Time to work

         After my month and a half in Turkey and Sweden it is time to work. This means work as much as I can for a paycheck and work out as much as I can to lose the jolly ten pounds I have gained. Although I had fun stuffing my face from November until now, I do not enjoy my new double chin and inability to fit into my pants. Time to lose some weight.

I just spent the last 4 weeks in Sweden. As always, it was delightful. I was lucky enough to be there at Semla time! Ohhhh Semlor, how I love you so. Semlor are wonderful treats that appear around the time of Lent. They are puffy buns (consistency of hamburger buns) but sweet with cardamom. The top of the bun is cut off and in the middle is mandelmassa (almond paste/marzipan with more almonds than sugar), and whipped cream. Then it is dusted with powdered sugar. These are truly delicious. Especially when your boyfriend’s lovely mom makes the mandelmassa and cream herself. Win!

SEMLOR

After a week and a half in Sweden, I got to spend two weeks with boyfriend. There was very much rum, candy, hazelnut cookies, kanelbullar, and fun. We went to Goteborg, possibly the best city in Sweden. I got to put on a Velcro suit and be thrown on a wall. Dream. Come. True. We also saw some cool little monkeys and some horrific spiders.

I will miss Sweden very much. In the mean time, I shall apply for a work visa so maybe I can go there this summer and work. Although it is cold, it is a great place to be. Happy people, frozen water to walk on, ice to play with, delicious things to eat, and much much more.

Turkish Meze

Turkish Meze is sort of like Spanish tapas or Italian aperativo. You order many little things and share with the rest of your group. 

Farmer's salad, like greek salad.

Turkish Pide bread.

 Here is baked eggplant that was mashed without the skin and garlic and olive oil was added to it. Simple and delicious. The white on next to it is yogurt with a green vegetable that I have never heard of in America.

This is Turkey's version of pizza. Spicy!

 Doner Kebab.

 Water buffalo cream ontop of Quince, a yellow fruit that turns red when cooked. Never heard of it but it was yummy!

And of course... Baklava with Chai, the turkish word for all tea. 

Interesting things about Turkey

Interesting things about Turkey:

1. Many people order groceries online and they are delivered to the home.
2. There is a sound that plays over a loud speaker all over Turkey that means it is prayer time, 5 times a day.
3. They do not practice the same health behaviors we do. Example: Not covering mouth when coughing or sneezing
4. Thousands of jelly fish in the water. Note to self: Do not swim here.
5. Very cheap public transportation. A one hour trip with busses and metro to the city is less than $3.50
6. I am told the average income in Turkey is about $11,000 a year. This means, as an Au Pair, I am almost making a normal salary by Turkish standards.
7. After my first Turkish coffee, the children's grandma told me my fortune. When you are finished drinking the Turkish coffee there is thick mud like coffee grounds at the bottom. Turn the cup upside down onto the plate and let it sit. When the 'fortune teller' lifts the cup, they can tell you your fortune.
8. So much BAKLAVA!

Turkey!

Now for a new adventure, I will be an Au Pair in Turkey. I have just arrived and only had a small taste of all the food and adventure to come. Tomorrow I head out by myself to figure out the bus system, get myself a phone, and see what I can find at the grocery store! Some of the things I have eaten so far include:

1. Bread, very long pita bread that hangs in bakery windows.

2. Pumpkin boiled in sugar water and sprinkled with walnuts.

3. BAKLAVA! And lots of it!

How to decorate a beautiful flower/rose cake!

I saw a blog that said this was an easy way to decorate a cake and it was true! The hardest part was waiting long enough for the cake to cool to frost it.

Directions on how to decorate a rose cake:

1.Do a quick crumb coat to cover the entire cake.

2.Fill a decorating bag ( using a tip such as a wide star or flower) with frosting.

3. Start where you want the middle of a flower and then swirl around it (about twice)

4. Do this all around the side of the cake and on top. To fill in spaces that may be left                                                                                 behind, go in with the piping bag and curve around the flowers.

5. And there you have a pretty flower cake! Also you can color or add sprinkles!

Enjoy!

LOVE

My favorite season is finally here! AUTUMN! Oh fall how I love your smell and beautiful colors and weather and food. And love is in the air. Two weddings in two weeks. One of my cousins, and one of my best friends. AAAAAAND! A new addition to the family. Emma, my new niece!

Coconut cupcakes with lemon butter cream frosting

I really needed to bake and the weather has finally cooled down a little! yay!

The cake recipe was dense but yummy. The frosting recipe was very good. And then I just sprinkles some coconut ontop.