Strange noises coming from the kitchen

Right now I have a celebrity visit in my kitchen. I'm quite flattered I must admit. A pretty little dotted one from the other side of town, visiting and hopefully showing her good side to Rutger, who's actually rather overwhelmed with the fact that she came to visit him and only him. I have heard strange noises coming from the kitchen though.

It's a bit strange, despite the fact that the house has five rooms, three toilet/bathroom-areas plus the kitchen it's still hard to find the perfect room for a celebrity rendedez vous nowadays. Cats here, cats there, cats not suitable everywhere.

Some room I prefer to have cat-free and some rooms the cats want to be in alone for a bit of peace an quiet from the dog. I could do with some more rooms I think... A bigger house, for me, myself and I plus four legged family/friends. Bliss!

When the kitchen isn't occupied with celebrities one might actually use it for preparing something called food with all those luscious greens as seen in the picture. A plethora of loveliness and yumminess, don't you think?!

Let the right one in

I've spent the last couple of days sleeping and cleaning up - this past week must have been exhausting for little ol' me, with many appointments. Yesterday I couldn't keep my eyes open after having breakfast. So that little nap turned into several hours of sleep...

But I haven't slept all weekend, I have managed to do some cleaning and baking the birthday cake for today's cake-party for the close family. Apart from the fact that it's rather nice to have guests now and then, it's also really nice to have a clean house - not to mention a real excuse TO actually clean the house...

So now I'm just enjoying the smell of soaps and freshness plus my brand new light loop in the livingroom. I've had one over the curtain pole ever since I moved in here 5 years ago - but they somehow don't seem to last that long and I think this is the 3rd or 4th of them. Very enjoyable and mood-creating while they last though!

The cake I made was one of my favourites, easy to make, sort of meringue with a twist. And very versitale. I'll share the recipe one of these days. But I think I'll have to add to the recipe next time, since I think it's kind of neat to have some extra cake for breakfast the next day... But I was conciderate enough to actually save some for a friend who's coming over with her little brit girl tomorrow, for a rendez-vous with one of my boys.

The boy being beautiful blue-white Rutger who, with his brother Rupert, shares birthday with me. And now being a bit shy due to the scary vacuum-cleaner and strangers coming to visit, hope he'll be calmer and more behaving from his lovely goody good side tomorrow!

I've also finished a really, really, REALLY good book. Actually a sort of horror book by a Swedish author, John Ajvide Lindqvist, about vampires and the difficulties of being a child in a world of bullies. The name of the book, his debute, is "Låt den rätte komma in" (Let the right one in).

Having finished this book I immediatelly began with the next one of the same author "Hanteringen av odöda" (The handling of the undead) - about zombies - and the right thing to do when you love someone - in Stockholm. So far, definately equally good...

So my neverending love-story with litterature continues... Who can live without them, books?!?

The Treats

I began writing my Swedish blog, and then realized I wanted to be a bit more superficial and write about the things I did buy for a special treat on my birthday yesterday (Oct 25th) - yes I know, not another day of Pia's birthday matters, but come on it's once a year, one has to make the most of it! - I never ever write, well not really, about things like that in Swedish (some might disagree), then I'm always far more intellectual - sort of.

Anyway, the day began with me finding that Odd Molly lambswool, folklore-stylish cardigan with a twist - of course accompanied by some words of wisdom, I'll write more about that another day.

Plus a pair of black, thick nylons - always needed and too often expensive and/or to short in legs or the waist-part. One of life's great and irritating mysteries!

Then I headed over to Yves Rocher - I haven't shopped there for at least 20 years - since I read about some really neat cream perfume boxes. At an unbeatable price. I got one in mango - smells more like peach - for myself and a vanilla for mum. Perfect little gifts and equally perfect to have in the handbag instead of perfumebottles. And then it turned out they had up to 50% sale on everything in the store - and since the prices are really low to begin with... So I got a green tea - one of my favorite scents! - EdT plus a shower gel.

Time for the well-deserved massage. And it was really, really nice, with aromatic oils of citrus for energy (not that I felt any of that afterwards, more like sleepy...). Unfortunately they didn't have that sort of oil for sale, so somehow a Scen Tao body mousse made its way down in my shoppingbag instead...

Before I met my mum for lunch I made a quick stop at COW perfumery to get the Philosophy strawberry milkshake 3-in-1 bubbles - which somehow where no longer available... I then opted for the Melon daiquiri instead - sold out... Then my eyes spotted the little beauty box called Birthday girl - who could resist treating oneself with that?! With five special sized products, all with those cuter than cute names like Soul owner foot cream, Time on your hands handcream, Amazing grace shower gel, Purity made simple facial cleanser and Kiss me red lip balm.

Unfortunately Yogayama vegetarian restaurant turned out to not a restaurant but only a place for take-away or catering. We headed over to Örtagården (ie The Herb garden) at Östermalmshallen. Not my favourite place of vegetarian food at all, but it was nearby and we were hungry. Though the experience was just as I expected, the food was a bad, un-modern, un-well made misch masch of stuff such as mouldy tomatoes... So if you want good, modern, healthy, vegetarian food in Stockholm, don't visit Örtagården!!

But I did get a cup of the best tasting hot cocoa ever at Chokladfabriken afterwards. I even got to take one of their previous used in the café cups with me home (as seen in the very right in the pic above). They're so lovely to enjoy cocoa in! A pity they're not made anymore or used in the café, it was such a part of the hot cocoa-experience.

I had plans of trying to get a birthday girl-discount or two during the day. I forgot though, but it's sort of disturbing no-one offered me that, don't you think? I thought it was pretty obvious it was my day and my day alone! It's not my fault they happened to fly the flags one day too early!

The Cake

Unfortunately my birthday-cake, as seen in the picture, was much prettier than well-tasting. It was supposed to be a walnut cake with milk-chocolate, but it was just too dark-chocolaty and with a crispy, sugary base to it. No taste of walnuts whatsoever *sooo disappointed*

So poor M had to calm the birthday girl down and drive to Coop and buy a really nice, classic Princess-cake (of which I don't eat the marzipan topping, but I really like the "in-stuff") - so I at least could have some cake on my birthday!

Other than that I've had a really nice day, apart from the lunch which didn't work out just the way I had hoped - now I'm just too tired to write anything more about it... So I'll leave you with some feast for the eyes - too chocolaty cake!

Birthday girl

So, my very special day began - an early riser for a change - with two presents. A bit boring perhaps, but oh so useful, an external hard drive and an installation of a heat pump in the house - yes really, really useful is the keyword here... And I'm not at all ungrateful, not at all, and I guess it beats the pots and pans I've gotten from M previous years (and no I didn't hit him over the head with them. Only in my mind).

But I do want some more pampering, fun and exciting things on my birthday too - and who but myself will see to that happening? So here are the plans for today:

I began with an yummy smoothie made of bananas, raspberries, vanillayoghurt and a touch of cinnamon. Now I'm going to have a big cup of tea and watch a movie - Melinda & Melinda - before I head into town for some real pampering.

The pampering consisting of some high quality shopping - no, no new handbag! - then some spa-massage at this place. After that my mum will treat me for lunch at the vegetarian restaurant Yogayama - it'll be my first visit there, hope it'll be a rewarding one too!

Depending on the weather, maybe we'll then take a walk all the way through town, from east to south, to Chokladfabriken. Where you can have Sweden's, if not the world's, best hot cocoa. And I do think a little cake from that place will go really well as a birthday cake for us this evening...

I think this sounds really nice - not to mention well-deserved!

United Nations Day

Today it's United Nations (UN) day. The day before by birthday. It would certainly have been fun if it was on the same day and I could tell everyone the flags are up in honour of me.

Having had quite a busy day, spending some hours at the hairdresser - now I look like the brownhaired Scooby Doo-girl... I wonder if that's considered to be an improvement or not... - then heading out to Djurgården and Rosendals trädgårdar in massive pouring rain for lunch and then visiting a lovely exhibition of Kaffe Fassets wonderful work at Waldemarsudde.

Managed to do som minor shopping too. Now I'm just off to bed soon - it's going to be a special day tomorrow, want to be well rested for that!

I'll leave you with a picture of the train-station where I live, picture taken today. Couldn't resist those beautiful autumnal colours!

Singing in the rain

To cut a slightly longer story short, I've had a really, really nice day in the pouring rain here in Stockholm, Sweden - you can read all about it in Swedish here.

But in English I'll just say that it probably has a lot to do with the fact that it's now the peak of my astrological year - no negative vibes, only very positive ones and great energy everywhere. Well, if you happen to believe in that sort of thing that is...

Anyway, an autumnal apple a day keeps the negative vibes away!

Midnight apple pie (recipe)

One of life’s little niceties is to do the unexpected. Somewhat forbidden perhaps. And of course one shouldn’t be caught doing it, preferably. Yes it can be those utterly childish but oh so giggly fun things, that leaves you with an aching tummy.

Like writing foul words on over snowed car-windows in the middle of a cold, cold winter night. Or dancing naked in the summer-rain - if you’re the courageous sort you dance round and round the house, if your not, stay in the closed in garden.

Be naughty and turn the day into night and vice versa. Between you and me, yes I do believe you’re the most creative and productive in the middle of the night. When your time is only yours. When the silence and darkness speaks of great deeds to be done, goals to be achieved - a pity though that all these great, world-changing ideas somewhat wither and fade when night-time turns into daytime. Mostly.

Why not act a bit crazy and make good food in the middle of the night? Perhaps an apple-pie, as comforting as ever, here comes a recipe of a simple but oh so tasty one. I got the recipe from my mother in law, so it should be called Kajsa’s apple-pie I suppose. Though I find the name Midnight’s apple pie a bit more tantalizing…

Midnight apple pie (á la Kajsa)

100 g butter
3 dl rolled oats
1,5 dl sugar
0,5 dl wheat flour
2 tbsp milk
4-6 apples

Preheat the oven to 175° C

Peal and slice the apples, put them in a pie- or baking tin. Sprinkle with cinnamon or cardamom if you like. Melt the butter and then stir down the flour, sugar, milk to a smooth mixture. Add the oat groats, bring the mixture to a slight boil. Then spread it over the sliced apples. Bake it in the preheated oven about 20-30 minutes. The crusty top should be light brown and caramelised.

Enjoy with whipped cream, homemade (of course!) custard or vanilla ice-cream.

And yes it can be made during day-time too, and eaten both day and night. But personally I believe it's best made and best appreciated during the magic dark hours...

On my own

Hallo, I'm here, all on my own! Where is everyone? I want som company - hallooo?!

I'm three years old, cuddly, happy, playful, superfriendly. I can protect you with fierce barking and look after your cats. I like to chew on green bones - when I don't have an old folks leg to get a bite out of - and go for regular walks in the wood. Preferably in nice weather.

I like to sleep at your feet while watching TV, I'm all nice and cosy while accompany you with snoring and now and then a little fart - promise they do smell like rosewater!

I also give you great excercise when you have to lift my cobby, muscular body up in bed, at night, on a regular basis, since I'm not sure if it's best to sleep up there or down on the floor.

Some evilminded people complain about me smelling like a dog - what's wrong with that?! - and then they put me in the bathtub with smelly soaps and water. Happens too often for my personal liking I think. I want to rise a complaint about that, it can't be right can it?

Maybe we'll meet in the woods some day? We can play hide and seek, or maybe restle a bit, chase the dog's tail or something equally intellectual and mind expounding. Now wouldn't that be nice or what?!

The age of innocence

Yes it was fun to see my old friend - we met at uni when we studied for our law degrees back in the stoneages or something like that, but her moving away to different new towns in Sweden, growing apart etc tended to stretch that contact into something rather sporadic... - yesterday.

But I was so tired when I got home, I hadn't had much sleep the night before, we had a long walk plus her babies (one nearly a year, the other 3,5 years) needing attention pretty much all the time. And I who just wanted to talk to and socialize with my friend...

Anyway, I can safely say I don't hear anything of that biological clock ticking even remotely near me! It has never done and I suppose it never will. Fine by me, there are so many things to do in life anyway! So many things and so little time, especially when one really has to enjoy the here and now too.

Taking care of myself and the furry family for example, travel, spending money and time on myself, friends, family and charitable purposes, the list is endless... From a science kind of breeding view I can see the point of interest in carrying on "the lines" - but why not carry on some nice opinions, views and try and make this world a better place instead?

On the train - with my Coffee Cup grande latte and seeing the world rushing by outside the window - I read an article about the situation in Cambodia. About the horrible way children are for sale to things I don't really want to think about, by mothers infected by HIV. So yes, I really think there are better ways to deal with life and children than to promt have some of your biological offspring. There's a WORLD out there with children in need!

Children already born, by mothers and fathers and families who for some reason can't take care of them. Children who in the grand scheme of things perhaps are meant to make a difference - if they get a chance for a better life, a good life, a life they deserve.

And it’s a world that probably, honestly, doesn’t need anymore inhabitants at the moment. Not until we have fixed the things that really, really need to be fixed with what's wrong with that world... That beautiful, grand world so wrongly handled by so many people. Some of them, lots of them, too many of them, who's breeding-lines would be better of eradicated...