1/ Galanthus 2/Crocuses

One thing I miss especially from Denmark (besides my family and friends), is when the season changes… I’ve been told from a secret source that winter is about to loosen its grip in Denmark.

My secret source spottet these flowers today in Copenhagen, and these little flowers are the first sign of spring in Denmark, they are so beautiful 🙂

Happy Chinese New Year, 2014 is the Year of the Horse

Neiiiiiiigh Prrrrrrrr said the horse…. the photo below shows me as a very happy girl and my two old horses Rivaldo and Hekla. Also below is my little sister on her old horse named Monique (my little sister is actually born in the year of the horse (1990)  🙂

My darling J is a quarter Chinese so therefore of course we are going to celebrate Chinese New Year tonight.

Our Chinese New Years dinner is: Chinese chicken – coriander soup and rice paper rolls served with some tasty bubbles 🙂

Chinese New Year is an important traditional Chinese holiday celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year’s Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar.

The Year 2014 is considered as the Year of the Horse. In Chinese culture, the Horse is a symbol of nobility, class, speed and perseverance.

The table below shows what animal you were born in according to the Chinese Zodiac Calendar (The Chinese zodiac calendar comprises 12 animal signs and horse is the seventh among all of them):

The Sign of the Horse

If you were born in 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, or 2014, you were born under the sign of the horse.

The horse is one of the Chinese people’s favorite animals and has become closely linked to people’s lives. It provided a quick and useful mode of transportation before the invention of vehicles.

One of the ways the horse serves human beings is to give people a ride to their destination. Therefore, the horse is not only a symbol of travel, but also a sign of speedy success.

The horse ranks seventh among the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. People born in the Year of the Horse are highly animated, active, and energetic. They are typically very elegant, independent, gentle, and hardworking.

Their most striking characteristic is their strong self-confidence. Thus the Year of the Horse is a time for all people to go forward confidently in the direction of their goals and dreams, just as the horse gallops at top speed toward its destination.

Chinese New Year Traditions

Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese festivals.

There are many traditions and customs associated with the Chinese New Year. Families thoroughly clean their house in order to sweep away any ill fortune and to make way for good luck. Windows and doors are decorated with delicate red paper cutouts and poetic couplets—pairs of corresponding lines of poetry that express people’s joy and hope for the New Year.

Fireworks, firecrackers, red packages, the lion dance, the dragon dance, and lanterns with riddles are other common customs and traditions observed during the Chinese New Year period.

Very importantly, many families gather for a big family reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve, and the Chinese people also pay visits to their relatives as part of the New Year celebration.

I think the Chinese New Year is full of beautiful traditions and I would love to visit China one day and experience it with my own two eyes. But this year I will be celebrating from my home in Barcelona with J♥

I think the arrival of the Year of Horse is a time to reconcile differences, let go of all grudges, and sincerely a time to wish everyone peace, health, and happiness.

Happy New Year !!!

I had a beautiful weekend and Barcelona is so pretty now, everything outside has turned into golden nuances, the leaves, the sunlight and yes even my food-photos is now in golden colors 😉

This Saturday me and little Mrs. Pampigvintage joined a Flea Market in El Borne. The weather was amazing considering that the calendar says November.

We sold alot of clothes, etc. met some nice people and we had a super tasty lunch. We had a Vietnamese sesame herb-salad and ginger beer from La Vietnamita, Yumm!
When I got home I had less clothes and more money from the sales I did at the flea market, also the Saturday menu was ready made by Mr. Perfect and it was a menu of beef steak and butter fried thyme potatoes and tomato salad. Lucky me!

Sunday we took our time for a nice omelette brunch with greek yoghurt, followed by our traditional Sunday-walk in Gracía. Later that sunday night we ate, as promised, a  “Mortensaften” menu Duck, sugar glazed potatoes and a delicious red cabbage salad.

Red Cabbage Salad for 2 pers:
Half washed and finely chopped red cabbage. The red cabbage you marinate in 1 tbsp. oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 1-2 tablespoons of honey and a little salt and pepper. Let it soak and cover for 2 hours. Then you cut an orange into bite-sized chunks and sprinkle 1-2 dl. hazelnuts above. Ready to serve.

I think a red cabbage salad goes perfect with Duck and pork roast or sausages.

P.S. Red Cabbage contains a lot of Antioxidants, A, C and K vitamins and it is boosted with fibers.

P.P.S. On saturday at the Flea Market I bought a very nice vintage Pierre Balmain silk scarf, a pair of floral high waist shorts and a black silk kimono from Pampigvintage.

I am going to wear this beautiful blue/gold 100% silk scarf chic in my hair when we go to the beach in Australia. Jubiie we are off in less than one month now 🙂

I was going through my photos on my Mac and then l “fell” for this photo of me, many many years ago.

In this photo I’m having my easter lunch at my grandparents house. I guess by looking at this photo and the others that are stored on my mac and the photos that I post on my blog shows that I’ve always been a sucker for candlelight suppers and guess what, I still am  😉

Juhuuu it´s weekend… Friday after 16/h is just my favorite day of the whole week:)

This is our plans for this weekend:

Tonight we (J and I) are going to have a candlelight dinner followed by a little holding hands quality time:)
I am attending a Flea Market tomorrow, – Dear God, I hope to get rich!
And a this Sunday we are going to celebrate a traditional “Mortensaften” ala Denmark.
In Denmark (and in my home in Barcelona) we celebrate Sankt Morten the evening before the real Sankt Morten day the 11. of November.
Sankt Morten is the Danish name of Saint Martin of Tours and according to legend, Martin was forced to become a bishop by his parishioners and when he tried to hide in a barn full of geese, the noise of the geese gave him away.
Therefore it is tradition to eat a goose dinner, although over time duck has become a more practical dish on this occasion.
We are going to have duck with caramelised sweet potatoes and red cabbage/ orange salad for “Mortensaften”, yumm!

Have a fantastic weekend.

Xoxo miss Bucket (Keeping Up Appearances).

My little viking of a nephew with porridge all over his cute little face 🙂

 ♥

Have a great Monday 🙂