The modern housewife

This will be my last post for the year because from tomorrow I will take two weeks vacation and go with my fiancee to visit his family in Poland. It is the first time I am celebrating christmas in Poland so I am very excited! At the same time I will miss my family and the Swedish traditions!
Have a really Merry Christmas and a Happy new year!!!
See you the 4 of January next year!


Design Anna Nasstrom.

ELDING OSCARSON is a new architect firm who are installed in Stockholm. They have designed one house that I really like in Landskrona, Sweden. The other thing I really really like is the magazine wall they have created at a graphic design agency in Stockholm. It would maybe be a solution for my magazine collection. The only problem would be the access to flip through them for inspiration.










Images from Elding Oscarson's website.

I have found our mail box! I know, it is maybe nothing to be very excited about but to me, every detail of our house and garden is important. BORN IN SWEDEN is a company who makes very innovative products. I wouldn't mind owning the christmas tree foot as well!






Images from Born in Sweden's website.

I love sitting in front of a fire and grill marshmallows, especially when it is winter and snow outside. What I have never thought about though is that you could make marshmallows yourself. At the moment I don't have time, but next christmas I will absolutely try it.


Recipy from MAKEANDTAKES.COM

3 packages unflavored gelatin
2 1/2 decilitres of ice cold water, divided
340 grams of granulated sugar
2 1/2 decilitres of light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 decilitre of confectioners’ sugar
1/2 decilitre of cornstarch
Nonstick spray

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer set up with the whisk attachment along with 1 decilitre of the water.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1 decilitre water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 110 degrees celsius, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture.  Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

Combine the confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 33 by 23 centimetres metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 2 1/2 centimetres squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners’ sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

There has popped up a lot of "cheaper" wall art companies recently and I have found yet another one. NOLLIMAGES sell photos as well as illustrations by the famous LISELOTTE WATKINS. Here is what I would like to put on my walls.
















Images from Nollimages website.

MARBODAL is a Swedish kitchen company who is proposing to designers and bloggers to make a moodboard that is published on their website. Anyone can go and vote for their favorite moodboard and the one who gets the most votes wins a kitchen worth 30 000 SEK (about 3 000 euros). Since we are building a house and need all the help we can get this would be a great gift! If you like my moodboard you can vote HERE.

I don't know what have happened but all of a sudden there is a real babyboom all around me. At least once a week I discover that a friend or somebody in my family is going to have a baby. I wanted to help them a bit on the way if they don't know what to choose as interior for the future family member.

I first discovered BENEDIKTE UGLAND when I saw a really light portrait of a girl. This photo made me want to see more and when I went to her website I was really surprised. Benedikte has taken a series of photos of farmers in Sweden that really touched me. They have nothing to do with the portrait of the girl but the photos remind me of my childhood neighbours.








Photos by Benedikte Ugland.

LA CORBEILLE is a French online shop who sell things that are a bit different. Either you like it or you don't but it is a great place to find gifts for your friends and family.





1. Flower pot, design Tristan Zimmermann for Charles and Marie, 80 euros
2. Vinyl + clock, design 5.5 Designers, 65 euros
3. Cutlery salad set in bambou, 19 euros
4. Bookcase, design Jocelyn Deris for la corbeille éditions, 875 euros
5. Standing lamp, design Jocelyn Deris for la corbeille éditions, 295 euros
6. Coat hanger, design 5.5 Designers, 210 euros

A good alternative to a wedding cake are cupcakes. You can vary them, make different colors or decorations and even have different tastes.

On sunday it is Lucia and we are going to the Swedish church to enjoy seeing Lucia and listening to the nice songs they are singing. I hope that she will look a bit more fresh though than the one that Jean Paul Gaultier styled for Absolut a few years ago.

It is time to send christmas wishes soon and if you would like to do something different this year, I have found a few designs that you can get inspired from. I am going to print mine today and hopefully be done so that I can send them next week.

I found out about DESIGNGALLERIET through a friend on facebook actually and I love the products they sell on their yearly christmas market. Here is a peak of what you can find.








Images from Designgalleriet's website.
Thank you Sara for the tip!

Here in France they don't have any special food for christmas. They make whatever is a bit luxurious such as oysters, goose liver etc.
This dessert would be perfect on the French christmas table after a nice dinner!
There are two versions, one with white chocolate and one with dark chocolate.
It is a bit elaborate to make but who says party says special!



Recipy from USEREALBUTTER.COM

1/2 11×17 sheet of vanilla chiffon cake
3 centilitres of PAMA simple syrup
1 decilitre of pomegranate molasses
white or dark chocolate mousse
2 1/2 decilitres of pomegranate seeds
pomegranate mirror

vanilla chiffon cake
makes 2 11×17 sheets or 2 9×3 rounds (you only need 1/2 a sheet unless making 23 centimetres cake in which case you can cobble pieces together or use one whole sheet)
4 1/2 decilitres of cake flour
2 1/2 decilitres of confectioners sugar
2 decilitres of whole milk
2 decilitres of canola oil
1 decilitre of eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder
4 decilitres of egg whites
3 decilitres of granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Oven 200 degrees celsius. Prep pan by buttering bottom and sides. Place parchment paper in pan and butter the parchment. Sift dry ingredients (except granulated sugar) into a large bowl. Mix all ingredients (except the 4 decilitres of egg whites and granulated sugar) in the large bowl until combined. Whip whites and granulated sugar to medium peaks. Fold into batter gently. Bake until set, about 20-25 minutes (18 minutes for me). Remove from oven and remove from pan. Let cool completely on a rack.

PAMA simple syrup
1 decilitre of water
1 decilitre of sugar
1/2 decilitre of PAMA liqueur

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Let come to a boil. Turn off the heat and let cool. Add the PAMA liqueur.

pomegranate molasses
from Closet Cooking
3 decilitres of pomegranate juice
4 tablespoons of sugar
1 splash lemon juice

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat and let simmer until it has reduced to about 7 1/2 tablespoons. ~40-50 minutes. You will want it to be slightly more fluid when hot because it thickens as it cools.

dark chocolate mousse
from Tartelette
2 decilitres of semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 table spoons of whole milk
1/2 decilitre of butter
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 decilitres of heavy cream, cold

In a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (make sure that the bowl fits snuggly over the pan and does not touch the water), melt together the chocolate, milk, and butter. (Okay, I just throw it all into a pan and heat it gently over the burner without a water bath). Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm. Whisk in the egg yolk. In a mixer, whip the cream to medium peaks and fold it into the chocolate mixture. Make the mousse just before assembly.

white chocolate mousse
2 1/2 decilitres of heavy cream
1 decilitre of white chocolate, chopped

Heat the white chocolate and 1 decilitre of heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat, constantly stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat. Let cool completely. Beat the remaining cup of heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture. If you want it to be more fluffy, whip the whole ensemble a little more. Make the mousse just before assembly.

pomegranate mirror
1 tbsp PAMA liqueur
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp gelatin
2 decilitres of pomegranate juice (I use POM)

Place the PAMA liqueur and the water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the liquid and let is soften. Heat the juice in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. Stir in the gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Let cool to near room temperature. Make the mirror last.

Assembly: Cut the cake to fit your mold(s), this will be your base. There is no precise measuring of components here. Generally a half sheet of cake will suffice for any molds 8 inches in diameter or less. I usually peel off the top crust of the chiffon cake because it interferes with absorption of the soaking syrup. If I feel the cake is too high, I’ll trim a little off the top as well. If using round molds, I like to line the inside with acetate ribbon for ease of release. Fit the cake into the base of your mold and set on parchment paper on a baking sheet. The cake should be snug in the mold. Brush the PAMA simple syrup onto the top of the cake. Do it again. Drizzle the pomegranate molasses evenly over the cake (forget about spreading it, you’ll shred the cake – too sticky). If your pomegranate molasses is too stiff, heat it up ever so briefly until it is more fluid. You don’t need to pour a lot, but you need enough so that 80% of the cake surface is colored dark red. Fold the pomegranate seeds into the mousse. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a big plain tip with the mousse and pipe it evenly over the cake (an inch or more in height). I like to slam the baking sheet down on the table a couple of times to settle the mousse and remove as many air pockets as possible. If you’re overly enthusiastic with this step, expect mousse in your hair. The white chocolate mousse was not terribly pipeable – it was more runny than the dark chocolate mousse and poured in easily. Pop the mold(s) in the freezer or refrigerator until the mousse is firm. When the pomegranate mirror is cooled to room temperature, remove the mold(s) and pour the mirror liquid over the mousse to an appropriate depth (appropriate means whatever you want). Return the mold(s) to the refrigerator until the mirror has set. Carefully unmold the dessert and garnish.

MONKI is a fashion company that makes quite special clothing that at the moment is really really inspired by 1980's fashion. I like it because it brings back a lot of memories from my childhood but I would still not wear the most extreme designs. Here is what I found nice and could absolutely imagine hanging in my closet.


Images from Monki's website.

While searching inspiration today on the net I bumped into these really cool photos by DENISE ÖSTHOLM portraying the Swedish singer Robyn.






Photos by Denise Östholm.

If you think that Ikea kitchens don't look design enough or lacks the quality feel to it, I have a solution for you. STUDIO 10 is a company who creates facades that fit the Faktum kitchens sold at IKEA. They are all very design and you can totally not tell that there is an Ikea kitchen hidden behind.








Photos from Studio 10's website.

I found INNEONLINE not very long ago and there are a lot of nice things that has been added to my wishlist for our house.





1. Window protector, design Johanna Lindgren / Sofia Löfstedt, Strössel design, 175 SEK
2. Essence champagne glass and red wine glass, design Alfredo Häberli, Iittala, 238 SEK / 259 SEK
3. Car & Caravan wall hanger, design Maze, 265 SEK
4. Sleepy Owl wall hanger, design Barnvänligt, 89 SEK
5. Bowl, design Marimekko, 389 SEK
6. Cup Ego, design Stefan Lindfors, Iittala, 169 SEK
7. Electric pepper mill, design Invivo design, Sagaform, 199 SEK
8. Wire tree coat hanger, design Louise Hederström, Maze International, 1669 SEK
9. Soap bottle, design Zone company, 219 SEK

Haven't we all dreamt of looking like a princess at our wedding when we were younger!? I am not a big fan of princess dresses anymore but I have managed to find a few that are closer to my style and that I find are not too much looking like a huge cupcake.

This weekend is supposed to be very nice and sunny so I hope that we will have some time to spend outside. Apart from that it will be a big interiors inspiration weekend because we are going to a huge shopping center specialized in interior design stores.


Photo Leonard Gren

The Danish company M2 has a lot of nice house models and here is yet another one.






Photos from M2's website.

Today's theme became christmas trees without me realizing it. This apple spice cake has a really nice christmas tree shape and sound like it could taste like christmas.


Recipy and photo from DESSERTFIRST.


Makes about 6 1-cup mini bundt cakes

2-3 apples
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Peel and cut the apples into 1 centimetre cubes. Toss the pieces in a bowl with the cinnamon.
Beat the eggs and sugar in a mixer with the whisk attachment until fluffy. While the mixer is running, add in the oil and vanilla.
While mixer is going, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cloves, and allspice in a bowl. Add the dry mixture into the batter and continue mixing until combined.
Stir in the apples, distributing evenly.
Spoon batter evenly into bundt pan molds. Bake about 35-40 minutes, until the center is dry and springs back to the touch.
Cool on a wire rack in the molds before turning out. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

If you don't feel like having a traditional christmas tree this year, here are a few ideas of alternative ones. I think they are as nice and still give you that special christmas feeling.

Today a friend of mine and I are going to a private sale at NINA RICCI. It is going to be fun because even if I will probably not get anything it will be fun to see the collection for real. I much prefer what the new creative director is doing, he is giving Nina Ricci a touch of freshness and modernity. On top of that the company where I have been freelancing on and of the last year (DIPTIC DESIGN AGENCY) are in charge of Nina Ricci's website.








Photos from Nina Ricci's website.

Even though we don't think about it, we spend at least a third of our life in bed, so why not think a little extra about our bedroom interior.

TIINA ITKONEN takes beautiful photos on Greenland. I thought it was a good time to show them to put us in a winter mood.




















Photos Tiina Itkonen.