The modern housewife

I was surfing around MARTHA STEWART'S website earlier to find some easter inspiration and I found these really cute easter eggs made into animals. What a good idea and it looks like it is easy to make as well!








Images from Martha Stewart's website.

Easter is here again and it is time to take in nature from outside and hang eggs and chickens in your easter rice. I am not going to do anything this year because I have an almost complete no shopping policy since we are moving in two months. We have soo many things already that anything more would just be too much...
But here is what I would like my easter rice to look like if I would have one.

If you don't have a lot of time but want to make something tasty and healthy this recipe is perfect!
The soup takes ten minutes, the pancakes a bit longer but if you are really in a hurry you can skip them.


Photo by Anna Nasstrom, The Modern Housewife.

Spinach soup
for 2 people

5 decilitres of vegetable stock broth
200 grams of frozen spinach
2 tablespoons of Maizena (Corn flower)
1 decilitre of cream
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
salt, pepper
thym

Put the broth to a boil. Add the frozen spinach.
Add the Maizena mix and the cream.
Taste with sugar, salt, pepper and thym.
Serve with boiled eggs.


Photo by Anna Nasstrom, The Modern Housewife.

Apple pancakes
for 2 people

2 decilitres of flour
4 decilitres of milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of sugar
a little bit of salt
1 apple

Mix all the ingredients for the batter.
When you put batter on the pan, add a slice of apple on top of every pancake.
Serve with icing sugar and cinnamon.
I also added my mother's home-made blackberry jam, mjam!

My mind is constantly thinking about the house. I think about design where as my fiancee is more practical in his thinking, deciding on heating system and logistics. He is into design as well, don't get me wrong, but to him, it will come when the house is done.
Well, since I am working in front of my computer a lot, the office is quite important!
I found a photo of what the room will look like, it feels like it's the right proportions and the door and the windows are exactly in the right place.


So this is what we have to play with.

The images below could be good alternatives. We would like to have a shared but yet individually defined space. At the same time a lot of things has to fit in, a sewing corner, my computer, my fiancees computer and storage. Maybe it will end up being a mix of all the images...


Nice sewing space!


Very nice contrast between the black and the light floor!


I have an architect bureau like this one, maybe a good idea to put it on the side...


At the same time white with colorful accessories is really nice to...

EWA-MARIE RUNDQUIST takes photos with an intense feeling yet a feminine sensuality. Her colors are often soft but the "objects" are rebel and sometimes provoking.








Photos by Ewa-Marie Rundquist.

The latest trend in wedding dresses is black! Yes, you heard me right, black it is! The traditional white is disappearing more and more maybe partially because the symbol of white and virginity is practically gone (most girls are not virgins when they get married today...). You don't have to go as far as black if you feel that it's a bit too much though. A nice colored ribbon or a pastel colored dress can also be really nice!

LAMA DESIGN is latin design found by a girl originally from Los Angeles. She has been traveling around Latin America and the result is this online shop filled with colorful patterns and funny objects.
I have to admit that I can't really see the latin influence but then again, it is contemporary designers.
My favorite is definitely the garden apron that I can see myself in this summer while working in our future garden!
















Images from Lama Design's website.

Wind blowing in your hair, wearing short skirts, although with stockings, looking at the flowers making their way up from earth. It is spring and time to go out and breath the fresh air!
I hope that it is as nice where you are as here and that you will spend a wonderful weekend!


Photo by Susanna Majuri.

Oh, if you only knew how happy I am, having found this online magazine!!! LE PARFAIT is so me and I love everything about it, the graphics, the recipies, the spirit... Just look at these screenshots from the first issue. Doesn't it give you inspiration to try all the recipies!








Images from Le Parfait's website.

It feels like an eternity since my birthday but I still have recipies to share with you. These crayfish snacks feel very Swedish with it's hard bread and special cheese (that I had to ask my sister to bring because I could'nt find it here).
If you can't find this cheese, choose a cheese with lots of flavor.


Photo by Anna Nasstrom, The Modern Housewife.

170 grams of crayfish
50 grams of cheese (Swedish "kryddost")
2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of sourcream
1 tablespoon of vodka
hard bread (Wasa)

Chop the crayfish into smaller pieces.
Grate the cheese.
Mix crayfish, cheese, mustard, sourcream and vodka.
Put the mix on pieces of hard bread just before you serve.

There has come a lot of interesting kitchen products recently. Or what do you think about the "pasta hanger" or a purple version of the famous Le Creuset. Design meets utility and that we like a lot!


1. Glass jar from EVA SOLO
2. Breakfast bowls from STELTON
3. Butter and jam jar from ROSENDAHL
4. Pasta hanger from KITCHENAID
5. Purple LE CREUSET

Maybe they are not supposed to serve as office furniture but I think that WITEHAUZ'S collection fits perfectly for that purpose. Most of the furniture you can find especially made for the office are really boring. At least Witehauz's selection have interesting forms and colors.








Images from Witehauz's website.

I am thinking and thinking and changing and changing. Building a house is not easy! At least we have figured out the kitchen, the fireplace and almost the stairs. Now it is the hallways turn. We want something quite open with lots og storage but not to crowded. The glass wall on one of the photos is decided. But the rest is still a bit vague. I love the tiles on the image with the black door and the colored doors as well. I think in the end it will be a mix of all of this!

This sorbet is so refreshing and very easy to make. It would probably be better to serve it in the summer but if you love desserts, any occasion is a good excuse!


Photo by Anna Nasstrom, The Modern Housewife.

1 1/2 decilitres of water
1 1/4 decilitres of sugar
1 mango
3 passionfruits
fresh mint

Boil the water and sugar together until you obtain a sirop. Let it cool down.
Peel the mango and mix it in a food processor.
Mix the mango with the sirop and 2 of the passionfruits.
Freeze the sorbet for at least 4 hours.
Serve in glasses or small bowls and decorate with the third passionfruit and some fresh mint.

Yesterday it was mine and my fiancee's 9 anniversary. To celebrate this I made a romantic dinner with home-made pasta. With that I made a sauce with shrimps, saffron and mascarpone. It was really, really good and it was a perfect dinner for a special occasion like this one. I also made a dessert, mango and passionfruit sorbet which I will write about a little bit later.


Photo by Anna Nasstrom, The Modern Housewife.

For 2 people
Pasta :
3 decilitres of flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon pf salt
1/2 decilitre of water

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor.
Put it in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
After 1-2 hours, make spaghetti like pasta, about 3-4 mm in diameter and put them on baking paper.
Cook in salted water, for 3 minutes.

Shrimp and mascarpone sauce :
2 shallot onions
2 cloves of garlic
olive oil
1/2 gram of saffron
200 grams of mascarpone
1/2 vegetable stock
4 teaspoons of grated lime peel
2-3 tablespoons of limejuice
100 grams of shrimps
salt, pepper

Cut onion and garlic.
Fry it in a pan until golden.
Add saffron, mascarpone and vegetable stock.
Let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
Add lime peel, limejuice and shrimps.
Just let everything get warm.
Serve with the home-made pasta.

I love MARIA WESTERLIND'S design! I have a pair of jeans from her that are so worn that I should'nt wear them anymore but I still do. It is maybe time to get a new pair!
But she doesn't only make jeans, there are all kinds of other clothing that is really nice! On top of that, there are really good discounts on the previous collections. This is what I would like to have in my wardrobe!


Blue skirt : 80% discount, 200SEK
Green cardigan : 83% discount, 200SEK


Dress : 70% discount, 358.75SEK
Yellow dress : 70% discount, 238.75SEK


Jeans : 75% discount, 325SEK
White dress : 78% discount, 200SEK


Blue trenchcoat : 2 999SEK
Skirt : 70% discount, 389.70SEK

I have not written about the man when it comes to wedding inspiration so it's about time that I give him some attention. It takes two for a wedding after all...
Here is some inspiration pictures for the flower accessories that the man is wearing. It is normally based on the wedding bouquet but why not inverse the roles and make the wedding bouquet based on the man's flower accessory.

On sunday, me and my fiancee have been together for 9 years!!! I don't think we'll do anything super special but I have planned to surprise him with a romantic dinner.
I am happier than the girl on the photo, trust me, I just liked the idea with the letters!


Photo by Tim Walker.

The blog of the week is MAMA SAID SHOP. She is writing about really cool, cute or original design for children and I think that the adults would want all of this more than the children. There is so much inspiration that you can apply to many other areas than just the children's world.



Here are a few of the things you can find Mama said shop writing about :




Images from Mama said shop's blog.

I am writing in an online magazine called SUPERLOUNGE and the new issue came out yesterday. I wrote an article about how the 1960's is back. Other articles that are interesting is an article about the new Volvo, Czech movie posters, Shanghai and many more.

Another cocktail dish I made for my birthday party was this salmon with golden grains. a little bit long to make if you have a lot on your to do list but very tasty and surprising.


Photo by Anna Nasstrom, The Modern Housewife.

150-200 grams of smoked salmon
300 grams of potatoe
1/2 onion
dill
1 egg
1 decilitre of cream
100-150 grams of red caviar

Chop the onion.
Mix the egg and the cream with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a little bit of white pepper.
Butter a form (about 15x20 cm big).
Peel and slice the potatoes into thin slices.
Put one layer of potatoes in the form, followed by salmon, onion and dill. Repeat this and finish with a layer of potatoes.
Add the cream mix.
Bake in the oven, 150 degrees celsius, for about one hour.
Take it out and put something heavy on top and put in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
You can prepare until here.
Cut 2-3 cm squares and put them on a baking plate. Cover them with a little bit of oil and grill them in the oven for 6-8 minutes.
Garnish with the red caviar and maybe some dill.

At the moment we are trying to figure out what kind of stairs we want in our future house because the ones the constructor has are really not that nice. This is of course a question of money but if we can get something for the same price as the ones that are previewed we'll go for it.
The placement of the stairs in the house right now is for straight stairs and we are hesitating between these models :







We are also going to propose to move the stairs to another placement in the house to make the most of the surface. In that case it would be an L-shaped stairs and here are the models that we feel could work well :





What do you think we should go for?

It is beautiful outside today and I just had to go for a long walk in the sun. It was really nice, I was even too warm in my light winter jacket!
When I came home I realised that one of my birthday flowers have really started to bloom. It's a lily that a good friend of mine gave to me. Isn't it beautiful!?


Photo by Anna Nasstrom, The Modern Housewife.

Last sunday I made a delicious warm sallad with red beats and salmon. It feels very healthy but at the same time very tasty and you can eat a lot without feeling too heavy.


Photo Anna Nasstrom, The Modern Housewife.

For 4 people :
400 grams of salmon
3 red beats
1 bag of baby spinach
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove or more, finely chopped
2 decilitres of quinoa or couscous (I used couscous because I'm intolerant to quinoa for some reason)
4 decilitres of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of lemonjuice
100 grams of feta cheese
salt, pepper
walnuts

Boil the beats until they are soft.
Prepare the quinoa or couscous according to the package in the beat water (just add the vegetable stock to it)
Put spinach on four plates. Add beats and quinoa or couscous. Pour some lemonjuice and add the onion and the garlic. Then add the feta cheese made into small pieces as well as the walnuts cut into smaller pieces.
Fry the salmon (I made thin slices of salmon to make it lighter).Press some lemonjuice over the salmon and add it on top of the plates.

JEFFREY AARONSON has made a photo project about the border between the United States and Mexico. It is not a happy result but it feels magic and very exotic somehow. I love the way he plays with colors and light and he has managed to capture real feelings throughout his photos!










Photos by Jeffrey Aaronson.

When I surfed around on STYLEROOM yesterday, I found a whole section on 1950's inspiration. It has to be big in Sweden for there to be a section dedicated to this! I like it though, it brings in some spirit to your house and the 50's style goes really well with a more modern interior.




Images from Styleroom.

TOM KUHNE has not only made the lamp I was talking about HERE recently, he is also making other funny things such as this "chair" that makes you think of a car or this huge "pouf". I would love to have the pouf in my house and I am sure that my fiancee wouldn't mind the car look a like chair.




Images from Tom Kuhne's website.

The sun is here and I can't wait until I will have my own garden that I can go out and work in! Until then I will have to be happy dreaming and get inspired from other people's green harvest's.




Images from STYLEROOM.

The more glitter, the nicer! At least some people think so. I am not one of them, but I have actually managed to find a couple of diamond covered rings that I like. Maybe it is because their form is quite sober or the fact that they are sized reasonably. I also like the contrast between the women's and the man's ring in some of the photos.

This weekend we are going to one of my best friend's birthday party! It is going to be a lot of fun, especially since her theme of the night is rock'n roll! I am going to do my best to honor the theme, but what I am most curious about, is what you eat at a rock'n roll party...
Have a great weekend!

One of my passions are lamps! I love lamps! It is such a perfect design detail that also has a purpose. If I could only chose one from the ones underneath it would be, without hesitation, the lamp from LACORBEILLE.FR. It is modern but still retro with a character! The others are very nice to though and they are all welcome to live with me!


DANIEL FRANZEN
LACORBEILLE.FR


ASSHOFF & BROGÅRD
TOM KUHNE


KJELLGRENKAMINSKY.SE
JONAS BOHLIN

My friend Karine sent me a link to LA PLAGE, a French publishing house that make books about ecology. I love their cookbooks and could buy them all, but I have to be reasonable and not let my passion take over. They are very inspiring and graphic which is very important to me. If the book is not nice, it doesn't give me motivation to cook.
They really have to do something about their logo though! I don't think it fits with what they are publishing at all, more modernity and closer to ecology please!


















Photos from La Plage's website.

Wow! CHANEL'S winter collection 2010 was presented at "Le Grand Palais" in Paris this week and it was absolutely beautiful! I wasn't there in person but I saw it on tv. The ice in the middle of the catwalk is apparently real ice!!! Such a simple idea, but what an impact it has. And the scenography really puts the clothing in the right environment! It feels like we have gone to Greenland or the North of Sweden. The difference is that the fur is fake which makes me really happy!








Photos from Chanel's website.

When you get home in the evening and it is dark, it is always nice to come home to a house that lights up when you arrive. It's true that it is getting brighter and brighter as we approach spring but if you get home late like my fiancee, it doesn't matter which season it is, it is always dark. Finding nice outdoor lamps is hard but here are a few that I could imagine hanging on my house wall or put in the garden.

The sun is shining outside and as long as you stay inside to not feel the cold wind, it's as if spring has come. Especially when you have taken it with you inside in form of beautiful, flowering branches!


Photo by Anna Nasstrom, The Modern Housewife.

I had a big birthday party this weekend and me and my sister made lots of different food. It was very good so I would like to share a few recipe's with you. The first one is "Crostini" with spinach and roquefort cheese. Very good mix and you can also use as a spread on bread or as a dip.


Photo by Anna Nasstrom, The Modern Housewife.

1/2 baguette
50 grams of butter
200 grams of spinach
2 tablespoons of olive oil
50 grams of roquefort cheese
100 grams of white cheese
100 grams of walnuts

Slice the baguette into thin slices and put them on a baking plate. Put a thin layer of butter on the slices and roast in the oven, 200 degrees celsius, until golden.
Mix the spinach and the olive oil. Add the roquefort and the white cheese. Mix until it is smooth.
Put the cheese mix on the slices of baguette and decorate with walnuts.

SUPERSPACE is a Danish company who feels very wide in terms of what they offer. I know theme by their nice and magic mobiles but I found out, surfing around on their website, that they also make furniture and boutique concepts.
Their design feels very Scandinavian and the focus is Copenhagen as inspiration.












Images from Superspace's website.

Ecology is a huge trend these days and that also applies to weddings of course. There are blogs out there that only talk about how to make your wedding ecological and in France they have a company who proposes a "green" wedding gift's list. I found these gift wrapping ideas that are breathing green and recycle. Carton, fruit and nuts feel very natural and conscious.

Today my sister is coming from Sweden and I will pick her up in about an hour. It is going to be so much fun and I haven't seen her since August last year so it is about time!
The other fun thing happening this weekend is my 30th birthday party. There will hopefully be lots of people coming! I am really looking forward to this! What you can see in the photo are a few of the invitations I made for the big day. I decided to send by mail because I love receiving nice letters myself and nobody expects that anymore. I printed them on different colored paper and put them in a black envelope because the theme is "colorful black".


Photo Anna Nasstrom, The Modern Housewife.

I have to post something about design as well today. LISA HASSELGREN is a very talented photographer that works for BEYOND RETRO, amongst many. There is a lack of perfection that attracts me. She makes photos that could have been taken 50 years ago but that are very modern today!








Photos by Lisa Hasselgren.

As you probably know, we are in the middle of a house building project. Tuesday we got really good news, the construction permit is accepted!!! We are so happy because it is a long and complicated process here in France that takes a lot of energy. The sign is up on the terrain now and in two months we can hopefully start building!
I was thinking that I would let you be a part of the process now that the project is more concrete and I will start by showing you the terrain. Don't be scared, it looks horrible at the moment but you'll see, it will be a beautiful property once it is done.


The sign is up!
The entrance is to the left. There already is a foundation where a house that burnt down was situated before. We are not going to remove it, but create a terrasse on it and keep the garage that is there.


This is where the house will be situated.


The old foundation where there will be a terrasse.

Photos by Anna Nasstrom, The Modern Housewife.

I am sorry for my absence the last two days but my fiancee took two days of and yesterday it was my 30th birthday so I decided to take a break from everything.
I was woken up by these beautiful flowers given to me by my wonderful fiancee. They give you spring feelings instantly and when I looked out the window it was exactly like that, full sunshine!




Photo by Anna Nasstrom, The Modern Housewife.

Just the name of this French design company, LA CERISE SUR LE GATEAU (the cherry on top of the cake), makes you happy! And that they make modern, graphic and very special products just adds to the success. Also take a look at the photos for every product. They are really thought out and not one look like the other. You get a pleasant surprise every time!






Photos from La Cerise sur le Gateau's website.

Today it is a beautiful, sunny day in Paris and the spring feelings are slowly emerging from it's deep sleep. I could of course not neglect this and got very inspired for my blog posts. A spring wedding is something magic and fresh flowers could be an overall theme including for the wedding cake. I want to get married right away seeing the cakes below. They all look beautiful and at the same time very delicious!