Valentine

We didn't do much for Valentine's day, I'm not a big fan of the whole thing, but as I do like things heart shaped, I will take any excuse to make little hearts. So I made brownies, served on a Wedgwood 'Queen of Hearts' plate. Very tasty they were too! I used this recipe.

Weekend breakfast

I realise I'm writing a lot about food these days, and this might be (or rather certainly is) because I find myself craving sugar and carbohydrates these days, more so than I ever did when I was pregnant. Breastfeeding and sleepless nights will have that effect on you. This weekend I made French toast for breakfast. Not just French toast, but heart shaped French toast, which is even nicer. Served with cinnamon, banana and maple syrup.

My favourite kind of breakfast; pretty and tasty! A very happy Sunday to you!

Rocket pesto

I have written about this recipe before, but it is worth repeating. Rocket pesto (or ruccola pesto) is so tasty, and lot cheaper to make than basil pesto! This recipe is from 'The Vicar's Wife's Cookbook' by Elisa Benyon:

50g pine nuts (roasted in a dry frying pan)

1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled but left whole

zest of 1-2 lemons

125g rocket (I use less than this)

ca 100ml olive oil

70g grated Parmesan or Grana Padano

Put the ingredients into a food processor (or a pestle and mortar) and put it on full speed until you have a sloppy pesto (not runny). I never follow the measurements to the point, it all depends on how you prefer it- I prefer more garlic and less lemon. Taste it and maybe add some more olive oil until it looks and tastes right. 

This pesto is lovely with spaghetti and prawns, or on bread with ham and avocado. Or cut open a couple of chicken breasts and fill them with it, and bake in the oven with a bit of mozzarella on top. 

Yum!

Weekend

 I found some clothes in my closet that I haven't worn in a very long time, so it felt a bit like wearing a brand new outfit!

 Pretty Valentine's roses on half price offer, and I thought 'Why not?'. It would be a shame not to buy them, really.

Husband had started making bread again, and now the house is filled with the most wonderful smell every Sunday. He makes the best sour dough bread from his very own starter, and it is very impressive and very tasty!

Did you have a nice weekend?

Weekend

I love weekend breakfasts. When you have time to do that little bit extra because you're not on your own looking after the baby..

Fat Tuesday

You're tired after too little sleep, the baby is screaming and feeling unwell after having vaccinations the day before, your attempt to give her painkillers ended up with her throwing up all over you and all over the carpeted floor, and you're still in your pyjamas at 2 in the afternoon.. What do you do? Put the baby in a sling and make 'fastelavensboller'. The baby is entertained, and you have something tasty to get you through the rest of the day!

Fastelaven

There was no time to make 'fastelavensboller' today, so I made pavlova instead. Pavlova is so easy and so tasty. I use Lorraine Pascale's recipe for the meringue, but for the topping I use whipped cream and whichever fruit I have available. Simple!

Breakfast scones

These scones are delicious for a weekend breakfast (or any day, really). I've stolen the recipe from Ingvild. They are delicious with brown cheese or homemade jam. Homemade apple jam is so easy to make, just peel a couple of apples, take out the core, cut it into pieces and put it in a pan on the stove. Add a couple of spoonfuls of sugar (as much as you like) and a tiny amount of water. Let it cook until the apples are really soft, then gently mash the apples with a fork. Done! You can also add a bit of cinnamon, if you're that way inclined. Here's the recipe for the scones:

2dl flour
2dl wholemeal flour, or seeded grain flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
a handful of seeds or chopped nuts
2 tbsp butter
2-3 dl buttermilk or normal milk

Mix all the dry ingredients, knead in the butter and add the buttermilk. If the dough is too sticky add a bit more flour.

Use a spoon to put the dough into 6 'muffin holes' in a muffin baking tray, or simply make them as you would 'normal' scones. This recipe makes 6-8 scones.

Bake in the oven ar 200 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy with a cup of tea or your morning espresso!

Sugar rush

After sleepless nights (and days) I am usually craving some sugar to get me through the day withut collapsing. If I'm lucky, I'll have enough time in between naps and feeding and playing to make some of these. Or even better: make enough to keep a few in the freezer so that all I have to do is defrost for instant joy. A Norwegian favourite: buns with vanilla custard. Sunshine in a bun.

Breakfast

My favourite meal has to be breakfast. Not just any breakfast, but a proper breakfast with tasty bread, coffee and lots of fillings for your sandwich, Norwegian style. Preferably eaten in company of lovely friends and lasting at least a couple of hours. After I moved to England over six years ago, I very quickly lost my enthusiasm, due to the lack of exciting sandwich fillers (such as brown cheese, pickled herring, Svolværpostei and Tomato mackerel) and most importantly the offensive quality of British bread. Good, healthy, tasty bread is near impossible to find. I often make my own bread, and Husband makes a delicious sour dough bread, but after becoming a mum this has now moved further down on my list of priorities. As I find myself being very tired these days, and consequently craving sugar and carbohydrates, I've been looking for something nice, healthy and easy that will fill my stomach in the morning. I found this recipe in this blog, and these pancakes are a new breakfast favourite! I have made a few small changes to the recipe. Make the mixture the night before and leave it to soak in the fridge overnight.

5 dl porridge oats (I often use a mix of oats, such as rye and barley)
1 dl flour
1,5 tbsp sugar (or honey)
2 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
500 ml milk (or yogurt, Norwegian kefir or buttermilk. I prefer normal milk)
2 eggs
2 tbsp melted butter

Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately before mixing together. Leave overnight in the fridge. Rye and barley oats are a bit tougher than porridge oats, even after soaking over night. I like the chewiness of them in the pancakes, but if you want the pancakes smoother, use porridge oats.

I prefer eating these with banana and jam, or with fresh berries. A weekend twist: banana and maple syrup!


Yum!

I love introducing the Brits to some of my favourite Norwegian treats, to see if it is purely my Norwegian-ness that makes me think them wonderful, or if they might be considered universally delicious. When we had some friends over at the weekend, I saw my chance to make one of my favourite desserts of the season; 'tilslørte bondepiker', or 'covered up farm girls' as I like calling it in English! It's fair to say that it passed the test. Yum!

Happiness is.....

..coming home from a long day at work, followed by a long evening of lectures, to a home made steak and ale pie with a heart on top!

Treat

Wasa Havre. Avocado. Salt. Pepper. Lemon juice. Yum. Favourite snack.

Lunch at the tea room

Husband and I decided to check out the Baskervilles Tea Rooms for lunch. It was lovely. We got window seats, big comfy chairs and a good view of life outside in the street.

The lovely cakes looked very tasty..

I had jasmine blossom tea.

Their gifts are on display around the shop. Aprons, tea cups, cushions, blankets..

I had a roast beef and mustard sandwich. Yum!

Hendrick's gin

I'm not big on gin, but Husband likes it, and particularly Hendrick's gin. Enjoyed with ice and a cucumber slice. And I have to admit that it's actually really tasty, hardly tastes like gin at all. This week there was a pretty little teacup in the box with the bottle, and I couldn't resist it. Hendrick's is wonderfully eccentric.

The bottle is really quite stylish, I think.

On the box there were pretty little drawings, and also some serving suggestions.

I can't wait to try these recipes out. Particularly the one that is to be made in a teapot!

Only in Scotland..

Only in Anstruther can you have the best fish and chips and the best view at the same time.

Weekend breakfast

Eggs and soldiers is one of the best things I have discovered after I moved to Britain. A very soft boiled egg that you dip your toasted soldiers in. Yum! A favourite weekend breakfast.

Elderflower love

I love elderflower cordial, and this year, after finding a recipe that made me realise how easy it is, I decided to make my own. It's so simple, but it takes time. There are elderflowers everywhere, but preferably pick them somewhere that's sheltered from busy roads.

This is the recipe I used.

Very pleased with the result! It tastes just like any elderflower cordial I've ever tasted. But better, of course!

17th of May

In England 17th of May is unfortunately just another day, which means work as usual. The National Day being one of my favourite festivities, I tried very hard not to think too much about it as I was singing and teaching the kids. I did however wear red, white and blue, and also brought little treats for my colleagues.

Norway- themed tartlets and pavlova.

I couldn't find any of my proper 17th of May ribbons, so I had to make my own ones, one for me and one for Husband.

I hope you all had a lovely celebration!

Do fish read newspapers?

We had our first barbecue the other night; rainbow trout wrapped in wet newspaper with thyme and lemon inside. Delicious. And when you unwrap the fish, the skin peels off with the newspaper. Easy! Thank you, Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall.