30 Oct 2010

Cake!


Dinosaur cake.

It's birthday weekend in the Buckle house. First out is Little Man whose real birthday is tomorrow, but he has already cheated in kindie on Friday, and with his mates today.

Tomorrow he gets to share the family celebration with Mamma. My b-day is on monday.

This is the perfect, moist chocolate cake, but if you are waiting for a recipie, this I don't feel like it is mine to post. Got it of a girlfriend who bakes beautifully, with detailed instructions. Baking is definitely my culinary achilles heel.

Tomorrows chilli on the other hand. You might just luck out.

26 Oct 2010

That Time


I've been longing to change to winter time for the last two weeks. The mornings are dark and tough, but I suddenly realised that brighter mornings mean darker afternoons.

The light goes around six thirty pm now. That means it will be dark by five thirty this time next week.

So I've broken out the Christmas candles early. They are pretty discreet, and I admit I wouldn't have put them out unless they surfaced in all this remodelling-tidying.

But it is the time to light candles, and I'm embracing the concept. Again.

25 Oct 2010

Sunday Session


Sunday drive to Hå gamle prestegård, an old vicarige on the southern coast.









22 Oct 2010

Living Together


... means 

being woken up at 06.30 in the morning with a "Hello, Mamma. I'm awake"
and have it followed up my a cuddle

having to watch sports at least 20 minutes a day
never holding the remote control
but always having someone to bag out the X-factor contestants with

making pancakes on a Saturday morning

being able to collapse on the sofa and demand service (like foot rubs and ice cream)
... and actually get it

having discussions about lamps and tiles when clearly I'm right

never having to take out the bins
always making dinner, and doing the dishes
but sharing home made chicken nuggets with two enthousiastic boys

falling asleep on the sofa, snoring
and someone not waking me up cause I'm still company

giving no excuses and acting as pregnant as I feel

... and actually get away with it.

21 Oct 2010

Snow


I had to cheat with a photo from last year but we woke up to snow this morning. Little Man is in heaven.

20 Oct 2010

Still Here


Both me, my belly and the remnants of summer.







13 Oct 2010

Little Highlights


Seeing the bottom of a coffee after spending an hour drinking it and reading the paper. One of the little moments in life I'm totally treasuring in the short weeks before three becomes four.

At the same time I'm getting more and more aware of the little creature that is soon making his apparance in out little family. And believe me, little is the word. Bought a piece of clothing last week that looks so tiny I can't even imagine that a baby of mine will fit into it. Little Man didn't believe it.

The house is frustrating me because all the work suddenly stopped and progress and finishing time seems far away. I know as soon as it gets going again it will happen. Fast. But at the mo I have to stop myself from going mad.

So I go out. Have a coffee. See some friends. And with lived-life knowledge I know that everything will be okay. Soon.

10 Oct 2010

Floating


On Fridays I get to float around in a warm pool just like Little Brother in my tummy. 

And I can imagine it feels a little like this seals life. Weightless, gliding, effortless. One and a half hours of flying underwater. Of feeling the water move against my skin. Floating ion my back, my ears filling with water. Muffeled music. Splashy sounds.

Untill I have to get out of the pool. And I feel like an elephant again.

PS: My Mum took this shot while swimming with seals. Some of you might have seen it here before.

8 Oct 2010

Best Lunch


Sesame crispbread with almond butter, banana and a little sprinkle of sea salt. Yummo!

Almost There


We're moving back home this weekend, and I'm so excited. Can't wait to potter about, redecorate and nest nest nest.

The house is looking great, and I'm planning a tour as soon as I get sorted.

Only six weeks to go before this big belly of mine pops too. Maybe I should start thinking about that as well, not only tiles and bills.

Happy Friday!

7 Oct 2010

Thursday Morning

I parked the car.

And dropped little man off at kindie.

Went to my favourite café.

But not without enjoying the leaves ...

... the trees ...

... and the light.

6 Oct 2010

Seasonal Soup


I've been wanting to make pumpkin soup since my parents started growing them in the alotment this summer. Today I finally mustered up the surplus energy.

Spent about two hours making it in my parents kitchen. And I can tell you, working in someone elses kitchen is always a challenge. I managed to pull it all together, though.

I will be making this again, and again ... sooo good.

The soup tastes delicious with a dollop of yoghurt and a swirl of olive oil, or like I just ate it: with a pile of gremolata. 

Pumpkin Soup with Herb and Walnut Gremolata

The soup:

Half a football sized pumpkin
One big onion
One whole bulb of garlic
One tablespoon of sugar
Organic stock cube(s)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Chilli/Cayenne pepper

Dice the onion and garlic and sweat off in a good clunk of olive oil in a big pot. Cut and peel the pumkin into thumb-sized chunks and add to the now glossy onions. Stir so that the chinks are covered in oil and onion/garlic. Add the sugar and a little salt and pepper.


Here comes the magic. Put a lid on the pot while still keeping the temp on a medium to high heat. The pumpkin will caramelise and the lid will keep the steam in so that the pumpkin releases its own juices. This process takes about 20 minutes and in the end you have a pumkin mush.


Run through a blender into fine puré and add back to the pot. Now is the flavouring stage. It amazes me how much flavour the vegetable combo gives, but you'll need some stock. I cheated and used a few organic stock cubes (but if I had some I would use some home made, or bought, stock). And add at least the same amount of water as puré. It really depends on how thick you like your soup. Heat up.

At this point I like to season a little more. With chilli/cayenne or just pepper. And here it's up to you if you want to add some cream to the soup.

The gremolata:

A handful of walnuts
A handful of herbs, I used parsley and rosemary
A good chunk of crusty old bread
Two cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Lemon zest
Salt
Pepper

Add herbs, garlic and lemon zest to a blender and whizz. Add olive oil and nuts. This turns the mixture into a kind of pesto. Add the bread in chunks and whizz untill the bits are crumbly but not to small. Spread out on a tray, and bake in oven for 10 minutes on 220 degrees. Stir if needed and turn off oven to let your crumbs dry out.

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