athomewiththewilsons

Fika is a social institution in Sweden; it means having a break, most often a coffeebreak, with one's colleagues, friends, date, or family. The word has quite ambiguous connotations and can mean anything from taking a break from work or other activities, to going on a date - always including something to eat accompanied by a drink, such as cookies, cakes and even candy. This practice of taking a break, typically with a cinnamon roll or some biscuits or cookies, or sometimes a smörgås or a fruit on the side, is central to Swedish life, and is regularly enjoyed even by the government.^[2]

Although the word may in itself imply "taking a break from work," this is often emphasized using the word fikapaus ("fika pause") or fikarast ("fika break"), with kaffepaus and kafferast, respectively, as near synonyms. Fika may also mean having coffee or other beverages at a café or konditori (a "patisserie-based coffeehouse").^[3]

Traditionally, fika requires sweet, baked goods, especially cinnamon rolls.^[4] According to Helene Henderson, author of The Swedish Table, one needs three items minimum to avoid insult to Swedish guests; "to impress, serve a variety of seven freshly baked items--and be ready to talk about the weather."^[1]

Fika is also combined in words such as fikabröd ("fika bread") which is a collective name for all kinds of biscuits, cookies, buns, etc that are traditionally eaten with coffee. Non-sweetened breads are normally not included in this term (even though these may sometimes be consumed with coffee). Fika is also used as a noun, referring to fikabröd and coffee combined.

                              

I figured I'd share some of my recipes, and as we all know, I am not a Delia, Nigella or anything remotley resembling a master baker, BUT, these recipes work for me and if I can make them work I am pretty darn sure the rest of you can too! So, here goes...

Sockerkaka; aka sponge, literally - sugarcake.

225g butter ( usually the packet will have little measures by 50g on them so use that as a guide ;) )
3 eggs
2.5 dl sugar
4 dl flour
2 tsp (teaspoon) baking powder

Preheat oven to 175-200C and leave cake for about 30-40mins (if baking isnt your forte, like me, it might take some guessing as to which temp your oven works best with and then you know how long to  keep it in for etc )

Easy peasy ; add all the ingredients together BUT melt the butter first! Doesn't matter what order you add them in, as long as the butter is melted hehe. First time I did this I couldn't quite work out how the cake was gonna turn out with lumps of butter in it...muppet me!

Once all ingredients are added together pour into a greased tin (having used butter) and put in your preheated oven for the required time. Me finds middle of the oven is our best bet =)

                                                                         

Kladdkaka; aka chocolate mud cake, literally gooey cake

150g butter
2.5 dl sugar
1 dl cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla sugar
2 eggs
2 dl flour

Preheat oven to 175C, baking time 12-14mins

Again, simples! Make sure you melt the butter and mix it all together and add to your tin.

The whole point of this cake is for it to be messy; hence the name gooey, and its pretty much a fail safe option and really is quick and easy to whip up and get in the oven ready for your second cuppa when you have guests around ;) Or, perfect to finish off after having guests for dinner as its always a luxury to have homemade dessert. Top it off with some whipped cream and maybe even some berries. We like just the cream. Dont over complicate ;)

                                 

Chokladbollar; aka chocolate balls, literally chocolateballs!...please, no Chef jokes ;)

100g butter ( ROOM TEMP, not melted this time )
1.5 dl sugar
3 tbs (tablespoons) cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla sugar
2 tbs water
5dl instant oatmeal


Mix the sugar and butter together first then add the rest of the ingredients. Roll into little balls and then, roll those little balls in pearl sugar/ coconutflakes / or those colourful little sprinkles and you are done!

Right this will make you around 35 balls or so. Amazingly good to freeze and defrost, so if you fancy being super domesticated, double all your ingredients and you shall have a nice stockpile for when friends and family pop over and they shall be oh so impressed!

If you want to spice things up you can exchange the water for coffee, or different liquoers =)



                                               

So there you go guys'n'gals! my three ''go to's'' when it comes to baking hehe. Am about to try my hand at a cake I made for dad last week again, will post the progress and pics, this one surely is death by chocolate as it requires TWO whole chocolate bars. YUMMY!

Happy baking everyone! Let us know how you get on =)

<3 Kim

So this is the first update in a while... I wish I could tell you we've been up to all sorts of fabulous and thrilling adventures, but we haven't. 

We've actually been taking it rather easy and chilled out, borderlining extreme boredom at some times haha, as dear little Maia passed on her horrid cold and I really took a knock! Out for best part of the week with dear Marko even having to take time off work to be at home to take care of Maia =) Bless him, he really does know how to look after us! <3

                                       


Mark is very busy working on the house, its starting to look really smart now. Nice new wooden stairs leading to front door rather than the horrid concrete ones, and the balconies are off, new cycle shed up, old one down, new paths made out ( not quite done  yet though) and tomorrow they start working on the final side that needs to be clad in wood.  We've even aquired some amazing and rather large plantpots that look ''oh-so-fah-bhu-lush'' and very very pretty =D

Had a mini practice getting to the hospital yesterday, when I experienced some really not very nice pain in the side of my tummy, that didnt let off for just over an hour and we were advised to go in just to check on things. 
Being hooked up to the monitor was all very reassuring as everything is A-OK, as good as can be with madam and she's even partly engaged now which is a bit of a whoop whoop! Also, showed some promising signs of a few mini contractions, though very irregular, but least it is a start!

So, the first thing on the agenda when we got back home was for a bit of a kip, spot of lunch and then a jolly good tidy up! Only thing that isn't done to a satisfactory level is the laundry, but least the floors have been properly mopped and bags are all packed waiting with the carseat ;)

Today I am off to see the midwife again, after last weeks appt little lady still wasnt in a satisfactory position so we troopered off for another scan ( yay ) which showed her to at least have been head down. And now, after yesterdays adventure things are defo where they should be =) 

I am hoping after my mini ''mini breakdown'' last week and discussion about all the fears of her not engaging and ending up with a section etc etc, the midwife might take pity on me and do a sweep as appears to not be so common (sorry, bad use of word for lack of a better) as back in the UK until AFTER you hit 40weeks, and we are 39 on wedns. Also, here, I will not be classed as overdue until gone 42 weeks. Crazy sh*t.

                                                    

Methinks that is all for the moment, a very quick summary of what is and has been going on at Casa Wilson =)

I shall endeavour to update a little bit more frequently haha, it's just sometimes hard to write about doing sod all and chilling out ;) Not that I am complaining about that my friends!

Hope you have all had great weekends and aren't too disheartened about it being monday again already! You never know, hopefully we might all have something to celebrate by the end of the week <3

Much love to you all, take care!

<3 Kim