Food for Parties

 

I'm over at domestic sensualist blogging about my fabulous fish soup ...

Saturday Session

I've been making snowy merengue, mussel and prawn soup, snowmen and pancakes ...

Fun at the In-Laws cabin. Gone for 36 hours, feels like three days.

Another day left of this fabulous weekend, and I'm doing something fun. I promise pics.

 

 

Old Snow

Dear Winter,

Please go away. Stop snowing. It's so old. And give us some plus-degrees to melt that snow.

I will love you next year.

MissB

------------

Dear Spring,

Please push winter away with snow bells, daffs and buds. Tell the birds to come too.

Love always.

MissB

Wordless Wednesday: Concrete Man

He's worked for the same concrete company for 33 years, and he loves his job. He tells me no day is the same. I feel humbled and privleged to have been allowed to spend the morning with him.

Soup for Two

Am having a great week already. Big Man decided to have a week off work and has turned into what Julochka calls a keeper. In two days he's become domesticated, and I don't know how he's never had that genius idea before. Suddenly clothes are being washed. House is being cleaned. Dinner made.

But yesterday I was home as well, and having company inpsired me to make some thai coconut and chicken soup for lunch.

A tin of cocunut milk (low fat), a couple of chicken breasts, an organic stock cube, some water, fish sauce, garlic, chilli and lemon rind. And whatever veggies you have in the fridge: I had fennel, carrot, tomato, spring onion, broccoli and snow peas. I just heat up the coconut milk and then add all the other ingredients. Delicious.

Today I Saw

... a lovely postcard from Jill Wignall in my postbox.

 
Jill draws one postcard a day of an observation she's made. I love her little every day glimpses in blck and white. I've been following her blog for a few months now, and when she asked readers to send in their address for a postcard all of their own I jumped at the oppertunity. And here it is on her blog.

My Random Seven

I got tagged by Nancy at BLissed-Out Grandma (can you see what it spells?) The beautiful blogger award is an honour. And she always leaves these lovely comments on my posts. I'm short cutting. Giving you guys seven randoms that I posted with my self portrait on Flickr.

1. I don't need to wear full make-up for self portraits. The preassure of there being half an hour left of the day to do my 365 project is pressure enough to make me do it anyways. And pasty wintery skin looks cool when you mess up the colours after.

2. I'm seriously self concious as to if you all like this. I guess  I'm more of a comfort-zone girl than I like to admit.

3. I'm not very good at treating myself with the same kindness and understanding that I do others. I'm definitely working on it.

4. I get really upset when treated unfairly. I've grown up in socialist-Norway and expect everyone to get the same chance.

5. I like to think I'm environmental and all eco-choice, but I really love driving fast with Beastie Boys blaring in my little car.

6. I'm a collector, I give things personality, and I keep having to remind mself they are only things.

7. I want to make a difference.

And I'm tagging the beauties below. But no pressure. No homework.

Fuel Up

What do you do when inspiration and energy runs dry? You check out the talent in the blogosphere. Here are my recomendations.

1. 52:365, 2. 49/365, 3. Opening up, 4. 46/365 making waves, 5. 47/365 - Pegs on the line, 6. 47/365 Sweet Ginger, 7. 44/365 Threads, 8. 41:365, 9. 43/365 Hopkins

Some of my Flickr favourites above ... 

Mr. London Streets 100 word posts get me every time. My fave: 'Things I'd like to be, but never will'

The lovely Beatrix gives us little glimpses into her relationship. I totally loved this post.

My parents are travelling in Australia doing environmental work. Two Buckles go Bush.

Miss Jane at spain daily challenges me weekly with new Corner Views. I especially enjoyed this week.

I love The Tokyo Connections moody images. Especially this fish.

Last but not least. I am addicted to The Photodiarists candid portraits. And I was really excited to find pics in colour.

 

Monkey Boy

Carnival for Little Man in kindie today, and I must admit I'm pretty proud of the recycled fleece blanket and doilymonkey costume I made for him. And he loves it!

Corner View: Wisdom from an Elder

"Spend your money on experiences, rather than things". My parents have lived by this rule, and I try to live by it too.

And check out spain daily for more corner views.

Hello! (Wordless Wednesday)

Looking for Energy

Flowers at a café. Energising.

I'm really struggling keeping my energy levels up lately. Winter is really taking it's toll, and by the time I get home from work I'm exhausted.

And although we've had a beautiful winter with snow, sun and light, I'm getting seriously sick of not seeing the ground. Slipping around on the ice. Bundling up in the I'm-so-sick-of-this-but-I-refuse-to-buy-anything-but-summer-dresses-from-now-on-cardian. Don't get me going on the shoes. I have the choice between no grip, cold feet and stylish, or grip, warm feet and unstylish. I go for the last version.

But in my ripe old age of 32 I have found some tricks to generate at least a minimum low level of energy to keep me going.

• Making doughy and cakey comfort food and not feeling guilty about it.
• Going for a swim with a friend, competing over laps, laughing and splashing. (Reminds me that I need to do this very soon)
• Taking the camera family out for a walk in the sun.
• Getting stuff done. Like laundry. And enjoing the glow of relaxation after.
• Stuffing the laundry, and in stead spend three hour at a café with a friend and her baby.
• Plan things. And then make them happen.

What do you guys do to get your energy back? I need some more tricks. I'm depleting.

Food for Thought

... or maybe foccacia for thought? (Hang in there, surprise recipe at the end)

I managed to lose and find my mojo last week. But the one thing I never lost was my cooking mojo. It has been full on since my cooking escapades in Oslo a couple of weeks back.

I'm enjoying everything from every-day meals to pancake-breakfasts and Sunday roasts. And I've always let Little Man join in on the fun. He loves stirring batters and dipping bread in egg for french toast. He tastes all the vegetables. And when he plays, he's making food. Usually pretend making  pancakes or tomato soup. His favourites.

This weekend was no different.

Saturday I had promised Big Man a three course Valentines dinner. We started off with scallops with sabayon-sauce. I quickly seared the scallops and made the sabayon on a reduction of white wine, shallots and tarragon. For those not in the cheffy 'know' sabayon is made of egg yolks whisked over simmering water.

The main course was a whole beef tenderloin, fried off, then baked in oven till delightfully pink (the trick is to let it rest for at least ten minutes after you take it out of the oven). I made hasselback potatoes and fresh steamed asparagus. It was all served with a red wine sauce. Yummy!

For dessert we had 'Iskremgarden' chocolate ice cream. From local cows made directly on the farm, just a few kilometres form where we live. It is sooo delicious and creamy.

Too busy cooking, I forgot to take pics of the food.

Yesterday we had the In-Laws over for a sunday roast. I made a 2.5 kilo organic chook (Aussie for chicken) with a walnut and cranberry stuffing. Roast fennel, beets, onions, sweet potatoes, normal potatos and carrots. And yummy roast garlic gravy.

And for dessert 'Fastelavens boller'. Traditionally buns with whipped cream, but I made a vanilla custard.

Little Man and I had our fingers stuck in the dough and cream all morning. And boy it turned out good. Dad-In-Law proclamed that it was the best bun he'd ever eaten, and that he was not kidding. They then proceeded to roll, stuffed silly, down the stairs and home to their couch.

Today I was so 'good' that I cooked stock on the chicken bones from yesterday, and Little Man and I made sweet potato soup and that foccaccia above.

And If you're missing recipies, this is the one you're getting. It's adapted in a healthier direction, but originally from Jamie Oliver.

Healthy Foccaccia

500 grams white flour
500 grams whole wheat flour (the rough kind)
50 grams yeast
500 milliltres tepid water
A good pinch of salt
One tablespoon honey

Rosemary (or any other herb of your liking)
Sea salt
Good oil

Mix the honey and yeast in the fingerwarm water and add to the dry ingredients to make a smooth dough. I do this in my Kitchen Aid. It's baking magic, and has made it really easy for me to just 'whip up' bread and buns.

Let the dough proof for about 40 minutes. More if you are patient.

I use a sheet of baking paper in a tray that is a little smaller than the trays in my oven and add a bit of good oil in the bottom. I'm into the rape seed oil lately. The Nordic Olive Oil.

Empty the dough in the tray, and squish (yes!) it in place. Fun fun for little and big hands. Add more oil on top and squish again. Doughy yummy cellulite. Add good flakey salt (I use Maldon) and fresh herbs. I used some rosemary I had on my windowsill. I could easily use some dried. Or thyme. Or basil. Oooh, and tomatoes. And olives. All up to you.

I didn't bother to proove it some more and chucked it in a 220 degrees celcius oven for apporoximate 20 minutes. Just leave it untill it's golden and brown.

Phew. That was a long one. Other recipies posted on request.

Sunday Session: Bytesize

 On a dark and starry friday.

 I walked down My Street.

 Past the warm houses.

 To drink wine with girlfriends.

A colourful Saturday.

And a walk while the sun went down.

Over my beautiful city.

And with Little Man in bed.

We had a three course Valentines date.

And got up early on Sunday to bake.

'Fastelavens boller'

How MissBuckle Got Her Mojo Back

Step-by-step recipie:

First. Complain and rant about losing mojo and conjunctivitis. Receive love and sympathy fom the blogosphere in comment box (Thank you. I love you!).

Second. Take a photo of floppy tulips, and post it on flickr to receive love, praize and explore. At the same time the Canon-hospital calls you and sais that your beloved 7D is well again.

Third. Finish a big project at work and feel good about the results.

(and it does help that I have a bottle of Rosé in the fridge)

Happy Friday Lovelies!

xxx

Dreaming

... of tropical beaches, of lazy days in the shade, getting sand stuck between the pages of a good book.

But I'm stuck with snow. And floppy tulips.

Wide Angle Vision

I've had a run of bad luck lately. My new fancy great camera boinked and got sent away to Canon Hospital along with my photo mojo, blogging mojo, woking mojo, and all those other mojos.

And I cought a nasty case of conjunctivitis from Little Man. The worst part of pink eye: Glasses!

I HATE GLASSES! (yes, I had to yell).

In a moment of school marmish sensibility a couple of years ago I was farsighted (pun intended, although I am near sighted) enough to but some new glasses. Just in case. I can tell you that I've worn those glasses more in the last three days than I have in the last two years.

Glasses make me feel like I see through a wide angle lens all the time. And everything is too sharp. So sharp it gives everything a blue edge, almost like an over exposed camera. And for some reason they bend the walls (much like a fish eye lens). It makes me dizzy, irritable and completely distant.

I normally wear contacts that I put in on the first of the month and jank out a month later, only to replace them with a new pair. But now all my normalsies are suddenly hard work. Seeing the soap in the shower. Glasses fogging up when I go out in the cold. Banging the glasses into both Big and Little Man.

Fortunately my eye looks less red today, and seems to be on the mend. And those glasses. They are going into that same hole I dug them out of since my attack of sensibility two years ago. Rant over.

Wordless Wednesday: On Fire

Lost!

Blogging mojo, work mojo, photo mojo, cooking mojo, all my mojo ... help! How can I find it again?

My Town