parlamentet - Swedish

I'm watching clips on youtube from Parlamentet. So funny!







(I love how Johan Glans sounds like Dolph in the last clip).

Andreas didn't get very good news from the physiotherapist. She said she thought he had torn some of the ligaments in his knee. He is going back in tomorrow. She said that if the swelling goes down today or tomorrow it might be able to recover in time for our ski trip, otherwise it doesn't look too good... It's so sad if he isn't going to be able to ski with the rest of us on the trip.

oh no!

My throat is sore and it wasn't that long since last time I was sick. Andreas brought it with him home from Norway. I'm hoping it won't develop into something worse. So now I'm drinking bottles of water and popping Throat Lozenges. I really really don't want to be sick again.



Poor Andreas' knee is swollen to twice its size. Yesterday he was at the hospital and they don't think anything has been torn off or is broken, but he will have to go again on Friday. It is strange hwoever, that it keeps being so swollen even after all this time. It's been 4 days now. Today he is going to the physiotherapist as well. Hopefully they will be able to give him some ideas so that we can help the swelling go down. He is so worried that he won't be able to ski in two weeks when we're going to Åre. Please pray for him!

semlor

It's about that time of the year again. Maybe we should bake some this weekend. I can't wait. We usually make them according to the recipe in Sju Sorters Kakor, but I found an English version here.



Picture by Linnea Lindgren

music - recommendation

I know that I am always looking for new artists and songs that are brilliant. So I thought I would share some old favourites that I keep returning to. Below is a list of the albums with a video of the favourite song.


1. Jewel - Pieces of You




2. Lisa Nilsson - Små Rum




3. India.Arie - Acoustic Soul




4. Tina Dico - In the Red

I'd like to be here now...

A few pictures from when we were in Tunisia in September. I love these kind of holidays. Just eating, sleeping, tanning and some evening walks in the warmth in skirts and flip flops. I can't wait to book our next beach holiday... whenever we can afford it again.

coconut frosted muffins - recipe

I made some muffins inspired by one of my favourite cakes when I was a kid - Drommekage (it is Danish). Here is the recipe:

250g plain flour
50g butter
300g sugar
4 eggs
2dl milk
3 tbl spoon baking powder
2 tbs vanilla sugar

Topping:
125g butter
100g dessicated coconut
200 brown sugar
½dl syrup
½dl milk

Set the oven to 225*C.
Melt butter and milk in the microwave on low heat whilst mixing sugar an egg fluffy. Add flour, baking powder and vanilla sugar with a strainer. Stir in the milk.

Fill the cupcake liners half full as they will rise a lot. Into the oven for 13 min (depends on your oven). (They are going back in for another 5min in the end so they should have a quite bright colour).

Whilst they are in, melt the butter for the topping in a pot, add the brown sugar and heat it until it start bubbling. Let it bubble for about 4-5min but keep stiring. Then add the dessicated coconut and the milk.

Put the topping onto the cupcakes and put all of it back into the oven for another 5min.

Done.

Can be put in the freezer and are chewy caramelly.

lyrical geniuses

a delayed present

Got a present from Ingrid and Johanna just before Andreas left on Thursday evening - a gift card for Zara! Perfect! I haven't been in Zara for ages. To spend it could be a reward for loosing the first 5 pounds. :)Now I'm going to watch some episodes of Flight of the Conchords. Foux du fafa!

Ou est le bibliotheque? Voila mon passport. Gerard Depardieu. Une baguette

Friday...

I've just tuffed my face with sallad (tomato, cucumber, feta, etc. yum) and now I'm going to go out for 30min and go for a walk in the sun. I need to keep moving if this weight is going to come of in time for summer, and the sun is shining today so there is no reason not to get out.

Today is such a slow day. I'm really looking forward to the weekend - mostly because I'm tired and need sleep. Andreas was up packing yesterday until 1am and didn't want me to go to bed but keep him company, then he got up at 5 this morning so I slept about 4hours... zzz. And tonight we are practicing for tomorrow's service (I'm worship leading) so I'm guessing it won't be an early night or any chance of sleeping in tomorrow.

Anyway - on a more cheerful note - I'm going to bake a cake tonight for Daren's birthday potluck tomorrow. Looking forward to that.

Now - get out Marianne!

spicy tea

I'm at work trying to plan the food we will eat on the skitrip. I'm trying to find alternatives that are tasty, easy to make and cheap. So far the list looks like this:
1. Chili sin Carne (vegetarian chilli)
2. Spagetti Bolognese (veg) with green salad
3. Haystacks
4. Rice porridge (yes, you at that as a main course in Sweden)
5. Ugnspankaka (oven pancake - not sure if there is anything equivalent in England)
6. Vegetable soup
7. Pizza

If you have any tasty veggie recipes that are easy to make for 8-10 people then let me know.

Whilst plannign that I'm drinking some amazing tea from Celestial. I love their blends and everytime we visit Denmark I go to Søstrene Grene to buy them. This time I got myself the Bengal Spice blend.

"Cinnamon (38%), spices (ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, and nutmeg)(21%), roasted chicory, roasted carob, and natural spice and vanilla flavours with other natural flavours(11%)."

It's a bit spicier than chai tea and smells absolutely lovely.

therapy

I just read through all the paperwork for Siemens and filled out a health questionnaire etc. and then I painted my nails whilst listening to Andreas planning for his trip to Norway this weekend. He is going on a floor ball tournament with his Newbold team. I'm a bit jealous. However I'm worship leading this weekend and going to a birthday party so I'll have a good time.

Painting my nails is like therapy. It relaxes me and it makes me feel prettier. (Plus it makes them tougher - mu nails so easily brake). Favourite nail varnish right now is: OPI - No Bees Please and the best thing I ever invested in is Jessica's Critical Care to have as a base layer. It really makes a difference.

We've just eaten salad and garlic bread. I used some delicious oil that Prakash and Nathan brought with them home from Greece. It was really yummy, made the dressing extra tasty. Now I'm watching an episode of Modern Family and in 15min we're going to the gym. PT tonight and I'm almost dreading it because I'm already feeling tired. Isn't that strange? I mean what is the worst that can happen? Maybe that he pushes me to do intervals and I fall of the treadmill... or maybe has me doing lunges in the TRX and I fall over myself in exhaustion. Hmm, so many fantastic options. :)

Andreas and Pictionary

Over Christmas we played pictionary with my family. Me, Andreas and mum was one team and Andreas surely has talents when it comes to drawing. I guessed this one in seconds... if you can't see what it is it's an helicopter.

I really want to share his drawing of hens later, I just have to take a picture of it. Definitely art to look forward to.
UPDATE: haha I am the worst wife ever - it wasn't Andreas who drew this it was Robin!

teenage warning :)

For some reason I feel like a little teenage girl in love again. It's just that kind of day. Where you have that big shy smile all over your face. It is so good that you almost feel like there is too much. And then there are songs to fulfill the moment.



Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you

most depressing day of the year?

I accepted a new job, we have set the dates for our Paris trip (April 21-25), we are buying the lift cards for our skiing trip, we had veggie burgers for supper, watched an episode of Desperate Housewives and now we are going to the gym.

This day has been great so far! :)