Shivery Bite

Shivery Bite: Scottish noun, something delicious eaten when feeling cold and frozen.  Also known as great teacher gifts.

Puff Candy

2 heaped tablespoons golden syrup

4 heaped tablespoons sugar

Melt slowly together, stirring continuously.  Bring to boil.  Stir for 3 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from heat, stir in one teaspoon bicarbonate.  Stir till bubbly.  Pour into lined tin.  Allow to set.  Bash into pieces.

Presentation :  fill jam jars.  Glue muffin case to lid.  Tie ribbon round.  Attach label with following:

  Shivery Bites.  Best eaten with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Give to teacher.  Eat the leftover crumbs with cup of tea.  

Advent Competition

Advent in Sweden is special.  Lights are put up, preferably white, stars hung up in windows and many people invite friends over to drink a little glögg (mulled wine) with raisins and almonds, and eat pepparkakor ( gingerbread biscuits).  Today is the first Advent Sunday, and while many do rush to the shops to start the frenzy also known as Christmas Shopping, most of us enjoy the first excited flutters that soon will lead to Jultomten (Santa) and julstrumpor (Christmas stockings).

With three little MacOlssons at home, it is fun.  Their eyes are gleeful, dancing with happiness when they open the first door of the Advent calendar.  Little Master MacOlsson asked Mr MacOlsson this afternoon when we would put up our outdoor lights.  Lovely papa that he is, he duly fetched and hung them on the magnolia tree by the front door, all the while accompanied by three little elves toot toot toooooooting on their recorders (imagine the beat to Jingle Bells, but horribly out of tune and horribly loud). 

Next question of course was when we would decorate inside.  Mr MacOlsson being smart replied that that is mamma's domain.  So I dutifully ironed the julgardin ( red gingham checked curtain) for the kitchen, brought out the advent candelabra and the red Iittala and Marimekko candle holders.  Glögg was warmed, red cordial mixed for the kidlets and pepparkakor munched.

What better way to celebrate the new start on my blog and the festive season than a competition?  For your chance to win a Marimekko tea cosy crafted by Mrs MacOlsson, follow these twosteps!

1.  Leave a comment on this post (scroll to the Bottom of the post to the leave a 

comment box, click and leave comment)

2. Share the fb page competition post on your own fb page ( just click on the share button)

A winner will be chosen next Sunday!

I did it!

So, have taken the step of leaving my personal facebook page.   'I have kept on my Mrs MacOlsson shop page, which you will find here .https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mrs-MacOlsson-Boutique-Shop/170298924722

Updating here will be so much more fulfilling.  I don't intend to post lots of personal pictures, those I will share via email.  But life in Sweden, Mrs MacOlsson and Moomin will remain!

If you want to contact me, leave a comment here on the page.

Apple Blosson

I think you could officially say Spring is here in Sweden. There are some stubborn snow piles defying the rising temperatures but its just a matter of time before they give up the fight, and submit to Sweden's most beautiful season.

Spring here is nothing short of spectacular. It explodes out of the long winter over one short weekend. It hasn't exploded just quite yet, but it happens like this....... You go home from work on a Friday evening, enjoy your weekend, return to work on the Monday. BOOM! SPRING!
That short weekend has dressed everything in a fresh green haze, the temperature has increased to that balmy level that makes you raise your face up to the sun, the birds sing their Spring concerto, and the garden bursts into pastel beauty.
All that hasn't happened just yet, so my yearning heart has hurried it along a little both inside and out. Some apple twigs have revealed their delicate blossoms after 4 days inside, and pansies in baskets and pots outside are tempting the rascally roe deer.
It's a rainy Thursday in April. I don't care the slightest. It's Spring!

Maternity

A friend of mine ( and cousin by marriage), announced she was expecting her surprise fourth baby. There will be 18 years between her first and fourth! She loves knit fabric so we had a ladies day outing to a fabric shop, followed by a delightful fika (coffee) at Tant Gredelin coffee shop.
It's taken me longer than I had hoped to finish them due to kidlets either breaking a wrist or other nasty ailments, but here they are finally.
If you like them, please head over to my Facebook page - Mrs MacOlsson - and like and share. Spread the word!

Spring?

This Scottish soul is longing for Spring. Sweden is still deep frozen, but against the house wall is a little promise of the season to come.

Spring is living inside my house for the time being....