LET’S HYGGE MARCH 2023

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 hope this little greeting finds you well. Thank you for your lovely messages and emails, it’s so rewarding to hear what resonates with you and what you find inspiring. This month’s topic is a celebration of life and a kind reminder to let the people around us know how much the mean to us. One way to express your gratitude and love could be to create a Gækkebrev. I explain more about this Danish tradition below. Because Easter is just around the corner, I am sharing my ‘let’s hygge EASTER’ eBook with you. It is full of lovely things to create, to cook and ways to celebrate! I am also sharing one of my favorite summer dishes – a refreshing, cold carrot soup. Our family have enjoyed watching the third episode of the series AFTER LIFE. It’s a celebration of life too, in its own English way. I have also immensely enjoyed reading “The Space Between The Stars” which is a beautiful book on love and loss. Let March be the month where we make sure our loved ones know how important they are to us! I wish you a beautiful month with time to celebrate life and hygge!

This is a thank you, from me to you – an e-book filled with ideas for EASTER. Press the link and you can download the pdf as a handy guide for when you feel like a little Easter preparation or planning!

This is a thank you, from me to you – an eBook filled with ideas for EASTER. Press the link or the image above. You can download the pdf as a handy guide for when you feel like a little Easter preparation or planning!
https://lindbjerggraphic.com.au/3d-flip-book/lets-hygge-easter/

In Danish, these letters are known as GÆKKEBREVE. In English we refer to them as snowdrop letters. This is a very old tradition where each secret snowdrop letter is decorated with snowdrop flowers and a little handwritten rhyme. The letters are sent anonymously, signed only with a dot for each letter of the sender’s name. The recipient must guess who the letter is from and if they don’t succeed, they owe the sender a Chocolate Easter egg… If they guess correctly, the sender gives them an egg!

GÆKKEBREVE – SNOWDROP LETTERS

ALL YOU NEED

white paper
a rhyme/poem
scissors
your favorite pen

STEP BY STEP
1. Fold a square of paper in half 3 times and begin cutting your pattern.
2. Remember to leave the centre free for your rhyme.
3. If you open the square you can check how your pattern is looking.
4. Open out the letter, write your rhyme and send it off to a loved one!

This wonderfully refreshing carrot soup is perfect for summer. The recipe is from VALDEMARSRO, a Danish food universe created by the talented Ann-Christine Hellerup Brandt. I have been so lucky to work with her by creating the graphic design on all of her Danish cookbooks. This recipe is one of my favourite and I made it for my book club last week. It is great that I could prepare it the day before we met. I chose to serve it in glass bottles so that everyone could help themselves….to my great joy, everyone took seconds : )

COLD CARROT SOUP WITH COCONUT MILK AND LIME

INGREDIENTS

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, split
1 tablespoon ginger, finely grated
750 g carrot, cut into cubes
1 yellow pepper, diced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 organic limes, juice and finely grated peel
salt
black pepper

BASIL OIL
1 handful of fresh basil
1/4 cup olive oil
a pinch of salt

FOR SERVING
1 Lebanese cucumber, in small cubes
toasted pepita seeds
black pepper, freshly ground
bread

SERVES 4 PERSONS

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a pan over medium heat until soft and clear.

Add lemongrass, ginger, carrots, bell pepper and vegetable broth. Simmer until the carrots are tender.

Remove the lemongrass from the pan and blend the soup until it is creamy and delicious. Adjust both taste and consistency with coconut milk, a pinch of sugar, lime juice and finely grated zest, salt and pepper. Refrigerate the soup for about 3 hours or place in the freezer for about 30-40 minutes until the soup is completely cooled.

BASIL OIL
Blend the basil, salt and oil until smooth and the oil is a nice green color.

SERVING
Blend the soup again just before serving. Serve the cold carrot soup with basil oil, small cucumber cubes and freshly ground pepper, as well as some bread.

My husband and I have been keenly watching the third and final series of “After Life“. It’s a British black comedy-drama on Netflix, created, written, produced and directed by Ricky Gervais, who plays lead character Tony Johnson. Set in the fictional town of Tambury, After Life follows newspaper writer Tony Johnson, whose life is turned upside down after his wife dies from breast cancer. Its phenomenal English humour and pathos have made us both laugh and shed a tear. It’s very touching and some of the characters are impossible to describe… Some of my favorite scenes are the chats with an elderly widow, seated on a bench at cemetery.

“The Space Between the Stars” is a touching book by Indira Naidoo. She lost her younger sister very suddenly and this book tells of her grief and how she found comfort in nature. Her deep admiration for birds, feathers and the small things resonated with me. It’s a wonderful read and a beautiful celebration of life and nature’s power to heal.

If you feel like a warm hug, this is it – “A Simple Song”. When listening, as always, the louder the better. I have been playing it on repeat whilst creating this letter to you. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube.