sreda, 22. maj 2013

KONČNO / FINALY

Z obžalovanjem moram priznati, da je od zadnje objave minilo toliko časa, da moram kar malo pomislit kako se zadevam streže.
V zadnjem času je bilo zalo naporno obdobje (hm, če pomislim, kdaj pa ni) in bila sem tako fizično kot psihično zelo utrujena. Kljub vsemu mi je uspelo kar nekaj narediti in ustvariti, ampak zvečer, ko je ponavadi moj čas za objave na blogu, pa mi je zmanjkalo štrene. Ne samo, da nisem bila sposobna tvoriti stavkov, ampak sem ponavadi ob devetih zvečer že spala.

Prejšnji teden pa se je zgodilo nekaj tako pomembnega, da se moram pohvaliti tudi tukaj. Zadeva sicer ni idealna, je daleč od tistega kar bi imela in še dlje od mojih sanj, ampak začetek je pa vseeno.

Imam namreč svojo MIZO. 

To je bila že zelo dolgo moja želja, ki pa se ni in ni hotela uresničiti. V pripravi je načrt za še eno mizo, v temnem kotičku mansarde, trenutna pa je dobila mesto na prehodu iz kuhinje v dnevno sobo, točno ob oknu. Kaj hočem lepšega. 

Zdaj pa novim zmagam naproti!

P.S. To objavo sem napisala v svoji "poletni pisarni", ki jo bom razkrila v naslednji objavi.




Sadly I have to admit that it has been almost two month since my last post.

These two months were really exhausting (um, if I think about it, which month is not) and I was both physically and mentally very tired. Nevertheless, I managed to do quite a few things and create some stuff, but in the evenings when it is usually my time to post on the blog, I was so ran down that I was not able to produce sentences and was usually asleep by nine o'clock.

Last week something happened, something so important that I have to share it here. The thing is far from ideal, it is not at all what I would like to have even further from my dreams, but it is a start anyway.

I have my own DESK.

This has been on my wish list for a very long time, but somehow it did not happen. We also have a plan for another table in a dark corner of our living room (tucked under the roof).
My brand new desk is placed between the kitchen and the living room, right next to a window. What would I want more?

Now let's get busy!

P.S. This post was written in my "summer office". Wait for the next post.

torek, 26. marec 2013

MATERINSKI DAN / MOTHER'S DAY

Včeraj smo v Sloveniji praznovali materinski dan.

Saj ne, da ga prav aktivno praznujem, se pa vsako leto razveselim kakšnega izdelka, ki ga otroci prinesejo iz vrtca ali šole. Sreča je v malenkostih, pozornostih in zavedanju, da nekdo pomisli nate.

Tako se je moj materinski dan začel že krepko pred sedmo uro zjutraj, ko sem na poti v službo prejela nasmeh in pozdrav neznanca. Nadaljeval se je z objemom sodelavca vsem mamam.
Vrhunec pa dosegel, ko mi je preponosna Manumajčica št. 2 izročila darilce, ki ga je v vrtcu izdelala zame.



It was Mother's Day in Slovenia yesterday.

Not that I actively celebrate this holiday, but each year I am happy and proud when my children hand me the presents they made in kindergarten or school. Joy is the little things, attention you get from another person and knowing that someone thinks of you.

This year’s mother's day began well before seven o'clock in the morning when I received a smile and greeting from a complete stranger on my way to work.
Later a got an embrace form a colleague (he was giving them to all the mothers at work).
The highlight was, when my proud Manugirl No.2 handed me her gift.




Zdaj imam vsaj mavrico, če že sonca noče biti.

At least I have a rainbow now, if the sun refuses to shine.



Dan se sicer ni končal tako lepo kot začel, saj je Manumajčica št. 1  v nedeljo, po dveh tednih zdravja, ponovno zbolela in sem zaradi nje bedela do skoraj ene ure ponoči (med drugim sem študirala znake akutnega vnetja slepiča). Ampak to paše k materinstvu, je tako?
Če hočeš praznovati materinski dan, moraš biti mama in se spopasti z vsem kar spada k tej vlogi.

Danes se seveda ne počutim ravno blažene v svoji materinski vlogi, ampak bi jo raje zamenjala za vlogo medveda med zimskim spancem.

Me pa pokonci drži misel, da sem pretekli vikend izdelala torbico, ki bo darilo za neko mamo.

Te mame sicer osebno ne poznam, poznam pa njeno hči, ki je izbrala obliko torbice in imela glede blaga samo eno željo - da so na torbici mačke. Ostalo pa je bilo prepuščeno moji umetniški svobodi.











In torbica je polna mačk, krasnih mačk.

Ob pogledu na torbico je še kar nekaj mam (in hčera) izrazilo željo, da bi imele kakšno mojo torbico. Vključno z mojo mamo!










The day did not end as well as it started because Manugirl No.1 fell ill on Sunday, just two weeks after previous illness and I was awake almost until one o’clock in the morning because of her (among others I studied signs of acute appendicitis). But it is a part of motherhood, right?
If you want to celebrate Mother's Day, you have to be a mom and that means you have to deal with all that comes with this role.

Today, of course, I do not feel really blessed in this role of being a mother and I would prefer to switch roles with a bear during hibernation.

But I have one thing that keeps me happy. I made a bag last weekend, which will be a gift for a mom.



I do not know this mom personally, but I know her daughter. The daughter chose the pattern for the bag and had one wish regarding fabric – there should be cats on the bag. The rest was left to my artistic freedom.
And the bag is full of cats, wonderful cats.


Seeing this bag, quite a few mothers (and daughters) want a bag made by me.
Including my own mother!













nedelja, 24. marec 2013

TORBICA ZA LIČILA / MAKE-UP BAG

Zadnje čase stalno nekaj ustvarjam, kuham in pečem. Za objave na blogu pa mi zmanjka časa in zagona. Sem pa resnično vesela koliko mi je že uspelo ustvariti v letošnjem letu.

Začelo se je z januarskim obiskom pri moževi teti. Takoj sem dobila idejo, da bi ji sešila torbico za kozmetične pripomočke - podobno kot sem jo sešila za srečelov.

Vse potrebno je bilo doma, tako da smo bili hitro pripravljeni za obisk.




Lately I am constantly creating, cooking or baking something. But when it comes to posting on my blog I don’t have any energy or time left. But I'm really happy how much I already created this year.

It started with the visit to my husband's aunt in January. As soon as we got the invitation I decided to sew a make-up bag - like the one I sewed for the raffle.

I had all I needed at home, so we were soon ready to go for a visit.





Le kaj se skriva notri?

I wonder what is hiding inside.




sobota, 09. marec 2013

8. MAREC / MARCH 8

Sama nikoli nisem bila pristaš ali ljubitelj osmega marca, pokazati pa moram letošnjo bero cvetja.

Na željo Manumajčice št.1 smo se ženske iz naše hiše lotile izdelave rožic iz krep papirja.



S končnim izidom sem več kot zadovoljna in bogatejša za šopek rož.








I have never been a fan of March eighth, but I have to show you the flowers I got this year.

Manugirl No.1 wanted to make me something. So the women in our house sat down and made flowers from crepe paper.

I am more than satisfied with the final result and I am richer for a bouquet of flowers.




Še posebej ponosna sem na rožico, ki jo je popolnoma samostojno izdelala še ne štiriletna Manumajčica št.2.

I am especially proud of the flower, which Manugirl No.2 made completely herself (she is not even four years old).



nedelja, 03. marec 2013

SONČEK / SUNSHINE

Končno nekaj lepega vremena tudi v naši kotlini. Po dolgotrajni oblačnosti in megli da sonce človeku nove energije in zagona.

Če človek le lahko uživa v njegovih toplih žarkih.

Na žalost sva z Manumajčico št.1 obsojeni na stanovanje in opazovanje sonca skozi okna.
Počitnice se počasi zaključujejo in Manumajčica št.1 si jih je podaljšala z boleznijo, ki vedno bolj izgleda kot gripa.
Mene pa tudi daje viroza, ki sem jo verjetno podedovala od Manumajčice št.2, saj imam podobne znake kor jih je imela ona v začetku tedna (boleče grlo, uho in zdaj tudi vneto oko).
Bolezen gostimo že deset dni in očitno jo bomo še.

Zdravi družinski člani so šli danes uživati na sonce in začeli s prvimi pomladanskimi opravili na vrtu - obrezovanjem kivija.

Medtem pa sem jaz prinesla malo sonca v kuhinjo na drugačen način.






Finally we have some nice weather in our valley. After long period of cloudy and foggy weather it gives you new energy.

But you have to be able to enjoy the sunshine.

Unfortunately I am sentenced to indoors with Manugirl No.1 and we can only observe the sun through the windows.
Holiday is ending and Manugirl No.1 is going to extend them with illness, which increasingly looks like flu.
I personally am fighting a virus which I probably inherited from Manugirl No.2, since I have similar symptoms like she had in the beginning of the week (sore throat, ear pains and now a sore eye).
We have disease in our hose for ten days and obviously we will have it some more.

The healthy family members have gone to enjoy the sun and begun with gardening - pruning the kiwi.

And meanwhile I brought a little sunshine into the kitchen in a different way.




sreda, 27. februar 2013

ČOKOLADNA KEMIJA / CHOCOLATE CHEMISTRY

Po zelo uspešni proizvodnji domačih pralin prejšnji vikend sem želela poiskati kakšne nove recepte za te dobrote.
Na žalost nisem bila kaj prida uspešna. Večina receptov je samo stopljena čokolada, ki se jo vlije v modelčke. Jaz pa sem želela nekaj domiselnega in drugačnega.

Pa sem se odločila poskusiti kar sama, s sestavinami, ki so mi všeč. Saj ne more biti tako težko. Kaj pa bi šlo lahko narobe?

Kaj kmalu sem ugotovila, da gre lahko kaj narobe.

S čokolado nimam dosti izkušenj (razen, da sem jo veliko pojedla in da jo uporabljam v pecivu) in zato ne poznam njenega obnašanja pri dodajanju različnih sestavin.

Začetek je bil obetaven - uporabila sem mešanico samih dobrih čokolad z visoko vsebnostjo kakava, jih stopila in dodala mandljev krokant.
Še vedno vse krasno.

Za boljši okus sem se odločila dodati dve veliki žlici pomarančnega likerja Cointreau.

In sem bila v težavah. V trenutku se je tekoča čokolada spremenila v lepljivo gmoto, ki nikakor ni bila primerna za vlivanje v modelčke. Okus je imela sicer božanski, izgled pa rahlo manj.
Ker sem se namenila delati bombone v modelčkih in ne pralin oblikovanih v kroglice, sem to neugledno maso pač natlačila v modelčke in upala na najbolje.

Končni rezultat ni seveda izgledal nič bolje kot sama masa, dober okus je pa ostal.

Na moje veliko veselje sem se že na začetku odločila, da polovico mase naredim brez alkohola in sem tako imela dovolj sestavin, da sem naredila še nekaj pralin lepšega izgleda.

Očitno se bo potrebno še česa naučiti!





After a very successful production of home-made chocolates last weekend I wanted to find some new recipes for these goodies.
Unfortunately, I didn't have much success. Most of the recipes I found were just melted chocolate poured into molds. But I wanted something different.

So I decided to give it a try myself, with the ingredients that I like. It can not be that hard. What could go wrong?

I soon realized that things can go wrong.

I do not have much experience with chocolate (except that I ate a lot of it over the years and that I use in it pastries) and therefore I do not know how it behaves when adding different ingredients.

The beginning was promising - I used a mixture of different good quality chocolates with high cocoa content. I melted them and added almond crocant.
Everything was great.

For better taste, I decided to add two large tablespoons of orange liqueur Cointreau.


And I was in trouble. When I added the alcohol the melted chocolate turned into a sticky mass, which was is no way suitable for pouring. The flavor was superb, but the appearance slightly less.
Since I wanted to make chocolates in molds and not truffles, I packed the sticky mass into molds and hoped for the best.

The end result is still awful, but they at least taste good.

I was glad that I previously decided to make half of the chocolates without alcohol. So I had enough ingredients at hand to make a batch of pretty chocolates.

I guess I still have some learning to do.




nedelja, 17. februar 2013

DOMAČE PRALINE / HOME MADE CHOCOLATES

Zadnje čase kar malo zapostavljam svojo zvesto pečico in pripravo peciva. Novembra in decembra je bila skoraj dnevno v uporabi, zdaj pa kar nimam navdiha za pečenje. Mogoče tudi zato, ker se trudim odložiti kakšen kilogram, če pa je doma sveže pecivo, se mu težko uprem.

Danes imamo posebno priložnost, ki je klicala po nečem domačem in odločila sem se pripraviti domače praline, ki so drugače že nekaj let na decembrskem prazničnem repertoarju. Pa še priprava je preprostejša in hitrejša kot kakšna torta, rezultat pa božanski. Zdaj, ko imam še posebne silikonske modelčke za praline, je tudi izgled skoraj profesionalen.

SESTAVINE:
250g lešnikovega nugata
150g mlečnega preliva za torte (ali čokolade)
80g temnega preliva za torte (ali čokolade)
20g nesladkanih praznih vafljev
40g sladkorja
40g olupljenih mandljev

Mandlje rahlo prepražiš v ponvi, sladkor v kozici stopiš do zlate karamele, dodaš mandlje in dobro premešaš (PAZI ZELO VROČE!). Z žlico razporediš na rahlo naoljen pekač in pustiš, da se ohladi.
Hladno karamelo in vaflje na drobno zmelješ.
Na vodni kopeli stopiš nugat ter oba preliva in v stopljeno maso vmešaš zdrobljeno karamelo in vaflje. S tekočo maso previdno napolniš modelčke in daš v hladilnik, da se dobro strdi.
Če nimaš modelčkov, lahko kakšen model za peko obložiš s folijo, vliješ maso in jo, ko se strdi, razrežeš na manjše koščke





Lately I am neglecting my oven and pastries making. In November and December it was almost daily in use, but now I am lacking inspiration for baking. Maybe because I'm trying to loose some kilograms and if there are fresh pastries available, it is difficult for me to resist.

Today there is a special occasion that called for something homemade and I decided to prepare homemade chocolates, which I always make for holidays in December. And it is even simpler and faster to make them than any cake. The result is heavenly and now that I have special silicone molds for chocolates they look almost professional.
 

INGREDIENTS:
250g hazelnut nougat
150g milk chocolate
80g dark chocolate
20g unsweetened empty waffle
40g sugar
40g blanched almonds

Lightly roast the almonds in a pan, melt the sugar in a saucepan to golden caramel, add almonds and mix well (TAKE CARE, IT IS VERY HOT!). With a spoon spread on a lightly oiled baking tray and leave to cool.
Crumble the cold caramel and waffles.
In a water bath melt nougat and both chocolates. Stir in caramel and waffles and carefully fill the molds. Put in the fridge to harden.
If you do not have molds, take any baking tray, cover with aluminum foil, spread the chocolate and cut in to pieces when hard.