This is what Christmas is all about... just sitting watching the birds and their "conflicts" on the bird table. Here we have everything from blue tit, great tit, Robin, Nuthatch, Marsh tit, Willow tit, Coal tit, Blackbird and Black-tailed Hawfinch.
Do you have any idea what kinds of birds these are...
It sure is. I simply love Christmas! Christmas is the time when you get to meet your family that you haven't seen in a while, and you get to spend time with people you love. That is precious!
Having the opportunity to give love and help others that doesn't have it as good as yourself.
Other things I love about Christmas is the traditions and the food.
Lets have an overdose of this song. I like the idea, Live Aid I mean. And I have figured out there are many different versions of the song on YouTube.
The original! from 1984 I think it was...
Remake from I dont know when, but Kylie Minogue is in it.
It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid
At Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade
And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy!
Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time
But say a prayer - pray for the other ones
At Christmas time
it's hard, but when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window
And it's a world of dreaded fear
Where the only water flowing is a bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom
Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you
And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
Where nothing ever grows
No rain or rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
Here's to you
Raise your glass for everyone
Here's to them
Underneath that burning sun
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time
and the last version is this:
The Glee-version. I know, its Glee! but I like it still...
Well, I am a girl of traditions, and I don't think that I'll be able to celebrate Christmas if its 20 degrees and no snow what so ever. Its something to do with who I am.
But still, I have my dream holidays, might not be for Christmas, but still.
Lets start!
Somewhere in the Caribbean. White beaches, blue ocean and palms... OK, I am sold! *sigh*. But this is not a place to live.This is a place to just relax...
Next place has to be Montreal! YES, Montreal. The gigantic city in Canada. You may ask why, and I will answer "just because". This is a "just because" city. And the fact that my friends and family are there, intensify the longing of going to this place.
Next one is the beloved Ireland. How can I forget. YES, I know I have been there, but still, I dream to go back. Ireland is fantastic! Its such a wonderful place!
And the last place is of course Scotland! How can I leave that out? Scotland amazing Scotland! O how I miss this wonderful country. There is a reason why I am going to move here.
I guess I could have made the list longer, but I have time pressure. Things has to be done...
OK, this will be a short list, with only 3 movies. Not because there are only 3 Christmas movies, its because I don have much time to write it. Lets start with...
This one, its Love Actually. I simply adore this movie, and I think I can classify it as a Christmas movie.
"The characters are falling in love, falling out of love, some are with right people, some are with the wrong people, some are looking to have an affair, some are in the period of mourning; a capsule summary of reality. Love begins and love ends. They flirt a lot. They are all flirting with love. At all ages and social levels, love is the theme. Romantic love and brotherly love is the hotchpotch through out the movie."
Next one has to be "The Polar Express". This is definatly a Christmas movie. And its so charming and cute and it does have an effect on kids. Like here the other day my nephew said "On the 23rd a train will come here".
"This is the story of a young hero boy on Christmas Eve who boards on a powerful magical train that's headed to the North Pole and Santa Claus's home. What unfolds is an an adventure which follows a doubting boy, who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole; during this ride, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery which shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe."
And the last one just has to be this one, and its exceptional in Norwegian. Its a must-see movie of Christmas.
"The film stars Libuse Safrankova as the title character, a young woman who is put upon by her stepmother and stepsisters. The film employs a twist, though, when a handsome prince comes knocking. Cinderella does not simply fall into the prince's arms. In this version, he must actively pursue the young woman who is a skilled sharpshooter prone to wearing hunting outfits. Cinderella also has three wishes at her disposal, gained from three magic nuts."
Luciadagen (Saint Lucia Day) is on the 13th of December. It is traditionally a feast day from the Calendar of Saints which comes from the early Christian custom of commemorating martyrs on the anniversary of their death (or birth into heaven). Even though Norway recognises the other feast days in the Catholic Church, only St Lucia, St John and St Olav’s days are celebrated nation-wide.
St Lucia Day was introduced to Norway when Christianity spread over the country in the late 1000s. This day became a mark on the farmer’s primstav – a woolen calendar stick. With the elements from Catholic faith mixed with ancient traditions, Lucia being confused with Lucifer and with the use of the Old Julian calendar which made the 13th of December the darkest day of the year, came the tradition of Lussi langnatt (Lucy Longnight). As such, Åsgårdsreia (Asagard parade – a trail of unsettled dead souls) became a tradition. The restless souls would travel from farm to farm seeing if people were preparing for Christmas. If the people weren’t the lost souls could vandalize the farm. Also, people who were not preparing for Christmas could be abducted into the trail. To protect themselves people would paint tar crosses above doors of houses and barns.
After the Reformation in the 1500s (when the Protestant Church became the State Church of Norway) St Lucia day was forgotten. It wasn’t until after WWII that Norway re-adopted St Lucia Day from the Swedes. This is now a parade of light as Lucia is derived from the Latin word ‘light’. Today the celebration is observed in schools and community organisations all over the country.
The school activities on St Lucia Day include a casual procession of singing children. One girl is chosen to lead, who represents St Lucia. She is dressed in white with a red sash and a wreath of candles around her head. Traditionally the procession is made up of all girls dressed in white. However, today, boys also join in, dressed as Nisse – a Norwegian elf. They travel through the school buildings handing out Lussekatter (Lucia buns) and sing the Saint Lucia song:
(Note: Norway, Denmark and Sweden have their own versions of the Saint Lucia Song.)
Sankta Lucia(Norwegian Lyrics)
Svart senker natten seg i stall og stuer.
Solen har gått sin vei, skyggene truer.
Inn i vårt mørke hus stiger med tente lys,
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia!
Natten er mørk og stum. Med ett det suser
i alle tyste rom som vinger bruser.
Se på vår terskel står, hvitkledd med lys i hår,
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia!
Saint Lucia(English translation)
Black night is falling in stables and homes.
The Sun has gone away, the shadows are threatening.
Into our dark house enters with lit candles,
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia!
The night is dark and silent; suddenly a rush
in all quiet rooms, like the waving of wings.
See, at our threshold stands, dressed in white with lights in her hair,
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia!
Lussekatter
Lucia buns are the traditional treats handed out during the children’s procession and are a sweet bread or ‘boller’. The literal translation is ‘Lucia cats’. This is because of the characteristic winding tail design. The buns are also decorated with raisins.
Lussekatter Recipe
50 grams of fresh yeast or 1 packet of dry yeast
(note: sweet dough yeast is best to use)
150 grams butter
500mls of milk
1 gram of saffron (or half a teaspoon of turmeric)
150 grams of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of cardamum
about 1.3 litres of plain flour (measure in a water jug)
For decoration:
1 beaten egg for glazing
Raisins
Method
Melt butter. Add milk. Crumble yeast in a mixing bowl in some of the lukewarm milk/butter mix. Then add rest of wet ingredients. (Skip this step if using dry yeast.)
Mix in sugar salt cardamum and saffron. Add flour knead until a nice firm dough. (If using dry yeast add packet to flour before adding to the mix.) Cover in plastic wrap and let raise until double the size.
Sprinkle some flour on a kneading area and knead dough well. Cut dough into pieces and roll them to long finger thick sausages. Shape them into the famous Lussekatter double spiral. Place on a baking sheet and cover in plastic. Allow to raise for 15 minutes. Glaze with beaten egg and decorate with raisins (usually one raisin in each eye of the swirl.)
Bake at 225°C for 5-8 minutes (depending of size). Let them cool on a rack. They taste best lukewarm.
Where to begin. I think I'll write about at least 3 different types: Serinakaker (Serina cake), Berlinerkranser (Berliner wreath), and Nøttetopper (nut tops).
I'll start with Serinakaker. I simply love this little cake. Quite a charming little thing
250 gr wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
150 gr butter
100 gr sugar
1 egg
Sift together the flour, baking powder and vanilla sugar, and crumble the butter in. Add the sugar and beaten egg. Knead thoroughly and roll into a cylinder. Cut slices and shape into small balls. Place on the baking tin, and press down gently with a fork. Brush with egg and sprinkle with chopped almonds or coarse sugar. Bake at 175°C.
That is one tasty bugger! <3
Next one is Berlinerkranser, taste a bit the same as Serinakaker, but its not the same dough.
4 hard boiled egg yolks, cooled 4 raw egg yolks 1 c. plus 2 tbsp. sugar 4 1/2 c. regular flour 4 1/2 sticks butter
Mash 4 hard egg yolks and mix with 4 raw yolks until smooth. Add sugar and beat well, alternately add flour and butter; knead until smooth (using hands). Chill 1 hour.Pinch off lump of dough and roll on canvas covered lightly floured board to thickness of little finger (like a pencil). Cut into 5 inch length, cross end over to make wreath.
TOPPING:
4 slightly beaten egg whites 1/2 lb. sugar lumps, coarsely crushed (I use hammer & bag), need to be lumpy
Dip cookies into egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Lay on greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees until light tan, not too dark, about 10-12 minutes. If you cut in 5 inch lengths, this makes about 100.
Quite good this too, and VERY popular to make for Christmas!
Now its time for the best of the best, the Nøttetopper/Nøtteroser.
These are the ones that gets eaten first...
Ingrediences
100gr of hazelnuts, minced
110gr sugar
1 egg white
25gr of margarine, melted
whole hazelnuts for decoration
This is how you do it:
Mince the nuts and melt the margarine. Mix the nuts with sugar, egg white and at last melted margarine. Let the mixture set, and swell for at least 1 hour.
The dough is placed with a spoon or a piping bag, and put a whole nut on top of every cake.
The cakes are baked in the middle of the oven for about 14 min on 170ºC.
Tip: You can mix almonds and hazelnuts or just use almonds. If you want to you can decorate the cakes with chocolate stripes.
I have now becomed quite good at playing 2 Christmas songs, one is this one:
Deilig er jorden! One of my favorite sacral songs of this time of year, and therefore have I rehearsed on this song over and over again. Its not just chords, oh no. This is like real 4 parts thing. Its hard, but luckily its in C-major. The other song is this one
Now we have waited enough for the sequel of the "Favorite Christmas songs". But this time they are not in a specific order. Lets go!
Some might say this is way to fast, but I simply love this version of it. I know I had this on the other list, but this is Glee version. Ergo = love!
Once again, its Michael Bublé. There is no Christmas without him. And this song is "new of the year". And I have fallen in love with it. No, I have fallen in love with the whole CD. *love*
Lovely song! Its not a traditional Christmas song, but its still very charming song. And I like this better than the cover version by Natasha Beddingfield.
Then we have this song
Its a more upbeat version of the song "White Christmas". And somewhat unusual. But you just gotta love em! This is Overtones (not THE Overtones, I will write something about em later)
I know this is not just one song, but still I have to add it. Its so... perfect!
Candy (Jelly Baby and marzipan)
1 package of Marie biscuits.
Melt the fat and chocolate on low heat. Maximum on 1! Shall not boil! Whip the eggs and sugar to egg-flip in a mixing bowl, and mix in the (now lukewarm chocolate and fat)
Put a grease-proof paper in a oblong mould. Put a layer of the batter in the bottom. Then put a layer of biscuits and candy.
Then a new layer of batter, then more candy...Remember that you have to put batter on the top as well. Then you have to make a decition. Do you want to turn the cake around, or just leave it like it is. If you leave it, then it can be nice to decorate it with candy and marzipan. Then you need to pop the cake into the refrigerator. And then you have to let it set for about 5-6 hours...
Then dig in!
Must probably warn that this is a rich cake, but still oh so good!
*
This is the cake I NEED at Christmas. There will be no Christmas without it.
Woo, this is a big chapter. Where to start. There are a lot of Christmas cakes that needs to be here. I will also add the recipe. Lets start with the beloved Pepperkaker (equivalent to Ginger breads). There will be NO Christmas without Pepperkaker. that's like trying to make french fries without potatoes.
Its impossible!
Lets start with the reciept, for these wonderful Pepperkaker.
Pepperkaker, or Norwegian Ginger Bread, is the essential cookie for Christmas. No other cookie is more directly associated with a Norwegian Christmas. And this recipe, which has been in my family for generations, is one of the most tasty ones around.
What You'll Need
* 100gr of butter
* 200gr of sugar
* 200gr of blond syrup such
* 2 eggs
* 2 ts of ground cinamon
* 2 ts of ground cloves
* 2 ts of ground ginger
* 600gr of flour
What to do
* Melt, mix and cool down the butter, sugar and syrup.
* Mix in the eggs.
* Add and blend in the spices.
* Add and mix in the flour to a hard dough.
* Leave in a cool place for 24 hours.
Bring out the dough the next day, roll out and cut it into shapes before baking:
* Break off handfulls of the dough and roll out to a thin (2mm or almost see through) wafers. Use plenty of flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the table. (I prefer them a bit thicker, since then they wont get so hard, I like em a bit squishy)
* Use traditional cookie-shape-cutters or a knife to cut cookies into hearts, men, women, pigs, stars and other christmas motives.
* Put the cookies on a greased/non-stick baking sheet, or use non-stick paper, and bake for 5 to 7 minutes on 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F. (if you have a gas oven, I guess its on 4)
Make sure all the cookies on a single baking sheet are equally thick, or else some may burn while others will be too raw. The cookies have a nice healthy tanned look when they are baked correctly.
Enjoy! And 'God Jul'.
Sometimes is Google a lifesaving angel!
This is a Christmas tradition worth keeping!
And another thing you can make from this is Pepperkakehus (Gingerbread house), only creativity knows its boundaries.
Oh, this is going to be hard! How on earth can I pick my favorite Christmas-songs. Well, I guess I have to try. Christmas-songs are essential for me getting in the Christmas-spirit. Well, it does not stop me from listening to Christmas-songs in the summer, but its not the same. It has to be December (at least end of November).
Sometimes I feel like listening to the real old good ones, and sometimes I think they are to slow. But anyways, lets start.
I'll start on 10th place, here we have this one. Driving home for Christmas is a song that HAS so be played every Christmas/December, or it wont be Christmas. And my mom loves it. And I mean LOVES it! Its the only song my mom wants me to play in the car when we are driving around.
The next song on 9th must be this one. It's a Norwegian Christmas song used in every service in every church in December in Norway. There is no feeling like singing this at the end of the service on the 24th of December, when the whole family goes to church. And another thing I love about it is the harmonies. There are some really nice harmonies in this song. Its almost as you start crying.
The next one is this one, on 8th place. I simply love this song, I have had this CD for quite a while, but it was only recently that I started listening to it. And guess what, I fell in love. I could have posted only Celtic Thunder Christmas songs, but that would be boring. But this song, with Damo (Damian (yep, the guy from Glee)), just melts my heart! I don't know if its the song or its just that its Damo singing, I don't know. But I like it, and I think you should check it out!
The next one, closing in on 7th place is this little beauty. Well, I would not call Shane MacGowan a fair flower, nor a songbird. He has a very distinct sound, which I normally don't like, but this song I do like. There is no Christmas without the Pogues and Shane, even though he sings out of key most of the time. My sister hates this song, while I love it.
This next song, on number 6th is on the totally different end of the scale, its Michael Bublé. Or, its "Let it snow", and I think this is one of my favorite versions of the song available on YouTube. This song is essential!
On 5th place we have this little beauty, I found it this year actually, and I have loved this version from the very start. Michael Bublé is so sexy when he sings in Spanish. And this is actually a version of the song I like. I am not to keen on the original. I know there is a lot of Bublé here, but I can't help it, he has such a wonderful Christmas song voice.
On number 4th I have this one. Its yet again Celtic Thunder, and this song is so special to me. Its one of the first songs I heard em singing, and its one of my favourites. It doesn't even have to be Christmas. But its fits best around Christmas-times.
"They left their trenches and we left ours
Beneath tin hats the smiles bloomed like wild flowers
With photos cigarettes and pots of wine We built a soldier's truce on the front line
Their singer was a lad of 21
We begged another song before the dawn And sitting in the mud and blood and feed
He sang again the song all longed to hear"
Its closing in now, top 3.
Here we go, on number 3 I have this one. I absolutely ADORE this version from Glee. Its so utterly charming and cute and their voices blend so perfectly. And the song it self is so... whats the word... perfect! What would I do without this song...?
Number 2, is of course Jussi Björling. Our Swedish hero. There is absolutely no Christmas without this song, and yes, it has to be Jussi that sings it, and yes I know he sings it in Swedish, but does it look like I care. Nope! No one does it as good as Jussi. (Well, my brother does it quite good though)
and a friend of mine (Bjørn-Erik) does it also quite good, but besides them, there are no one that can match, no matter how good they are to sing.
I guess you are now wondering "What on earth can be number 1?"
Well, here you go...
Number 1 is this one.. Once again Michael Bublé. This time with "Grown up Christmas list". This is such a nice song and I really get the chills from it. This is such a feel-good Christmas song. Ever since I heard this the first time, I have always loved it. There is something special about it!
*
Making this list was actually much harder than I thought it would be, because I had to ditch a lot of nice Christmas songs, and I know that these are not my favourites, because some of my favourites are not on YouTube. So I might have to make another post similar to this, but without the counting down system. I don't know if Spotify has them either.
Snow! The white, cold stuff that falls down from the sky when the temperature gets under 1°C. I like snow. Nothing gets me in the Christmas mood more than snow. Its fascinating and oh so romantic.
There is no Christmas without snow. Even though it comes in big quantities when it first get here. Like today, it has snowed a lot here. Total traffic chaos here today (6th).
To much snow on the roads can cause a lot, but normally its the lack of studded tires, no chains on the trucks, and lack of common sense.
"Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by external pressure. Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Types which fall in the form of a ball due to melting and refreezing, rather than a flake, are known as graupel, ice pellets or snow grains. Snowfall amount and its related liquid equivalent precipitation amount are determined using a variety of different rain gauges."
Its almost as I am going to start singing "Oh the weather outside is frightful".
I like snow! But I hate cold weather.
So me plus snow, is kind of a bad thing. But still I love it!
And of course, there can be no other song than this today
As I said here the other day: It's no Christmas, without Christmas cards. This year I have drawn Christmas cards, made Christmas cards, bought Christmas cards, and my arm is soar from all the writing.
Its funny how the Christmas card list keeps on extending itself. I have absolutely no idea how many people that will receive cards from me this year.
There are cards for Canada, Sweden, Italy, US, Norway, France, Belgium, New Zealand, Germany, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, England, Scotland, Russia and probably more places than that.
How I will get enough time, that is another question.
But its kind of a tradition, and I don't like messing with traditions. I just hope I have enough stamps for all of them, time will show.
Lets see if we can find a song that matches today's short blog post.
On this second day in December I will write about what Gløgg is. Gløgg is a fantastic creation. I found this "definition" on Gløgg. But I dont agree with the pronunciation.
"Gløgg (pronounced ‘glurgg’) is a mulled wine that Norwegians drink at Christmas time. It is made with cloves and cinnamon, and served warm with a helping of almonds and raisins. Traditionally gløgg was made from off red wine. Not letting anything go to waste, in true Norwegian style, they just added spices and honey to make it drinkable again. Over the years a more child-friendly syrup is used (but of course if the adults want a little punch then wine can be added)."
This is like AWESOME! And its not the same without it. I think I'll make some tomorrow.
This is how you make it:
1 bottle of red wine
0.5 Litre inexpensive brandy or vodka
10 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick (broken down)
1/2 orange peel (dried or fresh)
1/2 lbs sugar (regular or lumps)
Optional additions: 5 cloves, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup almonds, 5 dried figs
Preparation:
Heat the wine and brandy spices, fruit, and nuts in a pot (and any optional additions you might like.)Be careful not to boil the mixture; just let it simmer for about 45 minutes.
Then, strain through a cloth to remove all additions.
Serve your Gløgg hot over lumped sugar (or with regular granulated sugar).
Optional: You can also serve the Gløgg with raisins or almonds. If you'd like the drink to be stronger, use more brandy.
This Gløgg recipe makes approx 1.5 Litre (close to 1/2 gallon).
There is a kids version of it as well, and a "ready-to-go" version. There is nothing like homemade Gløgg when you have been out in the snow for hours.
Today's video does not have much in common with the subject, but It'll do.
Wow, where to begin. There are so many thing I would like to do before Christmas, but there seems never to be enough time for it all. Making Christmas-cakes, wrapping gifts, sending cards, making cards, eating Christmas cake-dough, singing Christmas songs, playing Christmas songs, drinking Mulled Whine (Gløgg), putting up decorations, making gifts etc.
Gløgg is one of the things I can't do without in December. I drink mostly the non-alcoholic version, mostly because I don't like red whine. It's no Christmas without it.
Its weird how fast December goes. Suddenly its there, and then its over.
And its not quite the same without snow. A December without snow, is like macaroni without cheese. Sandwich without bread, and Ireland without Leprechauns.
This blog is something I have never done before, so bare with me that I post them not on the dates that they are supposed to be posted!
And I am going to add a Christmas-song in every video. And I'll make a post just for Christmas songs. We'll get there.
