This is probably no surprise to you, but I read a lot. I’ve always loved reading, it comes naturally to me. But keeping track of book names and authors can truly be a bitch, so about a year ago I discovered this amazing website that does it for you. I’m sure some of you might’ve heard about it.
I’ve found that not only is it a great way to save names and authors of books you want to read (tip: download the mobile app and use the barcode scanner on your phone to save books while you’re in the book store), but it’s also a good way of discovering new books and authors. There are thousands of groups with their own forums, it’s easy to find groups on whatever subject you’re interested in.
I think that what a person reads, says a lot about what kind of people they are. This makes Goodreads the perfect way of finding new friends.
(If you already are a user, feel free to add me as a friend. Annyreads. :) )
Monthly Archives: October 2012
Sometimes I don’t mind the cold
How to make your own almond flour – LCHF
I’ve noticed that most of my visitors who find my blog on Google, do so by searching for almond bread. I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but in Sweden almond flour is pretty expensive, especially if you use it daily. Today I tried to make it myself, and it turned out perfect!
Step 1. Boil water.
Step 2. Put the almonds in the water and let them sit for about a minute, not longer.
Step 3. Peel. They should be very easy to peel, usually the almonds pop out if you pinch the ends.
Step 4. Grind. For this you will need an almond grinder, I got mine from a friend but they’re easy to find at vintage shops or flee markets, and they’re very cheap.
That’s it! I’ve read that almond flour needs to be kept refrigerated, not sure if that’s true but I keep it there anyway.
(You can grind the almonds without peeling them first, but the flour will have a different colour and be a bit more bitter. Depending on what you’re planning to use it for, this might work fine for you.)
LCHF and acne – are they related?
As you know, I’m eating on a low carb diet because of stomach problems. But accidentally, I’ve also gotten help with a different aspect of my health because of my new lifestyle. My acne is getting better!
I’ve had skin problems for the past 12 years, and I’ve not found a good way to keep my skin in good condition without messing other things up in the process. Thus it was a very happy and unexpected surprise when my skin got a whole lot clearer.
I know most people can easily notice on their skin if they’ve been eating certain things, some are very sensitive to chocolate and sugar, others to cheese and milk. Having cut all of the previous, except cheese, out of my diet may have helped, but I’m simply not sure what the real reason behind these results is. As I started searching online I found that I’m not the only one noticing clearer skin when starting on this diet. Just an idea, if you have problems and want to try a way of getting better without expensive lotions and pills with odd side-effects. LCHF beats acne!
A week of Instagram, week 42
We’re about to leave the 42nd week of this year, and ender the 43rd. I’ve heard that, in other countries, no one counts weeks, but in Sweden we do. It’s pretty practical.
Anyway, the most relevant pictures from my Instagram updates in the past week;
1. Church at night.
2. First snow of this winter!
3. Sewing.
4. Finished my embroidery .
5. Waiting for my friends.
6. A pleasant walk to work.
7. Autumn is beautiful.
8. Soup
9. The result of image 3. A lace top.
Vegetable and fish soup
There is absolutely no way of taking a flattering picture of soup made out of various vegetables, Hoki, crème fraîche and a reasonable amount of curry powder. It really was delicious though, probably would’ve been even better if I hadn’t forgot to add the garlic. Oh well, next time :)
(Fry vegetables and fish. Mix. Add spices, crème fraîche, tomato passata and some water. Let cook for a few minutes. Enjoy!)
Zucchini canoes – LCHF
A few days ago, a good friend of mine told me about an excellent LCHF snack to satisfy my cravings for potato chips. And it’s SO EASY that even I managed to get myself to try it out, something I most certainly didn’t regret.
1. So, slice zucchini really thin. And I mean really thin, I imagine using a grater might be more effective than a knife.
2. Put the slices in a frying pan and add oil. A little more than you usually would, you don’t want the pan to get dry.
3. Let them fry until they’re a bit brown and a bit crispy. Then take the pan off the stove and put the fried zucchini on a paper towel to let the excess oil drip off.
4. Add salt. As much as you’d like, because as I discovered, there doesn’t seem to be a limit on how much salt these can grab on to.
5. EAT.
They both smell and taste pretty similar to potato chips/crisps. Not the french fries but the other ones. (Great explanation, I know). Really tasty and I didn’t have to eat that much of them to feel that I didn’t want more, which isn’t usually the case for me so that’s great. NOM!
(I call them zucchini canoes because I was going to write chips but wrote ships)
Lace top
Seeing as I spent the day before yesterday hemming and repairing a pair of pants, and finishing up my pyjama bottoms, I wanted to do something a bit more creative;
I’m actually very happy with how it came out, it even follows my figure nicely. How about that, my first piece of clothing that I would actually wear where people can see me!
I made it from a piece of lace, used a short dress with a nice shape as pattern, and cut. I thought sewing the lace would be my biggest challenge as I haven’t tried that kind of fabric before, but it actually wasn’t that bad. On the parts with a lot of holes, I pinned a single sheet of tissue paper between the layers. That way the sewing machine has something to hold on to, and it’s very easy to rip off after you’re done.
For the neckline I used a bit of ribbon that I purchased downtown for this exact purpose. I tried just hemming it first, but with lace it’s difficult to get a nice, even finish to it, so I went for this solution as it looks a bit classier.
What do you think?