We finally made it to our second round for S to a country the size of New Jersey, nestled between Italy and Austria and Croatia and Hungary that is very proud of its heritage of eastern meets western Europe – Slovenia . Despite just becoming its own country 1991 after Yugoslavia dissolved, Slovenia has a long history dating back to the 600s with Slavic Kingdom.
Slovenia also have a very mild climate ranging from 50F in the winter and just 70F in the summer, and its forests (which make up 60 percent of the country) are home to some unusual animals like the lynx and the ibex.
For more info on Slovenia, check out the awesome Slovenia Slide Show that Isaac created. And here are few more interesting facts about this Balkan state:
- Slovenia has a 100% literacy rate for adults
- Melania Trump was born in Slovenia
- It is the 5th most environmentally friendly country in the world, according the the Environmental Performance Index (and the top one that isn’t in Scandinavia)
- 1 out of every 20 people in Slovenia are beekeepers (you can even go on bee keeping tours!)
FOOD
I think everyone in our family would agree Slovenia was probably one of the best countries for food but it was easy when you combined the heartiness and creaminess of eastern European food with bold tomato-y flavors of its boot shaped neighbor.
Dinner
Kremma Rezina – This was dessert! I think we did something wrong when cooking the lemon curd, it was fine until we added the whipping cream, and then everything got droopy. Still, despite it looking messy, it was quite enjoyable and surprisingly filling for just a little bit.
Zlikrofi – We had to have these because they are the national dish of Slovenia Delicious dumplings filled with potato and bacon – kind of like the Polish pierogies in a different shape. These were fun to make and quite tasty as well.
Idrija Bakalca – A delicious beef stew with carrots, onions and tomatoes, and the unusual herb savory (which we could only find listed on Herbs d’Provence). Everyone really enjoyed this as well – even Eve! And it was so simple to make! This will definitely be made again!
Breakfast
Palacinke – These were delicious and everyone enjoyed them! Somewhere between crepe and pancake with just the right sweetness and topped with plain sugar or jam and homemade whip cream. Yum! Another one, I think we will be making again!
CULTURE
Slovenia has its own form of Mardi Gras, the celebration the leads up to the start of Lent before Easter, called Pust. But they have taken it further, especially in its oldest town Ptuj, where they celebrate Kurentovanje. This is a pagan festival that celebrates the beginning of spring and end of winter with the Kurent monster scaring away winter. And the festival involves 100s of people dancing around dressed this big furry creature.
We learned more about Kurentovanje in this video (The Biggest Carnival in Slovenia) and we also decided to make the paper flowers worn by the Kurent. Here’s how we did it:
Kurent Flowers
- Cut out teardrop/petal shapes of colored paper
- Glue the tips of the petal to a straw, wrapping them around the straw
- Add a few more layers of petals
- Paint the straw green
- Cut different color strings and glue them around the top of the straw
…We had lots of fun and filled our bellies full of goodness in Slovenia. Next we are off to central Asia for T.
Playroom Passports 