Christmas Eve Walk

Vi gick på en morgonpromenad på julafton och stannade till hos grannen för att kika på hennes kaniner. Dom är jättesöta och fluffiga och de verkar ha det riktigt mysigt i sina bon. De fick lite äppelbitar att mumsa på. Tänk vad mysigt det skulle vara att ha en liten kanin att gosa med! Jag har hört att man kan lära dem att gå på låda och att de kan springa omkring fritt i huset typ som en katt eller hund.
Tui la sig i en snödriva och kämpade för att komma upp. Han såg ut som en sköldpadda tills Anna kom till hans undsättning.

English: We went for a morning walk on Christmas Eve and stopped by our neighbor's house to have a look at the bunny rabbits. They're so precious and fluffy and they seemed so warm and cozy in their little nests. We gave them little pieces of apple and watched them snack away. How awesome would it be to have a little bunny to cuddle with? I heard you can teach them to use a litter box and have them running around the house freely like a dog or a cat.
Tui laid down in the snow and struggled to get up. He looked like a turtle until Anna came to his rescue.

What's hiding behind the curtain?

"What the hell is this crap? I want cigarettes and whiskey!" 

Tui the turtle

Look at all those eager hands! 

I wonder if I put enough cinnamon on my porridge

Christmas breakfast!

The fire crackled and popped. 

Sen gick jag till jobbet och diskade i fem timmar. 

Then I went to work to do the dishes for five hours. 

Food, Cookies, Sugar, Candy, Food, Candy, Cookies.

Jag provade att göra Martha Stewarts "eggnog" idag och det var en hit! Istället för sprit hade jag i romarom vilket var asgott.
Jag halverade receptet och det blev perfekt till 5 små koppar. Om jag skulle göra om det skulle jag även halvera sockermängden ytterligare eftersom det känns som att jag har 15 hål i tänderna och borderline diabetes efter en kopp.

Mitt modifierade recept:
5 små koppar

- 6 ägggulor
- 5 dl mjölk
- 3/4 dl socker
- 1 tsk romarom
- Vispad grädde 
- Färskriven muskot

I medelstor kastrull, vispa mjölk och socker på medelvärme tills sockret är upplöst, 1 till 2 minuter. I en stor skål, vispa äggulor. Vispa hela tiden, häll den varma blandningen i äggulorna i en långsam och stadig ström.
Häll tillbaka blandningen i kastrullen. Över låg värme, rör om ofta tills den är tjock nog att belägga baksidan av sked, 20 till 25 minuter. Låt inte sjuda. Rör i romarom. Garnera med muskot och klicka på en tesked grädde.

English: I made Marta Stewart's eggnog today and it was a success! Instead of alcohol I used rum extract (flavor?) which was super tasty!
I only made half the amount of the recipe which turned out perfect for five small cups. If I was to do it again I would use half the sugar of the recipe calls for (that would be a quarter of the original amount) because it feels like I have 15 cavities and borderline diabetes after just one cup.

Here is my modified recipe:
Makes 5 small cups

• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp rum extract or flavoring
• Whipped cream, just enough to put a teaspoon on each
• Grated nutmeg

• In medium saucepan, whisk milk and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks. Whisking constantly, pour hot mixture into yolks in a slow and steady stream

• Return mixture to pan; cook over low heat, stirring often, until thick enough to coat back of spoon, 20 to 25 minutes; do not let simmer. Stir in rum extract. Garnish with nutmeg and a dab of whipped cream.

A teaspoon of whipped cream and some freshly grated nutmeg makes for perfection.

Here's a guy who likes eggnog!

This was our lunch today! Festive, huh? 

To Fur Or Not To Fur

Idag var vi på Rättviks julmarknad. Det snöade och blåste så in i helskotta ute, och som tur var var marknaden inomhus. Iallafall, bilden nedanför kanske är lite kontroversiell. Vad tycker ni? Kan man köpa en renfäll? Det tycker jag att man kan... Dessa renar är var från Idre och har levt ute och haft det bra. Men det är ju skillnad på päls och päls, jag tycker att så länge man vet och är ok med varifrån produkten kommer och under vilka omständigheter de har levt, så är det inte värre än att äta kött (på samma villkor).  

English: Today we went to the christmas market here in Rättvik. It was super snowy and windy outside, but luckily the market was held inside. Anyway the picture below might be a little controversial. What do you think? Is it wrong to buy a reindeer skin? I don't think so. These reindeer are were from a place in Sweden called Idre and have spent their lives outside and had a good life. Obviously it's not always ok to buy fur , but as long as you know and are ok with where the product is from and under which circumstances the animal was held, I don't think it's any worse than eating meat (on the same conditions). 

I tried my best to look nice and pleasant, but somehow I ended up looking kind of evil. Of course I didn't mean to look so short either but that's just nature. 

My new (faux suede ;-) shoes. 

Check out these ladies! They're wearing the traditional dress of Rättvik. 

Wool slippers. They look comfy, huh? 

This guy! He was making mustard in a bowl with a canon ball! (Can you see it?) How cool is that? He had inherited them along with the recipe from his mother. I got to taste it and it was sooo delicious! They also had a whiskey flavored mustard which was my favorite (go figure..). We bought three jars! 

This is the cheese lady. Her blue cheese was the bomb. Of course we had to buy three of those too haha!
And what was even more note worthy was the fact that she had a full on mustache! She didn't seem bothered or ashamed by it either which I think is awesome. 

Jams, jellies and marmelade. What's the difference anyway?

Non-offensive Gingerbread!

Att baka pepparkakor är väl jävligt tråkigt. Kavla, trycka ut djur och kanske en snopp eller två och så in i ugnen. Det var roligare när man var liten och kunde trycka i sig halva degen utan problem.
Aja, nu har jag bakat klart iallafall och jag vill be om ursäkt ifall mina överviktiga pepparkaksmänniskor väcker anstöt.

English: Baking gingerbread cookies is a boring task. Roll out the dough, punch out the shapes (usually animals but sometimes also a penis or two) and throw them in the oven. It was more fun when I was little and I could eat half the dough. Anyway, I'm all done now and would like to apologize in advance in case you feel offended by my obese gingerbread people.

I also baked these slippers. 

All the creatures of the forest! Yes, we have ALL of these animals in the forest, even the water ones.

Ta-daa! Can anyone tell me what kind of animal that little tiny one by the bear is?? It's so pathetic looking... Could it be a donkey? But why is it so small?
And unfortunately I have to inform you that the giraffe broke it's face (no, not the neck) shortly after this picture was taken. It was delicious. 

A Quick and Easy Christmas Treat

Ett enkelt julgodis är "Peppermint Bark". Jag vet inte om man kan kalla det recept men så här gör man:
- Smält 200 g mörk choklad och bred ut det på ett bakplåtspapper som ligger på en plåt. Se till att det blir ett jämnt lager i ungefär A4 storlek. Ställ in plåten i kylen till det har stelnat helt.
- Smält lika mycket vit choklad och bred ut försiktigt i ett jämnt lager på den stelnade mörka chokladen.
- Strö över krossade polkagrisar direkt så de fastnar i chokladen.
- Låt det stelna i kylen.
- Bryt upp det i bitar och kanske kan du slå in det fint och ge bort? Eller lägga på ett fint fat och ha på julbordet!

English: An easy Christmas treat is "peppermint bark". I don't know if you can call it a recipe but here it how to make it:
- Melt 200 g of dark chocolate and spread it out on a baking sheet on a baking tray. Make sure it's an even layer about the size of a printer paper.
- Place it in the fridge until hardened.
- Melt an equal amount of white chocolate and spread evenly on top of the dark chocolate.
- Before it hardens, sprinkle crushed candy canes on top and put it in the fridge to harden.
- Break it up in bite size pieces and wrap it up nicely as a gift or put it on a plate to serve with coffee.