Comforting "Kipferl"

Happy Sunday afternoon lovelies!!!

I had planned a little trip in the mountain not far from home for this afternoon, but my friend wasn't feeling very well today and the weather was cold, foggy and grey, so unfortunately I spent the all Sunday at home!

I must say I was a little sad about that because I have always great expectations for the weekends so, in order to defeat the bad mood, I decided to make some special biscuits called " Kipferl" for the first time.

They are fragrant and savory little delicacies of the Austrian tradition, which are usually prepared during Christmas time. I've found their recipe in a novel and, according to the author, they must be shared with people who need to be comforted and encouraged. 

Even if the holidays are over I thought a sweet pleasure was exactly what I needed to feel better and enjoy my day off, filling my kitchen with the delicious smell of vanilla! 

RECIPE

200 gr of margarine

100 gr of sugar

1 vanilla bean

100 gr of ground almonds

250 gr of flour 00

powdered sugar 

Mix the butter and sugar until creamy, then cut in half the vanilla bean, scrape the inside and add it to the mixture.

Add the sifted flour and the ground almonds and mix thoroughly.

Work the dough until you get a roll and cut it  into sticks about 2 cm long. 

Give everyone a curved shape and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for about 10 minutes at 190 degrees until golden brown.

Sprinkle the powdered sugar on the biscuits when they are still warm and leave them to cool.

They were so yummy that even little Cloe wanted to join us for a tea break!

Under The Christmas Tree I've found...

1. A soft wool sweater with owls on the neck. I had seen it on Pinterest and I had loved it so much, so my mother has found a way to get it done for me by a seamstress.

2. Many cosy soxs and a pair of super confortable red wolly slippers, which are perfect to warm my cold feet in these freezing days.

3. A tiny beautiful clutch, with a quote that means a lot to me: " To be beautiful you have to laugh". 

4. Some fragrant chalks to put in my drawers in order to let them have a lovely scent.

5. A 2015 calendar with gorgeous pictures of tulips which, as you know, are by far my favourite flowers.

6. A lovely pink clutch in grey dots created by my dear friend Emily (the "Little Black Sheep"). 

An handmade gift has always a special value for me!

7. Some " Yves Rocher" body products ( a liquid hand soap, an hand cream, an exfoliating shower gel and a nourishing lip balm) that smell of red berries and I can't wait to try!

8. Some books which are on the top of my 2015 reading list: " Dusty answers" by Rosamond Lehman and "Us" by David Nicholls and a special bookmark with a quote about friendship that really moved me: " A friend is someone who knows all about you and still likes you".

I think the great thing of gifts made with love is their ability to raise these kind of emotions and make you feel loved and essential to the lives of the people who are closest to you.

Love

Martina

New Year's Resolutions !!!

Happy New Year lovely ladies !!!

Today I've spent some hours walking in the woods with my family and some friends, so I've had the time to thinking about my resolutions for this brand new year...

1. Graduate and pass the state certification exam for social workers.

2. Move more, doing an hour walk at least two times a week and going regularly to my zumba lessons.

3. Try to find a way to do a working experience abroad, in England or in the north of Europe.

4. Improve my english.

5. Learn to be less touchy and impulsive and to become more patient.

6. Find more time for my blog and my passions.

7. Learn to enjoy the little daily pleasures, rejoicing of what I have instead of regretting what I miss.

8. Save more money.

9. Dedicate more time to my closest friends, letting them know how much I love them and how precious they are for me.

10. Spend more quality time with my sister.

11. Grow my hair and keep them in my natural color.

12. Learn to be more self-confident and to think positive.

Love

Martina

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...

After two years of patient waiting, yesterday afternoon the the snow has finally come to whitewash the rooftops, the gardens, the streets and the fields of my village.

It was amazing to stay indoors, with my nose glued to the window, watching the sparkling snowflakes as they fell gently...it made me feel so happy and excited!

I love snow so much, the silence shrouding the countryside while everything is covered in white, the sense of purity that fills the air, the biting cold that turns red the cheeks of the passersby and the footprints of the animals that live in the woods.

Having been ill in the last few days, yesterday I simply enjoyed  the snowfall from the warmth of my house, taking only a few pictures from the window, wrapped in my woolly blanket.

This afternoon, however, since it was sunny and the temperature had risen considerably, I took the opportunity to take a walk with Cloe and my little sister Linda.

The air was chilly, the countryside was shining in all its beauty and it was really funny to see Cloe running happily in the snow with her nice little red coat!

So...what I want to say is that Santa Claus really exists and this year he has brought me even the snow!!!

There could be no better way to end these four days of relax with my family and friends, full of gifts, delicacies and happiness!!!

Love

Martina

Winters Were Made For Warm Blankets And Large Books...

It's snowing outside..a white blanket is covering fields, gardens, trees and the roofs of the houses.

I'm watching the snow falling down from the window of the living room, curled up in my woolly blanket, sipping an hot herbal tea with berries and reading the last two chapters of my book.

Unfortunately I've spent the last couple of days with fever and a bad cold, so I take the opportunity from this day indoors to think about next year, my resolutions, my dreams, my fears.

Having a good book in my hands I can't help but thinking about the books which will be on my reading list of 2015.

Some of them are already in my bookcase, waiting patiently for their turn, and I can't wait to get lost among the shelves of a huge bookshop to buy the ones that I miss!!!

1. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

3. When God Was A Rabbit by Sarah Winman

4. Looking For Alaska by John Green

5. The Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins

6. Dusty Answers by Rosamond Lehmann

7. Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer

8. Twice Born by Margaret Mazzantini

9. Fall of Giants by Ken Follet

10. Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carrol

11. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

12. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

13. The Silkworn by Robert Galbraith

14. Us by david Nicholls

15. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Which books are on the top of your reading list for 2015?

Love

Martina

The Christmas Tag!

It's just two days until Christmas and I'm feeling really excited about it!!!

I've wrapped all my presents, started to make the vegan " panettone" ( it takes two days to be ready), written all the christmas cards for my friends and family..so it's time to show a little bit of Christmas spirit also in my blog!

I haven't actually been tagged to do this, but I love this kind of tag so much for not to do it!!!

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie?

" The Holiday",no doubt! I've watched this movie thousands of times!!! 

I wish I could live in a beautiful cottage like Iris, open the door and find a stunning stranger like Jude Law!

2. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? 

When I was a baby girl I used to open presents on Christmas morning, but this year I'll open them on Christmas Eve with my parents and my sister, drinking hot chocolate and eating cinnamon biscuits.

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory? 

I remember that when I was little and I believed in Santa Claus I used to leave a big red cup of hot chocolate with two biscuits for him on the kitchen table and some pieces of carrot for his reindeers. On Christmas morning then, full of trepidation, I used to find only the crumbs of the biscuits that Santa Claus had eaten and many presents under the tree.

4. Favourite festive food? 

Gingerbread men..delicious!!!

5. Favourite Christmas gift?

This is a really difficult question because I've received many beautiful gifts from friends and family, but I remember that I've been full of happiness when my grandparents have bought me " The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter", one of my favourite books ever.

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

"Cinnamon sticks" by Yankee Candles

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

On Christmas Eve I usually go to church after having dinner with my family and we celebrate together at midnight, after the function, unwrapping the presents and drinking hot chocolate in our pyjamas.

8. What tops your tree? 

A cloth tape ivory and gold.

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) you always asked for but never received?

I don't remember something particularly extravagant, but one year I've asked the " Sylvanian house" and I've never received it!!!What a pity!..It was amazing!

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

Despite all the lovely presents you can receive, I think the best part of Christmas is spending festive time with my family and my dearest friends, chatting, laughing, watching christmas movies, hugging, singing, eating delicious food and celebrating in happiness.

Merry Christmas!!!!

Love

Martina

Christmas Markets : Hall in Tirol & Rattemberg

Last Saturday my alarm clock rang at 5 in the morning and I left my cosy bed for a day to the christmas markets in Tirol with Cristina, one of my closest friends!

We were so sleepy but really excited as well and we spent the four hours journey by bus chatting and laughing!!!
We arrived at Hall in Tirol at ten, the air was chilly and the sky was white..it seemed  all ready for a beautiful snowfall.

All wrapped up in our coats, with woolly hats and gloves, we went straight to the christmas markets and we enjoyed a lot wandering around among the stands which sold many different things, from woolly sweaters to scented candles and from typical Tyrolean food products to handmade wooden animals. 

 After a while we decided to take a bag of hot chestnuts to warm us and, despite the fact that our fingers immediately turned black, it was a really good idea !!!

In a small wooden fence there were also some sheeps and a goat and the kids were trying to caress them! 
They were so beautiful with their colorful woollen hats, their flushed cheeks from the cold and a big smile on their faces!

In the afternoon, after a fast lunch with some sandwiches, we arrived at Rattemberg, a very pretty village, full of small traditional shops which sold blown glass objects  and colorful houses.

There was a pleasant atmosphere, some kids played and sang Christmas songs and the smell of mulled wine was amazing.

We also discovered a pretty vintage shop runned by two Dutch girls where I enjoyed a lot taking thousand of pictures and I tasted a very tipical kinderpunsch that was really delicious!!!

It was a wonderful day full of fun, genuine happiness, christmas shopping and it's in days like this one that I feel how important friends are for me and how much I need them in my life!!!

Love
Martina