Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas from the Daring Trio!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Lots of love and good wishes from the Daring Trio.


Monday, December 24, 2012

December 24--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Happy Christmas Eve!

Det er Jul i Aarhus!

There was pretty heavy snow yesterday, but today was kind of warm (5 C!), so we took a nice walk around and enjoyed Christmasy sights.



Here's the big tree in front of town hall.

Here's the view down M.P. Bruunsgade, towards Skt. Paul's Kirke.

And here are local children performing in this year's production of "Jul i Aarhus."  They start out singing that "det er Jul i Aarhus igen," and then transition to the Nissersang!  (We know you love nisser).  And those are my kids dancing, too!

Glaedelig Jul fra alle os!




Sunday, December 23, 2012

December 23--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

I just can't help myself--I have such a soft spot for those old movies, especially at Christmastime!

You know the song "We Need a Little Christmas?"  You might not know that it originated in the musical "Mame,"  the stage and screen adaptation of Patrick Dennis' 1955 novel Auntie Mame.  Here's Lucille Ball starring as Auntie Mame herself in the 1973 film version of the musical.  (Confusing, I know!  But she's right on the money with one thing--we do need a little Christmas now!)


Saturday, December 22, 2012

December 22--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

It's nostalgia time again, readers!  Today I'm taking you all the way back to the days of LPs and Mr. Hooper still living on Sesame Street.

Yes, when I was small, my favorite Christmas album (and they really were albums!) was one called Merry Christmas from Sesame Street.  Although I'm too tired to check right now, I'm pretty sure that last year the ADAFT Advent calender brought you the Christmas pageant from that album, the one where Bert is cast as a Christmas tree.

This year I'm pointing you towards another track from the album--Bert, Ernie, and Mr. Hooper are bringing you A Christmas Story.  Be sure you watch all the way to the end, because this may be the sweetest version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas ever recorded.




(Thanks, wonders of the Internet!  Before writing this post,I had no idea that this was also a video, and not just an audio track.  And even better, if you're as charmed by these stories as I am, you can buy the whole album as a CD or MP3 on Amazon for under $10.  The world sure is a magical place).


Friday, December 21, 2012

December 21--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Today was the shortest day of the year, and when you live this far north, that's a pretty big deal! The day was 6 hours and 54 minutes long. I don't want to editorialize here, but this is one observer that thinks that's just not long enough. On the upside, though, we have lots of daylight to gain between now and  the spring equinox, which means lots of time gained each day! Tomorrow will already be 13 seconds longer than today was. Sweet.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

December 20--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Tomorrow Denmark's royal family will arrive in Aarhus to spend Christmas.  The queen, Dronning Margrethe, her husband, Prins Henrik, as well as Kronprins Frederik and Kronprinsesse Mary, plus their four children, will all be around for the holiday season.

Here's Dronning Margrethe, looking jolly.






Here she is again with her older son and heir to the throne, Kronprins Frederik.


And here's the Crown Prince again with his whole family.




I've saved the best part for last:
When the Queen is at home in Aarhus, you can go see the guards march around her castle!  Merry Christmas from all the Danes in big furry hats!


Wednesday, December 19, 2012

December 19--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Nu er det Jul igen!

Last night E arrived at the ballet school to find all the kiddos holding hands and skipping through the hallways and studios, singing this song.  For most it was the last day of class before vacation, all the shows were over, and spirits were high.  Just imagine these singers are little blonde kids in tights, and you'll have the same happy experience she did!



Tuesday, December 18, 2012

December 18--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Those of you who've been following our blog closely will recall that we live in Denmark.  But we haven't always.

(B made me write that).

A long time ago, (in a galaxy far far away), we lived in Tucson. 

(I wrote that part all on my own).

One of the best things in Tucson is the Botanical Gardens, which we like so much we got married there!



The Gardens are great all year, but at Christmastime they host Luminaria Night for extra-specialness.  If you're not in Tucson this Christmas, just enjoy these photos!




Monday, December 17, 2012

December 17--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Christmas markets are a big tradition here. They often feature a combination of crafts and traditional Christmas foods and drinks. Every year, there's a big one in the middle of Aarhus, in the former home of our local branch of the Danish cavalry. They cleared out the horses years ago, so now the space is ideal for things like this:!


We bundled C up yesterday, and had a very pleasant afternoon stroll around the market. Altogether, it was very festive.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

December 16--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

We've been a little bit lax about bringing you Danish Christmas traditions this year, but there's one today and one scheduled for tomorrow.  Plus one down the road from the Scandinavegan!

Today we bring you the marzipan pig, or marcipangris, as it's locally known.



Tada!

Marzipan pigs are supposed to be good luck, so you'll see them in all the shops around here at this time of year.  They might be a hostess gift, a treat for kids, or most commonly, a prize for finding the almond in the Christmas rice pudding.  (Stay tuned for the Scandinavegan's take on rice pudding later this month!)



Sometimes they're chocolate-covered!


And sometimes just cute.

I just think they're fun. 

Saturday, December 15, 2012

December 15--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Last year I gave you my words of wisdom: "At Christmas it's important to eat lots of cookies."  That's still true.  But when you're looking for something besides cookies to eat, why not try this festive stew?


It's red, white, and green; it's hot and filling; and it makes your house smell good all day.  All-around win, says the Scandinavegan!

Pesto-Infused White Bean Stew
(adapted from Robin Robertson's "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker")

1 onion
1 red bell pepper
2 cans white beans
1/4 cup chopped dried tomatoes
3-4 tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 tiny can tomato paste
1 tsp. oregano
dash black pepper
pesto! (1/4 cup should do it, but who am I to limit your pesto usage?)

Chop the onion, bell pepper, and fresh tomatoes and dump them in the crockpot.  Rinse and drain the beans and throw them in too, along with the dried tomatoes.  Mix up the water with the tomato paste, oregano, and black pepper, then stir it into the crockpot also.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve and top each bowl with a generous spoonful of pesto.

Friday, December 14, 2012

December 14--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

We love advent calendars around here, and we also love candles. What could be better, therefore, than an advent calendar candle (or kalenderlys)? Here's ours in the process of counting down the days. It is an especially good one, being a nice fat nissemand.


Thursday, December 13, 2012

December 13--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Last night, B and I were talking about things that we're looking forward to little C experiencing some day.  Things like:

wooden Brio trains
chocolate cake
pajamas fresh from the dryer
Dutch tulip fields
making a snowman
hot apple cider
going swimming
playing board games
doing silly dances
blowing bubbles 


After we wrote this list, it sounded a lot like the famous song, "My Favorite Things". For some reason, some people seem to think that's a Christmas song. It isn't, but that's OK.  It's still fun to listen to Andy Williams sing it at Christmastime.

Well then, if that's not the Advent calender point of the day, what is?

We propose that everybody should do one of these things today. So maybe you're not on your way to Holland right now, and there aren't so many tulips at this time of year anyway.  No problem!  Hit up a toy store and get down on your knees to play with the train set!  Go out and build a snowman!  Invite a friend over for games, and while you're at it, have a piece of cake!




Wednesday, December 12, 2012

December 12--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

E and I are big fans of Christmas music, and every year we discuss the right time to start listening. We of course need to make sure there are enough opportunities to listen to all of our favorites, but we try not to get carried away and start in October, lest the luster wear off. This year, we decided we could start one week after J-dag (you will of course remember J-dag, the topic of a post last month).

Handel's Messiah is a classic favorite, and E and I both always enjoy "All we like sheep," in part for its musical qualities, but in part because it always sounds like they are talking about how much they like sheep. And here's a video putting the music to a bunch of photos of sheep. Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

December 11--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

At Christmas, you should share the things you love, right?

Well, I love Berkeley, and I also love hearing about other people sharing the love.  Check this out.

Monday, December 10, 2012

December 10--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Today the ScandinaVegan brings you what B's mom deemed "The Best Cookies in the World". They're great at Christmas time or any other time of the year!

(recipe adapted and veganized from Nigella Lawson)

Cranberry-Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup rolled oats
1 stick and 1 T softened margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 flax "egg"
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup roughly copped pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, baking powder and oats in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together margarine and sugars until creamy. To make the flax "egg", combine 2 T ground flax seed and 3 T warm water, and let sit until goopy. Voila! You are a vegan superstar. Add "egg" and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients, then fold in the cranberries, pecans, and chocolate chips. Drop dough onto cookie sheets by tablespoons and flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

December 9--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Today was the first heavy snow of the year! Here are some views out of our window, one complete with a baby! Now you can enjoy the same view that C did.



Saturday, December 8, 2012

December 8--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Today was really cold! So we had to get dressed up in wintery clothes, which is kind of a pain, but also kind of festive. Especially exciting was the opportunity to try out C's new cold weather suit. Here she is waving her arms in excitement, anticipating our snowy, sub-zero trip to the grocery store.


Friday, December 7, 2012

December 7--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

I think I've mentioned before how Danes like bikes. 

It follows, then, that even though this post has zilch to do with Christmas, it is a valid Julekalender post, since bikes are totally awesome and festive and great.

In case it isn't clear to you yet, I'll be discussing bikes today.  But you have to wait for it.

We have a baby now, which is both wonderful and terrifying.  B and I are of course trying to do our best by her, and each other, and we spend a lot of time just DOING STUFF and hoping that it's the right thing to do.  Sometimes, when it gets really hard--and also sometimes when it's particularly smooth-sailing and great--, B turns to me and says "We're really doing it."

He means that we're really being parents.  We are really raising a child.

What it makes me think of, though, is a little kid who's just had the training wheels taken off his first bike.  As he wobbles and teeters down the sidewalk, he's hollering "Look, look, I'm doing it, I'm really doing it!"

That's about what it feels like around here.  Like we're sometimes wobbling along, and sometimes going way too fast, and sometimes about to tip over completely, but all the time we're doing it, we're really riding that bike.


Thursday, December 6, 2012

December 6--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

A disclaimer: this post is only really funny if you've been to Denmark.

If you have, then you know that Danes love all things rye. Most specifically, they love rye bread. They love it so much that there's a group that sometimes goes to the Copenhagen airport to give out slices to people returning to Denmark. Because that's what Danes miss when they're abroad.

So, you'd think we could no longer be surprised by the rye-ification of usually rye-less foods. We thought so. So imagine our alarm the other day when Esther discovered (and bought, obviously) . . . rye tortillas! So weird! They were in the "exotic food" section of the supermarket, along with taco shells, coconut milk and soy sauce. You know, all the weird stuff.

We haven't tried them yet, so I can't say whether they are good.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

December 5--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

You might have seen it coming, but I'll tell you anyway.  This year I'm feeling all emotional and nostalgic.  So even though our blog is ostensibly about exciting foreign (especially Danish) stuff, this Advent I'll be bringing you some of the best stuff from the desert too.

To start off, I'll tell you about the single area in which Phoenix beats Tucson--Christmas lights at the zoo.  Yes, the Reid Park Zoo is great, and it has fun holiday evenings, but the Phoenix Zoo just blows it out of the water when it comes to breathtaking light displays.  Plus they have a talking giraffe.

Today I'm specifically feeling nostalgic about the time R brought me home to her family at the holidays and we checked out ZooLights together.  It was a blast!  And she even got Jenga the Talking Giraffe to give me a personal greeting.  With that in mind, here are some photos (not mine) of ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo.


Tuesday, December 4, 2012

December 4--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

For today, here's a video of little C that I took the other day. Enjoy! She's great.

 

Monday, December 3, 2012

December 3--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Today, we bring you a delightfully snowy scene. This is the view from our living room window this morning. It kept snowing more through the day!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

December 2--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Last year I wrote about nisser, the Danish elves that are so prevalent at Christmastime.  Not surprisingly, everyone loved them, especially the three nisser--Gunther, Hansi, and Fritz--who star in the Danish TV tradition, The Julekalender. 

Since not everyone is lucky enough to watch all 24 afsnits in their entirety, Gunther, Hansi and Fritz are back here on ADAFT this year.  They present to you

Snitt a Little Bittle from The Julekalender


Saturday, December 1, 2012

December 1--Advent at ADAFT 2012!

Hello dearest readers! 

It's that time again--December is here already, and that means we're bringing you 24 festive blog entries while you count down to Jul!

Last year we brought you a musical number from my favorite holiday movie, "White Christmas."  Here's another of my favorite parts, featuring Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen.  Sure, Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney are fantastic and there's nothing sweeter than when they sing "Count Your Blessings," (which, sadly, is not on YouTube), but for pure falling-in-love, pre-Christmas excitement, I'll take this scene any day.

Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen present:
The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing