.

Gitte x