LET’S HYGGE April 2022
[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).
Hello, and a very warm welcome to all of my new readers. It’s fantastic to see the ‘let’s hygge’ community growing, so thank you for recommending it to your friends and family. I am very grateful.
I am so excited that Easter is just around the corner as my parents are coming to visit from Denmark. I have been preparing for such a long time! I haven’t seen them for almost 3 years and it has been 13 years since we celebrated Easter together. It will be very special having them here and sharing our daily lives. I have had their duvet airing out in the sun, just as my grandmother would always do to prepare for our visits. I can vividly recall the lovely scent of summer and sun imbued in the linen sheets. I find great joy in continuing these family traditions. I have found two lovely books in which I can record memories from my father and mother whilst they are visiting. The books are full of great questions about life and heritage. I will try and write down at least one answer a day. I am sure it will stimulate some great conversations and spark some lovely memories.
If you would like a calming Easter project, I can warmly suggest creating some paper Easter eggs. They are so simple and therapeutic to make. If you feel like baking something sweet, the Easter cake is a delicious choice or you can take a look in my ‘let’s hygge Easter’ e-book – there are many more projects to inspire and make!
I wish you a lovely Easter and hope that my small suggestions will bring much brightness to your April.
These Paper Easter eggs are very simple, but decorative on an olive branch. Each egg requires a set of 5 cut paper circles. You fold them vertically then glue one half circle onto the second folded piece. To the second and third paper pieces you add a little loop for the egg to hang by. Repeat until all five cuts are glued together…and voila, you have a very pretty little egg. I have used William Morris wrapping paper, which I have found in a bookstore. Click on the images to open the e-book ‘let’s hygge EASTER’ for more information and many more things to do!
ALL YOU NEED:
paper in a pattern or colour you prefer
scissors
glue stick
string for hanging
Video of how to make paper easter eggs.
EASTER CAKE with MERINGUE & ORANGE JAM
Dough:
125 g sugar
125 g butter
3 egg yolks
200 g flour
1 tbs baking powder
½ cup milk
rind from 1 lemon
Filling:
1 cup orange jam
Merinque:
3 egg whites
180 g sugar
Whisk butter and sugar together until light and airy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at the time. Combine flour and baking powder and gradually add to the mixture, while alternating with the milk. Mix until the batter is smooth, then add the lemon rind.
Turn dough into a 22 cm round springform lined with baking paper. Bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. When the cake is out of the oven cover the top with the orange jam.
Whisk the egg whites in a dry clean bowl until you can turn the bowl upside down without anything falling out, then add the sugar gradually and continue to whisk until very stiff.
Spread the meringue mixture on top of the cake and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the meringue is golden.
I have found these beautiful keepsake journals to fill out with my parents whilst they are visiting this Easter. I hope to ask them a question or two from the journals each evening and record their memories. This should result in some great conversations and bring back memories for all of us. The journals contain 200 questions and space to create your own content. They were very reasonably priced, only $10 each! Other titles available in this book series are: My Grandmother’s Life and My Grandfathers Life. If you are interested in purchasing any of these journals, please click on the images!
During the Easter break I am planning to rewatch the brilliant Danish movie ROYAL AFFAIR (En kongelig affære) with my parents. The movie follows a young queen of Denmark who falls in love with her physician and together they start a revolution that changes their nation forever. The cast is brilliant and you may recognize some of the actors from previous Danish films. The director Nikolaj Arcel has a long list of excellent films to his credit, although I could be biased as I was in High School with Nikolaj for 3 years ; )
If you are in Denmark it can be seen on Viaplay and in Australia it can be streamed for free on SBS ONDEMAND.
My favourite chocolate shop, Summerbird, can be found in the old part of Copenhagen. It’s a tiny little boutique but full of delicious, organic chocolate. It is a must to visit if you are in Copenhagen. Every Easter, they create a collection of silver easter eggs. This is their 19th collection and inspired by the French copper molds used for making Cannelé cakes. When I lived in Denmark I was a keen collector and I have ordered one of this year’s design for my parents to bring when they visit. Unfortunately, Summerbird only deliver within Denmark as their produce is very delicate and difficult to post. If you would like to have a look at their wonderful work and designs, click on the images of the silver eggs!
If you would like to create your own marzipan Easter eggs you can find my recipe in the Easter e-book on page 26 – get the link by clicking on the images of the chocolate eggs or see the link below: https://lindbjerggraphic.com.au/3d-flip-book/lets-hygge-easter/
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…
I wish you a lovely month of April with sweet Easter projects and lots of hygge!
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