October 2022
We now enter November and the change to winter-time hit hard. We went from easy, golden, slow, crisp autumn days to quick darkness. Small routines and moments of creating pockets of light and comfort in the day are getting more and more important. I spend my mornings on off days lighting candles while listening to the news on the radio, and brewing coffee. Then swiftly getting ready for the day not to miss the few hours of sunlight.
The evenings are spent again with small rituals. Resetting the kitchen to make the next morning as enjoyable as possible. Lighting candles and the salt lamp. Drinking tea and spending a good hour on the couch reading books or journaling. It has been hard settling into these quieter activities for the past months. Maybe it's post-covid symptoms. Maybe it's the fact that nothing has been the same since March 24 (and that's it about that, as many people have said: It feels stupid to say anything, and it feels stupid to say nothing at all). But the nordic darkness is encouraging quieter activities. It feels natural, as if moving with the seasons.
Consolations. October has been filled with those. Below are a few documented moments, I hope these sad few pictures will inspire me to continue making monthly recaps and documentaing those months better :)
Breakfast at my sisters with our mum. Beautiful, crisp, sunny weather, morning news, the smell of coffee, homemade scones, light teasing and chatter in the morning. I feel so grateful for these moments with them.
The first Sunday of October, I had invited my step-grandma and the rest of the fam over for an autumn dinner. I try to keep these somewhat regular, gives us a reason to gather and for me to try out new recipes. I was short on time so the recipe book 'A table for friends' came in handy. Its specifically suited for hosting people and includes a glossary of different categories of recipes; dishes suitable for XYZ amount of people, seasonal dishes, dishes categorized by how long they take to prepare, etc. Each recipe also comes with suggestions for what side dish or dessert would go along with it. This evening was fully comprised of those recipes.
I roasted two birds massaged in a lemony sage and butter mixture. Again, terrible photographer. I later plated it up with roasted grapes. Also served with a carrot salad, a green salad, and bread.
I dislike any type of cooked apples; apple sauce, apple porridge, and most of all apple pie. But this pie made of creme fraiche and cream cheese (again, from 'A table for friends') was an indulgent yet delicious one. Walnut crumble on top. Will convert any skeptic.
During September I participated in a literature course with the theme of existential questions. I thought it would give me a nudge to read all those classics I've been meaning to get to. It did, for a while. Until I couldn't keep up with the deadlines as it is a full-time course. I did, however, finish Dantes's Divine Comedy. It was a great read- there's a reason they're considered classics. Sometimes describing absolutely chilling scenes and very interesting in its historical context.
For some reason, one of the most chilling accounts was outside the gates of hell. There, people who had lived lives worthy of neither slander nor praise were stuck, wailing cries so horrible Dante became dizzy. They had lived their lives complicit and were too good for hell but would sully the heavens. Now doomed to an eternity in this limbo. What is worse than complacency?
I did go to the trouble of borrowing it at the library (which I haven't used in probably a decade), but ended up reading a kindle version as I preferred the English translation to the Swedish one.
One weekend was spent in Stockholm. I visited my sister, spent a day with friends, and then celebrated a friend's 30th.
The food at the party was all vegan, gluten-free, super delicious and beautiful. If you're ever lucky to end up at an event where Yasmine is the cook, I highly recommend. It is always an absolute feast for all senses. It inspired me for weeks to come to cook things of a similar style; loads of salads, dips and sides, lentils and beans made in delicious ways, well-cooked rice with good toppings. Just today (november) I made mujadara rice, making some kind of Persian variant using zereshk and making a potato tadig at the bottom.
