No happy socks today

I was going to blog about the Swedish brand Happy Socks today, but today is not a happy day here in the US. I guess there are horrible things happening every day in the world, but we humans usually become more affected and emotional when bad things happen close to home.

So today I just want to say that I will be thinking of all the families affected by the elementary school shooting in Newtown this morning. It is just so sad.

Have a good weekend and think about all the things and friends that you have and be thankful for that.

Lime and orange marinated salmon

A lot of people have asked for my lime and orange marinated salmon, so time to share the recipe with anyone interested.

Ingredients:
2 lbs (1kg) salmon
4 tbs sea salt
3 tbs sugar
1 lime
1 orange

1. Freeze the salmon for 48 hours.
2. Thaw the salmon.
3. Mix the salt and sugar together and rub into the salmon on the side facing up.
4. Marinate for 24 hrs.
5. About 2hrs before serving, thinly slice the salmon and place the slices on a serving plate.
6. Sprinkle the peel of 1 lime and 1 orange on top of the salmon. I use a zester for finer peel.
7. Squeeze the juice of the orange and lime on top of the salmon and put the salmon in the fridge for about 2 hours. 

Enjoy!

Gluten and dairy free gingerbread cookies

This year I did not want to only make raw gingerbread balls for Christmas. I missed the baked gingerbread cookies, so little I and I decided to make the kitchen messy by baking gingerbread cookies and Lucia buns.

I use my mother's old recipe which is super easy and the dough only needs to cool down a bit before I can start making the cookies.

It is very dangerous once the dough is ready because there is a risk it will be eaten before we even start making the cookies. The mix of spices is, oh, so delicious.

Little I thought that we should decorate it while we were waiting for it to cool down.

It turned out that little I has a skill that I was not aware of; getting the cookies from the table onto the baking trays without altering the shape of the cookie. I always find this step hard and several cookies have to be redone.

Once the cookies are out of the oven, you have to open you nostrils wide to breathe in as much goodness as possible. An aroma of Christmas and Lucia and festive mode.

Papaya carpaccio

The Thanksgiving weekend is a long four-day feast of healthy food, book-reading, walks, and socializing for me. So relaxing.

For lunch today I made papaya carpaccio. So easy. Just some mixed salad as a base. Then thinly sliced papaya on top. Squeeze some lime, add some sea salt and olive oil and then sprinkle some pecan nuts on top.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is for Americans what Christmas is for us Swedes. Pretty important with other words.

More than an estimated 39 million Americans travel to see friends and family during this weekend and a lot of turkeys are eaten. And remember that when you eat that stuffed commercially produced turkey, you eat a turkey where 70% of their weight comes from their breast, thereby making it impossible for them to reproduce naturally. Most turkeys born today have come to this Earth through artificial insemination. Just so you know.

Raw Food Rehab gives a creative-looking alternative to the ordinary turkey.

Apart from turkeys, there are loads of other delicious products to buy in the grocery store right now. How about some pumpkins and squash that can be roasted in the oven or turned into soups and desserts.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Intelligentisa coffee and tea in Venice Beach, CA

A few months ago when I visited LA, I took my family to a really cool cafe in Venice Beach called Intelligentsia coffee and tea. I am not posting the link to their website since, unfortunately, they do not show any of the cool pictures of their cafe there.

It is a very unusual place well worth checking out if you are in the neighborhood. They also serve cakes if you need something with that tea or coffee.

And I am real sucker for how things are served. Isn't this a beautiful setup?!

Happy Friday!

On Sundays, Irene goes to Swedish School to get her fix of Swedish, and I usually go for a walk and a cup of tea with a friend.

A few Sundays ago, a friend and I decided to go to Pike Place Market to have a look. Pike Place Market, which dates back to 1907, started with a few farmers selling their produce to become a full-blown market that sells not only produce and other types of food but also all kinds of things you might need, or not. And they sell beautiful flowers. So a flower from Pike Place Market is what I share with you today.

Happy Friday everyone!