Tarte Tatin
I first tasted a Tarte Tatin whilst staying with a French family on a school exchange, so you could say that I have officially been addicted to Tarte Tatin since the age of twelve. It is honestly one of my favourite French desserts….
I was also lucky enough that this nice French family taught me how to make a Tarte Tatin and gave me their family recipe. I hope that, wherever they are now, they will not mind me posting it up on the internet, as this recipe is too good not to share with you.
The story behind this tart is that one busy Sunday lunch time, the Tatin sisters, who owned a restaurant in central France, were baking a traditional apple tart. They forgot the tart in the oven and it had caramelised by the time they remembered it. Ingenious as they were, the Tatin sisters decided to slap on some short crust pastry on top of the caramelised apples — voilà — a wonderful dessert baring their name was born – La Tarte Tatin.
So here is the recipe: (more…)
A Beautiful Baby Book
Thirty five years ago, my mother had a baby (me). I was born on the 4th of October, 1973, around 1.30 in the afternoon. I weighed 3350 grams, and was 50 cm long. As a true Dutch baby I was born at home, and I know the names of the doctor and midwife that were present!
I have the announcement of my birth in the local newspaper. There’s my first picture, and there’s the menu my mum had in the hospital (I was a bit blue after I was just born so they took me to the hospital just in case – but don’t worry, it all turned out okay and I now have a normal complexion)!
I know all the names of the people that came to visit me those first weeks, and of everybody who sent me a card. There are letters, records of my first smile, and more…
The reason that I know all this is because my mum kept a ‘Baby Book’. And now that she has passed away, I’m immensely grateful that she did!!
Some years ago, Elizabeth Brantley from Kirstner Supply found the Baby Book that her great-grandmother had kept after the birth of her grandmother. It was the ‘Mother Stork’s Baby Book’, printed in 1904, and lovingly filled in by her great-grandmother’s 19th-century hand (see pictures). Can you believe finding something so beautiful and personal? (more…)
Anorak
I recently discovered Anorak — the happy mag for kids. Upon first glance, I thought it looked very, very cool with its stylish retro illustrations and quirky designs, but I sort of figured that my 3-year-old would be too young to enjoy it. BUT, he proved me wrong. Of course there were sections he skipped over, but for the most part, he loved the stories and the photos (and was so proud to have his very own magazine)!
I think this is what’s great about Anorak Mag — it appeals both to boys and girls of all ages. It’s truly a magazine designed for kids, all about a child’s world and imagination. It bridges the gap between a children’s book and a character magazine, offering stories, games, fashion and fun finds in a new magazine published four times a year.
To receive Anorak Mag, you can subscribe on their website, or you can check here for stockists in your area.
-Courtney
Sveva’s baby shoes
I’m not as clever and patient as Esther is when it comes to making things from scratch — be it painting, drawing or sewing. Nonetheless, from time to time, I like to keep my hands busy by making little things, but I am seriously constrained by my abilities and so the projects are never something you would write home about.
That’s why I was so happy when I discovered this little baby shoes DIY kit by Crea, a family company run by lovely Roberta and her husband Roberto. They’ve invented these little kits that contain everything you need to make lovely baby shoes for a newborn baby. There’s the pre-cut fabric, the cotton thread, the buttons, and very detailed instructions (also in English) on how to assemble them and also a few suggestions on how to personalise them to make them really unique and truly your own.
It says you need about 2½ hours to make them; it honestly took me a bit longer but I was so proud of the result! (more…)
Creative Calendar
I have spent a year looking for the perfect birthday calendar (herewith an excuse for all those forgotten birthdays, dear friends)! And I think it is safe to say that I have finally found one: the Gregory Calendar from Dadadum. So cute! (And such a great Christmas present, don’t you think?)
It’s nice and big, totally original and comes with a white woody to write all the year’s events down and do the creative bit.
I just finished drawing the reindeer for December, and it looks so cool! It totally deserves a prime spot in my house, if I can say so myself.
And then I’ll let my children draw all the other animals — I promise…
xxx Esther
P.S. I got this calendar from the super-stylish shop Little Catwalk!
Cupcakes conquer Paris
In France we are so proud of our pâtisseries that I never thought this day would arrive…. the first cupcake bakery in Paris has opened its doors! Luckily for me it is right beside my daughter’s favourite playground on Rue de La Forge Royale in the 11th arrondissement.
Cupcakes and Co. is the brain child of two sisters Maddie and Rebecca, a trained patisserie chef. They spent years baking cupcakes for their family and friends and decided to turn their hobby into a business.
And the time was right. Cupcakes and Co opened in September and they have been overwhelmed by the response. Last week they were able to showcase their cupcakes at Colette, and in January they will be at Gallerie Lafayette, and the list goes on and on. It seems that the whole of Paris has been secretly yearning for cupcakes….
What I love about this place is that they stock classic cupcakes like carrot, chocolate and vanilla, but they also continuously come up with new ideas like a moelleux au chocolat cupcake or a violette flavoured cupcake. You never know what flavour you are going to find when you go to the shop, but you know you will never be disappointed….
Last but not least, the cupcakes are made out of organic ingredients, without any additives or colorants. There you go: the perfect excuse to indulge yourself…
- Emilie
Babysusu
Long before the idea of having children was really on my radar I began to compile a collection of kids and baby clothes. Somehow though, I must have been convinced that I would be raising a daughter, because how else do I account for my stylish stash of entirely girly things? And, now that we are weeks away from completing our family with a second son, I am forced to come to terms with the fact that neither of them will be wearing twirly skirts, polka-dotted rain boots and fairy wings — at least, not to school! Of course, this does not mean I am any less interested in what they will be wearing. To the contrary; I still care… probably too much. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to discover babysusu- a brand devoted entirely to boys, size 0-4.
The creator behind the collection is Susu Nguyen Hughey, a designer with a mission near and dear to my heart — Susu asks the question “why should girls have all the fun?” And, anyone with a family comprised of boys only will answer that question with a resounding, “they shouldn’t!” And, more and more they don’t have to, as brands like babysusu begin to fill the market with the same level of “oooh-factor” that we’ve seen in the girls market for so long. (more…)
Make-ahead mashed potatoes
With the Thanksgiving holiday only one day away, I’m sure many Americans will begin their preparations today. A meal this enormous is no easy one-day task, which is why I’ve thankfully learned a secret for taking the load off on Thanksgiving day: Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes! You can make these mashed potatoes up to three days before, which is great because it’s one less thing to think about on the day. All you’ll have to do is pop them in the oven for 30 minutes to bake them, and that’s it!
And on top of the convenience factor, they’re extremely moist and very tasty! Gluttonous, no doubt, but really good. They’re always a hit at our Thanksgiving table.
Here’s the recipe… (more…)
Stroller Organiser
In my experience, it does not matter what type of cool-modern-expensive pushchair you buy for the birth of your first child, most families end up owning a lightweight umbrella stroller.
They are great if you take them in and out of the car everyday, if you are traveling, or if you need to store them in a small place. Their most desirable feature, together with the light weight, is that they take up very little space once they are folded. Unfortunately they typically have very small shopping baskets (if any at all) which must be nearly empty once you fold it.
That is why I find this Stroller Organiser from Maclaren very useful — it gives you some place where to put essential items (bottles, keys & phone, a snack, a few nappies) and you don’t need to remove it when you fold the stroller.
It is made of sturdy neoprene, so it keeps its shape and dries quickly, and is super easy to attach thanks to some Velcro fasteners.
Needless to say, it will not hold a week-load of groceries but it can truly spare you from carrying a nappy bag, so you can sport your cute handbag instead.
Inexplicably it is available only in the US , Australia , Japan and a few other countries — but not in Europe.
-Michela
Ice skating in Amsterdam
Ice-skating has a long history in the Netherlands, and there is no child in this country who didn’t grow up learning how to skate! Of course this would happen the old-fashioned way: on ‘botjes’ (double-bladed skates) and holding on to a chair to remain balanced.
Traditionally, children living alongside the many rivers or canals in the Netherlands would be very pleased when they could skate to school instead of walk — it would save a lot of time! (And, of course, not everybody owned a bike like in modern times!) Their parents would strap on their wooden skates with leather thongs and skate for miles to go and see family they hadn’t seen in months.
On weekends big tours would be organized, and alongside the canal one could find little stands selling ‘koek en zopie’ — cookies and hot chocolate (or gin for the dads). After the tour, the family would come home to a big pan of ’snert’, the traditional Dutch pea-soup…
It’s been a while since it has frozen in the Netherlands, at least enough for all the natural waterways to freeze. In fact, the last ‘Elfstedentocht’ (Eleven Cities Tour), an ice-skating race that takes place in the north of the Netherlands and keeps every Dutchmen captivated as soon as the temperature drops under zero, was in 1997!
Thankfully every city in the Netherlands will make sure there is an artificial ice-skating rink in their centre. And in Amsterdam there will be five! (more…)
Knit one, save one
Knit one, Save One is an action by Save the Children and I reckon it is a great idea.
In the developing world 60% of newborn deaths could be prevented. One of the simple steps toward cutting down on infant mortality is by keeping newborn babies warm. Save the Children is urging people to knit infant hats to send to the developing world — a great hands-on approach toward helping a tiny little being to get a start in life. It is only a little contribution to address a huge problem, but at least it is something.
The campaign is still running in the US and Germany but unfortunately it has finished in the UK. From what I understand it is an annual campaign, so watch this space.
If you are feeling uninspired you can download knitting and crocheting patters from the website.
- Emilie
Babyccino Books!
Growing up, books were a big deal in our family. We had rows upon rows of bookshelves crammed with books. My four siblings and I were constantly cuddling together for story time. We looked forward to the summers when our local library held book competitions to see who could read the most books. Whenever we lost power and the lights would go out my mom would light candles and read books. My mom was famous for giving books as gifts, and over time she developed a cute tradition of giving 5 books to every new baby (each of her five kids’ most favorite book) with a detailed description from each child of why they loved that book. I still remember my favorites: “Brown Bear, Brown Bear” by Eric Carle (it came out the year I was born, and I still have the original book), and “Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose” by Dr. Seuss.
Books are still my favorite thing to buy for my kids and my favorite gift to give to others. So, with the holidays coming up, and with gift-giving in mind, we are very excited to present our newest endeavor: a Babyccino Bookshop through Amazon! We’ve spent the past few weeks compiling all our favorite children’s books (both modern and classic) into one shop for you to browse and purchase. You have the security of Amazon with the exclusivity and style of Babyccino all in one. (We even selected a few of our favorite toys.) We hope you enjoy!
-Courtney
Marinella
Ties made by E.Marinella must be the most famous Italian ties. This family boutique opened in Naples in 1914 by Eugenio Marinella and it has been in the same family ever since. This family, now for nearly a century, has been the synonym of elegance and style first in Naples and now all over the world. The first historical shop in Naples is on one of the best sea promenades you can find, the second one is in Milan. You can now find a selection of Marinella ties in some of the boutiques of luxury hotels, but nothing beats the atmosphere of their flagship stores.
The shop in Milan is in a very old and elegant building, the décor of the place is antique and classic yet airy and not stuffy at all! You will find many tables covered in big wooden boxes full of ties, all of them quite classic, but never boring and you can always find ties in the season’s fashion colours. Very smart looking shop assistants will help you pick the right one, so do not be put off by the reputation. (more…)
Sinterklaas is in the country!
Last Sunday we took our children to witness the arrival of Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) here in Amsterdam. He traveled in his private steamboat from Spain, where he resides, and changed for horseback as soon as he reached the city’s shore. Escorted by over 600 ‘Zwarte Pieten’ (Black Peets) he rode through the city, waving at thousands of children and promising them to come by that night to put a small present in their little shoes. In return, the children sang loads of traditional songs (as did their parents), and many of them were dressed up as miniature Zwarte Pieten themselves (the children, not the parents).
If you don’t know what I am talking about, you can read more about Sinterklaas in the post I wrote last year. Also – the good man is basically the origin of the North-American Santa Claus!
So, if you happen to be in the Netherlands this time a year, and see a strangely dressed older man accompanied by an even weirder looking friend, don’t be in shock: this is Sinterklaas, the friend of every child!
xxx Esther
P.S. Sinterklaas will be in the country untill December 5th, his birthday. After that, he’ll take his steamboat back to Spain.
Green Curry for delicate palates
During the cold, rainy (and sometimes hopefully snowy) months I crave curries and Asian food. I reckon it is because the chili heats me up. There must be a reason why hot food comes from hot countries and why cold countries have blander food, but for me on a cold winter night, a green coconut chicken curry is the perfect thing.
I assumed that if I had cravings for curry my daughter would also love it, but she absolutely hates spicy food! The slightest dust of chilli makes her refuse to eat her dish. So I have concocted a green chicken coconut curry without chilli from scratch (loosely based on a recipe I found in Nigel Slater’s book called Appetite, one of my favourite cookbooks). It turned out to be delicious….. (more…)
Cucchiavio
If your child is a fussy eater as my daughter seems to have become, then at mealtimes you will resort to any trick that could make her eat. Singing, giving her a little bowl with her own spoon, pretending to be any sort of animal… you name it!
I know it is not very educational, but the girl has to eat something and I refuse to cook something different when she decides that what’s on her plate is not her favourite of the day (and jars are out of the question of course, she never ate more than two spoonfuls).
The latest trick I pulled out of the hat is Cucchiavio, a clever airplane-shaped spoon, designed by young entrepreneurs who decided to create something beautiful, fun and useful which would also help disadvantaged children. In fact, for each cucchiavio sold, 15 meals will be provided to malnourished children living in the slums of Haiti. (more…)
Got balls?
My 1½-year-old son is obsessed with balls. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the fact that he’s a boy, but ever since he took his first steps he’s been able to kick a ball forward like a miniature professional football player!
He likes to collect balls too. Yesterday we passed a toyshop with a basket of balls outside on the sidewalk, and he started whining about a ball so vigorously that in the end we, weak parents, had to give in and buy him a little ball that he consequently didn’t let go of for the rest of the day.
This ball from Kistner Supply is certainly the most beautiful in his collection. It is made from recycled cashmere which makes it super soft and pretty (and eco-friendly), and it is filled with cotton tyke which makes it slightly less dangerous to play football with inside the house. It also has a Chinese meditation chime inside, which adds to the pleasure of kicking it around.
Of course this ball would make a beautiful gift for newborns too…
xxx Esther
Handprint turkeys
With the American holiday of Thanksgiving now only a week away, we are in full festive swing in our family. We have pumpkins and squash lining our dining table and are drooling at the thought of eating turkey and pumpkin pie!
We’ve even gotten a little crafty, with these Thanksgiving cards we’ll send home to our family. This idea is nothing new — I used to make these all the time as a kid, but they’re fun nonetheless. And also really easy. All you need is some paint and a set of little hands…
-Courtney
Cultures of cooking utensils
It always amazes me what is considered an essential cooking item in some countries and what is not.
My Italian brother went backpacking through Ireland as a teenager and I will never forget how disgusted he was when he realised that the youth hostels he was staying in did not have a pasta strainer! Norwegian friends of mine just cannot get their heads around the fact that I do not own a cheese slicer, and my English friends are forever trying to find my potato masher in my cupboard when they stay with us. I do not understand how anyone could survive without a salad spinner, which is completely essential in my opinion!
I guess what we use in the kitchen reflects the way we eat and we are all pretty convinced that our national culinary delights and way of eating are the best in the world. In a time when you see Starbucks appearing on every corner in Paris and every other major city in the world, it is nice to see that we are still fighting for our own cultural identity, even if it is only in the kitchen!
(By the way, I would love to hear about other cooking utensils used in other countries…)
- Emilie
F-Troupe Shoes
Thanks to my son’s aversion to chocolate, I enjoyed polishing off the last of his Halloween candy this morning and satiating my increasingly intense pregnancy cravings. I’m not proud; I’m just starting to indulge myself in ways that I wouldn’t if it were not for the fact that I am 34-weeks-pregnant and counting! I feel large and increasingly uncomfortable. My husband tells me that I don’t look large, but it’s about how you feel, right? I thought I was doing so well, avoiding my bootcut, elastic-panel-front jeans from my first pregnancy and keeping my complaints to a minimum. But, it is time to face the fact, that I am pregnant and the need for comfort is taking precedent in my daily life. There is no denying that there is an increasing number of places to find stylish maternity clothes, many of which have been featured here on Babyccino. (Thank you, Michela for opening my eyes to Isabella Oliver, where I discovered amazing leggings!) But after starting to struggle with my shoelaces, I recently realized the beauty of a comfortable pair of slip-on shoes. (more…)
