13.04.20

Hi friends 👋 Tentatively peeking in here at my former favourite spot of the internet. I see that the last thing I posted was in August last year, just before my life changed drastically... after Duncan and I bought a bar (!) all of my time was suddenly consumed. Bar, bar, bar, baah-r. We became one with our spot by Bastille, we ate, slept, drank bar. Not much eating or sleeping involved to be honest, but I guess that's part of starting a business? Now life has changed drastically again, hopefully not permanently this time. France has been on complete lock down for almost a month now, the macaroon will speak to the nation tonight, more weeks of staying put inside is expected. I've thought of picking up the blog again for a long time now, but the longer I waited the easier it was to put it off. It started feeling like this big, scary deal. So not making any promises, not to anyone else, and not to myself. I'll write and post when it feels like fun.  So on that cheery note (🙃), let's have a look at some pics!  All this time at home has meant loads of cooking. I of course cook at the bar every day, but that's a specific menu and obviously for customers. It's been so long since I cooked for myself, and for us. It's one of my favourite things to do. It's been warm lately, around 25 degrees (the whole world seems a bit upside down these days) so the other day we had a simple couscous salad for dinner. Duncan calls is my air plane salad, as I always make it when I fly somewhere. Really nice to eat warm or cold. I filled up the couscous with aubergine, red pepper, lots of lemon, feta, coriander, mint, tomatoes and olive oil.  I've been baking as well! Working on my bread-game. I haven't baked much before, but there's nothing like a fresh, home made slice of bread for breakfast, right?? Quite therapeutic to kneed as well.  I listen to so many podcasts, not just now during the quarantine, but in general. One of the best gifts ever were the airpods that Duncan got me for my birthday last year, I use them constantly. I listen to a lot of true crime and spooky stuff, but to avoid all too many nightmares I break it up with lighter stuff as well. Discovered this one the other day and screenshot-ed to send to Linda, another podcast-lover. This episode was about a woman who swam with a baby whale who had gotten separated from its mother, pretty incredible story.  This post is becoming a list of my favourite things, but I guess that's ok? Some other positives about being at home all the time, is all the time I get to care for our plants. Growing season has kicked in and our home is blooming! I tied a hanger for lila the other day (yes, we name all of our plants), such a simple thing to do, that looks quite impressive. Just a few knots really. Also planted some seeds that have been laying around since last summer, they've grown maybe 7 centimetres in three days! Excited for them to start sprouting colourful flowers, like the packet promised.  This years Easter present: Doctor Westerlund is blooming!! I've only read about it happening, never actually seen it. Today (pic from yesterday) it's got three little pink flowers 🐣 Speaking of yesterday, it was Easter Sunday and I had planned an Easter Feast for two! It kicked off with egg painting and citrusy beer.  I made a creepy bunny and a chick, Duncan went more artistic with happy colours and patterns. We listened to The Darkness' Easter is cancelled and challenged each other in Wordzee.  And had a snapps or two! I found a singalong version of the Swedish snapps song-classic Helan Går so that D. could follow. In Sweden the singing is obligatory.  Then it was time for the feast! I had cooked and prepared everything, all that was missing were meatballs, sausages and the traditional Swedish drink. Everything is super rich, but definitely one of my favourite meals of the year. Strikingly similar to our traditional Christmas meal....  Pickled herring! Home made bread with kaviar! Janssons Frestelse! Rödbetssallad! Smoked salmon! Boiled egg! Krustader with mushroom filling! Mmmmmm!  After dinner we watched Mother! Which was a harrowing experience. Great movie, but wow, SO heavy. Poor Duncan was completely drained afterwards. We picked ourselves up with The Undateables (there's a new season out!) and The Bachelorette New Zealand, before falling asleep way too late. But what does that matter these days?  Tonight we'll be listening to the speech, eating something nice for dinner, and probably watching more Bachelorette...  If you made it all the way to the last sentence of this long winded blog, thank you x