Back to school

Image by Ane Vangen found here

A few weeks ago my colleague Elena introduced me to Coursera - online university courses, which are free and available to anyone who's interested in learning something new. The range of the universities providing these courses is broad, from Duke to University of California to Stanford to Johns Hopkins University, and many others. And the list of their courses is pretty impressive: a History of the World since 1300, or Introduction to Mathematical Thinking, or Learn to Program: The Fundamentals, or Design, or Think Again: How to Reason and Argue, to name a few.  The latter is the one my friend Ani, Elena and i are taking right now; and it's really cool - the video lectures, the exercises, the quizzes, reading material. You can do it in your free time, on a couch,  night or day, and literally become smarter - and entertained - for free. Try it out and let us know what you think

Christmas party outfit - part two

Thakoon draped dress from here 

Iris & Ink lace tunic dress from here

DKNY stretch-jersey dress from here

Lanvin draped jersey dress from here

J.Crew cocktail silk taffeta dress from here



J.Crew cocktail dress ON SALE here



With less than a month till Christmas, our search for that perfect Christmas party outfit is full on. Further to the first update on party dresses - all black or sparkly - we've now been looking into more colourful outfits, primarily in red, pink, raspberry, spice wine and hot orange colours. Which one is your favourite? TheOutnet is now running a special holiday dress campaign, with heavily discounted pieces from any designer you can think of - Thakoon, Iris & Ink, DKNY, Lanvin, plus many many more. And american J.Crew which are now also shipping to Denmark, have these cute and inexpensive cocktail dresses - take your pick. Happy Christmas outfit shopping !

It's time for shopping

Image found on Pinterest here

With winter season upon us, and some of the irresistible Black Friday deals as of last week, it's just the right time to check the stores, in your city and online, and if you're looking for just that perfect pair of boots, finally invest in your must-have fashion find. These three made it to my wish-list. Now, just waiting for the winter sale... And what's on your dream-outfit pinterest board? Have a great week !

Jimmy Choo boots from here

Bottega Veneta boots from here

Jil Sander colorblock boots from here

Happy Thanksgiving

Image found on Pinterest

Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends who celebrate it today. If you are looking for an inspiration for your Thanksgiving menu, check out these amazing holiday recipes, festive table setting from here, and fun table decorations for the kids. Have a lovely holiday weekend. There is so much to be thankful for.

Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies

Something sweet and fun for your coffee break: we have made these little Pumpkin Spice Kiss cookies earlier today, and it took literally 5 minutes to mix it all, then another 8 minutes to bake (at +190C), a few seconds to put a finishing touch with Hershey Kisses on top of each cookie (make sure to unwrap and get them ready while the cookies are still baking) - and voila. You can buy the Hershey Pumpkin Spice Kisses here by the way. Enjoy and have a great Wednesday !

Christmas party outfit - part one

What will you be wearing this year at the Christmas party? Searching for the festive outfit is always fun, especially these days, when there are tons of inspiring looks on the net, from super glamourous and insanely pricey, to casual chic and affordable pieces. Today we've been looking at some black and sparkly little things: strapless ruffled silk dress from Notte by Marchesa, a more relaxed party look pulled together at Polyvore (with Vince sequined crepe top), high-octane glamour from Diane von Furstenberg (Mara sequined silk dress) and finally a chic stripy dress by Malene Birger. What is your personal favourite look this party season? We will keep looking...

Holiday season has arrived

RELAX. Found on Pinterest

With the kick-off of the pre-Christmas craze - weekly Julefrokosts (Christmas lunches), including both the preparation to and recovery from those, searching for that perfect Christmas party outfit, brainstorming and shopping for the best Christmas presents for everybody, - it's easy to get overwhelmed and stressed, and forget the most important thing: holiday season is about fun, cheer, spending time with the people who matter most, relaxing and enjoying yourself. 

And if it's all getting too much, book yourself for an indulgent session at the Arndal spa here in Copenhagen, or go for an evening swim at the DGI-Byen, or sign up for a master-class in Argentine Tango, or push yourself to the limit in the CrossFit class (first trial lesson is free of charge. And it's super addictive). 

Have a wonderful week

Ukrainian cheese-cake : Syrnyk / Zapikanka

To all fans of the authentic Ukrainian Syrnyk (local cheese-cake. kind of. but MUCH better :)

I got this recipe from my amazingly skilled baker-friend Nata. She even sent a whole cheese-cake to me once, from Kyiv straight to Copenhagen (best surprise ever), and ever since i've been trying to master it myself, following this secret recipe that Nata generously shared with all of us. The secret to its amazingly light, creamy texture is a) top quality fresh homemade cottage cheese that you can buy at the farmers' market (or at the Polish supermarket here in Copenhagen); b) vanilla pudding. Enjoy !

Ingredients:

1 kg of cottage cheese

1.5 packs of butter (about 300 g)

8 x eggs

300 g cane sugar

2 x small packs of vanilla pudding (Dr.Oetker, each pack of 40 g)

Lemon juice from 1 lemon

1 tsp of Vanilla extract

How-to:

Separate egg yolks and whites;

Beat egg yolks with sugar until they turn white;

Add softened butter to the mix.

Carefully start adding cottage cheese and mix in a blender;

Add pudding and continue mixing.

Separately beat egg whites, but not too much (not ‘foamy’).

Carefully fold all the ingredients together and put into the pre-warmed oven (170C) for 1 hour 15-20 min.

Have a great weekend!

 

Cosy scarves

Picture found on Pinterest

Margit Brandt

Naledi Copenhagen

Rag and Bone

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Club Collection Copenhagen

Naledi Copenhagen

Naledi Copenhagen

These last few days in Copenhagen have been freezing, and if the weather in your cities is anything like ours, you definitely need a chic, warm and cosy scarf for the season. Luckily, there is a fantastic choice of cable-nitted, mohair, wool and silk bend,  100% cashmere scarves. Here above is our top pick of various colours and textures, from all-times-facourite-we-can't-get-enough Naledi Copenhagen, Margit Brandt at Superlove, Marc by Marc Jacobs at Shopbop, Rag & Bone, and cashmere beauties at Club Collection Copenhagen (thank you for the tip, Natalka! Club Collection store is located at Nordhavn near Unicef in Copenhagen, and they have 'the best cashmere at a fraction of the usual price'). Stay warm !

The world of Apps

With an unstoppable development of smart phones, application software (also known as app) can be hugely helpful and inspirational in our daily lives, and is well worth looking further into. Just last night i came across an excellent overview of the must-have APPs for both IOS (iPhone) and Android platforms in Berlingske magasinet. Some of them, like practical and helpful Dropbox, priceless, literally, communication enabler Viber, music fans favourite Spotify and tv-series heaven Netlix are well known; others like Summly - pocket size news, Unlike City Guide - cool, avant-garde, Allrecipes Dinner Spinner, were new to me. There is also Pink Pad, which is super helpful in keeping your critical days in check, Smart Budget for tracking and budgetting your expenses, can't-do-without Find My iPhone and many many more - check out 50 TIME's Best iPhone Apps 2012.

And what are your favorite apps? We would love to hear your comments, just like the ones to the post from yesterday - thank you! 

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins

The quest to find the best pumpkin based fall recipes continues, and a couple of weeks back i came across these gorgeous pumpkin cream cheese muffins on Pinterest. I have adapted the original recipe just a bit, here for your easier reference:

Ingredients

For the filling: 3/4 pack of Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
0.5 cup sugar (i used caster sugar)

For the muffins:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tea spoon ground cinnamon
1 tea spoon ground nutmeg
1 tea spoon salt
0.5 tea spoon baking soda (NOT baking powder)
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree (made earlier, in industrial quantities, for this pumpkin apple bake)
0.5 cup vegetable oil

I skipped the topping from the original recipe.

How-to

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to the fridge for at least half an hour.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 175 C. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin cup with a small amount of batter (not too much - this is very important!), just enough to cover the bottom of the muffin cup (1-2 tablespoons). Add a layer of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

I loved every bite of it. Enjoy and please share your favourite pumpkin recipes !

Back from Shanghai

Image found here

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and are ready to take on the new challenges this coming week. Here in Copenhagen i am still recovering from the jet lag after a trip to Shanghai, China, which was productive, fun and inspiring. At night Shanghai skyline looks as glitzy and impressive as pictured in the latest James Bond movie, Skyfall. And if you are looking for a perfect martini, check out my favourite (thus far) cocktail bar in Shanghai - Sasha's Restaurant and Bar. Impressive history, setting, and their Mood Swing cocktail is just THE best. Have a wonderful week !

Have an excellent brunch

Photo by Alison Conklin found here

Once we all recover from the J Dag here in Copenhagen, it'd be time for a generous, indulgent brunch. Check out these cafes in CPH that won the title of the Best Breakfast/Brunch places in 2012. Our personal favourite is the Laundromat Cafe på Gammel Kongevej, Frederiksberg: highly recommend their 'Dirty brunch'.

If you are however up for a challenge of making your own food, then nothing beats homemade pancakes on a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning. Especially when your boyfriend or husband makes them. Our secret pancake recipe will be posted next weekend once some of us are back from a trip to Shanghai. Have a fun weekend !

Apple tart with salted caramel

TGIF! To celebrate the arrival of the weekend, why not to bake something that's super easy, quick and yummy: this lovely apple tart recipe came from the Smitten Kitchen. All you need to make yourself (and your loved ones) happy, is a pack of frozen puff pastry (smørdej på Dansk), a few thinly sliced apples, and homemade salted caramel. The latter is a bit tricky: ensure to stir it continuously, on low heat, as otherwise your caramel would get very thick, very quickly (it's still delicious, regardless!). Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend !