2nd Avenue – yoga, writing, cooking, and whatever else catches my fancy

The Great Round Pancake Taste Test

Pre-made æbleskiver (round Danish pancakes served at Christmas) in a baking dish

If you’ve been in Denmark around Christmas, you’ve almost certainly eaten æbleskiver. These pancake-like globes are ubiquitous at Christmas markets and frequently paired with gløgg (Scandinavian mulled wine).

Using a buttermilk batter, they’re cooked in spherical pans and flavoured with cardamom and lemon zest. For those of us without the necessary cooking equipment or desire for home-baking, they’re also widely available in supermarket freezers. Inspired by Epicurious’ Taste Panel series, I decided to taste-test (and rank) as many premade æbeskiver as I could get my hands on — with surprisingly uninspiring results.

The drama and routine of Danish elections

Tuesday was election day in Denmark. Across the country, 2,432 municipal council seats and 134 regional counsel seats (representing 98 municipalities and four regions) were decided — with thousands of candidates standing for office.

Seriously, the ballot for our municipality (kommune in Danish) was massive. Very different from ballots in Canada or the UK.

Selected short reading (vol. 8)

My consumption of short pieces has dropped substantially since completing my Post-Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing a couple years back. Makes sense as I’m no longer required to keep a reading journal and critically evaluate short-form pieces. I’ve also slowed (maybe even halted?) my own fiction writing, meaning I’m no longer prowling publications I might want to submit to — and seeing other people’s writing.

But I have collected a few short bits to share over the last few months. There’s no theme tying these together, just pieces I’ve liked.

It’s just like riding a bike

Laura with her first (and only) race bike on Vancouver’s Lions Gate Bridge

Like most suburban kids, I grew up riding a bike (photo of Little Laura and her big glasses below for proof!). Then periodically cycled to friends’ houses and school and things as a teenager. And promptly forgot all about all things bike-related after moving to Edmonton for university.

When we lived in North Vancouver, Tony and I counted several strong cyclists amongst our close friends. Those friends and a truely awesome bike shop (shout out to Obsession: Bikes) prompted me to get a serious bicycle, complete with clip-in pedals (which proved to be the bane of my cycling existence) and proper kit. (If you look closely the jersey in the photo of me and my Trek on the Lions Gate Bridge says “North Shore Triathlon Club”, which is how we were introduced to the aforementioned strong cyclists we still call friends).

Belonging and the ballot

It’s election day in Canada!

Somewhat sadly, I’ll miss out on actually going to the polls as I mailed my ballot from Denmark a while ago. Assuming PostNord and Canada Post have done their work, my vote is in Ottawa, where it will be counted alongside ones from other international electors, those serving in the military, and people voting from outside their electoral districts (all of whom submit what are known as ‘special ballots’).

Ducking the US

Before the current administration imposed tariffs on Canadian goods (and those from Mexico and China) and President Trump took to calling Prime Minister Trudeau ‘Governor’ (and threatening to make Canada, Greenland, and Panama part of the States), I wanted to create some distance from the US. Initially, my motivation was related to gun violence and then to the first Trump presidency—and now there’s even more reason to stay away and spend money elsewhere.

Here’s how I’ve been voting with my dollars over the last few years and how I’m stepping up avoiding US-based goods and services. It takes effort and mindfulness and I am not absolutist in my approach (well, other than bourbon, Levis, and Harley Davidson). I’m not suggesting my self-imposed limits are right for anyone else (case in point: my other half sometimes enjoys a little bourbon) or judging others’ purchasing decisions (loving Tar-jay or Val-de-Mart is not something to feel guilty about), but making thoughtful choices makes me feel a tiny bit better about the state of the world and my role in it.