moved the blog

I have moved and imported all post to a new blog & domain... the new blog is now located at http://hippiescreations.com/blog/ I will leave this one up for a little while but will no longer post to it... rather I will post to the other one... thanks!

2011 Goals

Last week Alycia from the The Curious Pug post 30 Goals before her 30th Birthday which made me jump start my thinking on the goals I would have for 2011.. having past 30 already... despite the challenges imposed on having to wait on a liver for my son and life kind of being put on hold because you wait for that phone call.. its still important to have goals me thinks... and I think these goals will keep everything in perspective for me.. motivation I don't lack.. its managing it that could be challenging as I don't know when we are heading to Pittsburgh for the surgery... anyway.. I still want to set some goals.. some big .. some little.. some in-between that...some really important.. some just because

1. find work as a therapist
recently (3 months ago) graduating with an MS in Mental Health.. I really want to work...

2. blog more
just because I like to write.... and I actually have a few things to say.. haha

3. volunteer my time to an organization

 because it feels good to help others

4. More awareness work for Urea Cycle Disorder

create more soaps representing the foundation... hand out fliers.. post stuff... etc

5. start reading again... for fun...
haven't read a book for fun in 3 years... text books can burn you out a bit

6. Do more business related things...
this may require a bit more organization on my part...but not sure how fond I am of a schedule

 
7. move my studio from home to the Flying Pig Art Center
in hopes of being able to get some wood burning done..home seems too distracting

8. learn some basic spanish

just to learn another language... its good for the career

9. learn to be more patient
stop the road rage

10. go camping
make a day/weekend of it..aware this may not happen in 2011 because of Lennon's needs

11.increase social events for business and pleasure 

again a bit challenging but will have to work that out...

12. start editing my second book

 

13. revamp my first book

like umm edit... elaborate... add on... who knows..

14. redo the garden
and hope for a better season.. like more rain

15. figure out what to do with my hair!
its a damn mess... I leave it long.. it gets curly cues on the bottom...flat on top looking awful.. it would have totally worked in the 60's and 70's though

16. get a tattoo of the trooper
umm I am a big Iron Maiden fan ^_^ this would be #7 lol

17. Get a head start on next years hats...and other wintery items... 

my crochet work has done really well and I want to do MORE

18. Become a foster parent

its been a life long goal...maybe even adopt a few..

18. Increase Business

need to find a way that works for me though I am pretty happy with 2010

2011 will be better.. YES! I belief it will!

Mondel Krantz

"Mondel Krantz" Or German Almond Cake Recipe
(As made by Frau Schmidt)

1 pint sweet milk
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 yeast cake, or 1 cup yeast
1/3 cup butter
2 tablespoons rock candy
1 orange
2 tablespoons chopped almonds
Flour enough

Set to rise early in the morning. To the scalded milk, when lukewarm, add the yeast and flour enough to make a batter, cover, set to rise until light, near the range, which will take several hours.

Then add the sugar, butter and eggs beaten to a cream, grated rind and juice of orange, a couple tablespoons finely chopped almonds, and add enough flour to make a soft dough, as stiff as can be stirred with a spoon; set to rise again, and when light, divide the dough in two portions, from which you form two wreaths.

Roll half the dough in three long strips on the floured bake-board with the hands, then braid them together. Place a large coffee cup or bowl inverted on the centre of a large, round or oval, well-greased pan, lay the wreath around the bowl. The bowl in the centre of the pan prevents the dough from running together and forming a cake.

Brush the top of the wreath with a little milk, containing teaspoon of sugar; over the top of the wreath, stick blanched, well-dried almonds, and strew thickly with crushed rock candy or very coarse sugar.

Let rise until light, then bake. This makes two quite large wreaths.

The Professor's wife, Frau Schmidt, told Mary when she gave her this recipe, this almond wreath was always served at the breakfast table on Christmas morning at the home of her parents in Germany, and was always baked by her mother, who gave her this German Christmas recipe, and it was found on the breakfast table of Frau Schmidt Christmas morning just as regularly.

Crescent or Kipferl Cookies

Depending prefer depends on what you'd call them... Half-Moon, Crescent or Vanilla Kipferl...  this are a delicious holiday cookie, simple to make and fun to eat...

Vanilla Kipferl

Ingredients

• 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 7/8 cup butter
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 teaspoons vanilla sugar
• 1 1/4 cups ground almonds

Directions

1. * To Make Your Own Vanilla Sugar: Place 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sugar and place in pint jar. Put a clean vanilla bean in the jar, cover and shake well. Let stand for a few days, shaking the jar occasionally, before using the sugar. As you use the sugar, replace with fresh sugar.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the salt and the flour. Cut in the butter or margarine, and mix in with your hands.
3. Add the confectioners' sugar, the egg, the vanilla sugar, and the ground almonds to the flour mixture. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. Divide the dough into several parts. Make rolls that are approximately 1 inch thick. Cut the rolls into 1 inch pieces, and bend the pieces into the shape of a semicircle ( just like a croissant). Place the kipferl on a baking tray, and leave them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes. When done, remove kipferl carefully from the tray.
6. While still warm, dip the kipferl in a mixture of confectioners' sugar and vanilla sugar.

Weihnachts Market in Frankfurt

Lebkuchen

One of the best things I remember is Lebkuchen... its like... hmm Gingerbread... but not ... its vastly different in my opinion. We also have different types of cookies such as covered in chocolate.. oh yumm it seems to be more airy rather than a dense type of cookie...

Can usually only be found at Markets and Carnivals

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups honey
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup candied mixed fruit
• 1 tablespoon light sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Spray bottom and sides of a 10 x15 inch glass pan with a non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
2. In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, heat the honey and 1/3 cup sugar in a microwave for 1 minute. Pour this mixture into a medium mixing bowl.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to the honey mixture. Stir well.
4. Add and mix in by hand the candied fruit, oil, and spices.
5. Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups more flour. Knead dough to mix (dough will be stiff). Spread into pan. Bake for 20 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cut into squares. May be frosted with sugar glaze or eaten plain. Best if stored for 2 weeks. 

Here are some other links that could be useful:

German Sweets: Lebkuchen, Lark, Lark Tarts, & More (English)

http://www.lebkuchen-rezepte.de/ (German)

Can be found at World Market!

St. Nicholas

Lieber guter Weihnachtsmann,
sieh mich nicht so böse an.
Stecke deine Rute ein,
will auch immer artig sein.

In Germany, Nikolaus is usually celebrated on a small scale. Many children put a boot called Nikolaus-Stiefel (Nikolaus boot) outside the front door on the night of 5 December to 6 December. In many European Countries he is related to surviving legends of the saint, and particularly his reputation as a bringer of gifts.


St. Nicholas fills the boot with gifts and sweets, and at the same time checks up on the children to see if they were good, polite and helpful the last year. If they were not, they will have a tree branch (Rute) in their boots instead.

At times sometimes a person disguised Nikolaus would visits the children at school or in their homes and asks them if they have been good (sometimes ostensibly checking his golden book for their record), handing out presents on a per-behaviour basis. Growing up we would recite poems or play an instrument as a sign of appreciation, gratitude and yes we have been oh so good... what have you brought us?

For more on his history go toSt. Nicholas Center

Der Tannenbaum (Christmas Tree)

It's custom that the tree is put up and decorated on Christmas Eve, but some may put it up during Advent season.  Decorations may include tinsel, glass balls or straw ornaments and sweets. A star or an angel tops the Tannenbaum, often accompanied with a nativity scene close to the tree.

There are some mixed history information all over the net... Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom has a version if you are interested in Pagan Holiday History...another source had this to say:

Some families perhaps collect the presents under the tree... but we didn't receive presents nor saw presents until Christmas Eve that I will explain in a later post. Some families still use real candles though we used fake ones growing up.

The first known Christmas tree was set up in 1419 in Freiburg by the town bakers, who decorated the tree with fruits, nuts, and baked goods, which the children were allowed to remove and eat on New Year's Day. The town guilds and associations first brought evergreens inside their guild houses and decorated them with apples and sweets. Candles were eventually added to the decorations. Already since the Middle Ages, ordinary Germans had been bringing yew, juniper, mistletoe, holly, evergreen boughs - any plant that maintained its green color through the lifeless and dreary winter months - into their homes.

The Tannenbaum is taken down on New Year's Day or on January 6th, Three King's Day, at which time the children can ransack the tree for the sweets and treats that decorated it. Still today I am ready to take that tree down once its all over.. ^_^ and yes by New Years its gone...