HOT HOT H.E.A.T

or as one said: We have 365 pages in a new book. Let's fill them with good things. Tonight we celebrate the last hours of this year and me, Hasse and Emil are having dinner together. Jonas is at a party with his friends and some from the band. Danniel is at home also with a delicious dinner. This is what we had. Starter: Räkröra (shrimp hotchpotch on a toast) Happy Emil Main course: Fillet of beef with ovenroasted root crops, brandysauce, garlic sauce and fetacheese sauce Hasse is cutting the beef The dessert was to die for: Chocolate fondant with raspberries and whipped cream  Now we are all waiting for the magic midnight hour. There are a lot of fireworks already (9.30PM) but of course there will be a lot more the closer we get to midnight. I wish you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!! whenever that is. Hope next year will be a healthier one and with more joy than this.

I last wrote on Lucia day and much has happened since then. First we had our Christmas party at work which like tradition bids were spent cooking for each other a 3-course dinner. And of course in this was a little competition :-) I was still very tired from eating the antibiotics and also having the bronchitis but I managed to stay all night!  From our balcony kitchen looking down to the shop Bjorn and Marco fixing things The team with the entrée My team, the main course and more from my team Chantarelle soup Delicious cod with white wine sauce, almond potatoe and shrimpsalat (my team) Cheers! Dessert, chocolate fondant with mint pears The day after I went to my doctor and he seemed happy with my tests except the CRP and sed rate. I had sent him (and his wife who is nurse at the clinic) a nice gift which he thanked for. I have had the same doctor for 25 years and that is rare. He can see on me when I'm not feeling well and that is s...

Good advice Jo and I have taking it easy but of course then I got ill. So despite feeling bad on Monday I went to the Christmas concert which was just wonderful and magical. The next day I had the day off (good of me) but wasn't feeling well. I had a headache, coughed a lot, was shivering - well you got the picture. But the next day of course I went to work. I had to do all the invoicing, the salaries for December (I don't think anyone would have liked it not being paid this month) and so on. So I was at work at 05.20AM (I couldn't sleep so I thought I could go and work instead) already and I worked hard until I was done at 1.30PM. Then home and as I suspected I had fever. So I drank hot water with ginger and honey and that's about what I have had to eat the last days. Today I was down to my doctor's to take some bloodtests before meeting with my Dr Christer next week. Well, one of the tests, the CRP (which shows infections) was so high that the nurse got me a do...

I'm sorry I haven't written but I'm completely stressed out right now so I have to have my priorities right. I will get back here and tell you all about it as soon as things settle down. Meanwhile, take care and above all don't do like me instead be calm :-)

Yesterday I was invited to a VIP-evening at a very famous inn here in Stockholm. It's Ulriksdal's Inn known to have hosted both Kings and Queens and also having a princess as neighbor for many years. I was invited with a + 1 so I asked one of my colleagues if she wanted to come with me and she was very happy and accepted. So I went to fetch her at the trainstation (she had been in a meeting) While waiting for her I went in to the store and bought some groceries and when she came we headed for the Ulriksdal. We arrived to a wonderful setting with lots of pitch tourches leading the way. Inside we were greated with glogg (alcoholfree for me since I was to drive home) and a nibble to eat. Then a very interesting lecture about Christmas traditions in general and food in particular by a famous TV-personality (Swedish) Edward Blom. And then off to the sumptuos Christmas table (julbord) with everything you could wish for to eat. Herrings, salmon in all forms and shapes...

H.E.A.T members (3/5 of them) came, parents, family, friends and more. We had a very nice and cozy time. Among us a 50 year jubilar, that is Hasse's oldest son turned 50 today. So we sang and cheered for him. Very nice.  Helen's dog Pinglan They all liked what I have made and we had time to sit down and talk to everyone which was nice too. One funny thing is that one of our friends (it's Jonas friend but she has been like a child in our house for many years) is to perform at the Varmlandsopera in March where she will be performing in Monteverdis L'Orfeo. So I think I will try to get my operafriend to join me and go there. So now I'm off to bed. Up early as always tomorrow. Sleep well you on this side of the world and to you on the other side - I hope you have a wonderful 1 Advent. Take care!