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Happy Easter for every one 💛 We wish you all very nice days together with family and friends where ever you are. Just enjoy the time! We finished the decorations around the house and prepared the Easter program. So we are nearly ready to celebrate 😉

Of course we hope the winter will be over soon, like a lot of people. Although they say it's going to snow tomorrow again...😳. We still have the winter tires (spikes) but need to change them soon. We have an appointment next week. I hope we don't need them anymore and we need to change them before the 15th of April. But at least I found the first Crocus flowers last week. Finally not only snowdrops anymore. I saw also the first glimpse of the blåsippa. I will keep you updated. 

Finally. We started also with some gardenjobs outside. I couldn't wait any longer. I wanted to go outside. It's still very cold and wet but when you have some sun it's ok as long as you keep moving and working. It's good the groundwater level is back on normal level again since the very dry periods last years. From 2018 it has been too dry. Though it's very high water at some places now, even in our garden. Mostly it will disappear in the bottom quickly because it's very sandy over here in Småland. And it will provide us and all the people around us with fresh drinking water for the wells. 

In the garden we are taking away the frost prevention, the rest of the leaves and burned the rest of the woods in the fireplace. We are making extra fences to keep the hares outside. All those little plants start growing now and they like special the new fresh leaves. I saw the new build flowers from the Helleborus where gone already 😕. The deer have a special nose for the first parts of the Daylilies, so we have been protecting them too. We made some chicken wire around the fresh youngsters. Last years we already made fence around the garden and it's looking like they are a little lazy. So they don't jump in that easy, only when they are very hungry. 

Inside the work of sowing already started weeks ago. A lot of plants are growing now but couldn't go outside because it still was freezing at night time. I kept them as cold as possible inside (around 10 degrees, so it's more easy to go outside. As soon as the frost will be less severe the next weeks the first plants -who are hardy enough can go out. Like the Sweet Williams (Borstnellikor/Duizendschoon), the Snapdragons (Lejongap/Leeuwenbek) and the Columbines (Akleja/Akelei). I've been trying to sow Verbena but I haven't been lucky with that. They need a period of cold, I know. So they have been outside and inside but still noting happening. 

Now it's the latest time to cut the Willow tree. You need to do it in winter. Somewhere between December and March before the juiceflow of the tree starts. That's for me the time to have some fun with Willow branches. I made a new wreath and a basket for my lady. Hope to see you soon in the garden for a fika 😍. 

Just in case you never heart about the old Swedish Easter Saga, please take a look. It's funny!

And for those how know about it? Have a nice trip on Thursday 😆.

Grandma's Winter Cake

Longing for something heartwarming, spicy and sweet? This is the perfect (and very easy) recipe for wintertime, when the weather is grey, boring and it's getting dark early. You just need some a tasty cake with spices and whipped cream to warm you. I'm sure your grandmother would have made it for you when she had known it...👵

This ingredients you need:

• butter 
• breadcrumbs
• 3 dl flour
• 1 1/2 dl sugar
• 1 ts cinnamon
• 1 ts grinned cloves
• 1 ts grinned ginger
• 1 ts baking soda
• 100 g butter
• 1 dl unsweetened cream
• 1 dl milk
• 1/2 dl sugar syrup
• 2 tablespoons cranberry marmelade

How to make it:

• Put the oven on 175°C.
• Grease the form and put some breadcrumbs on the bottom of the form (1,5 liter)
• Mix al the dry ingredients in a bowl
• Melt the butter and mix it with all the wet ingredients.
• Put the wet and the dry ingredients together and stir it easily (by hand not mixing by machine) and put it in the form
• Bake the cake (low) in the oven in 40-45 minutes
• Start eating the warm cake... jummie 😋

Do you like sweet things? You need to try this one: Kanelbullen

Something to hope for

I'm so happy I have a lot of fantasy, creativity and interests. As a child I learned to use my fantasy and enjoy myself... Even now, when I have a lot of time for myself (because of Corona a lot of things closed down) I sometimes have too much ideas at the same time that I need to create some more focus. It's hard to imagine people get bored now because everything closed down. I know, for me it was more easy that time because I grow up in a smal village, for long time without any brothers and sisters and there was no internet, no mobile phone and no dvd in the car. I played outside in the garden or in the woods most of the time. When I was inside because of bad weather I started being creative. With writing, drawing, cooking, making lemonade, wine or cakes, designing houses, gardens or planning fantasy holidays. The only thing you need is some space, something you like and belief in your talents what ever they may be. Because when you like something very much you can loose yourself in it, you will forget the time and won't have time to get worried or bored. They will have to call you several times when dinner is ready....

This, when we have to step back because of the Corona pandemi in Europa (and lockdown everywhere), is a good moment to go back to basic again and find your talents, creativity and yourself again. Even in Sweden we have very serious rules now. But we live in Sweden in the woods, nobody around so we have a lot of space around the house and a very nice house to spend time in. We realise that's a very comfortable position, not everyone is in. We decided already we will start painting and decorate all around the house. When it's not possible to travel to our family in the Netherlands we will create a Christmas Home ourselves. We will prepare the garden outside as much as possible (depending on the weather), create new ideas or make plans on paper for next garden season. In between we bake our own bread and granola. And last but not least, we will go and sport a lot, inside gym and yoga and outside walking ans running. Because most important of all: be healthy (take good sleep, eat healthy and keep sporting no matter what weather).

I already started to paint some furniture I want to sell on the digital market next months. Last but not least, we want to make and finish a businessplan for our own small company for a open garden with small koffiecorner and plantmarket. In Sweden they call it "Trädgårdscafe" where you can have "Fika" (What's Fika) in spring and summertime and can visit a "växtloppis". We wanted to start it last year already, but then Corona came in between... and we stopped planning. We are not sure where it would go... and actually we still don't know. But let's hope it will be better one day...

Anyway, I will be busy next months. I hope, there will be one day finally, the world will be more normal again. I wish you the same. Good luck with finding your talents and creativity, it is worth it, because it will bring you lots of luck and satisfaction😍 

DIY Natural Healthy Granola recipe

My favorite natural, very healthy and colorful granola recipe is has been created by doing it very often. It tasted and smells really fantastic! You have to try it yourself...

You need:
5 dl rye and/or oats grains (2,5 dl mix is the best)
3 dl grinded cocos
1 dl pumpkin seeds
1 dl sunflower seeds
2 dl coarsely chopped hazelnuts
4 ts  cinnamon powder
2 ts cardamom powder
1 ts kurkuma
1/2 ts salt
2 dl honey
2 spoons water
3 dl mixed dry fruits (for example my favorites russin, mango and goji berries)

How to fix it:

• Put the oven on 175 degrees
• Mix all dry ingredients except honey, the mixed fruits and the pumpkin seeds
• Add the water and mix the total
• Put the mix on a baking tray and spread half of the honey above it
• Roast it in the middle of the oven for 5 minutes
• Take it out, shuffle the mix and put the other half of the honey on it
• Put it back again for 5 minutes each time and take it out and shuffle again.
• Ready after 5 minutes and mix it
• Take it out of the oven
• Add the dry fruits and the pumpkin seeds
• Let it cool down, some time.

Total baking time is about 15 minutes, it shouldn't be too dark then it gets bitter.
Delicious as a cereal in your morning yoghurt!

After some time you will make your own favorite recipe out of it, bij trying, changing and making it better each time 😋 Good luck!

Winterblues effects and remedies

Very healthy blue sky

Daylight and blue skys are very important for the well being of humans. Did you know too low light (lux) in a longer time (some months) can have effect on your health? On a cloudy day the light is around 1000 to 2000 lux. This is around the minimum for the body of a human body to work properly.
Inside the light is mostly too low. One lux is the same as one candlelight. In your living room mostly the light (lux) is around 150 lux (if you are lucky) in the office mostly some more (300 to 500). Daylight is much stronger. In summertime with full sun you can receive around 100.000 lux.

Foto: lightexpert

By the way, it is not only sunlight you need, but the light in general. The most important part is the blue sky. Your eyes react on that, they absorb and give information to your brains it is time to wake up. (Be aware of the fact that the light from your computer or tablet have the same effect when you use it late in the evening!)

When it is turning darker your brains get the information to get ready for sleeping. You can already feel the difference when you look at the picture from an inside lamp and a picture of a sunny day with blue sky. Just try it!



Special circumstances:

• It depends per person: Not everyone is as sensitive, so one feels more effect then another person. Youngsters need less light then older people. Women have more problems then men because of the disturbing in the hormonsystem
• The light in wintertime is very low on the average in the northern part of the world. Especially when it is a very dark winter without snow (it lightens) but with a lot of rain. Or when you are living in Northern Europe or Scandinavia.

 Effects:

• Low energy and tired
• Heavy to concentrate
• Bad temper or depressive
• Eat and sleep too much (special interest for sweeties)
• Getting more wight

Remedies for me (to save my healthy biorhythm and energy m in wintertime):

• Go outside as much as possible, even in wintertime. Daylight is the most important ingredient.
• Be sporty, have a walk outside or take your bic to your job. 
• Spent as much time as possible in a room with good lightning, or stay close to the window.
• Buy an energy lamp to get some extra light in wintertime. Each morning some extra blue light for 20 minutes (only use it to wake up). 
• Take care of a healthy sleep and wake up rhythm. Don't use your social media late in the evening.
• Concentrate on green and fruity healthy food and drink a lot of water, avoid alcohol and coffee.
• Take extra vitamin D, B12, zinc or magnesium. 
• Look for food which contains a lot of tryptofaan like milk, pure chocolates and bananas.
• Take a holiday to the sun 😄

You can at least try some of them. It's important to find a remedie who works for you personally. Because it will be back every winter. It makes you happy to feel good anyway. Good luck!

Winter light

Kanelbullardag

Grattis! Did you know it's Kanelbullensdag today in Sweden?

Foto: Pixabay

Every year on the 4th of October a lot of people eat a sort of cinnamon roll. They sell around  7 million on that day. That means that 51% of the Swedish people are eating them, or get one on their job. They started with this day in 1999 to stimulate people to make homemade sweets and sell more butter, flour and yeast. The cinnamon roll is typical Swedish (1920) and is often eaten with the fika, having coffee and cakes. A very popular daily habit in Sweden. So when you are in Sweden one day, you have to try one, it tastes delicious!

You want to start baking? For 25 buns you need:
35 g (1¼ oz) yeast
100 g (3½ oz) sugar
300 ml (1½ cup) milk
1 egg
120 g (4 oz) butter
1 tsp salt
1 tbs ground cardemom
750 g (26 oz) flour

Filling:
100 g (4 oz) butter
50 g (2 oz) sugar
2 tbs cinammon

Glaze:
1 egg
2 tbs water
pearl sugar

Preparation
Crumble the yeast in a bowl and stir in a few tablespoons of milk. Melt the butter and pour the milk on it. Add the rest of the ingredients and knead the dough in a dough mixer for 10–15 minutes. Let the dough rise while covered at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough so it is about 3 mm (1/8 in) thick and 30 cm (12 in) wide. Spread the room-temperature butter on top. Make a mixture of sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it over the dough. Roll the dough the long way and cut the roll into about 25 slices. Place them with the cut edge upward in paper molds. Place on a baking sheet and let rise under a towel for about 60 minutes or until the buns have doubled in size.

Beat together the egg and water, brush the mixture carefully on the buns and sprinkle pearl sugar on top. Bake in the oven (220°C/425°F) for 5–6 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack.

Special tree that Juniper

Foto: Pixabay

Sometimes you see tree sculptures in the Smålands landscape. The coniferous trees or shrubs Juniper (or Juniperus Communis in latin or En in Swedish) is often seen in Småland Sweden. Mostly when they harvest the wood in Sweden, they leave the juniper behind. You really cannot mis them. I don't know yet if that has a reason....

I already found out that the oldest one ever found in Sweden (in Sarek National Park) was 840 years old. It can become 14 meters high and 1,5 meter wide. It is a very common tree in Sweden but it is protected in The Netherlands. I think because there are not that much left in the Dutch natural landscape anymore.

It is a small tree or shrub. It delivers special berry, which are not berries but a sort of pine appels. It takes tree years to grow and become blue. joke: when all the berries are ripe you can get all you wish.... (it will be never)

But did you know it has very special stories too?

From long times ago they believed the plant could protect against ghosts around the house, the stable and even around the accres to protect the harvest. It was also used to burn in the chimney or to clean rooms which were not warm in wintertime, to smell more nice and keep away the mold. The bark was often used to cover the floor and the branches for the smoking of meat and fish.

The trees is still very useful today. They use it as a part of medical supplement, to stimulate the kidney function, to clean the liver, to drift moisture of or to lose weight. But don't start eating this tree pure. Maybe you bought some bathing oil, big chance there was Juniper in it.

The berries (or actually pine appels) are used to make gin and aquavit. Or you can still use it when you make a special marinade for wild or sauerkraut. You can still buy it in the supermarket.
So I think it is a very special tree that old guy...so when you see one, think of this story 😇

DIY Very tasteful black current syrup

You have to try this one...black current syrup in 20 minutes!

In our garden we have 5 black current bushes. We think they are all ready very old but they still give a lot of berries. This year even more as last year, about 8 liters. Last year we pruned them a little, we took they old branches out, to make them some younger. You really could see that because the berries were some bigger, despite of the very dry summer.

We make black current syrup of them. You can find the recipe below. Really tasty as a drink with some cold water or as a syrup in a yogurt. Last year we put some berries on brandy, but the taste was a little to strong for us. But we added some syrup and then you get really nice black current liquor. You need to drink it soon, otherwise the sugar will be converted to alcohol again. Skål!

Making of...

Black Currant Syrup

Black Currant Liquor

Recipe Black Current Syrup
1 liter black current berries
4 dl sugar
9 dl water

Just cook the berries with water and sugar for 15 min maximum. Take them out through a sieve (several times till you do not find to much pulp anymore), throw the pulp away en put the syrup in a bottle as hot as possible. Close the bottle, turn it upside down and you can save it for at least some months.

DIY Elderflowersyrup

Yes, we made it ourselves... and it is very easy going. It is very nice when you are thirsty on a hot summer day.

You need:

• 10-20 elderflower blossom (pick them in June on a dry day)
• 1 lemon
• 600 gr sugar
• vanille essence
• 6 dl water

Even more flowers wil make it more tasty. You need the sugar to keep it over longer, you can use less when you drink it soon (in 1-3 days).

How to fix:

• Clean the lemon, make slices. Put it with the flowers in a big pan or small but clean hink.
• Cook the water with the sugar till the sugar has disappeared. Put in just a little vanilla essence.
• Put all together with the flowers and cover it.
• Leave it for 3-4 days in normal room temperature.
• Take of all the flowers with a sief and put the syrup in clean cooked bottles.

You can even make summerpunch out of it, just put in some white wine and soda just before drinking. Cheers!