LOVE TO SHARE – Page 2 – Awareness Compassion Pancakes

Recipe Spanish Pancakes (Frixuelos)

Frixuelos – Spanish Pancakes

Danish version below.

Ingredients

400ml milk
180g wheat flour
3 eggs
2 tbsp sugar
½ tsp white vinegar
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp Anís del Mono (optional)
Vegetable or canola oil, for coating the pan

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the milk and eggs. Use an immersion blender to beat the mixture for approximately 10 seconds. Add the flour, sugar, salt, vinegar and Anís del Mono, and beat.
Preheat a crêpe pan over medium-high heat. Pour a little oil on the pan. While tilting the pan, pour batter onto the pan to thinly and evenly cover the entire surface. When the edges turn golden, flip the pancake, and brown the other side. Place the pancake on a plate. Sprinkle with a little granulated sugar. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve with orange slices, and apple compote, fruit preserves, or egg custard.

Apple Compote

Ingredients

4 large Pink Lady apples, peeled, cored, and cubed
250ml water
5 tbsp granulated sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch salt
½ tsp cornstarch

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and bring to a boil. Let the mixture boil for 5 minutes. Add the apples and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the apples are very tender.
Pour the liquid into a small saucepan and add the cornstarch. Stir well to dissolve the cornstarch. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes until it thickens. Combine with the apples.

Frixuelos – Spanske Pandekager

Ingredienser
• 400ml mælk
• 180g hvedemel
• 3 æg
• 2 spsk sukker
• ½ tsk eddike
• ½ tsk salt
• 1 spsk Anis del Mono (valgfrit)
• Mad- eller rapsolie, til bagning

Fremgangsmåde

1. Mælk og æg hældes i en stor skål. Med en stavblender blendes blandingen i ca. 10 sekunder. Tilsæt mel, sukker, salt, eddike og Anis del Mono, og blend.
2. Varm en crêpe pan op ved mellem til høj varme. Hæld lidt olie på panden. Imens panden tiltes hældes et tyndt lag dej på panden. Når kanten er brunlig vendes pandekagen og brunes på den anden side. Læg pandekagen på en tallerken. Drys med lidt sukker. Gentag med den resterende dej.
3. Server pandekagerne med appelsinskiver og æblekompot, frugtmarmelade eller kagecreme.

Æblekompot

Ingredienser

4 store Pink Lady æbler, skrællet og skåret i tern
250ml vand
5 spsk sukker
¼ tsk stødt kanel
1/8 tsk stødt muskatnød
1 knivspids salt
½ tsk majsstivelse

Fremgangsmåde

I en stor gryde blandes vand, sukker, kanel, muskatnød og salt og bringes i kog. Lad blandingen koge i 5 minutter. Tilsæt æbler og lad blandingen simre i ca. 20 minutter, indtil æblerne er meget møre.
Hæld væsken i en lille gryde og tilsæt majsstivelse. Rør godt rundt for at opløse majsstivelsen. Lad blandingen simre i et par minutter, indtil den bliver tykkere. Hæld siruppen over æblerne.

Recipe Pancake Cake (Mille Crepe Cake)

The second Sunday of October I will host the first Afternoon Pancake event of season II, and serve Pancake Cake, also called Mille Crepe Cake . Please join me, and try this great recipe (Danish version below):

Mille Crepe Cake

Ingredients

Crêpe Batter

6 tbsp butter
750ml milk
6 eggs
200g wheat flour
7 tbsp granulated sugar
One pinch of salt

Pastry Creme Filling

1 egg
1 tbsp wheat flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
250ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
1 tsp hot water
2 tbsp heavy cream, whipped

Directions

Crêpe Batter

In a small pan, melt the butter until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a separate, small pan, warm the milk until steaming. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Using your hand mixer at low speed, mix the eggs, flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Slowly add in the milk and browned butter. Refrigerate the batter in an airtight container for several hours, or overnight.

Pastry Creme Filling

In a small bowl, add egg, flour, sugar, and cornstarch. Beat until smooth.
In a saucepan over low heat, bring milk to a simmer. Immediately remove from heat and slowly whisk the milk into the egg mixture. Return all ingredients to the saucepan, while constantly stirring, until thickened and just comes to a boil.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add vanilla and hot water. Stir until dissolved into the mixture. Set aside to cool until firm.
When the pastry creme has cooled, fold in the whipped cream.
Refrigerate until thick, preferably overnight.

Preparation

Ingredients

Crêpe Batter (see recipe above)
Pastry Creme Filling (see recipe above)
500ml heavy cream
1 tbsp granulated sugar
Powdered sugar
Fresh berries

Directions

The day before making and assembling the cake, prepare the crêpe batter and the pastry creme filling. Refrigerate.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Heat up a non-stick crêpe pan to medium-low. Hold the pan at an angle with one hand and pour the batter into the pan with the other. Move the pan slowly in a circular movement to evenly distribute the batter. Flip the crêpe, once light brown edges are showing. Cook shortly, approximately 5 seconds on the other side. Remove the cooked crêpe onto a prepared baking sheet to cool. Do not stack the crêpes on top of each other. Repeat this process with the remaining batter.
Whip the heavy cream with the granulated sugar. Remove the pastry creme filling from the refrigerator and gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry creme filling.

Assembling the Cake

Place one crêpe on a large cake plate.
With a small spatula, completely cover the crêpe with a thin layer of the pastry creme filling.
Cover with another crêpe and repeat covering with the pastry creme filling until you have reached approximately 20 layers. The 20th crepe will be the last or top layer.
Refrigerate the cake for a minimum of 2 hours. Allow to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and fresh berries.

Pandekagekage

Ingredienser

Pandekagedej

6 spsk smør
750ml mælk
6 æg
200g hvedemel
7 spsk sukker
1 knivspids salt

Kagecreme

1 æg
1 spsk hvedemel
2 spsk sukker
1 spsk majsstivelse
250ml mælk
1 tsk vaniljeextrakt eller vaniljesukker
1 tsk kogende vand
2 spsk pisket fløde

Fremgangsmåde

Pandekagedej

Smelt smørret på en lille pande. Tag panden af varmen, og sæt til side.
Varm mælken i en anden lille pande indtil den damper. Tag panden af varmen og lad den køle lidt ned.
Med en håndmixer blandes æg, hvedemel, sukker og salt i en stor skål. Tilsæt mælken og den smeltet smør langsomt. Stil skålen i køleskabet i flere timer eller til næste dag.

Kagecreme

Bland æg, hvedemel, sukker og majsstivelse i en lille skål. Pisk indtil dejen er ensartet.
Ved svag varme varmes mælken op i en lille gryde indtil den simrer. Fjern gryden fra blusset og hæld langsomt mælken op i æggeblandingen. Hæld alle ingredienserne tilbage i gryden, og pisk konstant indtil massen er blevet tykkere og lige koger.
Fjern gryden fra blusset. Tilsæt vanilje og kogende vand. Pisk indtil cremen er ensartet. Sæt den til side, indtil den er afkølet og fast.
Når cremen er kølet ned foldes flødeskummet i.
Stil i køleskabet indtil den er tyk, helst til dagen efter.

Forberedelse

Ingredienser

Pandekagedej (se opskrift ovenfor)
Kagecreme (se opskrift ovenfor)
500ml fløde
1 spsk sukker
Flormelis
Friske bær

Fremgangsmåde

Dagen før kagen laves forberedes pandekagedejen og kagecremen. Sæt begge i køleskabet.
Læg bagepapir på bageplader.
Varm en pandekagepande op ved mellem til lav varme. Når smørret er smeltet tiltes panden med den ene hånd mens dejen hældes på panden med den anden. Bevæg panden langsomt i en cirkelbevægelse for at fordele dejen. Vend pandekagen, når kanten er gyldenbrun. Brun kort på den anden side, ca. 5 sekunder. Læg pandekagen til afkøling på bagepapiret. Læg ikke pandekagerne ovenpå hinanden. Gentag med den resterende dej.
Pisk fløde og sukker. Tag kagecremen ud af køleskabet og fold forsigtigt piskefløden i kagecremen.

Samling af kagen

Placer en pandekage på et stort pandekagefad.
Fordel et tyndt lag kagecreme på pandekagen med en lille spatel.
Læg en anden pandekage ovenpå og fortsæt med at fordele et lag kagecreme, indtil der er ca. 20 lag. Den 20. pandekage er det øverste lag.
Sæt kagen i køleskabet i mindst 2 timer. Lad kagen stå ved stuetemperatur i 15-30 minutter før den serveres. Drys flormelis over kagen og læg bær på.

Creature of habit

“Whenever you meet new people, you have the opportunity to be a little more you.”

Someone told me that many years ago, and I have remembered ever since.

The thing is, that we are all creatures of habit, and not only when it comes to eating habits, what we watch on tv or how we brush our teeth, but also when it comes to our psychological and social behaviour.

Habits are a great concept! We save time and energy, when certain behavioural patterns happen automatically, without the need for awareness, pause and deciding before action. The problem is of course, that not all our habits are in consonance with the life we want to live, or our true personalities.

This last year, I have had the chance to look into the subject of Positiv Psychology. I attended the Fourth World Congress of Positive Psychology in Orlando in june, and I have had a lot of inspiring discussions with people who have studied PP for a long time. A lot of them encouraged me to take a test to map my character strengths. Actually I was overbearingly laughed at, and thought to be the only attendee at the conference who had NOT taken the test.

With awareness is the key as one of my mantras of course I had to take the test. Getting a closer look at my character strengths might not surprise me, but surely it would be a good reminder. And a chance to reevaluate my habits.

I took the test! And my top 5 character strengths (there are 24 in all) turned out to be:

Creativity
Integrity
Social intelligence
Bravery
Perspective

At the bottom of the list (but still strengths I mind you..)

22. Humility & modesty
23. Appreciation of beauty & excellence
24. Self regulation..

Hmm… No – it was not surprising. But it did make me reconsider some of my habits and especially what I focus on in my professional life.

Working with tasks where I use my top strengths bring out the me in me. That´s where I feel energized and do my best work.

Am I in the habit of using my top strengths when it comes to my work?

Well, not as much as I would like to – I will work on that!

Back to the part about meeting new people, and the opportunity to be a little more you.

As I am sure you experience it too, my relationships become “habits” pretty fast. They get stuck in patterns in the shape of roles; I am the boss, sister, friend, daughter, lover, ex-wife, best friend, niece, etc.

Depending on who I spend time with I have a “fully-prepared-social-behaviour” package ready, and the package seldom changes.

In every individual relationship and in all group relationships, we usually have the behaviour “set” – and once it is set, it becomes a habit that can be really hard to change.

Just think back at a reunion you have attended. Even 20 years after highschool or university, when a class meets, they instantly fall into the same roles and behavioural patterns that they had when they went to school together. They have all changed, but they keep each other (pretty much unaware of doing so) stuck in old social habits.

Can the habits be changed?

I guess it is possible, but it surely takes awareness, time and effort. Not only do you have to change your actual behaviour, you also have to “make” the other person (or even harder; group) see the difference, because he or she is in the habit of seeing you in a certain way. The change has to be quite noticeable.

When I meet new people I remind myself to be as authentic as I can – from the beginning. And in the relationships I am already in – i do the same, and try to create small changes of habit over time.

Who, and doing what, brings out the you in you?

“Choice is creation. To choose is to create. Through my choices I create my reality. At every moment in my life I have a choice. Moments add up to a lifetime; choices add up to a life. What kind of life do I want for myself? What choices will create this kind of life?” – Tal Ben-Shahar

Seek those who fan your flames

“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.” – Rumi

Spending time with people who fan your flames, is a key component in a happy life. At least it is to me!

I spend time with a lot of people, and I enjoy the company of most of them, but there are some who stand out and really fan my flames.

These people inspire me, I find pleasure in their company and they challenge me to grow as a person. And I sense that they feel the same way

Awareness, compassion, inspiration, synergy, love, pleasure and meaning are words I would use to describe the essence of these relationships.

I am sure that if you look at the people surrounding you, you will also be able to pin point some of them as “special” in that sense.

It is only recently that I have proactively been seeking the company of people who I can relate to in this way. Attending TED Global in Rio last year was probably the first time I made it a priority. But it is something that I now value and strive to integrate in my life much more than I have done so in the past.

Don´t take this the wrong way – I am in no way devaluating the relationship I have with most of the people I know – I am just acknowledging, that some relationships or connections, or whatever you choose to call them, have a special quality and intensity that stand out.

As I have mentioned a couple of times before, I have not been the most social person you can imagine, so initiating new relationships is not something that comes natural to me. BUT in respect of my (new) life rule about taking a step forward and not backwards, when I hesitate in a situation – I try to do the same in my interaction with other people.

I am no longer (that) afraid of telling someone, that I value their company, that I find them inspiring, and that I would love to spend more time with them.

And what has the consequence been? My life is on fire!

You can do it to! Prioritize the people you already know who fan your flames, and seek to find more.

“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
– Carl Jung

Enjoying the transformation, I wish you all a great weekend!

4 AM

Jetlag! Second night after returning from a week in San Fransisco. It is almost 4 AM. But I have this smile stuck on my face..

I had a great week in San Fransisco. Great company and amazing experiences. If you have never been? You must go!

The first morning after we arrived, we woke up at 3 AM, and decided to just make the best of it. So at 4 AM we went out for breakfast, and had pancakes of course. With strawberries – what a joy.

We walked for 3 hours; From Pier 1 to past pier 39.. Saw Pier 1:

Bay bridge

And sea lions

I love early mornings. It is peaceful, clear thoughts – and if you go for a walk, you see something new..

We did not get up at 4 AM every morning, but the rest of the week left me wanting nothing… The pictures will give you an idea:

And let´s not forget the pancakes! had a lot of those:

Last, but far from least; we took a helicopter ride! This is the fast version:

I guess now you know, why I have this smile stuck on my face.

San Fransisco was just “my” 4 AM – take time to watch these 8 minutes of lyrical origami about the 4 AM mystery:

If the video does not open – try this TED 4AM

I will try to get some sleep now…

The blessing of odd

Do you ever feel more like a spectator, than a participant at a social gathering? Or maybe even in life in general?

Growing up, I spent most of my life as a spectator. Observing more than participating.

I remember feeling like an outsider, like someone watching a movie, and everyone around me was part of the cast, but I was not. No one was bullying me or teasing me, and I did have a few friends, but circumstances, and maybe just my personality, made me The odd one out..

A definition of The odd one out states: “Deviating from what is ordinary, usual, or expected; strange or peculiar.”

That describes me pretty well, but today I am no longer just a spectator – I participate. I am now the odd one out participation in my own life, instead of just observing it.

When I was a teenager, I was somewhat isolated. My mother was sick for many years, and my everyday life was limited to school and staying at home taking care of her. That was my small world, and I never really felt part of anything else, even when I did attend social events.

I did find one hobby that changed my life. Dancing! But even as a dance student, I never really felt as a participant in a group. I attended dance class in Copenhagen 4 – 5 times a week, but I never talked to any of the other students there – I just showed up, did the training, and went back home.

At the dance studio that I attended there was a photographer who used to take pictures of us – and he took this one of me, observing!

Even though it was not always funny to be the odd one out, today I feel grateful. Odd has done me well, and today I surround myself with other odd people. However messed up – surviving difficulties and accepting the reality of odd, is truly a blessing.

It is only within the last year that my role as a spectator has really changed to participant. I think, that I have mentioned this in a previous post; I have made it into a rule, that whenever I hesitate I step forward instead of stepping back. And so far, it has brought me nothing but great experiences.

Right now I am actually in Hamburg, and have just spent the weekend with odd friends that I love and value – doing odd things, without hesitation.

Love to share!

Yesterday we accidently crashed a birthday party at the harbor – we watched a beautiful sunset, and two of my friends jumped in the water and went for a swim.

Being part of that experience made me feel so alive and content. Actually feeling content is the best way to describe how I feel, when I do not hesitate, and decide to step forward instead of backwards.

It is always now! Why not decide to participate – now?

Your choice of pancakes

Season 1 of my Afternoon Pancakes has ended, and it has been a great pleasure. Which of the four pancake recipes did you prefer?

I asked my great team of Pancake loving friends, when we met to try the Icelandic Pancakes.

This season has offered 4 recipes, and a lot of joy and pleasure. The choice of pancakes are;

We liked all 4 types of pancakes, but ended up with a tie between the American Buttermilk Pancakes and the Icelandic Pancakes as our favorites.

If you have not all ready tried all the recipes you really should. You won´t be disappointed I promise.

I look forward to a summer filled with sun, fun and good pancakes, and can´t wait til Season 2 of Afternoon Pancakes this fall.

P.s. Feel Free

The paradox of a restriction making me feel free, inspired me to write this P.s. to my post A Silent Perspective.

The 2 hours of Silent Sightseeing guided by Bastian Overgaard reminded me, that awareness and selfobservation are key to understanding, that the thoughts in our heads do not define who we are. They are thoughts – thats all! And we are all free to agree or disagree with them, and free to choose our own actions in response.

Being restricted to silence very quickly made me aware of how often my thoughts just turn into speech. The urge to react to my own thoughts by saying something became crystal clear, and having to stop myself from speaking changed my focus and gave room for awareness.

“When you recognize that there is a voice in your head that pretends to be you and never stops speaking, you are awakening out of your unconscious identification with the stream of thinking. When you notice that voice, you realize that who you are is not the voice — the thinker — but the one who is aware of it.

Knowing yourself as the awareness behind the voice is freedom.”

– Eckhart Tolle

This is the point, that the silent experience reminded me of. And yes, we do need to be reminded. Well, at least I do!

There is a big difference between knowing something to be true – because you have read and understood it – and then experiencing it to be true. And sometimes we forget a little..

Inspired by silence and feeling free – let me end this post with another quote;

“Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.”

– Jean-Paul Sartre

With freedom comes responsibility…

Wondering about the flowers in my hair? I felt free!

A Silent Perspective

2 hours of Silent Sightseeing in Copenhagen, guided by the inspiring and talented Bastian Overgaard was a unique experience.

The idea of sightseeing in silence might strike you as odd, but the silence makes the seeing and the sensing much more intense, and it gives you a different perspective. A silent perspective.

When you choose to be silent in a group it differs a lot from just being silent on your own. As Bastian explained it; an intelligent silence arises.

What might be experienced as a restriction – you are not allowed to speak – turnes into a synergy in the group and you feel free to take in the world around you, and become one with reality.

Silence is a great doorway to awareness, and the sightseeing makes you observe. You observe the things around you, but most important you observe your self. Awareness is the key, and silence is a great tool.

Walking the streets of Copenhagen in a group – in silence – made us all feel like spectators, watching the everyday play of life.

This afternoon was a bit special though. It was election day in Denmark, so the focus of our sightseeing was the area around the Parliament building. The place was buzzing with people, journalists and politicians, and gave me mixed feelings of pride and gratitude for our democracy, combined with an outrage against the methods used in the political campaigns.

My 2 hour role as a silent spectator made me think of a Shakespeare quote;

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.”

Thank you Bastian for inspiring A Silent Perspective!

Let me share with you a few pictures from the sightseeing;

Recipe Icelandic Pancakes

This Sunday I will host the fourth Afternoon Pancake event, and the theme is Icelandic Pancakes. Please join me, and try this great recipe (Danish version below):

Icelandic Ponnokukur

Ingredients

180g wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
2 eggs
400ml milk
120ml heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Butter, for coating the pan

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients, and set aside. In another bowl, beat the eggs until smooth.

2. In alternating turns, add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk to the eggs, whisking until combined; repeat with the remaining flour and milk. Mix in the cream and vanilla. Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat a crepe pan over medium-high heat. Rub with a stick of butter to lightly coat the pan. While tilting the pan, pour batter onto the pan to thinly and evenly cover the entire surface. When the edges turn golden, flip the pancake, and brown the other side. Drop the pancake onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve the pancakes with whipped cream and strawberry or blueberry jam.

Islandske Ponnokukur

Ingredienser

180g hvedemel
2 spsk sukker
1 tsk bagepulver
3/4 tsk salt
1/2 tsk stødt kardemomme
1/2 tsk stødt muskatnød
2 æg
400ml mælk
120ml fløde
1 tsk vaniljeextrakt
Smør til panden

Fremgangsmåde

1. Si de tørre ingredienser sammen i en mellemstor skål. Pisk æggene til en ensformig masse i en anden skål.

2. Tilsæt halvdelen af melblandingen og halvdelen af mælken til æggene, og pisk godt. Gentag med den resterende mel og mælk. Tilsæt fløden og vaniljeextrakten. Sæt dejen i køleskabet i 30 minutter.

3. Varm en pande op ved mellem til høj varme. Sæt lidt smør på panden. Imens panden tiltes hældes et tyndt lag dej på panden. Når kanten er brunlig vendes pandekagen og brunes på den anden side. Læg pandekagen på en tallerken. Gentag med den resterende dej.

Server pandekagerne med flødeskum og jordbær- eller blåbærsyltetøj.

Jeg har testet dem allerede – jeg kan love jer de er fantastiske!