The little black dress - campaign at Nelly.com

 

 

The little black dress is and will always be a must-have in any lady's closet. Personally I can't seem to get enough of this little good-for-any-occasion item, which is why I'm very excited about Nelly.com's campaign with pretty LBDs at only 18 euros. The offer is only valid until noon tomorrow, May 31, so hurry up and get clicking if you want to get your hands on one of these pretty numbers for this summer's parties. I know I do! The question is which one to choose? See the selection here.

 

Dansk: Nelly.com har lige nu en kampagne med pæne sorte cocktailkjoler til kun 149 kr. Men skynd Jer; tilbuddet gælder kun til i morgen, d. 31. maj, kl 12.00. Se udvalget her.

Life through Instagram

1. Chocolate and avocado cupcakes (recipe here) and a test of the lovely A Beautiful Mess app. 2. A pretty evening in Aalborg.

3. My coffee table looking summerish with fresh cherries and pink roses. 4. Brunchin' with mom.

5. Saturday breakfast: Banana pancakes with cinnamon + coffee. 6. True. I better enjoy the last three years. 

7. My oriental meatball dinner (recipe here). 8. The very beautiful green and summery view from my bedroom window.

9. Queen of hearts x 2; my friend and I all dressed-up for the carnival. 10. This is how our little tea party float looked after the parade.

11. New nail polish from Essie called Bahama Mama. 12. Eurovision night.

from @solastdecadeblog

This morning, as I was about to take photos for today's post, I realized my camera was missing. After a couple of minutes of shear panic I suddenly remembered: I left it at my friend's place Saturday morning before the carnival parade (that's what you get for drinking beer at 9 in the morning). Crisis averted. But as for today's post you'll have to make do with the latest of my little everyday photographs from Instagram. Did I mention how much I love this app? It's a lot. And these days I browse through a bunch-load of Instagrams daily for my master thesis about branding in social media. Not the worst kind of data collection there is.

Dansk: Dagens indlæg skulle have været anderledes, men i morges kom jeg pludselig i tanker om, at jeg efterlod mit kamera hos min veninde i lørdags inden karneval (så kan man måske lære at lade være med at drikke øl fra kl. ni om morgenen). Derfor må I i dag nøjes med mine seneste små hverdagsfotografier fra Instagram.

Oriental meatballs with bulgur

I didn't make these today. Today I'm recovering from yesterday's carnival shenanigans, and my energy level and cooking motivation are equal to zero. No, I made and ate these earlier this week when I wasn't suffering from a bad hangover and severe tiredness. And they were good. Very good, if I do say so myself. My boyfriend liked them too, and they will definetely be added to our list of regulars. I served them with a salad made of mixed lettuces, avocado, blueberries, green capsicum, bulgur, fresh mint, and honey-toasted sunflower seeds, and a sesame and mint dressing that matched the meatballs (recipe below).

Oriental meatballs (serves 4 people):

400 g minced beef
60 g bulgur
1 egg
1 big onion, finely-chopped
Peel from 1 lemon
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Salt and peber
Cumin

Sesame and mint dressing:

3 dl. Greek yoghurt or skyr
2 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely-chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
i tablespoon coriander, chopped
Juice from half a lemon
Salt and peber

Boil the bulgur for a couple of minutes and let it cool. Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds lightly on a pan until they get a light brown color. In a bowl, mix minced beef with bulgur, egg, salt, peber, and cumin. Add onion, lemon peel, parsley, mint, and sesame seeds, and stir until well-combined. Shape 20 small, round meat-balls, and fry them in olive oil on a heated pan until they are dark brown and crisp. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing, and taste with salt, peber, and lemon juice. And there you go; a simple and easy yet seriously yummy everyday dinner. Now if you'll excuse me, my baking/cooking motivation suddenly arrived, and I simply must go to the kitchen and make a snack of some sort.

 

Dansk: Tidligere denne uge lavede jeg disse orientalsk-inspirerede frikadeller, som jeg serverede sammen med en salat med forskellige salater, avocado, grøn peber, blåbær, bulgur og honningristede solsikkekerner, samt en dressing af skyr med mynte, coriander, hvidløg, sesamfrø og citronsaft. De var et stort hit herhjemme og er blevet en ny hverdagsfavorit. Jeg håber, I også vil nyde dem.

Leather, stripes, and silver balls

Jacket: Vintage

Skirt: Vintage

Shirt: Zara

Boots: Bianco

Last night was date night, and this is what I wore. Normally, Friday is date night for my love and I, but this particular Friday in May is holy, since it's the day before the carnival in Aalborg (which, as you will know if you live in Aalborg, is kind of an important event). Tonight my friend and I will be adding the finishing touches to our costumes and heading to bed really early - our big breakfast get-together is at 8, and before that we have to be all dressed up in costumes and makeup, ready for the parade. I'm excited. Stop by my Instagram tomorrow for some carnival fever (solastdecadeblog)

Ps. I realize that 'silver balls' sounds a bit weird, but it's really the best way to describe the thingies on my jacket. They are kind of heavy and make a lot of noise when I accidentally bang them into something. It's very unpractical, but I can't help to love my silver balls anyway.

Dansk: Sådan så jeg ud i aftes, hvor min kæreste og jeg holdt 'date night'. I morgen er der karneval i Aalborg, så denne fredag aften skal bruges på gøre de sidste detaljer klar. Kig forbi min Instagram i morgen for lidt karnevalsfeber (solastdecadeblog). 

All I want for summer - 5 item wish list

Summer is approaching (although it doesn't seem like it when I look out the window), and each year around this time I start planning which items I simply must get a hold on in time for summer. And now that my love and I have finally booked our holiday in Sardinia, Italy, I am seriously anxious to start purchasing some summer items. We're holidaying a little late this year, in august, as I'll be working on my thesis until late July, so there's still time to get shopping. Here's my 5 item wish list for this summer:

WHITE HEELS: For some reason I tend to buy either black or really colorful shoes, never white. Perhaps it's the pratical side of me saying that white shoes aren't a good idea in a country where it seems to rain all the time (do I really have such a side?!). In any case I can think of nothing prettier than white heels on tan summer feet, and for the few days of summer we do get I would love to wear one of these lovely pair from Topshop. Links: 1, 2.

HIGH-WAISTED BIKINI BOTTOM: I buy a new bikini each year, but this year I feel like trying out the high-waisted version of bikini bottoms. They look so classically feminine and would fit my shape excellently. I especially like the pair from Asos. Links: 1, 2, 3.

MAXI SKIRT: A maxi skirt is a key item in my summer wardrobe, but the ones I have are very flashy and colorful. I'm hunting for a new one in either black or a neutral color, or perhaps both. Links: 1, 2.

SHORTS SUIT: I absolutely adore shorts suits and have been wanting to get one for a for a long time. What better time to finally buy one than now when I'm counting down to 11 days in Sardinia? Links: 1, 2.

FUNNY SUNNIES: Sunglasses are of course a must, not only for summer, but on any day the sun is out. I guess I don't actually need new sunglasses, as I have a good collection already, but this year I would love to wear some funny, different ones with colorful flowers or white pearls. Links: 1, 2.

Dansk: Sommeren nærmer sig (selvom det umiddelbart ikke virker sådan, når jeg kigger ud af vinduet), og som normalt ved denne tid er jeg begyndt at planlægge, hvilke ting jeg simpelthen MÅ erhverve mig  sommergarderoben. Kæresten og jeg har netop booket vores ferie på Sardinien, så nu er der for alvor skruet op for sommerdrømmene. På toppen af min ønskeliste i år er hvide stilletter/pumps, højtaljet bikini, en maxi nederdel i sort eller en neutral farve, en shorts sæt samt et par sjove solbriller med blomster eller perler. 

Chocolate and avocado cupcakes

I'll get to the cupcakes in a little bit, but first I have a confession to make: I'm a major fan of the Eurovision Song Contest. And yes, I do know it's a bit cheesy, but with a dad who has been composing songs for the Danish national version of the song contest (a.k.a. 'Melodi Grand prix') since 1983 (and who won in 2006 with this song) plus a brother who has been a contestant twice (here he is in 2002, isn't he cute?), it's hard not to fall in love with this somewhat tacky event. I love how so many countries can get together to celebrate music, despite differences in taste etc. - and that nothing is ever too much at the particular event; no skirt too short, no shirt too tight, no dance too inappropriate. Eveything goes and I absolutely love it. Yesterday was the grand finale, and I got together with the other Eurovision enthusiasts of my family to watch it (plus my boyfriend, who is not exactly an enthusiast - it seems to be growing on him though). You can imagine our excitement when Emmelie won for Denmark with 'Only Teardrops'. I was so thrilled, especially since I think it was very, very well-derserved. A champagne toast was in order.

Now on to the cupcakes, which I brought to our Eurovision get-together. I cannot believe I've never tried this before. When I stumbled upon this lovely recipe I was so excited and anxious to test it at once. How brilliant to replace butter with avocado, I thought. And now that I've tried it I suddenly see no reason to use butter in cakes ever again. Seriously. The avocado makes the texture so rich and smooth, and I can't wait to experiment some more and pair it with other flavors. I always like to reduce sugar what ever I'm baking or cooking, and for these cupcakes I left it out completely, replacing it with artificial sweetener. I made some other small alterations, like replacing the buttermilk with skimmed milk. Here's my version of the recipe:

Chocolate and avocado cupcakes (makes 16). Loosely adapted from Itsybitsyfoodies:

3 squares of unsweetened chocolate (85 % cocoa)

1,25 dl. boiling water

2 mashed avocados

Artificial sweetener (or 4,5 dl. sugar)

3 eggs

0,6 dl. skyr (i.e. low-fat cremefraiche)

4,8 dl. flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

2,4 dl. skimmed milk

Glaze:

3 dl. icing sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons skimmed milk

Start by pouring the hot water over the chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is melted and dissolved. In a large bowl, mix avocado, skyr (or cremefraiche), and sweetener. Then add eggs and the chocolate mixture, and stir mildly using a hand mixer. Add flour, baking soda, vanilla, and milk, and stir mildly with a hand mixer until you have a smooth and tender dough. Pour the batter into a cupcake pan (if not using paper cupcake forms, spread a thin layer of butter into the pan), and bake for 20 minutes at 175 degrees C. Mix the glaze ingredients until the texture is smooth and thick. You can adjust the amount of milk and sugar to reach the desired consistency, but I recommend you make it rather thick - that way it's easier to spread it onto the cupcakes. When the cupcakes have cooled, use a spoon to spread the glaze on top, and add sprinkles or which ever garnish you desire.

Dansk: IH, hvor er det fantastisk, vi vandt Eurovision! Jeg så det med min MGP-entusisastiske familie, og der blev skålet i champagne, da sejren var hjemme. Så fedt. Til vores lille komsammen medbragte jeg ovenviste cupcakes, som indeholder avocado i stedet for smør. Ja, den er god nok, og de smagte fantastisk. Jeg brugte denne opskrift men erstattede sukkeret med flydende sødemiddel og kærnemælken med skummetmælk.

It's Friday...

Why not:

Have a sleep-over? And talk about boys?

Sing karaoke? Preferably with your best girlfriends. 

Eat croissants?

Watch 'Thelma and Louise? Just because of this guy. Seriously. You won't regret it.

Take a bubble bath?

Call your mom?

Have brunch? And gossip? Those two go very well together.

Have a wonderfully wicked weekend!

Nutty paleo bread (Warning: May lead to addiction

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year, you've probably heard about paleo food, also referred to as 'caveman food' and 'stone age food', which is based on natural ingredients and excludes processed and refined foods. Normally I'm not slow to try new things in the food department, especially when something is really hyped, but for some reason I haven't gotten around to grappling with paleo until now (sure, I've used almond flour before, but not exclusively). I thought it was time I found out what all the fuss was about, and as you might have seen on Instagram or Facebook, I baked my first paleo bread the other night. 

There are so many different recipes out there, but they all have the basic ingredients in common, which are nuts of all sorts. I sought for inspiration in a variety of versions and made own. I did use a teeny bit rye flour to ensure the right texture, so you might say it's not paleo all the way, but small steps, right? When it first came out of the oven I was a bit skeptic about the consistency but it turned out just perfect when it had cooled. The flavor from the nuts is so rich, and one slice of this bread goes a much longer way than the rye bread I usually eat, fullness-wise. And on top of that it's good for you. Win win. I have a feeling this is the beginning of a life-long relationship between paleo bread and I.

1 medium-sized paleo bread:

4,5 dl. water

50 g. yeast (optional)

150 g.mixed nuts, coarsly chopped (I used walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts) 

3/4 dl. olive oil

Seeds from two vanilla pods

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon cardamon

1 egg

50 g. rye kernels

2 dl. flaxseeds

1 dl. sunflower seeds

200 g. rye flour

200 g. almond flour

Pour water into a large bowl, add the yeast, and stir until it dissolves. Stir in oil, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamon, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and rye kernels. Then add chopped nuts, rye flour, and almond flour, and stir until well-combined and the dough becomes elastic, preferably using a baking machine. Don't be deterred by the sticky texture. Let the dough rise for three hours or more (if using yeast), put it in a rectangular baking tin, add some nuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 200 degrees C. Keep an eye on it and be careful it doesn't bake for too long. I hope you'll give it a try too, and that you'll like it as much as I do. Be warned: You may never want to go back to your old bread.

Dansk: Som I måske har set på Instagram eller Facebook, begik jeg mig for første gang ud i at bage det hersens stenalderbrød eller 'paleo' brød den anden aften. Jeg lod mig inspirere af nogle forskellige opskrifter og lavede min egen version der udfra. Resultatet blev fantastisk, og det er bestemt ikke sidste gang, jeg prøver kræfter med den famøse stenalder tendens. Jeg håber, I også vil kaste Jer ud i at prøve det - og at I vil synes lige så godt om det, som jeg gør.

Life through Instagram

1. The newest addition to our living room: A little Mad Men inspired bar. 2. A lunch plate with toasted rye bread with cream cheese, eggs, almonds, a salad, and strawberries for dessert. Yum.

3. The best cure for a bad hangover: A cold berry smoothie and Revenge. 4. Chicken and coco soup (recipe here)

5. My boyfriend and I might have gone a little overboard shopping from Zara. 6. These new slippers were in one of the boxes.

7. Another lunch plate, here cottage cheese, an egg, carrots, blueberries, toasted rye bread, and crisp bread with avocado. 8. A Friday night pizza (recipe here)

9. Two pretty ladies on their way out in Copenhagen. 10. Seriously delicious tapas at Café Norden in Copenhagen.

11. Broccoli- and cauliflower soup (recipe coming soon). 12. Pretty pink spring colors.

@solastdecadeblog

That's it for my latest doings through Instagram. I just got back from a very lovely weekend trip to Copenhagen. It was all pretty intense (the shopping, the getting ready to go out etc.), so there wasn't much time to stop and take pictures. Luckily I plan to go back very soon. Have a good first day of the week!

Dansk: Mine seneste Instagrams. Jeg fik desværre ikke taget så mange billeder på weekendens København visit, men heldigvis har jeg planer om at komme tilbage meget snart. Hav en god start på ugen!

Like a man

 

Blouse & Trosers: Vintage

Belt: H&M

Watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs

Boots: Bianco

 

Today I'm dressed like a man. At least that's what my boyfriend tells me. I guess he's half right, since I am wearing men's trousers. Some days just call for loose clothes. Anyway, I hope you're all having a lovely Friday. Personally I'm in a pretty good mood, cause I'm about to head to Copenhagen to spend the weekend with four of my ladies. I can't wait to put my thesis on hold and just enjoy myself for a whole 2,5 days. Have a wonderful weekend.

 

Dansk: Jeg håber, I nyder fredagen. Jeg er på vej til København, hvor jeg skal tilbringe de næste par dage sammen med et par søde veninder. Hav en dejlig weekend.

Throwback Thursday: Gettin' Twiggy with it!

Today's dose of nostalgia. Twiggy must be my favorite model of all time (with Kate being a close runner-up). I am simply obsessed with everything about her, from the make-up and the boyish hairdo to the amazing mod style she represents. Man, to have lived in the sixties!

Dansk: Dagens nostalgi-insprøjtning. Twiggy er min all-time yndlingsmodel (Kate er en tæt nummer 2), og jeg er besat af alt ved hende, fra makeup'en og den drengede frisure til den fine mod stil, hun repræsenterer. Tænk at have levet i 60'erne!