Ok, Happy New year everyone! Can't believe it is actually going to be 2008 in a couple of days. We are at Blue Mountain, it is a little hill north of Toronto where people congregate to do some skiing. I have lucked out 2 days in a row because I have not had to strap my little feet into the monster boots and skiis!!! Well, that was a bit exagurrated but I have really enjoyed some time on my own. I finally got to book my ticket for NYC in mid- January. I am leaving on a Wednesday and wont be back home until Sunday!!!Spending a day with Sissi, the cousin and the rest of the days with girlfriends coming in from Sweden. There will be a total of 12 of us. We all met in NYC 20 years ago! Amazing, isn't it! It is going to be so much fun, I cant wait.
I am also trying to include a really cool link in this post. It is a list of the 100 special foody things one should not miss while in Toronto.
Tonight will be spent with the Peters up here in Collingwood. Hopefully there will be snow coming down tonight so I will be exited enough to go skiing tomorrow. We are spending new years with friends in Kitchener, that should be great as well. HAPPY NEW YEAR ONCE AGAIN!

A great weekend is a balanced weekend and this weekend was just that! We have been to 2 Christmas parties, kids have had down time, we got to spend some time alone and on top of that we actually got some stuff done. Sigrid played basketball for 4 hours on Saturday and today she had one of her oldest friends over and they baked up a storm while Mark took the 2 other girls to a tree farm up north to cut down a tree. Now we have a decorated home, a Christmas tree in the corner and all the laundry is almost done. It was a scary sight this morning. I don't think the laundry mountain had reach the same altitude before...I have to post this really quick now because I have to plan for taste-buddies this week. I also have a catering job on Friday that needs some attention as well. Anyway have a great week!

What to write about?? Well, lots of time right now is spent on planning a new taste-buddies session and coming up with catering menus. These two things are probably what I enjoy doing the most. I mean, I have decided to start working after being home with kids for almost 12 years so as a person working away from home I can't see myself doing anything else righ now. I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I love to do. If it could just bring in a bit more money it would be even better!!! I am also thinking about introducing a few Swedish specialties at the cafe'. Open faced sandwiches would work very well, I think. I have started baking some typical Swedish cookies and they go over very well. Gingersnaps and jam caves. Ok, a new day has started, I just got in from a morning run in newly fallen light, fluffy snow and -5*C. Great start of the day!
Driveway is even shoveled!

Oj, så mysigt det kan vara! Finns det något bättre än nybakat saffransbröd? Knappast. Jag har så otroligt starka minnen av mina barndoms jular hos mormor. Hon jobbade på EPA och var alltid helt slut när julen väl kom. Hennes saffrans bröd var det absolut vikigaste för mig. Sitta på mormors köksoffa i Årsta och doppa saffrans bröd i varm choklad kunde jag längta ihjäl mig efter. Hon bakade det bara för mig, trodde jag i alla fall. Mina barn har inte riktigt fattat tjusningen med saffrans bröd. Det stör mig lite måste jag erkänna. Om jag utesluter russinen kan det tänkas att de i alla fall smakar och säger att det är gott.
Nu är mitt te klart sa jag ska njuta av första saffrans brödet för i år. Kan inte fatta att jag faktiskt fått upp stjärnorna och advents staken i tid till första advent. Trevlig advent allihop!

Ok, I have a new "mission" in life! The mission is to get the schools around here to be good role model for our kids!!!!! Everywhere we go we see messages about healthy life style and how important it is to make those healthy food choices. Meanwhile the schools, where our kids spend most of their life promotes sports to ONLY A FEW, the ones who makes the teams. These kids are good, strong and active- great! But what about the average kid who might not priorities sports but would like to stay healthy and active??That kid have NO chance in todays school because he or she will NEVER MAKE A TEAM and because of that will totally loose inspiration to be active and healthy!
The same thing goes for the cafeterias. A school official told me "We have to sell things that we know the kids will buy" Ok, so why don't we stick to teaching our kids 1+1 since they know that?? Let's move a long and record that ok, our kids, future adults, like hot dogs, chips, french fries and pizza. What else do they like or what can we introduce them to and maybe teach them to like?? I am trying to include a great interview with Silken Laumann. If Im not successfull, please google Silken Laumann writers cafe and listen to it! In the end of the interview she talks about this problem. If you live in Toronto and want to help me in my new "mission", please let me know!!!!

Here again!!!
Just a few days later and I am back. Things are still going well. Lots of stuff to do. Halloween is coming up and friends around us have apparently entered some freaky competition "Who can decorate and spend the most" It is over the top, I think. I have always had a hard time with Halloween. Didn't grow up with it in Sweden and saw my first carved pumpkin about 12 years ago. Mark carved the most amazing pumpkins when I was very pregnant with daughter number 1. I was soooo impressed.
At taste-buddies I haven't done anything in the spirit of Halloween. My friend Melissa wanted a picture from taste-buddies in action so here it is. You have to agree that they are adorable!
I have a sandwich catering on thursday morning. It is swedish open faced sandwiches for 17 people. Meatballs, skagen, gravlax etc etc. But before then I have to come up with another proposal for a sandwich catering on Nov. 15. Busy busy!
Frank and Leigh opened a bar right around the corner from us today. I can actually see myself go there and have a beer after kids are in bed. It has a great atmosphere, kind of like an Irish Pub in NYC. I guess it could be dangerous but chances of me becoming addicted to anything but the computer are minimal. Ok, my costume is ready and I have to roll into bed! I am Pippi Longstocking of course!! I dare you to go to St. Lawerence Market dressed like Pippi!!
See ya and Happy Halloween!

Can't believe it is soooo incredible long since I wrote on my blog...Have been busy, I guess but I have had time to read other peoples blogs. Blogs I read often are mostly food blogs, some Swedish ones are my favourites.
Taste-buddies cooking classes are going on and I really enjoy doing the classes. Don't know where I am heading with them really. I am still in the place where I cooked in the spring. I cook there now as well just not as intense as in the spring. It is good because it gives me time to spend on planning for taste-buddies. I am starting a new session on Nov. 12. If you live in my area and have kids between 6-11 and they love to cook and bake- send them my way! We have lots of fun!
This weekend we went up north to a friends beautiful house. It was not on a lake which is the common way or setting for people to have "cottages"here. It was on top of a hill and the view was just incredible. The coulours at this time of the year north of Toronto are just plain stunning.
Unfortunately my camera decided to have a melt down last week so I could not take any pictures. Very annoying!!
Well it is not very late but I think I have to get ready for this upcoming week. Busy, busy but that's the way I like it so I am NOT complaining! I will definitely make an effort to post blogs more often. It is great to have and look back on.

A totally normal Thursday today. Middle daughter had to see the orthodontist since she lost her THIRD retainer at friends cottage last weekend. After dentist visit we went to the shopping mall. I don't last long in those places but sometimes there is just no way out of it. Pippi needed jeans and running shoes....
We came home, I parked nicely but forgot to put the gear in parking before I took my foot of the brake and YES I rolled into the car in front of me. The woman saw it of course and FREAKED right out! Ok, so there was 2 little dots in the "lack"(Swedish word for what I am trying to describe) but hardly noticeable. I went in , got my camera to take a picture of the dots. I think I got it but it's hard to say...maybe I post the picture on the blog for people to see, or actually not to see. This freaky owner of the car started to call the car "her baby". That's when I had had enough! People needs to get a life. Specially people without kids. I told her to proceed with her dinner plans, enjoy her dinner with her friend and that it could have been WAY WORSE! If she comes back to talk about how we should go from here I am tempted to tell her that having a brother committing suicide or knowing a 67 year old mother that doesn't recognizes her grand kids due to Alzheimer's is tragedy! Getting a dot on your car's bumper is NOT TRAGEDY. Mark advised me that Ontario is a no fault province, so there!

time really has flown by, can't believe it is almost 2 months since I wrote last time....Have traveled a bit since then. Left Sweden on a chilly early August morning, flew from Sturup to Marseille. Was very skeptic to the whole Ryan Air thing but we had a smooth check in and flight and suddenly the girls and I found ourselves in Southern France....rented the booked ahead car from Hertz and off we went. We had a great map and driving directions to Bandol (thanks Francois). After about 2h of driving we met Mark in a Mac Donald's parking lot. Our family vacation started......
We spent a few days in Bandol, had an authentic Bouillabaisse and got introduced to a great honey from Provence among many other good things.

After lots of more driving and crossing the border into Italy we arrived at the villa we would stay at for the next week together with 2 other families. All in all 15 people. This villa was enormous, we could easily have been 30 people and still been ok for space. It was beautifully located among Tuscany's rolling hills in Chianti area. We ate and drank very well. Cooked sometimes and went out for nice dinners a few times. Second week we stayed in a villa outside Lucca, closer to the coast. Visited Florence, Forte dei Marmi, Pisa and many other places. Again, ate and drank very well. The best meal we had was at a restaurant out in the countryside, they served the best buffalo mozzarella and pannacotta! We went to a butcher in San Gimignano, he was the 6th generation owner and only sold meat from a farm in Spain while playing loud Opera in the background all day long. I actually think it is the butcher Bill Buford writes about in his book "HEAT".

We came back to Toronto after been away for over 6 weeks. It felt great to sleep in my own bed and the girls were very happy to be home.

Now school is in full gear and I am back the bake shop. I am still responsible for lunches and I am starting taste-buddies classes in a couple of weeks. I am really looking forward to focusing on the cooking classes more than the lunches. I just watched a video on epicurious.com with Alice Waters from the Edible Schoolyard kitchen. What a dream to have a place like that to cook with kids in. Check it out! I'll try to post a link to it later. The first cooking class is ravioli making. I want to make samosas one time and then we are baking once and the last time we will make different snack stuff. Have not pin pointet everything yet but I am doing classes 3 times/week and so far one day is full. Have post this now and the get into bed!
If you visit please let me know!

Längesedan igen......
Är just nu i Sverige, min andra vecka har just bärjat och dagarna bara springer iväg. Har varit i Malmö sedan vi kom hit men har gjort 2 utflykter till Österlen, mitt nya absoluta favorit ställe. Det känns som man är i ett annat land där. Små byar med mysiga cafeer som Olof Victors
och restauranger t ex. Friden, med härlig atmosfär och bra kvalitet och naturen är ju bara helt ljuvlig. Måste nog lägga in ett nytaget foto från tidigare idag. Har givetvis varit på Möllans Ost i Malmö också, wow, Alex Farm i Toronto kan slänga sig i väggen! Jag kommer ihåg att jag köpte min första getost på Möllans Ost för ca 20 år sedan, när jag var hemma på besök från NYC. Möllans Ost var då ett litet hål i väggen som inte så många hade en aning om. I morgon hoppar vi på tåget mot Stockholm men först ska vi in till Lund och fika med I-L. Ska bli super kul att bara träffas! Hon är hemma från NYC . Har givetvis spenderat tid med Annika, min underbara vän i Höllviken. Det är forfarande många kompisar jag inte har träffat ännu, som står på lut så att säga. Tyvärr är några bortresta så vi missar varandra den här gången. Måste nog komma hem nästa år också! Hyra hus i 3 veckor på Österlen skulle ju vara som en dröm. En dröm som inte är helt omöjlig att förverkliga.
I Simrishamn idag stötte vi på en familj som precis flyttade från Toronto och är på väg till London. De har hus i Kivik och jag tänkte att det skulle ju vara för roligt om vi sprang på dem. Helt plötsligt kom de springande över torget och jag sprang efter och sa Hej! Skoj när sånt bara händer. Mammas granne på kolonin kände jag igen och vi kom fram till att vi har en gemensam kompis i Pia. Att vi aldrig riktigt kände varandra och att det säkert är 25 år sedan vi sågs spelade ingen roll. Vi skrattade gott när vi kom fram till varför vi kände igen varandra. Sådana små händelser får mig att undra hur mitt liv hade sett ut om jag bott kvar här i Sverige.

School is out and summer is here in full force! Wow, today was hotter that ever. I started the day early this morning with a quick conversation with mamma on Skype then continued with boot camp on the beach at 5.30am, went home prepared the kids for the last school day of the year and went to the grocery store. Shopped in a rush while talking to Lotte on the phone. Came to Happaranda Kitchen and started making quiches, potato salad, see picture. Lunches was supposed to slow down considerably now when the students doesn't come anymore but I have been pretty busy this week actually.
Big news is that I have decided not to continue Happaranda Kitchen in the same format as I have done this spring. Lots of different reasons but the biggest one is that I can't see myself committing more time and stress than I have done and that is not enough in order to stay in Beaches Bake Shop. My hope is to continue taste-buddies in some form or another. I am still working on that...I know that taste-buddies is something I really want to keep going.
Sigrid is going away for 2!!! weeks on Friday and I will miss her! It fees weird that I have to work and won't be able to take her up to camp. I am sure it's good for her and Mark to bond a bit but my ego is selfish and wants to be everywhere and not miss anything!
Have retire to bed right now! Way tooo late once again.

Oops, the link I added in regards to the fabulous knife I bought yesterday is incorrect, Actually, not incorrect but it's the wrong link if you want to check out what someone else had to say about this knife. Another great food blog is Brax on Food That is where I read about the knife. Both these blogs are AWESOME! Anne's Food is as I mentioned, written in english while Brax on Food is written in Swedish. Just had to clarify all that! Enjoy the day!

Ok, I am back!

Summer is here in full force and I have no clue what I will do in the fall. Very frustrating!! I know what I WANT to do but sometimes the two do not go hand in hand unfortunately. Hopefully I will know by the end of this week what the future regarding my working life will hold for me.
Yesterday was spent in a little town north of Toronto, Orangeville. Big Lacrosse play day and daughter one and two participated. It was a beautiful day and the girls had fun. I managed to find a farmers market and bought lots of goodies. I also found a kitchen store where I bought a new knife. I read about this amazing knife on Anne's Food, a great blog by a swedish girl who writes in english. Anyway, the knife is called a pastry knife. Anne talked about the make, Victorinox but the one I bought is made by Wusthof. You can use it for everything, slicing tomatoes, bread, a roast and many more things. I love it and feel that I have worked hard enough these past 3 months so I could definitely justify a little purchase like that!
It is early on Sunday morning..the coming week is BUSY! Graduations, school ending and one daughter going off to camp!! At times like these I realize the difference between working from home and not working from home. There is a lot of planning that has to take place for everything to function somewhat normal. Don't quite know how Happaranda Kitchen is going to serve it's loyal customers tomorrow, I will go in and prepare a few salads and make up some sandwiches but there will be no Panini's or custom made salads. Sorry for the inconvenience!!
Ok, it is almost time to listen to today's sommarpratare on swedish radio! That's summer for me!!! Have to go and relax a bit before this Sunday starts..take care until next time

Bara supesnabbt!
Var precis inne och kollade på årets sommarpratare. Den 23 juni är det första programmet och gissa vem som inleder, Ulf Lundell! Sedan är det Mark Levengoods tur och efter det följer en hel drös av skojiga och intresssanta sommar pratare. I can´t wait!
Har inte tid att skriva just nu egentligen men var bara tvungen att informera om sommar programmet!
Jag skriver mer inom kort!
Adjö och kram

Ok, now it's three weeks since last time......I guess time flies when you are having fun. I am having fun, almost always...When I am not having fun is when my house is a total mess and the rest of the family decides to ignore the fact that EVERYONE has to pitch in to help! I wonder if other people have the same "problem"?
I have cooked at Happaranda Kitchen for 10 weeks now and I have done as many cooking classes. The cooking classes are a blast still. I really hope to do more in the fall.
I have a little summer course July 3-5 between 2.30 and 4pm. Hopefully I'll get kids signed up for that. Sigrid is playing semifinal in Baseball today and tomorrow it's second meet of track and field. Don't know how I will be able to swing it all but I guess it will all work out.
Then Jojo's birthday party is on Saturday after the Triathlon and on Sunday I am SLEEPING!
Pippi is having her party on the 14th at Laser Quest! Yippie, can't wait to go there. Actually before Pippi's party I have two fairly big caterings.
On July 17th we will go to Paris and then from there to Malmo and Stockholm. I can't wait! We won't be back in Toronto until late August.
I am looking forward to meet friends in Sweden that I haven't seen for a long time. Will try not to book us to crazy but that's hard when you want to see everyone.
Then the fall will come and I will hopefully find myself back at Happaranda Kitchen. We are not quite there yet but hopefully it will be that way.
It's early morning and I have lots to do so have to go!
Let me know you visited!

Not tooo long ago this time!
Worked like normal today, not very busy. Went shopping after service and then home to the kids and Frida. The weather is crazy, one minute really warm the next it's pouring rain. Hopefully it's nice tomorrow morning at 5.30 am. Have I mentioned bootcamp?? Three mornings I do bootcamp on the beach. It's great fun. Not to crazy hard but if you want to you can really push yourself and get exhausted. It is kind of hard to do at that hour but at least I have exercised a little bit that day. New taste-buddie session is in full swing. Monday calss went off to a great start. I love it! We made Uppsala Berry Cake and mini wraps. A few new kids came and they seemed to enjoy it. I definitely enjoyed having them. I will take more pictures during class. tomorrow i have another class and new kids, I have never met. Very exciting.
On thursday we are putting on Victoria Day High tea. Sandwiches and little desserts, Have to get tobed in order to get up tomorrow, bye bye!

Here I am, back after a long brake. Actually call it anything but not a break. Jag har verkligen jobbat som en slav. Fast en slav som gillar det hon jobbar med. Mina forsta taste- buddies elever tog examen den har veckan och alla utom 3 kommer tillbaka. det tycker jag kanns jattebra. Jag tycker det ar sa himla roligt att halla pa med klasserna.
Det ovriga jobbet pa Happaranda Kitchen ar ocksa roligt. Den har veckan har det varit extremt mycket. For mig alltsa. Allt ar ju relativt. Mitt i allt ihop sa fick ju Jojo vattenkoppor. Hon hade massa prickar, mest pa magen och ryggen och som tur inte sa manga i ansiktet. Frida, min raddare i noden, passadde henne en dag sedan var hon hos Leigh- Anne en dag.
Idag lagade jag pasta sallad, quicher, fransk potatis sallad, smorgasar mm mm. I have realized that I don't really need to have a pre set menu because people eat what's available that day when they get in there. Not too many customer comes and has their heart set on a certain thing that they saw on the menu. I did 2 Mother's Day lunches this week and 2 caterings on top of regular business.
I am starting up a new session of tste-buddies next week and I don't really know what we are doing yet. Can't decide if we should bake or make wraps. I have three new kids on Monday and three new kids on Wednesday. I think we might make mums mums. Have to check recipes right now!
See you soon!

OOps, have not been writing much lately.

I have been BUSY! Got the Happaranda Kitchen Lunches going at The Beaches Bake Shop and twice / week I am doing cooking classes for kids. The cooking classes are awesome! They run from 4-5.15pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. I have 6-8 kids in each of the groups. I specially love working with the little boys. They are sooooo adorable and interested. I have chefs hats for them and you cna just imagine how cute they are in their aprons and hats. This coming week we are making maroccan meatballs and swedish meatballs. It will be served with cous cous and hummus. i love to teach the kids. The great thing is that I have Frida helping me with the classes. Frida is Swedish and a school teacher, how perfect is that??? Here i have attached my logo's. Do you like them?? They downloaded in the wrong colours unfortuantely. Don't know why they are so blue. Happaranda is in chocolate brown , not blue! karin, my super friend from NYC and now lives in Stockholm designed the logos. She has been so much help. I will write much more and include my menu and stuff another da but now it is time for me to get to bed! Goodnight!

http://www.gildedfork.com/culinarypodcastnetwork/2007_01_01_culinarypodcastnetwork_archive.html
This is a great podcast. It talks about the history behind the Parker rating system on wine. You can then listen to part 2 if you want as well. Check it out and enjoy!

Another fun thing is that you can go to Barilla's website and download a cookbook and for every downloaded cookbook they will donate $1 to Second Harvest.
www.Barilla.com

Ok, it's early morning and I am working the food show today again! Have to get everything ready for the family!
Today is the last day- great!
Tomorrow and Thursday will be crazy busy. I have 2 caterings on Thursday! run, run, run!
Bye for now!

Ok, so I have decided to take my blog to higher levels by adding links to other blogs. This is a pretty big step for me so enjoy!

http://aglio.blogspot.com
This blog must be one of the more beautiful ones out there. Take a look! It's in Swedish but worth looking at for anyone.

http://pdxdane.blogspot.com
This is about a guy who after many years abroad has just moved back to his wifes native Sweden. He is from Denmark. It is fun to read about his view on changes and differences.

http://malin2.blogspot.com
Had to add this one as well.


http://cookscompanionchats.blogspot.com/
A woman in Oakville, Ontario who loves food as well. What more can I say?

Yesterday was as I wrote Valentines Day. It was a good day.. Had to add the picture of our cookies. The picture turned out pretty cute, I think.
Today on the other hand was totally different. I spent the day at work.... I just ran around like a crazy person and still we didn't get to finish everything we should have done. I mean it is not that bad. It feels good to work but drive for 1 hour like I did today is insane! That is 1 hour there and 1 hour back! People do that stuff ALL THE THE TIME! I don't get it??
Thank God for kids friends Grand mother that is always there to step in and help out with my kids when I need. They all went to their house, skated and had dinner and watched Cinerella 111. It is a PA day tomorrow and the snow is still on the ground. It is -26C with the windchill!!! I think it will be a perfect day for some tobagooning!
Until next time!
Kram

Evening of Valentine's Day....
Chocolate and flowers was part of my day as well as some Yoga. Mark stayed home due to heavy, heavy snow fall! West of Toronto got massive amounts of snow much more than us apparently. Schools were closed and everything. Our school never closes though.
I found something funny on a fellow swede's blog. I have to copy it and post it here. It's not really funny for anyone else but swedes but hey, that's life....

You know you are from Sweden when...

1. Your family had to re-arrange a number of Christmas traditions when Arne Weise retired.
2. You get nostalgic by thinking of the summer of 1994.
3. You don't rely on weather forecasts unless presented by John Pohlman.
4. You thought Astrid Lindgren was immortal and was shocked and cried your heart out when she actually did die.
5. You really want to attend the Nobel Price Dinner.

6. You get pissed off when Norwegians state that the peace price is much more famous than the other Nobel prices.
7. You go seriously sentimental when entering an IKEA store, outside the borders of Sweden.
8. You love complaining about Sweden when you are there and state "it's much better in Sweden" when you are abroad.
9. You secretly love the Eurovision Song Contest to pieces.
10. You know at least 10 Abba songs by heart.

11. You claim that you are not a royalist but actually do care what "she" will wear on the Nobel Price dinner.
12. You are prone to stand in line without complaining.
13. Whenever discussing international problems you always, without exception state that "why don't you do it like we do it in Sweden?"
14. You know the names of a multitude of IKEA items.
15. You know how to pronounce these names and sigh when non-Swedes don't.

16. You grew up in a house looking exactly like as if iit would have been in the IKEA-catalogue.
17. You have a tendency to not divide words when you write in English, since "särskrivning" is a sin.
18. You don't really care about winning as long as the Swedish beat the Norwegains and the Finish, no matter what the game/contest is.
19. You know that Sweden never actually will win the World Cup in Football, but keep partying anyway.
20. When you don't really consider silence a problem in social situations.

21. When you find people from other cultures generally being rather loud. With the exception of the Finish.
22. You wouldn't even consider buying electrical items unless they are "S"-marked.
23. You consider the question "how are you?" as a question that when posed, needs to be answered with a honest and thorough explanation of your mental health.
24. You have serious difficulties crossing the street when there is a red light. Even when there are no cars.
25. You get guilty conciense from throwing things in the dustbin that could have been recycled.

26. You take your shoes off when entering a house, and don't get why non-Swedes find that funny.
27. You know what the term "dansband" refers to, but know that it is a losing battle explaining to non-Swedes what it is.
28. You don't consider a congregation of trees being a "real" forrest unless it takes at least 20 minutes to drive through it.
29. You use metric system and really don't get why there are people out there who don't.
30. You consider "schlager" being a proper music genre.

31. You consider a fast and audioable intake of breath as a synonym to the word "yes".
32. You find the ads for Coca Cola during Christmas completely useless since noone would consider drinking any other soft drink than "julmust" during Christmas anyway.
33. You consider Denmark and the Danish "pretty continental".
34. You know that it is not true, but you like to believe that there is a massive difference between the taste of "julmust" and "påskmust".
35. You know that the most common cars in Sweden are not Volvo's or Saab's, but Ahlgrens Bilar.

36. You can debate for hours the difference between the taste of the pink, the green and the white car in a pack of Ahlgrens bilar.
37. You actually have a favourite colour of Ahlgrens bilar, and is pretty militant in your opinion on this point.
38. You are not likely admit to having watched a full episode of Allsång på Skansen, but feel that the fact that they broadcast it every summer is soothing, and a notion that things remain in their normal state.
39. You like things in general to be "lagom".
40. It annoys the hell out of you that there is no good translation for the word "lagom" in any language (except in Turkish, apparently)

41. You consider Sweden being on the verge of annoyingly "lagom". Like a tetra pack of mellanmjolk, sort of.
42. You have at one point, or more, during your childhood, attempted to fabricate something that you learnt how to make from watching "Hajk".
43. While fabricating the thing mentioned in point 42. things went terribly wrong.
44. You think that Sweden winning a gold in any type of World Championships require celebrating by getting really drunk and splash around in a large and famous fountain.
45 You have a tendency to make Swedish verbs out of English nouns, and do not consider it slang or gramatically incorrect.

46. Generally, you prefer writing in pencil.
47. You've never seen a starbucks.
48. You have a summer house in the countryside. It has no running water or flushing toilet, but you can't understand why no one wants to visit.
49. Making fun of Norway is a national institution. And vise versa.
50. You love Kalles Caviar. Everyone else outside Scandinavia hates it.
51. You are obsessed with health issues. Everything is bad unless it comes from Sweden, in which case its ok.
52. You could survive on just fish and prawns, and still manage to have a different dish for every meal for a month. Oh, and you even put it in cake.
53. You find it normal to have to go to a special store that is owned by the government, that's only open during daytime to buy a bottle of wine, or other alcoholic beverages.
54. You constantly try to avoid meeting your neoghbours in the stairwell.
55. You split the check by the exact penny after eating at a restaurant.

56. You try to explain "The Law of Jante" to non-Swedes..!
57. You don't mind waking up way too early during the first 24 days of December in order to watch 15 minutes of TV's annual Advent Calendar.
58. You find the idea of wall to wall carpets in bathrooms and toilets simply appalling.
59. You just don't "orka"...
60. You think you understand Danish.

61. The Danish think you understand Danish.
62. Ultimatley, when spoken, you don't really understand Danish.
63. You thought wall to wall carpets was a concept of the past or the ferrys to Finland/Estonia/Germany/De nmark. Then you went abroad and realised that you were wrong.
64. You don't even realise that you speak/write Swenglish whenever you speak/write to Swedish people.
65. You die a little inside if you don't get your weekly ransion of "Mamma Scans Kottbullar".

66. You think that everyone is allowed to walk in any field or forrest. And when people abroad tell you it's private land, you don't understand and say "But, what about Allemansratten?"
67. You expect people to be drinking atleast a bottle each of vodka, and think that's normal.
68. Your ideal breakfast consists of a sandwich with ultimate breakfast consists of a slice of bread with egg och kalles kaviar, och a big cup of oboy...
69. You drink black espresso without sugar, believing that is what you do in Italy, and actually believe that you like it...
70. After having realized that someone is standing on your foot in the subway, you think that the best idea is to not say anything at all or maybe cough or nod a little in order to attract the attention of the person standing on your foot.

71. You find non-scandinavians so loud and noisy but find it perfectly normal to get completely wasted, "bröla", sing along to "när vi gräver guld i usa..." and piss in public, when you're abroad and partying with non-scandinavians.
72. You secretly consider Sweden the best place on earth and that Swedes are the most intelligent and beautiful people in the world.
73. You know who Bamse is, and love him with all of your heart.
74. You take a sip of Strongbow, frown, and state that there's nooo way that the yellow sludge they call cider really is cider..
75. You refuse to belive that snuff or "snus" is harmful.

76. Since snuff "isn't harmful", you can't understand why no one except the swedes use it...


Soory to all my non- swedish readers (ha, ha) but I just had to post that list. It is funny to me, believe it or not!
Happy All Hearts Day!
Kram to everyone!

Sunday night once again! Mark is back home, in one piece I might add. There were some injuries. One broken rib, shoulder injury, one guy puked over other guests in a restaurant..not from overdrinking apparently. Enough about them.
I had an overall good week with the kids. It was PA day on Friday so it feels like we ahve been off school for a week instead of three days. Pippi has been skating most of the time. She is a born again hockey girl suddenly I have alway known that she is a hockey girl in waiting. She would love to play. We have friends that have made a skating rink in the back yard and that is where Pippi has been for three days solid pretty much.She did 200 laps the other day! I am going to look into hockey fundamentals for March brake, I think.
I talked to the church on the corner and they are willing to rent the kitchen to me. I think it could be great. I have told a few people and I am picking other friends brain that have experience in the field of cooking with little kids. I have to work out a curriculum and then decide on how long the sessions are going to be. 6 or 8 weeks? I am a little comitted to work already in February so I might have to wait a little longer to start then what I originally thought. Ok, I should start working on the curriculum for "tastebuddies".
See you next time!
A

The last few weeks I have been a REAL stay- at- home- mother. It has been pretty good. It's nice to not have something to rush off to and have hanging over you. But the downside is that you don't have anything to rush off to and to hang on to......sounds weird? It is, let me tell you!
I love the fact that I have seen my oldest daughters 2 volleyball games this week, I had time to really sit dowm and help middle daughter with her monthly writing assignment without feeling like everything around me was falling into pieces. I had time to listen to my 6 year olds suggestion to start a COOKING CLUB for her and her friends. I had so much time that I got really hooked on that idea and have a call into a church that apparently has a great kitchen. Will talk to them tomorrow, hopefully. The more I think about it the better it sounds. Am I right??? As far as I know there is nothing like that in this part of the world. There is lots of gymnastic places for kids and art places but no Cooking School for kids! I definitely think I am on to something. Husband is still away so I have not bounced the idea off him yet. He just keeps sending us pictures from the french, Italian or swiss mountains and him skiing and so on......we are here in a wintery Toronto going about our regular business. I kind of like my regular business, especially now when I have something little "hanging over me" again!!! It is just fun to brainstorm, plan and hope!
We met a new little friend yesterday. A little girl, 3 days old, who has a sister, Jojo's best friend. You definitely forget how incredibly tiny they are. She was soooo cute. Welcome to the world Lauren!!

So I think in Anna's perfect world I wouldn't want to miss much of my kids life but I definitely want my own thing going somehow!!!
I do actually have 1 or 2 catering jobs coming up next month as well so I think I'll be ok!
Thanks Ginetta for stopping by my blog and leaving a nice long comment!!! When are we getting together again??

Ok, so what kind of blogger am I? Once a week blogger or almost once every three week blogger. Oh, well here I am anyway! It has been a quiet week. The catering event last week went very well. The food was extremly well received. It was fun to work with Lotte again too. The Swedish women has sent e-mails asking for the recipes- funny!
Mark went to Chamonix yesterday and called today from a windy Switzerland. Apparently there are hurricane strong winds and power is out in large parts of middle Europe.
My morning started with us walkning to school as ususal and the kids went into class. I noticed one mom walking back home yelling her son's name. She came back a few minutes later very frantic (totally understandable), saying she could not find her son. He had walked ahead to school but he was not there.......just writing about it now makes me appreciate knowing the kids are in their beds right now!
I went to the school office. The principal was on it with her staff. They announced the boys name while Oh, Canada was playing- that means serious stuff! He was no where to be found. There was probably 15-20 people that had gotten together and we all went back out on the street, yelling his name and looking everywhere. Cars where stopping and people said they would drive around looking for him. The neighbourhood just really showed it's best side. I asked for the exact address and started running back to their home, I came halfway down the hill and some other parents had already gotten there and luckily the boy found, he was sitting in the family van...a mix up between walking or driving to school...mom thought she saw him up the hill ahead meanwhile the little boy was waiting in the van, he waited 45 minutes! We were all so relieved that he was ok and found. I can't imagine loosing a child for real, it must be the most terrible thing that could happen to a parent. You could never stop looking!

Last night we went to an open house at the neighbourhood 7-8 school. My daughter really liked the school,it's teachers and what they had to say. Students made presentations and wow, they were good. There are 3 ways you can go to grade 7.
1. Just normal, core French- You continue having 1h (I think)of french / day
2. Exteded French- You get extra French and it is a LOTTERY to get in.
3. Alternative school, a few schools with different specialties, you apply to the one you find interesting and yes, it's a LOTTERY to get in! I told my daughter that we, or she could want whatever she wants but it is still a lottery and faith will decide. That is not right. I think the kids should be able to apply and then really know what they have to do to actually get in to the program of their choice.

Well, that is it for tonight. We are hoping for some extra snow overnight so we can go for a good tobagoning ( how the %$## do you spell that)tomorrow! Lots of people are going skiing this weekend, I am sure. Hopefully it will be more skiing in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for dropping by!

I am back!
Why is it always 11pm when I finally sit down by the computer???
Today I have been to Costco again plus I have been cooking a bit for my catering job on Thursday night. Have a feeling Jojo will be staying home tomorrow. She is not feeling well at all. She actually fell asleep at 5pm and missed dinner, her favourite salmon and mashed potatoes. She did wake up at 8.30 and had some mash. Then back to bed....her throath is sore and maybe we have to go to the dr, tomorrow. I have lots to do of course since I am cooking food for 100 people on thursday night. Anyway, it will all work out.
The menu for thursday is sundried tomatoes and olive spirals, beef keftas, curried orzo, wild rice and lentil salad, rajita, green salad for dessert a typical swedish dessert Longonbery and cardamom parfait! I think it will be good. Have not calculatet on the whole thing yet but hopefully i'll make some money!
Talk about money, Sigrid wants to go to camp again this summer. It is soooooo expensive. two weeks and it costs around $1700. Can't decide if it is too much or not....ok, I know it is too much but do we want to send her there or not is the question??
I will get back to this matter when my energy level is higher! As alway I ave to leave and go and rest!
until next time! Don't forget to leave a comment that you read my blog!
hugs and kram!
A

Time for some english......
we are in the middle of christmas break and we are having a good time. Jojo spent some of the day at Jillians house. The plan was sleepover but she wanted to come home. I always feel kind of "happy" when my kids wants to come home instead of sleeping over. I think the reason for that is that they, especially Sigrid, have always been so happy to go to other people's houses. Jojo is luckily much more of a homebody.
We had some friends over as well. Everybody pitched in and voila dinner on the table for lots of people without too much effort! I love that style of entertaining.
Our friends had a terrible new years. Their nephew was killed by what seemes to be a drunk driver when he was walking home from a new years eve party. It is just BRUTAL! The visitation and funeral is tomorrow and Friday. I wish I could do more to help them get through this!
Mormor went back home today and she got on the flights without delays. I would love to have her come a few times/year for 3-4 weeks maximum each time. The kids learned to like her and I think she really feels like mormor after this visit. It must be tough for her to have us all sooo far away. I just hope my kids stay close to me when they grow up- fat chance!
it is alway too late to sit here and write nonsens so ones again I have to get to bed. Are going for a walk with a very pregnant Leigh Anne tomorrow morning at 6am!
Godnatt!

New Years Day, 2007

Vi hade ett trevligt nyar tillsammans med vanner har hemma. Vi at och drack gott. Dave, Shannon, Sheila, Al, Mark och jag plus alla barn. Inte Shannons eller Daves, de var hos deras respektive ex, men resten plus Emma. Lotte var pa fest ett kvarter harifran sa det var lite lage att Pippi och hon fick leka lite. Barnen gjorde partyhats av glass strutar och vi at lamm, goda ostar och mumsig sallad. Mark deckade tidigt. Pa morgonen tog jag mamma till Downward Dog och det var forst lite nervost- Skulle hon klara det? Hon imponerade dock och tyckte tom att det var riktigt kul. Sedan skjutsade Mark henne till Rob och Mary och hon spenderade nyarskvallen med dem. De hade jattetrevligt pa nagon dans tillstallning.

Tyvarr sa ringde Al med fruktansvarda nyheter. Sheilas systerson blev ihjalkord av en rattfull nar han skulle ga hem fran en
fest pa nyarskvallen. Dessutom hade foraren smitigt. Idag hade en tvabarns mamma anmalt sig sjalv till polisen. Tank sa javla hemkt och hur manga liv som egentligen drabbas. Bara for att hon inte hade vett att INTE TA BILEN! Vi har pratat om det har hemma nu hela kvallen. Sigrid var den som sa att det ar ju inte bara hon sjalv som drabbas utan hennes bar, hennes foraldrar Tonys foraldrar och ovriga familj. Ja, den listan kan man gora hur lang som helst.

Har inte kommit pa nagot riktigt nyarslofte att avge annu.Maste hitta pa nagot....Big Dave overtalade Mark att kopa en ny dator sa nu har vi en splirrans ny iMac. Den ar helt underbar. Det ar mycket att lara sig och vanja sig vid. Mamma aker hem pa Onsdag. Tydligen sa ser det dessutom bra ut vad galler plats tillgang. Jag tycker vi har haft en valdigt mysig tid tillsammans. Jag hoppas hon tycker det ocksa. Tjejerna har uppfort sig ok. Sigrid ar ju lite tonarig men i ovrigt helt ok. Mamma sydde en jattefin quilt till Pippi som hon fick i julklapp. Mark och jag fick en quilt for var sang. Den ar ocksa fin faktiskt, Jag ar ingen stor quilt fantast egentligen men det ser fint ut.
Pratade med Annika igar och onskade Gott nytt ar. Jag ringde Anne ocksa och hon satt och at middag med Agne, Kalle och hans fru. Ganska lustigt. Kalle och jag hade ju nagot slags forhallande for 110 ar sedan ungefar. Ja, det var faktiskt 1984 om jag ine minns helt fel. Nar jag gick pa Lanthushallsskola i Hoor. Tank det ar 23 ar sedan i ar. Fasen vad gammal man borjar bli. Nu ska jag tomma diskmaskinen och sedan krypa till kojs!
Kram till nasta gang!