Monthly Archive: November 2013

30
Nov
2013

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

It’s the last day of November! It’s Ek Family Thanksgiving Day! It’s Saturday! I have posted every day for 30 days and I have to say I’m pretty proud of sticking to it, when I was so doubtful at the beginning. It’s hot in the house because the oven has been going since around 10 a.m. this morning. Two turkeys are done and resting on the countertop (under guard) and Anders is peeling potatoes. I have asked twice if he wants help but he keeps refusing me. I bought 9 kilos of potatoes. That’s something like 100 potatoes. We have...

29
Nov
2013

IF YOU’RE GONNA DO A MEME, DO ONE ABOUT SOMETHING YOU LOVE

Which book has been on your shelf the longest? I don’t know if this question means the longest as in that I have owned the longest, or if it means a book that has been waiting to be read the longest. If it’s the first, one of the oldest books I have is a compilation of stories called Animals You Will Never Forget. I used to read it over and over, and if I remember correctly, so did my sister. I have most of the books I had a as child, at least all the hardcover ones I received as...

28
Nov
2013

HAPPY TURKEY DAY

I just got home from a very long day of work and then shopping and then wreathmaking workshop. I made one big beautiful wreath and bought another one and a whole box full of poinsettias, big ones and little ones to decorate the house with. My wreath has holly and holly berries and pine cones and GOLD spraypaint and did I mention it’s beautiful?? But I don’t have any photos (yet) because my phone died and my car charger broke, to boot. I hung my wreath on the front door and now it is officially the start of the holiday...

27
Nov
2013

LITTLE PLEASURES ADD UP TO TREASURES

Elizabeth put up a beautiful post on the Squam blog about 100 things she’s thankful for and Megsie followed suit with a fantastic list of her own. I could pretty much just swipe everything from both their lists, but in the interest of actually WRITING my own list and not just copycatting others, even if things they are thankful for are also things I’M thankful for, here are 100 things I’m thankful for right now, in no particular order, on this eve of Thanksgiving 2013. alone time :: internet access :: clean water :: a veritable plethora of books to...

26
Nov
2013

LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING UP

The past few days and nights have been below freezing, but that clear chill kind of cold that is perfect winter weather…ice crystals and blue skies and dragon-breath. It’s been perfectly clear, no clouds at all, even at night and the night sky is as black as pitch. The stars sparkle against it like they’re diamonds lying on velvet. Orion is slumped so far to the left that he’s practically somnolent. When I take the dog out for one last round-the-block walk, the grass crunches under our feet and the street sparkles in the light from the street lamps. We...

25
Nov
2013

THESE ARE THE DAYS

Every day when I come into work, one of my colleagues greets me and then says what day it is. I don’t know if this is a Swedish thing, but I find it very strange. EVERY DAY. I suspect he is saying it for confirmation because he must understand that I KNOW what day it is. So, in case you weren’t aware or don’t have access to a calendar or are on vacation and not paying attention: today is Monday. One of my other colleagues is gone on a business trip this week, so we’re short one person, which means...

24
Nov
2013

NOM NOM NOM

Cookies are done! They were really easy to make, except for the dipping in chocolate part, which I would do differently next time. I put the skewers in first, but then they twirl within the dough and come out when you’re swirling the cookie dough in the melted chocolate. So I would swirl the ball first and THEN skewer it. And yes, they are DELICIOUS. The chocolate chips IN the cookies are dark chocolate and the melted dip was milk chocolate. Recipe below 🙂 Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 3...

23
Nov
2013

TO FREAKING DO

Went to gather the cookie-making stuff and discovered that I have: 1 bag of peanut butter chips 1 bag of cinnamon chips 1 bag of raspberry chips 1/4 bag of white chocolate chips 2 bags of butterscotch chips 1/2 bag of chocolate chips I need at least THREE bags of chocolate chips and since I can’t get to a store that has them until Monday evening and the cookies have to be MADE TOMRROW, I will have to go buy baking chocolate and chop it up. Drrrr. However, in the midst of hunting for the chocolate chips I discovered that...

22
Nov
2013

I BET YOU CAN TELL I WAS HUNGRY WHEN I WROTE THIS POST

Next time I agree to dog-sit I need to remember to order better weather. It has been raining most every time we have gone out with him, which isn’t very fun and makes it hard to want to walk for very long. And the pissy kind of rain too which means that when we come back in the house, we have TWO dogs, because I have a POODLE ON MY HEAD. Ha! It’s gotten a lot colder in the last 2 days as well…winter is coming. No snow yet, but the air feels anticipatory. Our breath steams and when I...

21
Nov
2013

MOSTLY KIDS, WITH A SIDE OF STUFFING

Our Internet was totally spotty yesterday and kept cutting out completely, so with the slowdown, I just couldn’t get up the ork to sit down and write a post. Plus, CAKE BOSS. Martin warned me loudly and vociferously about the slippery slope dangers of The Learning Channel, which I had never previously watched anything on, and didn’t even know we had. “It’s the channel with HONEY BOO BOO, Mom!” he exclaimed, in utter disgust at my naivete. “Ohhhh,” was my response, “but but but CAKE BOSS.” haha! I don’t really care about Cake Boss. I was just filling time waiting...

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