Norwegianne.net

Category: Holidays

  • Second Sunday of Advent

  • Norwegian Christmas Carol: Glade Jul

    People will probably recognize the melody, as it is the Norwegian adaption of Stille Nacht, performed by Sissel Kyrkjebø & Odd Nordstoga.

  • Norwegian Christmas Baking: Kakemenn

    Quite literally translated as Cookie Men, these are essentially white sugar cookies, with a small change. Instead of baking powder or baking soda, the leavener is horn salt, or ammonium bicarbonate, which gives it a slight “kick” in flavor, and makes the kitchen smell a bit odd while they’re baking in the oven.

    It’s one of the easy Norwegian Christmas cookies, that is the most common to use with children. I suspect because it is fun to use the cookie cutters of different sizes and shapes, and to paint with food coloring before the cookies go into the oven to be baked, but that’s just the part that I haven’t outgrown… 🙂

    We like to find different shapes of cookie cutters, and paint to make things interesting. Men, women and hearts are the most traditional shapes.

    They also last for quite some time – some years we have Kakemenn until March. (If some are frozen, we have occasionally eaten them in August, which just feels plain wrong.)

    The recipe below is from Tine.

    The dough should be made the night before, so it has time to rest.

    (more…)

  • December Angel

    Last year’s Chrismas street decorations in Vienna. It was magical.

  • Lists

    We’re entering into the month of December soon, and I’ve got lists of what to bake, what to make, and what events to attend.

    Decorations: I’ve already started on the Christmas decorating with the indoor lights. I’ll be putting up the outdoor lights in the coming week, and Christmas tree later.

    Food: There are some cookies and things to bake – as well as preparing something for a couple of get-together with my coworkers and friends. There is a list of things when it comes to making and putting together a gingerbread house.

    Events already planned (some of which require more planning): Christmas lunch at work, Christmas breakfast at work, get-together with co-workers, game-night, New Year’s Eve…

    There’s usually spontaneous things popping up, and a couple of things I know will come.

    How about you? Any list-makers out there?

  • First Sunday of Advent

    It is the first Sunday of Advent, and therefore the start of the Christmas period. I’ve lit the first candle on my advent wreath, and have a Christmas light star in the window.

  • Video: Sunflower for Halloween

    Remember the energy you had when you were six? Do you have a Halloween costume yet?

    This girl is really cute and eager to teach you how to become a Sunflower for Halloween.

    That’s one way to go for a Plants vs. Zombies theme.

  • Video: Dip your Apple

    This video comes from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.

    Parody of Waka Waka, for Rosh Hashanah.

  • Advent calendar, December 21

    “This is the worst Christmas ever. I had thought it was the one when our parents bought us hamsters and forgot to poke holes in the boxes, but at least that had a moment of suspense.” said by Brian Hackett on Wings