Ice Cream Weather……..

Last time I mentioned that the annual Spring cleaning started here at Danish Exchange. Well, since then I’ve had a couple of work related deadlines that needed some final touches and my boys wanted to go camping last weekend. So needless to say the Spring cleaning kinda came to a halt. This weekend though I couldn’t bare it any longer and with the help of the love of my life we somehow managed to get it all sorted. Winter boots packed away, tick, summer clothes, flip flops and cowboy hat out, tick. Beds vacuumed underneath, tick. Floors that have been begging to be washed, washed, tick. Boot room come laundry tidied, tick. Might I just add that in the final chore, a smelly live snail that must have died a slow death, was found amongst other things such as sticks, stones and a damp sock behind the washing machine. Yes, believe me the ‘girly’ squeal did come out. This is life living with boys, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am just relieved it’s looking clean and tidy and I can sleep peacefully again.

I suppose you won’t believe me when I tell you, that while throwing jumpers and long johns out of our wardrobes and unpacking summer clothes from old suitcases, I decided to stop in the middle of it all. Why? Because the sun was shining and my love had just finished mowing the lawn and the blossoms on the apple tree were calling me. So I decided to make home-made ice cream instead and do a photo shoot. My love thought I had lost the plot, especially as I had taken on the task of Spring cleaning this weekend and we were expecting some friends over for a braai the next day. In his own words, “the living room is strewn with clothes”. To which I replied “I know, I’ll get it all done tonight!” and I did, well almost….

You also won’t believe me when I tell you that little people can be very impatient when their mommy wants to take pictures of the ice cream she made for them, all they want to do is tuck in. All in a weekends work! Well a long weekend that is.

Here is the recipe, and quite healthy too!

Ingredients

Approximately 300g of frozen raspberries or blueberries or a mixture of both

Approximately 400g of natural yoghurt  [I used a lactose free one, but Greek Yogurt works a treat]

4 to 5 tablespoons of Maple Syrup or to taste

Method:

Place your frozen raspberries in the blender, add the yoghurt, syrup and blend. If it is too runny, just add some more berries or if hard to blend add more yoghurt. Add more or less maple syrup to taste. You can substitute the maple syrup for honey or even icing sugar if wanted. If you are finding it hard to blend and perhaps have added too much yoghurt you can always place it in the freezer and wait for a couple of hours to freeze. However, mix through with a fork after each half hour so that not too many ice crystals form. Alternatively, if you are lucky, you have an ice cream maker.

Have toppings such as fresh berries, little kammerjunkere ( little danish cookies), choc chips or whatever you fancy to hand. Scoop in ice cream cones or bowls and enjoy with your favourite topping.

P.S.  There have been a few warnings out in the media recently about frozen berries, particularly here in Denmark.  So do be careful.  Read more about it here.

P.P.S. A ‘braai’ is a South African word for barbecue.

© Danish Exchange, 2013

I have a Spring in my step……..

The sun has shone for 2 days in a row and as a result I am feeling revived, so much so that I even sanded down two new, actually someone else’s old teak chairs and once done, sat on the veranda on my freshly sanded chair and watched the sun go down.  Glass of wine in hand and love of life beside me with two little people running around on the newly mowed lawn.  I love the smell of freshly cut grass.  Pure bliss!

Last weekend I went away on a girls weekend, learning more about God’s love, seeing lots of tulips and eating stroopwafels, more of which I will share on my next post.  For now I leave you with my pick of the month.  I had tons of tulips to capture, but simply couldn’t resist these blooms.  I love spring and with the sun in my face today I had a spring in my step.  I didn’t even put sunblock on.  I need the Vitamin D.   I now completely understand why the Danes get rebellious and just suck up the sun.  I am there now, my Danish friends.

This picture, to me,  conjures feelings of getting out the garden furniture, planting new seedlings, packing away snow boots, getting my flip flops on and reorganizing my wardrobe full of light and bright colours.  Well the spring cleaning has started here at Danish Exchange.  How about at your end?  Do you seasonally pack things away and get things ready for a new season?

Happy Weekend and Spring to you!

© Danish Exchange 2013

Flea-market Treasures and other Treasures that make my world go round……

Today 3 years ago I gave birth to a very beautiful baby boy. I remember his first cry and how vulnerable he seemed, how much I wanted to hold, comfort and feed him and the inexplicable joy only a mother can understand. I remember not even thinking about pain, only joy. I am grateful every day for the privilege of being a mother to two amazing and wonderful boys, my treasures, two gifts from God!

The love of my life has to be in London this week, so instead of him missing out on a birthday celebration we decided to celebrate yesterday morning with Banana cake, Avocado Smoothie, Fresh Oranges and Blueberries! Who says you cannot have a birthday two days in a row?

So today the birthday boy and I have been playing golf outside, making Lamingtons for a tiny celebration at his playgroup tomorrow and now as I am writing he is taking a well deserved nap.

So I leave you with a  picture I thought you might enjoy. I made these little chocolate treats for the nursery kiddies at church yesterday. The icing is cream cheese, vanilla sugar and icing sugar with a blueberry for decoration. After I was done, I couldn’t help myself so I styled and snapped them to share with you. In the background is one of my flea-market finds [that I have been dying to show you]. A beautiful cup and saucer, hand-painted and vintage. I found these and the end of last year, a set of 12 for a bargain price. I adore them. “Royal Copenhagen for the poor man”, as the lady at the flea-market said. Now that’s me all-right!

So finally happy birthday to my littlest treasure! We, that’s me, daddy and big brother, love you more than the all the stars in the sky! And we know how much you love the stars in the sky. Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

P.S. The milk bottle was a gift from the love of my life. He found it while food shopping and said it reminded him of me. He is good like that.

© Danish Exchange 2013

Spaghetti a la Carrot……

There are so many little projects going on at the moment, leg work for a lot of things that will hopefully pay off later. It just feels as if I am on a high wire sometimes trying to juggle life and keep my family well nourished at the same time. It is not always easy.

I try to make eating a balanced and healthy diet a priority in my life. Feeding those I care most for with good nutritious food. I don’t always get it right [I wish I did] and Fridays has somehow now become, pizza night. My children love it, the tradition that they made, or at least my eldest did. No, we don’t get take out, we make our own. Although, admittedly it is not always the healthiest. Breakfast is where I usually try to get all the super food and goodies in. Blueberries or avocado in smoothies, millet flakes in pancakes or on rushed mid-week days rye bread with tahini paste and honey. On weekends I ease up a little and sweet treats do come forth and we sometimes will make chocolate croissants or perhaps home made muffins. [So this is my weakspot, it comes from loving to bake and being a lover of desserts and cakes, I usually check out the dessert menu at restaurants before eating there.]

This week I have been trying to think outside my usual box and I was reminded of a restaurant we ate at in Copenhagen, nothing fancy, real caveman food, Palæo and my love ate Bolo’en a meat sauce with so called spaghetti, but instead of spaghetti or pasta it was served on a bed of raw grated courgettes and carrots. So I tried to remake this at home.

I started my meat sauce with sautéing a whole load of vegetables and allowing them to sweat over a low heat. I used carrots, courgette, leeks instead of onion and garlic. But onion will do just fine too. I happened to have some leeks. As they started to caramelise I added some organic ground beef and once that had browned added some stock, two tins of tomatoes and tomato puree, with some pepper to taste. I blended it all together to keep my two little people happy and then served it on a bed of organic carrot spaghetti. I simply peeled my carrots and then used a peeler to make strips of spaghetti. No steaming or searing, just raw. This was delicious, nutritious and just yummy. Or have I said that already? Next time I might just add raw courgette.

What do you think? Is it something you would try?

P.S. I also made Beet Bourguinon from Green Kitchen Stories, last Thursday night. It was a huge hit with the carnivore love of my life. It will still take some getting use to from the little people, they prefer raw veggies, but are kinda okay with lentils. I will just persevere. It will be a winter favourite from now on. [I felt so cold this week that I needed a stew]. Do hop over there and see all the wonderful, super healthy and delicious food they produce with love.

© Danish Exchange, 2013

My Pick of the Bunch…….

I cannot believe it has been just over a year since I started this blog! This spot or space where I go on about this wonderful place called Denmark, the creative things I do including food and décor, showing you sneak peeks into the homes of other, normal people and snapping bits of my life here in the Nordics plus some of my travel snaps from Sweden and Africa.

Today I couldn’t resist snapping these beautiful Ranunculas. They were left from a feast, details of which  I will share with you sometime soon. They were the only survivors of a vase full of beautiful flowers. Yet, they still have the ability to make me smile and feel happy. Perhaps it is the yellow colour, the hint of spring and summer or perhaps their feminine and romantic, almost pom-pom like shape. Whatever it is, I decided they will be my pick of the month.

As a way of celebrating my, this blog’s one year anniversary, I thought I would share some of my favourite posts with you. This wasn’t easy and I ended up choosing my 5 favourites. Enjoy!

Spring is in the Air…..

The Butcher, the Baker and the Candlestick Maker……

Thank you…..

Blushing Beauties of Autumn……

I’ll be home for Christmas…….

If you had to choose only one favourite post, which would it be? Would it be one of my 5 or do you have your own favourite?  Whether you have been following me for the last year, last month or just discovered this blog or maybe just pop by from time to time, I’d love to know which one you enjoyed the most….

P.S. I have an exciting new series coming soon. It has been in my head for a while now, and finally it will become a reality! So watch this space…..

P.P.S. Thank you to all who read, comment and pop by these pages, without you this would all be in vain!

© Danish Exchange, 2013

Skærtorsdag and favourite things…….

Skærtorsdag in Danish or Maundy Thursday in English, the day Jesus had his last supper with his friends, his disciples.  Also the day he washed their feet, something so very beautiful!  Today has been blessed!  We, our little clan, decided that this Easter we will spend with each other, and only each other! We will cherish each moment, reading books, playing games, watching movies and going for walks.  Sometimes it needs to be just the four of us, to bond, to be close, to realise that this little family, this clan, is special and this is where we feel safe, where we belong.

The littlest and I have been cooped up indoors [due to coughs and more] for the last few weeks and we desperately needed to escape.  We have long been suffering from cabin fever, and added to this the littlest has been asking to go to the beach for several weeks now.  I am not sure if he meant the beach where we used to live or whether he keeps thinking of our recent visit to grandma in South Africa and that beach.  Regardless, it pulls at the heart strings every time he asks, so this morning I said “let’s go to the beach”. So, back to our old stomping ground we went and revisited some of our favourite places.  My love suggested, “let’s go and have lunch at our best loved fish restaurant”.  Who could resist an offer like that?  Fresh Fish and Chips, Calamari and Salad overlooking the boats in Gilleleje harbour, fantastic.  After that we certainly needed dessert and a bit of exercise, what better than than a trip to possibly the best Ice cream shop in the world followed by a run around the playground on Hornbæk beach? The ice-cream shop is usually always open for the first time in the year over Easter Weekend and our luck was in!  This meant the cones were freshly made.  Yumm! In Denmark the Danes have cream and strawberry jam on top of their ice cream topped with a flødebol or ‘Angel Heart’ as I know them or perhaps you know them as ‘Tea Cakes’. It is rather delicious and the ice cream is some of the best I have ever tasted. Well, on par with Florence anyway.  We didn’t get to stop at my favourite baker, I do miss their rye bread, the beach was calling!

Off for a play on the beach and playground and looking at boats in the harbour, not to mention the ice on the water.

The evening ended with a pot of Rooibos tea, Snails and Ladders.  Or is that Snakes and Ladders?  Oh yes, we ate the home-made cinnamon snails.  Nom, nom, nom!  Okay, not the healthiest day nutrition wise, but as a family certainly one wonderful, great, healthy bonding day!  I love my clan! Spending time with them is one of my favourite things!

Happy Easter!  May you have time to reflect, laugh, rest, be with special people or just on your own.  However it may be, I surely wish you a blessed Easter. x

P.S. This is not a sponsored post, all opinions on here are entirely my own.

© Danish Exchange 2013

African Roots……

It’s meant to be spring and even though snowdrops have made their appearance and blossoms are budding on the trees, there is still snow on the ground and it is still rather chilly. I suppose 2 degrees Celcius is better than below zero. Besides the sun has been shining here too, and for that I am rather happy.

We have all been through the wars lately, with coughs and runny noses, not to forget the littlest one even had scarlet fever. So, with all of this all I want to do is go back to my roots, to where the sun is warm and my wheezy chest will be long forgotten in but a few days. Actually, to where my mum is because when you are under the weather and when the weather isn’t what you want it to be you long for your mum.

So I decided to give you [and myself] a little glimpse of my latest trip to Africa, starting with some very African roots in my mum’s garden. I love her vegetable garden. It makes me long for Spring so that I can start sowing seeds and hopefully harvest some fresh produce in not too distant a future.

I love muddy feet, more so on my children, it so reminds me of when I too stood in African soil as a child with mud squelching between my toes. I love that real slugs can be seen in the cabbage of this fabulous garden, although my mum wouldn’t agree. An organic garden, a larder or food cupboard but a walk and a snip away. I love that my children had the experience of being there, picking ripe red cherry tomatoes from the vine and munching to their hearts content. And even though I cannot be there right now, I have these memories to cherish and hold close to my heart.

Denmark, I love you, snow and all, but Africa you will always run in my veins and be my roots……

© Danish Exchange 2013

My favourite Superhero…….

It’s been 2 weeks since my eldest celebrated his 8^th Birthday. 15 boys and one villain, that needed catching, and what fun was had when he was discovered in the car. The lucky packets were recaptured, fortunately all still intact and none of the sweets missing.

My eldest takes after me, he is a dreamer, the dresser upper, the storyteller and one of 3 guys in my life that make me weak at the knees and my heart go pit a patter. I can’t believe it has been 8 years since he stared deep into my eyes the second he was born. No tears just a stare, as if to say, who are you? I love that, no messing about.

I knew a Superhero party was exactly what he wanted, right down to dressing up as Batman, to invitations with Lego superheroes, inviting those he thought fit for the job of catching a villain.

I have to agree with Lola  from *Charlie and Lola*when she says “I just love parties, I just do”. Especially when I get to decorate, bake and make someone I love feel very special, and it needn’t cost the earth.

Other than his Batman outfit, something he wanted as part of his birthday present, I already had most of the things I needed to make it all work and only needed a few little extras. The bunting we use is used every year. I bought it for his very first birthday and it has become a tradition now to put it up for the boys birthdays. He loves waking up to bunting and balloons, as it makes him feel very special. It must do, as nowadays he offers to stay up a little later so that he can help decorate when it’s his little brother’s birthday´, just so that he can be surprised too.

We have a ‘birthday bag’ where I keep all the leftover candles, party bags, bunting, Danish flags [very traditional here in Denmark] and a few South African ones, balloons and other accessories that we might find useful for the next birthday. That way nothing goes to waist and I only need to top up on the essentials as and when needed.

This birthday I made little masks for the boys because every superhero needs to protect his secret identity. They were super easy, made from black paper bought from Ikea, a little elastic string and masking tape to hold them at the back.

There were little stars and stripes cupcake cups, I had bought a long time ago on sale just knowing they would come in handy somewhere. I filled them with carrot and cucumber batons, and cherry tomatoes which accompanied their hot-dogs. Super shakes, served after catching the villain, were homemade chocolate milkshakes, followed by the Superhero Cake. A three layered chocolate cake with a cookies and cream filling. I decorated with vanilla butter icing as my superhero really dislikes fondant icing. So, only the batman insignia was made from the fondant. First using yellow colourant to make the oval shape and then black for the batman insignia. I simply found the insignia on the web, printed it, cut it out, placed it on top of the fondant and cut around it. Then placed it on top of the cake. As simple as that.

Parents needed a little sustenance too when they came to collect their off-spring, and so little chocolate muffins decorated with sweets and coffee kept them going until their superheroes were ready to go home.

All in a day in the life of a superheroes mum, because she loves this particular superhero more than all the stars in the sky!

Do your children like dressing up? I love the fact that my eldest, even though he is 8, still loves being somebody else for a day. I remember being little and walking around with a petticoat on my head pretending to be a princess with long hair. I so embarrassed my brothers. How about you?

© Danish Exchange 2013

A Collection of Memories….. [a peek into our living room]

It has been hectic lately, walls needed painting, frames needed hanging, dinner with friends, swimming lessons, parent meetings and the eldest of our little people turned 8 on Monday so a super hero party needed planning and executing plus a villain needed catching, and to top it all off the youngest has been suffering with a fever and has now been diagnosed with strep-throat and scarlet fever. Needless to say from little sleep I’ve had, I am feeling a little frazzled and almost as if a cold is creeping up on me. Let’s hope it’s not scarlet fever. I think I’ll need to make that immune booster lassie from Green Kitchen Stories, soon.

I’m not complaining, it’s just life. And a very good one too, that I wouldn’t want to change for the world. Sometimes I just need reminding that my bedtime needs to be a little earlier, but somehow 24 hours in one day never seems enough.

None the less I am pleased to say that the living room is just about there. Perhaps a chandelier or two still needs hanging and of course my huge antique wardrobe still needs TLC, but that can wait for the time being. Instead, I’ve been cuddling up on the sofa with my youngest watching Charlie and Lola.

Furthermore I am surrounded…. by memories. Pictures, old and new surround me and I always feel as if I am in good company. Photographs of our family, from when our parents were little to when they got married, to when we said I do, until we had our very own babas. These make up a collection of memories. Who knows, maybe one day some of these will be the pride on one of our children’s walls, keeping them in good company too. I tend to change the photographs every now and then, updating our own little family’s pictures and as they say ‘a change is always as good as a holiday’. The frames needn’t change, but it is ever so easy to update photographs. We have been privileged to have had a very talented photographer, Kirsten Mavric, a family friend, take pictures of us more than a few times and some by friends and some our very own. I have updated the photos of our African family from our recent trip too.

I love the Eiffel tower picture taken by the love of my life. Every time I see it, it takes me back to our very first trip to Paris, in the late nineties, dining by candle light, dancing cheek to cheek serenaded by a  live performer and gazing over the rooftops of Paris from a balcony, seeing the Masterpiece herself from a distance. A photo of my father and grandmother when he was very young is another I adore, instantly making me feel as if I am time traveling.

But here in our living room it is not only the photographs that make up the collection of memories. For here within the furniture and accessories lie so many memories too. A beautiful gift from a friend in the form of my intricate chandelier, the old army trunk and bar stools (green paint stain and all) I bought from a second hand dealer up the road from our house in England. Chairs generously given to me by a previous landlady who was about to throw them out. An old kitchen cabinet found in our garage many years before, sanded by my mother and I, painted with love and now labours as the tv cabinet. A stack of old suitcases, one of which caused me to get a parking fine, rather an expensive buy in the end.  An African carving given to me for my birthday by my mum and dad. A new cushion I couldn’t resist on our recent trip to Africa. And last but not least my latest flea-market purchase, the beautiful wardrobe that still needs my time and attention (watch this space….).

Our living room indeed is a collection of memories. Some new but mostly old, and some old but new to me, just the way I like it.

What do you think? Do you like it?

© Danish Exchange 2013

Compact by Design…. [a home-interview]

Who lives here? Julia Bajna

Type of Home? Apartment

Occupation? Internal Sales Assistant

Destination? Nørrebro, Copenhagen

Having known Julia for a while now, she is one of those steadfast people who will never let you down. If you ask her for a favour or help, you can be sure that she will not only turn up at your door but bring friends along to help too. A little bird once told me she rescued and elderly lady stranded on a roof!

Julia is originally from Romania. She moved to Denmark when she was 12 years old. Chatting over a cup of tea I am interested to find out if she feels Danish for the most part or still feels Romanian in other ways? “Yes, I am Romanian of origin but I would describe myself as more Danish than Romanian due to having spent 2/3 of my life in the Danish culture”.  This is something that I understand all too well.

Her apartment is in Nørrebrø, a very hip and vibrant area of Copenhagen. What makes it even more interesting is that she lives in no more than 45m2. Compact not by nature but certainly by Design. Julia has been living here for 8 years now and the apartment has certainly gone through some changes. The previous owner used to have a bed where Julia now has her wardrobe, so her sofa morphs as a bed in the evening. A small price to pay in exchange for storage space. The kitchen has since been updated too, flaunting new modern black cupboards.

Fortunately her vision and smart ideas have made this home not only welcoming and cosy but truly ingenious. The clever use of bookshelves above the door frame, not to mention a bicycle being suspended from the ceiling to keep floor space clear. Her laundry baskets are four canvas containers in a storage unit, separating colours and no one will ever know her delicates are hiding behind them.

Living in a small space can make you think twice about purchases, which is evident when you see that even the ironing board matches the sofa and snug blanket. The dining room table and chairs are in every sense Danish and in true Danish fashion this homes sports various types of candlesticks and candles. A Royal Copenhagen plate, that she painted herself on a tour of the factory, serves us little chocolate muffins. The use of colour has been limited to natural, off whites and black and this complements some of Julia’s own artwork. All of the black and white portraits have been drawn by Julia herself.  Her love for black and white is rather obvious, as even her house shoes are zebra stripe!

Not only is she artistic but intelligent too, she graduated as a Global Business Engineer (an interdisciplinary degree between engineering and marketing).  She certainly is one talented woman, but sorry guys she is taken. She is recently engaged, so this compact living will soon come to an end, and with it the end of an era. Congratulations on your engagement Julia!

What is always in your refrigerator and food cupboards?

In my fridge I always have cheese and in my cupboards I always have dry things (flour, sugar, lentils, chick peas, rice, pasta) I also have chocolate and cookies just in case I have guests. And they honestly stay untouched even to the point of expiration. I also have lakrids (liquorice) but it’s a whole different story with lakrids.

What book is on your bedside table at the moment?

Actually there are two, since I do parallel reading. So they would currently be “Nomad” by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and “God’s Undertaker” by John C. Lenox

What do you love most about your home?

I love the big window facing west because I get a lot of natural light and get to see beautiful sunsets.

What would you change in your flat if money wasn’t an obstacle?

I would give my bathroom a complete make over. Like a total make over.

What do you love most about living in Denmark?

The relaxed atmosphere both in the city as well as in the workplaces, it feels safe, the freedom of opinion, equality and learning to take responsibility.

Thank you Julia for allowing us a peek into your home!

© Danish Exchange, 2013.