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Thursday, September 28, 2006
A delicious autumn gratin.. with root vegetables and apple...
This dish is very easy to do and doesn't take much time. Since I'm a vegetarian I like it best to marinated tofu or quorn, but the gratin can also be eaten with chicken for those who like that. I like to make hot dishes in the oven a lot when it's fall.. it feels so appropriate on a raw autumn day... Try this recipe and enjoy a delicious dinner. I'm soon off to watch Kristen Bell in Veronica Mars on TV now..
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Ingredients:
500g potatoes
250g parsnip
2 red onions
2 apples
1tbs liquid honey
4tbs mustard
1 pot of thyme
5dl cream
2tsk salt
freshly ground black pepper |
Peel potatoes, parsnip and onion. Slice the root vegetables, onions and apples very thin. Put them mixed in a greased gratin-dish. Mix honey, mustard, thyme, cream, salt and pepper in a bowl. Poor the mixtureon the root vegetables gratin and stir. Gratinate in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes. Serv with marinated tofu and a green sallad.
Posted at 7:44:38 pm by Sophie Cecilie
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Tuesday, September 26, 2006
It has been a long time since I made an entry.. I've been both buzy with my essay and also not feeling very well... bedrest for a few days in the past week, but now I'm back. Yesterday we went out to pick lingonberry. I didn't get much.. I was mostly wandering around in the forest with my digital camera and trying to find some nice objects to shoot. I'm learning to handle my new camera and also I like to take a walk in the nature.. it makes me relax. I've been indoors a lot lately and it felt good to get some fresh air. Down below is two pictures.. I think they turned out pretty ok. They aren't as sharp in some part of the picture and I'm not sure if it's the way I'm holding the camera angle or perhaps I'm shooting to close...
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On the political scene there has been changes.. which I think will hopefully lead to something good. It's a little more than a week ago Sweden held election day and the Alliance came out as the winners. I don't have much to say on this subject than good luck on turning the Swedish economy around. Perhaps it will create more jobs and opportunities for the broad mass of jobless people... Before I sign off, I've noticed my shoutbox seams not to work as it should.. therefore, when I have time, I'll be removing it and I'm not sure if I'll be putting that or something similar back again.. 
Posted at 7:24:55 pm by Sophie Cecilie
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Wednesday, September 13, 2006
An adventurous munching sheep.. in a tree...
I came across this funny article earlier today.. I'm kind of fed up with all news cover on the up coming election on Sunday. I've got my mind made up rather long time ago and nothing has changed since then. I was thinking about doing a few entries about the ups and downs in the Swedish politics.. but thought there are already so much and so many writing about it and therefore I decided not to do so. Here's the 'sheep article'...
Firemen may be well-practised in rescuing cats from trees, but the challenge facing the emergency services in Lund early this morning was an altogether different beast... a sheep stuck in a tree, seven metres from the ground. When the fire engine arrived at St Lars park in the south of the city, officers found that a tree had partly fallen over and the sheep had worked its way up through the branches, lured by the tasty green leaves.
It was the owner himself who called for help, but the sheep probably would have been able to get down without any assistance. Nevertheless, the firemen removed some of the branches and after a while the sheep calmly turned itself around and strolled back down the way it had climbed up. A group of children followed the episode with much amusement and afterwards named the sheep Tarzan. Saving animals who have got themselves into awkward situations is regular work for the fire brigade. But this was the first time firemen in Lund had to deal with a sheep in a tree.
Posted at 8:39:21 pm by Sophie Cecilie
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Friday, September 08, 2006
Promising result.. for a HIV vaccine...
A vaccine against HIV developed by researchers in Sweden is showing promising results. Some 90 percent of the human test subjects developed an immune response against HIV during the vaccines nine-month trial period. The study was conducted by Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital and the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control. The vaccine, created from the virus’s gene pool, give cell nuclei the ability to produce antibodies against the virus that causes Aids.
The researches are very pleased with the results so far, but they have a long way to go before the vaccine is completly finished. Tests of the product will be done this fall in Tanzania on a group of subjects with a different genetic background. Side effects have been minimal in the Swedish trial. A few have reacted with headaches and fever, but it has been tolerable for most. Some 40 million people are HIV infected globally. Each day, 16,000 are infected. An effective vaccine would be revolutionary. I think this is good news and it gives the infected with HIV a great hope with this promising result. A medical solution like this doesn't or shouldn't just concern the western world.
Posted at 7:39:01 pm by Sophie Cecilie
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Thursday, September 07, 2006
Congratulations.. in more than one way...
I've been feeling not so good the past few days.. It started on Friday evening when I got dizzy and felt sick. On the next morning I was better but it didn't last for long and I had to stay in bed for the rest of that day. Since then I've been having a light migraine and dizziness.. I'm still not feeling very well. I hope it will go away soon. I guess I've been stressed out and pressed myself a little to much lately.. combined with losy fare. I've forced myself to work on my essay even though my head is pounding and so far I have written about 30 pages and my final essay should contain 50 pages more or less. I got to work hard on it.. I want to be finish with it and get my Master of Laws. I want to work, get my own place, travel abroad and do lots of fun things that I'm not able to right now. Before I sign off I want to congratulate my friend Susanne.. who celebrated her 29th birthday yeasterday. Sadly I couldn't take part of the celebrations, but she told me she had a great day and she also had good news to tell me.. she got period of service in a district court in Malmö. I'm really happy for her. She has been unemployed since May when she got her Master of Laws.. so this is really good news. Another congratulation is in order for that... 
Posted at 6:58:31 pm by Sophie Cecilie
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Monday, September 04, 2006
Space, the final frontier.. an alluring subject...
The Swedish-developed space probe SMART-1 crashed on the moon on Sunday morning.. exactly as planned. Astronomers around the world had urged to try to observe the spectacular conclusion to the probe, which was developed by the Swedish Space Corporation in Solna at the request of the European Space Agency. SMART-1 was dispatched from Kourou in French Guyana in September 2003 and began orbiting the moon in November 2004. It's the first time that Europe has sent a craft to the moon. At 7.42 on Sunday morning Swedish time the probe collided with the moon's surface, was confirmed. The impact was calculated to have created a crater between three and ten metres in diameter. Several of the world's biggest telescopes were trained on the moon on Sunday morning in the hope of observing the impact, either as a weak flash of light or a very big dust cloud. The Swedish research satellite Odin was also expected to be in a position to capture the collision with its radio receivers.
The probe approached the moon at a very shallow angle and at a speed of around 2 kilometres per second. It was initially planned to take place on August 17th, but it was postponed until Sunday so that it would be visible from Earth. The probe's objective was primarily to test solar energy technology for powering such devices, and the mission was said to have been a success. The probe also carried out a number of scietific studies with the help of newly-developed miniature instruments. As it orbited, the probe has been taking detailed pictures of the moon's surface in order to help document its minerals.
It's still for me a little to difficult to grasp that we, humans, got the technology to send objects into space. As far as I know the first space trip with tourists will take place within a few years to come. If I had told my grandparents about how people are travelling around the world nowadays, they probably wouldn't have believed me, but then again.. my grandmother was pretty modern and kept with the flow when new inventions and innovations emerged. I guess I would like to put a break in the development.. it's not that I think development are all negative. Things might happen a bit to fast, but I believe they would all eventually take place. I would like the world to live more in the present and not rush head over heels into the future.. Development in different fields brings sometimes more than humans can handle. There are perhaps better things to put energy on like reducing the gap between the rich and poor, but then on the other hand.. the way we treat our planet we might be in need to look for elsewhere to live in a not to faraway future. Then to create space probes and launch to detect new planets or carry out scientific studies on planets we already know about.. could be wise to do... Space is in its many way very alluring and it's such an interesting subject, I wish I knew more..
Posted at 7:49:31 pm by Sophie Cecilie
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Saturday, September 02, 2006
Less advertising in the media.. I agree with that...
Around half of Swedish members of parliament would like to see more restrictions on advertising in the media. A survey by industry newspaper Dagens Media shows that every other Riksdag deputy would like to reduce the amount of advertising in the media, and 60 percent would like tighter rules on the content of ads. The figures show a hardening of opinions since 2005, when the last survey was carried out. Then, of 100 MPs surveyed, 44 said they would like a wanted to limit the number of adverts and 50 argued for tougher restrictions on content.
The differences between the political blocs are clear. On the left, 100 percent of Greens and 78 percent of Left Party representatives wanted to limit the amount of advertising. Only 6 percent of Moderates and 17 percent of Liberals took the same view. The opponents of advertising argued that many ads were too pushy or vulgar, and that the public space was being over-sexualised. Left Party argues that direct mail and television ads should be limited. There's a need for a treatment works, like we have for all other effluence. A majority of MPs said they thought that state agencies, and particularly state-owned gaming company Svenska Spel, ought to reduce the amount they spend on advertising.
But representatives of Sweden's advertising industry accused the MPs of trying to score cheap political points. The figures are alarming, and indicate prejudice and deep ignorance. The results also shows how important it is that we continue to work on informing and effecting the views of politicians, said the managing director of the Advertising Association of Sweden. It's good to have a debate about advertising, but it must be factual, not populist and prejudiced, she wrote in a press release.
I wouldn't mind less adverts in all kinds of media, but at the same time it's all the commercials that makes it possible to watch different films, TV series, sports events and so forth. So the best way could be better regulations on what the ad contents should contain and who the ads are allowed to target.. Let us see some changes in this area...
Posted at 1:48:52 pm by Sophie Cecilie
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Friday, August 25, 2006
The autumn seams to be coming around the corner.. this morning when I woke up, it was foggy outside and the air was much colder. The muchroom season is soon here too and then you definitely know the summer is over. The trees will start to change color on their leaves.. I think that is a beautiful autumn sign. I've also noticed that the days with hours of light has shorten for every week passing. It feels like the summer has gone by too quickly, but I kind of like all the seasons in their own typical ways.. they have all both good and bad sides. Right now the rain is pooring down heavily...
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Wentworth Miller
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You can also see in the TV guide that summer is over, because so many series are or are due to be back on screen again after their summer break. Several popular TV series that can be seen by devoted watchers are Desperate housewives, CSI, OC, Gilmore Girls and a few others. The one I'm waiting for to begin airing is Lost and the rumours say that it will be a double episode, but I'm not sure if that's accurate.. wouldn't mind if it was though. I do not watch much TV, but the past few weeks during the end of summer I've started to follow Ellen Muth's TV serie Dead like me. It's a sweet and a watchable serie.. and I like the actress, she uses her body language and face expressen very well. I haven't seen her in other things before.. it's refreshing to see new faces and talents on the screen, once in a while. I missed on Monday the first episode of second season of Prison break with Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell, Robert Kepper and the rest of the cast. I have to confess that I'm not a regular follower of Prison break.. As I said.. I'm not a sitting infront of the TV kind of person. The DVD release of the first season was two or three months back, here in Sweden. I've been thinking about buying it, but it was quite expensive and I thought I might as well wait and see if there will be a box release later on.. when we know if the TV serie will continue with a third or perhaps even a fourth season or not. As I understand, the TV serie was more popular than the network airing it thought it would be and got a bunch of viewers. But the story arc can't be stretched out to cover several seasons more. Eventually they will escape from the prison or get executed. Anyway, when the serie ends I hope to see Wentworth Miller in something else.. Do I need to mention that I think this guy got all the features a handsome man in my opinion should have. If I should be really picky.. I guess I could 'complain' about that his nose is a bit to big for my liking, but he's still 'eye candy'... Hm, this entry took another turn than I intended when I started out ;) |
Posted at 6:15:42 pm by Sophie Cecilie
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Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Crayfish.. the feast of August...
Crayfish have been eaten in Sweden since the 16th century. Originally, crayfish meat was used for sausage, ragout, patties or puddings. In the mid-19th century, people started eating crayfish as they are eaten today. The crayfish feast or crayfish supper in the month of August spread through the middle classes. A crayfish party is a summertime eating and drinking celebration in Sweden (where it is known as a kräftskiva). The parties are generally held during August, a tradition which started because Swedish crayfish harvesting was for most of the 20th century legally limited to late summer. It became a national delicacy and people in all sectors of society began celebrating the occasion. Today, the kräftpremiär date in early August has no legal significance and Sweden actually imports most of its crayfish, in large part from Louisiana, Turkey and from China. The locally available crayfish is often clearly more expensive than the frozen and imported ones.
The crayfish feast, at which people gather to eat, drink and be merry, is a typically Swedish festivity marking the end of the summer. The crayfish are boiled in salted water and seasoned with fresh dill, preferably crown dill, harvested after the plant has flowered. Then served cold and eaten with the fingers. Akvavit and other snaps are normal accompaniments, as is beer, bread, strong cheese, mushroom pies, and salads. Some say tradition demands 'one drink for every claw', but in practice few keep up that pace. Dining is theoretically outdoors, though in practice commonly driven inside by inclement weather or aggressive mosquitoes. Usual accessories are paper tablecloths, bibs, comical paper hats, and paper lanterns, often depicting the Man in the Moon. A rowdy atmosphere complete with noisy eating and traditional drinking songs is the norm. It is culturally correct to suck the juice out of the crayfish with a loud slurping sound before shelling it.
Many Swedes think this is a great tradition to keep up with even though there are those who doesn't like eating crayfish. I myself don't eat crayfish, but I think the social atmosphere at a crayfish feast is fun and is also needed before a long rainy, dark autumn comes. So for those who like crayfish.. slurp away...
Posted at 6:40:08 am by Sophie Cecilie
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Thursday, August 17, 2006
Dead Man's Chest.. neither bad or good...
I missed the live peformance by The Ark on Saturday at a local stage in their hometown. It's been several years since I saw one of their concerts. Perhaps next time.. rumours say they are working on a new album and is also trying to hit it big in the US. I hope they succed.. cause they are a really great band and is not doing mainstream music like so many other bands do.
Well, I got finally to see Dead Man's Chest (Pirates of the Caribbean) a few days back. I was a little disappointed, but it's always difficult to do sequels. I still think Gore Verbinski did good with this second movie. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley were worse in their acting talent in this one than in the first. Johnny Depp showed his talent, even though many of his lines could be foreseen before he even opened his mouth to fire away a witty remark.. and of course his snipp, snipp line didn't pass the audience by without notice. One third from the end of the film.. everyone got it was coming another sequel, very obvious... perhaps too obvious. Otherwise it would have been a really boring end.. at least I think so. Some of the scenes were way too long and lost its humour when it was exaggerated too far. The total length of the film was two and a half hour. To sum up.. I don't regret watching the movie and I'm giving it three out of five points.
At the moment there aren't many other movie releases the coming months, but there are still a few films I could consider to see and they are United 93 (about the fourth plane 9/11), V for Vendetta (with the very talented actress Natalie Portman) and M Night Shyamalan's Lady in the water (with two great actors, Bryce Dallas Howard and Paul Giamatti). I've said it before.. it's outrages how expensive it is to buy a ticket to a film. The two latest movie cost me about 14USD each. I guess I have to see if I can afford to go and watch any of the films I've just mentioned.
I haven't been up to much lately.. I've done a couple of jewellery since last week, but my inspiration is at the moment not very productive. Yesterday I sent one of the last necklaces I've made to my sister and I hope she'll like it.. and wears it often. I have begun designing a new necklace for my mother.. something that will fit her to wear when she is at the bridge club. 
Posted at 5:38:52 am by Sophie Cecilie
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Blog Owner » Sophie Cecilie
Yogini » Suryananda
Location » Sweden
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All other love is like the moon,
Which grows and shrinks like flower on plain;
Like bud that blooms and withers soon;
Like passing day that ends in rain.
All other love begins in bliss,
And ends in tears and suffering:
No love can salve us all but this,
The love that rests in heaven's King.
For ever green, renewed again,
For ever full, it never pales.
It ever sweetens, free from pain,
Continues always, never fails.
'You can close your eyes to the things you don't wanna see, but you can't close your heart to the things you don't wanna feel...'
Sophie Cecilie © 2006
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