Thursday 29 November 2012

Dorset Apple Cake

A lot of tarditional Christmas treats both in England and Sweden are full of warning spices like cinnamon, cloves, saffron and of cause dried fruit.
Even though it is not a traditional Christmas cake I think Dorset apple cake is perfect for the festive season.
This is my take on a for us local classic.

50g butter
200g denerara sugar
50g muscovado sugar
3 eggs
350g flour
100g milk
2 tea spoon baking powder
1 tea spoon vanilla extract
1 tea spoon cinnamon
75g raisins
3 brambly apples
1 table spoon demerara suger for sprinkling on top of cake.


Line and grease a round cake tin

Melt the butter, mix all sugar and the eggs well.
In a separate bowl mix flour,baking powder and cinnamon then add it to the sugar and egg.
Stir in the melted butter.
Peel and dice the apples in to 1 cm cubes.
Add the apples and raisins to the batter.
Put it all in the tin and bake for 35-40 mins at 175C.
Before baking sprinkle the cake with 1 table spoon of demerara sugar.

Serve it with a nice cup of tea, or why not try it with some warm mulled wine.


Monday 26 November 2012

Winter warmer

The weather here in Bournemouth has been horrendous the last few days. Just looking out of the window is enough to make you cold to the bones. Luckily my lovely sister-in-law gave me a shopping bag full of Jerusalem artichokes.
So here is the recipe for one of my favourite winter warmer soups.

Jerusalem artichoke cream soup

500g Jerusalem artichoke
1 large baking potato
1/2 liter veg stock
1/2 lemon
75 ml single cream
1 pack of streaky bacon or pancetta
salt and pepper


Peel and dice artichoke and potatoes and boil them in the veg stock until soft.
Mix it all in a blender or with a hand mixer till silky smooth.
Add the juice of half a lemon and the cream. You might have to add some weather if the soup is to thick.
Season with salt and pepper.
Pan fry the bacon/ pancetta until crispy, drain the fat of on some kitchen paper.
Crumble the pancetta over the soup before serving.

Sunday 25 November 2012

All time favourites

I have started to think about what Christmas decorations I'm going to have this year.
I'm not one of these people that got a my tree and all the lights up weeks before Christmas but I think half the fun is to surge high and low for the right decorations.
Here are some of my all time favourites that makes it out of the cupboard every year.
www.designhousestockholm.com


www.showroomfinland.fi
www.iittala.com

Let me know what your favourits are.

Saturday 24 November 2012

Kids Room

In less then two weeks we will be leaving England to go to Sweden for 3 months.
We are all really exited about it, but it is also a bit sad being away from our English friends and family for so long.
Fred is looking forward to move in to his "Swedish" bedroom which at the moment is just a boring off white room.
So I have been looking for inspiration and came across these.




Friday 23 November 2012

Lovely Baby Hammock

It is not always easy to get a small baby to sleep anywhere else but in your arms.
Our little girl Sofia is now 8 weeks old and I would have gone insane if it was not for the Koala baby hammock.
It's not just lovely to look at, the gentle swaying motion will send any baby to sleep.

My biggest problem with it, is to keep Fred out of it.
Sofia can sleep in the hammock for hours, especially when she is under a soft and snug Pia Wallen blanket.