Bibs' favourite muffins

More snow has come. The thing I love the most about the snow (when I can't ski...) is the quiet it brings with it. It gets cosy. Hyggeligt, we call it in Danish. That's a word that only exists in Danish. It means cosy and comfortable and something welcoming. A girlfriend a meet up can be hyggelig, a house can be hyggeligt (fireplace, candles, a nice chat and a hot cup of tea). And it probably includes something to do with food as well, like lunch or dinner with friends or a good afternoon with cake.

And this weather has got me backing. Bibs is not a cake kid. So it is always a huge surprise when she actually likes one. But I thought maybe if I made baby muffins that would work. Indeed, it did.

Apple & Carrot Muffins

Recipe.

preheat oven @ 350F (180C)

makes 48 "baby" muffins

2 carrots

1 apple 

175g flour

150g sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp babking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

120ml oil (vegetable, corn, canola oil)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Peel and finely grate the carrots and apple. 

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In another ball whisk eggs, oil and vanilla extract. 

Fold the egg mixture and carrots & apple into the flour mixture. Don't stir too much, just until it is mixed.  

Fill up the muffin cups half so there is space for them to "grow"

I didn't check the timing really - but it's until a toothpick (or very tiny knife) comes up clear. Maybe around 15 - 20 minutes. 

Bon Appetit!

Kids playing in the snow and building a snowman - 5th Circle 

Leaving Taj Mall today... in the middle of a snow storm

Denmark-sick!

This morning on Facebook I was looking at some pictures posted by a friend of mine who has just returned to Copenhagen and suddenly I find that I am "home"sick... Well not exactly, I am Denmark sick! So here are some pictures of my homeland.

Last two times we were in Copenhagen it was in november... that's why it looks so cold and there are Christmas decorations everywhere. I really need to take Bobs in summer, cause all he knows of Denmark is cold, snow and wind - there is actually also a bit of sunshine and warmth. Copenhagen is wonderfull during summer-time.

Where are you from?

A typical question you get as you enter a taxi is "Where are you from?, America?", and somehow for the past couple of months it has made me a bit unconfortable.

When I arrived to Jordan and was asked I would always reply, honestly: am from Denmark, and I must say I have always had the lovely response: it is a nice country. I don't know if they know where Denmark actually is, but still, I thought it was a good answer. That was until one of my friends told me that her Danish husband had been in a bar on Al Wakalat Street and when he said he was from DK, the waiter made illusion to the problems which came after the drawings a couple of years back (I guess you all know what I am making reference to). Anyways, this really made me wonder. What happens if I am in a taxi and the driver doesn't like me being from Denmark?... The odds are probably low, but if I am with Bibs, I'd rather not take any chance. This bothers me, really. Am proud of being from Denmark. And besides that, what do I answer? If I say France, they'll look at me and say "ahhh Sarkozy" - which in a way is not that much better. So I have resigned myself to say that I am British.

Am I being paranoid? Most probably.

A movie, some education and a glass of wine

There are a couple of interesting articles in today's Jordan Times, and a couple of other things that I thought I would mention. The newspaper has a small section, what's on, in which one can find out some of the things going on in Amman: exhibitions, markets, theater representations... and today it mentions the Scandinavian Film Festival. Okay, it is not a huge festival - only 3 movies - but on the 31st they show Babette's Feast. It is a long and slow movie about the life of 2 elderly sisters and their French housekeeper, living in a small Protestant community in rural Denmark during the 19th century. Long and slow - but funny, interesting and so attaching. You can read more about the plot here. 

Then, this one made me smile, how should I put it? Well I guess that there are some words which are not (yet?) acceptable in my Jordanian newspaper. So "Sexual Education Module" becomes "a Family Health Training Manual". You see, that's cute! It is a small correction to an article from yesterday's paper. The power of words, I tell you. Of course you have to call a cat a cat, and sexual education is... sexual education. However,  I also think that sometimes you can present things a bit nicer and when as here there is religion involved in the same sentence, "family health" is much more appropriate.

On to some bigger articles now. First, Jordanian wines. There is an article about Saint Georges wines, the owner Omar Zumot has decided he wants to put Jordan on the wine world map. There is no reason why not. Wine had been grown in Jordan for centuries, the oldest wine making history in the world? It is naturally convenient to grow wine in Jordan; this country has a great soil and an ideal climate, with a coldish and wet winter and a sunny, completely dry summer. The interesting thing is, that his wine is organic. Because there is no humidity in the summer months, there is no growth of fungus, small spiders or insects and Zumot can rely on birds doing the pest work - I like that! It is explained that the wines are not exported to the EU yet, let's hope that the needed entity to validate the wines will make it's appearance soon in Jordan.

The last one links to another post I am working on and is regarding the Dana Biosphere Reserve. You may, or may not know, that Jordan has quite a few Nature Reserves worth a visit, one of them, Dana, is located north of Petra. The idea is to open a new trail going from the reserve to Petra. It will take 3 nights of camping in which one can discover some of the 216 types of birds (many of these are globally threatened), 38 mammals and the 4 bio-geographical zones in which lies the reserve. Did I mention the 833 types of vegetation? I am not so much into camping (well to be honest I have never tried), but this reserve, the largest in Jordan, seems amazing. 


It is week-end tonight. I feel like watching a good movie with a nice glass of red wine, then go to bed and enjoy my book. Bliss! 

Goodbye to the Danish Embassy in Amman

I read last night on the Danish Ambassador to Jordan's blog that due to budgetary costs, the Danish Embassy in Amman is closing it's doors on September 1st of this year.

The Embassy opened only 3 years ago and as a Dane I find it very sad that my little country will not be represented any more in the country where I live. Jordan and Denmark have many things in common - both kingdoms, both small countries with a little population and few resources. That creates people who know how to think creatively, outside the box.

You can read more in an article from the Jordan Times.

Happy Easter

This Easter I would like to give thanks. Give thanks for everything that I have got. I think that too often we forget that we are blessed with so many good things and only tend to stop on the small things which bother us in life.

But before I do, let me tell you a bit about Easter in Denmark. Homes are decorated with eggs, small chickens, bunnies and other flowers, colours are mainly yellow and light green to represent Spring. You can check out some decorations here: Royal Copenhagen, they make the most awesome decorations (Christmas also) as well as dinnerware and home decors. It's not cheap, but I love their stuff! We don't do Easter eggs in the garden, but we have 'Gækkebreve' or teaser letters. Let me explain: It is a tradition going back to the 16th century and was then called bind letters. Nowadays they are anonymous letters send out composed in rhymes (or short poems) and with a paper cutting. They are signed with an amounts of dots representing each letter of the senders name and the receiver must guess who it comes from in 3 guesses, if they can't they owe the sender an Easter egg. The famous Danish author H.C Andersen was also known for his paper cuttings.

This is an example - you can find plenty online by searching 'Gækkebreve'

Then as always, there is the big Easter Sunday lunch, when friends & families gather to feast Jesus' Resurrection for the believers and an occasion to be together for the others. The lunch is usually a buffet which consists of marinated herring, small prawns, cut meats, hard boiled eggs, leverpostej (our liver pate), a warm dish (generally lamb or chicken) and a cheese board. Of course with all lunch in Denmark we serve akvavit also known as snaps (alcoholic beverage served in shots) and beer - we even have a special Easter beer.

Well, well enough about traditions...

I am so ever grateful for having a our baby girl. She the most precious we have got, I can never be thankful enough. I have a fab husband, who is kind and smart, funny and loving and who is taking care of us - I even get a present now and then! Though far away, I have both my fantastic parents, a great sis and wonderful nieces & a nephew, I love them all very much. I have caring in-laws who always make me feel welcome and a sister-in-law, I consider my sister. Far away as well are my old friends whom I know I can trust and count on. We are living in a peaceful country, we are free to say and think what we want. I have the liberty to pray my God. We are living a comfortable life. And for this and much more I don't give enough thanks...

Tomorrow night we are staying at the Six Senses Spa, yet another reason to be grateful! I will be back with lots of pictures and tell you all about the hotel!

I wish you a great Easter week-end.



Are you giving thanks for what you have?

International Women's Day

March 8th - today it's International Women's Day... I think it is very unfortunate that in 2010 we still need a day to remember discrimination against women and in general to celebrate Women. The first International Women's Conference was held in Copenhagen a century ago and the first International Women's Day was honoured for the first time in 1911 in 4 European countries including Denmark. Here is an example again of why I am proud of being Danish!

There are still too many countries where women's rights are not respected and still too many differences between men & women, boys and girls around the globe. There is still a lot to be done for women & men to be equal even in the western world and in developping countries even more so. Please have a look on the IWD's website to see what is happening in your countries and how the day is celebrated in others.

To all Women around the world: HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY!!