happy weekend ~

Wishing every well-deserving soul a fine weekend. Myself I'm going to spent part of it on deep waters, which hopefully will be photograhically rewarding as I'm not all that keen on boats or water (if not to drink or shower in).



Here's to a summer weekend full of wild strawberries ~

creamy lentil stew

I had every intention to write something bloggy brilliant when I got home today, but with the rain pouring down it felt quite perfect to go to bed with a book in the afternoon. And then I fell asleep. Now I suffer from brain mush. Still intact, just not a lot of good blog worthy thoughts swirling around there at this time.

So instead of writing mushy, I'll give a mushy recipe, which tastes so much better than it looks. I do believe this is a new favourite dish, it's lentily, it's savoury, it's creamy, it's nourishing. It's truly lovely. I happened to make it recently just because I had some green lentils left in a box, and it turned out way better than I had expected. It will most probably taste even more perfect during long, cold winter months (which seem awfully long away right now...)



creamy lentil stew, ~ 4 servings

2 dl green lentils
6 dl water
½ vegetable stock cube

mix in a largeish casserole, let to boil, then slow boil for about 15 minutes.

1 large leek
1 large onion
1-2 large parsnips (or a small turnip)
sunflower oil

rinse, peel and chop, fry lightly in pan for a few minutes. when the lentils have cooked for 15 minutes add this to the lentils with 4 dl boiling water and ca 250 g sieved tomatoes. season with salt, black pepper, dried thyme. slow boil for about 15-25 minutes, depending on how long it takes for the lentils to cook.

300 g light quorn bits or
~ 200 g halloumi
sunflower oil

While the stew is cooking gently fry either quorn bits or diced halloumi. When lentils are cooked add these to the stew and also stir in ~ 125 ml creme fraiche.

Serve with a fresh, green salad. Satisfaction guaranteed.

mandarin vanilla lemon cuff bracelets and red berries

Time for a whatever-did-she-make-with-the-cotton-yarn-update; made by yours truly crocheted cuff bracelets which can possibly match the crocheted choker necklaces. I'm kind of smitten by them myself (and not only because they're rather addictively fun to make). Sweet, feminine and unpretentious summer wear.

And no, one doesn't have to look as pious wearing them, I just happened to do, for name's sake, ya' know.

Listed in Etsy shop (and can of course be made to order in most any colour combination desired).

Also listed in other Etsy shop are a couple of new summery postcards.

Now I'll feast on red berries. Again. Life is good that way in July ~

latte & muffin at blooms

On the way to the commuter train I regularly pass in the vicinity of this minuscule bakery/café called Blooms - the original one at St Paulsgatan 24 and not the large pram mob hangout at Hornsgatan - though passing it regularly isn't (really) the same as frequent it regularly. But if I have the time and inclination for a latte and a muffin, and it's summer, it is quite a nice, tucked away place to enjoy that.

I then like to sit at one of the few seats on the pavement outside, there's traffic but St Paulsgatan is far from one of the busiest streets in Stockholm, watching people walk by (having a very enjoyable people watching session), sipping the latte, sharing a large, fruity muffin, relaxing, chatting some time away before heading home.

Just one of those unpretentiously pleasantnesses in life.

castle spotting - house of the binns, scotland

Misty, gloomy, abandoned, eerie, sinister, haunted, spooky, insidious... The adjectives I find when describing the House of the Binns are somewhat ghostly, because that's the main feeling I get from the place. The Binns, located some miles west of Edinburgh, is indeed a fascinating smallish castle beautifully situated in a vast parkland.

There are lots of sheep and plenty of poo in the outskirts of the property and

cooing~screaming~calling peacocks roaming the close castle garden.

But my overall impression of it is some non tangible unfriendliness and an air of deceitful intentions. We haven't been inside (partly due to opening hours being somewhat tricky), and I'm not sure I would want to even if I could. I believe that the overwhelming suspicious feel of being turned into a Miss Toad or possibly be the main ingredient in a Swedish-Scottish stew isn't to be taken lightly. Call it female intuition. Or just plain sensible self-preservation.



National Trust for Scotland,
House of the Binns

flax and colza

Just sharing some amazing sights of today. The photos just don't do them justice, unfortunately, but they can stir some imagination of its irl awesomeness.

These fields of magical flax blueness and stunning colza yellowness were simply... gorgeous.

I'm pretty sure they're signs of a very good week to come ~

all organic quick meal

Yesterday was cake day, today is all organic light meal here in blog. Another summer time favourite meal - well, all year round really, when I want something quick and satisfying - Swedish filmjölk (sour milk, and not at all as nasty as that might sound), applesauce and muesli. While happily munching I realised that it was not only very tasty and satisfying it was also all organic.

Applesauce from multi-awardwinning Coop brand Änglamark (I buy that a lot, not only because my closest supermarket happens to be a Coop, but because the brand is very, very good).

Sour milk from Swedish major dairy Arla's organic range (which I do hope, naively or not, means that the cows live a decent and fulfilling life...)

Fruit muesli (I didn't happen to have some of my fine own made left) from a small farm bakery in the vicinity of Saltå Kvarn, Almviksgårds Bageri. I thought the bag with its content looked nice and it was indeed very good (organic rolled oats, sunflower seeds, raisins, syrup, rapeseed oil). For perfectness it should have contained nuts too, but I can add that myself I suppose.

Simple summer yum in a bowl.

Do you have a simple summer meal favourit? If so, what is it?

let them eat cake

The perfect round off to a busy as well as - let me point out something I'm sure you haven't heard before - hot week, tea with a lovely cream pastry at a favourite café, Lyran, with what can only be described as one of the best views from a café ever. And we got to enjoy it at the best table there is.

The weather today was also quite pleasant, not too hot, mild breezes and a dash of showers. Oh, and a cat came climbing through the trees for a café visit. Not any of my liquorice ones, but still the same ingenuity.

With wishes of a sweet,
summery weekend
for everyone deserving ~

garden gnome convention

If I can't blame the current heatwave, I can at least blame the ongoing garden gnome convention - that I unknowingly and rather reluctantly seem to host - for the lack of inspired blogging. Demanding little fellows they are.

Still, I do make time for stop smelling the roses. The ones with an amazing created in marzipan and rimmed with pink sugar-look ~

random photos athens, III

Befittingly, in this heat - as far as us Swedes, Northerners are concerned of course - here are a some more photos from Athens. And the omnipresent question in this case being; why isn't warm/hot weather nearly as difficult/sticky to deal with when abroad compared to at home?

Military parades and procedures like these evzones at the monument of the unknown soldier are so. not. my. cup. of. tea. Ever.

The dog's point of view of the whole fuss.
I can relate.

This quite obviously isn't the Stockholm underground. This impressive one is clean, pretty and with trains running as scheduled.

Frappe, with a taste which can be described as cold, burnt coffee made with dishwater. Once, never again.

Colourful and quaint in Monastiraki.

Old meets new in Monastiraki.

In the backstreets of Monastiraki, oh if more scaffoldings could be covered in such wonderful fabrics!

These guys played some enchantingly lovely music in Monastiraki.

A whole lot of clothes going on despite the obvious heat.

A Swede in Athens, Carl Larsson painting on a sign for what I presume is a restaurant...

One of many picturesque churches.

The shining exception to the rule of crap vegetarian food in Athens, this salad with marinated mushrooms, halloumi, mixed fresh vegetables and sesame seed breadsticks was quite, quite lovely in all its simplicity.

A glimpse of the controversial new Acropolis museum.
And a very blue Beetle.
Under an orange tree.

Acropolis at night.

random thought on athens
random photos athens, I
random photos athens, II
athens flickr photos