LET’S HYGGE SEPTEMBER 2024

Let's hygge Lindbjerg Graphic Journal Blog

[definition of hygge]

a quality of cosiness and comfortable living that engenders a feeling of contentment and well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).

Add a little hygge to each month

I’m excited to share some moments from my recent visit to Sweden. When we were 24, we purchased a little cottage there, just a 3.5-hour drive from Copenhagen, where we lived at the time. We were thrilled to escape the city and looked forward to renovating this charming old gem on weekends and holidays. Built in the late 1700s, the cottage had solid bones but needed plenty of work. Initially, we didn’t have running water and had to fetch it from the well. When the boys were babies, we kept a bucket of clean water and another for the dirty water next to the old stove, where we heated the water. Over the past 26 years, we’ve renovated the house, restoring it to its original charm but with a lovely simple kitchen equipped with running water and drainage.

This month’s greeting is a tribute to Sweden and its stunning nature. It was a fantastic year for mushrooms and blueberries. Most evenings were spent foraging, while our days were dedicated to painting the façade and restoring the old windows. I’m sharing a delightful dessert, a touching Swedish film, and some music to bring a bit of Swedish summer into your September. I hope these bring inspiration and joy to your month!

Chanterelles from the forest. We used them in pasta, risotto and on toast. Fried on the pan with butter, cream, salt and pepper!

PANNA COTTA WITH BLUEBERRIES FROM THE FOREST

This is a lovely dessert that you can prepare the day before. You can use any berries you may have. I used blueberries as the grew just outside in the forest.

ALL YOU NEED

Serves 4

1 vanilla bean
60 g sugar
1/2 liter cream
1/2 cup full cream milk
3 sheets of gelatin

200g blueberries (for topping)

METHOD
1. Place the gelatin sheets, one at a time, in a bowl with plenty of cold water.
2. In a saucepan, combine the vanilla seeds, sugar, cream, full cream milk, and the empty vanilla bean pod. Heat the mixture until it is just about to boil, then remove the pan from the heat.
2. Squeeze excess water from the gelatin sheets and add them to the warm liquid in the pan. Stir well until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove the vanilla bean pod and let the vanilla cream mixture cool on the countertop for 30-45 minutes.
3. Stir the mixture well, then pour it into serving glasses. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until set. I often make it the day before.
4. Before serving, top with fresh blueberries or your favourite berries!

One evening we watched the Swedish film “A Man Called Ove” (“En man som heter Ove”). It was recommended by some Swedish friends from the nearby village as a “must see”! We loved it. The fine line between sad and fun was elegant. It is a comedy-drama features Rolf Lassgård in an outstanding performance as the grumpy, elderly Ove, who takes it upon himself to maintain his suburban neighborhood. Though he’s seen as bitter, Ove’s heart is in the right place as he grieves the loss of his one true love. It’s a touching and delightful film. You can watch it Netflix in Australia or Flimstriben in Denmark!

Swedish singer Lisa Ekdahl has been the soundtrack to our holiday. We heard it for the first time 30 years ago, when we renovated our apartment in Copenhagen. It was wonderful to hear it again. It was Lisa Ekdahl’s first album called “Lisa Ekdahl” and released in 1994. The songs are timeless and relevant still after 30 years!
Have a listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube .

After spending three weeks at our cottage, I’ve come to appreciate how little I really need. We enjoyed refreshing outdoor showers and used the forest loo. The cottage is filled with cherished china, furniture, linen and tools inherited from our grandparents. There’s a special joy in setting the table for afternoon coffee with the same china I used as a child during summer holidays at my grandparents’ farm. I also love relaxing in front of the fire in my grandparents’ rocking chair or organizing the old kitchen cupboard—once part of my grandmother’s kitchen and now updated with fresh paint and new glass—that now graces our living room. Surrounded by these treasured items and memories, it’s easy to see why this place holds such a special place in our hearts, despite its distance!

Do you want to catch up on some of the previous months? Please head to my Journal here: https://lindbjerggraphic.com.au/journal/

Feel free to share “let’s hygge” with a friend…