Alphabet of Travel Snaps: D is for…

…the delightful country of our recent trip, DENMARK, specifically the wonderful city of COPENHAGEN!

Having a love of all things Scandi, scrumptious food and beautiful photo opportunities, the capital seemed like a great location for a short school holiday getaway. I’d heard nothing but good things about Copenhagen and was excited to experience some of the healthy, Hygge lifestyle.

And we were certainly not disappointed. Firstly, the Danish are just soooo polite and friendly. Copenhagen never had the feel of a capital city, being very relaxed, super clean and orderly – the road might be empty but don’t go thinking you can just saunter across unless the green man says yes!

Even nearer the central station, around the red light district, I would have happily walked around alone and although we did see large numbers of police vans heading out towards the waterfront on a couple of days*, I don’t believe they actually have crime. More likely the police were bored (as everyone is so considerate of each other) and simply needed to give the vans a run out. Even the sirens came on in small blasts, as if to apologise to the masses for the disruption they were causing!

Every interaction we had was friendly and happy – except, perhaps, for the bus driver, who wasn’t exactly grumpy, he just didn’t lay on a special taxi service to the connecting bus (that we weren’t aware we needed) when his route ended, instead telling us that we had to get off. How disgraceful… 😉

The whole atmosphere and mindset of getting outside, spending time with friends and family and striving for positive mental health certainly oozed through every area we visited. There’s no wonder they are the happiest nation on the planet.

So, here’s my run-down on all the highlights and why you definitely should try to spend a few days in Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen!

Rosey-Posey Puddings, Not Pie!

I’ll be the first to admit that what my baking skills offer in taste, they often lack in presentation. And I’ll further admit to liking recipes that are easy and take little time.

So I was delighted when I saw one of these speedy cooking videos that seem to circulate Facebook, one in particular from YouTube channel Tasty that looked good and took about 10 minutes to prepare.

But of course, I had to adapt it (well, I didn’t have half the ingredients, did I?).

For the first Monday Munchies (I think) of 2017 (we’ve only just finished off all the Christmas treats, so I’ve been seriously below par with foodie posts), I present to you…

ROSEY-POSEY APPLE TARTLETS

Which could easily be the name of a celebrity baby…

A friendly giant from the Schwarzwald

People I know with December birthdays tend to get a little uppity about their limelight being stolen by a certain other, late in the month, celebration that seems to encroach on their fun. Sam is no exception to this rule, stating that no C-word related shenanigans can take place until after the 13th… which is fair enough. I’d totally have a tantrum if the attention wasn’t firmly on me!

So I thought I should make an effort to bake him a cake – something we realised I’d never done for him before. When it comes to cakes, he’s all about chocolate, the more the better. But for his ultimate dessert, we have to have a throw-back to the 80s. We’re talking the quintessential powerhouse dinner party menu of the time: prawn cocktail, steak and finished with a large slab of Black Forest Gateau.

But as it’s Christmas and I rarely stick with run-of-the-mill, I thought I’d try my hand at a roulade version of a BFG (see…the title always makes sense eventually!)

Miss Muffet’s Favourite Pud?

Yesterday was Lancashire Day, a fact I wouldn’t have known had it not been for Suzie of Suzie Speaks / SundayBlogShare fame announcing it on Twitter and the subsequent lighthearted disagreement over whether it was a chip barm or chip butty and who was on the wrong side of the Pennines!

So what better way to rebel and pledge allegiance to the correct side of them there ‘ills and my Yorkshire roots than to bake a traditional Yorkshire Curd Tart for Monday Munchies?

Who wants to BEER a millionaire?

Okay, so I should be making Bakewell Tart to continue my Bake-Off challenges, but I have to say that since I fell so far behind and the world now knows that lipstick is a showstopper, I’ve lost a bit of interest. But I will get around to it, promise!

This week though, Sam sent me a text asking if we could bake this weekend. We? Okay, there’s an ‘I’ in baking but generally no ‘we’, so I was intrigued as to his motives!

Turns out his Beer Box had arrived (he collects consumes craft beers) and there was one contained that had a recipe for a very moreish treat!

Caramel or ‘Millionaire’s’ Shortbread is delish and is one of those snacks I shouldn’t be left alone with. But I’ve never made every element from scratch. With beer. So no time like the present – time for some Monday Munchies Millionaires!