Easy Like Sunday Morning ...

Decided to wake up the girls with some pancakes. Partial success, but even Lea was up before noon.

I may start a new Sunday tradition, getting up, mixin batter, let the batter rest while taking my shower, and then make the pancakes. I may see more of the girls during the weekend that way ...

The cooking pot contains the leftover glögg (mulled wine) from yesterday evening, btw, we had æbleskiver (spherical pancakes) and glögg/tea for late dessert.

Sunday Dessert: Chocolate Fondue

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed two fondue sets in the local Red Cross  recycling store, at about 1/10 the price for a new one, and I promptly purchased both, as I know my kids love cosey food (I have to get out the raclette barbeque set somewhen soonish, too). The following weekend Anna was busy packing for her school trip to Berlin (all of last week), so I had to wait until this weekend  getting one of the fondue sets in use.

This time, we used it for dessert - found a very easy recipe for chocolate fondue (250g chocolate and 4 spoons of cream, heated in a water bath, then placed over a tea light when served - could not be any easier, right?), and meanwhile my wife and Lea prepared the fruit and marshmellows for when Anna had finished her shower.

Everything was eaten, but the next time we probably shall have to make a small portion in the other pot, using milk chocolate, as Anna is not all that fond of the dark kind.

Vacation 2016 - Day 14, Part 9: Carcassonne, Part F

It was getting late in the afternoon, and we decided to find a place to eat in Carcassone - so out into the streets we went!

We chose Restaurant 'Le Grand Puits'. I do not remember what the rest of the family had, but my menu consisted of Foie Gras, Cassoulet, and Chocolate Icecream. The food took forever to arrive, I think we spent about three hours at the restaurant in all, but I found it very good (so good that I made Cassoulet the following winter - have to try that again, soon!).

Now follow some almost identical views of the city walls at sunset, with a different one in between.

Anna & Lea not fighting, for once...

We found this 'secret' stairway down from the old city. It is narrow and steep, and almost too much for Anna's knees.

A last impression of the old city of Carcassonne. We slept very well that night!

Vacation 2016 - Day 7, Part 10: Farewell to Empúries, and Luncheon in the Sun

I have been sorely neglecting this blog the last year, and left the summer vacation of 2016 hanging in mid-air, but I intend to bring my holiday memories up to  date over the next couple of months.

I shapped a few additional photos on the way from the Roman city to the exit of the Empúries cite.

On the outskirts of L'Escala is a tourist office with a small parking lot and some nice palm trees. We parked there and had our lunch in the shadow of one of said palms.

The Tourist Office

A view of the hills - without the cars,
one could almost see Sharpe and his Chosen Men emerge from the shrubbery...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Bacon and Cabbage! Wonderful dish, am going to introduce some of my friends to it at the first possible opportunity - would be great to combine with a gaming day. And some good beer and akvavit!

I have recipes for other versions, one of them involving fried bacon and cabbage boiled in beer - I think I shall need to try that one out, too...

Another 'Mortensaften'

Again, tomorrow, it is the day of the French Bishop Martin of Tours, and as always, we commemorate him on the evening before (we do that with most holidays) by eating birds galore. I heard earlier today that in Denmark alone, about 600.000 ducks are served tonight.

I was at it from the moment i got up at 2 p.m. (slept after night watch), but managed to slip in a bit of painting in beween preparing the various parts of the meal,

No minis completed yet, but I am close, and expect to have at least one to show tomorrow evening!

Muffins!

Vanilla Edition

When I got out of bed at about 3 p.m., I was met with the unmistakable scent of new pastry, and as I was about to find, Anna and Lea had been busy in the kitchen, baking banana muffins for the afternoon tea/coffee.

They also made some coloured sugar frosting, but as I am not very keen on the taste of that, I whipped up some cream for the muffin I was about to consume.

The girls also decorated the pastry with strawberries cut in half, and some mint leaves.

Muffin, anyone?

Dad Edition

Some Days, Life is Tough...

...but yesterday was not that day.

In the afternoon, my wife and kids decided to drive to the beach (in Svendborg), so I got out one of our camping sun loungers, found a shady spot, picked up a discounted frame of beers from the local SuperBrugsen, and was all set to enjoy the Celsius 28 degrees temperature.

And waht a summer's day!

Hardly a cloud in sight, and the sky as blue as the Mediteranean Sea.

As you can see, my lawn is suffering from the heat and draught, but it only means that I don not have to mow it as often, and that some of the moss will wither away.

I do have garden stuff I need to do, but there is no need for being hasty when the Danish summer shows itself from its best side!

Molly also found a shady spot

After returning from the beach, the kids fetched the garden furniture from the shed, and we were all set to enjoy a barbeque.

I took a test photo, and, somehow, Lea managed to get in it. My camra did not like the sunlight reflecting from the brick wall.

I forgot the the camera resets everytime I turn it off, thus I did not get back to the table for this photo.

And, finally, the entire family ejoying a barbeque supper. I think Anna just spotted Molly...

Celebrating a Catholic Saint.

In Denmark, it is tradition to celebrate 'Mortensaften' (Eve of Saint Martin of Tours) on November 10th (we always celebrate on the evening before the actual day here, like Christmas Eve, Saint John's Eve (Midsummer), New Year's Eve, etc.) with a feast of bird.

Originally, the bird was a goose, as Martin of Tours is said to have hid in a goose pen to avoid being appointed Bishop of Tours, but the geese, startled by the monk coming into the pen, cackled and thus gave him away.

With households having shrunk to a mere 2-5 persons, though, most people these days feast on a roast duck instead, as it is a more manageable meal.

Here in Denmark, much winter's food (like pork roast, roast poultry, 'medister' sausage, etc.) is served with 'browned potatoes' which is small cooked and peeled potatoes covered in caramelized sugar on a hot pan, so, naturally, I have prepared some 'tatoes for todays supper, too.

Now I shall go for an eight kilometer walk with the dog to get my appetite up for tonight, before I put prepare the duck for the oven.

Then it is time for doing some tidying up in the house (we had a delayed Halloween party in the attic Saturday, and I had to remove some of my boxes from up there to make space for the kids - so now I have to make space for the boxes in the conservatory, which means sorting out the contents of some of the boxes already there, and see what I can ditch, and what I need to find storage room for)...

So, probably not much hobby time today, but I hope to be able to report some progress tomorrow!