by Krista | Dec 4, 2015 | Summer
In recent months I’ve met so many Danish people. How I’ve loved hearing their accents, swooning together as we remember beloved Danish recipes, laughing at how strange it is to adjust to Aussie culture when you’ve been raised in a Danish one.
I’ve met them through get-togethers with medieval Viking enactors and at the Danish Christmas Market Bear and I attended a few weeks ago. To a person they’ve all been delightful with a wealth of interesting information.
Our new friend Nikolaj is a talented gardener in nearby Toowoomba, (click here to see more about The Danish Gardener) and when he heard that I was growing elderflowers he was thrilled! Elderflowers and elderberries are truly beloved by the Danes, and they grow like weeds in the damp, cool climate of Denmark. Australian climate is just a bit different (!!!), but through trial and error I figured out how to get them to thrive, and was happy to pass along a couple of seedlings for him.
In return he shared his recipe for elderflower cordial.
Whenever I sip elderflower cordial I’m transported back to Denmark, to the tidy living room of the great aunt and uncle I was staying with. I couldn’t speak a lick of Danish, expect to ask for ice cream – my Grandpa thought that was a vital phrase to learn – so instead of chatting, we’d spend hours playing Uno, looking at old photos, and sipping ice cold glasses of elderflower cordial.
To me it was a magical elixir, something out of a fairytale with its flowery sweetness that wasn’t at all cloying. As Nikolaj described it this morning: “A little bit of heaven and everything summer.” I couldn’t put it better myself.
My spindly elderflower seedlings have shot up this year, well on their way to forming a proper hedge that will furnish me with blossoms and berries for many years to come.
This morning I picked my first basket full, utterly unable to keep myself from grinning like a Cheshire.
I gave them a good shake to dislodge any resident insects, plucked the blossoms and discarded the stems, added sliced lemons and a glug of bush lemon juice I made earlier this year, then covered the whole lot with hot sugar syrup. It’s now macerating in the fridge where each day for the next four days I’ll give it a stir. Once the flavor has fully infused the syrup, I will strain the concoction and bottle the liquid.
The elderflower cordial is delicious stirred into chilled sparkling water, white wine, and even champagne. I also like it whipped into a syllabub for a summery, creamy dessert.
Do you have a drink that transports you to somewhere special? xo
Nikolaj’s Danish Elderflower Cordial
20-30 big elderflowers
2 organic lemons
2 Tbsp citric acid (I didn’t have any, so I used bush lemon juice)
650 g sugar
1 liter boiling water
1. Shake flower for insects and cut off green stems.
2. Place in large pot/bowl with lid.
3. Wash lemons, cut in slices and put in pot with flowers.
4. Mix acid and sugar and dissolve in water. Pour over flowers/lemons and cover.
5. Leave in fridge for 4 days (stir once a day) Sieve through a cloth and pour onto sterilized bottles. Note: If bottles are not sterilized, cordial can ferment and bottles can explode and create a rather large mess.
6. To drink – mix with sparkling water or white wine.
by Krista | Dec 1, 2015 | Summer
Christmas is the busiest time of year for me and my wood-burning shoppe on Etsy. I look forward to it so much. I collect audio books from the library to keep me entertained, position the fan to keep me cool, and potter along burning all sorts of items for Christmas pressies around the world.
This week I’m burning more than usual because on Saturday is the second annual Creekside Carols Under the Stars in my home village of Allora.
It’s held in the tree-filled Dalrymple Park by the creek and is such a jolly event. This year it’s bigger than ever with over 30 market stalls including jewelry by my friend Leah, seedlings from my friend Kathy, organic skincare by my friend Leanne, and wood-burned items by yours truly.
After wandering through the market stalls, there’s delicious food available – including fantastic Indian food made by my friend Hazel.
Once you’ve shopped and eaten, had your face painted and petted cute little animals, you can settle in for a great concert, singing along as local performers, like my friends Sarah and Stacey, lead in beloved Christmas classics.
If you’re in the neighborhood on Saturday, I hope you’ll join us in ringing in the holiday season.
Now it’s time for a good breakfast and and some more wood-burning.
What events are you looking forward to this Christmas? xo
by Krista | Nov 29, 2015 | Spring
The holidays have been a difficult time for me for several years. The music, the food, even the decorations were triggers for sad and traumatic moments in my life. Instead of the joy and happiness those things are supposed to elicit, they brought about grief and fear. Rather than feelings of togetherness and belonging, they brought flashbacks to rejection, abandonment, and the abusive religious teachings that governed and crippled me for so many years.
But not this year.
In the last twelve months I have worked through a great many things, pressing through triggers and flashbacks, nightmares and illnesses, rebuilding peace, courage, and strength back into my heart.
I could see the difference in my relationships, my work, my health, but it wasn’t until the holidays rolled around that I saw how the bad things in my past had lost their power. I wasn’t afraid anymore, wasn’t sad, and I could sit quietly with the bad memories instead of reacting to them. I could rest in gratitude for how much real love is in my life now.
I find it hard to express how much this means to me. For a long time it felt like the happiness of the holiday season would never be part of my life again. I’d resigned myself to just getting through Thanksgiving and Christmas instead of truly enjoying them.
I never thought I’d be in the place I am now, belting out Christmas carols with a free heart. They are happy songs for me now, not triggers from a time when I was worthless and didn’t matter. I actually want to decorate now, want to buy and wrap Christmas pressies, want to put up a tree. I was even able to go into a Church for a Christmas market without panic attacks or feeling like something awful was going to happen to me. I went in with courage knowing I am safe and loved, and had a truly lovely time without any of the fear and shame I’ve grown to associate with such places.
So this birthday/Thanksgiving weekend was very special to me, to both Bear and I. And we made the most of it.
I planned a big feast for us and had so much fun baking and cooking up a storm in the kitchen while Bear worked on medieval projects at the table and the rain pelted down.
I roasted a bacon-wrapped turkey breast filled with cranberry sage stuffing that smelled utterly heavenly as it was cooking.
I sliced apples and fried them up with butter and cinnamon and raisins to make Bear his favorite apple raisin pie.
I gave it a Thanksgiving-y twist with a toasted almond oat topping that was so nice with the buttery apples.
Thanksgiving just isn’t right for me without Canadian butter tarts, so I hauled out flour and butter for homemade pastry.
As much as I love traditional butter tarts which are filled with raisins, cranberry butter tarts are my favorite. Their tartness offsets the sweet syrup so beautifully.
Before and after the feasting we relaxed our hearts out. We went to the movies and out for lunch, slept in and ate leftovers, read and napped and chatted, did crafty projects, watched Elementary episodes, and toasted life with cold glasses of champagne.
We loved it, our first Australian Thanksgiving.
Wishing you healing, love, and truly happy holidays. xo
by Krista | Nov 26, 2015 | Spring
We’ve had some lovely storms lately, wild and wonderful with good, drenching rain. When they happen in the afternoon, the setting sun turns the skies into a magical canvas of light and shadow.
I love the colors in those moments, plum and magenta, peach and charcoal.
It amazes me how the sky transforms from a clear blue expanse to something out of an Old World painting.
I don’t get much work done on afternoons like this, utterly mesmerized by clouds and light and shimmering gold as the setting sun peaks out from under the storm.
As the rain fell this week, I made a dish I first tasted in Montepulciano, Italy several years ago: roasted pears with pecorino cheese. It’s one of my favorite Italian recipes because it’s simple to make yet utterly delicious.
I added fresh sprigs of thyme and as the pears roasted and cheese bubbled, the house filled with exquisite scents.
On a hot, stormy night, the cheesy pears are a lovely addition to a dinner of potato salad with capers and cold pork with beetroot chutney.
Now Bear and I are going Christmas tree hunting. Every year we choose a live fruit tree to decorate so we can add it to our orchard after Christmas. I really love decorating the tree, so we’re getting it today so we can decorate it tomorrow for my birthday. Bring on the Christmas music and iced hot chocolate!
What are you looking forward to this weekend? xo
Thyme Roasted Pears with Pecorino
Ingredients:
4 ripe pears, halved and cored
1 cup pecorino cheese, grated
sprigs of fresh thyme
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
2. Line square baking pan with baking paper.
3. Arrange pears in pan, cut side up. Sprinkle with pecorino and sprigs of thyme.
4. Roast for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.
5. Serve warm or cold.
by Krista | Nov 24, 2015 | Spring
It’s been dark and stormy in my part of the world, with earth-rattling thunder, straight-to-the-ground bolts of lightning, and sheets of rain that drenched in seconds. Simply marvelous!
Before the storms arrived, Bear and I spent a delightful morning at a Danish Christmas Market in Mount Gravatt.
Although it is still odd for me to celebrate Christmas when I’m in a sundress sweltering in the shade, this market was just the thing for reviving holiday spirits.
Walking past palm trees and tropical flowers, we entered a building bursting with Christmas cheer. Musicians played traditional Scandinavian instruments and led the crowd in rousing singalongs of jaunty Christmas tunes. Tables were covered with all the things that mean Christmas to me and anyone else growing up with Danish traditions: white candles, red and white flags hung from picks and along garlands, paper stars, woven heart baskets to fill with treats and hang from the Christmas tree.
I loved it.
I especially loved experiencing it with Bear, introducing him to the culture and traditions I grew up with.
We wandered among the stalls, pointing out the items we’d return for. Some of our Danish Viking friends we know from our medieval adventures were there, and it was so fun to have a good chat in real life.
Then it was time for a bite to eat. We had red Danish sausages on fresh bread rolls topped with good Danish mustard and crispy fried onions, followed by æbleskiver, lovely little pancake balls topped with jam and powdered sugar.
We even braved a sip of Gammel Dansk Liqueur, a Danish bitters made up of 30 different herbs and fruits. It is astoundingly awful, but my Danish friends swear by its healing properties. Now that we know it’s meant to be viewed as a medicinal tonic rather than a delicious beverage, we might give it another go one day.
Before heading for home we picked up a few treasures: felt Danish flags to decorate cakes and pastries with, and a little Christmas doll of wood and felt with a tiny knitted scarf. I’ve dubbed her Maddy. I also picked up fresh poppy seed bread rolls and Bear surprised me with a couple of Danish advent candles.
The pièce de résistance was a gigantic, and I do mean gigantic, Danish kringle. Seriously, I had to use both hands to carry it, letting each side rest on my forearms so it wouldn’t break.
Kringle is a pretzel-shaped delicacy made of wienerbrød (Danish pastry) and filled with marzipan, fruit, or nuts, then sprinkled with coarse sugar. It is, in a word, divine. Particularly with a cup of coffee.
We had such a good time at the Danish Christmas Market, and can’t wait to return next year. It’s officially part of the Bear and Poppet Christmas Tradition.
What is one of your favorite Christmas traditions? xo
