Greg and I went back to the US over Christmas. It had been a year and a half since I was last there. I was wondering if things would seem really different, or if everything would just feel familiar. I think if I had driven a car, that would have felt really strange, but I didn't, so no need to even talk about it.
Here are some things I do feel the need to talk about.
On the flight over, as they were giving people beverages, I asked if they had ginger ale. The response I got was, "No, I'm sorry. But if you want… I can mix you up something." At this point my curiosity is peaked. Am I about to get a treasure chest?! He immediately continues, "Sometimes people like to mix Sprite and Coke, and the Coke sort of makes it taste like ginger ale." Is this guy being serious, because that sounds disgusting. So I decline, and opt for Sprite without any mix-ins, which actually turned out to be 7-Up. And now, fifteen days later, I'm still kicking my non-adventurous self for not just going for it. How could I have passed on an opportunity like that?
Here is another thing. How did I never notice how many people in NH have vanity license plates? They are hugely abundant. And watch out for the one that had 'poodl' in it, because they cut us off twice in one day.
I also had not had so many conversations with strangers in a long time. Previously, I would compare New Englanders to Mid-westerners and consider the New Englanders to be quite reserved. They are the kind of people who are friendly only after you know them. Although… no. That is totally wrong. Chatty chatty people.
Then on the flight back my luggage got lost. One of my biggest regrets was that all of the chocolate I purchased had gone in my checked bag and none in my carry-on. So I went home without my suitcase, with hopes that they would call me within 24 hours to say all was well. And they did! I was really happy about that, and also really happy that I know the Swedish word 'baggage,' while spelled the same, is actually pronounced sort of like the b'gosh of Oshkosh b'gosh.
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Monday, January 5, 2015
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Wednesday takes
I missed quick takes last week. So here I go, with five quick takes on a Wednesday.
- 1 -
Saw this on pinterest.
- 2 -
There is now a giant egg filled with easter candy in the office kitchen. Let me clarify that there is a giant egg filled with Swedish easter candy. Because apparently it is different.
That little white egg-shaped one? I spit that one out.
- 3 -
I am getting really excited for bike-riding season! For Swedes, no season is Not bike-riding season, but for me, I'll wait for the ice to melt. There is noticeable progress every day though. Not too much longer now.
- 4 -
A few days ago when I was still sick, my nose was SO sore from abundant tissue-using. And I got this really smart plan to put neosporin on my nose. It worked like a charm. Made my nose feel so much better than any lotion ever did.
- 5 -
Luckily I am feeling nearly 100% healthy now. I went from walking at least 30 km per week to not ever leaving the couch for several days while I was so sick. My legs weren't too happy with the change, and they were pretty achy, but now I am back to walking and my legs feel normal again. I bet you are so glad I included that info here.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
A riveting Saturday!
One day, I thought to myself, "I wonder if Uppsala University has a letterpress studio.."
And well, as far as I can tell, they do not. But in my searches I found out that there is currently an exhibit about bookbinding at the library. So I went by to check it out yesterday. I had brought my camera with the hopes that I'd be allowed to use it, but alas, I was not. Either way, it was such a great experience that I will write about it sans photos!
It was a pretty small exhibit, but I read ALL the signs and I stayed in there for over a half hour. I am usually the kind of person that hates history, but man, someone just needs to tell me about the more interesting things and I am completely enthralled. Here are the highlights I saw.
1. A first edition Principia by Isaac Newton. I maintain that, as a physicist, this is the coolest book I could have ever seen. Here is a wikipedia article on the book. Apparently, this particular book had been stolen from the UU collection about forty years ago. And somehow it ended up in an auction in New York, where some kind soul bought it and donated it back to the university. Pretty crazy.
2. The Silver Bible. This is Sweden's most valuable book, I guess. It is actually just the four gospels, not the entire bible, and it is in the Gothic language (they also had a bible that was the first complete one printed in the Swedish language). Mostly I just loved reading the phrase "Swedish war booty" at a bookbinding exhibit. Here is some info on the UU library webpage, including a picture that someone must have illegally taken.
3. Carta Marina. This map was huge and awesome! And it is surprisingly accurate for being made in 1539. It is made in nine pieces that, together, make a map that was four feet by five and a half feet. On the webpage you can look at each of the nine blocks, and get just a tiny taste of the detail that is on this map. The sea creatures are fantastic.
After I got home I made this white hot chocolate, because anything that is equated to a form of frosting is a thing I've got to try. And it was sooo amazing. I seriously don't know how I lived my whole life without this stuff. As a side note, even though it is a Swedish-inspired recipe, I managed to forget to buy pearl sugar and almond flavor, so I just made it without. I also think I used nutmeg, but it could have been allspice. I don't really know, and I didn't feel like looking it up, but I smelled it and was in favor. I also used a bit of cinnamon, since I was missing the almond flavor. I even invested the time in whipping up some whipped cream, which was completely worth the time spent.
And well, as far as I can tell, they do not. But in my searches I found out that there is currently an exhibit about bookbinding at the library. So I went by to check it out yesterday. I had brought my camera with the hopes that I'd be allowed to use it, but alas, I was not. Either way, it was such a great experience that I will write about it sans photos!
It was a pretty small exhibit, but I read ALL the signs and I stayed in there for over a half hour. I am usually the kind of person that hates history, but man, someone just needs to tell me about the more interesting things and I am completely enthralled. Here are the highlights I saw.
1. A first edition Principia by Isaac Newton. I maintain that, as a physicist, this is the coolest book I could have ever seen. Here is a wikipedia article on the book. Apparently, this particular book had been stolen from the UU collection about forty years ago. And somehow it ended up in an auction in New York, where some kind soul bought it and donated it back to the university. Pretty crazy.
2. The Silver Bible. This is Sweden's most valuable book, I guess. It is actually just the four gospels, not the entire bible, and it is in the Gothic language (they also had a bible that was the first complete one printed in the Swedish language). Mostly I just loved reading the phrase "Swedish war booty" at a bookbinding exhibit. Here is some info on the UU library webpage, including a picture that someone must have illegally taken.
3. Carta Marina. This map was huge and awesome! And it is surprisingly accurate for being made in 1539. It is made in nine pieces that, together, make a map that was four feet by five and a half feet. On the webpage you can look at each of the nine blocks, and get just a tiny taste of the detail that is on this map. The sea creatures are fantastic.
After I got home I made this white hot chocolate, because anything that is equated to a form of frosting is a thing I've got to try. And it was sooo amazing. I seriously don't know how I lived my whole life without this stuff. As a side note, even though it is a Swedish-inspired recipe, I managed to forget to buy pearl sugar and almond flavor, so I just made it without. I also think I used nutmeg, but it could have been allspice. I don't really know, and I didn't feel like looking it up, but I smelled it and was in favor. I also used a bit of cinnamon, since I was missing the almond flavor. I even invested the time in whipping up some whipped cream, which was completely worth the time spent.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Keeping Busy
For the past two days I have been partly moping around, but partly keeping busy so that I don't start to feel too sorry for myself and so that no one else starts to feel sorry for me. Greg has had to go back to the states. I am not really looking forward to this Skype-phase of our marriage. I want to be cautious about wishing time away, but I am pretty much wishing this time will go quickly.
The night before Greg left he decided we should make some pepparkakor. This is the standard Swedish Christmas cookie, basically a ginger snap. Normally I have a decent instinct with baking. For example, if I am looking at a recipe that requires 6 cups of flour, I know that the yield is probably a bit high for a household of two, soon to be one. But when a recipe requires 15 dl of flour, then it is just like, 'Okay where is the measuring cup?'. So after we had about half of the cookies made (using our new cookie cutters shaped like a polar bear, giraffe, lion, alligator, and camel), Greg saw that the yield for the recipe was 300. Luckily I don't roll dough very thin, so we only made about 150?
And I cleaned the windows. Riveting! Just look at how filthy they were.
And of course the first day Greg was gone I finished the rest of the Reese's trees that my mother had lovingly sent to me when I panicked about not being able to buy any here. So today I made the peanut butter balls that we had planned to make before Christmas. I guess when you buy a most-delicious cake, any pre-Christmas baking plans get delayed.
Unfortunately (fortunately), though the peanut butter balls look so spectacular in that photo (it is salt sprinkled on top! so amazing!), the removal of peanut butter balls from plate was not a smooth operation. The chocolate majorly stuck to the plate. Unless I let them warm up a bit, in which it stuck all over my fingers. Needless to say, these are not presentable and will not be shared with anyone else. Sad day for me? I put half of them in the freezer so that I wouldn't eat them all in two days. Although a frozen peanut butter ball is probably delicious...
In other news I just like reading blogs and I am now obsessed with Ana's blog. I feel so lucky to have learned about 'super bust-out mode'. Basically, set a timer, pick a task, and get as much done with it as you can in the allotted time. Aim for quantity over quality. I just busted-out on the kitchen and basically got everything done in under the 30 minutes I gave myself. But before, I was looking at all of the mess and thinking about how it would take hours to clean, a task which was too daunting to even start.
I think it helps that I've created a super bust-out mode playlist on spotify. (Spell checker wants that to say spottily.) So far it has two songs, Party Rock Anthem and Kerncraft 400. It took a little searching for that second one, because I only know it as the Hockey Goal Song.
The night before Greg left he decided we should make some pepparkakor. This is the standard Swedish Christmas cookie, basically a ginger snap. Normally I have a decent instinct with baking. For example, if I am looking at a recipe that requires 6 cups of flour, I know that the yield is probably a bit high for a household of two, soon to be one. But when a recipe requires 15 dl of flour, then it is just like, 'Okay where is the measuring cup?'. So after we had about half of the cookies made (using our new cookie cutters shaped like a polar bear, giraffe, lion, alligator, and camel), Greg saw that the yield for the recipe was 300. Luckily I don't roll dough very thin, so we only made about 150?
And I cleaned the windows. Riveting! Just look at how filthy they were.
And of course the first day Greg was gone I finished the rest of the Reese's trees that my mother had lovingly sent to me when I panicked about not being able to buy any here. So today I made the peanut butter balls that we had planned to make before Christmas. I guess when you buy a most-delicious cake, any pre-Christmas baking plans get delayed.
Unfortunately (fortunately), though the peanut butter balls look so spectacular in that photo (it is salt sprinkled on top! so amazing!), the removal of peanut butter balls from plate was not a smooth operation. The chocolate majorly stuck to the plate. Unless I let them warm up a bit, in which it stuck all over my fingers. Needless to say, these are not presentable and will not be shared with anyone else. Sad day for me? I put half of them in the freezer so that I wouldn't eat them all in two days. Although a frozen peanut butter ball is probably delicious...
In other news I just like reading blogs and I am now obsessed with Ana's blog. I feel so lucky to have learned about 'super bust-out mode'. Basically, set a timer, pick a task, and get as much done with it as you can in the allotted time. Aim for quantity over quality. I just busted-out on the kitchen and basically got everything done in under the 30 minutes I gave myself. But before, I was looking at all of the mess and thinking about how it would take hours to clean, a task which was too daunting to even start.
I think it helps that I've created a super bust-out mode playlist on spotify. (Spell checker wants that to say spottily.) So far it has two songs, Party Rock Anthem and Kerncraft 400. It took a little searching for that second one, because I only know it as the Hockey Goal Song.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Cake Balls!
I recently learned the joy of cake pops. The ones I made were delicious, but they left me wanting. The inspiration came from eating a cake pop at a popular coffee establishment. And that cake pop was more delicious than the ones I made, somehow. So I went searching for a new recipe to try, and I came across this gem.
If you clicked on that link, you'll see that the author has a particular love of cake batter flavored things. If you didn't already know, cake batter ice cream is the only kind I ever get when I encounter a Cold Stone Creamery. Actually, while I'm on the topic, it is the Cake Batter Remix that is my choice, except that I don't get the fudge, but instead get caramel sauce. So it is cake batter ice cream, with brownie chunks, and caramel sauce, and sprinkles. And it is so delicious.
I just checked and it is 57.62 miles to the nearest Cold Stone...
Anyhow, so I made the recipe above, except that I wouldn't really justify it by calling them truffles (because in my mind a truffle is a fancy complicated thing). These babies are just cake balls (like a cake pop, but no stick).
Also, I didn't have white chocolate in the house, so we went to the little store in town, which is nothing more than an advanced gas station. The only white chocolate was in the form of Cookies and Cream candy bars. Hence the cookie bits in my cake balls.
And oh were these delicious. Normally it is hard for a dessert to be sweet enough for me. With these, I could eat two and feel quite sated with the sweetness. Normally, I can't keep dessert in my house without eating it all in two days, but these were sweet enough to be self-regulating.
I should mention that these didn't really have the cake batter taste I was hoping for, even though they were incredibly delicious.
Also, I'll never make cake pops again. The stick is just too much of a hassle, both in preparation and in storage.
If you clicked on that link, you'll see that the author has a particular love of cake batter flavored things. If you didn't already know, cake batter ice cream is the only kind I ever get when I encounter a Cold Stone Creamery. Actually, while I'm on the topic, it is the Cake Batter Remix that is my choice, except that I don't get the fudge, but instead get caramel sauce. So it is cake batter ice cream, with brownie chunks, and caramel sauce, and sprinkles. And it is so delicious.
I just checked and it is 57.62 miles to the nearest Cold Stone...
Anyhow, so I made the recipe above, except that I wouldn't really justify it by calling them truffles (because in my mind a truffle is a fancy complicated thing). These babies are just cake balls (like a cake pop, but no stick).
Also, I didn't have white chocolate in the house, so we went to the little store in town, which is nothing more than an advanced gas station. The only white chocolate was in the form of Cookies and Cream candy bars. Hence the cookie bits in my cake balls.
And oh were these delicious. Normally it is hard for a dessert to be sweet enough for me. With these, I could eat two and feel quite sated with the sweetness. Normally, I can't keep dessert in my house without eating it all in two days, but these were sweet enough to be self-regulating.
I should mention that these didn't really have the cake batter taste I was hoping for, even though they were incredibly delicious.
Also, I'll never make cake pops again. The stick is just too much of a hassle, both in preparation and in storage.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
starting early today
Another post on food.
I am breaking out the chocolate early today.
But I'll balance it with an apple.
As an aside, this hunk of chocolate was broken off of a 'typographic chocolate slab' made by dynamo that Julie gifted me for my birthday. At one point it said "best day ever" but now I think I'm down to just "er"...
Needless to say, the chocolate is super delicious and super necessary for this time in my life (thanks Julie!).
I am breaking out the chocolate early today.
But I'll balance it with an apple.
As an aside, this hunk of chocolate was broken off of a 'typographic chocolate slab' made by dynamo that Julie gifted me for my birthday. At one point it said "best day ever" but now I think I'm down to just "er"...
Needless to say, the chocolate is super delicious and super necessary for this time in my life (thanks Julie!).
Monday, February 20, 2012
little chocolate snacks
Lately I have developed a keen appreciate for my stash of little chocolate snacks. For several weeks I've been carrying around some Taza chocolate discs, which I recently started taking more note of.
This Guajillo chili flavor was particularly delicious. A primary reason this chocolate is so super special and delicious is the process by which it is made. They use a unique method so that very dark chocolate actually gets a fruity flavor, instead of becoming very bitter. This chocolate will make you believe that "darker chocolate is more bitter" is a total hoax. I first heard this amazing piece of info when Greg won and read the book American Terroir from goodreads.com.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Dove Messages
Send a love letter this week.
Don't think about it so much.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Don't think about it so much.
Naughty can be nice.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Send a love letter this week.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Go against the grain.
Sometimes one smile means more than a dozen roses.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Make "someday" today.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Don't think about it so much.
Go against the grain.
Send a love letter this week.
Love without rules.
Love without rules.
Engage, embrace, enjoy.
Bring your life to life: stop planning, start doing.
Think of someone who makes you smile.
Be spontaneous.
Start a good habit today.
Don't think about it so much.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Don't think about it so much.
Naughty can be nice.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Send a love letter this week.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Go against the grain.
Sometimes one smile means more than a dozen roses.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Make "someday" today.
Lose yourself in a moment.
Don't think about it so much.
Go against the grain.
Send a love letter this week.
Love without rules.
Love without rules.
Engage, embrace, enjoy.
Bring your life to life: stop planning, start doing.
Think of someone who makes you smile.
Be spontaneous.
Start a good habit today.
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