organic, vegan pink bubbly wine

Nothing has changed, I still rarely drink wine because 

a) there are so much better and healthier things and experiences to buy for your money than alcohol and

b) 99,9% of the wine I have ever tasted have been absolutely vile - not as vile as every beer in the whole wide world (nb, I don’t consider Berliner Weisse as beer-beer obviously...) but close enough, ugh.

But when I picked up the dairyfree Bailey’s Almande - which is nice, but I find it much more watery than the original Bailey's, almond milk isn't very creamy in itself, as well as not being the best plantbased milk from a sustainable point of view obviously, it demands a lot of water. Oat milk gives a much nicer creamy consistency... - 

five months ago, I thought it could be fun to try a pretty in pink organic, vegan wine that the sales clerk recommended - Pink Bubbly from  German brand Black Tower.

Opened it yesterday, and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. It's quite delicious, very fruity and fresh.

I still think there are so much better things to spend your money on though, but IF I’d like to drink a vegan wine again, this would definitely be it. 

And still waiting for a vegan, organic, non-alcoholic wine that’s actually drinkable to appear on the market though. Not very impressed by the ones I've tried. They're clearly made for people who (for some odd reason) enjoy regular wine with its repulsive tannic acid flavour. Not for us that want a nicer, kinder, tasty festive beverage.

Alcohol seems to have the same effect as coffee or black tea these days for me, I can't sleep. Just another reason not to drink it I suppose.

dear, oatly, was that such a great decision?

You were one of my favourite companies, Oatly. You truly lived your values, sustainability to the core. Not only delicious, kind, dairy cruelty-free products - like milk, only made for humans! - you were sazzy, witty, clever and your copy and marketing were obviously inspired by my once-upon-a-time beloved innocent drinks.

But the fact that two major investors of your's now are Blackstone - notorious when it comes sustainability, playing a major part in the deforestation of the Amazonian rainforests for example - and the state of China - equally notorious - these deals come with a very bad aftertaste, I'm sad to say.

Just like innocent sold their core and soul to Coca Cola back then, you have now sold your values and soul to big business. It feels like a gargantuan green-washing deal. Once again, being true to your values means less when money talks.



I hope that everyone who criticize the deal (Swedish) and this (English) and questions your values will be proven wrong, that what is now perceived as naivety will prove to be smart foresightness. That a little plantbased, sustainability dedicated company from Skåne, Sweden will have a major positive, worldwide impact as opposed to being the brand that forefronts a lot of dirty, environmentally devastating dealings. Given that it's big business, and money over values and ethics, that got us in this climate emergency situation in the first place, I kind of doubt that though.

Your products are still great, your business ethics and choice of bedfellows with likeable celebrity figureheads does however not impress as much anymore. But time - whatever livable time we have left on this planet, of course - will tell...

ice ice tea

Let's keep the July 1st post light and refreshing. (And aren't you terribly excited that there will be one post every. single. day. all through July...? I kind of am. It's a plan, something to focus on, but with a light heart. Perhaps I'll even get to tick some old backlogs, like the Schwarzwald trip, nearly four years later...) Let's talk ice tea, cold brew ice tea.

During the recent heatwave I decided to get serious about ice tea. And as I find it totally weird and wasteful to boil water (in a country with delicious, healthy tap water available) to cool down, I decided to try the cold brew method.

It's brilliant. Fill a 2 L jug with tap water, add 2-3 teaspoons of your favourite tea, put in fridge for 6-8 hours. Great if you have a jug with a built strainer, when you pour the tea into a glass with ice cubes (and maybe favourite fruit of choice) the next day. But I realised the loose tea managed to find its way out and into the tea anyway, thus I always ended up using an extra tea strainer when I poured it.



When you try a proper homemade ice tea you realise THIS is how it should taste, light and refreshing and nothing like those sugary nasty bottles you get at supermarkets and cheap cafes. If you'd like a hint of sweetness I guess a dollop of healthy agave syrup would work though.

The top glass is filled with orange-cactus rooibos from tea shop Tehuset Java. One of my favourite tea shops, and when things are as they are currently, I co-order with one of the neighborhood dog ladies, for free shipping. Time to get a new delightful order placed, because the amount of tea drunk these past months...

The pretty jug is from Löv tea, I first spotted it in the fab flagship store in Berlin in 2015, decided not to get one. Regretted that deeply. Shipping from France was very expensive, but then they had a special deal a couple of years ago and I got one. It's Lövely. However it also makes me wistful, and reminds me of how much I miss Berlin.

As does the second Berliner Weisse coupe glass. I actually have a few bottles left from 2015, but I want to save them for a time/times when there is truly something to celebrate. So I use it for other fine drinks. And soak my brain in melancholy memories instead.

The glass contains mango passion-fruit rooibos, also from Tehuset Java. One of my favourites. Excellent ice tea flavour.



Cold brewing tea also means you get fuller flavour and no tannin acid, so it works great on green teas too. I was sceptical but it worked. This glass is a joy of organic green rooibos Mirabelle from Kaffetheket in Västerås.

What's your favourite ice tea?

PS Remember to drink plenty of water when you drink lots of tea, not doing that and you'll be prone to constipation. I know too well, after my tea calendar bonanza in 2018, when I wasn't aware of that fact.

the innocent orange juice

Yes, I may have *some* views on innocent's recruitment procedures, but that aside I still love their juicy smooth products. Apart from the smoothies I love their apple juice, but surprisingly (since I've never concidered myself to be an orange juice kind of person) it's been the orange juice I've been gulping down the most with breakfast this past year. 

Because it really is THAT superior to any other orange juice on the Swedish market. I think Swedes have become so used to and jaded by all the nasty concentrates and frozen juices, which have either put us off orange juice (if we don't make freshly squeezed one ourselves) or disturbed our palates.

This is always fresh and so full of flavour and delicious. Now I've stumbled over a family sized bottle too, which is much kinder to the wallet. Let the juice fest continue!

Which is your favourite breakfast juice?

how i learnt to love rooibos tea

Once upon a time I couldn't stand rooibos teas, I found the taste really off-putting. But then I tried it flavoured with fruit and berries or vanilla and found it was rather nice. And then I bought the tin to the left at Berlin department store KaDeWe in 2010 - rooibos raspberry vanilla - and I simply loved the round, distinct flavour. 

After that I slowly began choosing flavoured rooibos over black teas and found several new favourites. And these days it's pretty much always rooibos for me. Even without additional flavour sometimes. Now I love how you never have to deal with theine or tannin, unlike black and green teas the rooibos tea is always round and kind.

Unfortunately the tea flavour that made me love rooibos isn't sold by KaDeWe anymore, and the caramel cream I got last summer there isn't as good. But that doesn't matter much, I have so many other rooibos favourites now. And continue to discover more. Will forever be grateful for that raspberry-vanilla tin.

What's your favourite rooibos tea?

strawberry smoothie delight

With all the strawberry action going on these days it's, believe it or not, easy to get tired of eating them berries in a bowl. So I decided to do something I rarely do these days (mostly because my blender is pretty useless, old and tired); a smoothie.

And I don't think I've ever made one with fresh strawberries actually.



Initially I thought I'd just go with the strawberries and a splash of almond milk, but that turned out to be too liquid and really rather lacking in natural sweetness. So I added a couple of bananas and a dollop of agave syrup. Which certainly did the perfect trick! The smoothie turned out perfectly delicious and satisfying. And certainly gave me a vitamin C overdose that day.

What's your favourite blend of ingredients
in smoothies you make yourself?

welcome flutterbob, stumpy and verna

Say hi to the new woolly kids on the block - Flutterbob, Stumpy (who had an unfortunate incident with Lars the goat) and Verna (who isn't the smartest cookie in the jar).



Arrived yesterday they've already done a bit of sightseeing, vegetarian food sampling...



... fika and cat meeting. Because there is an universal truth that says you can not have a fika or a photo taken in this residence without a cat emerging all lens-lousey.





There has been nature outings, bridge openings and excellent breakfasts.





And there has been garden visits, lovely drinks (bobbaloo certified) and the smelling of roses. They may be small, but they hold an exuberance of curiosity and excitement of all things new, kind, sweet and tasty.





All bobbaloos are made by talented Kit Lane.

innocent perfectly pink

After last year's debacle my love for the innocent brand may not be as passionate as it once was alas. But I still love their smoothies and juices and this pink drink has been on my radar for quite some time now, though not available in Sweden.

I found it in Berlin. And it was lovely. A delightful blend of beetroot, apple and pear. I even brought one bottle home, to thoroughly enjoy before due date.

Overall I think the world need more pink drinks. Happiness is pink.

lunch at lotus lounge in berlin

Such  lovely looking and neat idea for a garden diy

Not only did we use the Happy Cow-guide for recommended vegan and vegetarian places in Berlin this time, Yelp is there to help now too. And this is a place that got great reviews on Yelp, the Lotus Lounge. It's apparently part of a Tibetan buddist centre and it was for that reason a bit tricky to find from the street. But finally we did and happily so.



It was a perfect day to sit in the peaceful and colourful outdoors seating in the garden. As so often found in Berlin, a peaceful haven just a stone's throw from a highly trafficed (in this case 6 laned) road. A little fountain trinkling, birds chirping, children's laughters from a nearby daycare.





Beautiful food, wouldn't you agree?



M chose a spicy vegan curry, lots of flavour and a pretty salad. While I chose a fresh beetroots and fried polenta dish with an equally pretty and tasty salad. For dessert (one of sadly few desserts in Berlin actually, the food was too filling to give room for desserts alas) we shared a nice brownie.





The all vegetarian menu (with vegan options) was quite extensive and their cakes looked delicious. The staff was friendly and the place had a really nice ambiance. Highly recommend a visit if you happen to be in Berlin.

hello there morning juice 2015

A year ago I got the fabulastic juicer. I made and drank so so many freshly made juices during 2014, during some periods one per day, but usually it was about 3-4 per week. Then during the last few months of the year I admit I slacked. Badly.

I hope I will be able to rectify that and get back into that great habit of very regular juicing again. Because it is awesome. Both for body, soul and planet.

My favourite combo is still carrot - apple - ginger and that's what I thoroughly enjoyed this morning. Looking forward to many many more of those to come this year.

What's your favourite juice combo?

chili-chocolate and fig-port mulled wine

Since it's the first advent Sunday the seasonal bobbaloos thought we should to test these flavoured mulled wines (or glögg as we say in Sweden). Or rather one. I don't like neither figs nor port but enjoy chili and chocolate so we went for that one. I think it was quite lovely. With a strong aftertaste of chocolate it could have done with more chili for a greater oomf.

But to be quite honest, the bobbaloos have a bit of a drinking problem, so they only got to pose not drink. The problem is not of the kind you might think but of the drink-coffee-or-alcohol-and-there will-be-a-state-of-Gremlin. So I try to steer them away from those beverages. Even the lowest percentage of alcohol, as in this glühwein, turn them into more than a handful. And believe you me, a rampage consisting of small sized woollies isn't something you'd like to experience.



From Swedish producer Dufvenkrooks this is low alcohol mulled wine available in supermarkets and grocery stores.

do you take almond milk, honey or a cat with your tea?

For some reason I haven't gotten around to trying plant based milk in my tea since I stopped using dairy. I went straight for honey (or sometimes nothing at all) and have stayed there. I've feared that plant based milk would interfer with the natural tea flavour, whilst honey simply enhance it.

I got a tip about a certain coconut milk that would be lovely in tea, but since I haven't found it in Sweden I've just let go of the idea somehow. But then someone recently tweeted about a certain tea in combination with almond milk. And it sounded great, "pear glow" and almond milk, surely that would taste awesome together?

So I bought the tea - that didn't smell anything in tea shop but I thought it was because I'd just had the facial with rather strong herbal scents and I didn't smell a thing but those herbs and lotions - and the almond milk I use and looked forward to a new flavour sensation.

Brewed the tea, which turned out to neither smell nor taste anything at all, to be honest I think the shop sold me old tea. Which is a shame, even if it's a measly amount of money per se I'm certainly not tempted to buy more tea from them. But with the almond milk it was actually quite a drinkable cup of tea anyway.

Just a very faint flavour of almond, not overpowering at all. I do believe almond milk will be my new almost-best friend for a decent cuppa. With a better tea with stronger taste of course.

Honey or almond milk, them cats doesn't care much which, they just know that when I cuddle up in the corner of the sofa with a cup there's also time for a cat cuddle, as far as they are concerned. They know me too well.

this is october

the one, undeniable truth about autumn is that it's certainly the most colourful of seasons. 

crisp and clear or deep and bright.

and eating in season is affordable and perfect.

even the most unattractive of train stations has a romantic, soft glow about them.

and socks in colours rock.

oh, october, you charmer you.

how to not impress a cat

'I am not impressed by this grocery shopping. Personally I think there is just too little meat is served in this residence.'

The life of a vegetarian/vegan cat owner.

a grocery surprise of the innocent kind

I was recently very pleasantly surprised when I found this in one of my local Coop grocery stores - a few shelves with both innocent smoothies and juices, not only the usual small smoothie bottles.



Even though launched in Sweden 2007 already the sightings of innocent smoothies have since then been pretty few and far apart - and the juice bottles I've never seen in Sweden until now actually. I immediately bought a little batch of smoothies and juices and I'm delighted to say that the juice encounter was almost as delightful as rekindling with the smoothie tetras.



The apple juice was absolutely delicious, fresh and natural and it'll definitely be a staple juice in my fridge from now on. The orange juice was lovely too, when I crave orange juice from now on it'll be this bottle I get. The apple and raspberry juice was nice, but not really my cup of tea glass of juice flavourwise.



Although the dream of actually working with innocent - something which I've worked really hard for, especially this the last 1,5 years, as I've hinted here, there and then some for example here in blog - kind of broke into pieces some months ago, my love for the sweet, fun brand and its amazing flavours is still, in parts, intact.



So whenever the re-launch comes, I will obviously be very sad that it's not me working with the brand, but me, my palate and all my little inspectors will be happy for us being able to, hopefully, find it in many more stores to come.

how many bobbaloos fit in a biodegradable bamboo cup?

Don't need any more cups or plates or glasses or bowls, my kitchen cupboards are overflowing (despite having cleansed them, and hopefully made charity shops happy). Still getting them as photo props now and then is of course essential. Or if something is really special, interesting and new, then a purchase is made.

Like if you find a cup made from bamboo, which's biodegradable and pleasing to the eye. This one I picked up at a museum shop recently. Enjoyed its caffe latte-cup design, colour and obviously material. From Danish company Nordal

Doubt I'll be having any hot drinks in it though, too small for my liking of tea cups, but the biodegradability intrigues me and it'll look great as a vase.

So how many bobbaloos does the cup have room for? Care to guess?

dear ginger & co

Whatever did I do before I realised you were so awesome? In any shape or form, you rock!

Also, apparently tomato soup cravings is the new thing when having a cold. And as my usual self I do not even enjoy tomato soup or sauces, but hey it has screamed my name these past few days. 

Ginger and tomato, my new bff when in a state of cold.