We believe in trolls and gnomes

The fog is lying thick over my village. It is something magical about it, it makes me think of gnomes and trolls. They are all out there, running around, dragging sticks and pine cones, leaves and moss to set up for the winter. I am a strong believer... and so are my kids after all stories I have told.

Sometimes we see them in the house. They are quick. They never stop and stare. You can just feel there presence when the rush from one corner to another. Always so busy. So full of secrets. They peek around corners to make sure we are doing alright. They are our guardian angels.

I went for a walk in the woods. Emmy Bo came with. She is a good bike rider now. Those small legs work frenetically in circles and she is moving fast. I think she needs a new bike for next year. The pink Hello Kitty bike has fulfilled its purpose the last two years. She is my youngest. The smallest. No one else in the family will inherit her bike this time. Maybe some 3-year old girl can take it over when we are done. That makes me feel a sting of sadness...

We walk the leafy roads through the woods, playing with the camera in her hands this time.
"Look Mama! Isn't it beautiful? I have to take a picture... Look Mama! That is a pretty stone. I have to take a picture. Look Mama! That is a big troll house. I have to take a picture..."

The pictures are many, it was hard to choose... Hope you don't mind my large amount of pictures telling this story today...

The forest lies golden in front of us. All shiny and bright. A tree has fallen over the path. It has to be climbed and balanced on. Of course.

"Look Mama! I can run fast on it!"
" Careful!!!" I hear my self calling in a nervous voice. On auto pilot. A mother does that. It comes natural as soon we sense the teeniest tiniest worry or fear for danger... She is being careful. She doesn't fall down. She doesn't slip. She just runs, back and forth, back and forth.

Small feet next to big feet wanders the path. We look into the troll woods, up into the skies. We oohhhh and aaaahhhh over the beauty around us. We smell the woods, breath in the wet air and chit chat. We find a pretty small leaf that has to be portrayed. And I step into dog poop... Big laughter.

"Ha ha ha! It stinks Mama! What are we gonna do?"

We head back home on our bikes. I scrub my shoes in the fountain. It is a dirty job, needless to say.... Emmy runs inside to tell the rest of the family about the big adventure we have had.

We have new baked cinnamon buns directly from the oven tray. It was a fantastic adventure we had, Emmy Bo and me. I am storing it in my memory bank. I don't want to let her grow more. I want her to stay just the way she is. Forever. Just because she is my youngest. The smallest one. And this age is so precious... Just like 6, 7, 8, 9 ,10, 11... and every year that comes after I guess. But right now the age 5 1/2 is my favorite and my best.

Kärlek
Annette

A good day...

Walked a new path. Got surprised by a big field appearing in the deep forest. :! Stretched with help from trees, put my hands on a damp tree trunk. It felt good to "touch wood". 

Sat on the green bench and joined some granny squares. The sun came out for a bit. Started a red border on the row of granny squares. What will it become?

Got a letter from a dear blog friend. The kind with a handwritten address and many beautiful stamps on. Thank you dear Camilla over at Nåni by Smillas Design, for sending me the most adorable pattern of a kitty to sew AND a charm pack of pretty fabric. You made my day. Truly, you did!

Played with 2,5 inch squares on my design wall... Bright v. light... Scrappy it is. Scrappy pillows they will becomes. I think. Or maybe parts of a scrappy quilt... Haven't made up my mind yet.

Made a quiche with broccoli and Gruyere cheese. My first quiche ever. It was a success. Later we had roasted lamb, mashed potatoes and veg from the garden for dinner. Yum!

Spent some time doing homework with my boy. It was painful but we got through it. After he crawled up in my lap and refused to let go. "I need a hug Mama!"... Kärlek [Love]

Finished my secret crochet WiP, but had to unravel it as I made a big mistake. Chatted with my man after kids gone to bed and corrected some of my crochet mistakes.

Surfed blog world a bit. Checked my inbox. I see you like to play with fabric too! YAY! It feels good to know you are just as nuts, obsessed and passionate about fabric as me... No "normal" person understands me as well as you do! Seriously... Thank you for all your sweet messages. You are truly the best.

Now I am off to bed. Will read a page or two in a Swedish novel. It has been a good day. Very good indeed... What about your day? Just a normal day kind of like mine? Or do you have any big Ta Daahs up your sleeve to share maybe? I want to see! I want to see!

Night night... don't let the bed bugs bite...

Kärlek
Annette

Pamboli and tomatoes

Our tomatoes are the best. Sweet and darling, small, big, round, oval...

Some of them end up on a piece of olive bread from the local bakery, together with some pesto spread, olive oil, mozzarella cheese, salt, pepper and basil leaves. Yum!

Another favorite are cherry tomato salad with ruccola, feta cheese and red onion. Mix crumbled feta cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes and red onion in a bowl with some Extra Virgin Olive Oil and white wine vinegar and then you put teh mix on top of a bed of peppery ruccola. Yum yum!

Other less pretty tomatoes turn into Pamboli, my style, and get gulped by all three kids in no time. And two of them usually don't eat tomatoes... Do like this:

Use a mixer stick and mix 1-2 tomatoes to puree. Toast your slices of bread. It can be white or whole grain. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and cover with your mixed tomato puree. Salt and pepper to taste. For a more grown up version, rub the toasted bread with a garlic clove before drizzling Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add basil leaf for decoration and flavor. Simplicity rules...

What else do we do with our tomatoes? Most of the tomatoes disappear on their way from the vine to the bowl when picking them... I wonder where they go? Twink!

Oh, and I found this tomato poem... it is kind of cute actually. From my early days of blogging...

Kärlek
Annette

French toast - a breakfast favorite

French toast (8-10 pieces)

4-5 slices of wholegrain toast bread
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp white sugar
2 tsp grounded cinnamon
2-3 tbsp white flour
Icing sugar 

Mix egg and milk with a fork

Add sugar, cinnamon and flour and mix until smooth.

Cut toast bread into triangles and dip into mixture.

Fry in a pan on upper medium heat until brown.

Sprinkle icing sugar on top

Serve with berries or maple syrup. Yum!

On the weekends I usually make something special for breakfast.
French toast is a favorite. And so simple to make.

Kärlek
 ❀ Annette ❀

❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ 

Yesterday I walked 35 minutes at work. I found a new trail through the woods. Absolutely gorgeous.
A little bit of every day exercise is better than lots of exercise once or twice a week. The positive effects of exercising lasts in your body for 24+ hours. If you exercise again within this time period the positive effects won't stop.  Going for short walks every day, builds for a healthier future. Keep walking. ♥♥♥

Thursday bliss

Decorating my dinner table with flowers from the garden.

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Sorting out fabric to add to My Rose Valley Shop.
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Joining some mini granny squares to my Gypsy blanket.

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Finishing my Tilda quilt. Soon to be revealed...

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Hanging out with my kids.

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Picking strawberries from the garden every day now...
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I can't complain. Thursday was a great day! How was yours?

Kärlek
♥ Annette ♥

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I walked uphill and through the forest today - 30 minutes.
I haven't been so good at walking lately. This is actually my first walk in over 2 weeks. But I enjoyed it and will continue.
One walk is better than none. :D

I thought I will add some walking reports at the end of my posts from now on to keep my walking journal going. It is easier that way. Hope you all are doing well with your walking. Keep walking and holding your head up high! ♥♥♥

Somebody that I used to know...

Are you watching American Idol? Phillip Phillips makes my knees weak... Say no more...

Kärlek
Annette

Paper piecing - another obsession???

I never NEVER thought I would even give it a try. I really really REALLY did not think this type of crafts would be for someone like me. And how wrong was I...???

I've seen paper pieced hexagons in blog land forever... Admired them and quickly brushed them off as too fiddly. And it wasn't until I found Clare over at Selfsewn (earlier known as Summerfete, update her in your blogroll if you have missed that she has changed her blog name and URL) that something weird happened to me. My set of mind changed.

Clare's Summer Of Love Quilt

Clare makes the most beautiful quilts only using the traditional English Paper Piecing technique. This one to the left is one of my big time favorites.

She prefers paper piecing because she loves the control of the work and because she can do it everywhere. She has a tutorial over the basics and after months of looking at this tutorial I took the big leap. I became a doer and just did it.

It is not hard. It is not fiddly. It is wonderful. It is like crochet. You  can do it anywhere. And now when spring is knocking on the front door I don't feel like sitting inside by the sewing machine anymore. This is perfect! Well, it is time consuming. It takes longer time than machine piecing but I am in no rush. Let it take its time.

I have only started. Made myself a hexagon template. Traced hexagons on old bank statements... Cut them out... Pinned pieces of gorgeous lolly scraps to the paper pieces and cut around with 1/4 inch sewing allowance, tacked the fabric to the paper and slip stitched the hexagons together carefully... Cute! Wonderful. Me happy! A perfect project to bring along on the upcoming mini break in Barcelona.

Jay will work on his motorcycle and race, I will sip tea and do paper piecing alternating with this new crochet project in my hands. So, sorry but I won't have time to update the walking this week girls.


Come Walk With Me - Week 4
A quick one regarding the walking this week as I am so busy. Next week we weigh in and do a measure update. Exciting right? Or maybe not... However, we still have the chance to make those numbers go down a bit. So lets make a special effort this week. Push it a little bit further. A little bit more walking every day. You will be surprised what an extra 15 minutes a day will do to your waist line in one week. :D Lets do it girls. Go go go! Walk like you've never walked before! Find a new route. Walk a bit faster. Walk up and down a hill. Walk in the rain for 15 minutes. Leave the dog at home. Park the car far away from the grocery store entrance. Walk all the way through the village and turn around to go to the post office. Just add those small extra steps to it. We can do this.

I also want to encourage you all to visit Gill over at Gilly Flower to experience her blog walk. She took pictures on one of her walks last week and it was such great fun to walk with her. It felt like I was there for real. I great post. don't miss out on it and why don't you do the same? Take photos of your walk, reflect about nature. It is exploding everywhere right now. This is the perfect time for a nice looooooong walk. Enjoy. Stay focused. I'll be back by the end of the week. Until then Come Walk With Me!

Kärek
Annette

Come Walk With Me - Week 2

Hello Walking ladies

This is how many minutes of walking we have done this week:
(PS If you still haven't reported your efforts please do. :D)

Annette (me) - 200 minutes (3 hours 20 min)
Jay Nic Knit Knacks - 120 minutes ( 2 hours)
Jane - 480 minutes (8 hours, walking the dog every day + 60 min extra on the weekend. NICE!) ✭
Stel - 30 minutes
Henny Designs - 27369 steps (That is probably about 4 hours walking - well done!)
Blandina Aracne
Amy
Happy Little Cottage - No walking yet... But I think this week will be different, right? :D
Mrs Stenlund - 210 minutes (3 hours 30 minutes)
Autumn
IA Nyckelpiga - 210 minutes (3 hours 30 minutes)
Tea With Hazel - 135 minutes ( 2 hours 15 min)
Gilly Flower - 240 minutes (4 hours)
Home Schooled
Kolora - 185 minutes + a swimming session (3 hours 5 minutes and 20 minutes of this was running!)
Rita Baccaro
Lynne - 160 minutes ( 2 hours 40 min)
Anonymous from California - 360 minutes (6 hours - WOW) ✭
NEWBIE! Lisbeth - WELCOME!

My best motivation tips:

• Music - download your favorite tunes, preferably upbeat high tempo songs, to your iPod or MP3 player and get walking. It makes all the difference in the world, believe me. Even when I am in a bad mood my favorite songs can turn that around for me. Or I give in to the sulking and listen to some tear dripping, beautiful, heart breaking songs and let the tears flow for a bit (make sure to bring paper napkins...). Therapy at its best. Finish off with an upbeat song, get rid of the frustration and you come back with all smiles. Some of my favorites right now are:
FloRida - Good Feeling
KT Tunstall - Black Horse & the Cherry Tree
Cobra Starship - You Make Me Feel...
Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger

• Pedometer - This is my best friend ever! Without my pedometer I feel completely lost. I love seeing the stats on how I have done on my walks, short or long. It is so motivating to see that even to walk down to the grocery store on the corner to get milk gives me a few hundred steps to count to my daily step routine... Once you get a pedometer you don't want to let it go. This is by far the best motivation for a beginner. Get one! and start counting your steps.

You find them in a sport shop or on the Internet. I just ordered a new one from Amazon.co.uk. Make sure you get a good one, go for one costing around 30-50 dollars. I only have experience of Silva pedometers and it has worked great. I just clip it on to my waist line and boom. Every step I take is counted and I can actually see how much or little I move. Health researches recommends us to do 10000 steps a day (counting every step we take...) to live a long and healthy life. The average for an office working person, that doesn't consciously add walking into his day, is between 1500-3000 steps only. That is shocking if you ask me. So Come Lets Walk.

• Trainers! - Comfort is king. I have a pair of old sneakers hidden under my office table at work. I am not really a high heal girl and if we are going to a park or longer outing I always make sure to wear trainers. I even have a pair of Gortex trainers to motivate myself to get out in snow and rain as well. Because it can be refreshing - you just have to wear the right clothes. :D

• Find a walking route - I have a walking route that takes 10 minutes, another that takes 15, a third that takes 20 and a fourth that takes 30. This makes it easier for me to really fit some walking time into my daily schedule. If I have a busy schedule I know I can squeeze in a couple of the 10-minutes routes into my day - at least. If I have a 30 minute window I do my 30 minute route. This is really helpful girls. You could time up the route around your block or time how long it takes to bring kids to school. Does it take 10 minutes? Good. Then you know that dropping off and picking up kids equals 20 minutes in a day. That is great! You can do one or more laps around your block depending on how much time you have.

And now we a ready for next weeks challenge aren't we?

Walking mission - Week 2

• Just keep walking minimum 15-30 minutes a day depending on your level. This week you can make it if you didn't last week. You've got all the tips and tools for it. Just do it!

• Speed up your tempo a bit and get that heart rate going, it makes a big difference.

• Keep your head up high. Look around. Reflect on what you see. This is great for your posture, gives more space for your breathing. And you will love paying attention to your surroundings.

Good luck and enjoy!

Kärlek
Annette

1st of advent in the house

I brought down the Christmas boxes yesterday. Today is the day to start the decorating for this big holiday we call Christmas. I love this part. The build up. Adding something new every other day to my home to make it warm, welcome, nice and cuddly.

So I started out this morning by making Christmas porridge. It is literally a round rice slowly boiled in milk mixed with water, add a pinch of salt and a cinnamon stick, a sting of vanilla - VOILA! Creamy Christmas porridge coming up. Very Swedish indeed. I love sprinkling sugar and cinnamon on top and I always have this mixture handy in a cute little jug. Yum. My favorite and my best!

♥ Christmas porridge ♥

250 ml round rice

800 ml whole milk

500 ml water

Pinch of salt

1 cinnamon stick

Sting of vanilla extract

Boil and stir regularly on low heat for about 30-40 minutes.

I couple of years ago when I was new to crochet I spotted the cutest little crochet mushroom over at IA Nyckelpiga and I made some for my advents candle holder (although hers are much more adorable than mine...). They now come out every year and make me smile from ear to ear every time. So darn cute they are. Her pattern is in Swedish but I am sure I can get her to make a translation if need be, she is a good blog friend of mine. Or I might even get the blessing to do it if you would like. Let me know and I'll talk to her.

So happy advent to you all. I am going to take the kids on a moss hunt in the woods as I have run out of moss for my hyacinths... Have a lovely Sunday. Christmas is coming to town!

Kärlek
Annette

Sugar cravings...

48 hours into my healthy eating and the B-I-G sugar craving is kicking in.
   

I want chocolate!!! 

I need chocolate!!!

(Do you hear me screaming that? Does the message travel around the globe like a ring around Saturn?)

And so I thought I was doing so well, enjoying this healthy eating thing up until now. I look at my alternatives - a fruit, bowl of berries, raisins, fruity smoothie... Naaahhh. How boring is that!?! "Because noooothing compares - Nothing compaaaares to yooooou", dear Mr Fancy Schmancy Good looking Chocolate (hear Sinead O'Connor... which is one of the most fantastic songs made ever BTW...)

Got to resist the craving. Got to resist. Got to resist this... Wish me luck.

Ciao!
Annette

Semla - make your own!

Semla, this magical thing with gooey messy almond paste hidden under tons of whipped cream and sprinkled with icing sugar on its top. A must have on Fat Tuesday, which was this last weeks Tuesday actually (and for many more days to come until February says Bye, Bye! I am going to have MANY!)

The name 'semla' comes from the Spanish word "simila", the finest white flour you can fine. In the old days it was really hard to find white flour to bake with and this bun was a very special treat. Catholics called it "the fasting bun", and it served its name from being one of many highlights at the food feast the days before the 40 day long fasting period that ended in Easter... (Pweuh! I could NEVER do that!). This feast gave the names to the three big "semla" days Fasting Feast Sunday, Big Bun Monday and Fat Tuesday, the last one most recognized by us Swedes I am sure. The names themselves makes me want to eat even more!!! And yes, these are direct translations and therefor the names are kind of funny, just like they should be.

I am not catholic or religious in any way, but "semlor" has become a big Swedish tradition for me in its own way. Especially since I moved from my roots. And this year I actually made my own "semlor" for the first time. A huge success around kids and neighbours, because what do you do with a dozen plus semlor? You can't eat them all in one go! You just have to give them away, to everyones delight. I think I am the most popular foreigner on our street at this point. And here is the simple recipe:

Semlor
Makes 12-15

75 g unsalted butter
400 ml milk
50 g fresh yeast
1 egg
100 ml sugar
1/2 tsp salt
800 ml flour (more or less)

Filling:
Almondpaste
Whipped cream

1. Melt butter and mix with milk, heat up until finger warm.

2. Pour half the liquid into a big baking bowl, crumble fresh yeast into the liquid and stir until disolved. Add the rest of the liquid.

3. Add sugar, salt and  egg. Stir in flour until dough lets go of the bowl (a little at the time). Kneed on table with a little more flour until smooth (just for  a few minuted) and make sure not to make the dough to dry. Put it back in the bowl to rise underneth a towel in a non-drafty spot for about 30-40 minutes until double size.

4. No more flour. Kneed dough a few minutes until smooth. Cut into handful pieces, roll into balls. Place balls on buttered (or wax paper dressed) oven trays, leave to rise again for 30 minutes under a towel.

5. Bake in 225˚C/380˚F for 6-12 minutes. Leave to cool. 

6. When cool, cut off the tip of the top as a hat. Pick out the crumble from inside the bun to make a hole (not to close to the edges).

7. Mix bread crumbs with almondpaste and cream, the mixture should be quite creamy and loose. Scoop the mixture into the hole in the buns. Cover with whipped cream, add the bread top on top. Sprinkle with icing sugar. Voila! Enjoy!

Kärlek
Annette

Scones for the weekend?

Loving the weekends. Always making something special for breakfast. Often American pancakes. Another favorite is scones.

We eat them in many different ways. My husband loves them with butter and maple syrup. Nelly loves them with honey from the neighbor's bee hives. Emmy loves them with strawberry jam, Luca likes them plain (he can be a bit weird at times my loving boy) and I love them with cheese and orange marmalade. Sometimes we make them with mascarpone and jam.

There are so many ways to have a scone. But they need to be freshly made, hot from the oven. On a Saturday morning with all family together around the dinner table. That is when they taste the best. So simple, so quick. Give it a try and make your weekend real special.

Scones
Serves 4

100 g unsalted butter
8oo ml or 6 1/2 cup white flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
400 ml or 3 1/4 cup butter milk or natural yogurt mixed with milk

1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl

2. Mix in butter with your finger tips until mixture is finely crumbled

3. Stir in liquid gentle and quick until mixture turns to sticky dough. Don't work dough to much - it will get dense.

4. Divide dough into 4 pieces and pat out each one with floured hands on buttered baking tray or wax paper to inch thick round cakes. Make a cross half way through the dough with a knife on each cake.

5. Bake in oven 250˚C/475˚F for 12 minutes. Serve when still warm.

Kärlek
Annette

3 Swedish Wow!!!

For me it is very important to pass on Swedish culture and tradition to my kids. We are a mixed family living in a third cultural environment (husband American, me Swedish living in Switzerland) and sometimes I feel sad to realize my kids won't be 100% "Yellow & Blue" or "Stars & Stripes" for that matter. So, I have found some really great Swedish Wows!!! that I warmly recommend to others who live a similar life to mine.

Lennart Hellsing - Sweden's dr Seuss

This great author plays with words and rhymes in the most fantastic and catching way. I would say he is a Swedish Dr Seuss (anyone who doesn't know of "The Cat In the Hat" or "Green Eggs and Ham"???).

The book Hellsingland was given as a birthday gift to Luca Bo in June and as it was a special edition to celebrate Lennart Hellsing 90th birthday it included a CD with 20 of the songs and rhymes in the book. My kids LOOOOOVE both the book and the CD.  Everybody sings along and so even moi. A must have. My personal favorite is "Ticke Tack, här kommer Peter Palsternack - Ticke tack ticke tack, dansande på tå och klack i sin gula frack Tick tack...". And of course, the illustrations are absolutely fantastic too!!!


The Swedish Advents Calendar
The fact that I can let my kids watch the Swedish Advents calendar via Internet is fantastic. I am so happy that they get the chance to experience this big tradition that I grew up with. Check out Superhjältejul. A fun and accurate calendar this year. This is a big WOW!.


Christmas Saffron Rolls
Who can go through December and Christmas without the deliscious "Lussebulle". A very Swedish sweet pastry. Easy to make, yummy to eat and loved by everyone you meet. We have already gone through three batches of it in my house (the first one was finished within hours after baking them). We have them as breakfast treats, school snack, afternoon snack, evening snack or just because we want one and love them. Here comes the recipe that can be alternated. I have personally skipped the raisin part as we don't really care for them and instead I have added pearled sugar to sprinkle on top. Enjoy.

SAFFRON ROLLS
(About 30 rolls)
175 g (6oz) unsalted butter
5 dl (2 cups) milk
50 g (1 3/4 oz) fresh yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 dl (3/4 cup) sugar
1 g ground saffron
1 egg (optional)
1-1 1/2 liters (6 1/2 cups) all-purpous flour
1 beaten egg for brushing
Handful of raisins for decoration or pearled sugar

1. Melt butter, add milk and heat to 37˚C (98˚F).

2. Crumble  yeast into some of the milk mixture and stir until dissolved.

3. Add remaining liquid, salt, sugar, saffron, egg (if desired).

4. Knead in enough flour to make smooth and elastic dough that cleans the bowl, by machine or by hand (I stir in flour and then knead the dough smooth on a table).

5. Sprinkle with flour, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

6. Knead dough smooth with just a little flour on table. Form dough into rolls and garnish with raisins. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 225˚C (425˚F). Brush buns with beaten egg, sprinkle pearled sugar (if desired). Bake buns for 5-10 minutes. Cool covered. Enjoy.

Kärlek
Annette

How to make yogurt ice cream with cherries

Another delicious recipe including cherries. Once again, recipe found by Linn on the Internet. Yum!

Cherry Yogurt Ice cream

You will need (4-6 portions)
2 egg yolks
50 ml icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder
1oo ml full cream
200 ml natural yogurt
150-200 ml cherries

How to make it
1. Whisk egg yolks, vanilla and icing sugar hard

2. Add the cherries

3. Whisk cream hard and mix in to egg and cherry mixture.

4. Freeze for minimum 4 hours

5. Let soften in fridge for 10 minutes before serving.

How to make cherry syrup

On a sunny and hot summer day it is very refreshing with fruity and cold homemade Cherry syrup. (Recipe found by Linn Magnfält on the Internet and then we modified it a little bit.)

PS My water pitcher bargain looks so great with the homemade Cherry syrup, don't you think?

Cherry syrup

You will need (makes approx. 1 litre):
1 litre cherries
300 ml water
300 ml sugar
1/2 tsp sodium benzoate (preservatives)

How to make it:
1. Wash cherries throughly and put in big pot with the water. Bring to boil, and let cook covered for about 15 minutes on medium heat.

2. Press cherries against the side of the pot to take care of ALL the juice.

3. Drain in a collander with a thin cotton fabric (I used an old sheet that I cut up) and let stand for about 30 minutes to let all the juice come through.

4. Clean the pot and pour back the cherry juice. Bring to boil and stir in the sugar. Stir until completely disolved.

5. Take pot off the stove and skim off the juice. Pour juice in a cup and mix in the preservatives and then mix it back into the ready syrup.

6. Pour into clean and warm glass bottles. Close them and let the syrup cool. Store syrup in a cold place.

Tips and advice
- The syrup holds well for a few weeks without preservatives.

- If making a double the recipe be careful with the sugar and add only 100 ml extra of sugar or less.

- To get a slightly fuller/sweeter/twisty flavour of the syrup add 500 grams of raspberries and the juice from one lemon during the process.