3. December

The smell of Christmas has come to the house. We have made piparkakkuja, gingerbread cookies, pepperkaker, brunekager, and all of the dear names that a loved cookie carry. I sneaked at least ten in the process of them being cooled enough. They are best when hot, and made together with small friends that are excited about the Christmas which is getting ever closer.

This weekend we have our once-a-month boys present, and for the first time in soon to be a year with this sometimes weekend parenting I crashed (and slept for who knows how long?) on the sofa while reading, the boys were playing games.
Could have been all the noise and people that we endured while we were in Barona arena, checking out zillions of free stuff, toys, pizzas and child-friendly activities. Fun, free, play and nicely arranged everything made this a good one to go to (although the youngest one got a bit shy and nervous at first with all the hundreds of peeps). 

The baking frenzy begins...

Im about to shop all ingredients for the baking of several different yum-yums in a christmasy cathegory. I am thinking to make a smal ton of the different sorts, and give them away to friends and aquaintances. Shh! it's s-e-c-r-e-t!

And one thing that is shocking each year(why do I always forget this??), is the price of almonds. Almonds is in almost every recipe for christmas cakes/candy/goodies that you can find. At least here in Scandinavia. 17-25€/kg has been the prices I've seen so far. Is it always so much?? And for a decent "kransekake" (=norwegian almond cake) you need at least 1 kg. Right? Because its never enough with the 18 rings on top of each other, you have to have the pieces stashed around it on the plate. Myabe I'm over shooting. We ARE after all just two people in this household. But we are having a 26th december family gathering...so...

And I want to make the English christmas cake! the gorgeous savoury fruit magnifience that has been a tradition on my aunt Trude's christmasparty many years. But as many good things, it costs so much for the LONG list of ingredients, and I think its only me that likes this in here, so I rather skip it. And leave time for the making of all the other stuff. We havent even had time for making our fantastic piparkakkutalo (gingerbread house) that we have planned!

But now, the gifts to Norway is sent, so that time-consumption is over. The quewe in the post office went all the way out from the store and alongside one wall! Lucky they are indoors in the mall now.... Poor guys working front desk postal services today must have quite the stress! But they kept on smiling=) good work!

My bestest candies!