Dumpling time!

Too much food right now, sorry for that, but I, and my boyfriend, have just realized that I'm actually quite a good chef.
So, two days ago I decided to make dumplings, last time they where good, but not great. This time, I was determined they would be more than great.
Looking through our fridge I realized we had a good start, the luxury with dumplings is that you can fill them with anything you like.
I like vegetables and decided to make all vegan dumplings today.
Carrots, mushrooms, red cabbage, cilantro, parsley, garlic, chili, lime and union would be great, I decided.
So, i chopped all the vegetables, and thought, protein is great too, so I chopped some tofu. I fried it in a pan with sesame oil and some soy sauce (the japanese one) and I just let it get soft and good smelling and tasting.
Then I hade my boyfriend to take care of the boring stuff, fill the pastry, we were lucky and found some ready made dumpling pastry in the freezer from last time. Keep them wet!!!!
Then just put them in the pan, and made some sauce, I usually use soy sauce, some sesame seeds, carrot, garlic and chili. Bled it with sesame oil and some chinese vinegar. To make the taste a bit softer you can boil a cup of water with two spoons of sugar and poor that in to.

Now you're done! Don't forget the chopsticks, you can't have dumplings with knife and fork!

This is me in the middle of everything, my birds, Paul&Stella is always in the middle too.

An easy gift

Yesterday we went to a friend for some Glögg. I've been raised to always give something small to the host. So I took a look at home and realized I had some vax and candles at home, so I made some Christmas candles.
You can buy the vax in a crafts shop, I save the vax from cheese (I don't think the candles smell cheese when I lit them though...).
Cut the vax in any shape you like, I like dots and lines.
//E

When one year is over, another starts

When I was a kid we always bought a classic calendar sold by KFUK-KFUM (YMCA/YWCA in Sweden) I haven't seen them for years, so I decided to make one of my own.
I bought the calendar in a book shop and painted houses on a shed of paper. I was lucky and had a piece of cardboard left in a drawer, so I mounted it and then cut it out.
Now we have a calendar at home and maybe I''ll remember which  day and date it is.
//E
PS. If anyone living in Gothenburg or Stockholm is in desperate need of a Christmas gift. I'm able to make some, just leave a comment here if you're interested!

Sweet sweet toffee

Love to make this every Christmas!

100 g butter
2 dl cream
3 dl sugar
1 cup light syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
 
Orange Toffee:
2 oranges, grated peel
1 lemon, grated rind
 
Pistage toffee:  
1 cup chopped, toasted pistachios
 
Chocolate Toffee:  
2 tablespoons cocoa
 
Cardamom Toffee:  
2 tsp cardamom
 
Ginger Toffee: 
1 tsp ground ginger

Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Stir in cream, sugar, syrup and vanilla and boil uncovered, 
about 15-30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Make a "kulprov" to know when the batter is ready (125°)
Stir in any seasoning or keep it natural, I have just some seasalt on.
Pour toffee on an oiled plate. 
Cool it down. Cut into pieces and wrap the caramels in waxed paper, store cold.
//C

Saffron and jam

Tryed a new recipe, saffron cake with red currant jam.
Very good, lot of butter. It was hard to pipe the, piping bag burst.
But you can make small balls by hand, pressure them in the center and add jam.  
We have red currants by our country house, so I made the jam myself.

275 g butter
1 g saffron
1 teaspoon rum
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 dl powdered sugar
6 dl white flour

Beat butter and sugar. Mix the saffron with a bit of regular sugar and rum. 
Add the saffron mixture to butter / sugar. Add flour. 
Pipe on a baking tray. Add the jam.
Bake about 6-8 minutes at 200 degrees.
Good Luck!
//C

A great gift

My sister turned 23 in the end of November. I made her a light strand to hang somewhere in her apartment. All you need is a lightning strand, some cute paper cups (they don't need to be this christmasy, and you can change every season!) and a knife. Let's begin!This is what you need. Make sure you have as many cups as there is lights on the strand.

Cut an X and simply pull the lights through the X. 

Now they're done!

And there's light!