….. good food is like a summer without sun - for some people it might be acceptable, but for us here in paradise, it is unthinkable.

Italian Proverbs: ”Chi mangia da solo, muore da solo” / Translation: ” He who eats alone dies alone.”

Food is best enjoyed in company. Celebrate being with loved ones with a great feast….. don’t wait for a special occasion. Being alive and with people you love is cause for celebration.

Invite your friends over to share this Strawberry Tiramisu - it will be a crowd pleaser.

Tiamisú bianco con fragole (White Tiramisu with strawberries)

All you need (6 servings):
2 eggs (separated into whites and yolks)
150 g icing sugar
350 g of mascarpone
6 tbsp. milk
1 ¼ marsala wine
20 savoiardi kex
40 g chopped almonds
55 g white chocolate (coarsely grated)
Fresh strawberries (halved)

Do this:
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until it becomes white. Add mascarpone and whip.

Whisk the egg whites in another bowl until they are stiff, and then add them to the mascarpone cream.

Mix milk and Marsala wine in a flat tray. Dip the biscuits in the milk mixture until they are a bit soft.

Place half the biscuit in a dish (about 23-25 cm) in diameter. Sprinkle half the almonds over. Spread 1/3 of the mascaponé cream on top. Then add the rest of the biscuits and the rest of the almonds on top. Top of with the remaining mascaponé cream and smooth the surface.

Cover the Tiramisu with plastic film and place in refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Before serving, decorate Tiramisu with the white chocolate and strawberries.

…… the habit of mind we cultivate.
So practice happy thinking every day.
Cultivate the merry heart,
develop the happiness habit,
and life will become a continual feast.”

-Norman Vincent Peale

….. that today is the last day before the weekend. I swear I feel like this week has just flown by!

What do you plan to do with your weekend?

I have a pretty busy weekend ahead of me, so I don’t have much time for cooking etc.

This is why I post this wonderful and fast recipe, for a scrumptious risotto combining pancetta and peas (easy comfort food which will be a sure hit on a hectic Friday).

Pancetta and pea risotto

All you need:
175 g pancetta, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
225 g risotto rice
1/2 wineglass dry white wine
900 ml chicken stock
175 g frozen peas, defrosted
1 cup Parmesan cheese
a little butter

Do this
Place the pancetta in a non-stick pan over medium heat and cook until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and leave to one side.

Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onion and garlic until softened but not brown. Add the rice and stir to coat well. Pour over the wine and bubble until absorbed, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add a ladle of stock and continue stirring over medium heat until absorbed. Add pancetta to the pan with next ladleful and continue stirring until absorbed. Season and continue adding stock until the rice is just tender and creamy.

Stir in the peas and add the final ladle of stock, stirring until absorbed and the peas are cooked.

Stir in the Parmasan cheese and butter just before serving.

Enjoy

….. world knowing you are loved
and you leave this world knowing the same,
then everything that happens in between
can be dealt with.”

-Michael Jackson

How has your morning been so far? Long commute? Traffic? Lots of emails? A smile from a stranger on the street?

I suggest you grab a cup of tea or coffee and get comfortable….. Let’s hang out…..

Today: I’m dreaming about a perfect day, and I think it’s somewhere between being on vacation, and waking up to the smell of spring rain…..

How is your perfect day? How would it start? What would you eat? Where would you be? Would your best friend arrive on your doorstep with a bouquet of tulips?

I think we should come up with some thoughts and then commit to creating the day….. making it happen….. living it now…… are you in?

Dream away and share it with the rest of us!

So I’ve come to the conclusion, that this monday should be spent in soft woolly socks, natural light, and with a colorful coffee pot nearby. Anyone else?

….. soft today, so I will just share some photos with you….. let me know if you have a favorite!

Me: I think “the girl in the sunlight”. Because: it reminds me of spring.

Any way, now it’s time for a Smoothie. And this Mango Banana Smoothie taste like heaven, it is quick and easy to make - in short - it has everything going for it.

All you need:
1 large ripe mango (or more if you like Mango flavor)
1 large Banana
1 large orange
about 1 tbsp of sesame seeds

Peel and chop the flesh of the mango. Slice the banana. Squeeze out the juice of the orange, and add it and the sesame seeds to the blender, along with the fruits. Blend it all into a smooth and creamy consistency.

….. Denmark, this morning ….. and it’s snowing! (Who said global warming?).

But, snow or not, it’s now officially Easter, and Easter is equal to (among others) lots and lots of good food…… and talking about Easter food, then there is no way around the Easter lamb.

….. and talking about lamb: No one makes lamb as Leila Lindholm….. and this recipe proves it. The meat is so tender and tasty, that you will eat every little crumb of meat that may be on your plate.

This dish does not require any sensational decoration, it is just beautiful in itself….. and should you have something left over (which is not very likely), this lamb is also divine straight from the fridge.

Lamb roast with roasted Jerusalem artichoke

All you need:
800 g Jerusalem artichokes
2 Butternut pumpkins
Olive oil
Flaked salt
Fresh rosemary
800 g Lamb roast
Ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon cumin
200 g Goat cheese
200 ml Sour cream
1 Teaspoon honey
Ground black pepper
Olive oil
Serve with mixed salad leaves

Do this:
Preheat the oven to 200°

Rinse the artichokes and the pumpkins carefully and divide the artichokes and cut the pumpkins in pieces.

Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.

Season generously with salt and place them in the oven.

Roast for 40 minutes.

Season the lamb with salt, pepper and cumin.

Fry the lamb till browned in butter on both sides.

Place the lamb in the oven (when it remains 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are ready). The lamb is ready when the thermometer registers 62°C.

Leave the lamb to rest for 5 minutes before slicing it.

Mix the goat cheese with sour crème in a small saucepan on low temperature. Season with honey, black pepper and olive oil.
Season the salad with flaked salt, pepper and olive oil.

Serve the vegetables with sliced lamb roast, goat cheese crème and mixed salad.

No more writing today….. as I have to get start on today’s dessert: http://www.woman-hood.com/?p=13170

Happy Easter

….. a little Zen?

Then I would recommend this Danish app called: iMindfulness

It can help you incorporate simple meditation as a part of your everyday life.

You can start with 4 minutes, or be more ambitious and go straight to 20 minutes.

And a smart calendar feature will help you remember the meditation, until it becomes a natural routine for you.

iMindfulness can be found in Apple’s App Store.

….. and awareness of moment-to-moment activity of heart and mind,

You don’t have to be a Buddhist monk to practice meditation.

Personally, I am not ready for 3 months squatting, but I would still like to nourish my inner “Buddha.” And luckily there are a lot of different techniques if you are looking to find inner peace.

At the moment, I’m testing Buddhify (it works for iPhone and Android).

It’s easy to apply in my everyday life, and it releases me from anguish, confusion and stress.