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Saturday, 18 July 2015
Friday, 17 July 2015
Like the day before Christmas. We're picking up the lambs tomorrow! #paulssonpaleo
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Oh yes! Sweetest little strawberries. Guaranteed poison-free. #paulssonpaleo #selfsufficiency #självhushåll
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Reaper shadow! Scything day today. #movetoSWE #grass #scythe #paulssonpaleo #paleoretreat #blog #selfsufficient
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Thursday, 16 July 2015
Stacking Wood
Our latest guest, Paul, flew in on Saturday from London for a long weekend before heading over to Stockholm for a short break.
We had, a couple of days earlier, secured around 20 cubic metres of firewood for next winter from a local farmer. He was planning to deliver the first load bright and early on Monday morning, so we needed to prepare for the delivery.
We had decided to move the wood stack from its current location in the garage to next to the stables, as we are planning to do some work on the garage later in the year. This meant building a new fence to protect the wood from inclement weather and to prevent it from being blown away. With Paul's expert help in cutting numerous timber planks down to size we finished the fence in good time, so we pulled out the scythes….no rest for the wicked.
As agreed, the first 3 cubic meter load was delivered first thing Monday morning and the mammoth stacking task began. For the entire day wood was being neatly arranged in 2m high rows. Six deliveries later we had our source of heating and hot water for next winter safely tucked away to dry.
Paul, we will remember your efforts when we are warm and toasty this winter!
(PS: for more photos of Paul's visit, look at his instagram feed here)
We had, a couple of days earlier, secured around 20 cubic metres of firewood for next winter from a local farmer. He was planning to deliver the first load bright and early on Monday morning, so we needed to prepare for the delivery.
We had decided to move the wood stack from its current location in the garage to next to the stables, as we are planning to do some work on the garage later in the year. This meant building a new fence to protect the wood from inclement weather and to prevent it from being blown away. With Paul's expert help in cutting numerous timber planks down to size we finished the fence in good time, so we pulled out the scythes….no rest for the wicked.
As agreed, the first 3 cubic meter load was delivered first thing Monday morning and the mammoth stacking task began. For the entire day wood was being neatly arranged in 2m high rows. Six deliveries later we had our source of heating and hot water for next winter safely tucked away to dry.
Paul, we will remember your efforts when we are warm and toasty this winter!
(PS: for more photos of Paul's visit, look at his instagram feed here)
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
The source of next years hot water and heating! #wood #movetoSWE #woodstacking #paulssonpaleo #blog
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Monday, 13 July 2015
Six Indian Runner Ducklings join the family! Lots more eggs. #movetoSWE #paulssonpaleo #selfsufficient #moreeggs #blog #paleoretreat
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Sunday, 12 July 2015
Our latest guest @pdehoxar showing off his scything skills! #paulssonpaleo #paleoretreat #movetoSWE #grass #selfsufficient #blog
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Friday, 10 July 2015
Ripping weeds out of the driveway feels so much more worthwhile when combined with squatting exercises. #paulssonpaleo #whoneedsagym
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Thursday, 9 July 2015
Foraged from the woods....chanterelles! #paulssonpaleo #selfsufficient #movetoSWE #paleo #primal #blog
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Rainy day means office (floor) work. #paulssonpaleo #moveyourdna #paleo #primal
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Svarta Sara has started laying again. Celebration time! #selfsufficiency #paulssonpaleo
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Wednesday, 8 July 2015
Ray the Rogue Rooster and Other Hen Business
An update on the henhouse is long overdue, so here it goes.
Our rooster Ray is still alive and kicking. Why? Because apparently some guys need to be chased with an axe to shape up. Cat and I are obviously completely inept at killing roosters, so he was given another day to live before we wanted to try again. (Hint to all potential rooster butchers out there: don't try to chase down a bird in broad day light. It will not work and just make you look like an ass. Rightfully so.)
Anyhow, after our failed attempt, Ray got his act together and started showing some of that rather aggressive rooster love for the ladies again. After a month he is even starting to show the ladies where the food is at, so there is hope.
All is well on the hen front. It looks like the ladies have managed to grow the little flock after all, despite our (read: Cecilia's) rather heavy-handed love... Four surviving chicks are perhaps not the greatest track record, but we're happy to see that they've at least made it past the teeny weeny tiny chick stage (I'm sure there is a technical term for that, but you know what I mean, right?).
Who knew that little chicks could die in so many ways? Let me count the ways. Actually, I'll tell you in person next time you come visit, promise. Not for the faint-hearted!
Now that the worst broody stage is over for the hens, we are finally starting to collect some fresh eggs again. About time! Given the poor survival rate of the chicks and the lack of eggs, I did start questioning what the heck we were doing...
Watch this space for more animal updates soon. It feels like we're starting a petting zoo.
Our rooster Ray is still alive and kicking. Why? Because apparently some guys need to be chased with an axe to shape up. Cat and I are obviously completely inept at killing roosters, so he was given another day to live before we wanted to try again. (Hint to all potential rooster butchers out there: don't try to chase down a bird in broad day light. It will not work and just make you look like an ass. Rightfully so.)
Anyhow, after our failed attempt, Ray got his act together and started showing some of that rather aggressive rooster love for the ladies again. After a month he is even starting to show the ladies where the food is at, so there is hope.
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| Ray looking a bit more cocky than a month ago |
Who knew that little chicks could die in so many ways? Let me count the ways. Actually, I'll tell you in person next time you come visit, promise. Not for the faint-hearted!
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| A month and a half old and quite fearless |
Watch this space for more animal updates soon. It feels like we're starting a petting zoo.
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| Vita Vera staring me down |
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Daily Commute
I have been commuting into Halmstad, (the nearest city to us…Sweden’s 20th largest city by population) for a month now to attend SFI classes. That is, Swedish language classes for immigrants. The commute is about 20km each way, which makes it a perfect leg stretcher on the bike and also a prime opportunity for me to see how good cycling in Sweden is.
During my first week, I cycled on the main road leading from Simlångsdalen to Halmstad (E25), this does not have a separate cycle path, but does have amazingly smooth tarmac and is joyously pot-hole free! So, for the first week I whizzed along with the occasional car and lorry passing me, thinking how could this get any better.
It was during the second week that I hit gold! There is a an old railway track that used to connect Halmstad to Bolmen with a station stop in Simlångsdalen. This ceased to operate in 1966 and conveniently was turned in a cycle path and pedestrian walkway. So, I tried this alternative route and for over 15km the only other living souls I encountered were 9 cows chewing the early morning cud! Bliss! Being an old railway track also means that there are no sharp gradients, it runs pretty straight and because in Sweden, pot-hole free. Needless to say, I haven’t looked back.
But, there is a tiny problem. Halmstad is in the process of upgrading this sublime cycle path, so a 3km section is closed! At this point one has to return to the main road (E25) and then jump back on the cycle path closer to Halmstad. This work is due to finish in April 2016, so for now I make do with sharing the smooth tarmac with a car or two for 3km!
Once in Halmstad, cycling is easy too, as you follow the network of cycle paths and when you have to cross over a road, cars must give way to you…perfect! It is a huge contrast to cycling around central London, but then the population of Halmstad is one-third of the population of the Borough of Islington, our old cycling haunt, so I guess the comparison isn’t completely fair. But, as everyone says, the Scandis have cycling cracked!
You can see my route on my strava feed, here.
New trousers for lil T. I made them out of old flour sacks from the Philippines. #reuse #recycle #selfsufficiency #paulssonpaleo
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Monday, 6 July 2015
The chateau allowed for a bit more floor space. :-) #moveyourdna #sleepingonthefloorinfancyplaces #paulssonpaleo
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Sunday, 5 July 2015
Big grass sausage being hoisted into loft! #grass #selfsufficient #paulssonpaleo #blog #movetoSWE
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Cousin It look-a-like! #collectinggrass #fruitsofourlabour #movetoSWE #paulssonpaleo #blog #selfsufficient
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Today is all about raking and drying grass in the sun! #blog #paulssonpaleo #selfsufficient #grass #rakinggrass #collectinggrass
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Saturday, 4 July 2015
Hallway was my bed for two nights. Duvet served as both mattress and blanket. #floorsleeperproblems #moveyourdna #paulssonpaleo
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Wednesday, 1 July 2015
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
And another one from our hike. Gorgeous day and great company! 😘 #paulssonpaleo
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Sunday, 28 June 2015
Busy planning the events for our first guests on Monday #blog #paulssonpaleo #cavemangames #paleofika #movetoSWE
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Last night's catch from the cabbage patch. They're called åkersniglar and are big as boogers. #yuck #selfsufficiency #paulssonpaleo
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Thursday, 25 June 2015
Doing the Little Adder (Yoga in the Commune)
I have been practising yoga on and off for around eight years; to begin with in a gym with loud, thumping music next door, then in the serenity and insense smoke of Triyoga in Primrose Hill and now mostly at home in Kannesten. Yoga is something that clears my mind makes me feel great.
Lately, I have convinced the rest of the family to join in. Some take a bit more convincing than others (cough, cough, pappa), but once in a while we move furniture out of the way and I lead the gang in breathing and stretching. And giggles when I try to explain downward-facing dog and pappa renames the cobra pose "lilla huggorm" (little adder).
I must admit that I find it a bit tricky to lead yoga suitable for all abilities. Initially, I mainly used ashtanga sequences, but I soon saw that it didn't work too well, so now I am including some kundalini and hatha yoga in the practise. Needless to say, I have lots more to learn. At least I have a good group to practise on.
Lately, I have convinced the rest of the family to join in. Some take a bit more convincing than others (cough, cough, pappa), but once in a while we move furniture out of the way and I lead the gang in breathing and stretching. And giggles when I try to explain downward-facing dog and pappa renames the cobra pose "lilla huggorm" (little adder).
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| Not sure this little fella would approve of the cobra pose! |
Wednesday, 24 June 2015
Scrambled eggs and bacon made out o beef tongue. Remarkably good! #paleo #paulssonpaleo
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Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Improvised headgear for scything during gnat season. #paulssonpaleo
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Watching the most gorgeous ram yet getting a haircut and a pedicure. #paulssonpaleo
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Time for indoor work. The gnats are killing me! #selfsufficiency #paulssonpaleo
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Saturday, 20 June 2015
These fellas make me laugh! #happysheep #Gutefår #selfsufficient #paulssonpaleo #paleoretreat #movetoSWE #blog
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Friday, 19 June 2015
Preparing for PaulssonPaleo's first company presentation. Giddy! :-) #paulssonpaleo #primal #paleo
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Thursday, 18 June 2015
Trying Out New Types of Yoga
Enter through this back door on a back street in Halmstad on an early summer's morning to achieve peace and calm. Cecilia and I can highly recommend Kundalini Yoga with Gilla. So relaxing, but still strenuous. Read more about the studio here: Yogastudion Halmstad.
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Heart in a Jar
In preparation for more caveman coffee breaks, we're working on perfecting the beef heart jerky recipe (the paleo balls need no improving, they're a bit too perfect, in fact, nom nom nom).
The result of last night's experiment turned out really well, I am happy to report.
For a jar of crispy-chewy jerky, I used the following:
450 g beef heart from a grassfed cow (Rödkulla from Lindegrens to be precise, name of cow unknown, however)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons applecider vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 thumb of ginger, finely chopped
Black pepper to taste
Day 1
Day 2
Enjoy!
The result of last night's experiment turned out really well, I am happy to report.
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| No, these are not turds in a jar. |
450 g beef heart from a grassfed cow (Rödkulla from Lindegrens to be precise, name of cow unknown, however)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons applecider vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 thumb of ginger, finely chopped
Black pepper to taste
Day 1
- Trim the heart (be sure to remove all fat, especially) and cut into big chunks that will allow you to cut very thin slices.
- Freeze for an hour.
- Cut thin slices with a very sharp knife (or with one of those electrical thingies that slice veeeery thinly).
- Put the slices in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Stir occasionally.
Day 2
- "Hang" the slices on a wire rack and place in the oven at 65 degrees. Keep the oven door slightly ajar with a wooden spoon or similar.
- When the pieces start to shrink and dry up (usually around 2 hours depending on thickness), dislodge them from the rack and put them on a normal baking tray, occasionally stirring them to make sure they dry evenly.
- Really thinly sliced jerky should be dry enough at the 3 hour mark, but depending on how thickly you sliced them, it can take longer. Aim for chewy rather than completely crisp.
- Store in an airtight container, preferrably in a dark place. The fridge is NOT the right place, as the meat will attract moisture.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Practicing my resting squat while reading about movement. #paulssonpaleo #primal #paleo #squat #moveyourdna
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Monday, 15 June 2015
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