Words have power

that's what got me thinking the other day....I was at school working and heard kids saying not so nice things to each other and since this wasn't the first time I heard things like " you are a big fat cow".....

"you're so stupid" etc. it got me thinking....

do we actually realise how much power there's in just one word...or the power in which way we say it....do we talk to our kids about how words can hurt....especially important these days when you can be  anonymous on internet or over the phone....I don't think it matters if it's said out loud or if it's sent ...words can still hurt and it effects the one who's targeted...

do we reflect over the words we use ? Can I make myself clear without using condescending words..even if I'm really mad ? ... this is what made me do these pictures of words....to make the kids think about words and the meaning...

I just love this word....do you know what it means ? google it and you'll find out why this turned out to be a really good one here in India....

the wall of words....

my contribution to awareness ! even if it's as simple as a word.

ps.I did make one to Mr M's office....and guess what ?

 it says...words have power.

Being creative ....well,trying to be...

Good morning,dear reader....hope you had a good nights sleep ? Have you had your vitamin C's this morning ? I did...and my cold is better but instead Mr M's is a lot worse....he is now getting the Kinu cure....

I'm surrounded by people who knows how to paint and draw etc....I can't do any of that but....sometimes I get a fling of creativity....somehow these last days with pretty boring weather made me restless so....off I went and got some canvases and brushes .....well,it wasn't just off I went...I asked my driver how long time it would take to get me to this place to shop and he said "only an hour,mam"

so off we went...somewhere along the road my driver decided to go another route and of course I asked and he said " better,mam"...hmmm , if I had driven the car myself we would have been there within the hour...now it took 2 hours, as in india , only "mam"...the explanation was bad traffic....well, when we passed the same spot the third time I knew it wasn't the traffic....and of course he doesn't listen to me when I say we should go this or that way....no no no...anyhow...

what on earth I'm a going to do? I have an idea....not for me or us....it's for school...if they will let me put them up that is...guess we'll have to wait and see about that...if you want to know what I'm doing be sure to check in later on....a little hint...it has to do with words !

How to make the paper stars !

as some of you wanted to know how to make the paper stars I made some pictures for you…just follow the steps and you will feel like a star and also have one in your hand !

oopsy daisy…pieces got a little mixed up….

Good luck and enjoy...

Second sunday of advent in the House of Susanna.

I can't believe that it's already the second sunday of advent…time just fly by when you are having fun….or when you have a lot of things to do….today we've just had a lazy sunday at home…we did work out and then I started preparing for making

saffron macrons with orange buttercream…oh so good….and I made oh so many….first time I did these with saffron….so fun to try and make new ones…I only wish I had a food scale,weighing machine…when you make macrons it's really important that you weigh the ingredients…otherwise they turn out a little "weird"…. anyhow mine almost turned out the way they should….

 then I also made lucia buns-saffron buns….again yummy….made them small because they are for a special occasion this week…I need plenty of them….so after an afternoon with all this baking our house smells so wonderfully saffrony…it really smells like christmas again…

today it was only Mr M and I who lit the candles…of course we had to taste the macrons and the buns. I can tell you that the taste of orange goes well with saffron, as if you didn't know....today we didn't heat up the glögg though….we made hot chocolate with rum instead…

we also decorated the christmas tree…since my mother left yesterday morning we did a little decorating before she left…just so that we all can get into the christmas spirit…I don't think my mother has a christmas tree at home so…it turned out just fine don't you think ? I made the star in the top…one of my D.I.Y projects….if you're interested in how to make them I'll show you…also if anyone wants to make the saffron macrons please let me know and I'll post the recipe.

Hope you all have a wonderful second sunday of advent.

On request..christmas in a cake recipe.

so here comes the recipe to this yummy orange polenta cake….I made it in a 26 cm baking pan with removable edges…I put baking paper in the bottom and on the sides….

6 oranges

120 gr butter

150 gr sugar

3 eggs

140 gr polenta

120 gr grounded almonds

1 tablespoon flower ( overfilled )

2 teaspoons baking powder

2-3 teaspoons grounded cloves

for the sirup to put on top:

the juice from 1-2 oranges

about 1.5 dl sugar

1teaspoon grounded cloves

the above is depending on how much sirup you want to put on the cake

start out with chopping 2 oranges with peel and all and put in a pot with a little more than 1 dl water. Let it boil for about 20 minutes…put a lid on…don't want it to boil dry. Stand aside and let it cool off.

Whisk together room temperated butter and sugar. REALLY whisk it together,

Add one egg at a time and beat it in.

Add the polenta,almonds,flower,baking powder and the grounded cloves. Whisk together.

Chop the cooled boiled oranges…chop them well….mix it in.

Cut of all the peel and the white on the oranges and slice them thinly.

Put the slices in the baking pan starting in the middle and then working your way out to the sides.

Poor over the mixture and bake in the middle of the oven in 180 degrees for about an hour.

Take it out of the oven and turn it upside down and slowly peel of the baking paper.

Poor over the sirup ... you make it like this:

put juice,sugar and  grounded cloves in a pot…stir and let it boil on low heat until it gets thick..like sirup…avoid stirring…

poor over the cake..

enjoy with either whipped cream with some vanilla in it or vanilla ice cream.

I discovered that the cake was actually even better the day after !

Good luck and enjoy the smell of christmas.

It's a perfect Christmas gift since it is made with so much love !

First sunday of advent in the house of Susanna.

even though I'm are far away from "home" it doesn't mean that I can't stick to traditions…I just have to do with what I can find here…and some D.I.Y projects…

advent candleholder out of mango juice bottles (preferably empty), white paper and ribbon from all my shopping bags, stars made out of wrapping paper or again shopping bags…so much fun to make these stars…the christmas tree I bought of course…isn't it cute ?

when we where driving home from the national park I said " since we are so cold we really need go home and warm up the glögg…hahaha"….the AC was on and we where anything but cold….. a couple of hours later though

I lit the star in the window….and also the BIG one in one of the guest rooms

I turned on christmas music and started to prepare for….

glögg with almonds and raisin….and yes I had to make my own out of red wine, spices (cinnamon sticks,cardamom seeds,cloves and some sugar) and vodka ! (it actually turned out quite ok according to Mr M and Mrs S since I don't drink glögg)

gingerbread cookies with Danablue cheese and fig marmalade,gouda cheese, dades wrapped with bacon, christmas cookies and of course we did light the first candle….

I used cinnamon sticks instead of spoons ……..it wasn't easy to get the raisins and almonds out of the glass with those but they looked good and it made the glögg taste even better….

we did get a feeling of christmas coming along….next time I'm going to try and make white glögg out of apple juice !? sounds good ?

Christmas in a cake ?

Today I made this orange polenta cake with cloves and all of a sudden my kitchen smelled like Christmas..

a little different cake since it has polenta and lots of grounded cloves in it….I saw it being made in one of the best TV series ever….the spice trip….it was only 6 or 7 episodes but it was so interesting….anyhow, in this episode they go to Zanzibar and tell us everything there is to know about cloves….how it grows and how it's picked…how to use it in cooking and baking..if you get a chance to see it do so…that is if you like spices…

anyhow, the cake was yummy with some whipped cream…so fresh…

Interested in the recipe ? then send me a comment and I will give it to you

Christmas in a cake….

Once again my favourite flower and a DIY project

By now I think you all know that my favourite flower is the temple tree flower.......

and you also know that it's usually my driver Pawan that picks them for me while I'm shopping for groceries ! 

Yesterday I remembered that I had kept some glass bottles that I liked.

They came in handy....why bother to buy vases when you can use cleaned juice bottles.

( todays DIY tip )

While browsing the net I found this beautiful painting from Turmeric Design.