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Christmas cookies have always been a very important part at home when growing up, without them there would simply not be any Christmas atmosphere (and the movies we'd watch while eating them). I moved abroad at the age of 21 but this tradition's importance in my life traveled with me and if I wasn't spending Christmas with my family, I'd always bake a few of my favourites. 

Now as a mother myself, I want to continue this Slovak tradition. My childhood favourites will never be missing on our table and I also love that my husband gets to discover this part of me. I'm excited that we get to create our own little Christmas traditions as a Franco-Slovak couple and pass in onto our daughter. 

This year I baked for two big occasions. Livia's birthday and Christmas. With the current situation, I had the time for all the baking, but quite frankly if there was no Covid I would most probably have the time for two max three kinds of cookies. 

The gingerbread were Livia's favourite! She loved making them as much as eating them :) For me it would have to be the bear paws (medvedie labky) and hubby's favourite are the vanilla crescent cookies (vanilkové rozky). So many of you asked me for the recipes so here they come, I hope you'll try one or two to make yourself and will like them as much as we do :) 

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone, in these difficult times, let's focus on the positive and if we have the health, we have all we need. xxx

Every one of these recipes I've done in my new KitchenAid with the paddle attachment. I advise you to sift all the loose ingredients.

BEAR PAWS (medvedie labky)

For this recipe you'll need special baking molds. I looked everywhere to see if where to buy them online but unfortunately it seems like they're not available anywhere. However you can use the madeleine tray to make these too. 

300g plain flour 
250g butter, room temperature
150g powdered sugar
150g walnuts, ground
2-3 spoons of cocoa 
1/4  teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg

vanilla & powdered sugar for dusting 

With the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, or with your fingers, combine all the ingredients together until a smooth dough comes together. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 1/5 hour. 

Preheat the oven to 350F / 190 C. Pinch off a small quantity of dough and press a thin layer into the cookie mold. Fill up 3/4 only as it will rise a bit. Bake for 10 min watching carefully so the edges don't burn. Let them cool down a bit, about 3 min, and shake them out of the mold into the mixed vanilla & powdered sugar mixture. Use a spoon if necessary to pat the form if the paw isn't coming out easily. Once completely cooled, you can store them in a cool and dry place (box) for several week, so you can make them way in advance.  


VANILLA CRESCENT COOKIES (vanilkové rozky)

Traditionally from Austria, these are delicious shortbread cookies made with a high butter content and without the addition of egg. 

250g plain flour 
200g butter, room temperature 
70g powdered sugar 
100g hazelnuts, ground

vanilla & powdered sugar for dusting 

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and knead until throughly combined. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1hour. Preheat the oven to 350F / 190 C.

Pinch of small pieces of the dough and shape them into small crescents (not too small as they might brake easily). Place them onto a baking paper and bake on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden. Let them sit for 2 minutes and sift the sugar mixture over the hot crescents. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container in a cool place for several weeks. I like to dust them again with the powdered sugar just before serving. 

GINGERBREAD COOKIES (vianocné medovníky)

These are wonderful to make with your children as the dough isn't fragile so they can play around for quite some time. 

650g plain flour
250g powdered sugar
100g liquid honey
100g butter, room temperature 
3 spoons baking soda
4 eggs
2 spoons cocoa powder
1 tsp seasoning (ground cinnamon, cloves, anise, nutmeg) You can use the 4 spices seasoning (quatre épices) but add a teaspoon of ground anise seasoning if you can.

Sift the flour in a large bowl, add the sifted! sugar, spices and soda. Add butter into the flour mixture, eggs, honey and sifted cocoa and knead to a smooth dough. Wrap in a plastic wrap and leave for at least one hour in the fridge (I usually prepare this dough one day ahead so it stays in the fridge for at least 12 hours).  Preheat the oven to 350F / 190 C.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of about 3 mm and use gingerbread cutters to cut out cookies. Put them onto a baking sheet covered with baking paper and brush with well beaten egg. Bake for about 8-12 minutes. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container (metal box is best) with some pieces of apple for them to stay soft. This can be made weeks in advance. 

If you'd like to make your own icing for the decoration you'll need to combine 1 egg white, 160g powdered sugar, 1 spoon of lemon juice, 1 spoon of solamyl. Beat with a mixer, adding sugar gradually. 


LINZER COOKIES (linecké kolieska)

There's already a blog post with photos on my blog about Linzer cookies so click here to read it. 

This year I've decided to cut out a few extra shapes without wanting to put them together with a jam. I simply dipped the ends into a melted chocolate mixture and sprinkled some of them for the kids. If you don't have those special cutters with a hole in the middle you can use a simple straw to cut the middle out, but these are available worldwide so you shouldn't have a problem finding them online. 

COOKIES 

This is the only non Slovak recipe but I really like these so decided to add them into the Christmas menu. It's the easiest and fastest recipe you can make.   

Mix together:
80g brown sugar 
80g white sugar
1tsp baking powder
125g butter, room temperature
1 egg yolk               
190g sifted plain flower adding little by little to the mixture 
add whatever you like to the mixture, crushed nuts, chocolate (I use chocolate chips)

Make large balls (I like to use the ice cream scoop spoon to measure them) but don't flatten them. Place 6 balls onto a baking paper (now it's the moment I like to stick a small piece of chocolate in the middle of the ball) and bake for 8 minutes. If you'd like, you can add salt crystals on top when they come out of the oven. 

* found this recipe on @Jaimetoutcheztoi Instagram account 


 And for all of you guys following me on Instagram, you know that I made also the vanilla cupcakes and the Hummingbird cake for Livia's 3rd birthday. Both recipes were absolutely delicious and I will be certainly making them again in the future. 





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Buying for men is not easy, I can only talk from my own experience but my hubby likes to choose the present himself. It's pretty difficult to surprise him although I was successful a few times, pfeewww! That's also one of the reasons we prefer buying each other presents in form of traveling or gastronomic experiences. But during this difficult Covid period, neither of the options are available so I've gathered a few ideas I think he might like ... well I'll be able to tell you after Christmas how it all went, but hopefully this could give you an idea or two of what to get HIM for this Christmas. PS: some other safe ideas could always be a great bottle of wine, his favourite chocolate or something to eat he really loves, quality underwear and warm socks, cashmere jumper or a jacket. Also a watch is a great idea but from experience, he must be the one choosing it or you must absolutely know what he wants. These items are just an inspiration for the actual object, so it's really up to your budget what brand you will go for at the end. xxx
  
  

1- Sweat Maison Kitsuné (I saw my brother-in-law wearing it the other day and thought it looked really cool on him) / 2- Helmut Newton book or any other book with desired topic, I absolutely love photography books / 3- Woollen scarf plus maybe a hat and gloves for colder days / 4- Anissa Kermiche candlestick / 5- Watch box for a watchlover who has a few at home, best would be personalising it the box with initials / 6- Anissa Kermiche love handles vase / 7- Photo Album from your holiday, or a special occasion, honeymoon etc or a beautifully framed photo / 8- Veja baskets / 9- Office chair for home-office, something super comfortable especially for nowadays when constantly working from home / 10- Tom Ford leather card holder / 11- Dior perfume, hubby's favourite is Ambre Nuit / 12- Sony headphones  wireless noise canceling headphones 


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Here comes a little gift guide for HER. I simply wrote it in a style of what I'd love to get, any of these products would make me happy. 

Blame it on the age, motherhood or maybe all the lockdown cooking but the number one gift I'd love to get is a KitchenAid mixer. It's been on my list for many years, I originally wished for it as a wedding gift but we decided to spend the money we got from our family and friends on honeymoon. So here I go again, all I want for Christmas is a KitchenAid :)

You might already have one yourself, so if you are not sure what to either wish for yourself or give to someone you love, I hope these few ideas will be helpful - you can always choose your own desired brand but the idea of the item might help you when shopping.

So let's dream big and get the list out there, we all deserve a bit of magic this Christmas ... it's been quite a year! xxx 


Christmas  
1- Acne studio wool scarf for cold winter days 2 - Valentino mini Visling bag, such beautiful and timeless piece 3- LOEWE dress for the holidays 4 - Dior escarpin J'Adior for every day of the year (love them!) 5 - Vanrycke necklace initial L for Livia 6- Cartier Love bracelet, I am including this also for our 10 year wedding anniversary in case I don't get one this Christmas haha 7- Chloé ankle boots for strolling around Paris 8- Acne Studios coat, love the colour! 9- Simone Pèréle silk nightie 10- Ideal of Sweden phone case on a strap 11-Dior belt 12- Saint Laurent knee-high boots   

Christmas


1- Jo Malone diffuser and candles for the atmosphere at your home 2- Dyson AirWrap, really want to try this tool 3- Tom Ford for the best eye pencil and skin illuminator I absolutely love 4- Silk pillow case to protect your hair when sleeping 5- Too Faced concealer, the best I've tried 6- Sisley So wolume mascara, again the best I've tried 7- Louis Vuitton perfume Coeur battant absolute favourite since over a year now
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I am most definitely getting Livia this beautiful wooden kitchen despite the lack of space in our apartment. I believe every child should have one, I still remember cooking on my own little wooden kitchen as a child and I am pretty sure she'll love hers :)

I prefer shopping under one roof and as last year, most of the presents for Livia will be purchased from one of my favourite online stores Les Petits Raffineurs. They have pretty much everything for all age groups and I really like their wooden toys selection. I have my eyes on the wooden train track as well as the board game Ludo that comes in its own box, perfect for traveling!

Another brand I love shopping at is Elodie Details as they have the cutest accessories (you all remember Livia's bibs right?), decorations and I am obsessed with their nursery line! 

This summer we subscribed to a very cool app called ALMA studio and I have to tell you, Livia absolutely loves it! We use it for bedtimes  - the method is listening without image or animation on the screen. We sing the fabulous songs and listen to so many adventures the app offers. I won't tell you more, have a look for yourself and see whether this would be a fit for you and your family. 

Another idea could be subscribing to an interactive magazine like the one from Les Mini Mondes we receive every second month. Each time we travel to another country and have so much fun discovering new things. Again, check their website to find out more. 


Here are all the links to all the products listed in the guide for direct access. Hope this was helpful and you got a few ideas. There's no need to rush, you still have one month to go. xxx


Wooden kitchen / Doctor's case / Digital camera / Train circuit / Napkins & bibs / Puzzle / Foldable Ludo set  / Wooden cash register / Hairdresser kit / Playmobil  / Books / Alma studio / Les mini mondes





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Soup season is my favourite! So easy to make and full of flavour. These are the two soups I made last week and you've seen them over on my Instagram. Healing roasted tomato and red pepper and soup & Cauliflower red lentil soup. Bon appétit! xxx
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Paris outfit Outfit for a lovely autumn day in Paris when sandals were still bearable. Now I just swap them with leather boots and add a long coat. Have a great week everyone. xxx

Skirt & Top Notshy
Shoes Zara 
Bag Dior 
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This place has been on my list for quite some time, also because it is my husband's favourite château fort in France. Two hours drive and you're facing one of the most recognisable castles in the world. We have checked-in to our room at Le Relais de Chambord, which is the only hotel on the property! and were immediately off to explore. There's so much to do and see and makes for a fabulous family trip as much as for a romantic getaway. 

Chambord is the largest chateau in the Loire Valley (there's over three hundred castles in this wast area of France),  and people usually visit a few when they're traveling around here. We have taken this weekend to relax and really only stayed in Chambord but there was plenty of things to do.

You can rent bikes, or mini electric cars that will take you around the property. We have rented a small boat I would definitely recommend doing and saw the castle from that perspective. You can walk! loooong walks around the park we absolutely loved doing with Livia. There's that place to run around we were longing for especially after the lockdown in Paris due to Covid. You can book a ticket to see the horse show or ride one if you'd like. You get my point, there's plenty of activities to do and that's also why we fell in love with this place so much! 

Nearly all of the rooms at Le Relais de Chambord are facing the chateau which is pretty magical! Our suite had a little terrace and we took our morning coffee there admiring the view, speechless! 

You absolutely have to try their restaurant la table du Grand Saint-Michel by chef Alexandre Trazeres. The food was worth a michelin star! and I am still dreaming of their pastries. We also had dinner one night at the Bar restaurant and loved it too! If you're lucky with the weather, having your dinner or lunch with the view of the chateau is truly magnificent.

We truly loved this getaway and if you're looking for a place to visit in France, Chateau de Chambord will most certainly not disappoint. xxx

Relais de ChambordRelais de Chambord Relais de Chambord Relais de Chambord Relais de Chambord Relais de Chambord Relais de Chambord Relais de Chambord
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One thing we absolutely loved about Puglia was the fact that the distance between cities was for the most part only few minutes drive away. 8km from Monopoli, you find yourself in Polignano a Mare which I'd definitely recommend as a morning or afternoon trip. We much preferred the charm of Monopoli but seeing one of the most picturesque beaches, Cala Porto, from the cliff was worth the visit. 

The parking isn't expensive, if you park on the white lines it's free and also between 1-4pm it's free of charge. We had no problem finding parking throughout the whole trip. 

We started discovering the city with a deliciously cheap! cappuccino at Crema Caffee. Everyone told me to have lunch at Pescaria but unfortunately the place was closed during the hours we visited Polignano a Mare. Another restaurant you've probably heard of is Grotta Palazzese, hidden within an ancient cave! There's a special policy for dining with children so I'd call before making a reservation. Overall, check the opening times of restaurants you want to visit beforehand anywhere you go in Puglia - siesta timeeee is a real thing here :)

We really only walked around the cute little streets and enjoyed the views before we hit the road again for our next stop.  xxx


polignanoamare Polignanoamare_Puglia@HanaLeVan1 Polignanoamare_Puglia@HanaLeVan14
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Our trip to Puglia was a dream come true! We've been planning it since last year and although the circumstances changed and my mama could no longer be part of it (due to Covid), we were overexcited to be able to travel after all!
Initial two weeks in Puglia were reduced to 7 days and we decided to skip many things only to really enjoy those few places on our agenda to the fullest. 

September in Puglia is heavenly warm! We landed in Bari airport and rented a car for the week. The waiting line was quite long and apparently it's a common thing, so keep in mind that you might have to wait an hour or so at the airport to get your car.  

We drove 40 minutes to our first stop, Monopoli! 

Simply said, we were in love the moment we walked down the narrow streets, on the way to get our first gelato and an espresso! Our Airbnb had the ideal position, literally two minutes walk from the center, the lovely owners welcomed us and we exchange a few words and tips where to eat and what not to miss! What a wonderful beginning to this unforgettable trip. 

We stayed two nights in Monopoli and I wouldn't mind spending a day or two extra if we had the time. The city is located on the seaside, there's the town beach Cala Porta Vecchia (which we absolutely loved and would recommend visiting in the early hours, maybe with a cup of coffee as we did one morning and an early swim), however along the coast you'll find so many other beaches! Only few minutes drive, the choice is huge. We stumbled upon the Cala Copacabana and spend the afternoon there, bliss!

From our time in Monopoli I would highly recommend dinner at Pizzeria da Zi Ottavio for an amazing pizza and a glass of house wine! Osteria Perricci for the traditional Orecchiette pasta from Puglia. Café Roma for the best ice cream and coffee situated around a little playground and carousel which we past every time walking back to our airbnb (great little place to enjoy your gelato while watching your children play). Go for a drink to one of the bars alongside the Via Santa Maria street overlooking the sea. We were also recommended dinner at Trattoria da Pierino L'Inglese but they were closed when we wanted to go so unfortunately we didn't try their seafood dishes.

We did a little half day trip to Polignano a Mare but more about that in my next blog! xxx
Monopoli_Puglia@HanaLeVan3 Monopoli_Puglia@HanaLeVan2 Monopoli_Puglia@HanaLeVan4 Monopoli_Puglia@HanaLeVan1 Monopoli_Puglia@HanaLeVan6
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That one thing Livia goes crazy about, ice cream! At our favourite spot, Place Des Vosges. xxx
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