You know when a book is so good you cannot put it down once you start reading it? This is definitely one of those books! It’s captivating, gripping and phenomenal. Based on one of America’s most notorious real life scandals this book address one of the biggest “Baby market adoption schemes” in America, where Georgia Tann, director of the Memphis-based adoption organization Tennessee Children’s Home Society Orphanage, from the 1920’s – 1950’s, kidnapped and used her home as a base for selling poor children to wealthy families all over the country. To cover her crimes, Tann falsified adoptee’s birth certificates, sealing their true ones and issuing new ones that portrayed adoptive parents as birth parents, a practice that was actually approved by legislatures across the country who believe it would spare the adoptees the onus of legitimacy. It’s estimated that over 5000 children were kidnapped and sold in the course span of thirty years! As a New York Times #1 best seller for over 104 weeks and with over 2,5 million copies sold worldwide, this book is without a doubt one of the best books I’ve read! 📚😊
“Before We Were Yours” is written by Lisa Windgate, a former journalist, inspirational speaker and a New York Times bestselling author. Fascinated by history, she built this novel on new articles, investigations, books and movies about Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, personal visits to Memphis, as well as talking to people who remembered the scandal.. The book follows two main characters and is written from two point of views; Rill’s (one of the main characters) narrative in 1939 and the contemporary one of Avery Stafford. The fact that this book is based on a true story makes this it even more interesting. You read, imagine and are so involved in the history! Without spoiling to much of the plot, I recommend picking up this book and start reading – you will not regret it! 📚
Any taco dish is my go-to any day, but today I topped it with a little extra something – the best avocado dressing! It’s the perfect balance between the sweetness of the honey, the fire of the jalapeños, and of course the creamy avocado.. Paired with taco seasoned cauliflower rice, grounded beef, and your choice of veggies this taco dish with a twist is a must try – you will not be disappointed! 🌮💥🥑
Here’s what you need to make it (3 persons);
Ingredients 400 g grounded beef – taco seasoning – red onion – bell peppers (different colors) – corn – cherry tomatoes – salad – cucumber – cauliflower rice – lime – green scallions
Dressing; 1 avocado – 4 tbsp sour cream – 1 ts honey – a pinch of salt – 1 tbsp water – 1 garlic glove – a dash of olive oil – jalapeños
Directions Make the grounded beef and add taco seasoning, set aside. Fry the peppers on medium heat with a splash of butter in the pan. For the cauliflower rice, you have two options; 1. you can make it yourself by cutting an half cooked cauliflower into pieces and pulse in a food processor until it turns into rice, or 2. you can buy it ready made (which is what I did). Gently fry the rice in the pan with sprinkles of salt, pepper and taco seasoning. Cut up all the vegetables and layer on a plate. To make the dressing, mix the avocado, lime juice, honey, olive oil, water, salt, sour cream and jalapeños in a food processor, blend until a smooth texture.
Got a ripe banana or three sitting on the counter? You’re in luck, because there are several ways to use them! Overripe bananas are perfect to use for baking, because it keeps baked goods moist while adding lot’s of flavor and natural sweetens. Earlier this week I made the most delicious banana bread – full of flavor and filled with with dark chocolate chunks, this is a safe winner! 🍌🍞🍫
To make one loaf, here’s what you need;
Ingredients 3 ripe bananas (the browner, the better!) – 3 eggs 2 tbsp honey 1/2 dl skim milk – 2 ts baking powder – 200 g oat flour – 2 tbsp cocoa powder – 1 plate of dark chocolate
Directions Preheat oven to 180 C/350 F. In a bowl, add the bananas and mash until smooth. Add the eggs, milk and honey, mix together. Add the dry ingredients and the chopped chocolate chunks at the end. Pour batter into a loaf pan and bake for 50 min. Cool of completely before serving. Ps; it tastes even better the next day, preferably with a glass of ice cold milk.. Enjoy! 😀
Aaah, I love podcasts! I listen to them all the time, whether I’m in the shower, cleaning, doing laundry, cooking or working out.. It’s a great way for me to unwind and relax, but to be productive at the same time. Lately I have gained a couple of new favorites (both in Norwegian), which I highly recommend! These two woman are bad ass – feel free to check them out!
“I Dybden – med Lene Orvik“ This podcast is hosted by Lene Orvik – an entrepreneur, blogger, designer, influencer and podcaster. In this podcast, Lene allows us to get to know her on a deeper personal level under the surface of social media. She aims to share her personal story about her life and inspire you to be the best version of yourself, and address various topics all of us can relate to including love and sex, single life, challenges surrounding depression and self-image, positive mind-sets, and how to be a successful entrepreneur and get as far as possible.. This podcast is great and if you’re looking for a motivational boost and positive vibe, check it out! Also, check out her Instagram account for a mixed dose of fashion, outdoor life, interior design, traveling, social life and friendship – this account always gets me in a good mood!
“G-Punkt med Iselin Guttormsen“ This podcast is hosted by Iselin Guttormsen – a bad ass lady who is a mother of 2, a certified sex therapist, blogger, TV-personality, lecturer and now podcaster. I love this podcast for many reasons; she is real, raw and honest. Nothing is left behind the scenes and more importantly; she address various topics that are often taboo and unspoken of. Important topics addressed are incest and sexual assault of children, how to talk about sexual boundaries with your children, culture, religious and sexual barriers, long-distance relationship and phone sex, unhealthy relationships, jealousy and break-ups, absence of sexual desire and sexual performance anxiety in a relationship, masturbation, porn, blow jobs, the challenges of being gay and anal sex, and when your partner is having an affair & the challenges surrounding infidelity. Excluding the first episode, she always interview a guest in each episode. A new episode is released every Sunday, you do not want to miss this one!
Dalgona coffee is a hot coffee trend these days and it can’t be missed in the news feed – it’s everywhere! Also known as “Quarantine Coffee” or “Whipped Coffee”, it’s one of the best coffees I’ve ever tried! As most of you probably know by now, I’m a huge fan of cold coffees, ice coffees in particular are my favorite, so the minute I tried a Dalgona coffee, it hit a home run with me! ☕️ With three ingredients only (all cheap) and which you probably already have at home, this coffee drink is quick and easy to make, so that’s what I did. To make a statement, serve them in a whisky glass and if you want to spice it up, you can also add Baily’s to it! 😍
If you feel like trying to make it at home (which you should!), here’s what you need;
Directions In a bowl, combine sugar, coffee and water. Use a mixer and which until mixture turns silky smooth and shiny, then continue whisking until it thickens and holds a lofty, foamy shape. Fill a glass with ice cubes and milk, then swirl the whipped coffee mixture on top. Mix before drinking. Enjoy! 😀
A Few Tips; – First and foremost rule of making the Dalgona Coffee is to use high-quality coffee powder for beating. I used the Nescafe Gold, which can be found in any grocery store in Norway.
– Use very cold normal milk (e.g. not condensed milk), as the coffee mixture are already sweet.
– You can store the whipped coffee mixture for a week in an airtight container. This is perfect is you’re expecting guests, as it allows you to make the coffee mixture in advance!
The outside world is an endless place and there are so many great places to discover. I have always been an outdoorsy person, but the corona times has definitely led to a much deeper appreciation of the nature and the outdoor areas close to my home. Lately I have been going for walks/runs in Bøkeskogen, also called “The Beech Tree Forest” – it’s the home to many amazing hiking trails, where many points offers a great panoramic view of the Farris Lake. It’s also an archeological area which is home to one of Norway’s largest burial mounds from the viking age. For the most part we’ve been blessed with nice and warm weather, which makes this a great place to spend time outside!
Do you spend a lot of time outdoors these days? Have a great Sunday everyone! 🙂
Aaaah, coffee – it’s so much more than just a drink. Whether you’re a casual coffee drinker or consider yourself a connoisseur, you know a good cup of coffee when you see it. With so many great coffee options at hand, you’re always guaranteed to find something you like! I spend a lot of money on coffee (even though I try my best to cut down!), but it’s simply just one of few things that brings me so much joy. It’s not just the coffee itself, but it’s a great way to be social.. I often meet friends over a cup of coffee or a lunch, sometimes both.. Coffee er great conversations starters and I actually met a couple of my best friends at a coffee shop! I love cold coffees and my go-to coffee has always been a iced latte with a shot of caramel, but that was until I was served this deliciousness of a coffee today – just look at this coffee!
It’s very similar to a Greek Frappe; it’s cold milk, sugar, and strong Nescafe coffee poured over large ice cubes. So easy and so good, so I’m definitely going to make this at home! This is the perfect coffee drink to serve along with the nice and warm weather we’re having right now (even though I would drink it on any rainy day as well!). Cheers!
What about you; do you prefer cold or warm coffees?
I love using old things to make new things, so this was such a fun project! Life these days are definitely weird. Besides those who are still fortunate to be able to work, I feel like everyone is doing the same things; cleaning and organizing their home & cars, trying out new recipes in the kitchen, having a Netflix marathon (possibily for the second time around!), cleaning out their closets, or going for walks outside in fresh air. And while it certainly feels good for a while, you get tired of that eventually and that’s when you need to find new ways to entertain yourself. I recently decided to clean out our home office and found a big pile of old Shape Up magazines laying around. All of them contained recipes I would love to try out, I therefore decided to make a “homemade diy-cookbook” using all the recipes in the magazines. This is a great way to clean up your space while taking advantage of the things you already have and want to use (in my case, the recipes). If you’re looking for a new way to entertain yourself these days, give this one a try!
Things you need; A big pile of old magazines (preferably with content you can use for your project) – clean white paper sheets – a scissor – a glue stick – a folder.
So many delicious recipes including smoothie bowls, raw brownies, waffles, pancakes, delicious desserts, fruit platters, juices, and enchiladas.. I’ll definitely try them all! 😊
