CHRISTMAS IS OVER AND THE SNOW I NEARLY GONE!

"Nu är glada Julen slut, slut, slut (Happy Christmas is over, nearly anyway!) And yesterday I put Hugo's Ginger cookie house calender away along with the big cookies and the advent candle holders.....and my lovely Christmas pigs from Skansen have been put back in the dark of the cupboard...see you all next Christmas.... The weather is misty and the snow has nearly all thored away.....tomorrow we are off our local pub for a New Years Eve Party.....looking forward to that....HAPPY NEW YEAR, I will be back with more tomorrow...

CHRISTMAS IN THE CASTLE, THE BEST OF TWO WORLDS

Christmas in the Castle is the best of two worlds. The Swedish Christmas and the English. We start on Christmas Eve morning with homemade warming rice porridge and then have a small Smörgåsbord at about 6.00 pm followed by opening the Christmas gifts. We dress the table according to Swedish traditions in red with lots of candles.
And on Christmas day, we start with stockings by the tree and then we always go for drinks at one of our local pubs "The Ebrington Arms". Bruce, my husband, did pheasant with all the trimmings assisted by his daughter Charmaine. Lovely! We dressed the table more elegant with sparkly black decorations.
We watched "Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special" and then we traditionally watched "It´s a wonderful life" together....

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM LONDON AND CHIPPING CAMPDEN

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR from me and my family....sorry for not having "been" here for a while but I have had a rough few weeks...my younger brother very sadly passed away last Friday....cancer took his life....
But life goes on and enjoy the very nice Christmas Tree that I found in London the other week in Benetton's window on Knightsbridge....inspiring
And we can this year enjoy a white Christmas in the Cotswolds. Just look at this lovely picture from an old ruin in Chipping Campden surrounded by sheep....
I will be back tomorrow with some last minute Christmas recipes and ideas!

WINTER IN THE CASTLE GARDEN WITH SAFFRON GRAVAD LAX

They call it "the big freeze" I call it Winter! Since being Swedish I kind of like it! Not too much snow but cold and no wind. It is winter in the Cotswold's and this is my back garden!
I am also preparing for our big Christmas party and again I am preparing the now famous Gravad Lax with Saffron. Just looked at the recipe from last year (look at my blog here from 15 December last year and you will find the instructions how to make it) and realized that the Saffron was/is actually missing! The recipe still works as it is but to get the Christmasy taste add 0,5 g of Saffron to the salt mix....lovely with Gravad Lax sauce....will be back tomorrow or on Thursday with that recipe!

CHRISTMAS MARKET AT DAYLESFORD AND BOOKSIGNING WITH JASPER CONRAN

Last Saturday was my birthday, and also the start of Daylesford Organic Christmas Market. A lovely coincidence! And they must have known I was coming for one of my favourite designers, Jasper Conran, was there to sign his new book, Country, he wrote me a very nice dedication in my personal copy. I you have not been to the original Daylesford Organic, Kingham in the Cotswolds it is high time you went. They have tried to recreate it in London, but it really works best with the Cotswold Stone and surrounded by cows and farmland.

CHRISTMAS IN HONG KONG

I found this Christmas "decoration" in World Trade Center in Hong Kong. Different from what we are used to in Europe....I will be heading to Stockholm tonight via London. I will be back next week with more...then from England and Stockholm.

SHABBY CHIC LUNCH IN HONG KONG

Initial is a Hong Kong fashion brand with vintage look and quirky clothes. The interiors of the shops are using a mix of old and shabby chic new furniture and items. On Cameron Street in HK they also have a café and lunch restaurant mixed in with the shop. Nice and different to be in HK. Well worth a visit if you are there...

HONG KONG TODAY

I am in Hong Kong doing some work for some Swedish Magazines etc. Caught these Chinese girl walking up to Soho on Hong Kong Island. What a diverse society. Amazing and were East meets West. Will be back later with more...

HOME ETC. new shop in Stow-On-The-Wold

We went to Stow-on-the-Wold (in the Cotswolds, UK) last Sunday to visit our friend Sharons nice Gallery, The Fosseway Gallery. Next door is a newly opened shop with interiors (Vintage), gifts, interior design accessories and some clothing, all a bit exclusive country and nice. They are opening the second floor shortly. We will be back!

WARMING VENISON CASSEROLE

The Game season is here and I got some nice Venison meat from our local butcher in Mickleton. I made a casserole with beetroot which has an enzyme that will make the sometimes not so tender venison meat go nice and soft! And it worked. This recipe will make a lovely and soft casserole enough for at least 6 people (if not more). And the juniper berries, the red currant jelly and the red wine adds the sweetness and spiciness it needs!

900 venison meat cut in cubes
seasoned flour
oil
2 red onions, sliced
2 large cloves of garlic (or 4 small ones), finely chopped
3-4 beetroots
2 tbsp of red current jelly
500 ml of strong red wine
400 ml of beef or game stock
2 sprigs of rosemary
12 juniper berries, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
500 g mushrooms (champignoner)

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius

Toss the meat in the seasoned flour and fry until golden. Put in a casserole. Fry the onion together with the garlic and add to the meat. Put the rest of the ingredients into to casserole and put in the slow oven for 2 hours. Add the cleaned and whole mushrooms after 1,5 hrs. Serve with mashed potatoes or mashed root vegetables. Lovely and warming on a Sunday afternoon or so. Also a very hearty supper party stew!

PICTURESQUE IN THE COTSWOLDS

This Saturday we went for a walk in our lovely Cotswold Area. Look above, no it is not a painting, it is a photograph I took...what lovely greens and blues. The landscape is very close to Brockhampton were we had lunch! Enjoy!

MAGICAL TABLEWARE

Look at this lovely table setting. The shining and stylish pieces are made from a mix of metals that allows it to be used in the oven and the fridge keeping the desired temperature, cold or hot... The Nambé collection has its origin from the States and in Sweden can be found through www.homeset.se, and also at Olby Design in Stockholm (Sturegatan 22). The tableware mixes wonderfully with the strict and well designed furniture by the Olby sisters.

POACHED COD AND A FROSTY MORNING IN GÅSÖ

A lovely frosty morning at Gåsö in The Stockholm Archipelago. Here for the half term break with son Hugo and his friend Charlie and, of course, my lovely husband Bruce. Yesterday we had my very good friend Leena for lunch and we had a lovely walk with my sister (my neighbour on the island), her dog Tessie, before we tuck in on a tasty meal with poached cod, se below...

Poach the cod in the oven on 175 degrees Celsius for 10-12 minutes with some lemonjuice, butter and salt. Make a bechamel sauce and season with horseradish. Serve with wild mushrooms fried with onion and garlic, boiled potatoes and veg... Yummy, light and fresh..

COLOUR IS BACK

Colour is definitely back in interiors...Look at Ercol who normally is very wooden, black or white. Like Licorice Allsorts. Nice and uplifting in these hard times....Or - paint your old ones to get a new and happy feel to you dining room!

CHRISTMAS AT JOHN LEWIS and MORE DESIGNERS GUILD

Christmas has arrived. Yesterday I saw this window at John Lewis in London.
Simple and colourful, I liked it!
Black and yellow at Designers Guild on Kings Road. My favourite colour combination after black and white. Tricia Guild is very clever with colour!

TRICIA GUILD LAUNCHES NEW BOOK

Tricia Guild introduced her new book in her flagship store on Kings Road yesterday morning. "A certain style" is a mix of smaller and larger, still exclusive, homes where she wants to show us that "I do not want to be put in a box" when it comes to decorate different styles and ways of living. Browse between a minimalistic house in Ibiza to a family home in Gloucestershire.She also introduced the new dramatic collection "Zepherine". Bohemian and personal och cosy..... a mix of old and new.
She always serves you a delicious breakfast, french pastries, Greek yogurt with fruit compote and muesli and fruit salad in small tall glasses. And of course, with freshly made cappuchino or tea...

THE DOCK AND MORE FROM LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

Third day at London Design Festival and one of the highlights was this collection by the new exciting Spanish designer Jaime Hayon. He also found that the show rooms walls (painted white) was to dull so he draw on it...fun
Moooi has opened a new and very good looking showroom next to The Dock at Portobello Dock (Ladbrook Grove). Go and have a look next time in London...
Marcel Wanders and Tom Dixon in a discussion about how to take control of your own design and not having to wait for big Italian producers to "find" you. Well, they have succeeded in that, but a lot of hard work and big egos are a big part of it.....
At the V&A the London Design Festival gave tribute to Italian furniture producers and design maintainer Giulio Cappellini, here posing with his family at the launch party yesterday evening!

TRAMSHED, MOROSO AND SCP FROM LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

More from London, here, installation by BMW and Kvadrat (fabric) and extended car....in the Tramshed (Riverton Street, EC1)
The milking foot stool and similar bar stools are an "it" item this week/year. SCP on Curtain Road EC1.

Embroidery, history, memories and geometrical patterns. All mixed together in a new eclectic mix. Moroso as earlier shown in Milan, Rosebery Av EC1 (also showing Flos lighting).
I will be back tomorrow or tonight with more!

ESTABLISHED & SONS AT LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

Last night was the start of London Design Festival with open showroom in the Clerkenwell Design District. Today I did an interview with one of the leading figures of Established & Sons, Sebastian Whong. We had an inspiring and exciting talk in his office on Wenlock Road N1 (Establishedandsons.com). Their local pub opposite their showroom had been "freshened up" with neon coloured bar chairs, tables, lamps, clocks etc from their more "up to date" neighbours!
Well worth a visit if not so for their low priced and big variety of ales!

CREATIVE CAMPDEN WEEKEND- A SUCCESS

This weekend was the Creative Weekend in Chipping Campden. 30 different creative people or groups joined together and opened their showrooms, helt talk, had workshops etc. All put together by Arthur Cunyngham and his wife Rachel, Paula Lingard etc...
I was part of it and talked in the Old Court Room about my work as a Freelance Journalist and Interior Designer. The idea is to make people understand that Campden is a very creative place and put on the map as Creative Campden for the future...watch this space for more!
Above, Liz Alchin and Christina Kingsmill shared Christinas courtyard garden as a showroom

PURPLE RAIN at FORMEX

A few weeks ago I went to a gift and interior design show in Stockholm. Formex, has become one of the most interesting interior shows in Scandinavia these last couple of years.
Not much had happened since the last show in February but what felt new was the colour purple, from deep purple to lilac. A trend that is shared with fashion at me moment....Mauve mixed with black and warm grey at Mateus (www.mateus.se).
Mixed with greens in Mairos new fabric that will be shown at Chelsea Design Week next week.
Stripes is one of Linums strong patterns, this Autumn in purple and green....(www.linum.se)
At one of the cafes at the fair the press breakfast was presented in gift boxes. Inside was luxuriously packaged yogurt, sandwich and brightly coloured macaroons. Not so environmentally friendly but beautiful and different.
Purple mixed with the blues at Paradisverkstaden (www.paradisverkstaden.se).
Paradisverkstaden is best known for its ceramics...here the latest "forms" inspired by nature.
From purple nearly over to pink at Guzzini (www.guzzini.com).
Deep, deep purple in table linen and china from Himla (www.himla.se)

SLOW ROAST SHOULDER OF LAMB

Coming back from Sweden started a new season with local lamb and game. I started by buying half a lamb from the local pig- and lamb farm (near Ebrington in The Cotswolds, UK). To slow cook shoulder of lamb is not only very easy it is absolutely gorgeous. Takes four hours so you need to plan your Sunday dinner....
This is what you need.

One shoulder of lamb (lammbog)
4 sprigs of rosemary
1 whole garlic
Olive oil
Flaky salt
Freshly milled pepper

Blast the oven. Sprinkle olive oil in a large roasting pan. Crush the garlic cloves (with skin on) and place half of them together with 2 sprigs of rosemary in the pan. "Massage" olive oil into the lamb shoulder and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the rest of the garlic and rosemary on top of the shoulder. Cover the pan tightly with aluminium foil and put into the hot oven. Turn the heat down to 170 degrees Celsius and leave it in for four hours!
Serve with mashed root vegetables like potatoes mixed with carrots and parsnips, and greens like spinach or broccoli. Add some red wine to the pan and make a nice juice. Lovely!

FLOWERY BUNS

If you saw the progam with Jaime Oliver about Stockholm and the Stockholm archipelago you will recognise this recipie but he got a bit wild with it. This is the more traditional wheatbread/buns but in modern disguise with flowery baking trays and cases from the www.kalasform.se.


You will need

150 g melted butter
500 ml milk
50 g fresh yeast or dried yeast (follow the instructions on the package)
100 ml sugar
1200-1500 ml plain flower
1 pinch of salt
butter for the filling
ground cardemom for the filling
blueberry jam also for the filling
1 egg for glacing
decorations

Heat the milk with the butter to 37 degrees celsius (41 if you are using dried yeast mix it with the flower) and add the fresh yeast, sugar and salt. Mix in the flower until it has a soft and shiny look at will detach itself easily from the bowl. Work it with your hands until soft and shiny. Leave in the bowl and let rise under a teatowel for approx 30 min.
Work the dough on the baking table and divide into two parts, roll each part iout into a rectangular approx 2 mm thick. Spread soft butter on the dough. Sprinkle over sugar and cardemom or the blueberry jam. Roll and cut into two pieces if you are doing loafs or 2 cm thick "buns" if you are doing individual buns. Alternatively just fold the filled dough over once. Cut into 5 cm strips and twist and knot it into a bun! Easy! Put the loaf/buns into the cases and leave to rise again for another 30 minutes. Glace with a beaten egg, decorate and bake for 10 minutes on 225 degrees celsius (buns) or until browned. The loafs take a bit longer, up to 15 minutes.

TIME TO PICK MUSHROOMS

It has been a very hot summer in Stockholm (Sweden), especially in the archipelago where I have spent my holidays. We were fearing that there would therefor not be any mushrooms growing this year. But during the last ten days a lot of rain has come down and it looks promising...Just look at this baby "Karl Johan" mushroom or Porcini as the Italians calles it. I have found a little "goldmine" of them and will let them grow a bit more before I will pick them, unless somebody else is there before me! Will be back later today or tomorrow with a mushrooms risotto recipie etc...