Solo Santa Claus Cookie Making

It had been a couple years since I had last made Santa cookies, and since I had my mold with me here in Denmark, I figured I should have the tradition spread to the other side of the globe. It took me three days and probably about 5 hours time spent making the cookies.

The cookies have been pressed in the mold and carefully pulled out and layed on the pan. Raisin eyes are slivered and placed carefully into the dough before baking.

The cookies cool on the rack before they are decorated any further. At this point, I put them in Tupperware and got to them the next day.

And the next day, I start by painting all the lips. Then, I painted all the cheeks and noses. Then, I paint and sugar all the caps.
Then, it is time for the frosting! First, I take my professional pastry tube and decorate the tip of the cap, the rim of the cap, the eyebrows and then the mustaches.
Then, it is time for the beards. I smear frosting on the beards and then pat it with shredded coconut!
And voila! A final Santa cookie!

Christmas Cookies!

This is a honningkage, or a honey cake, covered in chocolate and then stamped with a Victorian Santa picture. I am crazy about these cakes, mostly, I think, because they remind me of Christmas at home and the traditional "Nanna Bars" that my mom makes every year. We call them Nanna bars, because the recipe comes from an old Danish friend named Nanna. After being in Denmark around the holidays, I discovered that Nanna bars were actually honey cakes and a traditional Danish Christmas treat.

Hammel Tree Lighting

Michael and I walked to the center of town to catch the excitement of seeing the Julemand, or Santa Claus light the town tree. A huge crowd with lots of kids were there to be sure they got their bag of candy from Santa. (Nov. 30)

A young band performs music for the crowd.

Hammel's Christmas Tree

Santa passing out candy...from a shopping cart!

Michael, who looks like he has drunk too much glogg, shows his sugary loot. But it was the adults who got a free cup of glogg and a few aebleskiver! Oh! Christmas is great!

The Boy from ARoS museum

Since the museum opened not too long ago, I had been very interested in seeing this Boy in real life! I was so amazed by the details of this sculpture. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the artist, but I saw a book on more of his works, which are of the same size, and they are incredible. I definitely recommend a visit to ARoS in Aarhus to see this monster!

Fast Cars at ARoS Museum in Aarhus

Late last month, Jan took Michael and me to ARoS, the new art museum in Aarhus. Jan, being a car enthusiast...actually, anything-with-a-motor enthusiast, was very interested in seeing some racing cars that he had grown up seeing on tv. It was a pretty interesting exhibit on race cars as art.

Jan with the Le Mans car that won with the Danish driver Tom Christensen.

Two oldies! ;)

A trip to Fanoe in early November

Back in the beginning of November, my Aunt Kisser (Kirsten) invited Jan and I to Fanoe for the weekend. Unfortunately, Jan couldn't make it, but I really, really wanted to go and see some family and spend a few days at our family's new summer house. So, I took the train and about 3 and a half hours later I was "home" again! It is actually quite nice not living all the way in northern Jutland anymore, because it is just so frickin' far to travel anywhere from there.

This is the silouette of the fore fathers of my family. My parents have this portrait in their entry way, as well as my aunt and uncle in their house. I have run into this portrait in so many homes, that when I see it, I know I am with family...no matter how distantly they are related!

A view from inside the summer house looking across the dining table over towards the living room and the view of the dunes outside the window. Rob lit the wood stove several nights while I was there and it really gave the house a very cozy feel. It is definitely not just a *summer* house, but a vacation home.

Looking from the living room towards the entry, the kitchen, and the utility room.

This is where I slept. I was excited to get my own bed this time. When my family and I stayed the first time at the summer house last summer, there wasn't enough room for me, so I had to sleep on a blow-up mattress in the middle of the living room. This bed was so comfortable, I slept like a dream! I can't wait to come back and spend a week some day!

A view of the grasses out near Paelebjerg on Fanoe.

The beach of Fanoe and the North Sea. We drove out to Paelebjerg after a really late lunch and walked out to the beach. We caught a beautiful sunset.. one with no wind at all. I don't think I have ever been on the beach on Fanoe where there has been no wind. It was a treat, and a great time to catch the reflections of the sky in the water below.

A trip to Fanoe continued...

Kisser and I drove to Nordby on Saturday to check out some of the shops that were still open. It is a lot of fun to see the small shops and walk along the main street with all its quaint character.

A blue door of a restaurant in Nordby.

An old fashioned styled lamp on the wall of one of the shops in Nordby.

After our little trip to Nordby, we drove back to Soenderho and went to Bodil's house where we were invited for a traditional, local lunch with herring and other good stuff.

Bodil, Kisser and Rob at the table in Bodil's cozy, old Soenderhonian house.

And that is me with a salted, baked fish...it's called something like bakskuld...I have no idea how to spell it. It was a whole fish minus the head. It tasted great. This is also the last picture of me with my long hair. That night, Kisser attempted to cut it and it ended up a little shorter than planned. She ended up giving me some money before I left to get it professionally cut. Now, I won't need to get another haircut for at least a year!

A Visit to Fanoe, cont'd...

Bodil uses her Bedstemors little glass that was specifically used when making kaffepunch...akvavit and coffee.

The little nisse (Xmas eleves) are teasing the beer bottles. Here are three different variations of the Christmas Carl's beer label.

Saturday night after we were at Bodil's, we drove up to Nordby and took part in the Julebryg at the Hjoernekroen. Rob and Kisser say Skaal!

Rob with grandma's cousin Tove and her husband Peer.

Sunday night, Rob and Kisser invited a cousin of my grandmother and her family for dinner. Rob serves ice water to Maria, Jane and Christina.

Rob put out a couple traps in the outside storage room and caught yet another mouse that had taken refuge inside there.

The view of the rear of the summer house.
The front of the summer house before Kisser drove to the ferry.

Jan's Birthday

A little over a week after my birthday, it was Jan's birthday. We invited his mom and her husband Joergen over for apple pie and coffee!

Jan and Michael.

My beautiful apple pie that I made completely from scratch. I always dread making pies, because I don't like making the crust, but this crust turned out so delicious! And I added pretty leaves for decoration. I was quite proud of myself! Everyone enjoyed it!

Celebrating my birthday in Nordjylland

Back in October, I celebrated my birthday by spending the eve of my birthday on the northwest coast of Jutland. Jan's mom has a vacation condo near a popular summer turist town called, Loekken. It has a reputation for some wild nights, but it also has a nice small village charm and is well known for its beaches and hard candy!

We drove the whole way from Groenhoej to Loekken on the beach. Here's the view from the "bitch" seat.

The yellow buildings of Loekken.

We were present for the making of a batch of corporate hard candies (bolcher) at the local and famous Bolcheriet. Here, they are taking the plain sugar mix and lopping it on the hook, which adds oxygen to the sugar and makes it a white-white, instead that of the yellow color as seen on the work table.

The bolcher makers have colored and flavored the mix and divide the pieces to make a particular design.

After all that work, the big blobs of sugar are stretched down into tiny pieces that are now ready to be bagged and delivered to the company that ordered this batch of bolcher!

One of the best parts of my day was finding Annelisevej on a map of Loekken! A dead-end road in a summer house area is where you will find the beautiful setting of the most wonderful road in all the land!