Although this is not a good shot up here, it´s one of my best memories from Sweden: the day I fell in love with SEMLOR.

The date was 16th February 2015 (FETTISDAGEN btw) and I was not giving so much credit to the semlor buns, probably due to my life at that time. It was the first year I felt free to travel on my own. I had not visited other countries for many, many years and 2015 was my chance. So I packed and went to S:t Petersburg, Berlin, Prague and Bordeaux in France all by myself.

I was still ignorant about semlor, even after so many years in Sweden. My attention was fixed in other horizons at that time: travel! Then it happened ... I entered "Güntherska Hovkonditori & Sch¡weizeri" in Uppsala and asked for coffee and semla like those on the window.

Oh my! I was transported to heaven. Since then I am addicted to these buns and no therapy shall make me change.

Tomorrow the celebration is called FETTISDAGEN (16/02 every year) and the rule is to eat as many different semlors you can. Lol!!!

Ps. their secret is very simple: the whitest flour, cardamon, whisk cream, soft almond paste and topped with white icing sugar. I wonder ... how such simple ingredients can result in such a heavenly treat?

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Tomorrow 14/02 is "Alla Hjärtans Dag" in Sweden or Valentine´s Day elsewhere -East & West included in the whole world. Probably no hugs or kisses tomorrow ... wash your hands clean and keep distance, please! (grrrr....!!!).

Valentine´s Day was celebrated first during the late 20th century here and not necessarily for couples in love only, but for friends or family members you appreciate too. That´s swell, ´cause not everyone has a partner.

There are flowers forever at home and I love it. Always different flowers according to the season or price. These violet tulips were a gift and they stand in a glass vase on the kitchen table. The sun today in Uppsala was so strong and bright that when I went to drink my first morning caffeine-full coffee I could´t resist to take a shot of these cute, silky tulips for my Instagram page. The light was incredible at 8 am and during the rest of the day. Tomorrow we shall celebrate with "kärleksmums" (traditionally baked for Valentine in Sweden. We made the Arla recipe for this cake, which I think is the best. You can google it) and violet tulips.

Ps: TULIP MANIA - did you know that a tulip war occurred in Holland during the early 1600s when speculation drove the value of tulip bulbs to the peaks? The rarest tulip bulbs could cost about six times the average person´s annual salary. During the Second-World War the tulip bulbs were used as food to be cooked and eaten in a hungry Holland!

You can watch the film "Tulip Fever (2017) with our own Alicia Vikander and among others the brilliant British actress Judi Dench and model Cara Delevingne. Although the film was not so popular, I myself enjoyed it.

So happy-go-lucky Alla Hjärtans Dag with social distance would you please!

Alicia Vikander in "Tulip Fever"

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Today -January 15th- we honour the tulips. These wonderful and strong flowers were cultivated since the 17 th century in Sweden and it was exactly here in Uppsala where it happened first. Olof Rudbeck d.ä. planted "Tulipa sylvestris" on the grounds of the Uppsala Botanical Garden.

The Swedish farmers grow more than 160 million tulips every year and the Swedes are champions in buying them! The best-selling flowers!

In order to last longer, keep them with their original wrapping from the florist and cut their stems one centimeter before placing them in a vase with fresh and cold water.

Hope you enjoy some tulips today at home.

KEEP IT SIMPLE