Scropino – Cheers!

Yesterday we ended a very successful Christmas dinner with a ‘Scropino’. I’d never heard of it before, but it is basically a grown-up smoothie – extremely yummy and easy to make!

3 scoops lemon sorbet

1 shot vodka

150 ml champagne

Mix it up, serve, and enjoy!

xxx

Esther in Amsterdam

Sugar Cookies

It’s funny how I can really hate the cold, dark winters in London, but not be so bothered by them when I am “home” for the holidays ( all cozied up in a big house with a fire)! I love sitting around in my pajamas, listening to Christmas music and watching the rain splash against the windows (I’m in rainy Seattle, after all).

And of course, nothing makes sitting inside more enjoyable than a big plate of Christmas sugar cookies on the counter!  Every single year at this time we make these cookies (frosted in red, white and green colors), and every year they disappear off the counter more quickly than anything else!  These cookies are a tried ‘n true favorite.  They are one of my favorite things about Christmas (and fun to make with your kids).

Here is the recipe…

Pancakes!

What exactly are pancakes? In America they are thick and small and eaten for breakfast in stacks – the higher the stack the cooler the cowboy! In France they are called crêpes and are very large, thin and delicate and eaten for lunch or a snack from one of the little street stands. (This makes me wonder… Michela, is there such a thing as an Italian pancake)??

In Holland, ’pannekoeken’ are the size of an average frying pan, and are a bit thicker than a crêpe but thinner than American pancakes. Traditionally they are eaten for dinner, usually after the traditional Dutch pea soup called ’snert’, with a variety of savoury (bacon&syrup, cheese&paprika) or sweet (apple, banana, icing sugar, sugar syrup, confiture) toppings. It’s a children’s favourite. 

We just discovered a restaurant called Pancakes!, which serves, well, pancakes (in all different varieties) and is conveniently located in the center of the ‘nine streets’ in Amsterdam (a little shopping delight for the ones who don’t know it yet)! They have highchairs (I counted at least three) and a children’s menu that comes with a little surprise. Might your little one get bored after all, a toy-box filled with books, toys and games is present, or the staff can provide crayons and paper. There’s a microwave for warming up milk. And they also cater children’s (birthday)parties – age 4 years and up!

-Esther in Amsterdam

Babyccino

My daughter has known the meaning of a good babyccino since she was able to hold a spoon. I have known the meaning of a good babyccino since I discovered that it could keep a toddler entertained for at least 10 minutes at a lunch table. If one orders a second one (disregarding the occasional babyccino spilled all over the table) that’s 20 minutes of valuable, uninterrupted mummy time! What a great invention is that?!

While our children were happily messing about with their babyccinos, I think my girlfriends and I spent hours discussing topics like: the best baby/toddler products, fashion, recipes, films, websites, beauty products, shopping, expositions, restaurants, travel, practical matters, the occasional gossip (think Sienna Miller & Jude Law, Kate Moss & Pete Doherty), raising our kids, raising our husbands -and anything else that would interest us, (urban mothers).

What is it with this time of year?

I suddenly get nostalgic and start craving my childhood treats! It must have something to do with the cold weather and the early nights. All I want to do is curl up on a sofa, preferably in front of a fire, and eat!
Anyway, this is my latest craving that I want to share with you: Vanille Kipferl (I dare you to pronounce it), my favourite ever German Advent Cookie. It is super easy and really fun to make with kids…..

Is there light (Starbucks) at the end of the tunnel?

Italians invented espresso and cappuccino. Fantastic! Humanity will be grateful forever. Then we stopped there.

Why is it that every other country capitalized on our inventions, and now have more choices when getting a hot drink than the average Italian could ever dream of?

Thanksgiving

 It is America’s Thanksgiving Day today!

So, as an American (not living in America), we will be celebrating… (er, sort of).  My 2-year-old went to nursery, my husband went to work, I’m not surrounded by extended family, and there is no parade to watch!  But, nonetheless, we will be feasting on the usual turkey fare tonight with some of our obliging European friends!

In addition to the turkey dinner, Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks. 

Yoghurt in a tube!

I know it sounds sort of gross- eating yoghurt out of a tube!?  But it has completely revolutionized meal time in our house.

What is it? Yeo Valley organic yoghurt now comes in individual tubes specially designed for children.  The yoghurt is 100% natural and organic, (of course), and because it’s in a tube, it is easy for the kids to eat (assuming they get the tube to their mouth before giving it a squeeze)!

For some reason, my toddler thinks it’s especially cool (he calls it a “yoghurt lolly”), and just knowing that he gets one after he finishes his dinner gives him all the incentive he needs to clean his plate.  (He wasn’t really ever thrilled with yoghurt before, but now he is hooked)!

I place it next to his plate at dinnertime, and tell him he can have it when he’s finished. It works like a charm! (Must be the two googly eyes on the package staring up at him from the table). 

Also- it’s an easy thing to take with you in the car, stick in a lunch box, or pack for a picnic!

-Courtney in London

Ex-pat moms

Here is an article an American friend of mine living in Paris wrote. It made me laugh, as it rings very true. I thought you guys might like it as we have all been, or are, expat moms!

click here for LA Times article

-Emilie in Paris

Mmmmmont d’Or

The first time I ate it I was attending a houseparty somewhere on the Lower East Side in New York City, probably about 5 years ago. Someone ignorant (could have easily been me) had opened the circle of bark around the cheese and thus, the hotter the party seemed to get, the more the cheese started to spread out over the entire table. But we (the selection of partygoers always at the snack table),  didn’t care – after our first bite we were hooked. We were scooping the cheese right off the table, with our backs to the rest of the party to shield it: mine! mine!… Delicious stuff.

What was it???

 This Swiss/French cheese, le Vacherin Mont d’Or, is produced from mid August to the end of March and is thus only available in the late autumn and winter months. I missed it last year due to pregnancy (it is non-pasteurized), so needless to say I was overly thrilled when I discovered it in our local cheese shop last week.

I love this cheese! It has a very soft & subtle full flavour, a bit nutty, and raw almost. There is also a hint of wood, which must be the bark surrounding it. As pointed out before, when this cheese is at room temperature (and this is how it should be eaten), it becomes really, really runny, so the ring of bark has to stay in place.

I prefer to eat it as is – scoop it out with a piece a crusty French bread and enjoy with a glass of light red wine (Pinot Noir maybe? I’m not an expert.). Lovely as a dessert.

Alternatively, as I did last week, you can wrap aluminum foil around it, stick some garlic cloves in the crust, pour white wine over it (DRY, obviously!) and pop it in the oven (200°C) for about 20, 25 minutes. Eat as cheese fondue. Apparently you can also spoon it over jacket potatoes but I have never tried it.

Yummy!!!

(I just read that it can be frozen, so if you really like it, (or if you’re pregnant), you can, let’s say, pre-spoil yourself for next summer)!

-Esther in Amsterdam

baby friendly? no, grazie!

On Saturday morning we decided to go and have a look at the new food hall on the 7th floor at “La Rinascente” (which is basically the only department store in Milan).

It does look great.  It reminds me a bit of the 5th floor at Harvey Nicks (in London) …although it’s possibly smaller.

There’s a restaurant, coffee bar, chocolate (Valrhona) corner, juice bar, sushi bar, sandwich bar and a mozzarella bar. Plus you can buy some fine teas, biscuits, ham, cheeses, sauces etc.

So why am I telling you this?

Because it sounds like a good place to go for a quick lunch, a mid morning coffee, a nice stop while shopping in the center of town… BUT it’s not baby friendly!

They refurbished possibly 10 restrooms and there is not even a changing table…. and of course not a high chair in sight!

Italian business owners are a bit short-sighted; they still don’t understand how mums with babies are nowadays great customers. We are used to going out-  lunch&dine, earn&spend.  Why should we have to miss all these opportunities after having a baby?

Unfortunately in Milan, babies are only truly welcomed (with appropriate space and equipment) in very few places, and I am determined to discover them all in the very near future!

-Michela in Milan

Super Porridge!

As the mother of a 6-month old (who LOVES to eat), I can tell you that I am becoming quite baby-food savvy. 

Babycook?…  Check!  Fresh fruit and vegetables?…. check! Baby rice?…  NO!

I’ve found the superior alternative to plain ‘ol baby rice.  It’s called Four grain super-porridge, and it’s JUST that! A mix of four (organic) grains: quinoa, wholegrain rice, wholegrain millet, and amaranth. 

It’s one of Plum Baby’s brilliant concoctions.  (And they also make a four grain super porridge with plum and banana and another one with apple and apricot). 

In addition to its nutritional advantages, I also think it mixes into fruit and veg purees a bit easier than simple baby rice, and the consistency of the porridge on its own is also smoother and easier for babies to eat.

My baby loves it, and I love that he’s eating loads of whole grains! 

Check out Plum Baby’s website for more info and where-to-buy:  www.plum-baby.co.uk

-Courtney in London