A little sleepy now, sitting here typing this entry at 8pm I am not going to be up late due to the fact that I was woken 3 or 4 times in the night by the sound of rain battering the house! I know what you are thinking but I have lived in England, Denmark AND Hong Kong so I know my rain. It was LOUD. I considered ear plugs. But it was sooooooo cosy to be in bed under the warm duvet!
We braved the dreaded Storcentre on the way home from work. My number one item to buy? Pyjamas. Seriously! I wanted to get home, lock the doors, make the house cosy and wear pyjamas. Mission accomplished and I wont be resurfacing until Monday morning.
Life is good
Friday, September 04, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Car, Plane, Bus, Plane, Plane, Car, Golf Buggy, Longtail Boat, TRACTOR....holiday:)
So we are back from paradise. It's was such a fantastic location that we felt removed from the rest of the world and our life at home, in Denmark. It was hard to imagine our house and the weather, work and driving - that's what a good holiday is about right?
It has been so long since we had a 2 week holiday abroad at a 'resort' if you can call it that (and I hate that word). Our resort was amazing, we had a private cottage with a wall, outdoor jacuzzi, sun loungers and fish pond with resident frog. The decor was gorgeous - eastern style of course - with bamboo, wooden floors and silk. I like to see the correct decor in situ none of your Changing Rooms themes in Basingstoke thank you - thai style IN Thailand! Here, of course, it works beautifully.
I was astonished how many people took laptops on holiday, this in itself is of course understandable if you have work to do (!) want to blog etc etc, but a surprising amount of people had their laptops up and running through breakfast, lunch and dinner while family / significant other fidgeted around, gazing at the awesome panorama in front of them. Each to their own. On our last day we were in the reception area and one British man walked in to enquire about a room, he asked the ladies in reception at least 5 times about wifi, did they have it and how quick it was, he was almost in panic mode. Of course if gave me and Fraser the giggles as absurd situations like this normally do, he was oblivious to anything else of course. Maybe after two weeks he would be so chilled he wouldn't care any more (thai culture seeps in, osmosis like, after a few hours)
Anyway have loads of wonderful stories to relate so will keep it coming:)
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Thai inspiration
I made an great Thai curry yesterday and it was the first one I have made from scratch - no paste, no chemical additives and no cheating:) It was surprisingly easy and enjoyable to make. We are also going to Thailand next month so it's getting us in the mood;)
Living in Denmark, or more precisely Jutland/ Jylland - 'exotic' ingredients are not easy to come by and if you don't eat meat your produce options go down by around 75%!
I usually cook Indian curry, we just love it, but when looking around Bilka on Friday and with the Thai recipe in mind so many of the ingredients were there. Thai asparagus, lemongrass, hot green peppercorns in brine...that made up my mind Thai it is!
With this recipe you could substitute Thai basil with regular basil, galangal ginger with normal ginger etc BUT we have a brilliant Thai supermarket in town and I managed to get the exact ingredients needed. Thai basil has a more liquorice flavour and is absolutely delicious and they had frozen kaffir lime leaves (really fragrant!)and great coriander. This place is so good - it has many unidentifiable fruits and veg and dried goodies stacked on their shelves it really inspires me to experiment (and bring back tins of veg chops suey for the husband to try - he's a fan of mock duck I will have you know!)
Anyway back to the Thai curry - awesome and all thanks to......Delia would you believe. It packed a nice heat which built up but wasn't burning on contact and had a lovely complex taste. I made the green curry paste and boiled it in coconut milk then added the veg and viola. Yum will definitely be making that again.
Living in Denmark, or more precisely Jutland/ Jylland - 'exotic' ingredients are not easy to come by and if you don't eat meat your produce options go down by around 75%!
I usually cook Indian curry, we just love it, but when looking around Bilka on Friday and with the Thai recipe in mind so many of the ingredients were there. Thai asparagus, lemongrass, hot green peppercorns in brine...that made up my mind Thai it is!
With this recipe you could substitute Thai basil with regular basil, galangal ginger with normal ginger etc BUT we have a brilliant Thai supermarket in town and I managed to get the exact ingredients needed. Thai basil has a more liquorice flavour and is absolutely delicious and they had frozen kaffir lime leaves (really fragrant!)and great coriander. This place is so good - it has many unidentifiable fruits and veg and dried goodies stacked on their shelves it really inspires me to experiment (and bring back tins of veg chops suey for the husband to try - he's a fan of mock duck I will have you know!)
Anyway back to the Thai curry - awesome and all thanks to......Delia would you believe. It packed a nice heat which built up but wasn't burning on contact and had a lovely complex taste. I made the green curry paste and boiled it in coconut milk then added the veg and viola. Yum will definitely be making that again.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
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!
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!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
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;-)
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;-)
Thursday, May 01, 2008
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 :-)
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...
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...
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