My Swedish apple cake

I've made the Swedish apple cake today and used the old form that my grandma always used. It has an enamel coating and you can tell by the many scratches that it has been used a lot of times. I've eaten "äppelkaka" a hundred times from this from and I can see the white linen tablecloth on her table and a bouquet of wild growing flowers she has picked on her way home and the little blue plates. It's these beloved memories that makes me sad because I miss her so much but at the same times I'm so happy about having been able to experience them.

You see the recipe in my post below, it's such a nice autumn and winter dessert.

Kram,

Isabell

Äppelkaka - Swedish Apple cake recipe

When I went to work this morning, it was quite cold and you could smell this typical autumn flavour of wet leaves. I started to think about autumn and all the things I like about it. I'm one of these persons that like all 4 seasons, because I think every season is special in a way. Autumn for me means that you have so many different rich colours, plums and apples and the cozy season starts. I've planned to make a Swedish Apple cake (Äppelkaka) tomorrow and this is the way it will look like:

Photo: arla

This recipe is from my family, it's simple and perfect for a windy, rainy cold day. Here is what you need:

• 5-6 Boskop apples (or other apples that aren't too sweet)
• 1 dl breadcrumb and 2 slices pumpernickel
• 1 dl sugar
• 2 msk cinnamon
• 100 g butter (room temperature)
• custard or vanilla icecream

Preheat the oven to 225 °C, peel the apples and cut into small pieces, remove the apple core. Butter an oven-safe form and fill with a layer of apples. Mix the butter with the sugar, the cinnamon, crumb the pumpernickel and the breadcrumb, spread over the apple layer. Add another layer of apples and then the bread-cinnamon-sugar-breadcrumb-butter mix. Continue until the form is filled and make sure to finish with the mix not with the apples and spread some small butter flakes over the last layer. Bake for approx. 20 Minutes in the oven until the apples are soft.

Serve with custard or vanilla ice-cream.

Kram,

Isabell

if you're going to San Francisco...

... yes we're going there and I'll make sure to wear some flowers in my hair ;). Tim and I have finally managed to book a flight to San Francisco! It's only 3 weeks left, I can't tell you how happy I am.

Photo: marcopolo

This will be my first time in California, we will take a car and drive on route 1 to L.A. We still need to check some hotels and plan the trip and I'll show you everything!

Kram,

Isabell

Fish

One of the things I really miss being back in Munich, is that you can't get good fish! Just some dill potatoes and a fried fish, is sooo delicious and a typical summer dish. We had fluke with melted butter and potatoes...

It's really a pitty I can't get it more often!

Kram,

Isabell

Rut på Skäret Restaurant

One of my favorite restaurants in Sweden is Rut på Skäret. It's such a cozy place and of course we went there this time too. The way to the restaurant is very nice and you can see part of the hydrangeas that are growing on each side and in the garden of the restaurant. Doesn't it look like coming to someone from Noisy Village? Normally we sit outside but this time it was too cold, for me it feels like autumn as it's quite cool here in Sweden and it rains a lot.

What I also like about it is the clean and simple design: a white tablecloth, salt and pepper, a hydrangea and a candle in typically Swedish candleholder:

And also a picture from the inside of the restaurant:

And the food is delicious here, so promise me to try it if you should be in Skåne!

Have a good evening!

Kram,

Isabell

Doing things you like..

... for me painting things is an extremely relaxing thing. As I'm on vacation it's great to do things you like but can't do everyday, because I'm at work. Like the candleholders I bought here that are wooden and I changed the colour into black because it will fit perfectly to the one I already have and which you can see on this picture and to the ballerina picture.

This is the one I've already painted black:

And here you see the original color of the candle holders.

And all 3 ones painted black:

It will be great to see them together with the one I already have!

Have a great day!

Isabell

Small Scandinavian Details

I'm currently visting a lot of friends and relatives here in Sweden and I like the small Scandinavian furniture details like using a porcelain for flowers and basil. These are bowls and cups from an old Danish porcelain. Together with the typical white and grey or beige colors used here in Scandinavia it makes a perfect match, don't you think so?

Kram,

Isabell

Nyborg Wedding

I'm finally in Sweden after the wedding in Nyborg, Denmark. Here are some pictures where I've been the last days. I'm really enjoying Scandinavian summer and the calm days. The first pictures have been taken in the Best Western Hotel in Nyborg:

And of course the married couple:

It was a long weekend and I'll go to bed now and write more tomorrow!

Have a good day!

Kram,

Isabell

3 MORE DAYS

... then I'm off to Denmark and Sweden. One of the things that I'm going to eat there as soon as I arrive is "blåbärssoppa" ("blueberrysoup"). There are some things that come to my mind when I think of Swedish summer and this is one of it and I miss it and look so much forward to tasting it! You can't get it anywhere here in Germany, as it's a typical Swedish dish, but of course you can cook it yourself:

Photo: Arla

Here is what you need:

4 dl water

1 dl sugar

250 g blueberries

1 msk corn starch

2 msk cold water

Please refer to my post about the Swedish measuring cups, for the dl and msk.

Bring the water to boil together with the sugar and add the blueberries, let simmer for approx. 5-10 minutes. Put the corn starch into a cup and add the 2 msk cold water, stir until smooth and add to the blueberry soup. Let simmer for another 2-4 minutes, let it cool down before serving. I like to add custard before serving, but of course you can also add whipped cream instead.

Have a great sunday evening!

Kram,

isabell

FRIDAY!

What a week! I'm so happy that it's friday! I've spent most of my time in the office at 38 °C without air-conditioning (as we have one of the largest projects for a big company right now), then in the Registry Office or in a photo booth creating horrible passport pictures, looking for nice thank you cards, editing wedding pictures and the rest of my time I tried to get some sleep. I didn't know that you had to change so many things after your wedding! Still many things to change but at least half of it is done. The only thing that is strange for me is to answer the telephone with my new last name, I need to fully concentrate and still I tell or write my old last name. But I guess I will soon get used to it.
Just a few days left and I'm going to Sweden and Denmark for the wedding of my Danish friend and I'm looking for a dress, as she doesn't want her guests to wear black and all of my dresses are either black or white! :) I found these dresses:

Photo:Zara

This one is nice too:

Photo: asos

or that? But this one might bee to close to white?

Photo. Zalando

I will need to go to the city tomorrow... I'll show you my choice :)

Kram,

Isabell

Anne Black Design

 t's been very calm the last days on my blogg, sorry for that! I've been visiting my mother-in-law together with Tim and I left everything at home, including my laptop. We've made a little boat tour with canoes and there are muscles I didn't know that they exist, but today I know, as they hurt... :)

As you know I one of my best friends will get married in Nyborg soon and I'm looking for a little present because I don't like to only hand over an envelope with money but also give her something personal. So one of the things I saw during my search is Anne Black, a Danish Designer. She has various things that I like very much for example this ornament:

Or the grey bowl with the red line:

And the typical Scandinavian porcelain patterns with royal blue and white:

Tis is one of my absolute favorites, as I like the irregular shape, and you can get it in many colors:

Pictures: Anne Black







Have a nice evening!


Kram Isabell