Warm Ovens and Cold Mornings

I've been keeping the kitchen warm with baking. The last pumpkin pie has been finished off and now we're on to more Christmasy things like gingerbread cutouts, buttery lemon rounds, almond anise cookies, and a few dozen meringues, full of dark chocolate chunks. 

We've been having frosty, ice cold mornings. I took a backpack with me on a recent walk through the woods and gathered larch cones and pine branches to decorate our home for the holidays. Paired with simple white candles they make the most humble, beautiful arrangements. 

Now, when the branches are bare, I spot so many woodpecker holes and squirrel nests . From Rafael's room we can also look out the window and watch ravens in the tree outside, cawing, wiping their beaks on the branches, and sometimes looking back at us. So many of the other creatures are burrowed away now, hiding from the cold, and it is kind of nature to give us the open sky and naked trees in winter, that we may observe the birds so closely, who are mostly hidden by green foliage in the warmer seasons. 

The days, though short in terms of light, feel very long. Rafael is going through a difficult phase, seeming dissatisfied and irritated much of the time. Maybe we are alone too much. Maybe he should be with other children more often. I wonder if he is bored. Our walks in the woods are so much shorter now that it is cold, and then we are left with a lot of time at home, and although we have Play-Doh, crayons, Playmobil and puzzles, Raffi appears to have lost some interest in playing with these things. I ask him if he'd like to bake cookies or read a book, and he just seems annoyed with everything I suggest. I ask myself: Is this a phase? Or do I need to make a change?

On clear, freezing cold nights, walking the dogs down the quiet neighborhood streets, the stars pierce the darkness, and I get that strange feeling in my stomach that I always get when I look up at the night sky. There is something about seeing that open space, feeling so small under it's gigantic darkness, which both frightens and fascinates me. Seeing the stars, knowing they aren't just tiny lights but actual physical things that I could touch and walk on if I was close enough...

I also get that strange feeling in my stomach when I see airplanes soaring through the sky. I always wonder: where is it headed? Who is inside? What are the stories and dreams and hopes and disappointments and fates of all those passengers? And then my stomach starts feeling funny, and I think: to those people in the plane, looking down, I am just an insignificant dot. 

xoxoxo

Happy Halloween!

Having friends with babies gave us the perfect excuse to throw a Halloween party...who doesn't want to see their little one in an adorable costume? 

Rafael was a perfectly round Jack-O-Lantern, Ramon was a cowboy, and I was a black cat. In our group of friends there was a Doctor in scrubs, Mary Poppins, and a Vampire couple. Raffi's little friends consisted of a frog princess, Superman, and Count Dracula.

Today, the perfect thick mist was curled all around the village, so fitting to Halloween! I baked a chocolate cake, covered it in cream cheese frosting, and topped it with little marshmallow ghosts. It was already getting dark when I took the photo of the cake at 4 o'clock, and it was so dark when guests arrived that the photos didn't turn out. So, we will have to keep this Halloween saved by memory. And make a note for next year: take photos while it's still light out!

It's crazy to think that, next Halloween, Rafael will be able to tell me what he wants to dress up as. This is all going so incredibly fast. (Have I mentioned that he's walking now?!)

I hope you and yours enjoyed a fun and festive Halloween! 

xoxo

Simple Homemade Strawberry Jam

Pick or buy fresh, aromatic strawberries...the best are the ones that are red inside.

I bought three kilos at the farmer's market.

Wash your berries.

Remove their stems. (See the redness throughout the cut berry? Yes, that's what we want!)

Weigh your washed, stemmed berries...

....being sure to keep the finest handful to eat raw and fresh.

Mash or puree the strawberries; I like to use my old pie dough cutter.

Add jelly sugar (I used the 2:1 formula: 2 kilos of fruit and 1 kilo jelly sugar) and stir on high heat until

it boils. Keep stirring while it boils for 4 to 6 minutes.

Have your sterilized jars, tongs, ladle, and funnel ready.

Ladle the hot jam through the funnel into the jars.

Close the lids tightly and turn them over for 10 minutes to seal them airtight.

Use pretty fabric and twine for the jar lids.

(Thank you, Morwenna, for giving me such a lovely jam lid set!)

Enjoy on scones, bread, toast, buns...or in yogurt, müsli, or cream.

Give to friends and family.

And keep some in your pantry to enjoy throughout the cold months of the year.

xoxoxo

Carrot Cupcakes with Lemon Sour Cream Frosting, And Bunny Bunting

Every Monday, Rafael and I make our way to the local vicarage where a weekly playgroup is held. Mothers with their children and babies meet for singing, playing, crafting, and coffee and snacks. Moms take turns bringing snacks for the group, and this week, it was my turn. Since Easter is just around the corner, I thought I would make some cupcakes, and what better flavor to make for this holiday than carrot cake?

Carrot cakes I have made and eaten in the past have tended to be too heavy for my taste, loaded with raisins, pineapple, nuts, and coconut. One slice and you are full. I wanted to make carrot cupcakes that were simple, moist, and delicately spiced. I used this recipe, substituting melted virgin coconut oil for the vegetable oil, and using my Kitchen Aid mixer instead of a food processor. The result was delicious and exactly what I was hoping for.

I realized too late that I didn't have any cream cheese for the cream cheese frosting which typically goes with carrot cake. But I did have sour cream. I am sure that situations like this one are when some of the best recipes are discovered. At least, I am very pleased with the tangy, sweet frosting which I whipped up with the ingredients I had on hand.

My recipe for Lemon Sour Cream Frosting:

5 Tablespoons soft unsalted butter
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
1 1/2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip the butter and powdered sugar until combined. While the beaters are still going, add the remaining ingredients. If it's too runny, add more sugar. If it's too stiff, add some more sour cream.

This recipe frosted 16 cupcakes, though I don't pile it on too high. I sprinkled some of them with finely chopped walnuts and topped them all with little flags that I made from toothpicks, craft paper, and glue.

To get the 'rosette' look that I achieved with my frosting, start in the center and circle outwards.

............

As I mentioned in a previous post, I wasn't able to make anything at the little craft party I held here last Friday, because Rafael was teething badly and needed to be held the whole time (by the way, his second bottom tooth made it's appearance this morning!). So last night, while Rafael was sleeping, I finally managed to make an adorable bunny bunting, which I strung up in his room. The original idea, along with the printable stencil, can be found here. What I did differently was that I folded my craft paper and traced the stencil so that the ears stayed attached at the point where the paper was folded. In this way, I was able to simply hang the bunnies by their ears instead of sewing them to the baker's twine at the body. I find they also have a nice 3D look because of being doubled. 

Wishing you all a great start to the week, hopefully with time for baking a crafting!

xoxo

Easter Crafting Party

I had three mommy friends over for an afternoon of Easter crafting yesterday. It was raining cats and dogs and Raffi was teething horribly, even though I captured this one smile of his on camera. He was so clingy and tearful that I didn't manage to craft a single thing, besides frosting some chocolate cupcakes. But it was still fun having my girls over, and they managed to make a few things: Neli made brownie-filled eggs, Steffi made bunny bunting, and Dani took the chance to make finger puppets, although they didn't have an Easter theme.

I was close to tears by the end of it, only because Rafael was having such a hard time and there was nothing I could really do to comfort him. But besides that, it was so nice to have friends over, fellow mommies who understand about a crying baby and understand that sometimes you just need to take your baby to the bedroom even if you have guests over.

Afterwards we all agreed that we should get together for crafts more often, ideally once a month. It's so nice to sit around a table and talk, share, create.

I'm planning on making my bunny bunting and also some cupcake flags while Rafael is sleeping over the next couple of days, as it is the only realistic chance. I'll share them with you when they are done!

Have a beautiful weekend!

xoxo

Bits Of Our Spring Home

Today the sun was shining brightly in a robins-egg blue sky. The perfect day to spread Easter and spring around the home.

It's funny: I've never really been excited about spring or Easter as far as decorating or celebrating goes. But for some reason, this year it's different. This may or may not have something to do with Pinterest.

So this morning on our walk through the woods I gathered branches that were already sprouting tender green leaves, and put them in a vase where I hung them with little ceramic eggs (hanging decorative eggs onto branches is a tradition here in Austria at Easter time). I found a fallen bird's nest a little while ago which I nestled in the branches and filled with tiny speckled quail eggs. A few years back I watercolored two blown eggs, and I placed these in egg cups.

Even though Rafael insisted on being held most of the morning, I somehow managed to bake up chocolate cupcakes for an Easter party we've been invited to. The dogs dozed on the sunny couch, and our home felt so bright and cheerful with all the green and pink.

xoxoxo

When Will It Feel Like Christmas?

Not a single snow flake so far. Not one.

Ramon complained the other day: "It doesn't feel like Christmas at all." So I took out a little box of decorations and had Frank Sinatra croon Christmas tunes while I lit candles. Still, it's been awkwardly warm (not really warm but warm for December) and we're all starting to wonder: When will it start to feel like Christmas?

The advent wreath I made a few weeks back was shedding needles and looking quite sad. I finally decided to take it apart and transform it into an advent bowl. It looks very pretty and made me think of my mom, who always knew how to make something out of nothing. Once we lived in one room together. We ate meals sitting on pillows on the floor, cooked on a hot plate, and slept in one bed. But it was clean, and warm, and cozy. I guess I learned how to think creatively from her.

So mom, this impromptu advent bowl is dedicated to you.

It does make it feel a little more like Christmas.

xoxoxo

Wreath Making at the Farmhouse

My friend Daniela, whose baby girl was born four days after Rafael, invited me over to her farmhouse for a get together to make advent wreaths. She lives with her husband and daughter in an old farmhouse at the end of a dirt road outside of town. It's so rural that no snow plows go out there, and her husband has to clear the way with a tractor when it snows.

Us women gathered around a huge old table, our babies and children piled on the couch and crawling on the floor, while the men headed out to cut evergreen branches, rose hips, and berries.

Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent, you light one candle. An additional candle is lit during each subsequent week until, by the last Sunday before Christmas, all four candles are lit.

That familiar spicy fragrance of cut evergreens filled the room when the men carried in arm loads of branches; the smell of the Christmas season.

We chatted, wound branches with wire around straw rings, breastfed our babies, played with toddlers, ate cookies, drank tea, and decorated our wreaths with nuts, berries, pine cones and candles.

Certainly, one of the most wonderful parts of holidays are the preparations!

Rafael napped and then played with some other babies (meaning he lay next to them and sucked on his hand). He was so peaceful and content. I can't help but feel very proud of him every time I look at his sweet face.

I chose to use the classic colors of the holiday: red, white, and green, with some browns mixed in for a touch of rustic country charm.

I love how it turned out and hope Daniela will hold this gathering again next year. There's just something about a group of women, sharing conversation and using their hands to make things together, that feels very right to me.