All posts filed under: Blog

The Gingerbread Village

Published by Sula H.

After last year’s success with our gingerbread house, I decided to give it a try again this year. Except that this year the stakes were a little higher. After all, last year I had been able to work with a ready-made kit – just putting the pieces together and decorating them. This year, I had to do it all from scratch. So I shaped everything, baked it, and by the time I was ready, my friends came to help decorating. And guess what! This year it actually turned into a whole gingerbread village! Because, aside from the big “mansion”, we also created a dozen tiny houses which we sprinkled with candy and coconut flakes. Whether it will be as delicious as it looks … we’ll see!

Winter's Back

Published by Sula H.

This year, winter is practicing hard. I’m not sure whether quite successfully, because even though this was the third time snowing this December, it’s just never really a lot, and doesn’t stick around for long, but we can’t blame winter for not trying. Really. So, after it started snowing again yesterday afternoon (note the timing: it always happens when I have to be at work), I decided to go out early this morning to get a couple of snapshots before all the students decent on it yet once more. And in the end, I actually liked what I saw!

An Advent Calendar From the Past

Published by Sula H.

Who of us doesn’t like the Christmas memories from their childhood? I for one can get pretty nostalgic this time of year. And my mom giving me one of those typical advent calendars we used to have as children this year doesn’t help it a bit. Where I come from, these advent calendars are really common. Any supermarket will sell them. They come with 24 doors – one to open every day during the Christmas season, and behind each door you’ll find a small piece of chocolate shaped according to a little picture. And then, when you finally get to door #24, it’s twice the size as all the others, and of course, the chocolate piece is twice as big (a special treat for Christmas Eve)! All the children in our family used to get their own advent calendar every year – usually with different pictures on them. And for me it was always special fun searching for the right door. So, I never looked at my advent calendar too long to avoid memorizing the …

Special Treat: Dominosteine

Published by Sula H.

All0w me to tell you about a special treat: Dominosteine. Yes, literally translated that means domino rocks – or more simply: what you may know as dominoes. But I assure you, they neither taste nor feel anything like a rock or one of those game chips. Really. Where I come from, it’s a very common Christmas treat, but where I live now they have come to be a little treat from heaven. And now, let me tell you why. You see, they are cube of chocolate covered pastry. And if you haven’t figured it out yet, let me assure you: me and chocolate are very best friends! Anyhow, you take a bite of this little rock, and you realize it’s actually soft and juicy. And when you take a look, you’ll find that inside this little rock there are three layers: one of soft gingerbread, one of marzipan, and a thin layer of jelly. The perfect combination for a yummy Christmas treat on a cold winter’s day. Off to enjoy some more Dominosteine.

Secrets from the Advent Calendar

Published by Sula H.

You may remember my advent calendar, which I filled with lots of goodies that I brought from Germany with me for this specific purpose. (And I assure you, Germany has some good chocolate stuff out there. Maybe not as good as the famed Swiss chocolate, granted, but good, still!) Anyhow, today, I thought I’d allow you a peak into what I found in my advent calendar today: A bar of yoghurt chocolate A square of the small-sized Ritter chocolate A caramel chocolate candy And a ball of chocolate with a creamy milk filling Now, I don’t know about you, but that’s a piece of paradise right here for me …

On Greeting Cards and Such

Published by Sula H.

Remember the other day when I told you the story of mailing Christmas cards, and how I ended up having a whole new set of cards I got from the clerk lady? Well, a new thought just occurred to me: What if the sole reason I got these New Year’s cards was because the lady wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be using cards with ribbons anymore? Well, even though that thought just crossed my mind, I’d like to think the best of people. I’ll rather continue to tell myself it was the goodness and kindness of the clerk lady that blessed me with a new set of greeting cards, and not her desire to avoid trouble next time I show up to send greetings. And in case you haven’t gotten any season’s greetings from me this year – here we go: Merry Christmas, and a happy new year!

On Greeting Cards And Such

Published by Sula H.

Remember the other day when I told you the story of mailing Christmas cards, and how I ended up having a whole new set of cards I got from the clerk lady? Well, a new thought just occurred to me: What if the sole reason I got these New Year’s cards was because the lady wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be using cards with ribbons anymore? Well, even though that thought just crossed my mind, I’d like to think the best of people. I’ll rather continue to tell myself it was the goodness and kindness of the clerk lady that blessed me with a new set of greeting cards, and not her desire to avoid trouble next time I show up to send greetings. And in case you haven’t gotten any season’s greetings from me this year – here we go: Merry Christmas, and a happy new year!

Merry Chickmas – Or Why It's Better To Stay Away from Christmas Gift Exchanges

Published by Sula H.

Let’s talk a little about presents today. Particularly Christmas presents. They are the little tokens of love exchanged between people who care enough for one another to think it’s worth their time and money putting together something to give away in order to make someone else happy. And presents are thought to be pleasant things. At least generally. But not always. In fact, I’ve learned to view presents with mixed feelings. And I’ve learned that sometimes it’s smarter to not participate in activities like White Elephant (common gift exchanges among larger groups of people). And if you take a look at this chicken (with which one of my friends was kindly bestowed tonight during the foreign faculty Christmas party, and which is perfectly gifted to cry and wail and mutter and stutter long and loudly as soon as you press its belly), you may understand why! So, Merry Chickmas, I’ll say to that!

Dreaming of a White Winter

Published by Sula H.

Winter seems to be generous this year. After the first snowy trial run a couple of weeks ago, yesterday, winter bestowed upon us a chilly, wintery layer of snow dust. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to turn things into an “almost” perfect winter wonderland. Unfortunately, I had to work by the time the snow actually started to matter. And by the time I got off work, it was dark already. Still, with my students, I was able to make the most of it, by running outside as soon as the bell would ring, for some pictures. And if nothing else, this short little snow interlude gives wings to my hopes for a more snowy winter this year. We’ll see what is to come …