Demark på ferie

So July is upon us and the Danes are off on holiday. I don't think I was ever aware whilst living in England when the country was on vacation. Does the UK have June, July or August off? I realise when the school holidays arrive that is the main time for families to have some 'relaxing' weeks in Bournemouth, Scarborough or Spain but did the country ever close?

Here in Denmark they all go on holiday in July from one to four weeks. Shops close, businesses slow to a screeching halt and the roads are empty. Everyone is all a chatter about where, when and how long. I think France has June or July and Germany, as I found out last week, has August off.

What a strange little animal the human race has become. We are such creatures of habit; up, eat, work, eat, work, home, eat, sit, sleep or actions to that effect. We, as a rule, like a routine. We know where we are then don't we? Safe. No disorder here thank you!

I think even in societies of a perceived disorder there is an order in the chaos or chaos is the order.

Hmmmm anyway on that note our holiday is booked for August and may you all have a good one.

Rugbrød

Happy New Year everyone!
I have had a few requests for the recipe of the rugbrød I made so here it is - remember its good old fashioned bread and not like the supermarket bread you can buy. Enjoy!

Starter Mix/ surdej
2.5dl kærnemilk (Buttermilk)
2.5dk rugmel (ryeflour)
1 teaspoon of salt
Mix ingredients and cover with clingfilm and leave for 2 days at room temp

Rugbrød
1.3L water
800g ryegrains
1 small can of beer of your choice
500g rugmel (ryeflour)
400g hvedemel (whiteflour)
2 dessertspoons salt
12g gær (fresh yeast)
400g solsikkerkerner (sunflower seeds/ pumkin seeds/ sesame or flax seeds of your choice - all are nice:)

1. Mix rugkærner and water together in a large pan and bring to boil - turn off heat and and leave to cool so its cool enough to handle.

2. Add can of beer and starter mix

3. Add salt, hvedemel, and rugmel

4. Take off enough starter mix for next time

5. Add yeast and seeds

6. Put in breadforms (makes 2 loaves)

7. Smooth top really well and add seeds to top

8. Leave for 4 hours in a warm place to prove

9. Bake for 1 3/4 hours in an prewarmed oven at 200c and leave for 24 hours to 'set'


Hope you lke the recipe and enjoy the yummy bread afterwards!

Cars Cars Cars

So we bought a car. Ouch is all I can say. Buying a car in Demark costs about twice as much as buying one in the UK. It took 2 1/2 years of avoiding buying one until my new job meant we had to get one.

I mean its GREAT having freedom and being able to go where we want when we want really easily - and I love driving so its been well worth it so far.

But having a car has opened up alllll sorts of rants for me and seeing how some people drive (yes I have my moments but some drivers are shocking!) has frightened me a little.

Amongst other things I have to get used to the abundance of tractors that regularly idle along the roads in all their muddy goodness without a care in the world. For miles and miles they chug along not pulling over or feeling slightly under pressure that the whole of Jylland is crawling behind them in controlled frustration and rage. Good for them I say in my calmer moments - after all they were here before all the corporate commuters were rushing to their day jobs full of importance and superiority and they after all do provide us with potatoes. How can that be bad?? That is in my calmer moments of course. Otherwise its a tirade of swearing, tutting and satisfying putdowns.

I drive an hour each way to work and enjoy the drive as a whole but I do come across some idiots. Once I was driving back from work and there was an estate car in front of me weaving around the road, narrowly missing oncoming cars and then speeding up and slowing down. I kept my distance and watched with amazement as this driving behaviour went on for about 20 minutes. I seriously thought that maybe the driver had been drinking until I bravely drove closer to have a look - the woman driver was on the phone and passing drinks and sweets to her TWO SMALL CHILDREN in the back of the car. When we reached traffic lights she hung up the phone and dialled another number. Unbelievable.

I am back and more rants are to follow;-)

Rhubaphobic

Yes you heard it right 'Rhubaphobic'. Still on the themes of gardens we have a gigantic rhubarb at the end of our garden. Its a bit scary.

I love rhubarb though so was very excited to see it when we bought our house. There is no end to what you can do - pies , crumbles, jams, chutneys mmmmmmm yum. So I ventured off with a big sharp knife to the end of the garden (discovering after the massacre that you should 'pull' it out not cut) and got myself some stalks. But then what? Some looked green, some pink, some red and I had no idea if underipe rhubarb was poisonous so had do some googling (ohh new word new verb). I was happy to learn that only the leaves are highly toxic (!!) and I could put the rest in some pastry.

Anyway Fraser is Rhubaphobic and after forcing him to taste my nice apple and rhubarb mix (with lots of sugar of course) he is still not convinced but I think pastry and custard will help.

Rhubarb facts:
During World War I rhubarb leaves were recommended as a substitute for other veggies that the war made unavailable. Apparently there were cases of acute poisoning and even some deaths. Some animals, including goats and swine, have also been poisoned by ingesting the leaves. Thanks for the info www.rhubarbinfo.com :-)

Spring has sprung

Ahh so Spring seems to be finally here (although I am famous for tempting fate and Denmark will probably get snow tomorrow!) and we are adjusting to life with a garden. A great garden at that. But I have no idea about gardening and have been slightly scared of doing anything apart from the odd bit of weeding and tree pruning.

We bought an old lawnmower from our new neighbours last winter and I decided to dust it off last week to give the garden a much needed mow. Fraser showed me how it worked (its more complicated than you think guys!!) and off I went - literally. I was pulled down the garden leaving a very untidy stripe indeed - Fraser had to start and finish the job while I sat defeated on the decking. Ah well - cant win them all - and I lost this fight to an old, very very heavy Honda mower so its ok.

Denmark always seems to be a hive of industrious activity at weekends, bank holidays, Spring, Summer, Autumn etc (as long as its house/ garden orientated) and you never see a car without a trailer at these times. Streets are always drowning in the sound of mowers, hedge trimmers, strimmers and drills and more worringly grinders. Honestly we have a neighbour who backs onto our garden (who is obsessed with bird houses and windmills I might add) and they are always grinding something. I have seen them both recently so hopefully its nothing to worry about - but lets hope our cats dont annoy them too much this summer...

Long time no write..

So it must be around 4 months since my last update. The shame.

But I have reasons and the reason is I have found work. I started in October and have been quite busy to say the least. New house, new job, two new cats - it all happens at once doesnt it!

So I have a lot of catching up to to and its hard to know where to start. I think the main things I would like to blog about are Christmas, New Year, the cats of course and a few other little observations!

I'm back!

Stanley and Fritz in paradise

As you know we have been really, REALLY busy with the purchase of our wonderful 1950's house in Kolding. We have been here for a month now and after a few setbacks (namely the mattress being too big to get up the stairs) we are almost there!

I love it here and still can't get used to the fact that we have no-one above or below us and we dont have to keep the music level at 'sensible' - although we do.

We have our own lush garden with fruit trees and flowers and idlyllic though that may seem to the many Londoners that are reading this - it took Fraser 3 hours to mow the lawn yesterday and we have hundreds of apples to pick up of the lawn. There are only so many æblekages, apple crumbles, apples sauces and apple pies one can make. Though I will not complain really as it's paradise to us.

We are also the proud owners of two kittens - Stanley and Fritz. Stanley is 4 months and Fritz is 2 months. We got them from the same family (our new next door neighbours son) and was able to have Stanley a week before Fritz due to their ages. We knew they got on well as they grew up together (all of two months!) so it was perfect. I had to work on the Saturday Fritz arrived but from the phonecall I made home to my near- hysterical husband I gathered the cats were pleased to see each other. They were like two balls of fur spinning horizontally round the walls with the odd sqeak and hiss. Fraser had to leave the house for a few hours to have a breather - bless him.

Phew it's all go - but life is good.

Have you ever...

..had one of those days where everyone looks wierd? After managing to get out of the house today (twice I left the flat and as soon as I stepped out the front door it chucked it down!) I cycled down to Kolding town centre and set about doing my chores.



I was pushing my bike through the pedestrian area (500dk fine here for cycling in pedestrian street so thats a no no..) and found that people were being very spatially unaware and just walking in front of me, into me and practically kicking my heels behind me. I HATE people invading my personal space - once is forgivable as we all do it but if they persist I take it personally and get mad - and very huffy.

Once in Kilburn High Road I was trawling the charity shops, my favourite past time, and a woman in her 70's walked infront of me as I was rifling through the shirts and stopped and grabbed the shirt I was looking at - picture the scene - this womans back was now practically touching my chest while giving my chosen shirt a thorough going over - while my jaw hit the ground not quite believing that this had just happened. I said 'EXCUSE ME!' to the muttering pensioner and she replied 'Thats okay' and carried on. I could do nothing but laugh and walk away. If I had wanted that shirt it would have been a different matter - pensioner or not.

Anyway apart from the slack-jawed pond dwellers there were people that just werent quite 'right'. Not being mean or anything.....and I am sure they all come out on the same days just to freak me out. It used to be when I had a hangover just to add to the joyous post party experience but seen as I dont drink that much anymore (and definitely not in the week) I cant blame it on that!

Today I found myself surveying the scene on entering our local supermarket to see if shopping without incident, staring and downright fear was possible. It was a close call. I have been known (only once I admit) to leave a pretty full trolley in an aisle in Sainsburys after coming to the conclusion that it was all too much and a bit too frightening that day (yes hangover from hell) - so I am well experienced in assessing them now.

Anyway I made it and cycled home as fast as my little legs could spin the wheels.

Not just me is it?