New Years Concert, Ivanhoe and a slight hangover

The same procedure as last year! I celebrate the 1st of January 'comme d'habitude'.

A concert, a good movie and a slight hangover!

New Years Concert in Vienna

Maestro George Pretre 2008

The 2008 New Year's Day Concert, conducted by the eminent conductor Georges Prêtre for the first time. What an honour, Prêtre is the first Frenchman that concucts th New Year Concert. Maestro Prêtre has a special association with the Wiener Philharmoniker dating back to 1966. He became Honorary Member of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna - the highest decoration an artist can obtain in Vienna. The concert programme for 1st January 2008 will be the customary cornucopia of Strauss delights, but this time with a French theme.

The ballet ensemble, Vienna 2008

För baletten och kostymerna svarar Nicolas Musin. I en direktsändning från Musikverein skickar Wienfilharmonikerna traditionsenliga och välklingande nyårshälsningar. Dirigent är Georges Pretre.

Afternoon Movie:

Ivanhoe from 1982 with one of my favorite actor Sam Neill, Sam plays 'Brian Guilbert'....very nice. James Mason as 'Isaac of York' and Anthony Andrews as 'Ivanhoe'. Perfect movie on the New Years Day. I think this is the best version though the one that was made 30 years earlier, 1952 with Elisabeth Taylor and Robert Taylor isn't bad either.


Elisabeth Taylor and Robert Taylor.

Roger Moore
and then we have the jerk.....sorry Roger!

Gott Nytt År! Happy New Year!

TYRA

Christmas Holiday 2007 - Engarn, Vaxholm

From all of us to all of you - we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! This year our family have guest from Japan staying with us during the Christmas Holiday. It's going to be great fun to share our very traditional Christmas with someone from a completely different culture. Her name is Rina and comes from Tokyo.

The Gazebo at Engarn, Vaxholm
Från oss Alla till Er Alla önskar vi en riktigt God Jul! Hoppas att det blir en fridefull jul med lagom mycket av livets goda. Vi får se om Kung Bore kommer med snö det hade ju varit trevligt. Vi har en Japansk flicka på besök över helgen och det är så roligt att dela den väldigt traditionella svenska julen med någon från en helt annan kultur, det rör också om lite våra sedvanliga rutiner och det är jättekul.

TYRA

Update 28 December

A picture with girls the Nica, Rina and MLI in the kitchen at Engarn.

Seed is the small embryotic......

PhotoHunt small. Small is this weeks theme.

Seed - a very small most amazing thing. The seed is the small embryotic stadium of a plant.

Once upon a time there was a very very SMALL seed,

that grew into a very SMALL plant that grew into.....

a huge, old tree.....
...like this one the Giant Ash, can you see the small cow? Actually... she was a he and not very small. As a matter of fact he was a big terrifying bull.

This is a post of mine from last year, it is called - I'm so unimportant and small - that feels so good. It's in Swedish.


TYRA

Nu är det en vecka kvar till Julafton! Har ni handlat alla era julklappar? Bakat? Städat? Pysslat?....eller....

13 December LUCIA

My niece Emma in the Church of Vaxholm - Min 'lilla' brordotter Emma som Lucia i Vaxholm kyrka

Lucia brings light to Sweden Read about the history of Saint Lucia from Sicily!

"Natten går tunga fjät, runt gård och stuva. Kring jord, som sol förlät, skuggorna ruva.

Då i vårt mörka hus, stiger med tända ljus, Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia!"

Idag njuter vi av Lucia med sång, gott kaffe med lussekatter, kanske ett Luciatåg med Lucia (Lucior om vi är på dagis), tärnor , stjärngossar och kanske ett par nissar. Va härligt.

Ha en fin dag, skriv en rad 'vettja'

TYRA

The Swedish Saffron Bread

Butter glaced Saffron buns, the ideal recipe for 'antiwrinkle' bread.
Saffron buns sprinkled with sugar
Another perfect day in paradise, despite the weather. Today was one of those day that we didn't get proper daylight, very grey and no sun at all. Missy M and I decided to bake some lovely Saffron buns and play Scrabble. Perfect!

TYRA

From 'The Land down under'

PhotoHunt - long

Music to go with it, Men at Work 'Land down under'

The theme on this weeks PhotoHunt is long. Not that long time ago I visited the 'Land down under'. The pictures are taken outside Port Douglas, very long roots, long beaches and a cute fellow that loves looong naps. The last picture is from Great Ocean Road, The mighty Twelve Apostles are world-recognised icons and those stone formations was been sculptured by wind and water for a very long period of time. PhotoHunt long roots

Photohunt -Long walks along long beaches

Photohunt-Long nap, Koala Phascolarctos cinereus Koalas have a slow metabolism and sleep for most of the day.

Long time

The Twelve Apostles - Great ocean road. The relentless, stormy Southern Ocean and blasting winds gradually eroded the softer limestone, forming caves in the cliffs. The caves eventually became arches and when they collapsed, rock islands up to 45 metres high were left isolated from the shore.

PhotoHunt in Technorati

TYRA

Traditional or non traditional, that's the question

Advent....finally! I just love Advent. These four weeks before Christmas Day, 'the waiting for the arrival of an important person'.

This year I made a non traditional Advent candle holder with an Indian twist, 'Kerala style' with lush green ‘hills’, added an elephant, a lime fruit, spices and cinnamon sticks.

In Sweden during Advent we light all our 'Advent candle holders', the traditional ones have four candles and you light one for each Sunday until Christmas Day. One candle on the first Sunday, two the second etc. We also have the electrical 'candle holders' and an electrical Advent star that we switch one during the whole period of Advent.

Tänk va skönt att vi äntligen är inne i Advent. Nu får vi ta fram alla våra fina Adventsgrejer. Ljusstakar, stjärnor, mossa, svampar, röda bär.....sedan hyasinter, amaryllis, pepparkakor ojojoj så mycket härligt.

Det pinsamma var att jag hade helt glömt bort elljusstakarna igår, jag hade gjort iordning min icke traditionella 'indiska' adventsljusstake men helt glömt bort de andra. Det har en på jobbet som började prata om sina adventsljusstakar då jag kom på....oj! jag har glömt att ta ner dom från vinden! Det var Skyltsöndag i Vaxholm i helgen så mina tankar var väl där, har varit busy med att Julskylta. Att julskylta är jättekul tycker jag och det blev riktigt fint.

This weeks theme on PhotoHunt Red.

RED - Papaver in Tyra's Garden

Poppy from Tyra's Garden

PhotoHunt RED PhotoHunt in Technorati

Comment below -Ha det gott - skriv en rad 'vettja'

Late November....

...and the colours are gone.read more in 'the Greenhouse...'

Veggies from the Botanical Garden of Uppsala

I just wanted to show you som more pictures a took on my visit to the 'Harvest exhibition' at the Botanical Garden of the University of Uppsala. Lovely veggies!

Solanum tuberosum. The potatoes, they are the world's most widely grown tuber crop, and the fourth largest food crop in terms of fresh produce, that is after rice, wheat, and maize. I grew french 'Almond' this year and they are delicious especially new potatoes carefully boiled and with a little butter added when served. Dill of course.

Krusbärsgurka in Swedish, that could be Gooseberry Gherkin or something similar in English. I have not tried to grow them yet, but last year I grew Mexican Sour Gherkin and they are so nice, pretty and easy to grow. I can certainly recommend them.

Är det någon som vet var jag kan få tag i frö till Krusbärsgurkan?

Here we have a selection of different cucumbers and gherkins, all different shapes and colours.

Last but not least a favorite of mine, the Artichoke. Try this recipe. Easy and flavorsome side dish especially nice with food from the middle east.

• Boil the Artichoke in salted water (salt as the Mediterranean)
• When ready pour out the water
• Mix juice from one lemon, garlic and olive oil to a dressing
• Pour the dressing over artichoke (you could add some salted butter as well)
• Let it get cool

This dish can be served cold, lukewarm or warm.

What is the name of your favorite potato? Idaho? King Edward?......

Kommunicera- mera som vi säjer på svenska/ TYRA

Potage d'oignon - Onion Soup

Today it´s time for a classic soup.

Idag har det verkligen varit en sådan där novemberdag man inte gillar. Runt nollan på termometern, snöfall nästan horisontellt och lite blåst. Jag ville inte sätta näsan utanför dörren i dag på min lediga dag. Jag tog och dammade av min 25 år gamla kokbok 'Den franska maten' letade reda på en gammal favorit, gratinerad löksoppa. Nu gick jag i alla fall ut till min potager och hämtade timjan till min soppa och sedan till 'veboa' för lite ved till järnspisen och kakelugnen. Soppan blev jättegod, dessutom värmer både soppan och kakelugnen värmer mej fortfarande. Mysigt!

From France Potage d’oignon. This is how I do it.
2 tablespoon butter or olive oil
6 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
75cl chicken/beef broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups water
1 Bay leaves and Thyme
4 slices French bread
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Salt and pepper

In a large saucepan, melt butter/olive oil. Cook onions in mixture, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until very soft, translucent and brown on the edges. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to combine. Pour in broth, wine and water with bay leaves and thymes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 to 30 minutes.
Preheat oven . Dice the bread slices. Ladle the soup into 6 ovenproof bowls. Place the bread on top of the soup and top with Swiss cheese. Place bowls under the grill/hot oven until cheese is melted.

Potage d'oignon. Voilà comment je le fais.

• 2 c. à soupe de beurre/ l'huile d'olive • 6 gros oignons, émincés • 1 c. à soupe de farine tout usage • 8 dl de poulet / bouillon de bœuf • 1 / 2 tasse de vin blanc • 1 1 / 2 tasses d'eau • 2 Bay feuilles et de thym • 6 tranches de pain français • 1 tasse de fromage suisse déchiqueté • Sel et poivre

1. Dans une grande casserole, faire fondre le beurre / huile d'olive. Cuire les oignons dans le mélange, en brassant de temps, pour 10 minutes, jusqu'à ce que très doux, transparent et brun sur les bords.

2. Parsemer la farine sur les oignons et remuer pour combiner. Verser le bouillon, le vin et l'eau avec des feuilles de laurier et le thym. Porter à ébullition, puis réduire le feu et laisser mijoter, à découvert, 20 à 30 minutes environ.

3. Préchauffer le four.

4. Dés les tranches de pain. Ladle la soupe dans 6 allant au four et placez les bols bols sur une plaque de cuisson. Placez le pain sur le dessus de la soupe et le haut de fromage suisse. 5. Placer les bols sous le gril / four chaud jusqu'à ce que le fromage .

Thyme from Tyra's Garden.....brrr it was cold outside.

Bon Appéttite

Skriv en rad! Kommentera här nedan./Write a comment- don't be a stranger.

Tyra