My autumn food list

The beginning of a new season means tons of new possibilities in the kitchen. This season's fruits and veggies call for warm soups, spicy treats and cozy afternoon drinks. Here's my list of things I simply have to cook this autumn:

1. Hokaido soup
2. Plum, hazelnut and chocolate cake
3. Apple pie spiced cider
4. Basil bloody Mary
5. Butternut squash soup
6. Baked figs with caramel and pecan
7. Fresh fig and almond cake
8. Rosemary latte
9. Fresh fig and pork loin ragout 
10. Apple marmalade with vanilla and rum
11. Mixed autumn vegetable soup

I hope you'll join me in my autumn cooking adventures. Have a happy Sunday.

Dansk: Min liste over hyggelige og lunende lækkerier, jeg glæder mig til at afprøve dette efterår. Jeg håber, I vil være med! Hav en rar søndag.

Marvellous macarons with licorice and chocolate

I'm mad about macarons, but I've always been a bit hesitant to embark on making these bites of sophisticated frenchness myself; they always look so perfectly round and flawless, and I just didn't think I could pull it off. Whether I did is debatable, at least with regards to appearance, but I love how they turned out taste-wise. I served them at my 'yay, I'm done with school' party, and they were given quite a lot of compliments. So, if you too are hesitant to take on these cute thingies, don't be; I'm majorly clumsy in a kitchen (and other rooms too), so if I can do it, so can you. And the homemade look is actually kind of charming, don't you think? I can't wait for my next macaron adventure. For these first ones I wanted to keep it simple, so I followed a very basic recipe from The Food Club rather slavishly, though with a few taste adjustments.

Licorice and chocolate macarons:

Macaron dough:
43 g blanched almonds
75 g powdered sugar
2 teaspoons licorice powder (I used a sweet version)
1 egg white
25 g sugar

Filling:
100 g dark chocolate, 80 %
1 dl. double cream
1 teaspoon licorice powder

Blend the blanched almonds until you have a fine flour. Add powdered sugar and licorice powder, and blend again. Beat the egg white into a stiff consistency, then add the sugar and beat until well-combined. Carefully toss the almond flour in the egg-sugar mix and combine as best you can (as you can see I had a little trouble avoiding the almond flour from clotting). Use a small spoon or icing bag to put 24 little blobs of the dough on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, and let them rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the filling; coarse chop the chocolate and reboil the cream. Pour the hot cream onto the chocolate and stir lightly, until smooth and well-combined, and let it cool in the fridge. When the macarons are baked, carefully remove them from the baking paper. With an icing bag, spread the filling onto half of the macaron bottoms and top with the other half.

Happy macaron making!

Dansk: Efter lang tids tøven har jeg nu omsider fået kastet mig ud i at lave macarons, og ved I hvad? Det var slet, slet ikke så svært, som jeg havde frygtet, og det gik (næsten) helt glat. Ganske vist havde jeg lidt svært ved at undgå små klumper i dejen og dermed macaronernes overflade, men det er vel egentlig meget charmerende, at de ser lidt hjemmelavede ud, ikke? For at undgå at overkomplicere det fulgte jeg en meget simpel opskrift fra The Food Club, både på bundene og cremen. Dog lavede jeg lidt små-justeringer og brugt for eksempel lakridspulver i stedet for kaffe. Du kan finde Dittes opskrift her. Og skynd Jer så at komme i gang med at bage disse lækre franskheds-bidder; I vil ikke fortryde det.

Basically comfy

Dress: H&M

Boots: Monki (old season)

Necklace: Topshop

Bag: Mango

Lipstick: Topshop

This Sunday, which was grey, rainy and autumnal, called for comfy and cozy, which is a perfect way to describe my new basic dress from H&M. It is so soft and goes with almost anything, so I'm thinking of buying one more in light grey. It might be cold outside, but I'm certainly not ready to go off dresses just yet. 

Dansk: I går var grå og regnfuld, så jeg hev min nye basis kjole fra H&M. Den er blød og komfortabel, og så er det vel okay at have kjole på, selvom det er lidt koldt? Jeg overvejer, om jeg skal købe en i lysgrå også.

App of the week: Unfocused

I'm a bit of an app nerd. I'm especially into those apps that are to do with photography, food and (life)style. I hope you are too, cause each week I will select an app I like a lot and review it here on the blog. I start with Unfocused, a small one-feature app created by Dana of the lovely blog The Wonder Forest.

Unfocused is a very simple photo app for blurring or 'unfocusing' certain areas of your photographs. As with any other photo app, you can choose to take a new photo to edit, or you can edit an old one from your camera roll, like I have done with the photographs below. The first one looks a bit imprecise and messy, as I used a wrong brush size. The app offers a variety of brushes and feathers, and you can even use one to smooth out your skin.

I really like how a little simple blurring of a photo's background or foreground can make certain objects stand out, like in the photo below where the unfocusing of the building in the foreground really makes Amsterdam's giant Ferris wheel pop. 

There are two versions of the app, a free one and a paid one. The free version offers the same features as the paid one, but has ads popping up, so I recommend buying the paid version, which costs just 7,00 kr. (.99 cents) and looks a lot better too.

Dansk: Jeg er lidt af en app-nørd. Det håber jeg også, I er, for hver uge vil jeg udvælge en app, jeg særligt godt kan li', og skrive et par ord om den her på bloggen. I dag anbefaler jeg Unfocused, en lille og simpel foto-app, man kan bruge til at føje blur-effekter til sine billeder. Man kan eksempelvis sløre for- eller baggrunden på sine billeder og dermed få objekter til at skille sig mere ud, som jeg har gjort på ovenviste billede. Ønsker man app'en uden reklamer, kan den købes for bare 7,00 kr. 

Crispy tuna meat balls with sesame

Some days call for easy and simple yet delicious recipes which don't require much time or effort. These tasty tuna meat balls are perfect for such days. I like to pair them with a rich bulgur salad with loads of greens, sprinkled with sesame and parsley to match the taste of the meatballs.

Crispy tuna meat balls, inspired by The Food Club (makes 20):

3 cans of tuna
3 eggs
2 garlic cloves
Parsley
90 g rolled oats
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Juice of 1 lime

Begin by blending the rolled oats until you have a fine, flour-like consistency. With a blender or hand mixer, combine tuna with oat flour, two of the eggs, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Add the finely-chopped garlic and parsley and combine well. Beat the last egg in a bowl. Mold the tuna mixture into small balls, roll them in the beaten egg, then sesame seeds, brush with a bit of oil, and bake in the oven at 180 degrees C for 25 minutes or until they are golden. Easy Wednesday dinner is served!

Dansk: Nogle dage kalder på simple og hurtige men lækre opskrifter, som ikke kræver for meget tid og energi, og ovenviste tundeller med sesam og havrerasp er perfekte til sådanne dage. Måske en idé til onsdagens aftenmåltid? Opskriften er inspireret af The Food Club. 

The little things

{Delicious tuna meatballs with sesame. Recipe coming soon}

{New Essie nail polishes that I can't wait to wear this autumn}

{Beautiful graduation roses}

{All dressed up and ready for the graduation ceremony}

{Finally; proof}

{Pretty yellow flower and wine at the reception}

{My boo and I}

{Freshly-made macarons in a new Royal Copenhagen bowl. Recipe coming soon}

{Pretty Bloomingville print from a friend}

{A pre-dinner shot in the pretty streets of Aalborg}

{Chili con pollo. Recipe coming soon}

This weekend has been a busy but wonderful one. On Friday I went to my graduation ceremony with my parents and boyfriend and finally got my hands on a diploma. There was food and wine. It was good. Friday was also my boo's birthday, so I invited him out for a late dinner at a lovely new tapas restaurant, CANblau. There was more food and more wine. It was very good. Saturday morning it was off to family fun and shenanigans. We had our annual Olympic Games weekend (that's right, we spend a weekend competing in everything from high jump to wine tasting, and we're proud of it!). As you may have seen on Instagram, my team won and got to take home the winner badges, despite my messing up pretty badly with some ring throwing. Today has been prepare-for-next-week's-work-day, and now it's time to relax with some bad TV whilst recharging for a new seven days. I hope your weekend has been great too, whether eventful and hectic or peaceful and relaxed. Stay tuned for some delish recipes next week.  

Dansk: Denne weekend har været travl men rar. Jeg har været til dimission og fået mit eksamensbevis, drukket vin, fejret min kærestes fødselsdag, spist fantastisk lækre tapas på CANBlau i Aalborg og været til familliens årlige OL-weekend (ja, vi bruger en weekend på at konkurere i alt fra højdespring til vinsmagning, og vi er stolte af det!). Mit hold vandt tilmed, på trods af at jeg klokkede temmeligt meget i det, da der skulle kastes med ringe. Jeg håber, I også har haft en dejlig weekend, om den så har været hektisk eller afslappet. 

Don't sweat it

Links: 1 (Marcus Lupfer), 2 (Wildfox), 3 (By Malene Birger), 4 (Acne), 5 (Kenzo), 6 (M by M), 7 (Kenzo), 8 (Hip Tee), 9 (Zara), 10 (Zara), 11 (N.Peal Cashmere), 12 (Marcus Lupfer)

It's official: Autumn is here. The leaves are turning yellow, the nights darker, and the days a little grayer. But I'm thinking we shouldn't sweat it. Instead of focusing on the cold weather and the end of outside barbecues, I say we focus on the positive side to a new season beginning and see it as the perfect excuse to scout for new additions to our wardrobes to suit the colder temperatures. Sweaters are my favorite autumn item; cozy, comfy and seriously chic. I'd especially like to get my hands on the blue Kenzo number and they grey one from Marcus Lupfer. Is it too early to start a Christmas wish list?

Dansk: Efteråret er officielt begyndt. Bladene bliver gulere, aftnerne kortere og dagene en smule mere grå. Men i stedet for at fokusere på det negative ved efterårets begyndelse og sommerens afslutning, synes jeg, vi skal fokusere på det positive ved en ny sæson og se det som en perfekt undskyldning for at opdatere garderoben med lækre sager, som passer til de koldere temperaturer. Sweateren er min favorit efterårsbeklædningsdel, og af de ovenviste er jeg særlig tosset med den blå fra Kenzo og den grå fra Marcus Lupfer. Er det mon for tidligt at begynde på sin juleønskeliste?

Life through Instagram

1. My mom's homemade strawberry ice cream and crispy treats. 2. Snacks from leftover rye bread.

3. A day in idyllic Skagen. 4. My love on the pretty beach of Skagen. 

5. A green go-away-cold juice with spinach, kiwi, apple juice, peach, lemon, and linseed oil. 6. Morning oat porridge with nuts, seeds, and blueberries. 

7. Smoothie with mango, spinach, banana, almonds, and linseed oil. 8. Brunch time. 

9. My homemade tomato salsa on rye bread. 10. 6-year-old me on my first day of school. 

11. Tuna meatballs with sesame. YUM. 12. Some of the pretty flowers and lovely gifts I received after my final exam.

13. Homemade crispbread. 14. My boyfriend and I celebrating our 4 year anniversary with candy, TV, and pajama pants - that's just how we roll.

15. Baking my first macarons, with licorice and dark chocolate. 16. The result, all ready for tonight's celebrations.

From @solastdecadeblog

A little update on my latest Instagram photos, where food as usual occupies a central role. I like food. And taking pictures of it. Now it's time to start prepping for tonight's celebrations. I'm having friends over for drinks, macarons, and loads of cake. Enjoy your weekend!

Dansk: En update fra Instagram, hvor madbilleder som sædvanligt fylder en del. Jeg kan godt li' mad. Og jeg kan godt li' at tage billeder af mad. Nu skal aftenens festligheder forberedes. Jeg får venner på besøg, og vi skal have drinks, macarons og masser af kage. Hav en rar weekend.

Crispbread with cinnamon

These past days have been crazy, busy, and wonderful. On Wednesday I had my final exam ever (hopefully), and I now officially have a master's degree in English and International Business Communication. It feels a bit weird, having been a student for the past 20 years and suddenly not being one anymore, but mostly it just feels pretty great. I've spent the weekend celebrating my new-found freedom with family and friends, who have loaded me down with lovely gifts and flowers, its overwhelming. To top it all off, my boyfriend gave me a trip to NY in the spring. That is, he gave me a white t-shirt on which he had written 'I love NY' with a black marker as an invitation. He's kind of amazing. 

Now on to a more slightly simpler yet equally important matter: crispbread. These are incredibly easy to make, and they taste so delicious it's hard to keep from constantly snacking.

Crispbread with cinnamon (makes 40): 

2 dl. rolled oats

1 dl. sesame seeds

1 dl. sunflower seeds

1 dl. flaxseeds

1 dl. wholegrain flour

2 dl. wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 dl. water

1 dl. vegetable oil

3 teaspoons cinnamon 

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Divide the batch in two, and place each half on a baking sheet with baking paper. Add a sheet of baking paper on top and use a rolling pin to spread out and flatten the dough, until it's about 3 mm. thick. Remove the top baking sheets and use a sharp knife to cut the dough into squares, then bake at 200 degrees C for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for ten minutes before digging in. Told you it was easy.

 

Dansk: De seneste dage har været hektiske, tralve og vidunderlige. I onsdags var jeg til min allersidste eksamen, og jeg kan nu omsider kalde mig cand. mag. i Engelsk og International Virksomhedskomunikation. Hurra og hallelujah, hvor det føles rart. Og en lille smule underligt. Jeg har selvsagt brugt weekenden på at fejre med familie og venner, som har overdynget mig med fantastiske gaver, heriblandt en invitation til NY, som jeg fik af min kæreste. Han er i øvrigt den bedste i verden.

 

I går eftermiddags holdt jeg en pause fra fejringerne og bagte knækbrød efter ovenviste opskrift. De er utroligt nemme og hurtige at lave, og så smager de så lækkert, at det er svært at holde fingerene fra dem, når først de er i skabet. Jeg synes, I skal prøve dem.