Coming home

We buried my fathers ashes the day after arriving, and while he stills feels so present every day,

I miss him tremendously!

The children play freely in the tall grass meadows without worrying about dangerous snakes and spiders.

I am loving to find most of my favorite herbs growing wildly all around, and surprised to find even comfrey growing abundantly edging the streams.

Riding  bikes the six kilometers to the beach never meeting one car.

Most evenings we go joy riding on the bikes to the lakes behind my moms house to feed the ducks, swans and geese.

A flute concert with the Waldorf school that the children will be attending starting this August.

(the concert was given at a students farm house)

Life in Denmark is lovely,
 and we all feel right at home already.
Presently, I am the only one working,
and Miguel takes care of the children while we wait for his paperwork and residency to process.
We found a small fixed up barn in the countryside where we will move in August first, until then we
are here in my childhood home with my mom.
We spend our days on bikes and walking around, enjoying the nature that is all around us.
Everything here feels so peaceful and safe, nature is very friendly, in fact so are the people,
and it allows for a freedom to move around alone that the children are greatly enjoying,
and that we have all been deeply yearning for since leaving Miami almost eight years ago.
We are all amazed at the welcoming we have received since arriving, and I feel blessed
that everything is falling into place for this little family following our very
tumultuous past few years.
I think I can speak for us all when I say that we have finally arrived home!

~Blessings~

Homemade Elderflower syrup/ Hjemmelavet Hyldeblomst saft

So much has happened since arriving here in Denmark, 

and yet we have only been here for just over a month.

One thing I thought I would share for now is the making of elderflower syrup.

I am loving the abundance of wild herbs and foods here, one such abundance is the Elders, they are absolutely everywhere, and I am very much looking forward for the 

berries to start ripening come autumn. 

This is the first time I have made the elderflower syrup, which is very popular here, 

and used widely mixed with water, in both the carbonated and still versions.

I immagine it will be wonderful in white wine or champagne as well as with water, how it is traditionally served here.

There is all kinds of folklore attached to the elderberry tree here in Denmark.

For one the tree is, since olden days, said to keep trouble away from the house near which it grows,

 and you must ask "hyldemor" or mother elder for permission before cutting from her tree.

The syrup is very easy to make and this is how I did it...

 First I cut a basket full of the flowers, the flowers should be fully blooming.

 Back at my moms (we move to the country side august 1st) I cut the main stems from the flowers as these will make the syrup bitter.

 Then in 3 liters (just short of 1 gallon) of boiling water dissolve 1kg (2.2 pounds) of organic sugar.

That is a lot of sugar, and I would like to try with honey next time although I imagine it will change the flavor quite a bit. If I had Rappadura I would use that, 

but have not found it here yet, nor looked for that matter:)

Once the sugar is dissolved remove the pot from the heat and add three sliced organic lemons and the flowers. Make sure the flowers are completely covered, put the lid on and allow to cool completely before placing in the fridge for 4 days, stirring a couple of times daily. 

 After four days, strain and pour in sterilized glass bottles (sterilize like when making jam, by lowering bottle into boiling water for a few minutes) and keep in the fridge.

The syrup can also be frozen in plastic bottles to keep longer. 

The way it is served here is 1 part syrup to 3-4 parts water.

The smell is heavenly and the taste is sweet and summery...

Enjoy!

~Blessings~

Naturally Fun Parties for Kids; a lovely book

These days buying books is a rare luxury for me, so when I saw on another blog that 
Anni Daulter was offering her new book to bloggers 
in return for mentioning her book on your blog, 
 I immediately reached out. I have had my eye on one of her other books; 
The Organic Family cookbook, for some time, and felt certain that I would like her new book;
Naturally Fun Parties for kids 

A few days ago I finally received the book, 
by way of a friend in Miami, and I was not disappointed.
As for the first impression I just adore the pictures and the general set up of the book; 
little fairies fluttering about in flowing dresses, big smiles and shiny eyes. And the book being dived into four main chapters, each focusing on a separate season.
Everything in this book has the feeling of the natural world. 
The invitations are handmade and unique.
Most of the settings require nothing more than your backyard, a park or your own living room.
Decorations are simple and mainly taken from the natural world and complemented with things most of us will already have at home already.
The crafts and projects are simple and fun, and it is the attention to details that give each celebration a full and well rounded feeling. 
The recipes look so yummy and healthy and offers something for everyone.


I personally, am much more likely to take inspiration from here and there in the book and use 
the recipes, crafts and ideas for both party and everyday. 
The beauty of this book though, is that for those who prefer to have a complete party plan from beginning to end, it is beautifully offered here. 


As we head from the land of the mango to the land of the berries I am looking forward to host a jam making party with the children, and the cookie give away celebration around Christmas time is also planting seeds of inspiration for the coming holiday season.
Truly this book is filled with wonderful ideas and will be a treasured addition in our library.

My personal thanks to Anni Daulter for gifting this book to me!


I will return to this space once we have arrived safely on the other side of the 
Atlantic Ocean a few weeks from now.


~Blessings~ 

Caribbean beauty

We are now selling our free range eggs to a hotel on the beach each week.
This gives us an obvious beach day opportunity and we have been enjoying
the healing powers of the Caribbean Sea to the fullest.
The beauty, peace and magic of our current lifestyle is making its final impressions on me,
and I am taking it all in, fully realizing how privileged this experience is.

~Blessings~

Life goes on

It is amazing to find that life continues, quite without regards for my personal deep sorrow.

My father passed away this past tuesday, and while it is still hard to grasp the fact that I can no longer ask him a question nor hear his voice again, I  feel a deep deep grief.

There is a pain in my heart, a pain that I have never before felt 

and that I sense will now be part of me always. 

 I find myself looking for signs from him all around me and in this regard my awareness is intensified, at the same time though, I feel myself moving around as if in a dream, lost in thoughts and memories...

Life continues.....and I managed to put together a lovely easter celebration for the children and their friend who came to take part in the egg hunt, which Kaleena had decided was to take place in the bunny corral. She and Keenan worked on cleaning up the place all week, planting greens, clearing rock and beautifying the space for the event.

We made wet felted eggs during the week, and the day before easter sunday we dyed, painted, blew and hung eggs.

Sunday morning the children woke to the traditional beautifully decorated easter table, Kaleena's favorite part, and after a decadent breakfast I hid all the painted, woolen and chocolate eggs in the bunny coral.

Finally each child caught their favorite bunny and dressed it with a bow for the special day:)

So as I grieve, it is after all lovely to find that life goes on, and to remember that while I may not hear my fathers voice again, I can feel him in each wind gust. I can remember him when I come upon a perfectly heart shaped rock.

When a bird comes surprisingly close I can feel his presence. When I sit in stillness and when life gets extremely loud I can remember his strength, his appreciation of all that this life has to offer, I take a deep breath and allow his patience and his positive attitude to flow through me and so he continues to be.....

~blessings~