BBQ premiere

There is something so liberating about spring!  Something about the way everything snaps out of hibernation mode, not only animals and plants, but also people. Suddenly it is as if everyone remembers what they love about life and it makes them smile.....and that, exactly that - always makes me smile too.


On Friday, we finally went to shop outdoors furniture for the balcony and the timing could not have been better ;)) You see, Saturday had no less that 25 degrees (!) and full sunshine in store for us and we could finally extend our apartment by furnishing that "extra room"! Since this, of course, also enabled the BBQ season to finally kick-off, it inspired me to come up with a new salad recipe that we used for the BBQ that evening....and I must say I was very pleased with the result.


Minted Blood Grapefruit Salad with Grilled Tuna 

Ingredients, 2 ppl:
 2 Marinated Tuna filet's (lightly BBQ'd on a very hot grill for about 2 minutes on each side)


Salad:
1 Blood Grapefruit
200 grams of Corn salad/Mache Salad/Nusslisalat
1 Avocado
1 dl Roasted Cashews (lightly roasted in a hot frying pan)
Mint leaves, gently chopped


Salad Sauce:
1dl Olive oil
3 tablespoons of Balsamico
2 teaspoons of Honey
Chili flakes
Salt
Pepar


Served with a well chilled Rose wine. Great combination of flavours!!
Unfortunately, I don't have a picture with the tuna on top of the salad since it had gotten too dark for macro shots when we were ready to eat....but I'm sure you can visualize it ;))

Hope you all had equally beautiful and sunny weekends!! If not, I hope that the sunshine will soon come your way!
xox

Ode to Facebook

Dear Facebook,
Since you entered my living abroad routine,

your recent updates page is for me a vital medicine.

With just a few easy clicks away,

I can see what happens in my hometown every day.

...and by typing some words into a box in there,

I can instantly make my whole family aware
of all the things happening to me in this far away land

as they are not around to get this first hand.

Oh Facebook, I'm also in love with some of your app's
with the exception of Farmville and Mafia wars perhaps?
The Fortunecookies are maybe not real

but I love them for how their positive messages make me feel.

The fan pages are also a great invention
and I try to use mine with positive intention.

Thanks to this I got an interview with my favourite singer, Kate.

...and I have another interview coming! Oh yay - I can't wait!!!

To the people who say they get annoyed with my frequent status update

I'm not convinced that it is really that they hate.

Well this can be easily fixed in the settings if you don't want to see

....but I have the feeling that hate is for me.

If this is true, then that's a shame,

but opinion is free so I won't place blame.

Truth is, Facebook is not meant as a static information tool

and I'm using it according to it's purpose and rule.

Friends like to see what other friends do!

Let's be honest, you like it too ;))

Facebook, you can be quite addictive sometimes

....and it appearantly also makes me write silly rhymes (!).

But isn't this still an addiction quite nice?

Putting things in perspective, some people take drugs - I'm addicted to socialize?!

Facebook takes some time, that is true.

So what's the difference between me and you?

You have your friends, just around the corner or down the street.

I envy you, because this is the only place my friends and I can meet.

So please stop critizising and give me a break,
living away from home gives enough heartache...


...and now, to conclude this silly Facebook rhyme,
I would like to thank you all for taking the time
for putting yourself in the shoes of others...
For instance, people who miss someone, like peoples brothers or mothers.
Facebook, I'm so grateful for messages, wall-posts and notifications!
Thanks to you, I can keep in touch with family and friends from all the worlds nations ♥

xox

Don't forget.....

We all live our separate lives, some of us with a higher pace than others and it is so easy to forget how lucky we really are.....


Outside our doors, when we find enough energy or time for it, we will find a billion lives and a world so beautiful that it has the power to make us smile, to re-energize us, heal broken hearts or souls, bring back memories of childhoods, make us think more clearly, to calm us down and to touch most of our senses if we just let it. It is called Nature and these days, especially in the light of what is happening in Japan, it is an imperative reminder of how incredibly lucky some of us truly are.....and that unfortunately,  this is something we can no longer take for granted.


Yesterday, we had the most incredible walk in the forest where it was so evident that spring has finally arrived. We were welcomed by bird twitter, smell of freshly cut wood, the visuals of spring flowers emerging through the left-over dry leaves from last fall, blooming in multi-colour. We climbed a tree, enjoyed the view from up there, breathed the amazingly crisp air, watched birds dive for fishes in a little lake, observed the nesting swans, saw some toads mating (unintentionally), played around in the green grass, took a huge amount of photos and watched the sky transform itself from a lightly clouded, light blue shade into a more threatening dark grey just before it finally opened up and let the rain fall down, softly, on the top of our heads.....

Life is so incredibly beautiful! .....and the majority is in the little things. We just need to take the time to lace those shoes, open our doors and go outside and enjoy it.
xox

Learn French in Switzerland while enjoying the beauty of this picturesque country

Be it a holiday tour or a business trip, acquaintance with French can open doors to bountiful prospects as it is spoken in excess of 60 countries by more than 76 million people around the globe. Aside from France and former colonial holdings of France such as French Guiana, Chad, Benin, Cambodia, Haiti and the Central African Republic, French is widely spoken in Belgium, Switzerland and Quebec. Consequently, a speaker of French enjoys easier travel across Europe, Africa and several other parts of world.


Learn French in Switzerland with language specialist ESL which offers affordable first-rate French language courses throughout the world, with Switzerland no exception.


Language school ESL Montreux, which is located on the shores of beautiful Lake Geneva, offers truly idyllic conditions for those who desire to learn French in Switzerland. Situated in one of the most iconic locations in French-speaking Switzerland, the school offers a number of French courses including Standard course, Intensive course, Super-intensive course and one-to-one classes for those who want quick grasp on the language. You can select the course and module according to your special needs. School’s world-class quality infrastructure includes 10 bright & spacious classrooms, a computer room with free Internet access, a resource centre and a cafeteria.


ESL also offers French summer camps in Switzerland. Course center “Le Classic” is situated in the core of the gorgeous tourist resort of Leysin. It has 16 well-equipped classrooms along with 2 state-of-the-art restaurants, a cinema hall, a relaxation room and a free Internet café to allow students learn while making fun. Teenagers (13-17 years) can choose from a range of available French courses according to their needs.


ESL summer camps in Switzerland also cater to language needs of juniors (8-14 years). ESL junior course center in Leysin organizes French classes in spacious & comfy classrooms. For entertainment & relaxation, students can avail facilities like 2 restaurants, indoor swimming pool, gym and several games & relaxation areas.


ESL Montreux-Riviera is a modern French course center for teenagers. Located in close proximity to the train station and the lakeside promenades, it is one of the most acclaimed summer camps in Switzerland. It is equipped with learning facilities like bright & spacious classrooms, a computer room, free Internet, as well as recreational areas such as a gymnasium, a cafeteria where students can relax and meet other students after classes. Students also get an opportunity to feast their eyes and enjoy the Jazz Festival, sports galore, an ancient castle, a water park, beach and barbecues beside the lake. All that attractions make ESL Montreux-Riviera one of the most favorable destinations for a vacation courses for juniors and teens.


Special attention is given to the progress of each and every participant. Our well-qualified, experienced and dedicated teachers are always ready to crack any problem faced by learners. “Pocket Money” service, which lets students to withdraw and deposit money at any time of the day, is also available. At the completion of the course, a certificate attesting the specific course taken and the level achieved is presented to the participant.

Challenged!

Emma, from the Swedish blog "Om en tjej" has challenged me with this "quiz"!
Hereby consider the challenge accepted ;))

1) What did you do 10 years ago?
I was having a ball, living together with two friends in a suburb of Stockholm. We were very close and also worked at the same place. I was also working extra as a bartender, which was a lot of fun!! ...and obviously, I also trained the drink-making at home ;)) The only thing I really was sure of at this stage was that I wanted to have fun! Whatever that meant.....

2) What did you do one year ago?
Funny question as we just talked about it =)) I was in Amsterdam on a business trip and flew directly from there on to Paris to meet up Chris for a, what was an absolutely amazing and unforgettable, weekend!!

3) Five snacks that you like?

• Popcorn!!!!!
• Pistachios
• Almonds
• Veggie chips
• Tuc with Gruyere cheese....

4) Five songs which you know the whole lyrics to?

• When I'm alone by Lizzie
• What I wouldn't do by a Fine Frenzy
• The way I am by Ingrid Michaelson
• Push by Matchbox 20
• and then probably all songs by the Cranberries (I used to be a ridiculously HUGE fan ;))

5) Five things you would do if you were a millionaire?

• Buy a house by the sea in Sweden
• Buy another house in the mountains in Switzerland ;)
• Start my own business
• Travel around the world with Chris
• Spoil my friends and family

6) Five bad habits?

• Eating a lot of lactose all though I'm lactose intolerant....hehe!
• Poking and destroying my cuticles when I'm nervous or angry
• Snoozing 3-10 times every morning.
• Eating too much cheese, bread and chocolate.....
• Thinking that everyone is genuinely good...so I guess being naive?

7) Five things you like to do?

• Spend time with Chris, family and friends
• Blog
• Play soccer
• Sing
• Try to make a difference.

8) Five things you would never dress in or buy?

• Fur
• Short skirts
• Stilettos (Oh c'mon! They're not even walkable ;))
• T-shirts with prints such as an indian, a wolf etc...
• A suit (if I can avoid it).

9) Five favorite toys?

• MacBook Air
• Blackberry
• Microphone/Recording device
• Football
• PS2

10) Five people I'd like to see taking this quiz?

Maddie, Katja, Carola, Lina and Hannah

xox

(short) Greetings from Katowice, Poland!

Cześć Everyone!!
Just dropping in to say Hello from my 3 day business trip to Poland.

So what have I been up to besides working? Besides a lovely dinner with colleges yesterday, the answer is: Not much. Traveling alone is not always the most uplifting experience in the world and hence, I created myself some company for breakfast this morning not to feel too lonely..... As you can imagine, we had a very fruitful discussion ;))

....unfortunately Mr Fruit could not join me for the rest of the day, but no worries as, as you can see, I found myself another companion, also quite fruitful ;))

...and now, a movie in bed....so life could definitely be worse ;))

Will be back in Switzerland again tomorrow evening....until next time - Dbać o siebie!

xox

Saturdays Veggie Thai Curry

Saturday! What can I say? Clearly the best day of the week....especially when it's a Saturday with no major plans like this one ;) 
Hence, after a long breakfast with a huge, lovely, Swedish cinnamon coffee and a freshly, home baked Butterzopf, we went for a shopping walk around the town of Schaffhausen and ended our shopping tour at a little Thai grocery store very close to where we live..... 2 hours of this lovely afternoon was then spent in the gym and in the evening I've been cooking with the ingredients bought at the Thai store........and here's the result and the reipe (as requested by Jordan ;)): 


Easy Vegetarian Thai Curry
Ingredients:
3 Potatoes
1 Zucchini
6 Champignons
2 dl's of Green peas
2-3 cloves of Fresh garlic
1.5 tablespoons of Fresh ginger
1 can of Coconut milk
1.5-2dl's Panaeng Thai Curry Paste
2 tablespoons of Fish sauce
2 tablespoons of Soy sauce
1 tablespoon of Oyster sauce
Dried Chili flakes
Fresh Coriander
Olive oil


Heat the olive oil in the pan. Add the finely chopped ginger and the sliced garlic and let it sizzle. Add the chopped potatoes, zucchini and mushrooms and let it fry for around 3-4 minutes while keeping the heat on high. Stir frequently to avoid getting burned surfaces on the veggies. Add  the thai curry paste and coconut milk and let it heat up until it's boiling. Reduce the temperature and add the green peas, the soy, fish and oyster sauces and the chili flakes (of your prefered amount, of course depending on how hot you like it ;)).
Let it all simmer for around 5-10 minutes depending on how cooked you want the veggies to be. Personally, I prefer them "Al dente" ;).
Serve with rice of your preference.
(I like it best served with Basmati rice that has been briefly sizzled in Indian butter (Ghee) before adding water and being boiled and then topped off with loads and loads of fresh Coriander.....) 
Bon Appetite!!


I hope you're all having a great weekend so far!! Now time to watch "The kids are all right"!!! Have been looking sooooo forward to seeing it =)))


Saturday, Daaaahling!! You are divine, extraordinary and dashing and I love you!!


xox

PS. Apologies for the poor quality image of the food! It's taken with my Blackberry.....

Musical Inspiration

There are few things that inspire me as much as really good musical talent! With that said, please allow me to share my latest finds in that area..... I literally can not stop listening to these!!


Lissie




Lucy Rose



A Fine Frenzy





Sooooooooo much raw and real talent!!!
Enjoy ;)
xox

The Saturday Menu

Starter: Butter Seared Scallops with Chili Sprinkled Sweet Potato Puree

Main course: Saffron-flavoured Seafood Symphony

Dessert: Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake topped with Roasted Almonds

If anyone's interested in the recipes, give me a shout and I shall test my memory ;)

xox