beach brunch on board

before we left, brunch on the beach with friends visiting from abroad.

this seems pretty far away right now, even if the sun has been shining today and i believe we must have passed the 20 celcius spot on the thermometer.

...and with this i should be over and done with the middle eastern beach photos for now. we'll soon move on and catch up with our days in denmark.

today i found a box of my old photos, pre-digital age. i was looking for photos while traveling in indonesia some time that seems like a 100 years ago. probably closer to 15 years, not sure.

we'd been at the zoo museum and i was going to show the boys photos of the me and a komodo dragon. thought i could impress them, you know, komodo dragons are fascinating, especially if you're 4 to 6 years old.

anyway, i went down memory lane. looked at other photos. people i hardly know any longer. myself, so young to look at. time really does fly. better pay attention.

inside :: outside

::

it's a hot summer.

we're spending our days indoors or inside - or near - the water. the ocean or the local pool.

today my man is turning 40 and tonight we're going on a date.

i've heard sad news from back home. it made me think about all the big stuff, the stuff that matters. but still, right here and now, i feel lucky.

it's a good summer.

the only right thing

on a cold and windy day is soup. the left over from the cauliflower and leak soup with a few brussel sprouts and parmesan. at least if you ask me. the kids don't like soup. as in any soup. i cannot wrap my mind around that... how did that happen?

this soup was a spur-of-the-moment thing. cauliflower and the white part of the leak cooked with some water and tarragon leaves til it's all soft, then added the green parts of the leak and a bit of cream. taste with salt and pepper. and off course, you can add brussel sprouts if you're in to those like me.

it's almost as good as this one. and pretty perfect with this bread on the side.

happy sunday to you.

something about food

i had such an amazing seafood meal with an old friend back in copenhagen. it made me long for more so new years eve D and i made seafood dinner. it was good, but not as good as i had hoped it would be. i will definitely go back to that place when in denmark again.

today has been a strange day. after i went running i felt so tired and heavy. i couldn't take a nap, as i had a schedule and for some reason ended up with the house full of kids all afternoon. but i feel like i was in a bit of a daze, disconnected. and tired. without really getting anything done, except feeling hungry and eating crappy unhealthy snacks all the time to keep me going. so much for a new and healthy diet...

nothing to do but start all over again tomorrow. so, a good night from me to you.

12:12

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one year, twelve months.

(inspired by isabelle and ida. thank you)

randomly for the weekend

i have been eating so much spinach lately you wouldn't believe it. i think my face might turn green soon. if not from the spinach then because of envy of all those women out there who can make be fat braids. i just will never be able to do that with my scandinavian, fine hair (big sigh). i can only dream - and draw.

that fish-like thing up there was in the aquarium in copenhagen. i wish i had filmed it. i don't think you get to say cute about a fish that often, but this really was the cutest thing ever (i am now wondering if it's considered a fish at all?) it went up and down oh-so gracefully like a little ballet dancer. then i would have watched that little film clip now.

we got a new car this week. a volvo. but until i started this post i didn't even think of taking a photo of that car. cars are just not that interesting, are they? but for some irrational reason i feel good about it being scandinavian.

i would, though, take a photo if that lamp up there was mine. but it's not. it's hanging in my brother and his girl friend's apartment in the building where i used to live. i guess i took the photo anyway :)

and by the way, the spinach i'm eating these days is just a simple soup kinda thing. I defrost some spinach leaves, fry a bit of finely chopped onion, add some water, the spinach leaves. add some salt, then a bit of cream, and finally some nutmeg. sometimes i add a bit of feta on top or parmesan, but mostly just super simple and so tasty. (can you eat too much spinach?)

have a nice weekend.

inside :: outside

those pumpkins are huge. we got a few from the neighbor and passed around to family. my mom is here and she made some amazing pumpkin-ginger jam and marinated sweet pumpkin.

i took the last bit, baked it and made puree for a nutmeg, clove and cinnamon spiced pumpkin pie. i've never made pumpkin pie, but it's a favorite. i mean, how can anyone not love something smooth and creamy with those spices inside?

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last year i started a 365 - a photo a day project - on flickr. i made it to 150 before i finally gave up. too much pressure. this year i am trying a 52 - a photo a week - instead. because i like the idea of a photographic diary. hopefully this is a challenge that will be easier for me to succeed in.

corner view - famous

they are back, our famous pecans. strictly speaking they are our neighbor's, i must admit. but this tree just gives so many, it's unbelievable.

they owe their fame to this yummy pie, which i am planning to make this weekend. my friend from denmark will arrive this friday, and i think a pie is just in place.

but first i must tend to 2/3 of my little ones. we have fever and flue in the house, so far only two and i am crossing my fingers it'll stay with that. luckily the weather is lovely these days, and so we could go outside and get some fresh air, while resting in the shade.

for more famous corner views, go visit theresa of all of us.

before and after sunset

a perfect afternoon and evening. summer sunset, beautiful sea, kids running, playing, flying (or doing buzz lightyear poses). then fresh fish, salads and homemade wine, in the sand and in the company of good people.

after having (literally) forced the kids to the car, they fell asleep on the way home. we wanted to watch a good movie, but passed out 5 minutes into it. guess sun and sea (and wine) have an effect on big people too

yesterday was really cool. wishing you a wonderful weekend :)

days and nights in the garden

i think it's pretty clear from the photos what this vacation with the family in our home was all about, no? relaxing during the day, and eating and drinking during the night.

we did go to the beach and we did venture to the city as well, but mostly we stayed at home. there was some reading, talking, a lot of ping pong, bug collecting, cooking and running around.

among other things the menu included bbq and salads, wine and water, fruits and roasted marshmallows, creme brulee and mojitos.

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this week is all abut getting back to normal and that's good too. wishing you all a wonderful new week.

corner view - sweets. and happiness

this weeks corner view is sweets. also i have been meaning to do the happiness 101 post since sweet courtney from scattering lupines tagged me a little while back. and since sweets make me happy, and happiness is sweet, well, then let's do a combo.

:: sweets. cookies and chocolate are my favorites. and i like the taste of seasons. the cinnamon and spicy winter cakes, the special christmas cookies and fruity desserts of summer. after 8 years in israel i have also come to love the sweets that come with the jewish holidays. we just had tubi shwat, where it is all about dried fruits. in december it was suvganiot for hanukkah. and with purim coming up, these favorites of mine just re-entered my life: osnei hamman (hamman's ears). he was an evil king, and sometime soon i will tell you why we are eating his ears at purim, but i'll have to be another day.

and the 9 other things that make me happy:

:: yoga (after a long break i made my way back)

:: books

:: a stormy sea

:: wild flowers

:: a beautiful sunset

:: good food. improvised at home or out with friends

:: to create (and the vacuum in time it brings)

:: garlands (on a rainy day)

:: a good nights sleep (and waking quietly watching the morning sun)


i left out the obvious: D, the kids, my family in denmark, my friends, my home, my blog (mainly because of YOU :). and of course art, music, traveling . and on and on and on it goes. gosh! so many things to be happy about in this world (i wonder why i still get the blues sometimes!?)

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for more sweets, jane's got the treats. wishing you a sweet and happy day.

(and if you wish to share your happiness, please join in on the happiness 101. making lists is always good, making lists of happy things is even better)

time to bring out the oxtail

the sun has left the building. and with that the little summer we enjoyed this weekend. it's actually ok. if there's one thing i know for sure, it is that i will get plenty of sun sooner or later. this is, after all, the middle east. but for now we're indoors, listening to the rain and the wind.

good thing is, that this weather calls for some heavy and hearty food, so what better time than this to bring out the oxtail? i love oxtail. for soup or, like here, stew. i was one of those kids. i loved oxtail, liver and heart. and the neck of the chicken or the turkey. in fact my older brother and i would have a ritual fight about who would get the heart and who would get the neck when we had chicken. and my mom would shake her head (and probably be slightly worried about our sanity).

but seriously, oxtail is so tasty and oh so yummy. and i recently had D's mom get me a stash of oxtail for the freezer. and then i was waiting for a day like this. a cold and rainy day.

so, if you're ready to try, this is what you do:

• braise the oxtail pieces (i had about 1/2 a kilo cut into 4-5 cm pieces) in a heavy pot, then take them out for a moment, while frying a finely chopped onion.
  
• add the oxtail again plus 8-10 whole, peeled cloves of garlic, and just about cover the oxtail with water (1/2 liter maybe). add salt, thyme, bay leaves, and - if you like spicy - some chili powder, as well as half a chili pepper finely sliced.
  (i knew the kids would not eat this, if they were i would have left out the chili. the garlic on the other hand is ok. it cooks for such a long time that it becomes mild and not strong at all).
• leave the oxtail to simmer in the crock pot under heavy lit for three hours.
  if you are to make this into a soup skim some of the fat away before adding extra water (you might want to do this no matter what you are making depending on how much fat was on the oxtail pieces and whether you cleaned them from some of the fat before you started cooking). you could add a bit of port wine too, or chicken/beef/vegetable broth if you like, but i don't think it's necessary.
• when it's boiling again, add your veggies. i used one little celery root, two carrots, two red onions and a leek. i cut celery and carrots in little cubes, onions in little "boats" and leek cut into one cm slices. cook until carrots and celery are done (approx. 15-20 min).
• some people would prefer to take out the oxtail and remove the meat from the bones and then add it to the stew/soup again. i like to eat it as finger food with the bones. but it's greasy and nasty, and not recommended if you are to eat this meal with people, who you would like to think of you as a classy lady.

i served it with mashed potato, but it could also go well with rice, and if you make it into a soup, noodles would be good too. i am pretty sure a scoop of sour cream would have made it even more perfect, but that's a matter of taste, i guess.

definitely a meal for cold weather. it's slow cooking, filling the house with a smell of goodness while simmering away. and it warms all the way to the soul.

passing by

pumpkins. which makes me think about pies, soups, plain, good food. i love pumpkins.

when we walk home from the kindergarten we pass the neighbor's open barn, where his pumpkins are drying. the kids love to climb them. i love to look at them, kids and pumpkins.

a couple of weeks back i walked by alone, and they just looked amazing in the golden afternoon light.i forgot about these photos, but came across them today. mmmmm, i think we need some pumpkin soup tonight.

wishing you a wonderful weekend.