umbrella tea strainer

Come rain or shine, this little blue umbrella is a pretty perfect tea strainer. Unlike other silicone strainers I've bought this one is both easy to fill and clean. From Ototo, just like the yellow submarine (which is hell to clean unfortunately).

Cute kitchen gadgets that fill a purpose and work is one of life's little happies, wouldn't you agree?



PS Happy S:t Knut's Day, time to say a proper goodbye to Christmas! DS

st knut's day

Almost two weeks into January and we've reached St Knut's Day, the official end of Christmas in Sweden. Which is fine by me. Although I totally refuse to take down my advent candlesticks. They light up my kitchen, my day, my evenings, my nights, my life still.

But I will enjoy this season's first tulips. That I will do. The climate smart and locally produced ones. Happy St Knut's Day!

happy st knut's day

Today is the day, St Knut's Day, Sweden (and Finland) dances the Christmas away ' Tjugondedag Knut nu dansas julen ut'. Last year it was a lot of Christmas ornaments to take down and put away, this year not so much. In fact I'm feeling dash adventurous and will keep some of them up as long as they please the feeling cosy indoors eye. Let there be light still.

No dancing plans (alas) today either, but I wish for a most pleasant day with other kinds of happy feet anyway.

Have a happy St Knut's day!

The World's Largest Saffron Bun

There have been the world's best vanilla bun and the world's largest cinnamon bun on Cinnamon Bun Day. Now, in the aftermaths of St Knut's Day and as a reminder of the Christmas season, I'd like to introduce the world's largest saffron bun -

The IKEA battery (yes Swedish all the way) is not in the picture for consumption purposes but for size comparison. Just in case someone thought otherwise. Saffron, saffron buns, "lussekatter" is very classic in Sweden around Christmas so this enormous bun - serves four satisfied "fika" (as in coffee break) people - was sold at the same place as the above mentioned huge cinnamon bun, Café Saturnus, around that time. It smelled divine and was also filled with almond paste, but as far as consistency and flavour... well I thought it was rather dry and bland.

My personal saffron bun conclusion; if you want something well done do it yourself, yup, I always prefer the authentic lussekatt made by yours truly. Bought ones and fancy schmancy new recipes never quite seem to do it, whilst ol' reliable recipe never fails ~

~ Have a good weekend ~

Ruby Tuesday - St Knut's Day

Today is St Knut's Day in Sweden, the day the Christmas season officially ends. "Tjugondedag Knut" in Swedish, "tjugondedag" meaning the twentieth day after Christmas Eve (which is the day we celebrate Christmas here).

There are quiet a few suggestions mentioned here (in Swedish) and there (in English) regarding the reasons for this being the official end date of Christmas in Sweden, Finland and parts of Norway. Be as that may, today is also the Swedish name day of Knut, making it a perfect reason to spoil any special Knut - like the one above which happens to be a fellow in red - in your vicinity.

If you like to be traditional this is also the day you *should* remove the Christmas ornaments and electrical Advent candlesticks and stars in the windows. Myself I like to keep the lights in my home for quite some time yet, we don't have much natural outdoor light this time of year and these candlesticks both look nice as well as chase the darkness at least a bit away. So my kitchen window will look pretty much the same for a while yet. Though there will be much deserved hibernation for some -

The red linen tablecloth with instant Pelle the cat approval will be removed.

The cute red mushroom Advent candlestick with four - now of course non existing - red candles will be put in a box for next year.

As will Rudolf the reindeer on the wall with his red ribbon and bell,

joined by small red trinkets in flower pots and such. Rest and relaxation for them all. See you all next year ~

More Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday - Christmas Windows

One of Stockholm's well-reputed bakeries with café is Gunnarsson. A place where the prices most certainly match the more than slightly hyped reputation. However, they do make lovely window displays for every occasion and holiday. If not fancying buying their bread and cakes one can at least always feast the eyes on these displays when passing by.

There are a plethora of traditional and not so traditional Swedish Christmas breads, cakes and cookies on display in these windows resting on the pretty lingonberry fabric. There are "pepparkakor" (gingerbread), "klenäter" (crullers), "mandelflarn" (almondflakes), "struvor" (fritters) and "marsipangrisar" (marzipan pigs), English fruitcakes and "julvört" (Christmas wort bread) and much more...

Even if having an electric advent candlestick isn't compulsory in Sweden one might think it is when strolling the streets, any street in any city or village here this time of the year. Because almost every household and every workplace have at least one of these beauties (that comes in different shapes and forms) that light up the Scandinavian winter darkness from Advent Sunday to at least St Knut's Day. It is both a pretty as well as comforting sight, when dusk arrives so early in the day for us up here in the once cold North.

Yes, somewhat cold and dark it might be here, but at least this Knut is a red and happy kind of chap ~

More Ruby Tuesday here