Elisabeth gjør ting hun ikke kan - lage mat

Da er jeg over halvveis i frituren min. Det er tid for oppsummering og refleksjon. Hva har man gjort og hva burde man ha gjort annerledes? Neida, riktig så nøye er jeg ikke. Det slo meg likevel i dag at jeg ikke har gjort noe som helst. Antall grønnsaker og generell matbeholdning i kjøleskapet tyder på at jeg har vært hjemme hos mor og far for å spise middag oftere enn planlagt. Så hva gjør man da? Jo man setter i gang med kokkelering i stor skala. Selvfølgelig skal det innrømmes at jeg er hverken spesielt gla i å lage mat eller god til det. Likevel ble det relativt vellykket:

Verdens merkeligste brød! Ja her får du oppskrift så skal du se at det faktisk stemmer:

50g gjær

2ts honning

6dl vann

200g hirsegryn

200g bokhvetekjerner

100g svisker

600g søtpoteter, dampet og avkjølt på forhånd

5dl vann

200g solsikkekjerner

100g linfrø

100g sesamfrø

50g psyllium husk (loppefrø)

200g bokhvetemel

200g kikertmel

200g maismel

1ts knust fennikelfrø

2ts hav- eller steinsalt

litt nykvernet sort pepper

kokosolje

1. lag surdeigen ved å røre ut gjær og honning i vannet. 

2. Så tilsetter du hirsegryn og bokhvetekjerner. La blandingen stå og gjære et par døgn i romtemperatur.

3. Den andre eller tredje dagen blendes svisker og søtpoteter med vannet og deretter blandes og røres alle ingrediensene sammen. Aller helst skal de eltes 10-15minutter i eltemaskin (funket veldig dårlig for meg da jeg bare har en foodprocessor men ha litt tolmodighet og ta det i bolker så går det helt fint)

4. Ha deigen i to 2-liters former smurt med litt kokosolje. Gi brødene 45 minutter i en ovn på 100 grader C, og sett deretter opp temperaturen til 180 grader C og stek dem i ytterligere 75 minutter. Pensle overflaten av brødene med litt oljeg når du skrur opp temperaturen. 

De ble herlige tro det eller ei! :D 

Oppfinnsom kyllinggryte som kom i ovnen før jeg innså at jeg kanskje burde ha brunet kyllingen litt i panna før jeg satt den inn. Jaja kyllingen var mør som varm ost (???) og grønnsakene så lite "al dente" som mulig. Noen som vil ha??? Mett ble jeg i alle fall.

En STOR porsjon frokostblanding ble det også. NAM! :D Og flaska ved siden av har jeg fortært alene som trøst for at det snør... huff.. ja det snør.. er det noen værkyndige der ute som vet om det er et godt tegn for en varm sommer?? 

The Midnightsun

According to the "almighty" Wikipedia, the 22nd is the first day of Midnight sun in Harstad. Other internet sites claim it to be the 24th of May so I make my own rule, saying that tonight is the first constant day, day in Harstad.

For me, the 23rd of May has been a very lazy and sunny day. I have been enjoying most of it outside in my comfortable armchair.  I did a bit of planting (Hopefully there will be rosemary and sugar peas growing in my kitchen soon) and I even got some knitting done. What a great way of spending the day.

Though, the best part perhaps, has been sitting on the window sills looking at the beautiful view from my window, while listening to wonderful music. I´m very lucky, having two sets of corner windows in my apartment. Here is the gorgeous view from my apartment right now:

Makes it hard to say "good night" Firstly because it makes you want to stay awake and admire and secondly because sometimes you´re not totally sure what time of the day it is.

I remember a story from Svalbard about someone that fell asleep in the afternoon and woke up the next morning, got ready to go to work and headed there just before 8 o´clock, only to realize that in fact the time was 8 in the evening and not morning... ;)

Summer workout / competition

We have started our summer work out / competition again. It basically involves walking around deck 5. Last year the goal was 100 laps and the price for one lucky winner was a bike. Who do you think won the bike?? ME! YAY! :D
This year we can win a pulse watch if we walk 100 laps and a bike if we make it passed 200. Making the two numbers should not be a problem and as a bonus you get lots of fresh air and stronger muscles.

I walked my first 15 laps yesterday and the view was just as beautiful as last year. In fact, this exercise did more for my mental health than the physical throughout the summer of 2011. I will not get into the details of why, but I will simply show you the sights that I´m so lucky to be seeing as I walk round and round and round ;)

Sailing Harstad - Tromsø

I am a fan of couchsurfing and since February 2011 been letting people surf my couch. If you don´t know the idea behind, it simply means letting strangers traveling to your home town stay on your sofa. In return you get to know people from all over the world that you might never have met otherwise. Of course you can sleep on strangers´ couches when you travel but I haven´t dared to do that yet. (might sound a little strange I know)
While on board last time a French man contacted me. He and a friend were on their way to Harstad with his sailboat and they asked me for some advice on where to go out while in town and if I wanted to meet them. I wrote down a few names of bars and said that I could come because I was at work and then thought I would never hear from him again. I was wrong.

A few days after returning home he wrote me again and thanked for my help. He mentioned that he was coming back to Harstad because he needed to sail up to Tromsø to pick up some things before returning to Harstad again. He then invited me to come along. Of course I could not let the opportunity pass so I said YES!

Here are some photos from the journey.

Leaving Harstad

One of the many beautiful sights during the voyage 

Rice and vegetables, easy cooking while on the go

Still, it tasted great

Passing Gibostad

Captain Damien and his smelly cheese 

If it hadn´t been for the frozen fingers, this could have been any sunset in the Mediterranean 

Rystraumen, the strongest tidal current along the Hurtigruten stretch. 

Me in control of the boat. Damien is tilting the camera!! 

Docked in sunny Tromsø

The boat!

According to Damien, I was a sailing talent. It was fun trying to figure out how the wind affected the sails but also challenging at times. Most of the tour we had very little wind and though the weather was wonderfully sunny, it was freezing cold. Even 5-6 layers of clothing (mostly wool) could not keep me warm. Still, my conclusion is that I´d love to sail again. Maybe somewhere warmer though.. :)