From My Corner of England

Problem Solved - New Alliances and Friends

2012-03-01T16:31:00.000Z

Look to the North!

(report from the BBC)

☺

18 Years "Old"...

2012-02-29T08:19:00.001Z

My dear Pappa would have been "18" today if he had still been with us.
He always had fun with us kids being older than him...

☺

And my dear friend in NZ is "12" today!

Happy Birthday all Leap Year Babies!

Do you know a 'leap-year-baby'?

It Is Happening...

2012-02-27T14:23:00.000Z

Spring is HERE!

We have enjoyed +18 degrees some days (not every day) and the crocuses are in full bloom along the Backs.

I didn't manage to get out and take pictures myself this weekend, so I have borrowed one from BBC, but this is what it really looks like now.

So lovely and much appreciated!

The concert on Friday with Joan Baez was even better than I had thought.

What a lady!

We were probably among the younger ones in the crowd, but the lady herself is 71 - amazing...

It was really nice to have a 'date' with The Professor!

♥

Ms Baez played many of the familiar, old time favourites, but also quite a few new ones. I particularly liked this one - 'Just the Way You Are' written by Dirk Powell who was accomanying her:

Green Tea...

2012-02-23T10:42:00.000Z

I haven't been a fan of Green Tea which I understand is very healthy and full of goodness and antiocidants etc etc. They all taste too much like 'grass' to me (not that I have eaten grass...)

But I was pleasantly surprised when Our Boy brought home this one with lemon from Clipper. I generally always add lemon to any tea, so that was a good start.

It is actually very nice!

And I don't mind the rumour that it is also beneficial for weightloss.

Recommended Viewing: Call the Midwife

2012-02-21T09:00:00.000Z

BBC has done it again!

☺

To my delight I have been watching a new period drama Call the Midwife every Sunday evening this winter. The series is based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth and set in the East London slums in the 1950s. The first series of 6 episodes premiered mid January and we have followed the midwives and nuns at the Nonnatus House struggling with medical and social problems in a deprived area of East London. The characters are played with much warmth and humour by the likes of Pam Ferris, Jenny Agutter, Mirada Hart and the beautiful Jessica Raine (to name just a few). I must admit it is amazing to see the harshness and how rough life was like in the 50s.

I am pleased to note that the second series of 8 episodes is expected to air in mid 2013 - even if it is a loooong time to wait!

In the meantime, another period drama started last night of Upstais Downstairs. Not quite Downton Abbey, but I think I should give it a few episodes before I make up my mind on whether I like it.

I think I might.

♥

Different Taste...

2012-02-19T12:36:00.003Z

Our Boy went to a concert in London on the weekend with Skrillex...

Apparently, it was 'awesome' and phenomenal'.

Not my cup of tea, I have to say

☺

The Professor is coming home next weekend and for his birthday earlier this month I got us tickets to see one of his favourites who is coming to town this coming Friday, Joan Baez.

Varied taste in music in our house...

♥

What a Difference!

2012-02-17T12:06:00.003Z

picture borrowed from www

Talk about huge difference in a few days.

Last Saturday we woke up to incredible -13 degrees...

The coldest I have ever experienced in this country!

Today we have a balmy +11...

I know what I prefer!

Have a good weekend

- whatever the temperature!

Recommended viewing: The Descendants

2012-02-15T18:00:00.000Z

We went to see the movie The Descendants

(click on the picture above to see the trailer)

In my view, George Clooney gives a very good interpretation of a bewildered father and husband in a tragic situation and battling with landowner issues in Hawaii.

Yep, I cried.

You would be hard pressed to not cry watching this movie.
But it had its funny moments as well.

Go and see it.

Birthday Weekend

2012-02-14T17:14:00.001Z

We are back home again after a long weekend in Edinburgh where we have been celebrating The Professor's birthday. His birthday coincided with the school's winter half term and I also took a couple of days off work. Edinburgh is an amazing city. It has so much to offer and yet it is small enough to explore on foot.

♥

As a birthday treat I had booked a table for us at The Witchery for Sunday evening. It was amazing! I highly recommend this lovely restaurant set in a 16th century building next to the castle. They also have a few rooms you can book if you wish to spend the night there. A really special experience, I would think!

But be warned, both the restaurant and the accommodation is very popular, so book well in advance!

♥

Apart from enjoying walking around a very springlike town, we also went to see the newly refurbished Portrait Gallery.

What and entrance hall!

I had left my camera at home so the pictures are all borrowed from the web.

We also managed to find time to do a little painting in the flat. Just some odds and ends that needed doing like an old cupboard that had been waiting for a lick of paint.

Good to be able to tick that off the list!

♥

It Doesn't Take Much...

2012-02-10T10:13:00.005Z

to make me happy...

'Fiskeboller i hvit saus med kokte poteter og raspede gulrøtter'

(fishballs in a white sauce with boiled potatoes and grated carrots)

is not exactly common fare over here, so edible gifts from kind friends are very welcome!

♥

Actually, this traditional Norwegian dish almost ended my relationship with The Professor before it even started! The first dinner I invited him to in my student flat 27 (!) years ago was 'Fiskeboller'. Years later he confessed that he had almost decided to stop pursuing me as this was the worst thing he had ever eaten...!

☺

Well, he didn't stop pursuing me and found out I could cook other types of food, too (which is good as he is not particularly interested in cooking himself)...

But I only make 'fiskeboller' when he is not home.

Fortunately, Our Boy has got more of his mother's food taste so we really enjoyed it last night.

And there are leftovers for today!

A real treat - two days in a row!!!

♥

Jubilees: The Diamond Queen & Dickens

2012-02-08T10:31:00.000Z

Monday was the start of the Queen 's Diamond Jubilee.

60 years on the throne.

Not bad, eh?

For most people the jubilee means nothing more than getting an extra public holiday this year

(5 June -Yeah!).

I wouldn't claim to be a monarchist, but I admire the Queen’s tireless service to her country. I do however believe that a modern and democratic country should appoint its head of state (which is what the Queen actually is) in a democratic way. However, the current monarchy has evolved over centuries and works reasonably well, which is probably why there is no real move for radical change in British society. I don't think we can guarantee that this attitude towards the monarchy won't change when the next generation takes over....

But, lots of respect to the Queen. Not many holds the same job for 60 years!

the Google doodle marking Dickens 200th birthday

Another jubilee to mention is that yesterday it was 200 years since Charles Dickens was born. I wonder what horrors of society he would have written about if he had been alive today? There was no welfare state back then. Poverty was a theme Dickens explored in many of his novels, and there is no doubt it would still preoccupy him if were writing today. Likewise the gap between rich and poor and the financial recession would have been a theme Dickens would have delved into if he were writing in 2012. His father had lived beyond his means and was sent to a debtors' prison, the Marshalsea in London. This was the inspiration for his novel Little Dorrit, the tale of a girl whose father was imprisoned in the Marshalsea after going bankrupt. This continued gap between those earning the most and the rest of the population, would have provided Dickens with some powerful source material.

So, although A LOT has changed since Dickens' days, there are still a lots of similar topics he could have addressed.

Making Envelopes

2012-02-06T10:03:00.001Z

The Brits are really very good at sending cards for birthdays and Christmas. I like this tradition and try to remember to send people cards - it really is so much nicer than an email...

Being stuck inside this weekend because of the heavy snowfall my creative juices started flowing (or maybe I was just trying to get out of doing housework...)

I have had some wall paper samples lying around for a while which I thought I might make something out of. The samples are free sheets you can collect from many decorating and diy shops.
I suddenly thought I could make envelopes out of these.

I 'sacrificed' an ordinary envelope to use as template and just drew it on the back of the wall paper sample.

I then folded the cut out sample as the template and used picture tape to fasten the sides or double sided tape would do it.

Voila!

Snow and Frugal Challenge!

2012-02-05T12:00:00.000Z

The first snow of the season came last night! I would estimate it to be a good 10 cm!

Good thing it is Sunday... judging by previous years experience I doubt many would be at work if it had been a normal working day!

The Cat was just so NOT IMPRESSED. He is refusing blankly to enter outside...

♥

I have been challenged to a frugal month!

I am not to buy anything new for myself or the house for the month of February.

I can however swap/borrow or make new things.

The idea is that we all have too much of everything and consume and waste too much.

Being still close since Christmas I don't think this will be too hard of a challenge!

It was interesting that this challenge came just as I was thinking it would be a good idea to try to eat a bit more out of the freezer and try to empty some more out of our cupboards which are all full to bursting!

So, I am extending this challenge to try to spend only about half of our normal weekly shop for the month of February.

To be honest, I think we could easily live for weeks or months out of what is in the cupboards...

Amongst the things that fill up my kitchen cupboards are numerous types of beans and pulses which are abundant in many Persian dishes my mother-in-law makes when she is here. Dinner tonight will be based on these as I mixed and soaked a variety of beans and pulses last night and this will become an Persian-inspired vegetable and bean stew with chunks of beef. Or a different take on a sort-of Norwegian lapskaus. And as I have made a large casserole, there should be enough for tomorrow, too!

So, I hereby extend the challenge to YOU

- will you take the frugal challenge, too?

But Who Are YOU...???

2012-02-04T09:00:00.000Z

My little blog is coming up for its 2nd anniversary!
I can't believe I have been blogging for two years..!
♥

I find blogging extremely rewarding.

I discovered a new 'world' when I by accident came across the first blog I started following - Hvit Stil.Com
Bloglandia is a community of amazingly generous people willing to share tips, give inspiration, offer ideas and support.

And I thought blogging was only for self obsessed teenagers - no, I can't really claim I am a teenager, but I won't comment on whether I am self obsessed :-) ...

My most popular posts seem to be cake and dessert recipes:

1. Cloudberry and Porridge Dessert
2. Decadent Croissant and Chocolate Pudding
3. Eton Mess
4. Julia Child's Chocolate Cake with Almonds
5. Apple Cake Succsss

But I don't know who

YOU
are!

Amazingly, people are logging in regularly from all over the world - Norway & UK being on the top of this list, but also people from India, Japan, South Africa, Brazil, Italy, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and many, many more. The majority of you don't leave any other traces/comments except I can see in the background statistics which country you have logged in from.

And that is absolutely fine, of course.

But I won't hide that it makes me curious as to who you are ...
☺

Thank you for stopping by.

You are still welcome here, whether you leave a 'trace' or not!

Coming Together by Chance?

2012-02-01T10:27:00.002Z

I promised yesterday to take a picture in daylight of the lovely cushion My Friend and her Delightful Son made for me and here it is together with the new throw. They all go together so well you would have thought it had all been planned!

Obviously, I am in a grey-&-creme-period at the moment.

The test of the warmth and snugness of the throw is whether The Cat likes it or not. He can be rather choosy and will not cuddle on our laps if we choose the WRONG throw... I had a little snooze on the couch after dinner last night and woke up to find my little black furry friend sound asleep ontop of me and the throw.

It is approved!

Regular Visitors

2012-01-31T09:42:00.001Z

picture borrowed from National Trust

The blog fell silent for a few days as we have enjoyed visitors from Norway.

My Faithful Friend who comes over at least once a year (she is far better than me to visit!), arrived on Thursday with Her Lovely Fiancee and Her Delightful Son.

picture or a perfect Napoleon's Cake borrowed from matoppskrift.no

Her Delightful Son turned 11 earlier in the month, so we grabbed the chance for another little birthday celebration for him! He had requested Napoleon's Cake (I will post the recipe some other time) and auntie was happy to oblige and try out a new recipe! :-)

I have no idea what Napoleon had to do with the cake, but despite being a new recipe for me it tasted very nice even if it didn't look as perfect as on the picture above!

Practise makes perfect (maybe)!

As they are regular visitors there are certain things and places they HAVE to see when they are here, but I managed to squeeze in a few new places for them to discover, too.

We watched the Christmas episode of Downton Abbey one evening and then a visit to Wimpole Hall became a must!Despite it being bitterly cold (the humid cold here goes through to your bones!) we enjoyed a good walk and lunch in the cafe.

In the gift shop I found the throw pictured above. It is a super warm woollen grey and white throw which simply 'begged' to come home with us. A snip of a price at £20, I think!

It goes so well with the cushion I knitted and the lovely cushion my friend and her son had jointly made for me!

I will take a picture of it in daylight to do it justice!

Tried and Tested: Fig Jam with Port

2012-01-27T07:28:00.000Z

I have seen several blogs singing the praise of Fig Jam served with cheese. I have to admit I rarely eat jam except for a bit of lingonberry jam with roast. But there are other jam eaters in the house and we all eat figs. I admit it was rather nice and it goes very well with a blue cheese, perhaps also served on a gingerbread biscuit. A real Christmas type of jam, if you ask me.

This is my version:

Chop finely and soak 500 grams of figs if they are very dry for a couple of hours (mine were very juicy so I didn't soak them).

Bring to a boil with 3 dl of the soaking water and

Add the juice of 1/2 lemon and

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Let it simmer for 15 - 20 mins

Add 350 grams of sugar and

4-6 tablespoons of Port

Let it all simmer again for another 10-15 mins

I used a blitzer on the ready product as I had not chopped it fine enough.

Tried and Tested: Macaroons In The Making

2012-01-24T18:00:00.000Z

a poor picture taken in haste with my IPhone

Our Boy and I fell in love with macaroons when we were in France last summer.
Almost every night we would share 1 macaroon as we strolled around the warm streets after dinner. I must say we were very good in controlling ourselves!
I have always heard that macaroons are so hard to make so I had always put of trying.
As I was watching Lorraine Pascale on TV last night I thought it was time to give it a go.
At least her method makes it really easy:

Combine:

125 grams of icing sugar with

125 grams of finely ground almonds (I had a bag of ready ground almonds ready)

40 gram egg whites (it is important to weigh the egg whites)

Add food colouring, if you want (I didn't have any to hand)

In a clean bowl, whisk

40 grams of egg white till they are semi-stiff peaks

In a pan:

melt 110 grams of sugar and

2 tablespoons of water

and let it become syrupy (about 115 degrees if you have a thermometer)

Add the sugar syrup to the egg whites and whisk briskly till it is all shiny and stiff

Finally, combine the egg whites with the almond paste and stirr well.

Fill a piping bag and pipe small circles onto a baking parchment about 2 cm apart.

Once the tray was full I slammed it 2 or 3 times on a flat surface and this flattened them.

Leave the uncooked macaroons to set forming a nice skin on them for about 30 mins before baking them on 170 degrees for 12-15 mins.

I didn't have any particular filling to hand, but just used some jam and sandwiched them together two and two (Lorraine used whipped cream).

I was really pleased with this quick attempt and they were an instant hit!

Now I want find a good recipe for our favourite filling from France - salted caramel!

Anybody got any tips?

Quiet Weekend

2012-01-22T20:06:00.000Z

This has been a very surreal weekend.

In a very sad way.

Completely unrelated with each other, we have received sad news of no less than three tragedies amongst friends this last week.

It is hard to find the right words to say.

We are lighting candles and sending warm thoughts to all those concerned.

Creating a Knitting Pattern

2012-01-21T15:02:00.002Z

Sitting and knitting is actually very relaxing and almost like meditation...

♥

My mind spins all over the place and I get all sorts of new ideas.

Only problem is that my hands don't knit as fast as new plans form in my mind...

Anyway, spurred on by the completion of the knitted cushion cover I thought of another complementary pattern, but decided to 'try' it out on the computer (Excel) to see if it would work. As you see, I have again borrowed inspiration from the Marius sweater but also various other pictures I have seen on the internet. I guess you can say I am showing my roots in the image above - yes I spent most of my childhood in the south eastern part of Norway where there are plenty of moose.

♥

This cushion cover will be slightly larger with 89 stiches as opposed to 72 on the previous one, but I think that will be ok.

Do any of you have any experience with making your own patterns?

I'd better get knitting as I am impatient to see if this works!

Marius-Inspired Sofa Cushion

2012-01-19T09:00:00.000Z

Remember the project I started a couple of weeks ago with the enormous balls of yarn?

I am pleased to announce that the first scatter cushion is now done! I am mainly relieved that it didn't turn into another never finished 'UFO project' as I tend to get impatient and put it aside...

I kind of made it up as I went along and the front is loosely based on the traditional Marius-sweater pattern while the back is much simpler (I don't know the English word for it - lus we call them in Norwegian). I even put in a zip which is rather advanced work for me... 72 stiches and thick knitting needles made light work of it, to be honest.

Sorry about the picture quality - as we know, evening light is not the best for taking pictures.

I think it works well on the sheepskin in the sofa.

I also think I need two complimentary cushions...

I have a plan for another one with a slightly different pattern, but again I don't promise when it will be ready.

And, yes - the balls of yarn are still ENORMOUS!

Luxury Dilemma..

2012-01-18T11:40:00.000Z

What a luxury dilemma!

To my amazement I won two round-trip tickets rail tickets in the Norwegian rail line's Christmas calendar

from anywhere in Norway to anywhere in Norway!

And now the dilemma - where to go and what to see!

Aaaaah - there is so much choice and soooo hard to choose!

The tickets are valid till the end of 2012, so there is plenty of time to plan a great trip!

Any good suggestions?

☺

Never Too Late...

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000Z

picture borrowed from http://stuffkit.com/50-cool-guitar-hd-wallpapers.htm

The Professor has decided to learn to play the guitar.

He has been watching Our Boy playing (who has been taking lessons for the last 5 years) and was convinced it can't be too hard...

Our Boy graciously let his father have a lesson with his guitar teacher.

He didn't have time for any more than this ONE lesson...

I think he agrees it isn't enough.

The Professor decided it was something wrong with the guitar - that the strings are too closely spaced. (He wouldn't accept that his fingers are too large for the strings nor that he needs to practise more.)

A new guitar has thus been acquired.

I will report back in due course about possible progress.

In the meantime darling,

please don't give up the day job and join the band,

not just yet...

;-)

ROCK ON!

Domestic Pleasures...

2012-01-16T09:20:00.002Z

One of my guilty domestic pleasures are bedsheets...

The older I get the more I just love them.

Can never seem to have enough and I am always drawn to this department in the shops although I am sure we have enough sheets to last us for years... There are few things in life that beat sleeping in clean, fresh, crisp bedsheets...

:-)

But I used to find folding the fitted sheets a real mess and could never work out a good way to fold them so they would fit neatly in the cupboard. Until I found this instructive film on YouTube. I struggled a little to begin with, but now it is second nature. Ok, it isn't the BIGGEST challenge in life (contrary to what the lady on the film says), but it does help up free up space in the linen cupboard.

Give it a go!

:-)

Friday 13th... and Time

2012-01-13T09:15:00.002Z

Can you believe it?

It is already Friday again and to top that Friday 13th (no, I am not superstitious so that doesn't matter)!

The week has just gone by in a swish! Not that I complain - bring on the weekend!

And I THINK I can feel that the days are becoming just a little bit longer - yeah!

:-)

Our Boy is in the middle of his mock GCSE exams and we have one more week of this. I think he has about 18 exams in total these two weeks. Here in England children take most of their GCSE exams at the end of year 11 (Our Boy already did maths last year). The real exam is not till May/June, but every school does a mock/trial exam either before or after Christmas to give the children (and parents) an idea what they can expect and also where they might need to focus the rest of this school year's revision time. The GCSE results are important for acceptance to 6-th form which is the last two years before they go on to University (again - where has THAT time gone - to me he was 5 'yesterday'). The exams at the end of those two years are called A-levels. Even though Our Boy is staying for 6-th form at the same school as he is currently attending and therefore the GCSE exam results don't really matter in this respect, they are looked at when you apply to University along with the A-levels.

Talk about loosing track of time:

I thought my hair was starting to look a bit long and it might be 6-7 weeks since my haircut so I'd better get an appointment.

Oh, how wrong was I?!

It is 4 MONTHS since my last haircut...

No wonder the hair is long!!!

Actually, I don't think my hair has been this long since I was 13...

And exactly what happened to that time?????

Healthy Surprises in a Box

2012-01-10T09:00:00.000Z

I have previously told you about my shopping secret.

In short - as I hate going grocery shopping, I shop online and have it delivered to our house instead. Ok, it might not happen every week as admittedly sometimes you can get some inspiration when you go to the shops, but most weeks I would rather do something else with my time!

It is a perfect arrangement for me.

They have now introduced a box filled with various seasonal fruit and vegetables. I was initially sceptical to this as I prefer to choose my own combination of fruit and vegetables, but then I was getting bored with my own choices. You get an indication of what they may be including when you place the order, but there might be some changes due to the season.

To be honest, I love this.

This way I am introduced to new vegetables on a regular basis and it 'forces' me to think of new dishes to make to utilise these sometimes to me new vegetables:

Last week in this mix was fresh beetroot which I have only ever eaten pickled and bought in a jar. I made a lovely pan of mixed roasted vegetables with the beetroots (cut in large pieces and sprinkle some olive oil/salt/pepper over beetroots, parsnips, potatoes, garlic, onions, carrots, swedes and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes till done).

This week the box included fennel which was also a new ingredient to me. I made a lovely fennel soup with cod and shrimp - I found the recipe on Trine's Matblogg. It was lovely and I will definetely make this soup again AND buy more fennel.

Sometimes it is good to be forced to think

'outside the box'...

:-)

The Biggest Balls EVER....!

2012-01-09T08:30:00.000Z

For those of you who thought this was about some other types of balls, I am afraid you will be disappointed...

We are talking about balls of yarn!

I wanted to knit some new covers for a couple of sofa cushions and came across these balls of yarn meant for big hunky Aran sweaters. Since I am making up the pattern etc as I go along I was not sure how much I needed. Also, it needs to be said that it has been a while since I knitted anything... So, when I came across these ENORMOUS balls I thought this would save me running out of yarn.

Yep, I was right.

I think I have enough yarn to knit an entire sofa...

Well, maybe not a sofa, but each ball is 500 grams

(I think 'normal' balls of yarn are 50 gram)...

I promise to show the finished product... when I get there.

But please, don't hold your breath waiting.

It could take a while.

:-)

Tried and Tested: Boston Brownies

2012-01-08T11:32:00.000Z

Ok, I admit it is rather early in the year and too close since Christmas to be tempting with Brownies, but I am a weak mother... When Our Boy asked for Brownies after a he had been for a long run, I couldn't deny him.

:-)

I found this recipe on the back of an American corn flour box and it does not contain any other flour. I made some alterations to the recipe (as I often do) and the Brownies turned out very tasty and chewy and seemed lighter than my regular recipe. I suggest you mix all by hand to avoid getting too much air into the mixture. You want it gooey and somewhat heavy.

You need:

150 gram butter

100 gram chocolate - roughly chopped (the recipe actually called for 200gram, but there is a limit!)

180 gram light brown sugar (again the recipe called for 200 gram, but you will never miss these 20 grams)

2 eggs, beaten

few drops of vanilla extract

50 gram cornflour

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

a handful of chopped almonds or hazelnuts (optional)

Melt the butter and half of the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water

Mix the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract

Mix the sugar/egg/vanilla mixture with the melted butter/chocolate

Sift in the corn flour/salt/baking powder

Mix in the rest of the chopped chocolate and the nuts

Bake in a small lined tin (18 cm square, for instance)

on 180 degrees for approx 50 mins (check that it doesn't burn on top)

Let the brownies cool in the tin before your remove the lining and cut into squares.

I admit Our Boy did not eat all of the Brownies by himself...

I am now going for a brisk walk!

New Year's Walk...

2012-01-05T08:39:00.001Z

I have to say the weather is strange these days!

Extreme winds and lots of rain, but rather warm.

A lot of things are starting to grow in the garden...

Not sure what to make of it, but it is very unlike last January when we even had snow for several days!

On our last holiday after Christmas The Professor and I ventured out for the first walk of 2012. We went our usual route to Grantchester. Always lovely and warming to have a stop at one of the pubs at the end of the path for a glass of mulled wine...

:-)

We walked around the church (where I once - by accident - attended service with Lady Thatcher - but that is another story and enough name dropping for one day...) and I was intrigued by this bricked up doorway in the wall... wonder what the story was WHY this had been done? It was only the church yard behind it. It reminded me of the book 'The Secret Garden'...

On our way back home we suddenly stopped and STARED!

Despite the distance - there was unmistakably a man taking a swim in the river...!

And no - it really isn't THAT warm (we were wearing gloves and hats...).

I think that is taking New Year's resolutions to get fit a bit too far...

:-)

Recommended viewing: Great Expectations

2012-01-03T10:35:00.001Z

BBC showed a new 3-part adaptation of Charles Dickens' 'Great Expectations' this Christmas.

Gillian Anderson (better known from X-Files) is a haunted and bitter Miss Havisham (with a very convincing British accent!) while David Suchet (Agatha Christie's Poirot) is the hardnosed lawyer Mr. Jaggers and Ray Winstone is Magwitch.

Nobody does these period dramas better than the BBC and a bit of Dickens this time of year is never wrong.

2011...

2011-12-31T15:52:00.000Z

It is really hard to realise that 2011 is over.

Sounds rather like repeating a cliche to say "where did the time go", but honestly - where DID it go?

To sum it up in few words - 2011 was good, bad, happy and sad.

Here is a glimpse of some of the things we got up to in 2011:

I had almost forgotten it is a year since we did up Our Boy's room in January! This is a BEFORE picture... :-) A glimpse of the more finished product can be found here.

In February Our Boy and I went up to see the Professor in Edinburgh. I really like this town. Just never have enough time up there!

In March we celebrated Persian New Year.

Back in April there was 'that wedding' and we went with good friends to Bath.

A real treat!

In May I attended a photo class. It was great fun, but I haven't found time for another one. Perhaps that should go on the list of things I want to do in 2012?!

In June my lovely warm and caring mother passed away. Even if she had been seriously ill for over 7 years, it was a blow to us all. I still have conversations with her in my mind and often catch myself thinking I should remember to tell her 'this and that' next time we speak...

But life does go on and in the middle of July Our Boy went on a great walking trip along the West Highland Walkway in Scotland.
And July was the month that changed a lot in Norway. We are all affected in one way of another after the horrible events on 22 July in Oslo and Utoya.

This year's family holiday in August went to Juan-les-Pins in the South of France. A lovely relaxing time!

My in-laws arrived in September and we spent two lovely months with them, taking them on the weekends to our favourite places.

In October Our Boy and I mixed business and pleasure in London. Should do that again soon...

Our Boy treaded the boards in the theatre play Boy Solider in November. Despite the rehearsals taking a lot of time, I think he enjoyed this experience!

December has been a month filled with cooking, baking and preparing for Christmas. A bit strange it is almost over, I do enjoy it so.

But next year we will do it ALLLL again!

:-)

So, what may 2012 bring... ??

a lot of things are on the horizon and hopefully mainly positive and uplifting things.
Perhaps on the national scale the Olympics in London will be the most memorable and one that brings some glimpse of hope for the future for a country and world in recession?!

Or is that asking too much...?

A new year and new plans (I do love 'plans').

On my very personal and private list I would add

Try to exercise more (that is compulsory on such a list)

Find more quiet time

Read more

Explore more

Travel more
Spend more time with family and friends

Laugh more ...

In any case - I wish you all a very
Happy, Prosperous, Energetic and Inspirational New Year!

Not Too Bad After All...

2011-12-29T11:27:00.000Z

It isn't too bad beeing stuck in bed with a cold even though it is Christmas...

I am not really doing anything else than I had already planned...

Like reading, watching films and sleeping...

:-)

The Professor thinks I am in competition with The Cat to see who can sleep more...

Trust me, The Cat is winning!

Tried and Tested: Roasted Potatoes

2011-12-27T09:00:00.000Z

In time for New Year Eve's dinner I thought I would share with you how we make traditional Roasted Potatoes. These are among the British culinary traditions we have adopted for our Christmas meal. The perfect roast potatoes are lovely and crisp on the outside whilst fluffy and soft on the inside. I normally use either Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes - both types are excellent for roasting.

Peel the potatoes and take care to ensure that larger potatoes are cut so that they are all approximately equal in size. You don't want too large potatoes as you want as much surface as possible to soak up the fat. Parboil for approx 10 mins

Discard the water and let the steam evaporate. Add 4-5 generous tablespoons of semolina to the potatoes and shake the pan with the potatoes so that they get a good coating. This will help soak up the fat and crisp up the potatoes.

Pre-heat 4-5 generous tablespoons of fat (I use goose fat) in the pan you will be roasting the potatoes in on high heat (250 degrees)

Add the potatoes to the melted/heated fat. I find it is easier to take the pan with the fat out of the oven first as the fat will be very hot - so hot that the potatoes sizzle in the pan when you add them. Turn down the heat of the oven to about 180 degrees and leave them in for about 1 hr or until done. You may wish to turn them around a couple of times to ensure the they get browned equally on all sides.
Add some nice salt to season them before serving.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T11:12:00.001Z

We have enjoyed a quiet and peaceful Christmas.

Key words for these days are traditions, good food, plenty of time, sleep, walks, films and books.

There is something so comforting and nice about the predictable traditions.

This year it has been rather warm here - about +13 degrees, so a big change from last year.

Another thing we all noticed different this year was the lack of people in the shops before Christmas. Ok, I admit it was a bit MAD in the food store on the 23rd when I unfortunately had to pop out to get something I had forgotten..., but generally I would say it is a worrying sign for the economy when you see that the shops are just not selling. I guess it might mean that the sales starting today Boxing Day and in January will be huge in order for the retailers to get hold of some more money.

And still, our town does not seem to be hard hit by the economy - we all feel like we live in a bubble compared to reports from other parts of the country.

Food for thought for the year ahead...

Lucky Me!

2011-12-22T08:30:00.000Z

A couple of days ago these lovely pot holders arrived in the mail!

Lady Luck (or was it Santa...?) was with me when I won them in Åshild's advent calendar giveaway on her blog "Bestemors Hage" (Grandmother's Garden) .

I love hearts!

These will forever be part of my Christmas kitchen.

I think they are too nice to be used, but will look lovely hanging next to the oven

I always enjoy reading her blog. She has lots of handy tips for traditional Norwegian cooking and is a very creative lady! I recommend that you check out her blog.

Tusen, tusen, tusen takk!!!

:-)

Tried and Tested: Berlinerkranser OR What Do You Do...

2011-12-21T20:18:00.000Z

when you wake up at 5 am on the darkest day of the year and can't sleep...?

You bake! Well, at least I do.

:-)

Isn't it typical that when I had the day off and could have slept muuuuch longer, I was 'bright eyed and bushy tailed' at 5 am...!!!

So, this year's 'Berlinerkranser' are now safely in the tin (at least those that have not been given away or eaten by the men in my house...)

I used a traditional recipe (makes about 75):

Mash the yoke of 2 hard boiled eggs with

2 raw egg yokes

Add 125 gram sugar and mix well

Add 300 grams flour

and 250 gram soft butter

(alternative times)

and mix all well

Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Roll out pencil thick lengths (10 cm) and fold into a wreath or just simply as I have done above.

Give them a wash with the egg whites and drizzle some sugar over

Bake in the oven on 175-180 degrees for 10 mins.

Beware - keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

Let them cool on the tray before moving them.

I think I will be going to bed early tonight...

:-)

Carols by Candlelight and Weekend Activities

2011-12-19T07:31:00.001Z

True to tradition, some of the Ladies Who Dine attended the annual Carols by Candlelight last night.

The church was packed, it was suitably cold and frosty outside (no snow yet!) and the atmosphere with the church only lit by candles gave us all the right Christmas feeling.

The rest of the weekend has been spent cleaning and preparing.

Not that I think you necessarily HAVE to clean extra for Christmas, but as I was home during the day this weekend I noticed when the sun was shining the state of windows and simply could not ignore them.

Besides, new curtains for the living room 'demanded' clean windows...

:-)

While I was at it I noticed that the kitchen cabinet doors could do with a clean,

and some of the cabinets could benefit from a tidy up,

the living room needed decluttering in preparation for the Christmas decorations coming up next week,

and that the wooden floor in the living room could do with an extra polish,

and so on...!

Think I will make myself busy outside the house during the day the rest of the week

- you don't notice so much what needs doing in the dusk...!

Oh, and best of luck to my friend who is moving house these days!

I must say - they are a brave family moving a week before Christmas!

:-)

Jamie Oliver - Christmas Lunch Treat

2011-12-15T15:44:00.000Z

Every year my boss takes his closest colleagues out for Christmas lunch to show his appreciation for our work.

This year he took us to Jamie Oliver's restaurant.

I have been there before and very much looked forward to going again.

In preparation for this event I had only had a banana for breakfast so I was literally starving...

We all shared various lovely antipasti for starters

Then I had a lovely seabass for mains

and

Cheese board for dessert
Plus Jamie's gorgeous unusual mince pies made with filo pastry.
I am generally not a fan of mince pies, but these I wanna try to make myself!

What a treat!

No need for dinner tonight...

:-)

Tried and Tested: Burned Almonds

2011-12-14T10:34:00.001Z

Another of our culinary Christmas traditions are burned almonds.

They also make a nice tasty edible gift.

I never forget the first year I made them:

I had prepared 1/2 kg one evening and went to bed only to wake up the next morning and the entire jar was empty...

The Professor had been working late and found a taste snack on the counter...

1 kilo almonds (keep the peel on)

375 gram sugar

3 deciltre water

1-2 teaspoons of cinnnamon (optional)

3 tablespoons of butter

Toast the almonds in the oven on 200 degrees for about 10 mins.

Bring the water, sugar and cinnamon to the boil and add the almonds once all the sugars has dissolved.

Stirr carefully till all the almonds are coated. You might find that the almonds turn grey with the sugar, but just keep stirring till the sugar melts and caramelises again. Be sure to mind the temperature so you don't burn the sugar.

Once the sugar has caramelised around the almonds take it off the heat and add the butter (it helps to part the almonds from eachother)

Pour the almonds onto baking parchment and divinde them up

- be careful it is VERY hot!

Once cooled, store them in a nice airtight box

(you might have to and hide them if they are to last till Christmas!)

Tried and Tested: Norwegian Sylterull (Pork Roll)

2011-12-12T09:44:00.000Z

picture borrowed from matprat.no

To me, Christmas is in particular about culinary traditions.

We all eat food and prepare elaborate dishes with spices that we NEVER eat the rest of the year. Recipes and traditions handed down through the generations. But THAT is all part of what makes Christmas special, at least to me.

Being in a foreign land with other traditions means that you either adopt new traditions,

make some new ones yourself or try to adapt the old ones.

Our Christmas is celebrated in rather traditionally Norwegian style.
Being married to somebody without childhood Christmas traditions means I get it all MY way!
Actually, that is the ONLY way he knows how to celebrate Christmas.

No need for compromise here - I rule!

:-)
A couple of weeks ago I made traditional Norwegian sylterull or Norwegian pork roll (I think sylte sounds nicer than the English name...). Sylte is traditional lunchmeat normally only made and eaten at Christmas. I have seen many bloggers using different techniques and recipes, but the description below became my way. I first made it out of a 2 kg slice of pork belly, but as I didn't hide it in the freezer quick enough, I had to make another one this weekend which is now safely in the freezer. Sylte is originally made of the meat in the pig's head, but THAT is such a sloppy and messy business, so I made it the easy way (besides, I had no pig's head handy):

This is what you need:

1.8 kg pork belly (no bones) with the rind

4 tblsp. salt to 3 liters of water (you might need more water)

Mix in a bowl:

2 tblsp salt

2 teasp pepper

2 teasp clove (nellik)

2 teasp ginger (ingefær)

2 teasp all-spice (allehånde)

3 teasp gelatin powder

Open the slab of pork belly with the rind side down and slice it into two or three slices that hang together so you end up with one long piece of meat. Ensure the rind side is at one end of this piece.

Smear the spice mixture all over the meat and

start rolling the slab together ensuring the rind side is the last bit on the outside enclosing the roll.

Wrap it in a tea towel and fasten well using a good cotton string so it makes a nice tight roll.

Put the roll in boiling water and let it simmer for 1.5-2 hrs.
Let it rest out of the water for about 20 mins before you

Take it out and let it cool for 20 mins
before putting it under pressure (about 6 kg) until it is cold.
If you don't have a special press for this purpose you can balance some books on top of a tray on the sylte.

Some store it in brine, but I prefer to pop it in the freezer.
Serve thinly sliced on bread with a good mustard, pickles or pickled beetroots.

The smell of those lovely spices, the meat and the condiments
- now THAT is Christmas!

to me

Secret Santa!

2011-12-09T09:32:00.000Z

Yesterday we arranged Secret Santa at work for the first time ever!
We had a lovely little lunch gathering where everybody brought in something special from their country to eat and we all got a Secret Santa gift.

I brought Norwegian pork roll (sylterull - made for the first time ever) served with mustard on crackers, and gingerbread crackers with blue cheese, plus a bottle of Gløgg (bought at Ikea!).

You don't know what Secret Santa is?
Well, every on puts their name in a jar. You have to pick a name (not your own, of course) and buy a present for that person for a maximum amount (we chose £5) - all done in secret. You then wrap the gift and it is opened to much sillyness and fun.

Great fun with little effort and I think people had been rather inventive with the limited budget!

Tonight is the Christmas party for the school (theme is Casino!) and Monday we have a Christmas dinner for our group.

What do you get up to at work before Christmas?

Oooooh! So Tempting...

2011-12-08T10:36:00.001Z

You know how you see on TV all these auctions for antique furniture?

I love those shows!

Despite having lived here for maaaany years I was not aware of any local auction houses.

Well, my colleague changed all that when she introduced me to a local auction house. The great thing is that they have their catalogue online and you can go an browse the items live for a week before the auction. For some items you can bid online, for others you can leave a bid if you can't be there in person on the day.

The auction takes place today and last night we went over to have a look at things as she was looking for a particular item. The item she had seen online didn't turn out so nice 'in real life', but she found some other nice items she put in a bid on.

So exciting!

I decided not to put in any bids, but rather take some time looking and learning.

According to The (minimalist) Professor, I would need a larger house as well to accommodate any more furniture...

Imagine if this top hat (and leather box) could talk...

I would love to attend an auction, but WORK gets in the way... At least I can see online what the various items went for and learn from that!

... or the tales these three friends could tell!

:-)

Tried and Tested: Marvellously More-ish Creamy Mushroom Soup!

2011-12-05T11:35:00.000Z

A few weeks ago my Danish friend (who is an amazing cook!) invited me for supper with 4 other ladies.

A real fun evening with lots of laughter, intens chatting, amazing food and plenty of drink.

It was so nice getting to know some new lovely people!

For starters we had this amazingly tasty mushroom soup and the hostess has kindly shared the recipe. She got it from "McCartney’sMeatfree Monday" (serves 4)

75g butter
4 shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
500g field mushrooms, (she used Portobello and brown button)
1l vegetable stock
1 tbls plain flour

TO SERVE

Soy sauce
Thick cream
Salt/pepper

Heat 50g of the butter,
sauté onion until soft;
add garlic,
cook for 1 minute more,
add mushrooms (sliced),
stir,
add stock,
bring to boil,
season and cover to simmer for 10-15 mins,
remove from heat.

In separate pan heat remaining butter, stir in flour, cookfor 2 mins, remove and add to soup in a liquidiser, mix. Return to thepan, bring to boil, add soy sauce to taste, salt/pepper and stir in dollop or 2 of cream.

It was sooo jummy - I couldn't hold back...

I had TWO bowls of soup

Tried and Tested: Chocolate Caramels

2011-12-01T09:42:00.001Z

The Christmas baking has started!

My good 'old' friend back 'home' asked me a question about a recipe for caramels that I had given her maaaany years ago. I couldn't remember the recipe nor how I made them, but she sent it to me and I amended it a bit and thought I would put it on the blog so I won't forget it again.

:-)

The taste brought back memories and turned out really nice!

They are a bit on the chewy side, but not so bad that you have to worry about your fillings.

An idea for an edible gift...?

They are really so easy to make.

Melt in a pan:

25 gram of butter

2.5 decilitre of sugar

add

3 decilitre of cream (I used double cream)

1.5 decilitre of golden syrup

50 grams of cooking chocolate (omit if you don't want chocolate caramels)

Finely chopped or grated almonds (optional)

Let the mixture cook for about 1 hr on low heat, stirring occasionally.

I put some greaseproof paper in a square tin and poured the cooked mixture in to let it cool.

I found using a pizza wheel was the easiest way to cut it up once the caramel had cooled down.

Our Boy and my trusted tester next door agreed

- naughty, but very nice!

;-)

Christmas Preparation Success!

2011-11-30T11:28:00.000Z

I am so happy

- our Christmas dinner has been secured!

And it isn't even December yet....!

:-)

I normally go to Norway at some point before Christmas, but this year I won't be going and this would mean that we wold be in 'trouble' regarding our Christmas dinner as I normally bring over the distinctly Norwegian dish of 'pinnekjøtt' (steamed, dried, cured and sometimes smoked ribs of mutton or lamb).

So, we were consoling ourselves to perhaps having (for us) the second best - 'ribbe' (pork belly with the bones) instead...

But in London you find 'everything' under the sun!

I came across the Scandinavian kitchen and they have pinnekjøtt!

And all sorts of Scandinavian foodstuff!

And they sell online and deliver for free (!) which is a blessing since I was planning a trip to London either!

So, we are 'safe'!

Ok, it is even more expensive than in Norway, but as a one off it is acceptable.

I suddenly feel I am so on top of the preparations for Christmas even though little else is in place...!

Better get on with it!

:-)

And We Are Off....!

2011-11-28T09:16:00.001Z

Advent...

The best part of the season, in my opinion.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe this year advent is super long since Christmas Eve is on a Saturday.

I am a huge advent fan!

I love the anticipation, the preparations, the gatherings, the feeling of working towards a goal

- and new beginnings.

This year I wanted a new twist on our advent decoration. I took 4 silver candlesticks in various heights, (one I have bought, one I have been given and a couple I have inherited), put them on a silver tray, added a few pine cones along with some cinnamon sticks for nice Christmassy smell and added purple candles with silver number stickers on.

Simple!

As for the colour of the candles - I am old fashioned this way.

I normally prefer white candles, but purple is the colour of advent and the only 'right' colour in this connection

- for me.

What colour do YOU prefer for your advent candles?

A Noble Cause - Free Cook Book

2011-11-25T11:40:00.001Z

Two Swedish guys have collected some mouthwatering recipes from some of Swedens most active food blogs with the view of raising money for Doctors without Borders.

They let you download the book as a PDF for free here in the hope that you will donate some money by sending a text to a special number in Sweden dedicated to Doctors without Borders.

Not sure how this works from abroad, but you can read more about it here.

Oh, and yes, the book is in Swedish!

Happiness On a Boring Midweek Day

2011-11-23T10:22:00.001Z

Happiness is...

pre-advent dinner with girl friends

at a lovely country gastro pub!

I can't wait!

:-)

Tried and Tested: Breakfast Mix

2011-11-22T08:59:00.000Z

In this wonderful world of blogs I find so much inspiration for all sorts of projects and suggestions.

The latest was from Fru Hermez (and possibly others that I have forgotten to mention - sorry!) for making my own breakfast mix. I normally have Oatibix, but I was getting bored with it.

So, I roamed the cupboards and filled up a one liter container with a random mix of

oats

raisins

chopped almonds

sunflower seeds and other various seeds

some puffed wheat

a couple of crumbled oatibix
a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon
and stirred well

I then added

3 teaspoons of honey to 2 decilitre of warm water and poured over the mixture

The mixture was baked in the oven for 20 mins on 180 degrees.

Simple!

My Day!

2011-11-21T09:00:00.000Z

This weekend we celebrated

MY DAY!

Yes, it was my birthday and I think I must have been good this last year as the sun shone and I got lots of attention from my men as well as friends and family.

:-)

My boys woke me in true traditional style with coffee, cake and presents in bed and then took me out to a Christmas Fair at Wimpole Hall where we also enjoyed a simple lunch.

The afternoon was spent relaxing at home and talking with friends. No big celebration this year, just nice to be together as we don't get too much of that these days.

I have to show these:

Above are pictures of the fabulous glasses I got from The Ladies Who Dine.

The series is just so MAD - I simply love them!

:-)

While we are on this drinking theme - some other lovely friends took me out for lunch on Friday and we celebrated with the most lovely Prosecco called La Delfina.

It was such a surprise!

I wasn't planning on having any (had to work in the afternoon), but I threw caution to the wind and I did not regret it. I don't know if it was the occassion, the ambiance or the fact that this was simply a really great Prosecco!

I looked it up and it is available from various wine merchants.

This is absolutely my new favourite 'bubbly'!

Will certainly get some bottles for the upcoming festive season!

Night Time Comfort...

2011-11-18T08:42:00.001Z

picture borrowed from www

I love my bed.

What I love most about it is that it is 1.8 m wide

- plenty of space for two

(or even three when Our Boy was little).

Amazingly enough, it never seems large enough when I sleep alone in it with The Cat. It is incredible how much space such a small animal seems to 'need'...

Anyway, this isn't about The Cat.

I have for many years been honkering after a Tempur mattress. Admittedly, I have never tried a Tempur mattress, but somehow I believe it MUST be great. My plan was to get one if/when we move house. That is still some years away, so when I came across the offer for a mattress topper from Cloud's Memory Foam on a GroupOn offer (73% off!) I took the chance. The topper arrived yesterday and I put on new clean bedsheets.

Don't you just love the feeling of clean bedsheets?!

One of life's little luxeries

:-)

I wouldn't say I slept 'on a cloud', but it was veeery comfortable. Being rather generously endowed from nature's side (sounds better than saying I need to loose some pounds, doesn't it?), I often have aches and pains in my hips and back when I wake up in the morning. I was pleased to note that I had none of that this morning. This is just a mattress topper, so I believe that a real Tempur mattress MUST be even better.

The Professor did not share my enthusiasm.

I had snored.

To my defense - I have a cold.

On the bright side, it probably means he will use another bedroom tonight and I get ALL of this lovely comfort to myself

... unless The Cat decides to stay in and occupy it, too!

HE doesn't mind if I snore!

:-)

Passing Strangers...

2011-11-16T09:54:00.001Z

I was walking in my own thoughts the other day.

It was abeautiful sunny day and I had just been to a meeting with a colleague and wason my way back to my office - which is in another building from 'the mothership'. I was thinking about boring work issues and not really payingattention to anything or anyone around me.

As I neared my office building aman coming towards me suddenly lent over to me and

whispered seductively as wepassed each other

'have you missed me'...?

And then he carried on walking in theopposite direction of me.

As I said, I was completely in my own world and it took afew seconds before I comprehended that he had spoken to me and what he hadactually said. I stopped dead in my tracks and spun around to see who it was, but by then he had disappearedin the crowd of people walking in the sunshine.

There was no point trying torun after him to see who it was as I couldn't for the life of me remember whathe looked like.

I started laughing.

I guess I would have had a very differentreaction if it had been in the evening in a dark street, but in broaddaylight on a busy street it just seemed funny.

It gave me the giggles likea teenage girl.

And no, I can't really say I have missed anyone except perhaps my own Professor who was not in town.

:-)

I am 100% sure it was neither him nor

picture borrowed from the internet

gorgeous George.

There is also the possibility that perhaps the man was talking on the phone...?

:-)

Treading the Boards

2011-11-13T14:30:00.000Z

Wole Soyinka

As I mentioned, this weekend Our Boy "treaded the boards" in the play Travel Club and Boy Soldier by Wole Soyinka (Nobel Prize Laureate 1986). The play is about a group of teenage school students on holiday somewhere among the South Sea Islands. It is a playground for some people but can be life and death for the people who live there.

The play shows the young people trapped in the airport after an insurrection has taken place. During their discussions we learn that one boy's father was killed by terrorists in Northern Ireland, another has an account of how a bus in India was ambushed and the Hindus savagely murdered and another tells of the massacre of the Igbo people in the Biafra war.

It is clear that extremism is not confined to any one place.

As they wait in the airport the young people are asked to make a moral choice, either to hand over their passports and be relatively safe or to refuse because handing them over is probably the start of segregation which could have fatal consequences. At this point one of them states, 'You don't argue with a man with a gun,' and three of the young people leave. The others are confronted by the commandante and an armed guard.

The commandante of the airport is a young person no older than the school students. In what might seem a despairing speech he describes the violence he has witnessed and claims that he has now replaced questions with orders.

But he finishes by hoping that perhaps the future may return to something like that of the school students.

A play with real food for thought
- and very well acted by all
(and that is NOT maternal pride speaking!)

:-)

Making the Right Choice...?

2011-11-10T11:12:00.001Z

picture borrowed from the world wide web

We are in the midst of making the rounds to the various 6th form schools with Our Boy.

Next year he will be starting 6th form and only be two years away from going to University!

What happened to the years...?

He spent primary school at a state school,

while he has been receiving his secondary education at a private school.

Now comes the third 'phase' called '6th form' and this is the last two years before going into higher education. Fortunately, he knows which subjects he wants to focus on at 6th Form, so at least the direction of future studies is clear.

Our dilemma is that although he could stay at his current private school there is also an excellent state funded school in our town.

So, what to do?

Do we stay with the school and teachers we know and 'not rock the boat', but pay school fees

take a chance on a school that has a very good reputation, but also higher number of students in each class and less pastoral care?

Not easy when we can't apply our own experiences since none of us were brought up in this school system.

Ah, the worries we have over the choices we make for our kids.

Next week is the last meeting and we will have to reach some conclusion.

In the meantime, he is taking to the stage this weekend in a theatre production of "Travel Club and Boy Soldier" by Wole Soyinka.

Poor thing - he might feel a little apprehensive as several family members will be in the audience - in addition to us, his grandparents and his great aunt from Sweden will be watching...

Break a leg!

:-)

Confused...? No more!

2011-11-09T13:44:00.000Z

A friend sent me this link.

I thought it might be useful for those confused about the difference between

The United Kingdom

Great Britain

England/Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland

British Isles

The Commonwealth Realm

The Crown Dependencies

The British Overseas Territories

etc. etc.

Any wiser...??

I agree, it isn't easy...

:-)

Tried and Tested: Apple Cake Success

2011-11-07T12:22:00.000Z

I wanted to use up some apples and was experimenting with making a new apple cake recipe on the weekend. It was successfull enough to need being made twice on the same weekend!

;-)

I think using the ground almonds makes it very moist.

I served it as it was, but I can see a nice vanilla custard, whipped cream or icecream could go down well with it.

Mix well

60 grams of ground almond

190 grams of flour

250 grams of sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

4 tablespoons of brown sugar

250 grams of butter

to a 'sandy' consistency

Whisk 4 eggs separately and add to the dry mixture.

Pour the batter into a large cake tin.

Peel, core and chop finely 6 apples and press these well into the batter

Chop roughly 3-4 handfuls of almonds and spread over the apples

Drizzle on top cinnamon and a few spoons of brown sugar

Chop into small squares 25 grams of butter which you scatter on top.

Bake for about 40-45 mins on 190 degrees in the bottom of the oven.

You might need to cover the top half way through to avoid it burning.

PS: This is also my contribution to Sota Saker's November challenge.

Convenience...

2011-11-04T09:28:00.000Z

Simply to make it easier for those who read my blog and are Facebook users I have created a Facebook page for the blog. Many thanks to Elisabeth from Innerst i veien for help with some of the technical bits!

If you click on the 'Like' button on the right here on the blog, you should in theory get a notification on your Facebook page when I post a new item.

Any thing to make life easier...

:-)

Full house here this weekend.

The Professor came home last night, so we are full up with the in-laws still with us. They are planning to return home in a couple of weeks after more than two months with us. It will be strange and empty when they go. I am dreading it already.

But first there is Guy Fawkes Night on the agenda this weekend!

Madness...

2011-11-03T09:18:00.000Z

picture borrowed from the web

The days are for sure shorter.

I enjoy it still being light when I wake up in the morning, but not so much biking home in the dusk - soon to be really dark...

Time to get the bike lights out!

Talk about security - we live in a city full of bikers - the terrain is flat as a pancake so it really is the way to move about.

I am utterly amazed by the sheer stupidity of all the bikers texting on their mobiles whilst riding along...

I see several of them doing it - every day!!!

Talk about wanting an accident to happen!

Or should I just join the Grumpy Old Women?

(I am actually amazed the producers have not called!)

also borrowed from the web

:-)

From Another Time...

2011-10-31T14:31:00.001Z

I took the in-laws exploring on the weekend and we went to Audley End, one of Englands grandest stately homes.

borrowed from English Heritage website

It is a spectacular Jacobean mansion and we so enjoyed walking through the kitchens, the laundry, and the main house.

I couldn't take any pictures in the main house, but I suggest you look at their pictures on the English Heritage webpage if you like these kind of places.

There was some birds of prey demonstrations on the grounds, but we had enough with taking in the sights.

Talk about laundry room! And this is just half of it... But in those days it would take a week to put the various garments through the cleaning process, so I guess you needed some space...

I do like the looks of those neatly folded sheets...

You can walk through the kitchens and watch the staff in costumes working...

or were they real...?

Think this will be my spooky contribution to a Halloween inspired shot!

Despite the grey pictures we enjoyed 20 degrees and beautiful autumn colors.

A friend joined us for dinner and it seemed suitable to end the day watching Downton Abbey on the TV

;-)

Mixing Business and Pleasure

2011-10-29T16:26:00.001+01:00

Our Boy and I had to go to London yesterday to take care of some paper business. We combined it with a day out in London as this was his last day of the half term holidays.

It was such a beautiful day and we walked from Kensington to the Portobello road market. A lovely area I wouldn't mind living in... But so many temptations! I didn't buy ANYTHING - simply because I couldn't face carrying it with me all day.

As always lots and lots to see in the market. Need a new hook, door knob or tiles, anyone?

We had to visit the Hummingbird bakery where we enjoyed...

a raspberry-brownie-cheesecake and a red-velvet-cake. A very busy place with just a few stools to sit on!

Their cakes are just as amazing as they are reputed to be.

So, so, so yummy and incredibly moist!

I really must try to bake that red velvet cake one day...

The slices were enormous!

But we didn't leave a crumb...

:-)

I wanted to look at boots at DUO (I recommend you click on the link and check them out if you have problems finding the right sized boots) which offer fitted boots for almost any sized calf or foot width. But when I discovered it would take more than 30 mins to be served I left it. They don't have a shop in our town, but I think I will have to take my chances and measure myself and order on-line.

I really am not the most patient shopper.

We caught the 7.15 pm train back to Our Peaceful Corner of England

- completely exhausted!

Happiness is...

2011-10-27T12:40:00.001+01:00

Happiness is...

unexpectedly receiving delicious

Sprungli chocolate

from a friend returning from

Switzerland

Edible gifts...

me like!

:-)

The Age of The Apps

2011-10-25T09:51:00.004+01:00

picture borrowed from http://www.textually.org/

I was thinking about apps the other day

- as you do

:-)

When I first acquired my IPhone and IPad I was like a kid in a candy store.

So excited about what was out there.

I downloaded lots of 'useful' apps

- for needs I never knew I had -

and organised them neatly into categories

(I like order...)

Now, a few months down the line I notice I don't really use that many of all those I downloaded.

There is the calendar (can't live without it now!), the email, the Safari for internet browsing, the contacts, the iTunes/iPod, the camera, Facebook, Skype, BlogPress, iBooks (not that much used, I must admit), about 8-9 newspapers (wonder how much longer we will still call them newspapers?), maps, train information. Under the category 'Tools' I have a ruler, a spirit level (very handy at times!), a convert units app, a currency converter and notes. I also have an app for Ocado to place my weekly shopping and for Amazon. I am not big on gaming, but there is a solitar game I enjoy.

Actually, come to think of it, that is more than I thought.

Then I had an email.

I am sure many other bloggers also get offered all sorts of things to promote on their blogs but this was different: they wanted to know my opinion on an app they were thinking of developing. This app is about turning living healthy and promoting fitness into a game, where users earn points, and"level up' as they achieve their goals. Everytime they eat somethinghealthy like vegetables, they earn points. Everytime they complete a workout,they earn points.

There was more to it than described, but it made me think again about the craze of apps. There seems to be an app for just about anything!

Not sure an app will help me get fit and loose weight though.

;-)

So, do apps aide you in your life???

Should I - or Shouldn't I...?

2011-10-24T08:30:00.000+01:00

I think The Cat is a bit confused over the warm weather we have been enjoying.

I am convinced it is part of his daily challenge finding the right spot in the sunshine...

But sometimes it is better to play it safe and stay indoors peeking through the curtains...

:-)

Weekend Report...

2011-10-23T17:24:00.000+01:00

What a lovely weekend we have had!

The sun has been shining and we have enjoyed very non-autumnal temperatures.

Not a very exciting Saturday though. Just the usual boring housework that needs doing. Our Boy is on half term break next week which means less preparations for the week ahead so a less hectic schedule this weekend. But no Saturday without rice porridge for lunch! Well, that is a lie. It was true in my childhood though. Surprisingly enough, in Iran they also enjoy rice pudding, but add bits of cooked turkey to it. I have never tried it, but it does sound very strange to my Norwegian palate.

I harvested more of our chillies and made some more of the sweet chilli sauce which just 'disappears' in this house. I couldn't tell you how long you can keep it before it goes bad because it never lasts that long in our house!

The tomatoes are also on their last leg although some are still green.

It doesn't really matter as my mother-in-law uses them in her cooking anyway and they taste delicious!

Still some flowers blooming in the garden. Looks like they can still go on for a long time unless the weather decides to change soon.

But some plants are getting ready for the colder period and to be used in new celebrations.

And to round the weekend off - a BBQ in the garden at a friend's house for her 18 year old son!

:-)

Guilty Pleasure - Is It Too Soon....?

2011-10-21T08:46:00.001+01:00

I couldn't hold back...

I got Good Housekeeping's Christmas issue (the bottom middle issue above) as I passed by the shop last night...

Is it too soon...?

It kind of is, isn't it...???

picture borrowed from bbc.co.uk
It is not like I need months in advance to prepare the food.
I am afraid I have not become a fan of traditional English Christmas Pudding.
It is simply too heavy fare after a traditional Norwegian Christmas dinner.

;-)

Never mind.

I so enjoyed turning in early and snuggling down enjoying a browse through the new recipes.
I don't mind some new inspiration!

Grafham Water

2011-10-20T08:00:00.000+01:00

I took the in-laws with me to find Grafham Water which had been recommended to me by several friends. It is only half an hours drive from us, but it was a pleasant new discovery.

What a lovely place to come for walks, bike rides, fishing or to learn how to sail.

As this was unfamiliar territory to me, I chose on the SatNav the 'shortest, but not fastest route' to get home in order to avoid the motorway. To our delight we drove through the loveliest little villages in the English countryside that I had never heard of.

To be honest, not sure I can ever find them again...

pictures are taken with my phone and are not the best

Something a Bit Different...?

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

I came across these purple sheep skin rugs.

Never seen anything like it!

In addition to the normal colors you would expect sheep to have, they come in bright pink, lavender, purple and red!

I have ALWAYS loved purple, but not sure about these...

Tried and Tested: Julia Childs Chocolate Cake with Almonds

2011-10-18T08:20:00.000+01:00

picture borrowed from http://www.klikk.no but the cake really turned out just like the picture!

It has been a while since I posted any new cake recipes.

I simply have not had much time lately for baking, and also I tend to use over and over again the tried and tested recipes.

On the weekend I decided to try a new cake as we celebrated again my in-laws joint birthdays (their birthdays are only one day apart!).

This is the famous Julia Child's Chocolate Cake with almonds.

I understand why this is also famous!

It is very nice and the almonds make it both dense and moist.

It will be a new favourite.

Melt 120 gram good quality chocolate in a water bath (bain marie) together with

2 tablespoons of rum, coffee or cognac (I used coffee)

Whisk 100 grams of butter and

100 grams of sugar till it is fluffy and white

Add the melted chocolate to the butter/sugar mix

Add 3 egg yolks (whisk them well before adding to the butter/sugar/chocolate mix)

Whisk 3 egg whites stiff with

1 tablespoon of sugar and

a pinch of salt

Mix 50 grams of ground almonds and 50 grams of flour

Fold in carefully the egg whites and sift in the almond/flour mix alternate times into the butter/sugar/chocolate/egg yolk mix.

Add a couple of drops of almond essence or vanilla essence, if you like

Bake at 175 degrees in the middle of the oven for about 20-25 minutes.

Keep an eye on it. It should be a little wobbly in the middle when you take it out.

Let the cake cool

Topping:

Melt in a water bath 100 grams good quality chocolate

(you might want to add a little sugar if you use very dark chocolate)

Add 5 tablespoons of melted butter and

2 tablespoons of coffee/dark rum or cognac (again I prefer coffee)

Whisk the melted chocolate mixture till it cools and thickens.

Pour the topping over the cooled cake and spread it evenly.

Decorate with flaked almonds, if you like.

This is my contribution to Sota Saker's monthly challenge which this month's theme is "Give Away".
Not sure you manage to give this one away...
Better bake two!

Doing Your Duty

2011-10-17T09:01:00.001+01:00

On Friday and Saturday was the election of the new Chancellor of the University.

The Duke of Edinburgh, Prins Philip had earlier this year decided to step down. I guess at the age of 90 he felt the need to scale back on his commitments. He has been the Chancellor since 1976, so this is not an everyday election!

Only members of the Senate House can vote. The Senate House comprises all graduates of the University who have taken the Cambridge MA or any other Cambridge Masters Degree a Cambridge Doctorate, or the Cambridge BD Degree plus all current members of the Regent House regardless of degrees held.

There were four candidates:

Mr. Abdul Arain

Mr. Brian Blessed

Mr Michael Mansfield QC

Lord Sainsbury of Turville

Another rule is that all members must wear gowns in the Senate House.

The in-laws and I went to town with The Professor who did his duty while we did some people watching while waiting for him!

Good luck to winner, The Lord Sainsbury of Turville.

Recommended viewing: Midnight in Paris

2011-10-14T08:11:00.000+01:00

On a spur of the moment, I went with a friend to see Woody Allen's newest film Midnight in Paris. It was very charming and not so angstridden as many of his films often are (oh, yes, there was one angst theme in there - wouldn't be Woody Allen otherwise ;-)) but the film is easy viewing.

It also managed well to portray the romantic picture we all have of Paris in our imagination.

It is a sort of time travel drama and all the name-dropping was really funny and made you want more!

I admit I was entertained even if I felt a little cheated at the end.

It was as if something was missing and I can't put my finger on it.

But it made me want to go back to Paris

- particularly in the rain.

Trailer below - enjoy:

Autumn Joy and Activities

2011-10-13T08:23:00.000+01:00

If you don't mind - another autumnal picture.

I just love these colours on the leaves!

But some things just refuse to stop blooming.

I think this is the 2nd or perhaps 3rd round of blooms on this bush this year!

Our Boy got the bike he had set his eyes when we went to London...

He is very keen and hurries home from school to manage a ride before it gets dark.

Got to support activities that get them away from the computers!

:-)

Resurfacing...

2011-10-12T08:47:00.000+01:00

The garden wall is 'on fire' with color.

I am slowly resurfacing in the 'blog world' after a few very intense weeks at work.

Still hectic, but more manageable.

It has been so intense that I have hardly had time or energy to read other blogs!

;-)

We are experiencing uncharacteristically warm weather these days which is strange when you see the leaves in their autumnal best.

Mornings are dark, though.

We try to brighten the time with lighting candles when we are having breakfast.

I think we must be close to England's biggest consumer of candles...

Such a small gesture makes it all cosier, don't you think?

Happy autumn!

29.2 degrees...

2011-10-01T08:42:00.001+01:00

Indian summer....

We had 29.2 degrees on the last day of September!

After a marvellous spring and rather sad summer the heat decide to visit us again. Feels strange as it definitely LOOKS autumnal, but it doesn't correspond to the feeling!

The picture was taken at 8 am this morning.

I just love the way the sun comes through the trees! Another scorching day in store, I think!

I took the in-laws by train to Peterborough yesterday to put them on a direct train to Edinburgh as they are up there visiting The Professor for a few days. They are really brave, I think. It isn't easy travelling around when you don't speak much English! On our way to Peterborough we were so lucky to meet this lovely English lady who was going the same way and she promised me to keep an eye on them! All went well and they were so excited when I spoke with them on Skype last night.

Today Our Boy and I are off to London to look at a new bike for him...

You would think there are enough bikes in our town, but NO this is apparently a SPECIAL bike...

Lucky he has a mum with a big car and willing to drive to London

;-)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Not Exactly Bread...

2011-09-28T10:11:00.003+01:00

On the weekend I was on my way to buy Lavash bread for my in-laws in a part of town I don't often get a chance to look around in. Next door to the bread shop were two small antique shops and I couldn't stop myself from having a quick browse around...

These three old solid silver candlesticks came home with me...

I don't mind that one of them is missing a 'partner'.

I think mixing different sized candlesticks together is rather nice.

Oh, btw - I didn't forget to buy the bread!

:-)

I Have Received a Letter...

2011-09-27T08:57:00.001+01:00

I was very surprised when I received a letter from the police saying the guy who broke in to our house 2 years ago and stole all my jewellery has been caught and sentenced to 4 years

- guess he had done a lot more to get such a long sentence.

But there is an interesting twist to this story:

He wants to send us a letter asking for our apology.

I can't help feeling sorry for him.

4 years is a long time to give up of your life for such a petty crime.

Besides, somewhere there might be a mother and father in despair of their son's actions.

I hope he will turn his life around.

Welcoming Autumnal Beauty...

2011-09-26T08:00:00.000+01:00

In preparation for Christmas (yes!, I know it is early) I started collecting some pine cones from the garden. I remember last year not finding any as the gardeners (we have gardeners that take care of the communal part of the garden (no arguments!)- could have used them in our private part, too...) had been to meticulous in sweeping them up, so I thought I would not be caught out this year!

I have also noticed on several blogs that using nature's own in various decorations is 'in' these days... So, instead of waiting till Christmas I filled a basket and put the cones by the entrance door as a small welcome.

We get several different types of heather-looking plants over here and this purple and white variety caught my eye at the garden centre. It now forms part of the welcome outside our door.

The wall by the entrance to our little cul-de-sac is literally 'on fire'!

I think this weather worn and dried number post is rather charming. Notice the cobwebs! I actually think even THAT is charming in the sunshine...

And if you look really closely you can see somebody else also visiting the old number post...

;-)

Going Back in Time...

2011-09-25T10:55:00.002+01:00

This weekend's special event at Wimpole Hall was "Wimpole at War". We were in fact not aware of any special event going on, but stumbled across it when we went down there with my in-laws yesterday. Glad I had brought my camera!

Lots of people had arrived dressed up in 1940s style. It was like we had experienced time travel! In part of the grounds there were some form of jumble sale as well as more established vintage sellers from the 1940s.

Funny how these fashions seem to be coming back again. I loved looking at the hats... Will that ever come back again...? I guess the hairstyle has to suit the hats, too.

There were several lovely antique cars on the grounds and they were also selling Victorian fabrics for £2.50 a meter! Wish I was a better seamstress..

Happiness is...That Friday Feelin'!

2011-09-23T08:51:00.004+01:00

Every Friday morning just after 8 am

Chris Evans plays on his radio show, The Breakfast show on BBC2,

Sammy Davis Jr's "The Candy Man"

from Roald Dahl's story

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".

Yep, that epitomises that Friday Feelin' and we can't help belting it out and singing along...

;-)

The Professor is coming home,

in-laws are well installed

and the sun is shining!

Bring on the weekend!

What gives YOU that Friday feeling...?

A New Fad...?

2011-09-22T16:45:00.000+01:00

For the first time ever,

I see to my interest that Lakeland is promoting Kransekake Pans ,

appealing to those looking to make something

"a little bit different to the norm"...

Apparently Kransekake is very

"easy"

to make...

Good luck, I say.

I have in the past had a hard time making them with similar non-stick forms.

I think it is like with sandkake pans - you need well used ones for it to be "easy"!

So, maybe this Christmas I will get it right since my Kransekake pans have had some (rather unsuccessful) use...?

Perhaps Lakeland is hoping Kransekake baking will be the new fad after macarons...?

I have borrowed the picture from Lakeland's website.

And another thing:

Excuse me - where are the bonbons and the flags????

It is not right, just not right...

:-)

Busy Days!

2011-09-20T09:56:00.001+01:00

It is a bit quiet on my front these days

- not much time for the blog.

My dear in-laws arrived before the weekend

and we have been busy settling them in and

spending time with them.

This is a busy time of year for many people I guess, not just us in the educational sector.

Conferences, meetings, plans, budgets, as well as the needs of new staff, new visitors, new students all need to be addressed.

It is like everybody have hatched and thought up a lot of ideas and plans while on summer holidays...!

But on the whole I like it!

I like being busy.

But I also like to see an end to this particularly stressful period... probably will stay this intense for another couple of months...

In the meantime -

Thank God for Yoga!

It is literally a life saver and keeping both my mind sane as well as my body flexible.

New class tonight and

maybe a glass (diet-Coke) in the pub next door afterwards....?

:-)

Knitted Frilly Scarf

2011-09-17T10:07:00.001+01:00

I was inspired by Barbro from the lovely blog Barbros Lille Atelier to knit a frilly scarf with a new type of yarn.

Itwas super easy once I got my head around the technique.

It was done in an evening.

Suits me fine as I get really impatient with time consuming projects...

You can also find instructions on YouTube.

Possible idea for Christmas present?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Recommended Viewing: Eat, Pray, Love

2011-09-14T17:01:00.000+01:00

On a blustery autumnal evening I watched the much acclaimed film

'Eat, Pray, Love'

with Julia Roberts.

This is a 'find-yourself-film' and has received a lot of good reviews.

Did I like it?

Not sure.

I didn't dislike it, but I felt something was missing.

Not sure what.

Maybe I didn't feel her initial unhappiness and WHY she needed this journey?

Still, an ok way to spend a windy evening,

but I guess not planning to watch it again says something...

Doing Without...

2011-09-13T17:00:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I think about all the 'stuff' we surround ourselves with to improve our lives.

Do they always make it better?

As always, I guess it depends on what we are talking about...

When we were on holidays in France we decided we didn't want to watch TV. There was a huuuge flat screen TV in the flat, but nobody was interested in becoming familiar with French TV. We read, talked and used Ipads for entertainment.

I felt the evenings were longer and we got so much more out of them.

We have now been without our car for two weeks after The Best Neighbour in the World accidentally backed into our car outside our house (poor thing, she was devastated). It was only a rather superficial scratch with a dent on the driver's door and needed to go into the repair shop to have the entire door replaced! This is where the 'fun' (NOT) started as the company handling the claim (outsourced by the insurance company) would not give me a replacement car as my licence was not EU, but FOREIGN! This has NEVER been a problem before. After discussing, arguing, shouting, screaming, speaking with one supervisor after the other and threatening with NEVER using them again (not sure how worried they were as I hope not to have too many car accidents like this in the future), I was still without a replacement car. To be honest, I think I am loosing my 'touch'...!

So, this means that I have been without a car for two weeks.

And it hasn't been much of a problem, to be honest.

Our 'guilty' neighbour took Our Boy to the guitar lesson last week and this week we walked our bikes while balancing the guitar on the handlebar.

Ok, admittedly it was a bit of an inconvenience, but the sun was shining so not too much suffering.

Really.

All right, I know I am lucky as I bike to work and have food delivered after shopping online.

There are of course friends I can't get to see without using the car and other places I would have liked to go, so it would have been nice to have the car.

But to be honest apart from this, we haven't struggled much.

Back to my point -
I wonder what else we take for granted and think we NEED that we can do without...?

By the way, the car is being returned TODAY!

(And the Yoga class starts up again!)

Happy Day!!

:-)

Tried and Tested: Hummingbird Bakery Pumpkin Cupcakes

2011-09-10T14:50:00.001+01:00

The weather has turned really autumnal and made me think of the next event on the calendar - Halloween. I KNOW it is more than a month left, but we have actually already seen Christmas decorations in the shops...

THAT is just out of order, I think!

I have never used pumpkin in cakes before even if I have made lots of savoury dishes using pumpkin. The treat for this weekend is therefore Pumpkin Cupcakes which I found a recipe for in 'The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook' where I previously found a great recipe for vanilla cupcakes.

I made these pumpkin cupcakes without frosting.

Even if they are perhaps not as pretty to look at I sometimes find the frosting makes the cupcakes too sweet and might be at bit of overkill.

But that is just my preference.

:-)

The pumpkin cupcakes turned out really moist, tasty and not too sweet.

Will probably make them again

(especially since I still have half a tin of pumpkin purée left)!

Mix well to a sandy consistency:

120 gram plain flour

140 gram sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

a pinch of salt

40 gram butter (room temperature)

add first

120 ml milk

then

2 eggs

and at the end

200 grams tinned pumpkin purée

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, two-thirds full and bake at 170 degrees for about 20 mins.

Leave to cool.

Optional:

Spoon Cream cheese frosting on when the cupcakes are baked and cold.

You can find a recipe for the frosting here

I got 14 (not too large) cupcakes out of this recipe

Nasty Business!

2011-09-09T20:35:00.000+01:00

It was kindly pointed out to me yesterday that an error message appeared if you came to visit my blog.

I checked with several browsers, but it was only Google Crome that identified this problem.

I was very worried!

It turns out I don't have any nasty malware or other 'bugs' (VERY grateful for that!),

but another blog (fotoverden) on my blog list apparently has...

Somehow I was apparently associated with this nastiness, just because it was on my blog list...

The rather scary part was that this was not a blog I recalled, even if I do read several very inspirational and good photo blogs. There is a chance it is a looong time since there was any activity on this blog and somehow it has been targeted.

So, a good part of my peaceful Friday evening has been spent

figuring out how to get rid of it

(with good help from Our Boy!),

changing my passwords,

testing and testing again,

and should now not be associated with any 'disease' spreading blogs!

I hope!!!

Might be a hint for other bloggers to change their passwords every so often

and be on the alert...!

Stay safe!

Friday Country Living Temptation...

2011-09-09T17:01:00.000+01:00

My lovely colleague often passes on to me the

Country Living Magazine

when she is done with it.

She brought in to the office this months issue already today...

A bit naughty - it is so tempting to have it on the desk!

I was good and only took a picture of it (for the blog!) and put it away till I get home...

TGIF!

I heard another variety of this the other day -

TGIW:

Thank God It is the Weekend

Thank God I am a Woman...!

;-)

Have a lovely weekened,

whereever you are

whatever the weather

and

whatever you are reading!

Tried and Tested: Mast-o-Musir

2011-09-07T17:02:00.000+01:00

picture borrowed from http://www.persianfoodie.com/?p=2431

I love Persian food!

For those of you not familiar with this cuisine, there are clear similarities with Turkish or Greek food. Persian dishes use a lot of fresh ingredients, and a lot of herbs and different pulses.

The 'problem' is that many Persian dishes take a long time to prepare and in a busy household we only enjoy Persian food on weekends.

I have learnt cooking Persian food by watching my mother-in-law and reading cookbooks. However, after 26 years with The Professor I still find it hard to make Persian rice...

But I have mastered many other of the traditional dishes!

;-)

My in-laws are due to visit us soon and we are very lucky as my mother-in-law is a great cook who enjoys cooking the traditional dishes for us...

Yes, I know we are spoilt!

:-)

One of the simplest dishes is Mast-o-musir which literally means yogurt and shallots.

I am sure many will recognise the similarities between Mast-o-musir and tzatziki. The use of shallots instead of garlic offer a delicate cross between onions and garlic. I have a jar of dried shallots from which I soak a handful of shallots for an hour or two to revive them and reduce any bitterness. You should be able to find dried shallots in most ethnic food shops but you can use fresh shallots, too.

Mast-o-musir is often enjoyed as a side dish to any rice dishes or eat it by itself with pita, bread or potato chips (or cut up vegetables if you want a healthier alternative!). I prefer to use Greek yogurt as it is creamier than regular plain yogurt, but you don't have to.

3 cups of yogurt

a handful of dried, soaked shallots (or 2 fresh shallots)

salt, pepper to taste

Dice the shallots finely and mix it well with the yogurt and salt/pepper

Cover it and leave it to settle in the fridge for a while.

Nush-e-jan!

Second Series of Downton Abbey Coming Soon!

2011-09-06T08:51:00.002+01:00

Hurrah!!

On a grey and blustery autumnal day I just heard great news:

- the second series of Downton Abbey is scheduled to start here in the UK on ITV1 on Sunday 18 September!
I hope it will be shown in other countries soon, too!

Like many others I loooved this series the first time around and I have been waiting excitedly for the second series!

I really look forward to re-making the acquaintances with Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Penelope Wilton and Elizabeth McGovern again!

Rude Awakening...

2011-09-05T20:16:00.000+01:00

Today was the first day back at work after the holidays.

Talk about feeling like being thrown in at the deep end...

I have to admit that I check emails daily when I am away (normally in the evening when often any problem has already resolved itself!), but I am good at choosing what MUST be dealt with and what can wait.

However, I think many knew I was away and didn't email me, but rather came with it 'all' today...

The picture above is from our holidays when we walked passed a relaxed group of people playing cards in a park in Antibes.

Looks nice and relaxing, don't you think?

Wouldn't mind a few more weeks with this kind of activities, I think...

Actually, come to think of it, the average age was a little high in this group.

I don't think I am ready for that kind of life yet, after all...

;-)

Our Boy was supposed to start year 11 today, but I made him stay home as he had a slight temperature and a cold. I took him to the doctor this morning as he also had an ear infection while we were on holidays and I worried this would flare up again. Fortunately nothing sinister going on and I think we are looking at him going to school tomorrow.

Mothers don't stop worrying about their kids, even if they are 15 and a head taller than us, do we?

Summer Projects Become Autumn Projects

2011-09-04T14:28:00.002+01:00

I had sooo many plans for all the handicraft I wanted do this summer.

Well, somehow the summer has more or less gone by, and many other things came in the way.

Not to worry - none of them were so important that they can't be added to the 'fall list' instead

:-)

One of the things I had planned was to make some plate protectors.

You know, what you put in between each of your good plates so they don't rub and cause damage to each other. I had brought so many of Mamma's lovely things over this summer and I want to make sure I keep them as well as she did. Getting some more storage would be one way to go...

Garnstudio has a number of patterns for small tablecloths (they do them in several languages) and I made this one on the boat going to Denmark this summer:

It was the finest/thinnest yarn I could find in the shop, but it still turned out chunkier than I had envisaged.

So, while in France I stumbled across a little yarn shop in Cannes and after a lot of body language (my French vocabulary is sadly not that fluent in 'crochet') the lady understood I wanted very fine yarn for crocheting.

I used the same pattern and the same sized hook, and it was almost like crocheting with cobweb and very hard to keep the thread taught enough to avoid big ugly unintentional loops.

I remember I was once given a large knitted tablecloth and don't think I ever appreciated the hard work it must have been as it was also made with a similar fine, thin thread.

To be honest, the chunkier version works better between the plates as protection as you can't really notice the thin one between the plates.

I might do a search on the internet for a thread that is something in between the two I tried.

I just have to make a couple of dozen more of them...

Think I need a new pattern, I get bored without a challenge!

Business Idea...?

2011-09-02T10:59:00.000+01:00

I came across this website called My Pretty Tea Party and thought it was a very different and interesting business idea.

The concept is simply that you can rent vintage china and tableware for your party!

They offer an eclectic mix of complementary patterns and I can imagine it can look stunning. There are some lovely pictures on the website.

Nice to see the old pieces coming to good use again.

I have to admit I rarely use my nice cups, but it sure is nice to set a nicely laid out table.

It must be such fun looking for additional stock to the business...

:-)

Travellin' man...

2011-09-01T17:06:00.002+01:00

'The Hat' in France...

The Professor meant that his travelling hat with its pin collection was worthy of a blog entry, so here it is...

:-)

The hat was bought at Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida about 7 years ago.

It is his trusted travelling companion against the sun when we are on holidays and the pins represent the various cities we have visited.

The challenge is that pins don't seem to be as 'in' as they used to be... It means we normally have to spend quite a long time looking for a pin when we come to a new place... (sigh)

The hat is becoming full of pins and rather heavy, in my opinion.

But he proudly wears it when we are on holiday so I guess the collecting continues...

'The Hat' and pins are now safely packed away till next year.

I guess there are worse souvenirs you can buy...

Just When You Think You Have Seen It All...

2011-08-31T13:23:00.000+01:00

We met this rather noble looking cat on our holiday in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world.

He was sitting calmly outside an artist's studio...

Now, I have heard of struggling artists,

but this begging cat (see the begging bowl with coins in front of him where it was written: 'Pour Manger') takes the concept in a different direction

;-)

Judging by the excellent condition of his fur and his splendid collar I don't think he was exactly 'struggling'...

Perhaps he wasn't even the artist!

:-)

Getting Ready

2011-08-30T16:27:00.002+01:00

A new school year starts this coming Monday and I spent a good part of today with Our Boy running from shop to shop to kit him out for school. This year is the last year he has to wear the compulsory school uniform and in my naivety I thought perhaps his old school uniform would last another year. However, somehow the blazer and trousers from just 8 weeks ago have mysteriously 'shrunk' in the closet. It was really comical watching him put them on this morning as it looked like they belonged to somebody else!

There was just no way he could use them any more.

Amazing how much teenage boys can grow in a summer...

So, like hundreds of other parents (read: mothers) we actually got a new blazer, school trousers and sweaters plus new pens despite finding out that the shop that always carries the uniform has stopped doing it and referred us to their website. Hello! Buying clothes for growing kids involves trying on various sizes! Shopping online only works when you have tried and KNOW for sure which size you need.

I was not amused and will let the school know as they never informed us about this change! At least not as far as I remember (hmmm... could there be an email I have missed...?).

Pens are always a challenge for Our Boy as he is left handed and most pens will smear as he writes. He has found one type that doesn't and fortunately they were in stock.

Another tick off the list!

Talking of being left handed: I once read that it is NOT hereditary.

I wonder about that since we have three generations of left handed men:

my father-in-law,

The Professor and

Our Boy.

And it is not hereditary...?

The day was a battle,

hence the illustration (yep, from Monaco) above.

;-)

PS: Just to clarify - nobody got hurt in the 'battle' today and I am still on speaking terms with all the shop assistants...

:-)

Bank Holiday and Recipe Request

2011-08-29T22:12:00.001+01:00

The last Monday of August is the traditional last bank holiday of the year.

Often considered a nice way to round off the summer?

The weather has not been too great here, a bit on the chilly and windy side.

But it doesn't matter!

Our Spanish friends are approaching the end of their annual visit and I met up with them for a lovely Spanish lunch in their camper van followed by a walk in the blustery weather. You might recall our meeting last year. This time they invited me to see the camping site and their lovely camper van. I was so impressed! Camping sure has changed since I was a kid...!

As we agreed todays meeting late last night I didn't have time to prepare anything elaborate to bring with me, so I quickly made some Norwegian 'lefser' and brought as a dessert. Sounds grander than it is, these are semi-ready packs I brought back from Norway this summer - Our Boy loooooves them.

So, there was little for me to do, except moisten them and add butter, sugar and cinnamon on them.

They were a great success!

I still have some packs of 'lefse' left, but I really should learn to make them myself as they go quickly in this house! I remember my mother's cousin used to make for Christmas (my mother would make another cake - 'krumkaker' - and then they would swap) and how she used to elaborate on how much work they were...

Hmmm... does anybody have a good recipe for 'lefser' they are willing to share?

A Different Life...

2011-08-27T13:12:00.000+01:00

French delicacies...

We are back from two lovely weeks in the South of France. It was 'just what the doctor ordered' - warm and relaxing with lots of time for each other. With a family divided over two homes we all enjoyed being with each other, eating the most amazing food, talking, laughing, discussing, and being silent.

We stayed in a very nice and comfortable, albeit small flat between Juan-Les-Pins and Antibes.

I love this area although with my typically Scandinavian fair and freckly complexion I can't spend too much time on the beach (my two men don't 'suffer' from the same 'condition'). So, in between lazy days on the beach we did a fair bit of travelling along the coast. We knew from last years experience that the train system is excellent and very affordable, so we had decided to do without a hire car.

Street view in Monaco. Such lovely decor on the houses!

Our first day trip went to Monaco.

Although it seems that Albert and Charlene had 'forgotten' to invite us to the wedding earlier this summer, we are not ones to hold grudges,

so we dropped in while we were in the neighbourhood anyway.

;-)

All three of us have been to Monaco before, but never together. I was there 22 years ago and it was different than I remembered. It was much more crowded and every inch of the small place has been built up. It is lovely there, but I prefer many other places on the Riviera to Monaco.

Too flashy and too crowded for me.

In the square outside the palace next to the souvenir shops I saw the sign for an antique shop with the owner's surname being unmistakably Norwegian...

Norwegians get around!

I still have some more days off, but various projects at home are now on the cards!

Yes, the holiday sure shows a different life...

From My Corner of England

Problem Solved - New Alliances and Friends

18 Years "Old"...

It Is Happening...

Green Tea...

Recommended Viewing: Call the Midwife

Recommended Reading: The Importance of Being Seven

Different Taste...

What a Difference!

Recommended viewing: The Descendants

Birthday Weekend

It Doesn't Take Much...

Jubilees: The Diamond Queen & Dickens

Making Envelopes

Snow and Frugal Challenge!

But Who Are YOU...???

Coming Together by Chance?

Regular Visitors

Tried and Tested: Fig Jam with Port

Tried and Tested: Macaroons In The Making

Quiet Weekend

Creating a Knitting Pattern

Marius-Inspired Sofa Cushion

Luxury Dilemma..

Never Too Late...

Domestic Pleasures...

Friday 13th... and Time

Healthy Surprises in a Box

The Biggest Balls EVER....!

Tried and Tested: Boston Brownies

New Year's Walk...

Recommended viewing: Great Expectations

2011...

Not Too Bad After All...

Tried and Tested: Roasted Potatoes

Merry Christmas!

Lucky Me!

Tried and Tested: Berlinerkranser OR What Do You Do...

Carols by Candlelight and Weekend Activities

Jamie Oliver - Christmas Lunch Treat

Tried and Tested: Burned Almonds

Tried and Tested: Norwegian Sylterull (Pork Roll)

Secret Santa!

Oooooh! So Tempting...

Tried and Tested: Marvellously More-ish Creamy Mushroom Soup!

Tried and Tested: Chocolate Caramels

Christmas Preparation Success!

And We Are Off....!

A Noble Cause - Free Cook Book

Happiness On a Boring Midweek Day

Tried and Tested: Breakfast Mix

My Day!

Night Time Comfort...

Passing Strangers...

Treading the Boards

Making the Right Choice...?

Confused...? No more!

Tried and Tested: Apple Cake Success

Convenience...

Madness...

From Another Time...

Mixing Business and Pleasure

Happiness is...

The Age of The Apps

Should I - or Shouldn't I...?

Weekend Report...

Guilty Pleasure - Is It Too Soon....?

Grafham Water

Something a Bit Different...?

Tried and Tested: Julia Childs Chocolate Cake with Almonds

Doing Your Duty

Recommended viewing: Midnight in Paris

Autumn Joy and Activities

Resurfacing...

Recommended Reading: The Company of Shadows

29.2 degrees...

Not Exactly Bread...

I Have Received a Letter...

Welcoming Autumnal Beauty...

Going Back in Time...