Superkilen – A designed urban space celebrating diversity

For true urban play, Superkilen is an inventively rendered park and community space that is deservedly held in high esteem by the design and architecture press. With diversity celebrated through its design and its use, it occupies a huge wedge-shaped piece of land between apartment buildings and busy streets around and between Nørrebrogade and Tagensvej.

Often a feature of Instagram, it’s carved up into three distinct zones that gather around the long cycleway coiling through the park, and is peppered with references to, and inspiration from, the 57 cultures that live in the area, and who have been active in shaping it.

Working from Nørrebrogade – serviced by a multitude of buses from the city centre – the first area is the Red Zone, which is punctuated by neon signage set high up on stilts, whose graphics references Russian and Chinese iconography. The skater-populated ground is coloured red and so is the play equipment, the highlight of which are circle swings embedded with benches that are reminiscent of vintage seaside resorts. The Red Zone is also home to Nørrebrohallen, a community centre with what looks like a great café (and toilets!) and an indoor football hall, at one end of which are accessible climbing walls for kids.

On from the Red Zone and crossing a street, the monochromatic, much-photographed Black Market’s charcoal ground is laced with white stripes – uniform where they start at the top of a small hill in the distance, and splaying out and heading in different directions as they hit ground level. This is naturally a favourite spot for kids who love scooters and biking.

The Black Market also hosts chess tables and barbecue grills for people to gather together around, and its multi-cultural elements include a fountain from Morocco, palm trees from China and – adored by my boys – a glossy black play structure inspired by a Japanese toy octopus that looks like Darth Vadar’s mask. On two corners that face the Black Market are cafés – useful for snacks or pitstops.

Over the Black Market’s lined hillock, grass suddenly appears, and you’re in the Green Zone, a more traditional picnic-and-play area with a kind of circus-style red-and-white structure at its heart. We only head here for the incredibly long swings, but otherwise my kids have never felt there’s much to write home about in this part of the wedge.

Superkilen’s total area amounts to 30,000 square metres – yet it’s every corner and detail is thought through and tells of life elsewhere, from the benches to the rubbish bins and everything in between. Playing here among the colour-coded graffiti and cultural references makes for an easy half-day – and one that’s always well spent.

Address

Nørrebrogade 208
2200 København N

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The third trimester of your pregnancy | what essentials do you need?

The third trimester is when you will start to feel BIG and heavy and perhaps physically uncomfortable. But you will also be excitedly preparing yourself for the birth of your baby… This is such a fun and special time!

In addition to my lists of first and second trimester essentials, here’s a few things you might need in the third trimester:

1. Bath: by now my body is so big and heavy, my back is sore and my belly crampy. Having a bath brings so much relief! These lavender bath salts from Neal’s Yard are so relaxing. I tried them at Emilie’s place recently and loved them. (I just ordered a jar for myself; they will be great to use after the birth as well!)
2. Prepare: Regardless of whether you’re preparing for a home birth, a hospital birth, a natural birth or a c-section, it is good to know what childbirth is all about. There’s no need to dread giving birth — instead, it is important to feel powerful, ready and relaxed! I personally still don’t know if I will stay home for the birth or head over to the hospital. Here in the Netherlands you can decide pretty much last minute! But I do think it will be a natural birth, like my 4 previous ones. In any case, I feel it is good to understand what will happen during birth. And learn (or at least, know about!) techniques to stay as calm and relaxed as possible. I find that Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth  can be a helpful read (especially so if you’re hoping to give birth naturally). Also, it’s good to practise hypno-birth breathing techniques, or the sort of breathing and relaxation techniques you learn at pregnancy yoga.
3. Tea: Drinking Raspberry Leaf tea is said to help prepare the womb for childbirth.
4. Massage: A massage brings relief and relaxation (and helps with a sore back or restless legs!). I love this belly oil from Tubby Tods.
5. Robe: This cashmere robe is so luxuriously comfortable and fits the biggest of bumps!
6. Announcements: In the Netherlands, it is the custom to send out birth announcements to all friends and family. Selecting a card and gathering all of the addresses is definitely a third trimester activity.

xxx Esther

PS  Yesterday I made a big pot full of pasta sauce that I froze in batches. I’m trying to stock up our pantry and freezer so we don’t have to think about food too much later!

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Team Favourites: 14 Warming Winters Soups & Stews

A bowl of warm, homemade soup is a bowl of happiness. It just feels good for the soul to have yummy and healthy soup simmering away. Especially if you are serving it to a family filled with colds or fighting flus! But really, there is never a reason to need soup, just because is reason enough.

Our Babyccino team have collected their favourite soups to share with you. Enjoy our fourteen soups (in the gallery) and a ‘bonus’ Chicken Soup recipe from Polona’s mother in law in Slovenia that was too yummy to resist sharing (with dumplings as the ‘icing on the cake’ moment). We love sharing our tested and tried favourites with you… even the family secret ones!

1. Carrot and Cardamon — The combination of cardamon with carrot is divine! I love the smell of this soup warming on the stove. Delicious! — Vanessa
2. Tomato Soup — A lovely tomato soup- this recipe is for the slow cooker, but you could do it on the stove top as well. — Rebecca
3. Dreamy Cauliflower & Thyme Soup — Such a healthy way to start the year, full of goodness! And for a little indulgence I add a bit of grated cheese and crunchy kale. Just because we don’t want to feel too austere Love this recipe from my friend Sara! — Lara
4. Fast White Bean Stew — My go-to for a very quick and hearty winter soup. I use whatever greens I have on hand, add one or two parmesan rinds from the bag I always have in the freezer, and let it simmer for a little longer than recommended to let the flavors come together. — Shannon
5. Bulgar and Red Lentil Soup — A family (and Babyccino!) favourite. Easy to make and simple ingredients on hand to make impromptu dinners. — Esther and Courtney
6. Chicken Stock — We make a chicken stock weekly in our home. Because we love roasting meat, we also save those bones in a box on the bottom shelf of our freezer. Then we add off cuts and leftover ends of carrots, celery, onion skins, etc so that we have a base of frozen items, and then add fresh vegetable items when it is time to make the stock. It means we have a constant supply of stock, which is the base of all good soups and gravy! — Lara
7. Vegetable Bean Soup — Perhaps this is the easy and fast version of the minestrone (in number 8)? Quick to make, helathy and delicious! — Esther
8. Minestrone — Delicious and so full of healthiness! I make a big pot of this soup regularly and everybody always loves it! — Esther
9. Cauliflower Cheese — I just absolutely love this soup, and my kids do too (though they’re not the biggest fans of cauliflower, otherwise). It also freezes really well. — Helen
10. Pumpkin Soup — This is a recipe we ‘inherited’ from Courtney’s grandma, Soobie. There are many variations of pumpkin soup, but this one is warm and hearty and brings out the flavour of the pumpkin so beautifully. — Esther
11. Curried Lentil, Tomato, and Coconut Soup — A soup recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi – of course it’s perfect! We made this three times over the holidays and loved how quickly it came together and how much flavor it had considering the short list of ingredients. — Shannon
12. Puy Lentil and Spinach Soup — This healthy soup relies on pantry staples (substitute in dried herbs). Such a great option for when you’ve not much in the house! — Helen
13. Curried Lentil, Tomato, and Coconut Soup — A soup recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi – of course it’s perfect! We made this three times over the holidays and loved how quickly it came together and how much flavor it had considering the short list of ingredients. — Shannon
14. Celeriac Soup — One of my favourite soups, with a beautiful velvety taste. As good for easy weekly dinners as to serve at a fancy dinner party! — Esther 

 

And the Slovenian Chicken Stew:

Chicken stew or “obara” is a very popular lunch in Slovenia. I have made a decent one a few times, my mother makes a very delicious one but the best one is by my mother in law. So finally I asked her to tell me her recipe so I can share it with you of course  We usually add dumplings to the stew too!

Stew Ingredients:

• 500 g chicken, any part will do (I use boneless breast and both legs, no skin)
• 1/3 of leek, thinly sliced
• ½ small onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 2-3 big carrots, diced
• a few cauliflower florets (3 or more), chopped
• ¼ of red and yellow peppers, sliced
• 1 medium ripe tomato, chopped
• Salt & Pepper

1. In a dutch oven or a large skillet heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil over low heat and sauté leek and onion.
2. Add the garlic and carrots and sauté again for another 2 minutes. Then add the meat, salt and sauté some more – for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour in about 1.5 liters of warm water and the rest of the vegetables, except for the cauliflower (so: peppers, tomato and parsley).
4. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add cauliflower and drop dumplings*.

Drop dumpling ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• Flour
• Pinch of salt

In a small bowl beat the eggs and using a fork mix in enough flour to make a thick paste, season with salt. Now drop by teaspoons into a boiling stew, dipping the spoon in the stew first, every time! Next, add the cauliflower, cover and simmer for about 10 -15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Finally it is time to serve the family. Yum!

Although we have a lot of favourites, we would love to know what delicious family favourite soups you love too. After all, great soups are meant to be shared.

Enjoy!

ps Also, have you ever tried this Cream of Corguette Soup? It is one of Emilie’s favourites. Great with our 5 Minute Bread.

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DIY Paper Lanterns — Perfect for a Chinese New Year Celebration!

We love bringing small celebrations to life with homemade decorations, which add a special and festive touch! Chinese New Year is today, and we’ve spent the week making these super simple DIY paper lanterns. We’re hoping to hang them up while we feast on Chinese food (yum for Dim Sum), eating our dinner with chopsticks (which the children love to eat with!) and ending our meal with fortune cookies with clever little messages. What is not to love about Chinese New Year at home?

These lanterns would be amazing in multiples, hung on a long string or wire. I could imagine the paper lanterns could work for many other celebrations as well, all you need to do is change the paper colour to best fit the event. Whenever and however you use them, I think you will enjoy them.

Materials :

• Paper — I used A3 sized red paper
• Glitter — optional, but I love Eco Glitter Fun (safe, biodegradable glitter)
• Glue and paintbrush or a glue stick
• Gold paper scraps — I used doilies cut up, but any paper would work
• Gold and bronze sticker stars
• Chopsticks — great for holding the lanterns, and the paper can be used to decorate them
• Ric-a-rac or ribbon
• Brass paper fasteners or staples or hot glue gun
• Scissors

There are two styles of lanterns:

Steps to make the Tall Lantern : 

1. Glue on paper scraps, then add glitter if using.
2. Let paper dry.
3. Fold the paper lengthwise in half.
4. Cut the paper from the folded end to the paper edge into numerous strips, avoiding the top inch and a half of the paper. (Basically you are cutting perforations.) These do not need to be even or perfect, children can do this to make it more fun, this is a forgiving step as long as you don’t cut to the top of the paper.
5. Add sticker stars if you are using them.
6. Then create the lantern by bringing the paper around to itself, creating a hollow column, with the top corner and bottom corner overlapping slightly so the paper ‘fans’ out (like above).
7. Add brass paper fasteners, (or staple, or hot glue), to fasten it securely.
8. Then from the inside of the lantern, add a little ric-a-rac or ribbon to create a handle.

See, simple! Next, the round lantern…

Steps to make the Round Lantern :

1. Fold the paper into 8 long pieces. You will use these paper folds as a guide later for cutting.
2. Decorate the paper with gold paper cuttings and glitter using glue.
3. Let the paper dry.
4. Use the paper folds as guides and cut into strips.
5. Overlap the strips to create a radial design, with all the ends meeting in the middle point.
6. Use a brass paper fastener (or stapler) to secure the lantern in the centre point.
7. Then bring all the opposite ends together and secure with another brass fastener.
8. Add a ribbon handle and you are good to go!

I used chopsticks, still attached together to make handles, just push the ribbon between the chopsticks.

So super easy! And while you are waiting for the paper to dry, in between steps, why not read these fabulous books The Magic Paintbrush, by Julia Donaldson. Or, The Great Race, by Christoper Corr. We also enjoyed The Great Race, by Emily Hiles for slightly younger children/toddlers. They are all fabulous books!

And if you need a trick to introduce children to chopsticks for the true Chinese New Year experience, try our Trainer Chopsticks DIY or Kitasticks.

Enjoy!

Lara x

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After school activities: when is it too much?

After school activities can be great for keeping your kids active and entertained beyond the school day. They can encourage your children to hone skills they might not necessarily have the chance to practice in school, and it can be a wonderful opportunity for kids to make new friends outside of their classroom. However, having too many after school commitments can become tiresome and stressful, it can get in the way of quality family time, and can even do more harm than good!

We recently received the following question from a reader, a mother of three in California…

In the States, the after-school routine can be all-consuming especially with multiple children. I have taken a more relaxed approach than many in my community but am constantly struggling with how to provide an enriching and confidence building environment for my kids, while being sensitive to over scheduling and the stress it causes for the entire family. I would love to know your approach as well as any cultural differences that stand out.

I thought it was such an interesting question, and it really did make me wonder what sort of cultural differences there are surrounding this topic.

For example, when we lived in London, after school activities were very common. (I always felt like our family had way fewer activities compared to our friends and the children’s classmates.) I had several friends whose children had a lesson or scheduled activity literally every single day after school. It was even more noticeable in the winter when the days were short and cold — parents would organise all sorts of indoor activities for fear of keeping their kids cooped up at home every afternoon (which I totally understand).  While here in Australia where the weather is milder, scheduled activities are much less common.  It seems like kids tend to have one or two scheduled activities each week, and then more free time to head to the beach. So perhaps weather plays a part?  I also think maybe it’s a difference between living in a city, where there are more options and therefore more hype and pressure, than living in smaller towns?

Another interesting aspect is the age of the children. My three eldest children (12, 10 and 8) play tennis on Mondays after school, and on Wednesdays they have a drama class after school, which they love. Thankfully we live in town and the kids can just walk home after their drama class, so it doesn’t require any extra driving or coordinating on my part. Marlow, who is 5, doesn’t currently have any extra curricular activities, as I think school is already tiring for her, and I think it’s important for her to be able to have unstructured time at home in the afternoons.  She’s lucky she has plenty of siblings to play with, so she is very rarely alone or bored.

But this is the thing, I guess: boredom! It seems parents nowadays are trying to do everything they can to keep their kids from becoming too bored. But boredom is actually a good thing. It’s always when my kids are home, feeling bored, with nothing to do that they end up playing in the most imaginative, creative ways. Giving our kids unstructured time can be so beneficial for their imaginations and also for their sibling relationships. I really feel like my kids are so close because we give them plenty of time to play together, which of course is more important to me than anything else.

So let’s talk after school activities. How old are your kids and how many structured activities do they have? Do you feel the pressure to have more or less? Please share below.

Courtney x

p.s. A past post about preventing sibling rivalry, and my thoughts on electronics.

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Pizza at Roberta’s in Brooklyn

Ask ten New Yorkers where to find the best pizza and you’re likely to receive ten different responses. New York is a serious pizza town, and opinions, like the styles of the pizzas themselves, vary. It might surprise some, then, that one of my very favorite pizza places isn’t focused only on pizza, and may not come to mind as quickly as Joe’s, or John’s of Bleeker Street, or Co., or Motorino (all of which are certainly part of the ‘very good New York City pizza’ club!). It’s true that Roberta’s excels at many things, and one of those happens to be turning out exceptional Neapolitan-inspired pies from their wood-burning oven.

Located in the once solely industrial neighborhood of Bushwick Brooklyn, Roberta’s minimal curb appeal belies the wonder of the experience within. An entire complex is tucked away behind its graffitied cinder block walls and the adjoining corrugated metal fencing, including the aforementioned pizza oven, several dining rooms, a bakery, a take-out window, a garden, an army-style tent to accommodate diners waiting for a table, a radio station, and a very serious high-end sister restaurant with two Michelin stars serving a set tasting menu at its chef’s counter. Though the restaurant is perpetually-buzzing, we lucked into a free table as soon we arrived one recent weekend, benefiting from the cold weather that must have been keeping many people home. Roberta’s doesn’t do much to dispel its reputation as a one of Brooklyn’s original hipster hangouts, but the staff are friendly and welcoming to children, and high chairs are available.

In the main dining room worn wooden picnic-style tables line the poured concrete floor. Once settled we perused the menu, and I remembered what I love so much about the restaurant – pretty much everything (no, seriously, everything!). The menu, filled with casual food prepared with precision and serious attention to ingredients, makes it very hard not to over order. Most of the pizzas employ topping combinations that skew toward the creative end of the spectrum, but classics like the Rosso and Margherita are always available. For our family of two adults, a nearly 4-year-old, and an 11-month old, we settled on a salad, a main, three pizzas (!), and a sticky bun to tide us over until the food arrived. We wanted to order a few more dishes but tried to our best to be reasonable. That said, if you’re there at dinner, the pastas are consistently excellent, as are the calzones. It’s impossible to order badly!

By the time the pizzas arrived we’d already eaten the sticky bun, plus a cucumber salad with with garlic and chili and a tonkatsu-style piece of pork over kale, stracciatella cheese, avocado, and chipotle. The pizzas feature house-made mozzarella, locally-milled flour in the crust, and vegetables from the restaurant’s garden when the season permits. Our picks for the day, the Four Emperors, with arrabbiata, mozzarella, ricotta, capra con pepe, asiago, and sesame seeds; the Guanciale & Egg; and the Fennel Countdown with mozzarella, pecorino, pancetta, fennel, and lemon were uniformly excellent, with well-blistered crusts that managed to stay pleasingly chewy. We fed little bites of each to the baby as we devoured them, slice after slice disappearing from the trays and happy smiles spreading across our faces. Don’t you love when kid-friendly comes hand-in-hand with adult-approved?

A few additional details:

• The closest subway station is the Morgan Avenue stop on the L train.
• Takeout and delivery, including excellent breads and pastries from their bakery, are available from 10am-12am daily.
• The restaurant accepts walk-ins only, but does offer group dining packages for parties of 10-16 people.
• If you can’t make it to the original Roberta’s in Brooklyn, the outpost at Urbanspace Vanderbilt close to Grand Central is a great alternative.
• Blanca, the tasting menu-only restaurant with two Michelin stars behind Roberta’s makes an excellent special occasion or date night restaurant, but does require planning ahead (bookings are accepted 30 days in advance).

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Valentines Love Heart Bunting with Potato Printing

There is lots of love in the air, with Valentine’s Day nearly here, so I wanted to create a craft with simple items we had on hand in our home. Naturally, a classic potato print project came to mind. After all aren’t potato prints a right of passage? Good for all ages, this craft entertained my nearly two year old and almost five year old, as well as my mother in law. So definitely great for all ages! And you can choose how much time and concentration you have — the first bunting consisted of 5 pages of paper, and the next one had 13 pages  — both looked super cute, so you modify this craft to suit you.

The origin of this idea was from the talented Artbarblog— an artist and Babyccino friend, with an endless wealth of knowledge and a pocketful of creative tricks. Her ideas are so inspiring, and she aspires to raise creative thinkers (yes!). I fell in love with this potato print garland idea (thank you Bar!), then I modified it to fit our needs — fewer steps, simplified, quick to make, toddler approved, and very last minute friendly!

Materials :

• Paper — we used what we had on hand which were pages from a recycled restaurant guide. But newsprint, graph paper, old maps, or even newspaper could all work nicely. Think texture from type, it adds a really lovely dimension.
• Potatoes — we got ‘slightly imperfect ones’ so they cost less and were funny looking! I would suggest one potato heart per colour.
• Heart shaped cookie cutter
• Paint, brush, and tray or plate for paint
• Hole puncher and / or washi tape
• Red & white striped twine

Steps :

1. Lay out the paper in a row — doing a few pages at the same time is more efficient so you can use one stamp numerous times.
2. Mix the paint to your preferred colours — we loved orange, salmon pink, red, white, and fuchsia.
3. Cut the potatoes in half, then press the heart cookie cutter into the cut half about a ¼ inch deep. Then with a pairing knife, cut away the potato around the heart, and you have a perfect love heart! I love this trick. So simple and quick.
4. Use a brush to apply the paint to the heart stamp — it is much more even and less blotchy this way. Then stamp away.
5. Let each individual experiment with the colours, patterns, and direction of their hearts. And fill in the heart with paint from the brush if the heart isn’t totally clear.
6. After everything has dried, punch holes at the top corners or tape the twine on. We loved the finished look of the punched holes.
7. Thread thru the twine, hang up, and add a few hand drawn outlines and a pop of colour to really bring out a few of the hearts!

Yes! A homemade Valentine’s bunting for all to enjoy. Colourful, cute, hand made. It will add happiness to any home. And save it for future Valentine’s Days by simply storing it in a cardboard envelope and saving it for future Valentine’s Day — maybe even add to it each year?

Last but not least, we also wanted to share some other inspiring craft ideas using some of the same materials with potatoes and cookie cutters and bunting.

Thank you again Bar! And happy potato love heart day.

Lara x

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