Living in the Pacific Northwest, we get way too much plenty of opportunity for hygge in the winter months.  If you are not familiar with the term hygge, then you have probably been living under a rock the last few years.  Hygge is a Danish word that describes coziness and a feeling of contentment. 

Several things come to mind when I think of hygge:  curling up under a comfy throw by the fire as the snow falls gently outside or drinking a cup of hot cocoa and reading a good book while a pot of soup simmers on the stove all afternoon.   Add in some homemade rolls rising on the counter and you have the perfect hygge day.   

One of the beauties of retirement is that we are not limited to trying to fit a hygge afternoon into a weekend between errands and household chores.  Hygge needs to flow easily and comfortably and not be pushed into a box of limited time. It is the antithesis of rushed and stressed.

When I was little, my mom made bread every week. Every week. It was the only bread we ever ate. While she was busy, she would still give me some dough to shape my own little loaf to put in the small, child size bread pan she gave me. Is there anything better than warm bread, fresh out of the oven with butter slathered all over it?

I loved that little loaf pan. I also love old cookbooks that were created before white flour and butter were considered the enemy. The kind with stains that identify favorite recipes. I still have a homemade cookbook that was given to us as a wedding present over 42 years ago. (I know, it is hard to believe we have been married over 42 years, when I am only 39.) I have made the roll recipe for years, as you can tell from the stains and rips on that page. I am not sure if it is those warm memories of making bread with my mom, or the fact that making bread has to happen in an unhurried afternoon, but nothing says hygge to me quite like homemade bread.

Add a pot of homemade soup to simmer on the stove all afternoon and you have a perfect hygge kind of day. So, take a break now that the holidays are over, put on some music and make a recipe that says hygge to you. Preferably with loads of butter.