Jun 16, 2012

Californication

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This is pretty much how I imagine my mini-vacation to The Golden State – a night in Vegas, a couple of days in LA (where my priority is getting sprinkled with some fairy dust at the happiest place in the world) and then a couple of relaxing days – including what I am expecting to be an amazing 4th of July celebration in San Diego. Best of all? A whole week with the smartest, funniest and probably coolest person in the state! Can’t wait!

By the way, ever heard of those kinds of people who plan ahead? You know, the ones who actually know what they’re going to do next summer? I wish someone would donate one of those to be my vacation-planner. I mean, who the hell buys a transatlantic plane ticket two weeks before leaving? And keeps changing her mind about time of departure up until the minute she presses buy? And who is now thinking the whole “getting to the airport on time thing” might become a bit of a stress factor, I’m talking minutes margin here... Oh well, nothing to do about that now!

Oh and lastly, is it only me or is Red Hot Chilli Peppers like the official California mood setter band? All their songs sound like hot sun and hot surfing duds…

Jun 9, 2012

Relaxing working weekend

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I think I might like pink – and tea…

Today I slept late, I know, call the newspapers! I used to be able to sleep all day, I love sleeping, it’s one of my greatest skills, but lately (more exactly since I moved to this light bulb of an apartment) I can’t sleep past 6 in the morning, so right now I’m celebrating every time I sleep past 8. The celebration for sleeping to 9.30 this morning was some really great banana pancakes.

The recipe is very easy – unless you don’t have any sugar or buttermilk or enough wheat flour… But being the stubborn person that I am I made some changes and voila – banana pancakes! So here goes.

100 gram wheat flour

100 gram spelled flour

3 tablespoons muscovado sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

350 ml milk (it might be better with just 300ml)

25g melted butter

2 eggs

Half a banana

Mix the dry ingredients together and ad the wet ingredients. Don’t mix too much and don’t use an electric whisk, you can actually just use a fork – and don’t worry about the lumps, they actually make better (fluffier) pancakes. Bake on a skillet – turn when the top side is filled with small holes and looks like a sponge (hmm, there must be a better way to describe that…). A word of caution – as you’re doing several pancakes at once (I have room for two or three on my skillet), don’t try the “flip in the air” maneuver… Oh yeah! The banana goes in (cut up in small pieces of course!) just before you turn the pancakes on the skillet!

Well then, I guess that’s my contribution to your relaxing weekend. Now I need to get ready, cause some of us won’t spend the weekend lazing around in our PJ’s – oh no, some of us have to tend to sick kids and worried parents. Gosh I’m glad that’s me!    

Jun 7, 2012

Happy days – are here to stay…

Two dear friends have graduated as doctors in two different countries less than a week apart and I’ve been lucky enough to share that with both of them. Apart from that I’ve met a beautiful baby girl, caught up with a high school friend (her mother) and spent some well needed quality time with mom and dad. All in all a really great week though with some really horrible weather, I guess it’s to be expected in Sweden.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about things that make me happy and I’ve actually kept the positive attitude going and thought of things almost on a daily basis. It’s not like I didn’t notice it before, but it gives me a little rush to find these things in really random otherwise mundane situations. So here goes, some more tricks to get me happy.

Falling asleep with my head on my moms tummy – I know, I’m 28 (ghaa!) but this is like heaven to me.

Getting out of wet shoes and into warm socks.

Holding, cuddling and just being near babies, it melts my heart and makes me believe in fairies again. I don’t think I’ve ever been sad or unhappy whiles holding a baby.

The first bite of a really good chees pupusa (it’s like a tortilla with filling and it’s marvelous!).

Walking from the plane to the arrival hall in Arlanda Airport – they have these pictures up of famous Swedish people and I always get the first feeling of coming home right there.

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Three things I’ll always associate with Sweden – moms tortillas (or pupusas), really good strawberries and “studenten” (high school graduation!).