lusse

We made some typical Swedish buns today. I should really have had some saffron but of course in my usual excellent planning I had run out. I added cardamon instead and they turned out delicious. I am glad that this year I managed to get the advent candle holder out in time to light one candle for each advent Sunday. The Christmas traditions are becoming more important to me. I think it comes with having children and wanting Alvar to experience the magic of this season. I love lighting candles, decorating oranges with cloves, hanging home made hearts in the window, baking and making 'knäck' - swedish christmas toffee. If I have time I might try and make him a stocking and a little Santa hat but from what seemed weeks until Christmas it's now only a few days. Next year, I will start sooner! I write this down so I can look back and remind myself.

apple season

On Monday, it was such a gorgeous day so after having finished all the boring house tasks it was still only 2pm. So we got in the car and went to Hewitt´s farm in Kent to pick some apples. The air was so cool and crisp and the smell of apples so sweet. Alvar sitting like a little king on a throne, chomped his way through several varieties with gusto. Now our freezer and fridge is stocked up with apple sauce until next year. As the Swedish song goes...abundance in August, enjoy it in November. Or something like that. This is the point where we wish we had a larder (one with frilly things at the end of the shelves!) where we could store it alongside with our strawberry jam and tomato chutney. I am starting to view my parents cool cellar in a new light!

autumn

a few autumnal images. Alvar in his Swedish outdoor gear (the picture is a bit fuzzy but its impossible to catch him standing still at the moment and also i love his expression in this photo),

a fat pumpkin from the alottment, a plump little mushroom in wet moss, and early morning mists in Sweden. And the last image is from my parents garden, which was overflowing with apples. The biggest harvest for a long time. I havent worked out how to turn the picture once they are uploaded. I will get there eventually...

reflection

This is Alvar looking out the window at my parents house in Sweden. He has just having seen grandma Brita gardening and was quite transfixed. I love the way you can see the reflection of what he is looking at in the window.

green...

I love cooking fresh food for Alvar that requires minimum amount of preparation.
This evening we walked back from the alottment where we had picked one courgette, two large handfuls of french beans, a beaker of blackberries and some mint. I steamed the vegetables, mixed them with olive oil, lemon juice and mint and stirred the blackberries into some Greek yogurt and Alvar ate it whilst studying the planes and pigeons flying past the window. The evening was so warm and still and the sunshine a bit hazy. Beautiful.