Friday 18 December 2015

MAKE YOUR OWN #GRAVADLAX FOR #CHRISTMAS EASY PEASY

Make your own Gravad Lax this Christmas. In Sweden most people do. And that is were this dish has it´s origin, and me. Gravad means "buried", in the old days the fish was marinated in salt and sugar and buried (well wrapped in cloth) in the ground (it is cold in Sweden in the winter) and left for a couple of days. These days the fridge does the job. This is what you need. This is my slightly updated and modern version. Play around with the seasoning, the important bit are the salt the the sugar! Per kilo of fish fillet (Salmon) you need 4 tablespoons of salt (I use Maldon flaky sea salt but any basic salt will do) 4 tablespoons of sugar and 2-3 teaspoons of course ground pepper. One bunch of dill, the zest of one lemon and one lime. A drizzle of honey on each fillet and if you fancy, 1 g of saffron. Mix a little bit of the salt with the saffron and grind it in a mortal and pestle and mix with the rest of the salt, sugar and pepper. Add the zest. Chop the dill. Rub the fillets with the spice mixture and put the rest on top. Then spread the dill generously and drizzle the honey on top. Put two "rubbed" fillets on top, flesh to flesh, of each other and wrap in a plastic bag. Keep in the fridge for two days. Turning them occasionally. After the two days, scrape of the excess of the salt&sugar mix and re wrap in plastic bags. Will keep in the fridge for about 4-5 days. Suitable for home freezing. Serve with gravlaxsauce or sour creme mixed with a bit of honey. Enjoy!

The GravLax in the making. In Sweden the fish has a given place on the Christmas Smörgåsbord.

Thursday 17 December 2015

#WHITECHRISTMAS WITH #IKEA AND #FOSSEWAYNURSERIES

White Christmas at Ikea with silver baubles and those dressed with fabric! Why not lay your Christmas table this way. Use your own white china etc and decorate with silver and branches of pine or spruce, real or fake. The real ones smell very seasonal! This year I chose to dress my Christmas tree in mainly white, glass and silver with an accent of read. More about that soon. In my family we do Swedish and English Christmas so if you follow me here I will sample you bits of both. Tomorrow gravad lax!

My local garden centre show off an impressive Christmas "Market" with all kinds of decorations from silvery white to Disney inspired themes. www.fossewaynurseries.com.


Ikea again, with grey china and classic glasses. I think that they could easily put up more and far more spectacular seasonal displays...

Since I was in Chicago just recently I want to show you this display that I found at Bloomindale Home. Mix greys and blacks with gold and silver, add some birch logs and spice with a bit of red. More tomorrow with gravlax...

Monday 14 December 2015

#MINIMALISTIC #CHRISTMAS AND WHAT IS HAPPENING ON MY BLOG!

This is to inspire for a more minimalistic Christmas with natural decorations. I will be back with more Christmas pictures etc in the next week. I am currently working on a new look blog that will be more of a small magazine aimed at women and men that are interested in fashion, food, interiors and modern lifestyle. Everything that can make everyday a bit more glamourous in an easy approachable way! Let your friends know and follow me!

Friday 4 December 2015

#MEMORYLANE IN #CHICAGO AND #ARCHITECTUAL #BOATTRIP ON #CHICAGORIVER

Yesterday morning we went on a boat trip under the bridges of Chicago. Fascinating history about how it all started...A mix of postmodernism, functionalism, brutalism etc

Chinatown with a typical Pagoda by the river...
The Aqua building, the only skyscraper designed by a female run group of architects! A sexy and "warm" design.
One of the reasons to be here in Chicago is that my grandmother lived and worked here for seventeen years during the 1940s and 1950s. This is the house on the South Shore where she and the family she worked for lived. The house is still there and are situated just by a park and with a beautiful sea view. It was very emotional to be there...

The entrance of the house, she lived in flat 6858. There where not many flats in the complex so they must be big apartments!

The apartment block where she lived!



Tuesday 1 December 2015

#CHRISTMAS #CRATEANDBARREL #CHICAGO

Rusty metal with dears and spruces, cones and red boxes etc. At www.crateandbarrel.com in Chicago we found this lovely Christmas display.

And why not decorate your chairs with red ribbons and mistletoe!

...or dress your table in white, gold and silver for your Christmas lunch or dinner. All from www.crateandbarrel.com. All photos by www.ankanberggren.com.