Happy Midsummer!

The official celebrations here in London won’t happen until tomorrow, of course. They have no sense of paganism here to speak of, but hopefully the weather will be better!

Next year I’ll have grown suitable wreath flowers like these.

We’ll be dressing our may pole later today and tomorrow head to the Southwark celebrations by the Swedish Seaman’s Church to join all the other white clad, flower-wreathed folks dancing to the accordion and stuffing their faces with strawberry cakes.

I really wish I was in Sweden.

 

Urban Country Fair

A unique and global  – and free! – “Country Fayre” is open this weekend in Marylebone. It’s the media company Monocle who is hosting, together with among others The Swedish Embassy and a plethora of prominent Marylebone business. It’s going to be a fun event with lots of activities for children and adults alike, as well as foods and goods from around the world! They are also promising live music by Swedish Cecilia Stalin (Sunday at 2pm) and Trio Manouche (Saturday at noon).

Sweden will have Midsummer themed stand, with birches and buns, flags and saft for adults and children. Also a few select things to get your Midsummer party mojo going. And of course these gorgeously huge lollies, a national treasure of a candy cane with long running traditions, the Polkagris!

Come and enjoy this fun event with us. The fair is open Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 5pm at the Midori House, 1 Dorset Street, Marylebone, London W1U 4EG.

As I mentioned entrance is free, but donations to The Committee to Protect Journalists is encouraged.

 

URGENT! Venue change

From the Singing Swedes, the following message:

URGENT!!!!!
Due to the presumed weather conditions for tomorrow we have made the difficult decision to change the venue for this year’s Walpurgis Celebration.
We will greet spring and sing to its beauty in the Swedish Church on 6 Harcourt Street, W1H 4AG, just 15 min walk from Regent’s Park.
Please bring your picnic and set it up in the church aisle while we sing about how happy we are “as a bird in the morning hour”.

Directions to the Swedish Church.
From Baker Street Station, walk down Baker Street and turn left on York Street. Follow York Street all the way down and it will turn into Harcourt Street after crossing Seymour Place.
We will star around 17.30 to give all a chance to walk to the Church.

We very much look forward to seeing you there!
Ulricae Drängar

Closer to the loos and the shop!

 

Busy Saturday

A quick note to add another event to your hopefully not so busy Saturday schedule. Before you go to TotallySwedish to stock up on goodies to bring to the Walpurgis Night celebration in Regents Park at 5pm, you should check up this one day only pop-up shop and event to celebrate “Scandi living” in London. They promise fabulous brands, especially all those great Swedish and Danish children’s clothes brands as well as wine and nibbles. As Bageriet.com are listed among the sponsors (as is REN and Hansen & Lydersen), you are likely to score some tasty treats.

The event takes place iin trendy and cool Islington from 11am – 6pm @ Coexistence, 288 Upper Street, London N1 2TZ map

They’re also handing out a limited number of free goodie bags, so remember to tell your friends. RSVP by email to post@littlescandinavian.com or on join on Facebook.

 

Walpurgis Night with The Boys

Hopefully not the weather on Saturday!

Of course, The Boys in question are Ulricae Drängar, the men’s choir sprung from the loins of Ulrika Eleonora church choir. On Walpurgis night, April 30, the tradition bids that large bonfires should be lit to chase away the last of the winter (we wish!) and fend off the dark forces by singing songs to celebrate spring in a manly and romantic way.

As April 30 falls on a Monday, which doesn’t lend itself to non-Native celebrations, they’ll jump the gun and celebrate on Saturday, April 28th instead. It actually looks like there’s a chance it won’t be bucketing that very afternoon, so take yourself to the bandstand in Regent’s Park for 5pm, preferably via TotallySwedish for some Swedish delicacies to enjoy, for some beautiful music by the lovely young(ish) men.

If you’d like to read more about Walpurgis you can click here.

If you ant to know more about Ulricae Drängar and also if you need directions to the bandstand, click here!

 

Equinox!

Same tree, new year. Equally gorgeous.

Today, it’s officially spring, at least in my book. Spring Equinox, one of the four, important dates for us “heathens”. The day when the day finally is longer than the night and will continue on that path until Midsummer, when it turns again.

I think of my father today, who always loved Spring Equinox most of all. The fact that there was only more light coming from this day forward. He would have loved to be here in London, when it’s actually warm and flowering already, though the effect of a single bloom in the bleak Swedish early spring is in a way much greater.

Thanks for showing my spring, dad.

 

Soup!

Almost too big already, but if you just pick the top shoots - which is easy with a pair of scissors - you're fine.

Nettle soup. After 12 years together, my husband finally agreed to tasting this delicacy and declared with great surprise: “This is really good!”

Well… yes.

It’s a little fiddly, but if you do like to forage for food and live close to where nettles grow, and not next to the motorway or where all dogs go for their morning/afternoon/evening tinkle; well worth it. it tastes a bit like spinach soup, and if you find you haven’t picked enough (a normal supermarket plastic bag is about right), you can substitute with chopped, frozen spinach. Use gloves when picking! Marigolds are the best. Only pick the first shoots or the very top shots, as the bigger leaves can be bitter. Dump you loot in the sink, fill up with cool water and remove as much debris, grass, sticks and other leaves as you can. Remove tough stalks. Put in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and let simmer about 5 minutes. Drain and chop!

Nettle Soup 1-2-3-4

Serves 2-3

4dl parboiled nettles

3 potatoes

2 leeks

1 peeled clove of garlic

7dl chicken or vegetable stock

1dl single cream

salt and pepper

Butter for frying, boiled eggs to serve with.

Chop the garlic, trim and chop the leeks. Peel the potatoes and cut into smallish pieces. Sautée the garlic,leeks and nettles in butter, add the potatoes and add the stock. Being to a boil and let simmer until potatoes are soft. Use a hand mixer to make a smotth soup and add the cream. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crusty bread and a halved egg per plate.

 

Semla Assembly

With a little help, this year’s first semlor have been assembled. See the astonishing blow by blow account on how to make your very own Swedish Semla.

First you ask somebody to grate the almond paste, if you haven’t made your own. Careful of little knuckles.

A little tasting explain the blurry hand.

Ready for step 2

After cutting a (thin) lid off your bun and scooped out most of the middle, mix the bread with the almond paste and as much cream and/or milk to make a moist filling.

Mix well.

Mixing well. Without dropping bowl on floor.

Fill the cavities with the cream and add a dollop of your whipped cream, and put the lid on top at a jaunty angle. Dust with plenty of icing sugar. Ask another child less likely to drop things to serve.

Ta-da!

 

Poor Man’s Truffles

Look at those babies...

It’s easy to go and buy something in a shop for Valentine’s Day. And very nice, to get an pretty box with something sparkly. But sometimes, it’s nice to get something that cost more time, than money.

For the chocolate loving Swede, these are childhood memories, in the form of a coconut or pearl sugar covered ball. They are easy and messy to make, perfect for anybody over the age of 4. You have to use a mixer, unless you are seriously into self-flagellation or need a forearm workout.

100g Butter. Not too cold, but absolutely no soft

3dl Caster sugar

3 dl Oats of any kind

3tbsp Cocoa

3 tbsp cold, strong coffee/Bailey’s/Arrac… whatever you wish

1 tbsp Vanilla sugar

Pearlsugar, desiccated coconut, sprinkles, finely chopped nuts or sesame seeds to roll them in.

Mix until it’s a homogenous batter. Roll small (think one bite) balls with slightly damp hands and roll in the covering of your choice. Keep in a cold place. They’ll keep until at least the best before date of your butter! They look very pretty in a cellophane bag, with a bow, to go with the nice card you got your Valentine. Or in a pretty box….

As before mentioned, it’s pretty messy, which is why I have (girl) friends who will forego the whole rolling bit, and just eat the mixture straight out of the bowl. With a spoon of course, so not to get their hands dirty!

Enjoy!

 

 

Come for a shopping evening!

Oh, I’m so excited! A fabulously gloriously glam shopping event in Barnes on Thursday. All the really cool shops are there, including of course your very own TotallySwedish, and we will be bringing _everything_ you need for the Christmas season, from Advent candles to Lucia outfits and CDs and beautiful Christmas gifts and of course all that glorious food! Do come join us for this great evening in Barnes. Bring a friend, bring a whole bunch! This is the way to kick off the Christmas season. We look forward to seeing you.