Christmas Archives - Page 2 of 3

Christmas in Copenhagen | Part 1 | Nyhavn

Amongst the many beautiful and famous landmarks in the city of Copenhagen, Nyhavn is perhaps one of the most recognizable. The colourful row of houses and shops that line the canal have been there since the 17th century, and this gateway to the sea has become a charming tourist destination {something of a turnaround from it’s history of prostitution and beer houses}.

Today, the cobblestone walkway is lined with restaurants and pubs on one side. Even in the bitter cold of winter, they have tables set up out front with lanterns, wool blankets and heaters to invite passers by to sit and enjoy the ambience of the area over a drink or a meal.

{This windswept heather tells the story of just how c-c-cold it really was! Beautiful, but cold!}

At Christmas time, the other side of the cobblestone walkway is lined with gingerbread style huts {which I mysteriously failed to photograh – so sorry! They really were almost identical to the ones you saw at the Toronto Christmas Market}. These huts are home to vendors selling Christmas wares from handmade felted wool ornaments {and ornaments of all kinds!} to knitted mittens and sweaters to local Danish cheese and even reindeer skin rugs.

Wandering the nearby streets you’ll find that Christmas is literally everywhere, with everyday streets decorated with live evergreen boughs, lights and the iconic Danish hearts. Beauty and celebration are clearly embraced as a meaningful part of everyday life in Denmark!

Some of my favourite shops were the florists. I loved their neat and tidy wreaths and door knockers. Though not entirely an unfamiliar aesthetic, theirs had something charmingly Danish about them that I found both endearing and refreshing. Even the simple evergreen wreaths were more compact and intentionally crafted to my eye. So lovely!

Nyhavn becomes rather magical at night, with the lights from the boats and buildings reflecting like liquid gold off the water. I highly recommend wandering back here on your way home at dusk.

Having spent only 2 whirlwind days there, I still have much to share with you! Can’t wait to show you the markets…but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Wishing you a warm and happy Thursday!

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|December 20th, 2012|0 Comments

Redeeming a Sweet Tradition | Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

As many of you know, I’ve chosen to go gluten-free as a part of a more anti-inflammatory way of life. What I haven’t share with you before now is why. I’m doing this because I’m recovery from a couple of serious car accidents and I want to give my body all the tools it needs to heal. What I’m learning along the way is that everyone’s journey to going gluten-free is different. I have friends with Celiac disease who are gluten-free because they have to avoid all gluten in order to stay alive. I have friends who are gluten-free for the sake of their figure and find it an amazing tool for staying slim. And I have friends like me whose bodies “tolerate” gluten but aren’t the happiest when they eat it. For all of us, we get to learn together.

I feel like saying that I haven’t made this choice to jump in on a trend. I’ve chosen to go gluten-free {on the recommendation of my very lovely naturopath} for the sake of greater health, and I’ve decided that this will NOT be a process of denial and punishment. Rather than thinking of it as a list of “no no’s,” I have chosen to think of it as an adventure in recreating recipes and finding new foodie loves.

Holiday baking being a classic tradition, I decided to reinvent a simple, classic Sugar Cookie recipe to create a holiday treat that is “safe” for me and all of my gluten-free friends. And what better way to make those sweet treats than with friends!

PHOTO BY GABRIELA HANSEN

The star player in our gluten-free baking adventures so far has definitely been Cup4Cup flour. The dough this product creates {from pie crust dough to cookie dough} is insanely beautiful to work with. In fact, I prefer it over regular flour! Seriously. The result with these sugar cookies not only tastes great, but the edges are so clean that my baking queen of a friend Natalie asked if I’d cut them twice {once before and once after baking}! I seriously think you’ll love working with it.

PHOTO BY GABRIELA HANSEN

My other secret weapon? Coconut sugar. OK, so I guess this makes these sugar-free Sugar Cookies! A rather lovely twist in the plot if you ask me! So why do I use coconut sugar instead of regular cane sugar? A) It is anti-inflammatory and super low on the glycemic index, and B) I actually have an anaphylactic allergy to cane sugar, so it’s kind of a non-negotiable for me. {Please celebrate this one with me as it is actually the BEST anti-aging allergy I could possibly have. I seriously feel blessed with this one.} Coconut sugar has quickly become my favourite cane-sugar-substitute, and the great news is that you can now get coconut sugar in bulk at Costco!! It makes me so happy to see healthy living becoming increasingly accessible for everyone.

The amazing thing about the way the coconut sugar performs in this recipe is that it seems to caramelize as it bakes, giving the cookies a maple shortbread kind of flavour without a drop of maple syrup or maple sugar involved. SUPER yummy! And the cookies are actually soft. That’s right. Gluten-free cookies that are not as dry as the Sahara. Even my non-gluten-free family and friends love these little lovelies! Now that is a triumph. Here’s how we made them:

THE RECIPE

1 1/2 c softened organic butter

2 c coconut sugar

4 eggs or egg substitute equivalent {I used egg substitute as this is another allergy for me}

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 c. Cup4Cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

THE METHOD

In a stand mixer, cream together the butter, coconut sugar, egg substitute and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients and then slowly add them to the wet ingredients until fully combined. Wrap the dough and chill for an hour {or overnight}. You can even freeze it in balls to bake one batch at a time if you’d like!

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until it’s about 1/4″ thick. Use your favourite cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place the cut cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 6-8 minutes and cool completely before icing.

PHOTO BY GABRIELA HANSEN

Oh yes, I nearly forgot! What does a sugar-free girl do about icing, you might ask? Well, my friend Jenn was the problem solver on this one. She gave me the idea to create a cream-cheese-based icing and pipe that on instead of Royal Icing. That’s just what I did and it worked like a charm! I just mixed one tub of spreadable light cream cheese with about 20 drops of Stevia and 2 TBSP of honey {I didn’t use coconut sugar here because I wanted the icing to stay white}. As you can see, no one would ever know it wasn’t Royal Icing just to look at the finished product. Yes, the icing has a cream-cheesy flavour, but I actually like that a lot. For my next batch I might experiment with a bit of lemon juice or lemon zest added to the icing for a refreshing twist, though I think I’ll have to go with a full-fat cream cheese to keep it from getting too runny if I do that.

See? There are most definitely creative ways to reinvent the old classics! No need for total self-denial or missing out on holiday traditions! What are your favourite holiday treats? Any gluten-free baking tips from all you veterans out there? I’d love to continue learning together!

Wishing you all a wonderful {gluten-free} Wednesday.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|December 19th, 2012|6 Comments

Deck the Halls with Festive Frocks

It’s here! The season for holiday soirées is upon us, and with it the opportunity to trim our trees with ornaments and trim ourselves in festive frocks that are just perfect for this jolly time of year.

Today I’ve pulled together five lovely outfits from Anthropologie to offer you some inspiration for finding your own unique style as you step out for this party season.

The Dress: Lasercut Sheath, The Earrings: In Rome Earrings, The Handbag: Nicolette Box Clutch, The Shoes: Converged Bow Peep Toes

The Dress: Goldleaf Cocktail Dress, The Earrings: Southbound Plume Earrings, The Handbag: Genji Deco Clutch, The Shoes: Sweetheart Vamp Pumps

The Dress: Paisley Scroll Dress, The Earrings: Polished Planes Earrings, The Handbag: Jewel In The Rough Pouch, The Shoes: Sheer Scallop Peep Toes

The Dress: Mirela Silk Dress, The Earrings: Brae Dew Drops, The Handbag: Sea Mosaic Clutch, The Shoes: Pointed Cutout Wedges

The Dress: Heian Sheath, The Earrings: Kretsa Chandeliers, The Belt: Frayed Grosgrain Belt, The Handbag: Eminonu Clutch, The Shoes: Hearted Wingtip Mary-Janes

Not content simply to play dress-up on paper, my friend Jenn and I decided to transform our recent tree-trimming party into what my English cousins call “a fancy dress party.” Here are two of our favourite Anthro frocks on two real-life friends who delight in the details of these gorgeous garments as much as we do in the details of the ornaments we placed on the tree.

PHOTO BY GABRIELA HANSEN


PHOTO BY GABRIELA HANSEN

As a girl with curves, I typically choose a fit-and-flare shape over a sheath dress in order to accentuate the positive while…well…not over-accentuating the especially curvy parts. But this Lasercut Sheath won my heart with its delightfully modern and feminine details. I just had to give it a try. The great news is that it also won over my girly hips with its charmingly subtle and stretchy side panels! I love the visually lengthening centre column of the delicate cream laser cut-outs contrasting the backdrop of subtle pin-dot black fabric. The knee length silhouette adds to this dress’ truly classic and elegant finesse. I have no doubt it will be a staple in my “occassions” wardrobe for years to come.

PHOTO BY GABRIELA HANSEN

I just love the way the warmth of this Goldleaf Cocktail Dress compliments Jenn’s creamy complexion and lovely red locks. The details are rather spectacular. The belt of this sequined dress looks like a laurel wreath of honour wrapping around her waist, and the Southbound Plume Earrings were truly made for this outfit.

PHOTO BY GABRIELA HANSEN

With the weekend upon us, I’m sure many of you will be getting ready for your own social calendar of festive events. I have no doubt that {with Anthropologie‘s help} we’ve solved your “what to wear” dilemna today! Wishing you the loveliest time of connecting and celebrating with friends and family at your holiday gatherings this year.

Many thanks to Anthropologie and to Gabriela Hansen for her photography.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|December 7th, 2012|0 Comments