Hello! Saturday around 11pm and just finished watching a movie with Mark.
Sigrid came home on Monday and it feels REALLY good to have her home. I don't think I realized how much I really missed her until tonight when she is at a friends house for a sleep over. I didn't want her to go.
It has been a good week.. Busy at Beaches Bake Shop and Cafe, that is our new name by the way. We added the Cafe and took away Anna and Rose.
I have a few caterings coming up- always stressful before everything is in place. Rentals, staff, menu etc. I enjoy doing them though. On May 1st I am going to a Slow Food Toronto dinner. I am very excited. Carlos Petrini, who started Slow Food in Italy is coming as well.
If anyone reads this and sometimes checks out Twitter, check out Beaches Bake Shop! I try to post the menu every day and I like the whole twitter thing. It is less invasive in a way than facebook.

Ok, short post today, have to work a bit before crawling into bed. Keeping my fingers crossed for a great sunny day tomorrow and a long exhausting and energizing run!
Let me know you dropped by!

Is it just me who is a uninspired food enthusiast right now?? I was wondering all day why I just could not get excited about what to cook at the cafe. Then I realized that I am boooored with the ingredients produce, I guess, available this time of the year. I am tired of the winter root veggies I have worked with and enjoyed for months now. I am ready for asparagus and all the spring stuff!!!! Have to get to St. Lawrence Market asap!! The cafe was super quiet today and that always bugs me. I am not very patient with slow-period!!! I want busy and crazy as much as possible. Luckily I had a Taste- Buddies cooking class this afternoon and they always spice up my day. We made chicken noodle soup and corn bread.

From one thing to the other- Sigrid is coming home on Monday, can't believe she has been gone for 2 months. She has had a great time and family dynamics at home changed a bit. Pippi got to be the oldest sister and there was just more time to be shared between the 2 sisters instead of 3.

The weather is finally supposed to get warmer- can't wait! Apparently it will warm up to 16*C by Saturday- I really hope that happens! That's it for tonight! Take care and leave me a message!

Oooops, way too long since I updated again. It seems like that is a very common first sentence here on my blog. We went to Mt. Tremblant and had a great time. Weather, Company, Chalet and Food all cooperated! I was the lucky receiver of a new ski outfit for my birthday! It was well needed since my kids have complained for years about my UGLY snow pants. I might put them in a shadow box just for fun. Maybe in our future chalet they could be some kind of centre piece over the fire place.....
I have opened a twitter account which I am planning to update with Beaches BAkes Shops daily menu and future events. An event I am looking forward to is "Speed Babysitter" We are inviting potential babysitters in the area to come and at the same time we have invited parents of kids that needs to be babysat. Smart, eh'! A friend of mine suggested it and I ran with it. We will see how it will work out. The format is still a bit up in the air.

Sigrid is doing great in France. She does not like school at all but everything else seems ok. She and Laura went to PAris 2 weeks ago for the weekend- on the TGV all alone! They of course had a blast. Will post pictures when blogger allows me.
Right now we are experiencing some difficulties in connecting apparently.
I'll be right back!

Just super quickly a short post before I have to do other things.
I have the best MAMMA and BISSA- look what I got for my birthday!!!! The package came today even though my birthday is not for another week but I kind of knew what was inside so I had to open it and there it was my all time favorite pattern on a table cloth!!!! It fits the kitchen table perfectly and I JUST LOOOOOVE IT!! TACK SA JATTEMYCKET !!!!!!! Jag blev jatteglad!!!
Stora kramar
Anna

next day already.....
The cooking demonstration went really well. I didn't have a long time to plan it because quite frankly I had forgotten committing to do it until one of my friends that was coming asked what time the class was going to start the next day....It was a swedish cooking class and I decided to show and teach the guests about the following:

3 Crispbread toppnings
Egg salad with Kalles Kaviar
Skagen mix- cold water shrimps with dill and mayo
Old Cheddar with Cloudberry

Ovenbaked Salmonfile under a dill and dijon crust served with horseradish whip

Biff a la Lindström- mini hamburgers filled with beets, pickles and capers
Roasted ugly root vegetables- turnip, rutabaga, parsnip, carrots and potato

For dessert I made SEMLA buns. Everyone assembled their own and the whipped cream go a Lingonberry touch.

Every one enjoyed it a lot and I think I would like to do more teaching. It is fun!!!
Have to go- sleep is important!!

Just a quick post today because it is over a months since last time -again!!
Sigrid has left, she is in France for her 2 month student exchange and is having a great time- I hope!!! She did loose her camera on the slopes on the weekend but we have "taken care of that".
I can't remember the expression that goes with the picture of Jojo and her friend in Sigrid's room. Something about when .....is away the.....I need help!!
The cafe is going, we have been busy every other day it seems like lately. It is freezing cold outside and people do not want to go outside, I guess. On Saturday I am cooking up Swedish Pea soup and Swedish Pancakes. Come on by!!! I went to IKEA yesterday and bought another s/s kitchen counter. It works really well. Everybody said, wow we look like a "real Kitchen" now.
Ok, have to go. I have to plan for a Swedish Cooking Demonstration I am doing tomorrow night. Don't know how many people yet.
I'll be back soon!

So, here I am again. A Sunday morning in deepest February and believe it or not the snow is melting, sun is shining and it is super nice outside! I am definitely going for a long run a bit later this morning. I run while listening to my favourite podcasts. MENY from Swedish Radio, THE SPLENDID TABLE from American Public Media and THIS AMERICAN LIFE from NPR. The best runs start with new episodes of all these podcasts on my IPod.
Two of the pictures I have added today are of SEMLA buns. I bake and sell them at the cafe now until easter. They are a traditional Swedish bun that YOU HAVE TO HAVE at this time of the year. The word comes from Latin Simila which means wheat flour and the bun is made with cardamom and then you cut the "hat" off, hollow the bun out, fill the hole with almond paste cover that with a big dollop of whipped cream and finally the hat goes back on sprinkled with icing sugar! It is soooo yummy!
The other picture is a great Indian Carrot Soup I made last week. Super good and so beautiful to look at. That yellow is my favourite colour!
If you find yourself in Toronto from now until easter, please come by for a SEMLA or two!
Bye for now!

Happy Anniversary to me!!!!
Today marks the first year of being a self employed cafe owner. This year has gone unbelievably fast. I just wrote a list of 25 random things about myself and one thing that I wrote was "I love what I do but I question it everyday if it is the right thing to do right now". I mean the kids are still kind of young. Sometimes I do miss out on things I wouldn't have to miss if I didn't own a cafe. I think I would still be working though. I tell myself that at least I am 2 minutes from their school and if something happens I can be there in, that's right, 2 minutes. My two younger girls comes up to the cafe for lunch most days, sometimes that is a bit stressfull when we are busy but it is great to connect a little in the middle of the day.

Yesterday was a funny day at Beaches Bake Shop. It started with me not "feeling up for it at all". Would have preferred to stay in bed and take care of my voice, cough and throat. Since that was not an option I went to St. Lawrence Market. Jojo came with me, she is the biggest trouper there is! We picked up the 25dz bagels and went back to the cafe. I decided to make SEMLOR. I made some earlier in the week and the weekend before so I was hoping people would remember. To recap the day in a semla kind of way we sold about 25!! That is a great number. I have orders for more and I love it. I am convinced we should market ourself as a Swedish Cafe. There was 2 groups of swedes that came in and they were just as excited as I was back in the mid 90's when I found something authentic. They were blown away how "real" the choklad biskvier and of course the Semlor tasted. It totally made my day! Something not so funny about yesterday was when I went downstairs to the womens washroom and noticed the switch plate for the light switch missing. SOMEONE STOLE IT!!!! Granted it was cute, Andy Warhol's Cambell Soup look alike. The screws were screwed back in after removing the plate-INSANE!!!

Now the question is YOGA or not. I think YOGA. I feel almost healed from my little stint of being sick- loosing my voice etc. so I really should get going!

Hello again,
twice in the same day...
I found this list on NYT times most e- mailed stories. I think lists like this is great for people to remember what to eat. Short and easy to remember. You read through it and when you're at the store you remember the food items, maybe not why they are good, but that doesn't matter- just buy it!
Read on!


(This post was originally published on June 30, 2008, and recently appeared on The New York Times’s list of most-viewed stories for 2008.)

Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. I asked Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” to update his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.

Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.
Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.
Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.
Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.
Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
How to eat: Just drink it.
Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants.
How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.
Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.
Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.” They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.
Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,” it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.
Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.
Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Hourly Forecast
6am

-19°C

Feels Like
-29°C
9am

-20°C

Feels Like
-30°C
12pm

-19°C

Feels Like
-29°C
3pm

-16°C

Feels Like
-24°C
6pm

-18°C

Feels Like
-28°C
9pm

-21°C

Feels Like
-31°C

These temperatures are real!!! And we are not talking Nunavut or the Polar Circle or even Greenland- We are talking outside my house in Toronto. It is going to be freezing!!! I wonder if people will venture out for some soup and salad today and tomorrow? Minestrone Soup and Quinoa with Corn, Cilantro and Feta is on the menu together with some other yummy stuff of course. Have to run to the passporrt office this morning to get a new passport for Sigrid who is leaving for France in 4 weeks and yesterday we realized that oooops, her passport expires on April 6 - 2 weeks before she is scheduled to come home....Good thing I notized it yesterday and not in 3 weeks!! Have to run!!
Until next time- stay warm!

A long day with rain coming down sideways has passed. The girls are disappointed, no skiing today and the weather does not look promising for tomorrow either. Mark went back to the city for a footballgame in Detroit tomorrow.....he'll be back up tomorrow night. Even if the rain continues tomorrow we have to come up with something to do other than relaxing- even though it has been nice and way toooo long since we had a day of nothing. Keeping my fingers crossed for some cold weather and snow!

Time has flown by as usual. Now even Christmas has passed and it is Boxing Day 2008. Just a few days left of this year, can't believe that at all. Christmas turned out to be great at the Cafe. We had some really slow days leading up to the last day Dec. 24th but that was good because I had to bake and cook a lot for special orders. It would have been impossible if we had normal busy student busyness. I managed to get a cute christmas pictures of my three favourite people in the world. It was not an easy thing to get a picture were all three looks "normal".

Ok, I have to tell you about how crazy I really am. It all started with me taking on a job to cater swedish chrismas food for a family that owns their own catering company. The wife is swedish and obviously knows how to cook it all but ran out of time so I was asked to do it. I planned for it and was prepared I thought until the 24th arrived and I felt totally out of control. Lots of cinnamon buns, quiches and salads on order. I started working at 05.30 in the morning and at 10am when the catering order got picked up I felt pretty good about it all. I thought about it yesterday, the 25th but a few other things went on and I didn't go over the menu in detail. Then I woke up at 03.30 this morning or last night, I guess. I woke up in a cold sweat and was convinced that I had NOT sent enough food for the lunch the clients were to host today, the 26th. I came up with a solution and went to the cafe and executed my plan and at 9.15 am I packed the car and drove in the direction of where the food needed to be. I called the guy at 9.20am and woke him up...I explained the situation and said that I am on your street with more food. He must have thought I was crazy, which I kind of felt like as well. Anyway, I dropped off food and met his really nice wife and I think it all ended okl. They were very happy about the food they had yesterday and hopefully today's lunch went fine too. The whole morning was very surreal and I felt like I was in a movie- out of body experience, kind of.

Anyway, now I can relax. we are in Collingwood for a few days. Oh, yes we closed the cafe until January 5th! We decided to do that since both Rose and I could use a break. Inga- Lena, Ulrika and Axel are coming to stay with us over New Years. I am really looking forward to that. We re going to Lotte and Alain for dinner on nye and we are definitely going skating and maybe hiking a bit as well. Depends a little on the weather.

I brought a ton of cookbooks up here and I really have to come up with a schedule for next session of taste- buddies. I also have to plan for a cooking class over at the cheese guys. I am cooking swedish food there on January 13th. I am thinking veal and dill stew and kroppkakor as a start. have to practice those things a few times first...I am always open for suggetions
I also need to come up with a new years resolution. Have not decided what yet but it's leaning towards sleeping more...I heard that you can get early on set alzheimers from not enough sleep. I think I am in the risk zone.....
I am starting my resolution right now by saying goodnight!

An ordinary Tuesday night has passed. Mark was out on some work thing and I was home with the girls. Had planned to maybe go to Costco and IKEA but when I thought a bit more and looked at the darkness outside I decided against it. It was ice to just stay home and do nothing. I was up early this morning and is already tired for bed.
My Garland oven is not connected yet and our landlord wants proof that it is hooked up according to code before we start using it. Nothing is really simple in life.....
Now on to to something totally different. I am supposed to teach a Swedish Cooking Class in early January at a cheese store across the street from the Cafe. Give me some tips on what to cook!!!! I did one in the spring and made gravlax, venison, cloudberry parfait and a few other things. I am thinking of veal Stew in Dill Sauce. It is one of my favourite dishes. Please if you read this and have suggestions- give them to me!!!!! Ok, off to bed I go! I am "scheduled" to get up super early for a spinn class tomorrow morning.
Bye for now!

This is not what I should be doing at this point but what the heck....it is 07.10 and I just got back from a good run with LeighAnne. We have the best runs!!!We met at 05.45 and ran for just over 1 hour. Is there a better feeling than finishing up an hour run in the early morning?? Don't think so.
The rest of my day will be spent inside mostly. The cafe was not very busy yesterday so hopefully it picks up today. We re planning for christmas. The oven is still NOT totally hooked up and it is starting to bug me. I want to bake in Garry the GARLAND oven NOW!!!
Mark is in Buffalo, N.Y. He went there yesterday with some friends to see a football game. He called from the parking lot where they had a tailgate party. The menu was canned chili- yum!I remember when we went to Detroit to watch a soccer game Sweden- Brasil and Mark wanted too have tailgate party in the parking lot. I thought he gone mad. I didn't know what a tailgate party was and he didn't know that when you so to a soccergame you can't waist time in the parking lot.
Ok, my day has to get started. What I would pay for a day just at home with nothing special to do! It would be soooo nice, specially now when the cold has hit Toronto. I think it is -3 right now, Ok, bye for now!

Definitely time to update my blog. I have been facebook'ing lately and it is such an easy way to stay in touch with people that nothing else is unfortunately needed. Even so, here I am after a month and a half or so ready to update all my regular visitors.....

The biggest thing is that my oldest daughter is turning 13 on Monday. I just CAN'T believe it. Next thing, what is that??? Well Rose and I are working harder and harder at the cafe it seems like. We have had some really hectic days and it wears you right out. I can't really explain it but I do feel happy and that it is very right 5 out of 6 mornings to go and start all over again at Beaches Bake Shop. Today we had a very busy lunch and 2 swedish friends came to eat. I love that it is busy when people come of course. Talk about visitors, Inga-Lena, Ulrika and Axel are coming for New Years. They will be visiting us for 4 days, I think and that will be great! I feel I am in need of some old friend injection. It is definitely something special to sit and have dinner with friends you have known for over 20 years. We met when we were all just brand new in NYC in 1988. Wow, the stories we can tell are many and crazy for the most part.

Ok, I am going to join my family instead of sitting by the computer- it is Friday night after all!!!
Take care and let me know you were here!!!!!

KANELBULLENS DAG!
The most peculiar of holidays maybe but it was a great celebration at Beaches Bake Shop today. I think I baked and sold close to 300 cinnamon buns. It is like an adrenalin rush when you're in the middle of it.
Lots of swedes came for fika, many friends showed up to buy some buns and strangers got introduced to the craziness of Beaches Bake Shop. Even Sandra Bussin and Marilyn Churley came by. I had sent an e- mail to Sandra Bussin- kind of kommunfullmaktige in our area and Marilyn is the leader for the NDP's in Beaches - East York. Both these ladies are super busy right now since Canada is as well as USA, gearing up for an election later this fall. Enough politics, but it was fun that they showed up.
I think I am going to launch some kind of FIKA PAUS at the cafe. A set time when Swedes would know that they could come by to connect with other Swedes over a FIKA! What about the third Saturday of each month at 1.30pm or something.
I am having an event for SWEA on Oct.27Th. We are all going to listen to Linda Olsson's sommarprogram from 2 years ago and discuss it after. I am looking forward to it, I hope lots of people signs up.
Ok, time to shut down.....I am running Race For The Cure with a whole bunch of Beach women including Sigrid, Laura, Jojo, Rose, Chantal, Sam, Atara......the list is endless!!I love the event- always very emotional but a great togetherness for women of all ages! Next week is a new adventure at Beaches Bake Shop- it never stops, I'll get back to that later!

Back again and not that long since last time. Everything is going well. with everything. I have to add to that statement that I am going back to the cafe tomorrow and it is the first day of school tomorrow as well. Since we have 4 girls in the house these days I am a bit worried about the morning rituals and getting everybody out on time. Rose and I have lots of work in front of us at the cafe. All new staff, taste- buddies birthday party on Thursday all ready, a fairly big catering on Saturday and hopefully lots of students back for lunch every day.

On a totally different note I found this list of 100 things you should eat before you die. It is according to a guy who writes a blog called www.verygoodtaste.co.uk
Items in bold are things I have tried. Let me know what you have tried.
The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake


I have not decided what is going to be my next bold item.

Earlier tonight Sigrid, Laura and I got to go to Canadian Idol. See pictures. It was fun. Specially fun for Sigrid and Laura to go to a live TV show.
Can't believe the cafe is opening again tomorrow. Don't know if I am ready or not. Anyway, to start of the best possible way I am turning off the computer now. The weather by the way is outstanding and it's going to continue for a while!!! YIPPY!

Ok, who timed their vacation so perfectly this year????? I did, believe it or not but since we closed the cafe on Saturday afternoon the sun has not left the sky during the day. It is beautiful in Toronto these days. Perfect temperature and I am so happy we decided to stay home these 2 weeks. We had talked about driving to Oklahoma, or driving out east in Canada, which is very popular to do but a few weeks ago we realized that the most relaxing thing is probably to stay right here in our own backyard. That leads me to tell you about Mark's latest accomplishment, he just finished building a new deck in the back of our house. So, that is where I am sitting right now writing this. I LOVE IT!!
Another reason why we stayed home is that we have a fourth girls staying with us right now. It is Laura from France. She is an exchange student and will go to school with Sigrid for 5 weeks or so. Her total stay is 2 months and she arrived just over a week ago.
We went to Prince Edward County for 2 nights. I have been wanting to go there for a long time. The highlight was definitely a meal we had at Harvest. A restaurant I can recommend to anyone. The waiter we had was Jason and he was an ex Beach'er who had just moved to Picton. He was very knowledgeable and seemed to be a very nice guy as well.
On Monday we wanted to something special since it was Laura's 13th birthday so what is better to do than go for a few scary rides in a huge amusement park. Here in Toronto the destination for that is Canadas Wonderland. What a place. It is enormous with lots of rides, both scary and not so scary. They also have an amazing water park that the kids enjoyed a lot. I think we will get season passes for next year. It is definitely worth it.
Mark took daughter 2 and 3 back to Prince Edward County for a night of camping with his sisters and parents. They are on their way back now and it sounds like they had a great time.
I gently forced the bigger girls to do some exercise this morning and biked to my favourite place in Toronto, St. Lawrence Market. It is a 30 minute bike ride and it was a bit windy coming back. We bought some fresh seasonal berries and a piece of horseradish. I am hoping to do some pickling but I couldn't find the dill you use for that. Is it called crown dill in english???
That was my post for today, I am going up to Sigrid's room to finish building an IKEA dresser. I do well with IKEA building stuff usually but this morning I had to step away and take a brake.......
I will be back with more pictures but as always, let me know if you have been by to read my blog! Enjoy the last bits and pieces of summer 2008!

Jag har blivit utmanad av malin2 och forsoker mig nu pa att svara pa all fragor.
Here we go!

1. Beskriv reglerna
2. Svara på alla frågorna
3. Välj ut 6 personer som du vill ska svara och utmana dem i deras bloggar.
4. Be dem läsa din blogg.
5. Låt personen som utmanade dig veta när du svarat på utmaningen.


Fem saker som finns på din Att-göra-lista idag?
1. Skriva inköps lista till en catering vi har på lördag
2. Skriva upp Jojo på camp en vecka när stora systrarna är pa sova borta camp
3. Sova i tid så jag orkar upp för att gå på bootcamp klockan 06.30
4. Inte bråka med äldsta dottern
5. Ta mig tid, leva i nuet!

Vad gjorde du för 10 år sedan?
Ja, 1998 hade vi precis lamnat vart forsta hus i Lake Oswego, OR o ch flyttat till Vancouver, WA. Barnen var sma och Mark jobbade mycket.

Ställen du bott på?
Stockholm, Oslo, Malmo, Uppsala, New York, Portland,OR, Vancouver, WA, Toronto

Fem saker du skulle göra om du var biljonär?
1. Fixa till vart hus som vi skulle vilja ha det och lite till
2. Kopa en liten rod folkvagn och satta taste-buddies logga pa den
3. Resa till Sverige och kopa ett sommar hus pa Osterlen.
4. Kopa boende till mamma i Toronto
5. Resa, trana, bjuda kompisar med pa resor mm mm

Sadar ja, da var det nastan gjort. Sex stycken bloggare som ska utmanas och bes lasa min blogg- oj,oj kan inte komma pa nagon alls. Far tanka pa det en liten stund. Ska informera malin2 att jag antagit utmaningen och dessutom nastan svarat.

Now I will continue in english again. The summer is in full swing. Today was the first official smog alert issued in Toronto. Last year there had been 8 on July 7th. I love the heat. The cafe had it's slowest day EVER today or I should correct that, slowest since we took over in February. I guess we were prepared for this because we did not freak out and it is kind of obvious, I guess. It was super warm and people are away at cottages or have left the country for Europe, South America or some other fun place to visit. I am enjoying staying put this summer. We have travelled so much previous summers. Sigrid is bored out of her mind but she is leaving for camp on Thursday so a bit of boredom won't hurt her. Pippi is going with her and it will be super quiet around here for 2! weeks. Jojo is signed up to do a theatre camp. I hope she will enjoy that. After the camp things start to happen. Laura from France arrives and the day after she gets here we are going to Picton for 2 nights with two other families. I have been wanting to check out Prince Edward County for a long time so I am excited about it.
The pictures I added today was taken last weekend when our good friend Francois came for a short visit from France. He loves food as much we do so the choice what to do on Saturday morning was easy- St. Lawrence Market of course. This time we all biked there and it was as usually great. Unfortunately we came to late for Sigrid's favourite sausages- the veal/ spinach- they are soo yummy!

Oh, time flies and I am going to bootcamp in the morning. Jojo just called and wanted to come home from her sleep over- that's ok. She said she missed me- who can resist that?? As always, I'd love to know you where here and thanks to you , who leaves me small messages- I love it!

I am always excusing myself and making up reasons for not having posted any new postings. I am not doing that this time. I know it's a long time since I wrote last but hey, I have had things to do....
Birthday parties for two of my daughters, working a bit and I have actually relaxed a bit these past weeks. Oh, I forgot to mention the boot camp I started last week. It's great. Down at the beach at 6.30am , for 1 hour and the guy who leads us is crazy. One morning we did a total of 210 push- ups. Even I, the push- up Queen, had enough! I will bring my camera and take pictures one morning. These pictures are taken randomly during the past month. One picture shows Rose, my partner at Beaches Bake Shop.THe crazy looking person in a H/M marimekko t- shirt is moi! The little girl in taste-buddies uniform is of course Jojo. I will produce a better picture and with her team mates. I just love yelling -Great job, taste- buddies!!! Remember, I am the vice- coach. I am not fullfilling my responsibilities all the time but I will try to get there on time from now on at least. The other pictures are from the best market in the world, at least the world I know, St. Lawrence Market on a Saturday morning. Listen people! It is AMAZING! specially this time of the year with all the local farmers and all there fresh produce.
Ok, I wanted to write so much more and post many more pictures but I have roll into ed since I am going to bootcamp in the morning!! Good night and see you soon again! Don't forget to let me know you where here!!