Saturday 25 September 2010

Småkompisar at Tivoli, Copenhagen!

Tivoli Gardens is a very nice amusement park and a beautiful garden in the center of Copenhagen. We spent a day here and had great fun! Obviously one of the most touristic spots in Copenhagen, but it's not just another amusement park, it's very unique and has a brilliant atmosphere. Tivoli opens each year for the summer season and at Christmas, the garden changes character and new surprises are offered every year.

Oh, we did get to see Denmark's most famous sculpture, the Little Mermaid. Usually, tourists visit her in Copenhagen harbor, but her “twin sister” will temporarily take her place here at Tivoli. She will return to the owners after the world expo, when her sister returns from China.

The Tivoli Gardens opened in 1843 and is the second oldest amusement park in the world, and currently the most visited theme park in Scandinavia.

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Småkompisar @ Honey I'm Home!

This is a very nice little shop in Torpa, Jönköping. From jewellery to toys, from skin care products to coffee and tea, this it the place to be. Don´t forget to treat yourself to something nice, or find the prefect gift for a friend. 
Come on down and see us, as well as the helpful and friendly owners, Anna and Therese.
The shop is located on Björngatan 13 in Torpa. It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m on Tuesday to Friday. Saturday 10 a.m to 2 p.m. Monday closed. Or browse the items available on their online shop.

Thursday 16 September 2010

Organic Lingonberry/Wild Mountain Cranberry Jam!

So, today we are going to make jam from the berries that we just picked in the wild woods in northern Sweden. Lingonberry jam that tastes sweet and yummy! The jam is easy to prepare, even for us - only berries, sugar and optionally a small amount of water. 

First you need to rinse the berries, and place them in a colander and wash thoroughly in the sink.

 Place the berries in a large saucepan on medium heat.

Cook until berries are soft —about 10 minutes. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Add the sugar...

Stir and cook over medium heat for a few minutes, or until mixture looks thick and saucy. Remove from the heat and let the jam sit for 30 minutes. Pour into warmed jam jars.

Lingonberries are quite tart, but they actually have a lot of natural sugar in them, more than blueberries, and can be preserved in just their own juice. Therefore we like to use less amount of sugar. The proportions we use are: 3 dl of sugar to 1 l (1/2 kg) of fresh berries.

Enjoy!

Monday 13 September 2010

Let´s go Lingonberry-picking!

We left this morning in search of the wild lingonberries (mountain cranberries). It is berry-picking time! We enjoy the time being outdoors, to smell the fresh air and the changing colours of nature. We found a nice spot and a few red berries and the picking begins.. 


A few hours and half a bucket later, the boat takes us back home..


More information about Lingonberries can be found on Wikipedia.

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Småkompisar had a fun day at Jamtli!

We visited Jamtli outside central Östersund, Sweden. It's an open air museum in an exciting historical milieus. We learned about the cultural history of Jämtland in an entertaining way. There are many highlights, but we really enjoyed the local actors in period costume that takes you back in time and tell stories about the past. They are just superb!
We had a very pleasant walk around the site and a picnic in the park. This is a great place to spend a day, or even two, and lots of fun for both adults and children! Jamtli has got something for everybody!


Jamtli has got a very nice little shop too. You’ll find traditional handicraft and modern design side by side. It’s an excellent place to find gifts and souvenirs, inspiration and knowledge. Admission to the shop is free.

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Friend Of The Month, September 2010!

Let us introduce our Friend of the Month - Hilda from Umeå. She is 6 years old and on her way to school, her first week in first grade. Exciting! It feels good to have a supporting little friend in hand, and we are eager to come along. On the bus she goes, pretty sure she's going to do just fine in the years to come.

Would you like to be our Friend Of The Month? Send us your image to info@smakompisar.com.