Malmö Modern

Hej hooo! A few weeks ago I was in shop heaven when I visited Malmö Modern which sells amazing scandinavian designer items and a few fab international pieces too including a selection from the very wonderful Scottish designer Donna Wilson. The good news is they've just opened an online shop too (sorry...Sweden only). As you'd expect, the owners have a very cool home which I thought I'd share with you.  A cream bun for the person who can spy the most designer items?!!

Marcus and Elisabeth from Malmo Modern. All photography: Vidir Geirsson.

It's a public holiday here today so we're heading off sailing for the day. It's a little choppy but hopefully that'll just add to the fun....! Have a lovely day. x

STATISTICS / STATISZTIKÁK

Bár még csak 20 perc múlva telik le a nap, de lementettem a havi adatokat, mert nagyon sokat klikkeltetek. 4350!!!

Az áprilisi blog-látogatottság minden eddigi rekordott megdöntött, és már hónapok óta tartósan jóval 4000 felett jár havonta. Lehet, hogy ez többeteknek nem túl nagy szám, én azonban nagyon boldog vagyok, hogy amatőr létemre érdekes tartalommal szolgálhatok.

Nagyon köszönöm mindenki figyelmét, támogatását, klikkjeit! És külön köszönet azoknak (ebben a hónapban a Kicsi Ház és a Lakberendezés szívvel-lélekkel és Achados de Decoração blogok szerzőinek) , akik a saját blogjukon megjelenítették valamely képem vagy betették a blog linkjét.

És akkor lássuk is a konkrét számokat:

It's 20 to midnight but I saved this month's statistics, because it was a record. In the last months I had over 4000 clicks, and April it was 4350. Maybe it is not too many for several of you, but I'm really happy with this. I'm not a professional designer or interior stylist, decorator so it feels really good that I could pick some interesting theme or pics for you.

Thank you very much for everyone's attention, support and clicks! Special thanks for those who shared one or more of my pics and published a link to my blog (this month especially Kicsi Ház and Lakberendezés szívvel-lélekkel and Achados de Decoração blogs).

And here are the numbers:

That Was Yesterday

Image Via Pinterest

Yesterday was a challenge. 

I was in the shower when I heard an almighty scream (those out there with babies/toddlers, the bad news is, you can't leave them alone for a minute even in their tweens/teens). Little one had sneezed while brushing his teeth, smashed his mouth on the sink in the process and broken his beautiful, long-awaited, 'grown up', front tooth. Oh, how we had waited for that tooth. I think I even blogged about it, when we were searching for x-ray evidence of it up in the gum!

Once the shock wore off, the little mite was wringing his hands over the prospect of looking like Jim Carrey, in the movie 'Dumb and Dumber', forever... and the possibility that 'no-one will ever fall in love with me'. To make the situation worse, I was on my way out the door for 'my day in court'. Yes, the 'powers that be' from a previous tenancy decided they'd end our tenancy with a bang by refusing our bond payout, based on some normal wear and tear on the softest, engineered wooden floor in the universe (it was like living on play dough). Sigh. Alright then. Let's go to court.

Big son volunteered to stay home from school as he was also distraught (or so he said) and look after little one (with Gran's help, of course), so I could head off. The earliest dentist appointment we could get was 1pm ... so little one whimpered until then. He wasn't in pain, he just wanted to look normal again. Poor darling.... I felt terrible. 

I spent the morning sitting on the above ledge, at the court, trying to take my mind off things, trying to appreciate the view, the beautiful day, bemoaning the delays in the court timetable, fretting about my baby and summoning the strength to face the people who had given us very little 'quiet enjoyment' of our rental property for the past 12 months. I never bored you with the details about the constant 'entry notices' we received throughout the year, from these people, for 'rectification of defects'. The apartment was brand new and they had not fixed a very, very long list of building defects, the owner had highlighted, that needed to be fixed BEFORE we moved in. We were unaware of the situation before we moved in..... so thus began a year of apartment repairs.... on my time, ruining my belongings in the process... sometimes up to 4 times a month. Renting is so character building.

Image Courtesy Spark People

Long story short. I won. I'm getting my bond back. 

The 'Applicant' wore slippers to court! Need I say more. I received a text from my big son, before I went in to court. He said, "tell me one thing Mum, slippers or thongs"? I laughed out loud. I texted back, "slippers". My son marvelled at how 'the Applicant' wore those slippers everywhere, even when showing prospective tenants through the old place. You go to court... you take off your slippers and show that you respect the process. Ok done, got through that and then bundled the little one up on my return home and held his hand through the afternoon dentistry. 

It's not the same. It's not as good as it was, his dear little tooth :(

Image Via Pinterest

My world sort of stopped yesterday, my day passed in slow motion and everything that was meant to matter, mattered. All I thought about all day was my boy. He was all that mattered.....despite the distractions. Perspective. I am grateful for it.

Got this in my inbox last night:

"One little known secret to making precisely the right move, at precisely the right time in your life, A-M, is knowing that in all cases, there is more than one right move and more than one right time. Lots and lots more.

In other words, no matter what you do next, or when, so long as you do something, I'll meet you there, smooth the edges, polish the grill, and connect the dots.

Tallyho,
    The Universe"

Thank you universe. Thank you for smoothing the edges and connecting the dots yesterday. Bye-bye annus horribilis... that's the last of you. Be gone!

Anyway, the house/land/shack is mine... as of last night.... picking up the keys today. And breathe out.

Now to get some tenants in, if it's liveable!

Commence Chapter Two.

Happy Tuesday! 

P.S. Hey, thanks Mum, for attacking my ironing pile... and for taking away shirts with missing buttons and school trousers that needed to be taken up. Oh it's nice to accept some help at times! So nice. xx

Veggies In Disguise Muffins

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I love any opportunity to make the traditional dish or treat a little bit healthier if I can. And if I have to sneak it in, then so be it. :) I recently made some yummy muffins that 2 little boys have given me the 2 thumbs up on the results!

Ingredients:

1 cup carrots, finely chopped

1 cup zucchini, finely chopped

1 cup chocolate chips (fresh fruit can be an excellent alternative option)

1 cup walnuts or pecans

1 package of cake mix, prepared according to package directions, but not baked

I didn't have a cake mix on hand, so I used this WONDERFUL GLUTEN FREE CAKE RECIPE!

Add carrots, zucchini, chocolate chips, and nuts to prepared cake batter, stir to combine.

Transfer the mixture to a muffin pan, filling each cup about 2/3 of the way. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Do not overcook, as this will result in dry muffins. Once cooled, these muffins can be frozen to be eaten later.

**We used cupcake liners since my youngest son is sensitive to metals**

With the cake recipe I used, this made about 48 muffins. I used leftover frozen organic zucchini and carrots and pantry items I already had. So you get a bang out of your buck and taste buds with this winning recipe!

Do you try to sneak in veggies for your kiddos?

Mediterranean Couscous

Have you ever decided you didn't like something and later realized it was because you had prepared it incorrectly?

Yup, that was me recently.

I've seen Israeli couscous prepared by TV chefs many times and I always think it looks great. What's not to like about little balls of pasta? But the one time I tried cooking it, it was a mess. I decided I just wasn't a fan and figured that was OK since there are plenty of other pasta shapes out there. Then I saw Melissa's Mediterranean Couscous and decided I had to try again. As luck would have it, we had exactly 1 1/3 cups of the little balls left in the big container in the pantry. The fates were aligning.


As I was getting ready to cook the couscous I read the directions on the back of the container. And that's when I realized my earlier mistake. Unlike rice and regular couscous, Israeli couscous should be stirred every so often as it cooks. Duh. The last time I made it I just left it alone for the full 8 minutes it took to cook and when I went back to the pot it was a gloopy, sticky mess. No wonder I didn't like it. This time I ended up with individual pearls of pasta, just the way it was meant to be.

::smacks forehead::


While I'm thankful I realized my mistake, I'm also annoyed at myself for figuring it out after we exhausted the entire container of couscous. Now I need to go out and get more so I can make this recipe again. Because I will be making it again, and soon. I'm pretty sure I could eat a bowl of this every. single. day for the next month and not grow tired of it. I love, love, love anything Greek-inspired so this was automatically right up my alley. SP, on the other hand, isn't a big fan yet he still proclaimed this couscous good, which for him is a big deal.

I cut up and mixed together everything but the couscous in the morning and let it hang out in the fridge all day so the flavors could marry, and so I didn't have to get everything chopped in the evening when I had Baby Girl underfoot. That way I was able to cook the couscous while the pork was cooking and serve it warm. Delicious. Just so, so good. I think I had about 5 servings last night. Baby Girl tried the couscous the next night and cleaned her plate. A winner all around.

I don't have enough words to say how good this was so just make it and find out for yourself. A big thank you to Melissa for this wonderful recipe!

Mediterranean Couscous
I Was Born to Cook

1 box Israeli couscous (1 1/3 cup), cooked according to package instructions
Feta cheese (plain or Mediterranean flavored), crumbled
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
12 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Splash extra virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Combine everything but the couscous in a bowl and mix. Taste and adjust the seasonings to taste. Refrigerate until ready to cook couscous.

Cook couscous and toss with the other ingredients in the bowl. Serve immediately warm.

MONDAY MORNING / HÉTFŐ REGGEL

...still weekend :)
...még mindig hétvége :)

Source: piccsy.com via Riell [project:HOME] on Pinterest

10 Monday Mix and match

Sometimes renovating my home feels like a complicated puzzle and some pieces simply won't fit. I've been scratching my head over the dining table and chairs for ages. Should they be a set of Eames? Wegner? IKEA? A simple rough wooden bench? And then my friend Sofia came over at the weekend and suggested a complete mix. YEEEESSSS!! It's so much easier to find a vintage bargain of just one piece too. Here's my inspiration.....I can't wait to get started!

I found all of these lovely pictures on Pinterest. And I feel incredibly guilty that just for the next couple of hours I'm going to have to credit them through my 'Fine Dining' board. But as soon as I find a quiet moment (I am at home with my two little girls this morning who are 3 and 1!) I promise to come back and credit each photo. 

See you shortly and Happy Monday!

Monday Nook

Dear 'Paradise Building Developments'........ would you mind popping over to Australia to build my house?.... please?

Sarah, from Paradise Building Developments, in Mount Maunganui in New Zealand, sent me some photos of their latest show home.

Isn't this the prettiest kitchen? I love the symmetry, the bevelled subway tiles and the colonial kicks. Oooh, and I even love the 'lab sinks' (I call them lab sinks as they remind me of my uni biochemistry pracs that were held in the most depressing laboratories, with the very same sinks, albeit all splattered in all sorts of waste. They're growing on me... as the years pass. Sarah said they used my ideas in their Butler's pantry. Lovely. Thank you!

Let's not leave it at one nook, let's include the bathroom from this lovely home too.... a 'Monday Double Nook'.

Love the grey. Love it. Love the bath. There are those bevelled subway tiles again. Love them.
Lots of 'love' here this morning.

Image Courtesy 'The Gourmet Kitchen Company'

Even more gorgeous when you can see the ceiling! 

There are those tiles again.

Love a good 'subway'.

Happy Monday!

Oh, I forgot to mention, my house/land settles today!!! How could I forget? All ready to go. It will be mine at 5pm this afternoon, if all goes well. A good day already!

AFTER BLOOMING / HAGYMÁSOK VIRÁGZÁS UTÁN

Photo via Greenteam

Nem tudom, ti hogy vagytok vele, de én nagyon szeretem a hagymás virágokat. Sajnos most már épp elvirágoznak, ezért próbáltam utánajárni, hogy mit is kezdjek a száradó növényekkel. Több egymásnak ellentmondó információt olvastam arról, hogy távolítsuk-e el a hervadó virágokat, szárakat vagy hagyjuk magától leszáradni. Én jelenleg a hagyom magától elszáradni vonal híve vagyok. Lássuk, miért is:

A hagymás növények minden tápanyagot a hagymában tárolnak. A leszáradás folyamata közben az összes tápanyag visszahúzódik a hagymába, így jövő tavasszal a hagyma teljes erejével a virágzásra tud majd összpontosítani. Ha levágjuk a száradó részeket a hagyma idő előtt kifogyhat a tápanyagból, így jövőre nem biztos, hogy számíthatunk új virágokra. Maximum a virág fejét kell levágni, mert így a növény nem fogja erejét magok kialakítására fordítani, és még több értékes tápanyag jut a következő évi virágzásra. 

Tudom, hogy a száraz, sárgult kóró nem nyújt túl szép látványt, úgyhogy a kertben vegyük körbe őket évelőkkel a cserepeseket pedig tegyük egy olyan helyre (akár sötétre is) ahol senki sem látja, és amikor már minden száraz rajta csak akkor vágjuk le a leveleket és a virágot. A hagymákat, gumókat fel is szedhetjük a kertből (én bevallom nem szoktam) majd tegyük el őket újságpapírba csomagolva, száraz, hűvös helyre. Ősszel a hagymákat újra kiültethetjük a kertbe, vagy cserépbe, így karácsonyra vagy  februárra újra kivirágozhatnak.

Weekly Menu - Week of April 29, 2012

Sunday - My recipe swap meal (shhh...it's a secret but it's something I've had my eye on for awhile now and can't wait to make). I'm also going to make this Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight as part of a Foodbuzz promotion. I'll bring it to church for fellowship time.

Monday - Corn Chowder with Lime and Avocado, ciabatta for dipping: This is a carryover from last week. Katie posted this soup on her weekly menu recently and then I saw it when I was looking through my recipes trying to make a meal plan. Seeing it twice just made me want it even more, plus I've got an avocado in the fridge that need to be eaten.

Tuesday - Hoagies

Wednesday - Chipotle Honey Lime Pork Tenderloin with White Corn and Mushrooms with Cilantro: When I posted the Greek Pork Tenderloin last week my friend Melissa recommended I make these two dishes. I trust her completely so onto the menu they went.

Thursday - Ravioli with Cheese and Garlic Biscuits: I'm keeping it simple and making frozen ravioli with homemade sauce and these knock-off Red Lobster biscuits.

Friday - Out!

WEEKEND HOUSE or HOME / NYARALÓ vagy OTTHON

Via Nicety

SUNDAY SWEETS / ÉDES VASÁRNAP

Source: honey-and-bee.tumblr.com via Sonoe on Pinterest

Sunday Realestalking

Ok, so if you were to build this in Queensland, on the beach at Broadbeach, the end list price would be about 8 million plus, plus.... house and land. Easy. That's if you could find someone who is capable of building in a style that you just don't see here, someone who gets character and detail. Ask for detail here and you get a raised eyebrow and a "why would you want to do that"???

This is for sale for 1.1 million US in Galveston, Texas in the US... all of it... not just the land... the whole damn house... and land. Ok, even take away the location.... no matter where it is.... to build and finish this house in Brisbane would cost you close to 2 million, easy.....to build... the house... no land. 

God save Australia, when the mining boom is over and we have killed the goose that laid the golden egg. What is happening with our real estate and our cost of living???? I chatted to a Canadian traveller in the Telstra shop the other day. He reckons everything here is at least double what it costs in Canada.

It wasn't always like this. When I was a new grad, with a pittance to my name, I never consciously thought about how expensive food, rent, everything was. I thought the first house I purchased later in 1991 was totally affordable. Petrol was cheap, rent was cheap,  food was cheap. I liked grocery shopping back then.

I'm sad. I see beautiful, great value homes like this and it reminds me that we're being boiled alive here in Australia and we don't even know it. We are one of the most expensive countries in which to live. Hey, I thought Paris was cheap! My Paris apartment was $125/night tariff in the 7th... lean out the window and touch the Eiffel tower stuff. I was drooling over 2 bed apartments for sale in central Paris that were half the price of 2 bed apartments in West End, Brisbane!!!

What's happened? 

Didn't mean to get all rant-y (is that a word?.... it is now) and political on this beautiful Sunday morning... but sometimes the reality of living in this expensive country just hits me like a tonne of bricks. Does anyone else get hot under the collar about this?

Although, I was very excited when I found a packet of pasta on sale for 80 cents yesterday. The boys and I 'mentally created' a very cheap meal from all the sale items in the grocery store yesterday. Pasta 80 cents, tinned salmon $2, 300g broccoli 80 cents, tomato base $1.50, 100g cheese $1. Family meal for approx $6. Good lesson. It's doable.... as long as you don't need to live anywhere, need electricity, have to put petrol in your car..... rant, rant. Breathe out!

That feels better!

Now, Happy Sunday! 

Images Courtesy HAR