HOT HOT H.E.A.T

  View from the kitchen. Isn't it gorgeus! We are back home again after a wonderful Midsummer weekend in the best place to be during this holiday - Svärdsjö, Dalarna. We had been invited by Gunilla and Per to spend the holiday in their wonderful house built in 1875, but completely modern, overlooking the lake Svärdsjön. We even had the luck to have sunshine and no rain that day. Why I write that? Well, it's more common it rains on Midsummer's Eve than the opposite :-) But we always hang in there. No matter what, we are outside eating, playing, drinking. All you need is good clothes we say :-) Another hard thing to battle is the mosquitos or "knott" which are more common up north. Eating lunch   Me and Staffan (Gittan's husband) Anyway we all met up in time for lunch. I contributed with Västerbotten pie, shrimps and 3 different kind of cookies all which I did the night before. Gittan (Hasse's exwife) had made the most delicious bread and of course herring ...

  Oscar and his girlfriend Jonna Well, I'm waiting to go to Arlanda airport to pick up H.E.A.T who has been gigging at Download Festival in England. I thought I would write about Oscar's graduation meanwhile. The family (can you spot me?) We went to Gavle on Friday and it was the most beautiful summerday. The sun was shining from a clearblue sky and we all gathered outside the school to cheer him when he ran out. After hugging, photographing and given gifts to hang around the neck it was time for the parade. It's a tradition in Gavle, the student march. A band goes first and then all the students with their signs. We went home to their house to prepare food and drinks. Of course you have champagne on such an occasion. Lena had made a wonderful buffet of food and we ate, drank and had a really good time outside in the garden.   Some of the parade Hasse and I went back in the evening after a long and wonderful day. Saturday and Sunday was also very hot here so we did...

 H.E.A.T Yesterday we had a H.E.A.T family summerparty at Pär och Brita's house. They had layed a long table in their garden beside the pool. The stage was rigged with instruments which was promising. The weather couldn't have been better. Earlier in the day we had heavy rains but in time for the event the sun was shining from a clearblue sky and as you know in Sweden during summer it's light almost 24/7. We had a welcome drink and then we paired up in teams of two for a quiz with questions that involved each family's interest or work. Very hard actually and not at all that easy that you would have thought :-)  Our hosts Pär and Brita  Long dinnertable Welcome drink by the pool After that we were invited to take food which was a delicious buffet with lots of good dishes. After that it was time for the coffe and several homemade cookies and cakes :-) Brita had baked them all! Delicious. Then the exciting result of the quiz. No, we didn't win, I was teamed up wit...

Today is the Swedish National Day and I baked a rhubarbcake and I made a salmongratin for dinner. It was really good, if I may say so myself :-) The salmongratin   Since putting this photo on Facebook there are some that wants the recipe so I will place a link to the recipe here: OK it didn't work but it's on the upper post. Good Luck and I'm sorry it's in Swedish.

Ca 4 personer Ingredienser 600 g lax i 4 bitar 1 paket babyspenat (färsk) Riven västerbottenost Salt och peppar   Sås: 2 msk smör 2 msk mjöl 1 fiskbuljongtärning 1 dl vatten 1 dl vitt vin 3 dl grädde Salt och peppar   Potatismos: 1 kg potatis (mjölig) Smör Mjölk 1 st äggula Riven västerbottenost Salt o peppar   Lägg spenaten i botten på en smord ugnsform. Lägg laxskivorna ovanpå, salta och peppra. Strö över riven västerbottenost.   Skala potatis och skär i mindre bitar. Koka tills de är mjuka. Stampa moset, tillsätt smör och varm mjölk tills moset är fluffigt men fast. Tillsätt äggulan, rör och tillsätt sist västerbottenosten och rör allt fluffigt. Lägg i klickar runt laxen.   Såsen: Smält smöret. Rör ner mjölet under vispning. Rör ner övriga ingredienser under vispning. Ta gärna av kastrullen från värmen under detta moment så att du är säker på att du inte får klumpar i såsen. Låt sjuda tills den tjocknat...

Here in Sweden we have an extra long holiday now. Starting Thursday when we celebrated Ascension Day, then Friday we were off work because it was day between two holidays and tomorrow it's the Swedish NationalDay and we're all free from work. So Friday Hasse and I went on a cruise to Åbo. We really had a great time. Having booked an executive suite we got to go onboard before everyone else and we also had a huge cabin and the biggest balcony ever. We love this suite and have had it before and once you have been in it you don't want anything else :-) Some photos from our cruise. I actually got to meet a longtime friend on Facebook, Scott, who lives in Australia. He's a big H.E.A.T fan and was here in Europe in 2008 or 2009 watching them gig several times. He's now visiting again and of all places he was onboard the same ship as I. The chance of meeting him with 20000 people on board wasn't big BUT when Hasse and I was standing in the bar chatting about wh...