For the traditional Easter eggs we had to avoid milk and gelatin which is used in most of those gummy candies. So this year the Easter bunny will have to find milk free dark chocolate, bannana chips, nuts, lollipops (not containing bees wax) and hard candy (same). For the kids eating regular candy we have some of the usual fare as well. I think everyone will be pleased.

Then for the traditional Easter cookout on the fire. Since the veggi group aren’t big on hotdogs I made grilled vegetables. These are finished here in my oven and will be packed in foil and layed in the fire until they are rewarmed. This actually works out well because the seasonings I added have a day to mix into the potatoes and vegetables.
Here is the recipe. Non vegetarians like it too!

Vegan Althernative, Grilled Vegetable Medley

Grilled Vegetable Medley
Ingredients:

1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 pound whole button mushrooms sliced
1 lb potato weges
12 whole cherry tomatoes
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 large Spanish onion
2 pieces corn on the cob cut into pieces
1 garlic clove chopped
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
parsley, to taste
oregano, to taste
basil, to taste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup Italian dressing

Mix together and grill in thoe oven for about an hour.

Southern Fried Haddock

Then I had the urge to make fried fish just like my mommy used to fix, of course she bought it on her way home from work freshly fried and didn’t actually involve herself in the frying of it but since I don’t have that option I learned to make it myself. And share the recipe with you too!

Southern Fried Fish

Marinated in creamy buttermilk, coated with a crispy cornmeal batter, and then deep friend to a golden brown, flaky fish prepared Southern-style is divine.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound haddock fillets
1 1/2 cups fine cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
seafood seasoning, salt, pepper, paprika to taste
vegetable oil for frying

Directions: In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, water, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture into a flat pan large enough to hold the fillets. Spread fish in one layer over bottom of pan, turning to coat each side, and set aside to marinate.
In a resealable plastic bag, combine the cornmeal, flour, and seasoning. Add fish to mixture, a few fillets at a time, and tumble gently to coat evenly. Heat oil in deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Fry fillets until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Avoid overcrowding so fillets have room to brown properly. Fish should be slightly crisp outside, and moist and flaky inside. Drain on paper towels.

Homemade coleslaw

Then to add to the American flair of my Good Friday dinner I had the urge for coleslaw. Haven’t eaten that in ages and it really feels like a summery dish, and since the weather has been so good and the skys so blue…I wanted coleslaw with my dinner. The photo isn’t as good as the dish but it does show off my antique english china set hehehe. The red on top is paprika I sprinkled over to decorate it. Tasted wonderful! And again I will give you my recipe!

Diane’s Coleslaw

I head finely shredded cabbage
1 large shreaded carrot
2 tablespoons minced onion
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

Finely shredd cabbage and carrots. Place cabbage and carrot mixture into large bowl and add minced onions.Mix dressing until smooth. Pour over vegetable mixture and mix thoroughly. Cover bowl and refrigerate several hours before serving.

Honestly I don’t think I’ve ever waited more then 15 min before taste testing this hehehe…but I do make it first so it gets chilled before eating.

Hope you all have a Happy Easter Holiday. Drop in and tell me what you are doing this weekend!!

Three Cities viewed from the Harbour

The island is surrounded by crystal turquoise-blue waters and has sunshine throughout most of the year. I think what impresses me the most – besides the beauty of it all – is that amount of well preserved historical sites. Despite many wars which changed control over the island, and bombing in World War II many historical fortresses, churches, and buildings remain intact and one can wander in living history.

Fort Saint Angelo with roots back to the Arabs in 870 AD

I used the time I had in Malta to see as much as I could manage in compact site seeing trips. I took a bus trip called the North Trip, which took me long inland into the countryside to see the oldest town in Malta, along with many charming villages and coastlines. Then I took the Grand Harbour Cruise in the capital area of Valletta.

The Capital City of Valletta built largely of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, also known as Knights Hospitaller

I think that the best way to see the beauty of Malta is to see it from the water. The limestone buildings do a wonderful job of combining different periods seamlessly so that architecture from different periods, including modern times passes wonderfully together.

Fort St. Elmo built from 1530 and onward

Our trip to Malta was much too short. This lovely island deserves another visit, and I really only saw about one third of what I would have liked to have seen. None the less I am thankfull to have had the opportunity to travel with my husband RennyBA when buisiness took him to this magical place. We will have to plan a return trip to see the rest of it. My next post will show a bit of the beauty found on my trip inland!

Mobile blogging again from beautiful Malta! The weather is awesome and I am doing a good job of soaking up the much needed sunshine. I will be paying for that later. Totally white and going around the mediterranian without sunscreen is not advisable. Especially after a dark Norwegian winter.

To make the most of a short trip I took the tourist bus around the island. Stopping for a while in the medieval walled village of Mdina. I chose the North trip of the countryside because the cruise covers the sea towns quite well. It was the right choice. The countryside was amazing!

Traveling is addictive. As I am writing I am flying over Italy and have just seen the Alps from above breaking light clouds with snow covered peaks. The earth is really beautiful from a birds eye view. Soon we will see Rome and after that Sicily on our way to Malta.

Renny has buisiness in Malta and I did’nt want to miss out on that one. To be honest Malta was a country I had to look up. I knew it was little and in the Mediteranian. Thats about all. But what I found was a virtual paradise. The weather is supposed to be sunny and in the 70′s. A trip to the beach is a must. Which will be no problem since the Westin Dragonara resort has it’s own. Plus three swimming pools.

Whoops there goes Europe! We flew off the edge. Goodbye Italy, you are definately on my list of places to go. Next stop Malta. Hope my computer catches up with me so I can send photos! Shining off from my Nokia somewhere over the mediteranian.

Ginnie, RennyBA and Astrid

To all my old friends out there I usually avoid saying this, but I am sorry I haven’t been online in so long. To put it simply I have been tired for three months. As most of you know my job is very challenging and we have some challenges at home as well so I have really been lacking in energy and creativity. I felt like I could not keep up my blog, and then once you haven’t written in a while its hard to get started again.

I have recently received a boost though in the form of our blog friends Ginnie from In Soul and Astrid of Picturit who visited us this weekend…and of course our old friend TorAA and my darling husband RennyBA. We had a lot of good discussions about photos and blogging and all we get out of it and I found out it was time to get my feet wet again.

Oslo Opera House rising up from the fog

Ginnie and Astrid came on Thursday night and were with us until Monday morning – and we had a wonderful time. It was more like being with family then having guests. Renny and Tor planned our site seeing well this weekend and the girls got to enjoy the benifits of the Oslo Pass with the best guides in Oslo. You can read all about it on their respective blogs, I am not going to steal the glory after spening a quarter of the year in hibernation. But I will post a few pictures from Sundays foggy excursion to Oslo Opera House!

“She Lies” floating in the icy fjord outside Oslo Opera House

We can’t always guarentee sun in Norway, although our photos may often decieve you because we usually shoot on sunny days. However the fog and ice did add an element of interest to the photo shoot. Here you see the icey looking sculpture, a form of integrated art at the Opera House called “She Lies” it is a stainless steel and glass sculpture by Monica Vonvicini anchored in the harbour beside the Opera House.

Ginnie and Astrid are now on their way to new adventures in Norway. They traveled early this morning to Kirkenes and will take the Hurtigruten cruise from Kirkenes to Bergen. We envy them now, this is one Norwegian adventure we haven’t experienced yet. But the reputation of this cruise is legendary….so I wish them all “the worlds most beautiful adventure”.

Happy New Year 2011

2010 has been a year to remember. A lot of great things happened in our lives this year. We had of course Oslo Blog Gathering. A dream which was born in 2009 and took a whole year to come to a reality, and it was worth it! We had a really great time and met really wonderful people. People who were just as nice and interesting as I had imagined them to be, and in many ways it was more like getting together with good old friends then meeting new people. In the fall as many have read, we evened ventured all the way to Portugal to meet up with Lele Betita again and experience the fair city of Lisbon with her and her husbands warm guidance.

Happy New Year

There have been other travels this year as well, we were in Bucharest in the spring, and Brussels in the fall, not to mention countless trips to Sweden. We have had many guests too, among others my dear old Dad and his wife Teri came to visit us this summer and spent some good times with the family.

I want to thank all my good friends for being with me throughout the year for sharing the laughter and sometimes the tears. Without my friends and my family the old year and the New Year would have no meaning. Because time is just a physical calculation, a forward movement of our lives. What really matters is what you choose to fill that time with, and most of all I choose to fill my time with people. People I love, people I help, people I enjoy being with – there are almost none which don’t fall into those categories, and well that is something to be thankful for too.

Happy New Year everyone. May 2011 bring you happiness, wealth and wisdom – and most of all good people to share it all with!

Our first day on many of our trips we find a tourist bus which can give us background information and show us around the local area. We joined the local hop on hop off trip of Lisbon’s center which gives us a panoramic sightseeing tour of all the major tourist attractions, and helps us get a taste of what we would like to see more of. We could easily spend a couple weeks in Lisbon, having only five days we can’t see it all, so here you have to pick and choose and remember that you can always come back another time.

RennyBA Carried Away onboard our Bus

Here is just a little bit of what we experienced the first day discovering Lisbon on our own! The bus tour took us first up the “Champs-Elysees” of Lisbon Avenida da Liberdade which is crowned at the top by Marquês de Pombal Square, a monument to Lisbon’s rebirth, the statue of Marquês de Plombal honors the prime minister who was responsible for the rebuilding of Lisbon following the Great Earthquake in 1755. The Great Earthquake did extensive damage to Lisbon, and we can enjoy many of the older sites today because of the choice to rebuild them and keep their heritage rather than destroying and replacing with new structures. So we salute the Marquês de Pombal as well.

Marquis of Pombal

Opposite the statue Parque Eduardo VII, a park named after Britan’s Edward VII who visited Lisbon in 1903 and reaffirmed the Anglo-Portuguese alliance. Typical for this park is its neatly clipped box hedging flanked by mosaic patterned walkways. The park stretches uphill from Marquês de Pombal Square to a belvedere at the top with fine views.

VII EduardoPark

Along the bus route we also saw Campo Pequeno’s bullring which was built in Moorish style in 1892. It features small cubolas atop its four main towers. The bullring accommodates up to 9,000 spectator, and I might add that the bull is not killed in the bullfights in Portugal as it is in Spain. The building appears quite modern, so I admit I was surprised to learn it was as old as 1892.

Campo Pequeno’s Bullring

Mostly hidden behind its high pink walls we got a glimpse of Belem Palace. This is the official residence of Portugal’s president since 1910. It previously has been a royal palace built in 1559 and further altered and built out in the 18th century by King João V.

Belem Palace

Crowning the river and facing out to see we find the famous Discoveries monument. A newer structure it was built in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator. The monument resembles a three sailed ship ready to depart and decorated with sculputers of important historical figures such as King Manuel I carrying an armillary sphere, poet Camões holding verses from The Lusiads, Vasco da Gama, Magellan, Cabral, and several other notable Portuguese explorers, crusaders, monks, cartographers, and cosmographers, at the bow we see Prince Henry the Navigator holding a ship in his hands.

Discoveries monument

At Restauradores Square we find an obelisk decorated with representations of liberty and freedom. Restauradores does not mean restaurants, although there are no lack of them here, it means restorer of the Independence. On the 1 of December in 1640, a group of nobles killed the regent of Portugal which then was under the control of Spain for a period of 60 years. In killing the regent at the time they restored Portugals freedom as an Independent nation. So it is called “restauradores” because they gave Portugal its Independence back!

Restauradores monument

Figueira Square we have a fine view up to St. Jorges Castle. Close to the center is a bronze equestrian statue of King João I, usually smothered by flocks of pigeons and surrounded by teenage skaters as it was when we visited it. Here on the south side we had a taste of some of Lisbons wonderful pastries at the charming Confeitaria Nacional, considered to be one of Europe’s most elegant pastry shops dating back to 1829.

Figueira Square

Rossio is the liveliest square in the city, where people stop to sit and relax, or for a drink at the outdoor cafes. While we were visiting they were setting up the Christmas display which we would visit the last evening we were in Lisbon. On both sides of the square are baroque fountains, and in the center is a monument measuring 27 meters in height. It consists of a pedestal with marble allegories of Justice, Wisdom, Strength, and Moderation. The monument at the time was flanked by cranes which were setting up the decorations which is the reason why I don’t have a photo of the entire square. However I could not resist getting a close up of one of the gorgeous fountains, each figure on these was a work of art in itself.

Fountain figure.

Lastly I set in a youtube video which is sightseeing tour of Lisbon so you may experience for yourself. It is even accompanied by some traditional Fado music, which you may read more about at RennyBA’s Terella.

All of the sights on the video are places we have been. We did a good job with excellent hosts in such a short period of time. Some of them we will go deeper into, and therefore are not included now, but saving some good stuff for later!!

Lisbon from the Park above our hotel

Situated on the north banks of the River Tagus, the charm of Lisbon exists in its strong links to the past as well as the preserved culture which is celebrated today. Its renovated palaces, magnificent churches and an impressive castle bring new life to the city’s rich cultural heritage. Its eclectic blend of neighborhoods, culture and architecture distinguish this capital city uniquely from the other European capitals and make it a truly fascinating city to visit.

Lisbon from the Christo Rei statue across the river

We were hosted by our good friends and fellow blogger Lele Batita of Pèrole de Culture who visited us in August 2010 and now we are returning the favor. They were charming and wonderful hosts and really gave their best to share their beautiful city and culture with us. We really wish to thank Lele and Louis for their time and efforts and have had a truly amazing experience!

Sunset behind Torre de Belèm

A city set on seven hills, with its cobble-stoned pavements and narrow streets full of Art Nouveau cafés Lisbon offers a lot to discover. Five days were not nearly enough and our tourist activities took on a whirlwind tempo, but we have at least had a taste of Lisbon in all its richness and variety. Most popular spots in Lisbon are; located around Rossio and Praça do Comércio, Baixa; situated on the hill around St. George’s Castle, and the river area around Belém. We were able to visit all these districts, although some more than others and have had the highlights tour of the city.

Lisbon Bridge from the Christo Reo statue

I will likely be making several posts about Lisbon, but this is just the introduction with some viewpoints from our trip. We will share with you the food and some of our special adventures in the weeks to come, so stay tuned both here and on RennyBA’s Terella.

Photographing summer

Being Mrs. RennyBA has been quite an interesting experience. I have been along for the ride with all its ups and downs, triumphs and frustrations whether I wanted to or not! Of course mostly I have been grateful for the ride but there have been times I was sure my husband was going to get hit by a car or bus (or once a train), fall through frozen ice, fall into a waterfall, or off the side of a cliff, or get us into a really good car accident all in the name of getting his photos or his scoop. He goes to extremes to get the best photo, or the best information where I am a much tamer personality and sometimes just have to hold my breath, close my eyes or possibly pray until he is finished with his goal. Because there really is no talking him off the railroad tracks, or newly frozen lake…you just have to wait it out and pray he comes in safely. Which so far he always has, well except for a little tumble off of a cliff but it could have been worse, and more than one pair of wet shoes where he went into the drink, and maybe more than one pissed off driver hehehe.

Renny in winter and tools of the trade

I have been his assistant and editor over all these years and have proof read almost every post, and been consulted on choosing the best photos. I have written and called all my friends and acquaintances and asked them to please go in and vote for RennyBAs Terella in several international competitions.

Oslo Blog gathering connecting people

Blogs connecting people!
It would be remiss of me not to mention how many lovely people who have come into our lives since 2005 because of blogging. What really makes blogging worth the effort is the connections one makes with others around the world. We have been fortunate enough to travel and meet some of our blogging friends, and we have been blessed by many visitors from around the world who have come to meet us – and here as well I have been along for the ride and enjoyed it very much along the way. We have made friends for life and met wonderful people who we never would have known otherwise. Thank you all for participating in our lives.

On that note I would like to introduce my choice of five of my favorite Terella blog posts. I had a hard time choosing, because there are really many which were very good. Here are my five choices and my reasons for choosing them.

It was Yule before it was Christmas: This post gives an excellent historical background of the Norwegian Jul and how it relates to Yuletide, and how the ancient pagan holidays are connected with the dates of the traditional Christian holidays.

City in Fire in Oslo Norway: Rennys first dawn post. I have to admit much of my reasons for choosing this post is the memory it brings of traveling into Oslo together on the morning bus and seeing this gorgeous sunrise. In order to get these remarkable photos RennyBA needed a longer time exposer and a tripod…that tripod was my head. I remember so well standing tight against my adorable husband with his camera mounted carefully on my head, holding my breath so he could get a great shot and sharing the moment. Renny really is a remarkable photograph with a good eye for detail and much more patience then I have as a photographer. I tip my hat to you my dear!

Summer at Göta Canal in Sweden: This post presents one of my favorite places around our summer home in Sweden. We have taken every guest, every family member and anyone we can drag along to Göta Canal to see the locks, watch the boats, admire the landscape and learn the history. This post nicely documents it all (and includes a photo from our honeymoon trip in 2000). It’s a place I never get tired of.

The significant four seasons in Norway: This post documents one of Terella’s founding principals, the significant four seasons. RennyBA’s Terella is liberally scattered with posts about the natural beauty of the area and the beauty found within the four seasons. This post is also sentimental because the post is based on watching the changing of the four seasons from our local hiking place, and through the post I also get a glimpse of my family growing and changing over the years. The first time we went on a picnic after moving to Norway was to this lake, and we were here countless times with the children, alone, and with friends. I took my mother here before she passed away, and I brought my father here this summer. I love the photos and this place is a special one which I share with those nearest to me.

The New Opera House in Norway: This is one of RennyBA’s most famous posts because of it documenting the new Opera House, something he was very early to publish about, and of course the excellent photography. The opening photo is RennyBA’s most viewed photo ever and still receives hits daily making this clearly one of his most important posts. We also are big fans of the Opera house, it is a monument, a building, and a place for the people. We have been there many times and are always finding something new both inside and out. It is not a place where ‘you have seen it all’ because the Opera is really something growing and changing, and still a baby in Oslo.

Cheers to RennyBA and Happy Blogaversary

These are my favorite posts from over the years, and I hope you all will give them a look – and of course remember to go over to RennyBA’s Terella and congratulate him, and thank him for all the fine posts and comments over the years. Cheers to RennyBA!!

Dynamic Sunset over the dock

What is good about November? It’s the season when you can start lighting your fireplace and setting candles about the room. I went and bought new candles in cranberry colors to warm up and light up our home. It’s the season when you can take out your fuzzy wool socks and sweaters and enjoy the warm snuggly feeling of wool – something I learned to appreciate in Norway. Now when fall comes I actually look forward to breaking out my favorite hand made wool socks, mittens, hats and sweaters.

Wool mittens and socks

And yes here in Scandinavia there is still an appreciation for hand knitted clothes. I remember my Grandmother produced large amounts of socks and mittens and some very creative hats in the 70s but it seems to me that in the US clothes are only valued if they are bought and brand new. There are many who have lost appreciation for that favorite old piece of clothing that looks feels and even smells like home…or the handmade socks and mittens that I have found a new love for today. I hope I am wrong here, I do hope that it was only the people around me who forgot how to love hand knitted accessories.

Fall Sunset

My sweet and loving husband RennyBA showed me the beauty of nature again today. Just when I thought it was dark and depressing out there he invited me to a sunset picnic on the beach. We have a strong appreciation for sunsets and nature, and as you may have noticed from our photo archives we love the light you get when the sun has just gone down. I took up his invitation and prepared a little coffee and some cookies for us to nibble on and we went to the beach just as the sun was setting. The yellow, orange, and pink colors in the sky and reflected in the water were truly an amazing sight. I am so glad that my sweet hubby RennyBA is here to remind me that the world is indeed also beautiful in November. All photographs were taken with my fantastic NokiaX6 mobile phone! Good camera for a phone, huh!!

Sunset Sillouette

We will be traveling a bit in November as well. In 10 days we are going to Brussels and will be able to take some lovely photos there, then in about 2 weeks we are traveling to Portugal on a mini vacation and will be catching up with Perola de Cultura and her husband Luis to reminisce about the blog gathering and be shown around the fair city of Lisbon.