Wednesday, March 28, 2012

A pimped vase and lemon curd

Easter is not far off, and even though I love Easter decorations we really don't have much of them. So I decided to make something myself. Something colorful.One of Lucy's projects came to mind, and I decided to pimp a vase of daffodils I have in the kitchen. Oh daffodils, you are beautiful but you smell horrible. Here's the pattern at Attic24. Very happy with how it turned out.



I haven't been doing much reading lately, but I have been perusing a cookbook I got for Christmas from my sister-in-law. Its a swedish book, "Söta saker", which means "Sweet things". Only cakes, cookies, jams and marmelades in this one. There are so many good looking sweet things in this book that I've mostly been drooling over the contents instead of actually making them (so I can drool whilst I chew). A pair of sad looking lemons changed that though. I couldn't let them go to waste, so I used them to make lemon curd. Why haven't I made this before? Absolute riot for the tastebuds. First you get a "Oh my god that's sweet"-shock followed by a "Wow that's sour"-shock. Yum.



While I'm sharing pics of my kitchen adventures, I can tell you that I have had a premiere pea shoot sallad here at home. I threw together a few differnent kinds of lettuces, fresh spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese and a handful of pea shoots. Topped it all off with a olive oil and lemon dressing. It was good! I could taste a slight pea-flavor every now and then and knew I was chewing on something I had grown myself. Going to plant some more peas, definitely want more shoots to add that extra little zing to my sallads!





Joining Ginny for Yarn Along.




Friday, March 23, 2012

White, yellow, purple and lots of sunshine




Just look at what I came home to, aren't they gorgeous?! Coming home to flowering crocus in my little bit of green, sunshine, 15 degrees celsius and no snow whatsoever put a big smile on my face. Couldn't have asked for a better welcome in Sweden,  after the absolutely crazy weather we had in Iceland. There was snow, rain and very windy weather. In Sweden there's a saying that translates "there is no bad weather, only bad clothing". As in if you dress right you can be outside in basically any weather. Well, whoever came up with that should experience what Iceland can dish out....


I came home to flowers with flowers. My aunt took me and my brothers to her studio and told us to pick a piece to take home with us. "I don't knit so you get this instead" is what she said. Well, I'll take this anytime! I just need to find the perfect spot for this painting, called "A sea of flowers".  Definitely adds to this spring high I am on right now.

Twist & twine. Take a look at those colors, now that's something. *sigh* Yarn dreams...




Wednesday, March 14, 2012

I love Alys


I can't find the fox. The fox that has been with her everywhere for the past few weeks. She takes him to bed with her and he's calmed her down when she's been upset. We had it with us when we went shopping today and I have a vague memory of her running around with it when we got home, but maybe that's just yesterdays image I haven't let go of yet? I have looked everywhere. Thankfully Esther can survive without it, especially since her brother lent her his little bear. I just feel so guilty for loosing it, she loves that dirty little fox! Just get her another one, or some other stuffed animal, my husband says. But no, I'll be on the phone tomorrow, calling all the stores we visited. Hope I can find it!

Not how I was planning on starting this post, but I just can't stop thinking about that fox. And kicking myself for not writing down the name of the manufacturer. Ok...moving on.


Things are definitely happening outside. A quick glance at my little bit of green - or brown as it is now - a couple of weeks ago, revealed that my Bleading Heart has started to grow. I thought it was a bit early in the growing season, but not long after I spotted the beginnings of Tulips and Snowdrops in neighboring gardens. Spring is making its' appearance. Standing in sunlight now actually makes you warm, so we've been spending lots of time outdoors and rediscovering new ways of playing. A few large rocks and some trees are the perfect setting for a little home where I was served moss-balls and bolts for lunch by my boy. Delicious.





While we were playing the postman came by, carrying a little package I've been waiting for. I was so in love with everything Alys Fowler after I saw her tv-show that I just couldn't resist ordering one of her books ("The thrifty gardener"). I ran inside, made myself a cup of coffee and ran back outdoors to enjoy a first glimpse of the content in the sunlight. La dolce vita....


I was not disappointed, not at all. As of yet I have only skimmed through the content, and from what I can see there are lots of tips in this book on everything from how to plan you garden to how to make your own compost. It seems to be directed to beginner gardeners, which is perfect for me. I received a copy of a seed catalogue at the same time as this book, so now I just need to start planning. Alys Fowler makes it seem so simple to just grow whatever you want, wherever you want. I've a mind to try my hand at potatoes this year, on my balcony. That's right, taters on my balcony! Why not? It will be an interesting experiment if nothing else!

I went ahead and planted those peas I mentioned in an earlier post, and wow have they grown fast! It only took a couple of days for them to germinate and now, a week and a half later, they are more than 10 cm high and their tendrils are wrapping around each other. The photo below was taken after just one week. I've had a first taste of my pea shoots. It'll be a couple weeks more before I can use them in a salad, can't wait.


While I'm sharing pictures of plants, I promised Lori over at Lori times five a picture of my Sweetheart vine. It's grown absolutely wild, this plant has, but I don't have the heart to cut it or try to tame it somehow - I like it messy.





Sunday, March 4, 2012

Weekending



This weekend I have been

:: listening to birds chirping both outdoors and in my home. I bought a bird book and cd with bird song for the kids, its been playing non-stop in their room (the biologist in me did a little happy dance that my boy liked it so much)

:: missing my brothers and sisters. I called every one today, only didn't get a hold of my older sister. Feeling the need to get us all together for dinner and a movie, something like that.

::marveling at my little girl who has completely abandoned her speed crawling and is walking all over the place now, both indoors and out. My back says "thank you" - or will say thank you once she is over this clingy I-need-to-be-with-you-all-the-time-or-I'll-cry-my-eyes-out-stage. My brother called her a Klingon, haha. Yes, she is.

:: getting my hands dirty. Dried peas were planted on Friday, and this morning I saw that they are germinating. I repotted a half-dead Geranium and planted some corms from my wild-looking Sweetheart Vine. This plant has such adorable names, in swedish its "hjärtan på tråd", which means hearts on a string. I always have one or more of these beautiful plants around my home, love them.

:: running. The weather was finally warm enough for a run (I can't handle the cold), and the streets were pretty much free of ice. I thought I'd puke when I got home, I don't think I've gotten any real exercise since October last year! It was just too hard to get out, I'd always come home to a crying Esther who wanted to nurse. Boy oh boy was that adrenaline kick needed, I've really missed that!


And now the kids are asleep and I'm going to enjoy a glass of red wine and do some knitting. Hope you've had a good weekend too.