cottage life / lantliv

Autumn is going towards winter and at the cottage, it is time to move the summer furniture inside and replant the flowers. We put down the bulbs in the soil and hope for beautiful colours in spring and we cut down branches that weaken the trees. I can have a look back on a beautiful summer that will give us many great memories to cherish to come: swims in the lake everyday, blueberry picking, excursions with the neighbors, our first encounter with wild boars, warm mosquito-free summer nights, great dinners with friends and family, late evenings on the porch and above all very much relaxation. Finally it feels like the cottage starts to reflect who we are, we've given away a lot of old stuff that came with the house when we moved in and now my old paintings are taking space on the walls and the findings from earlier auctions have found their places. Of course we should someday build a new kitchen and renovate the bathroom, but right now I'm enjoying just being here.

Hösten går mot vinter och på landet är det dags att flytta in sommarmöblerna och plantera om buskar och blommor. Vi sätter lökar som ska ge oss vackra färger till våren och klipper ned grenar som försvagar träden. Jag kan titta tillbaka på en riktigt vacker sommar som gav oss många fina minnen att vårda framöver: varma bad varje dag, blåbärsplockning, utflykt med grannarna, vårt första möte med vildsvin, ljumma myggfria sommarnätter, goda middagar med vänner och familj, sena kvällar på verandan och framför allt mycket avkoppling. Äntligen känns det som att sommarhuset alltmer speglar vilka vi är, vi har skänkt bort mycket som tillhörde huset när vi flyttade in och nu har mina gamla tavlor tagit plats på väggarna och auktionsfynden har hittat sina platser. Visst ska vi bygga om köket och renovera badrummet, men just nu njuter jag bara av att vara här.

tea time with banana cake (gluten and dairy-free)

Fika is of course very dear to us and on Sundays we usually enjoy a little extra with homemade pastries and luxury tea. I buy my everyday tea in a tea store and always go for a bag of Roiboos with coconut and green tea with ginger. When I want to splurge, I bring out the beautiful handmade blue jar with a black satin ribbon - honeybush tea from Theodor. Maison de Thé Theodor was founded in Paris in 2002 by Guillaume Leleu, a genuine tea connoisseur who travels the world in search of the very best flavors and qualities. There is a whole series of black, green and red teas and fruit teas, all with beautiful names corresponding to their tasteful content. Imagine working as a tea-taster, to travel and gather inspiration, meet people around the world every day and work on something that challenges and develops your skills and interests. Yes, I'm a little jealous! 

This wonderful banana cake goes perfectly with the honeybush tea with its soft and round taste. This banana cake is my own invention after several days of longing for soft sponge cake. As you probably know it's hard to find a good recipe for a milk and gluten-free sponge cake that does not taste like sand, but by adding mashed bananas to an existing favourite recipe my dream of a soft and moist cake came true! 

Create some magic:

Stir very gently 3 eggs with 1 dl sugar and 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a bowl. Let rest for 10 minutes so that the sugar dissolves. It is important not to whisk the batter. Then stir down 150g of grounded hazelnuts and 2 mashed ripe bananas. Pour the batter into a bread loaf pan which you've prepared with oil and breaded with coconut flakes. Bake at 175 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes. Enjoy with your favourite tea!

Fika ligger ju oss mycket varmt om hjärtat och på söndagarna brukar vi njuta lite extra med egna bakverk och ett lyxigt te. Jag köper mitt vardagste i lösvikt och det blir alltid en påse med roiboos med kokos samt ett grönt te med ingefära, Bönor & Blad i Moodgallerian samt NKs tehandel har ett utmärkt sortiment. När jag vill lyxa till det så tar jag fram den vackra handgjorda blå burken med svart sidenband - honeybushte från Theodor. Maison de Thé Theodor grundades i Paris 2002 av Guillaume Leleu, en äkta tekonnässör  som reser världen över i jakten på de allra bästa smakerna och kvalitéerna. Det finns en hel serie med svarta, gröna och röda teer samt fruktteer, alla har vackra namn som motsvarar dess smakfulla innehåll. Tänk dig att jobba som te-smakare, att få resa och samla inspiration, träffa människor världen över och dagligen arbeta med något som utmanar och utvecklar din förmåga och intressen. Ja, jag är lite avundsjuk!

Den här underbara banankakan passar alldeles utmärkt till honeybushteet som har mjuka och runda smaker. Banankakan är min egen uppfinning efter att under flera dagar längtat efter mjuk sockerkaka. Som ni säkert vet är det svårt att hitta ett bra recept på en mjölk- och glutenfri mjuk kaka som inte smakar sandpapper, men genom att addera mosade bananer till ett existerande favoritrecept så förverkligades min dröm om en mjuk och saftig kaka!

Skapa magi du också: 
Rör samman 3 ägg med 1 dl socker och 1 tsk bakpulver i en skål. Låt vila i 10 min så att sockret löser upp sig. Det är viktigt att man inte vispar smeten. Rör sedan ner 150 g malda hasselnötter och 2 mogna bananer som är mosade. Häll ner smeten i avlång bakform som du smörjt med olja och bröat med kokosflingor. Grädda i 175 grader i 45 min. Njut med ditt favoritte!

mushroom hunting

Autumn is my favourite season, we love picking mushrooms and explore the woods with Elsa. She has got everything figured out and knows that new adventures awaits when I put on my wellies and grab the picnic basket. Her short legs are filled with excitement when we enter the forest and she runs around sniffing the air and the ground, you can only imagine what kind of animals that have passed this route before us: wild boar, deer, rabbit, moose... The birds are chirping and a fox makes scary noises that make us all jump. When the basket is full we head back to the cottage for a cup of warm cider in front of the fire.

kabocha & kale omelette

This omelette is a perfect mix of autumn: kabocha pumpkin, kale, parsley, green chili and tomatoes, all harvested from my garden. Beat 2 organic eggs and add some mushroom soy, white pepper and cayenne. Put a hint of oil and a knob of butter in a heated pan, fry the vegetables  except for the tomatoes for about one minute before pouring the eggs over the mix and then let it it cook and firm up. When the edges are golden the omelette is ready. Serve with the tomatoes and eat directly from the pan! Enjoy!

under the chestnut tree/under kastanjeträdet

Last Sunday we met a friend for a fika in the Old Town/Gamla Stan, it was one of those beautiful crisp autumn days. We walked around the Castle and the Parliament and studied all the amazing architecture. We met at Under the chestnut tree/Under Kastanjen, a bistro located in a charming square in the Old Town, next to a big chest nut tree. They have a wide selection of gluten- and lactose-free pastries and of course Elsa and her friends are welcome. 

It is not very dog friendly except that you get to take your four-footed friend with you. Some visitors who do not know about that room to the left is for dogs gives us strange looks when we are sitting there enjoying the pastries with Elsa next to us. It's all the same really nice to be able to enjoy a gluten- and lactose-free fika with our little girl although they are not offering a special menu for dogs or even a water bowl.

I söndags mötte vi en vän för en fika i Gamla Stan, det var en vacker och frisk höstdag. Vi gick runt  slottet och regeringsbyggnaderna och beundrade den fantastiska arkitekturen, för att sedan träffas på Under Kastanjen, en bistro som ligger i ett charmigt torg i Gamla stan, förstås bredvid ett stort kastanjeträd. De har ett stort utbud av gluten- och laktosfria bakverk och naturligtvis är Elsa och hennes vänner välkomna. 

Det är inte speciellt hundvänligt förutom att du får ta med dig din fyrfotade vän in och vissa besökare som inte vet om att rummet till vänster är till för hundar tittar lite snett på oss när vi sitter där och njuter av bakverken med Elsa bredvid. Det är i alla fall riktigt skönt att kunna njuta av en gluten- och laktosfri fika med vår lilla tjej, trots att de inte riktar sig till hundar med vare sig meny eller  ens en vattenskål.

weekend in Stockholm

For hubby's birthday I surprised him with a classic afternoon the at the Cadier bar and dinner at Mathias Dahlgren's Matbaren. We left Elsa with a friend and checked in at Grand Hôtel for a our mini vacation. The afternoon tea was just as excellent as expected, they offered a great selection of gluten and lactose-free options including an assortment of sandwiches, scones with lime curd, whipped butter and cream, homemade jams and tasty pastries. And of course hubby enjoyed a glass of Champagne from Pol Roger to all the goodies. 

After the tea session a nap was on the agenda and after that we took a stroll around Skeppsholmen and Kastellholmen. The weather was just perfect and the views idyllic. Stockholm is just  so very beautiful and breathtaking with its mix of nature, water and grand architecture. It amazes me everyday how this bustling city can be so tranquil. We had a cinnamon bun/kanelbulle at af Chapmans (it's not a coincidence that hubby's birthday is at the same day as the annual cinnamon bun day...) and drinks at Långa Raden at Hotel Skeppsholmen. After more of the breathtaking views we had to fill up our energy with amazing drinks at Lydmar, one of my favourite places which hubby had never been before!  For your information I'm on my bikram yoga-period, so the whole weekend was free from alcohol (and will be for the next month). The drinks was of course great, I love Lydmar! 

After a quick change we had a lovely evening at Matbaren, the staff was of course very attentive and the food good to great. Matbaren is awarded with one Michelin star, so of course we always expect a little bit more. The idea is to select one dish at a time, the portions are small to medium-sized and you will need at least three dishes to feel satisfied. And if you are my husband you will need five or six. He had the best dessert ever and was very happy with the whole setting, I on the other hand felt that there were limited options - I had a salad that was good, but it was only a salad. And I was recommended the herring, the waiter said that the chief could make up something new, but would rather stick to the menu. So my meat, lactose and gluten-free options was a bit limited, the bread was delicious though, I forget to ask if it was home-baked. The herring was also good, not great, As a Swede you eat lots of herring and this dish was beautifully presented, but did not charm me. And the great part was when the staff said that they wanted me to leave the restaurant with wonderful memories,  so the waiter apologised for "tricking" me to choose the herring. Of course they could make up something new and they did - I had a fantastic cod that really left me speechless. Okay, but only for five seconds, then I continued with words such as "ooh" and "aah". We fell into bed at around 2 am, satisfied and happy.

We woke up 5 hours later with such energy, dressed in our plush bathrobes and comfy slippers we headed to the spa and floated around in the stillness for an hour before diving into Grand's giant breakfast buffet. We ended our fantastic staycation with a fika in Old Town with Elsa. More of that next week!