Swedish Baked Potatoes

Baked Hasselback Potatoes

This Swedish dish takes its name from Hasselbacken, the Stockholm restaurant where it was first served. The seasoned fancy looking potatoes turn out crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. There's nothing too fancy about these Hasselback potatoes, they are just part-sliced baked potatoes garnished with Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic and some chives. Be careful when you’re cutting them not to go all the way through the potato or you’ll just end up with sliced potatoes!

Ingredients (serves 4)
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed (leave skin on)
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
3 tbsp of olive oil
salt
pinch of smoked paprika
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
chopped chives for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220ºC).
Slice each potato crosswise at 1/8-inch intervals, cutting to within 1/4 inch of the bottom.
Be careful not to slice all the way through. The potato will fan out a bit as it bakes.

Combine olive oil, garlic, salt, smoked paprika and parmesan cheese in a small bowl.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Carefully insert pinches of this mixture in between the slits of the potatoes. Rub the outsides of the potatoes with residual oil.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes. The inside should be cooked through and the outside of the potato should be a bit crispy.

Garnish with additional parmesan and chives!

I like this recipe because you can bake just one in a toaster oven with a much shorter cooking time. I like the use of olive oil instead of butter. I think I might make these tomorrow. I have all the ingredients on hand. Yum.

Recipe source.



Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

Warming The Boots

Delightful storybook illustration by ©Kestutis Kasparavicius



Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

I Want This Dog Too | Video

This wonderful video for a TV advertisement was in my email today. It's fabulous. Promise me you'll watch it and get your day off to a happy start. I want a Harvey too.



Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

Reflection in the Loch, Scotland

An absolutely amazing reflection captured by ©Russell Snowden. My favorite armchair travel photo of the day.



Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

Thanksgiving Place Cards | Free Download

I made some elegant fold-over Thanksgiving place cards for you using an 18th century engraving of a Cornucopia from my antiquarian book on Royal Crests. I probably didn't leave enough room for you to write the name of your guest so you'll have to write small. Sorry. You can use card stock and turn the page around and run it through your printer again and get 6 on one sheet. You can save the image to your photo editing software and print the names on your computer. You know what to do [hopefully].

Have fun decorating your holiday table.

Here is a single place card if you want to start from scratch.

Animals Organizing A Small Space

When you are living in small underground quarters, it helps to have high ceilings. I could look at the charming illustrations in this book all day long. Since childhood, I've always imagined animals living like this.

Brambly Hedge: The Secret Staircase by Jill Barklem

image via flickr

Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

Bedroom for Two Mermaids

So Sweet

I know three little girls who would be drawing straws every night to see which two got to sleep in this room. They're crazy about mermaids.

Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

Home for Thanksgiving

Many of you are or will be traveling home for Thanksgiving.

Be safe.



Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

Antique Caldecott Picture Book For Your Reading Pleasure

AN ELEGY ON THE GLORY OF HER SEX MRS. MARY BLAIZE by Oliver Goldsmith -- Illustrated by Randolph Caldecott This is one of the more difficult to find of Caldecott’s Shilling Picture Books Published in London & New York by Frederick Warne & Co Ltd. Color and black and white plates Printed in color by Edmund Evans Ltd, London. 1885 First Edition.

Vegetable Wellington Turnovers

Autumn inspired, a puff pastry filled with butternut squash, mushrooms and goat cheese. Recipe, image and article from The New York Times. Click on the first link for the recipe and the second link for the article and inspiration. This looks like an elegant vegan dish for the holidays that isn't at all complicated.



Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

House of Cubbies

You know how much I love cubbies and this house is full of them.

Wow.



Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

Why Do We Love Our Desks So Much?

How do creative people set up their desks? Aaron Trinder visited several offices to find out. Some are messy, some are fastidious. This is a very interesting short film about the desks of several famous people.

Desk - Music and Sound Design from Aaron Trinder Film:Motion:Music

My desk is rather like Einstein's.

Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

Best Friends Say Goodnight

Here we are at the end of our first day together. Webster and Piggie only had a few rough spots and Piggie was the snappy one. It seems he doesn't care to share food and/or affection. Webster had his feelings hurt half a dozen times but he let Piggie be the alpha dog. That's the way he is, my Webster. We had four long walks and lots of lap time. Webster almost never goes near the sofa, until tonight. Can you see why?

Will he ever be the same again? Goodnight all.

Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

Sea Otters Holding Hands

"Sea otters hold hands when they sleep,

So they don't drift away from each other."

Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

A French Bulldog Puppy Comes To Visit

Meet Piggie. He will be our house guest for the remainder of November. Webster and I are so excited. So far, both dogs have been on their best behavior. The 6-month-old puppy is quiet, well behaved and very mellow. Webster and I are in love.

My routine has gone out the window for sure. It's either play time, nap time or lap time around the clock now.



Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

Do Want Bacon, Tomato and Cheddar Breakfast Bake with Eggs

I just woke up refreshed and wish I had this for breakfast. Yum. It looks easy and delicious. Perfect for your Thanksgiving guest. Call me when it is almost ready!
Bacon, Tomato and Cheddar Breakfast Bake with Eggs



Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.