HOT HOT H.E.A.T

A New year has begun but before that we had Christmas. Fireworks from our balcony. Hard to get good photos and a sense of how many there were New Year's dinner - main course I started my holiday on December 22 so I had a chance to fix all the things you need to do before you can celebrate. Like shopping for everything you need to prepare the food like the most important - the ham. Then to make the meatballs, the spareribs, the ham, the Christmas porridge and everything else you need. Ready for Christmas Eve Father and sons with some glogg On Christmas Eve we were just the boys and us. Mandy worked and then she was at her sisters house. We had a very nice time together and very traditionally. Helen and her family had gone on a cruise from Barcelona to Maroc and the Canary islands so they weren't here. We had Secret Santa and I got a wonderful warm grey scarf. Our Christmas tree Some of the Christmas smorgasbord The next morning we all went up to...

New Year's Eve was very nice , calm and with good food. Since we had Pinglan, the dog, we couldn't go anywhere so we stayed at home. Emil joined us for the celebration. The best way on a New Year's Eve is actually at home especially at our house since we have a 180 sight and all the way into Stockholm. So fireworks are really spectacular. Before that we had a great Toast Skagen followed by Beef fillet with ovenroasted root crops and 3 different sauces, one being brandy sauce. To finish the meal we had chocolate fondant which was so good! The days following was very calm and I really could relax and gain my strength after finishing my antibiotics on Friday 3. So today was first day at work and I know it will be totally chaotic this month. We are introducing a new time tracking program connected to all our different projects. I have been working in it for a couple of months and now the rest will join. But of course nothing goes smothly so there have been seve...

Well, it really was yesterday but we had a lazy day then and just watched TV like the New Year's concert from Vienna that we watch every year. A very nice tradition. Otherwise nothing much happened. We had leftovers from New Year's Eve. I made a cold Avocad soup with shrimps as a starter and to that I made rolls with Västerbottencheese. Main course was fillet of beef with potatoe gratin made of almond potatoe (I don't know if you have it in USA but it's a delicacy here) and of course Västerbotten ;-) and garlic and to that a green sallat. For dessert I made tosca pears with whipped cream. We ate slowly and enjoyed each dish and it took us around 2 1/2 hours to eat. At midnight we watched all the fireworks from our balcony. We have this amazing view and can see 360 and all the way into Stockholm. It was a clear night which made it extra special. But that was then and now is now and the new year began today with work :-) January is a month with lots of work sin...

  So once again it's time to close a year and start a new and fresh one. What has 2011 meant for you?  For me one of my highlights was to visit my sister in California which happens far too seldom. Not only that I got to meet almost all the family during my stay even so my brother-in-law's family. I love being with her since it's not that long we have known each other. I feel I really want to spend as much time as I can but it's a bit far ;-) and also kind of expensive apart from the fact a big chunk of my holiday goes. If I could I would go there for Christmas/New Year/Summer as well. All the times I've been there has been in spring around Easter which is a wonderful time of year in California, just like our high summer :-) I won the cooking competition at work the second year in a row :-) Hasse and I spent a wonderful holiday in Helsinki and Stockholm and also took the time to stay in our favorite hotel in Stockholm several times during this autumn. What am I l...

Tulips that I got from Staffan and Lena Yesterday was Boxing Day and we had a very dear visit from children and grandchildren from Gävle and also Jonas. We had a lovely Taco buffet and it was so nice to sit down and chat with them. It's not often nowadays we all get together since they are all over the place.  Alass Linnea wasn't here but it's a long trip from Thailand to us ;-)  Henrik is normally in Haparanda playing icehockey, Lisa and Micke attend the University in Uppsala and Malin the University in Sundsvall and Jonas is all over the place :-) Henrik, Malin and Klara Me and Malin in the kitchen We have had the most strange weather here in Sweden lately. It's been stormy and winds in hurricane strength which led to a lot of fallen trees, the railway hasn't worked for 2 days and many people (around 180.000) were out of electricity and some still are. This photo shows our flower we have outside our front door and it's blooming and even got buds on it if yo...

I had the most wonderful Christmas card or rather gift today from my niece Lizzie in San Diego and her family Jeff and Dakota. She asked us earlier this year about favourite recipes we had and I sent over one of my. Turns out she did a little book called "Family flavors" the cuisine of our kin volume 1. A wonderful little book with recipes from family members and also underneeth every recipy was a description of the person that had sent it and relation. So nice, so personal and so yummie!! Some of the recipies I really must try. Also included was a CD with storytelling by Lizzie and Dakota, songs by Jeff and Dakota and poetry read by Lizzie. Such a wonderful gift and one that I can listen to all year long. Also a photo of Dakota and although Lizzie isn't her mother she looks a lot like her. She's very pretty and has grown so much since I last saw her. file:///C:/My%20Music/Untitled%20-%2009-12-29/02%20-%20Track%202.mp3 This evening I read some sad news though that Je...