As 2009 is coming to an end, I look back and say wow! It sure did fly by and proved to be one of my best years ever. Although, the biggest change was moving back to Hollywood, CA. Additionally, I’ve collaborated on a number of posts over at AgencyNet’s company blog, AnIdea.com. If you haven’t checked them out yet, stop by and say hello!
Yesterday, Jason Chambers went to to a quick appearance at the G4 Network on “Attack of the Show” to talk about UFC 107. Funny how me met - thanks to our TV backgrounds and the internet. I’ll have to tell that whole story one day.
Let’s just say that since we’ve been dating, I’ve learned way more about MMA than I ever thought I would — especially considering I’m not a sports person. I don’t watch football, baseball or basketball but I have been watching MMA events since gaining an appreciation for the strategy and athleticism.
Yes… I know how to do a rear naked choke which is actually a pretty safe way to disable an attacker, if you can manage to get behind them.
Oh, and now you know why I’ve been tweeting about MMA events.
Yep, things have been quiet around here… because I’ve been a little busy bee working on a redesign of my blog. It will include a bunch of new features, a fresh design direction and improved usability.
It seems every time I started a new design, life got in the way and I was never able to finish. After too much time had passed, I would lose my train of thought and start all over on a new design.
Here are a few designs that I did over a year ago that DID NOT make the final cut. As you can see, they are all only half way done. I tend to start off in black and white and add color as I go. These are merely wire-comps if you will…
Let’s just say that looking back I’m glad none of these directions made the cut, as now they seem a bit archaic with newer technology available — or maybe I just got wiser. :) Anyhow, I’m excited about the direction I ended up going in.
Recently on Facebook, a childhood friend from eons ago asked me about some special cookies that she remembered from back in 5th grade. These were cookies my Mom received from our family in Germany.
My Mom was born and raised in Amberg. Why is that important? Well, because Amberg is less than an hour drive away from Nuremberg and Nuremburg is famous for its Lebkuchen also known as Nürnberger Lebkuchen. Every holiday season, my Aunt would send us a big box of goodies which always included a bunch of variations of Lebkuchen.
So, what are Lebkuchen?
Well, there are a lot of variations. The ones I know of are soft cookies – sort of chewy and they taste a little like Gingerbread. They also have a wonderful sweet-spicy aroma to them. They are glazed with Chocolate, Vanilla Icing or often just a sweet glaze. My favorites were the chocolate ones.
Where to Buy?
Below, I’ve collected some of my favorites from Amazon.
The History of Lebkuchen
I was so amazed my childhood friend remembered our family tradition, it got me wondering about he History of Lebkuchen. As it turns out, it dates back to a really long time ago. Below is some of the history sourced from Wikipedia.
History
Lebkuchen (or Pfefferkuchen) is a traditional German product baked for Christmas, somewhat resembling soft gingerbread. Lebkuchen bakers were recorded as early as 1296 in Ulm, and 1395 in Nürnberg (Nuremberg). Since 1996, de:Nürnberger Lebkuchen is a Protected Designation of Origin and must be produced within the boundaries of the city.
Emperor Friedrich III
Local history in Nuremberg relates that emperor Friedrich III held a Reichstag there in 1487 and he invited the children of the city to a special event where he presented Lebkuchen bearing his printed portrait to almost four thousand children.
Ingredients
The ingredients usually include honey, spices such as aniseed, coriander, cloves, ginger, cardamom, and allspice, nuts including almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts, or candied fruit. Lebkuchen dough is usually placed on a thin wafer base called Oblate. Typically, they are glazed or covered with very dark chocolate, but some are left uncoated.
Lebkuchen range in taste from spicy to sweet and come in a variety of shapes with round being the most common.
Packaging
Sometimes Lebkuchen is packaged in richly decorated tins, chests, and boxes which have become nostalgic collector items.
My name is Larissa Meek. I'm Assoc. Creative Director at AgencyNet based in Los Angeles, CA. This blog serves as showcase for my artwork and personal ramblings. Read More »
