Big changes ahead

If I say this will be the last April ever in this Quilt Corner, I have given it away.

Yes, we, my dear husband and I, are moving, and the Quilt Corner has to be emptied very shortly (like in the next 3-4 days)  for the house viewings. When all my things are out of here, I consider them packed for the move.

Yes, there will be a new Quilt Corner, but not for like 5 months yet, as our new place to live requires a full renovation. The new Quilt Corner will have less space for storing, so I have to use more than I buy for a long long time!

No, we are not doing the renovation ourselves.

Yes, we are downscaling our living space with more than 50 %, from a house to an apartment. We like it!

Yes, we still have to many things, and we are working hard on downscaling our belongings, flinging, selling and donating, and we have to be fast, both for the house viewings here, and for the fact that is has to be done, and the time we have runs fast.

You may know how it is - when the right place to live (for you) appears, it all happens very super stressful fast, and everything else follows in the same speed. When we won the bidding we were both is shock for days. That's only 5 days ago, but we are starting to land on our feet again.

It will be a very good change - we are looking forward to the days when we can look back on these crazy days and laugh.

 

Wishing you a wonderful day,

wherever you are!

Hanne

It has been a long winter - January tally

It has been the longest and most snow rich winter in over 30 years.
I am not a fan of snow and I am so much looking forward to spring.

One of my January finishes was this lovely Kathy Schmitz stitchery. Snow looks best in crafts and photos!

Maybe I should make a more monster socks to keep me and my friends and family warm?
These socks were made for a little monster princess, in January, and she loves them.

I have taken a stand against plastic bags and as a consequence I want to use good looking fabric totes.
They are fun to make and fun to use!
Since I make my totes foldable, they are easy to carry along.
Have you taken a stand?

This little angel has lived half done in my Ufo box for a while.
Now she is done and has moved to a new house.

Do you think I am playing catch up with blogging?
Yes I am! Starting with my January finishes and winging it from there!
I miss my blog and it is time to take action!

Wishing you a lovely day,
wherever you are!

Hanne

Kitchen day

I feel very serious about making less waste, throwing away as little food as possible, and I have been serious about that for quite some time.

My fridge is therefore a source of stress right now, as said before, we did shop to much for Christmas.

So, onward ho - I need to use what I have, right now, before it goes bad.

Crock pots are relatively new in Norway.
I bought mine in 2017, and it is hands down my very best buy in the kitchen!

All vegetables chopped finely and given a little visit in the pan with olive oil, into the crock pot with tomatoes, cooked minced meat and spices.

The crock pot will do the rest, and the house smells good.
The pasta sauce will go in the freezer in meal sized boxes, for spaghetti dishes or lasagne.

I needed a batch of crackers, and thought as I still was in kitchen mood, I could try the recipe my sister in law just gave me.
They are different from the cracker breads I usually make, as these contains corn flour too.
They are perfect for serving with cheese, or just as a little mouthful when you feel like a little crunchy snack.

I see that most of the crackers you can buy in the stores have palm oil in them, and I do not want to contribute to that industry, as they cut down the rainforest.

I also believe that palm oil is not that healthy for us either, and combined with to much salt, as most store bought crackers and snacks have…..'nuff said…..

I think we are in for some proof tasting later!

Have a good day, wherever you are!

Hanne

30 days without added sugar - check!

My daughter Elisabeth started a 30 Days Without Added Sugar Challenge starting from May 18th, and I decided to join.
Today is day 30, and I am happy to say I did it!

We did No added sugar - like in all kinds of sugar, honey, syrup etc. - and no added sweetener, so all diet drinks, chewing gums etc. were also out.

I have been reading labels!
I guess you know that as good as all store bought salad dressings have sugar in them, but did you know that most potato chips and salty crackers have sugar in them too?

How did I "survive"?
I have not been craving to much, and I have eaten some fruit or berries every day, with no sugar, no custard or no ice cream.

I have made chia pudding every now and then - chia seeds and unsweetened coconut milk, topped with fresh fruit and berries.
The serving above is made by Elisabeth and served instead of cake at her house for Sunday coffee.

Unsweetened crepes with melon, nectarine and strawberries for dessert

Mixed fruit and berries - yummy

I have been to social gatherings, and done well -
at one time I took a small bowl of something that looked like fresh fruit, but it turned out it had sugar drizzled on. I could not leave the bowl without being rude, so -  Well - I ate it and enjoyed it, and did not lash myself for it - I just picked up and continued where I left, having no more sugary stuff after.

We had an exception for birthdays, and I have attended 1 birthday.
I tasted both the cakes in moderation, but boy were they sweet…… to sweet really….. and it gave me a very upset stomach during the night…..

30 days is not that much in the big picture, but I am determined to stay on a healthier diet from now on.
Fresh fruit and berries gives both sweet taste, vitamins and fibre - sugary sweets  gives sugar and a gazillion additives that can not be are not good for me!

The only thing I have really missed is my breakfast marmalade - so from tomorrow morning I will enjoy it again :-)

In my quest to be healthier I am as from today drinking 1,5 litres (51 fl. oz.) water every day for 30 days, hoping to make that a good habit too!

I do not drink fruit juice or soft drinks with sugar or sweeteners from before, and I do know that I need to hydrate more with water than what I already do!

TGIF - have a good one !

Hanne

A simpler life

I like to cook and I like to save and I like to eat healthy, because I deserve it :-)
If I save where I can,  I have more for what is the more important to me, that's simple math, sort of.

When the simple life / declutter movement hit, I saw that several declutter experts said to get rid of your slow cooker. It takes up to much room - not!
I love to chop up vegetables and make soups and stews from scratch, and find that my slow cooker is great.
Slow cookers are relatively new here in Norway.

I bought my slow cooker this winter and it is the best thing I have bought in the kitchen. I use it every week and it saves me so much energy.
I can prepare dinner early, when my energy level is good and just set the cooker to simmer.
Nothing makes me feel better than a good home cooked meal when dear husband comes home from work, especially when I have a tired day.

Today I cleaned out my fridge - a lot of different vegetables past their crispest date but still good,  some leftover meat from the weekend and some sausages - and, voila, a nice stew to serve with rice on the side - also enough for having some tomorrow - more energy saved :-)

For dessert, cut up water melon, crisp apples and a drizzle of blueberries.

I am on a 30 days without added sugar (or sweeteners) challenge with my oldest daughter - today is day 14 of 30.

Exceptions from the rule are birthdays, and we celebrated one of those this weekend. I had a piece of 2 cakes - they tasted good, but to sweet really. My body did not like the sweet to much…..
My taste buds are getting more sensitive - everything sweet, like fresh fruits, taste so much sweeter, and salty snacks do not taste me at all.

I enjoy how my body reacts to my sugar free diet -
I can not say I am less tired, but I do sleep better and my muscle aches less.
Sugar fuels inflammation - I do not need more of those - I am very motivated to make my lifestyle less sugar sweet in the future.

Enjoy your day, wherever you are

Hanne