Tales of Midsummer

I am so happy to be featured in the newest issue of beautiful enfants terribles magazine with photos from the blog and an interview. The theme of the issue is Tales of Midsummer, and I guess it comes as no surprise that I instantly felt related to this theme.

The whole issue is packed with beautiful and magic photos to evoke the warm feeling of summer and sweet memories. Go have a look - it's such a good job in my opion!

*hello*

I'm still here, but we are up here, in our Swedish house. These past weeks have been so packed with holidays and we have had wonderful get-aways and mini vacations with the girls. Up here we love it - June is so lush and green and we are grateful to have the opportunity to free our city kids a bit and let them explore on their own.

1. Molly in the green - still in her pajamas.
2. Wild flowers from my big girl.
3. She is reading comics from another decade in bed.
4. Flea find (and the doll came with an impressive handmade wardrobe!)
5. We practice the names.
6. Rhubarb compote in the making - it was good, with freshly baked waffles.

in August...

... we love to eat plums, apricots, grapes & blueberries
... we love that it is still warm enough for bare suntanned legs
... we love that it is still season for salads. We have had 3191's Fresh Vegetable Slaw with Asian Dressing quite many times this summer in different variations. Today's we added whole wheat noodles for more fullness.

In August we want to go here - and I am also curious to visit either this or this place to stock up with fruits and berries for winter season.

bluish & greenish

For the past years we have been collecting old plates for our house in Sweden at the local flea markets. Our criterias have been bluish & greenish, only classic Swedish porcelain as Rörstrand, Gustavsberg, Upsala-Ekeby, and max 20 SEK. Our collection is growing slowly since our price threshold is quite low, but this summer I was lucky to find good treasures at bargain price.

I thought it was fun when I saw Elizabeth Dunker's blue collection at fine little day.

summer food

We have enjoyed so many good meals this summer. Not sophisticated or complicated meals, but simple, fresh and summery food. Especially at my mom's place, where you just have to pick the veggies and potatoes you need for dinner in her garden. She lives near the sea so freshly caught local fish is everyday food. We had crab claws more than once when we stayed with her.

Last photo is a super simple summer dessert or afternoon snack that I have been making for years now. It started out as a smoothie, but I like to make it thicker in consistency so that it is more like a not too unhealthy ice cream. Needless to say that the girls love it as they are still convinced it is actually ice cream.

4 glasses or bowls:
200-250 g frozen raspberries or blueberries
2 bananas
vanilla
4-6 soft dried dates
a dab of soy milk, yoghurt, skyr or whatever you have

Mix it all in the blender and serve right away.
Before the girls were born I added juice from one orange to give some freshness, but the girls both have allergies to citrus fruits, so I skip this now and it tastes great without.

Last note on food: I need new inspiration for food that the girls (read: Frida Viola, 4 years) like. Any ideas for good cookbooks? It doesn't matter if it is in English. We eat vegetarian (except for fish). Molly eats everything, and it's a pleasure to see how happy she is with food. Frida Viola is very picky - as many 4-years-olds are - and I need inspiration to open her eyes to the fantastic variety of food as well as the pleasure and very social aspect of sharing a meal. Any good advice...?

back

We are back in Copenhagen and tomorrow our everyday life will start again. Today I have been running around in the apartment trying to get organized and ready for another mode. Browsing through these last photos from our vacation - only a few days old - these quiet and simple days at the country already seem far away. It's strange how soon the pulse and the noises of the city get into you.

These last days of our vacation we have been visiting family and friends who live at beautiful places. Look at photo 3 - wouldn't it be nice to have this view from your living room...?

Vasen

We try to do as many things during our vacation that we can't do in our daily life in the city. Today we went to Vasen - a beautifully situated and very old agriculture that uses organic principles although not certified yet. It's possible to pick your own berries and flowers and the place also has a small farmer's market and a café with juices, homemade cakes, and simple food as rye bread with potatoes. The girls were especially thrilled about the edible cornflower fields and the rasperries. Molly had a hard time keeping her little fingers from the berries. The thatched buildings that dates back to the end of 1700 are carefully restored and if you ever come to this part of Denmark the place is surely worthwhile a visit. It's well tucked away in the hills at the end of a long and narrow road.

♥ two years ♥

My grandmom's summerhouse at the sea in the Northern part of Denmark. I guess it's easily to see why we love this place. Today, two years ago, we had another very special day here.

goodbye old house

House is cleaned, bags are packed. Tomorrow we will leave. Could easily stay here for several weeks more. I don't think we have ever swimmed so much in the lakes as this year. The photos are from a favourite lake nearby our house.

summer rain

Today we had rain fot the first time during this stay. And when it rains up here, it seems neverending. Frida Violas and I went out searching for smooth stones to paint on. A baked us some waffles and they were very good with the rhurbarb marmelade. At 4 o'clock the sun was shining again and the land surrounding the house was quivering with dew, bugs and dancing little baby frogs. They say we will have rain again tomorrow.

We found this very beautiful gas stove at today's flea market. It will be perfect for the kitchen up here after the old wood-fired stove has been removed. I just hope we will be able to find the right replacement parts to make it function. It dates back to 1960.

Eksjö

Every summer we have to visit the nearby beautiful Eksjö. The town is awarded for its many old wellkept and listed wooden houses. We don't do anything special when we come there, just walk around and look at the beautiful facades and signs and have a coffee or an ice cream at the local pâtisserie. The town might be slightly touristy but it doesn't really bother us since we spend so much time alone up here that a little life in the streets just is a welcome change.

Last photo is from a really nice vintage shop, Tuppens Antikt & Inredning. It doesn't have a website, but it is situated at Norra Storgatan 17. We found some nice hooks and a little closet for our new bathroom - but I could have brought the whole shop with me home.