5 Minute Chocolate Cake

This one is too good not to do. Found it on the Internet, it's part of a competition. http://hemmakonditor.se/recept/visa-recept/5-min-chokladmuffins-i-mugg

5 minute chocolate cake in a cup

4 tablespoons wheat flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

1 egg

Mix the dry ingredients in a LARGE cup (I used a 2 cups large tea cup and that was just enough). Add the rest and stir smooth.

Put in the microwave for 3 minutes, on highest power. Let it rest for 2 minutes.

Eat.

It's so simple and the cake really is like a regular cake made in the oven. A very smooth and a bit spongy.

I was gonna cut down my sugar intake, but I need sugar to study, so....

Easy Home Made Chocolate Sauce

Take equal amounts of sugar, cocoa powder (unsweetened) and water. Stir well so everything is mixed. Then, either heat it on the stove until it thickens or put it in the microwave for about 45 seconds. If you microwave it, it might look burned and strange when you take it out, don't worry. Stir and it will look fine. Caution, this sauce gets REALLY hot, so keep away from kids.

It really goes with everything, fruit (oranges, raspberries, strawberries), ice cream (of course), pancakes, on top of a chocolate cake as frosting (though, it never sets, it stays saucy).

I like to think that this is somewhat a healthy chocolate sauce since it doesn't have any cream in it. But I guess that's debatable..

Training

So, I'm doing this TwoHundredSitups and this OneHundredPushUps. Let's see if I can make it through all six weeks. I have to be stronger, so I really hope I can force myself to keep up with it!

Macaroni and Cheese

Does anyone have a good recipe for mac and cheese to share? I've never done it before, so it has to be simple (and preferably cheap as well)

Omelets

I'm in an omelet phase. Been making omelets for lunch many times the past week. Omelet with ham, ruccola salad and cheese, omelet with turkey and baby spinach, omelet with Feta cheese and spinach... Well, you get the point.

I usually take two eggs/person, some milk or yoghurt (about 2 tablespoons), salt, black pepper/Tabasco and preferred topping. Easy.

I got Clancy's egg recipe, haven't tried it yet, but it sounds delicious!

Micro Egg. This is a cool thing I found a while ago. I haven't tried it yet (dunno why), but if it works it's great. It's a plastic cup with a lid that lets you cook eggs in the microwave without risking the explosion part.

New book, new BookShow widget from Blurb.

Gotta try the widget.

International Baccalaureate by Emma Hammarsten

Monday? Sunday? Saturday?

When I woke up this morning I was 100 % sure that it was Monday. Then after a few moments in panic when realizing Max was still in bed too (he has an exam Monday morning) I calmed down enough to hear that the radio show was the weekend edition. "So, it's only Sunday, then." I honestly believed that for an hour or so, then I turned on my computer and saw that it says Saturday next to the clock. Surprise, surprise! I still don't know why I was so wrong about the days..

I probably said it before, but I say it again; I LOVE Notting Hill. It's on TV tonight and I hope I can watch it!

99 Days

I know I said I was gonna start the count down for my trip at 100 days, but I forgot yesterday. So, today it's 99 days left before I go! Yay!

Some of my cooking the past days

Success:

The Chocolate Griddle Cakes from Epicurious! SO yummy, really a success. I didn't made the chocolate sauce, I thought that was gonna be too much for a breakfast. We didn't eat them with anything else, but I think raspberries or strawberries would be a perfect match.

Not succees:

I decided to make pasta with ham and mushrooms yesterday. I've done that a hundred times before, and I thought we had everything at home. Turned out we didn't. I was out of cream but had milk. So I thought I could make a sauce of the same amount of milk and add some Maizena instead of the cream. Good. Unfortunately, I only had a little under 1/2 cup of milk (needed at LEAST 1 cup). I had to mix in water to get the right amount of sauce. And lots of cheese to make it taste SOMETHING, at least. This dish didn't become a hit as it use to be. Conclusion: Always double check the fridge for groceries that you should have, in case you actually don't have them.

A bit funny and but really..?

Man Up! Gender Equality for the Cupcake Crowd

Root Vegetable Sallad with Spelt and Feta

I dreamt of pancakes and Holly last night. And of Robert Pattinson, but not in the same dream and I don't remember what it was about.

Holly was making pancakes for breakfast and I tried to convince her that chocolate chip was a perfect match with maple syrup.

I don't think I've ever even eaten chocolate chip pancakes! It was weird, anyhow. That reminds me, I found a recipe for chocolate griddle cakes on Epicurious that seemed absolutely delicious. I have to make them soon. I'm into a very non-healty period of chocolate cravings. I'd like to make (and eat) everything with dark chocolate. Trying to keep myself away from it and in control.

And here to the recipe:

3 dl / 1.3 cups whole spelt (I used barley instead)

200 g / 7 ounces rutabaga (kålrot) (switched this to celeriac, not my favorite, but you have to compromise, right?)

2 large carrots

3 red beets

2 parsnips

2 red onions

2 tablespoons raisins or 4 shredded dried apricots

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

150 g / 5 ounces Feta cheese

Possibly 1 pot fresh mint

Olive oli

Sea salt

Black pepper

Gremolata:

2 cloves of garlic

Zest from 1 lemon

1/2 dl / 1.7 fl oz chopped parsely

1/2 dl / 1.7 fl oz olive oil

1. Put the oven on 225° C / 440 °F. Peel and cut the root vegetables in inch sized cubes. Peel the onion and slice it in pieces.

2. Put the vegetables in a roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over them (approx 3 tablespoons) and mix. Season with sea salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes. In the mean time, cook the spelt according to the instructions on the box.

3. Peel and grate/squeeze the garlic for the gremolata. Mix with lemon zest and parsely. Stir in the oil.

4. Mix the warm vegetabels with spelt, raisins and thyme. Taste with some more salt and pepper. Put in a serving bowl and crumb the Feta cheese over. Serve with mint leaves and the gremolata.

I bought a new computer today..

I've done something that's not really like me at all. It's too rash for me. I'm normally very careful and think about things before I do them. But not this time. Here's the story:

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away...

I fell in love with Dell's XPS Product (RED) computer two years ago, and bought it. And loved it. (I love all the Product (RED) things. And the idea behind it. Check www.joinred.com for more info.) But this love was unfortunately not life long. I've been more and more tired of it, and of Windows not working properly. So, three days ago, I got a fit and put an ad out on Blocket (it's the biggest (I think) place for (private) advertising in Sweden). I immediately got response. The computer is now packed and ready to be shipped as soon as I get the money. I bought it for 9, 700 SEK and sold it for 5, 000 SEK, note that I've used it a LOT during two years time.

Today, I saw another add on Blocket. A brand new MacBook Pro for 9, 700 SEK. In stores, they cost 11, 995 SEK. I had Max go buy it for me. And this computer wasn't even unpacked. The plastic wrap was still on the box! I think I made a good deal, though, it wasn't at all planned or thought out. And most of my incaseIreallyneedthem-money is gone. (I haven't touched my trust funds, btw, which is good) Bye, bye PC, and hello Mac! (NOTE: I've been using PC's forever, Max's the Mac fan in my family, so this is a HUGE deal for him.)

...And so they lived, happily for ever after. (Hmm.. I wonder...)

Now, I just have to decide wether it's worth buying an iPhone too.. I really see the advantages with it (all the apps, the email, the iPod and phone in one device), but I can also wrap my mind around the amount of money spend on something I don't really NEED. Tricky, tricky.


As you may have noticed, I'm not in Stockholm anymore. I moved back to Göteborg after two weeks on the Pol Sci course in Stockholm. I'm not sure if I dropped out because

1) I'm too picky
2) I'm to pretentious
3) if my expectations were too high
4) the course was infact really bad

Now I'm looking for jobs. Any job, really, as long as it gives me a salary. Studying some part time German online and have some French left from the fall, which I didn't pass then.

I'm also getting more and more excited about my trip. Today it's four months til I go! Holly, I will answer that Facebook message you sent me. Short version; it all sounds great!

Pancakes!

I made pancakes the other day. I used the epicurious recipe that Holly sent me, but I didn't have any blueberries nor any buttermilk. It worked fine anyway, I created my own buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to a cup of regular milk. We ate them with bacon and regular syrup (not maple). So yummy!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Blueberry-Buttermilk-Pancakes-238779

I'm gonna try and get my dad's Swedish pancake recipe. If I get it, I'll definitely share!

Fish Soup

I made a delicious fish soup the other day. I took the recipe from one of my cook books, but edited it slightly, plus I had to half it. It had two different fishes, clams and shrimps. I love shellfish! Here is my edited version:

Serves 4:

400 g cod

150 g salmon

250 g shrimps (boiled, unpeeled)

1/2 leek

2 carrots

3 potatoes

2 tablespoons butter

0.5 g saffron

1 l shrimp stock

2 fish stock cubes

1 tin of clams

chopped dill

lemon juice

black pepper

Thaw the fish if it's frozen. Peel the shrimps. Boil the shells in lightly salted water 10-15 minutes. Strain the stock.

Cut the fish into 2 cm/1 inch cubes. Rinse the leek and slice it thinly. Peel and cut the potatoes and carrots into smaller pieces. Sizzle it in the butter in a large pot. Add saffron, shrimp stock and fish stock cubes. Bring to the boil and let it boil for 4-5 minutes.

Add the fish and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then add the shrimps, the clams and some dill. Reheat. Add lemon juice and pepper to taste.

Preferably served with aioli and bread.

Jalapeño Poppers

Another great (I think) recipe from my online friend Dee. She says they are world famous in Jacksonville, NC. I haven't been able to find jalapeños large enough here in Sweden. I'll have to try them, is there large jalapeños in stores in Logan?

Lots and lots of jalapeños. (Dee uses 50)
2 packages fat free Philadelphia cream cheese (or regular cream cheese)
1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (or regular cheddar cheese)
1 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese (or regular mozza cheese)
about 1/3 of a bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
2-3 cups corn flakes or fiber one bran cereal, crushed (use food processor)
1 cup egg beaters (or regular eggs)
salt, pepper, garlic salt, cumin, paprika
non-stick cooking spray


Cut the jalapeños in half and use a spoon to scrape the seeds out. I advise wearing a latex glove in your pepper-holding hand. Set the peppers aside.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, cheese, and cilantro. It helps if you leave the cream cheese out overnight to soften it. Then, add pepper and garlic salt to taste. Put the mixture into a large plastic bag and cut out one corner to make a piping bag, and then squeeze a goodly sized amount of cheese on each jalapeño half. Use your fingers to mush the cheese mixture into the peppers so that it doesn't fall out when you're coating them.

In a plastic bag, mix the crushed up cereal (get it into the tiniest pieces you can either by crushing it with a rolling pin or using a processor) and 3 tablespoons of cumin and 2 tablespoons of paprika with pinches of salt and pepper. Dip each of the jalapeños into the egg batter, then coat them with the cereal mixture and place on a large baking sheet that has been covered in non-stick spray.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. When all your peppers are spread out on the tray(s) spritz the tops with more non-stick spray, and then bake for 8 - 10 minutes, until the cereal starts to get a dark golden brown color. Pull out, cool down, and eat - so delicious!!

Our pics from Skottorp in August

Here are the pictures Grandpa took in August.

Visit in Sweden

I've recently discovered Picasa. A very good way of organizing pictures and sharing them. Really recommend it. And did I mention I'm really into all Google things? Translate, Mail, Calender, Notebook, Blogger..

First Blurb Book

Student 2008 IB2A

Söderportskolan, K...

By Emma Hammarsten

Book Preview

So, here it is. I'm just gonna make some more advertising for it. A graduation book. Very simple, but very fun to have, I think. Haven't ordered it yet, but will do soon.

By the way, Amanda, Grandma said she received your book. She's very impressed and now she wants to visit Dalfors too.

Cook book shop

I know I originally dedicated this blog to food and recipes, but lately, it's mostly been other stuff. But here is something food related, at least. I've started a subscription on Tori Ritchie's Tuesday Recipe (which I found when randomly looking at food sites), and in today's email she's mentioning Omnivore Books in San Francisco. I wanna go there! Just cook books. Lots of them. I wish there was a similar place in Sweden.

E-books

I'm thinking of buying an e book reader. Not here in Sweden, of course, but when I come to the States. I'm not really into the Kindle, I think it looks weird and I'm not sure of the keyboard. Is it really necessary? Then I was thinking Sony Reader Touch Edition (because it's a touch screen, and it comes in red) or Reader Daily Edition (because it has a large screen). But I heard that the screens have glare, due to the touch screen. Now, I'm on Barnes & Noble's Nook, I like the idea of two separate screens, and the fact that it has WiFi. Unfortunately, according to several reviews, it has software issues. It laggs. So now I'm back at square one again. Hopefully there will be new readers/new software when I'm gonna buy mine.

Does anyone has experience in the subject? Please share.

By the way, I'm hooked by The Twilight Saga. I'm finished with Twilight and New Moon and waiting impatiently on Eclipse to arrive from my online book store.

dna11

Check this out dna11. Oh, so cool! And oh, so expensive!

Enchiladas

Finally an update!


This is something I cooked weeks ago, but something that isn't published yet.

4 large tortillas
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
400 g / 14 ounces minced meat
2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
1-2 stock cubes
1 can of kidney beans
2 red peppers
1 can of corn
Spring onion
Hot taco sauce
About 200 g / 7 ounces grated cheese
Cumin, chili powder and Tabasco to taste


Chop and sizzle onion and garlic.

Add the meat and the stock. Then add the tomato paste and the other spices to taste and a drop of water. Let it simmer.

Add the beans.

Chop spring onion and pepper. Put the tortillas in an oven safe casserole.

Pour some taco sauce over and fold the tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese on top.

Gratinate in 225°C / 440°F in 5-8 minutes.

Serve with some more taco sauce, guacamole and a salad.