By request, here is my Gingerbread Cupcake recipe

Gingerbread Cupcakes, 12-16pcs.
250g butter (chopped)
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups white flour
¾ cup milk
1 tablespoon milk
0.5 teaspoon Cloves
0.5 teaspoon Ginger
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Sprinkles or other decorations of your own choice


Gingerbread Cream Cheese Frosting
200g cream cheese softened
200g butter (room temperature)
3-4 dl's of powdered sugar
Crushed Gingerbread cookies
2 teaspoons of vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place the cupcake liners (this recipe made roughly 20 Cupcakes) on the baking tray.Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, until pale and creamy. 
Add the eggs, one at a time and also beat in the vanilla, spices and milk.
Lightly fold the flour into the creamy mixture. 
Layer the batter in the liners gently. 
Bake in the lower part of the owen for around 20 minutes and then place them on a wire rack to cool for about 1 hour.

Now make the icing in a small bowl. Start with grinding the gingerbread cookies into tiny crumbles. Then add the rest of the ingredients, mixing them all together with an electric mixer and pipe it onto your cupcakes.
Finish off with your desired decorations..... Voilaaaaa!


xox

New Year's Outfits

I am not going to any New Year partys this year......but if I were to go to one, I would love to go in one of these outfits ;)

Happy New Outfits by anderssonlinda
xox

Photo blog: The first Noel.....

...in our new home, looked a little something like this..... 

Lots of snow the days before Christmas

The view from outside our livingroom window, the day before Christmas

I baked Swedish saffron buns

...and they turned out like this

The Christmas tree was decorated

....an abundance of goodies everywhere....

Christmas flowers were put on the dining table

...then it looked like this

Cupcakes in the making =p 

....I experimented and made them with Gingerbread flavor. Result: YUMMY!!)

Sooooo much snow and as you may see from my smug, unpainted face, I LOVE it!! 

I made my traditional "first snow, snow angel"! I refuse to grow old....

Chris too ;))

Swedish Christmas breakfast "Risgrynsgröt", which is a rice porridge served with cinnamon, sugar and milk.

Gingerbread and Saffron buns (I admit, they were also for breakfast ;))

I was wearing my new knitted sweater from Topshop! (and I've named him Frosty ;))

My Christmas hair-do, all thanks to my fab new curling tool from Amika

Christmas eve was in Swedish style....

Pickled Herring Cocktail, a delicious Christmas starter...

Swedish Christmas main courses

Swedish Christmas dessert

A little stroll in Essertines on Christmas eve

Our landlord even put a tree outside our house =)

Watched PLENTY of movies in bed =)

Even the bedroom has been all dressed up for Christmas ;)

Have also done lot of running this Christmas and this is my usual view!

Christmas day dinner, Swiss Cheese Fondue (to die for!!!)

I've had such an amazing time! I hope you all enjoyed your Christmases too!!
xox

Christmas-holiday-movie-mania, part 1

Having time off is fantastic! Finally, I have the time to catch up on all the movies I've been wanting to watch and of course, I am sharing my impressions (short version ;)) and ratings with you.... In random order, here goes the list of the ones I've worked my way through so far.


Contagion (2011) 3.5/5
Extremely scary and realistic depiction of a deadly flu outbreak!! Watch the trailer: http://youtu.be/4sYSyuuLk5g 


Princess Mononoke (1999) 3.5/5
I am a HUGE fan of Miyazaki, but all though I loved the moral of this story, it did not become one of my new favorites like I hoped. 
Watch the trailer: http://youtu.be/pkWWWKKA8jY

The Debt (2011) 3/5
I was hoping for a real nail biter, but it never really got to me the way these kind of movies should. Surprisingly, the best acting performance is NOT by Helen Mirren but rather from Jessica Chastain, who plays the younger version..... Watch the trailer: http://youtu.be/RFp28r9sqUw


Another Earth (2011) 3.5/5
A very beautiful story, leaving its watcher with the questions like "What would you say to You, if you could meet You in another earth?" or "Would the other me be more happy or successful than me?" I must admit that I always struggle to love a movie whose characters choices are doomed for failure from the very beginning and it almost hurts to watch it play out. Well worth the playing time though ;)
Watch the trailer: http://youtu.be/N8hEwMMDtFY

Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009) 2.5/5
I've always loved the intent of this Charles Dickens classic!! Somehow, Disney is not managing to capture it too well. Surprising and quite disappointing to be frank.....
Watch the trailer: http://youtu.be/XxtuLKSmNYs


Carnage (2011) 3/5
Two kids argue. One gets beaten by the other one in the face by a stick and the parents meet to talk it out. Surprisingly entertaining, considering there are 4 people in one room during the entire movie!! This only works with sharp actors and in this area, you won't be disappointed.
Watch the trailer: http://youtu.be/ZPX6-4Bo7XU


Midnight in Paris (2011) 3.5/5
Entertaining and imaginative, but I wouldn't say it's a great as the critics claim. The chemistry between the characters just doesn't feel genuine enough..... Lovely images of Paris though ;)
Watch the trailer: http://youtu.be/atLg2wQQxvU


Unfortunately, I didn't yet find the masterpiece I'm so desperately searching for. I am dying to find the next Pan's Labyrinth, Amelie, Little Miss Sunshine or The Fountain.
A random pick of movies I have coming up, The Help, Water for Elephants, The Warrior, 30 minutes or less, A separation, Sarah's key....and many more ;)) Hopefully, one of these will be THE ONE!


I hope you are all having a lovely time!! I know I am ;))
xox

Just a small note....

.....to send sweet Christmas wishes from our kitchen!! 


I wish you all a nice holiday, with lots of love.....
It's snowing here in Essertines, so now I can stop dreaming of a White Christmas and just enjoy it =p

xox

It's all white!!

Outside the window, the grounds of Essertines-sur-Rolle have turned white.....massively white! It all looks so pretty covered in snow. I'm now sitting in the sofa, looking out the window and I see cars trying to get up the hill with little success. Quite amusing actually.....


The weekend so far has been so lovely! I have cooked Moules (Mussels), baked Swedish saffron buns, we have decorated the Christmas tree, wrapped the Christmas gifts and placed them under the tree, gone for a 7km run in the snow (first time for me running in the snow actually and it felt great!), had dinner with friends and lit the 4th Advent candle.... Christmas is now juuuuuust around the corner and I am so excited! Thursday is my last working day until January 3rd and the downtime is not only needed but way overdue ;)) Changing jobs and home at the same time is energy consuming to say the least.

This afternoon, we plan to take the car up the mountain and then go for a a little snow hike in Vallee de Joux. I hope the snow stays for a while now....or at least that we do get to have a white Christmas. Fingers crossed........ Now leaving you with my 2 favorite Christmas Songs! Enjoy ;)


xox

London

There is something about London.....not because of its beautiful buildings or history....nor do I like it because of it's food culture (here I'd rather say "for sure not!")! It's something else. Something that sort of isn't there...something abstract, a feeling that it gives me and the feeling is great! I realized something this time around. London has become a bit like New York! Like New York but with a posh dialect. 


It's something about the range of shops, especially the abundance of Starbucks coffee shops in combination with small, charming, incredibly creatively decorated shops with sweets, cupcakes, pastries, chocolates and frozen yoghurts. This and the pulse makes me feel that I want to go back there again and again and again......and this is all excellent news as I no longer have to fly all across the Atlantic ocean to get this flavor, this feeling! Nope! I hour on a plane and I'm there......and there are more than 20 flights leaving from Geneva to London already before lunch time on a daily basis ;))


So what did we do? Well.....the usual touristic walk to see the Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar square, Piccadilly Circus, London eye, Covent garden etc etc etc.... I could go on for hours. On top of this, we just seeped in the atmosphere while over-shopping and over-eating, just like ti should be when you are visiting London for a weekend....and thankfully, it was just for a weekend ;)) Here some photos:

xox