As American as Apple Pie

When I was a kid I used to go to my Godparent's house for a least a week every summer. They lived in a small town in Central California where there was not much to do so many of my summers there were spent watching my God Sister Lisa make the most amazing pies .She is one of those people that has an unexplainable ease about her in the kitchen. She was such a natural at such a young age. I clearly remember my sister and I would just sit in their little 1930's yellow and black tiled kitchen and watch her in complete awe. When I make pies I always have a good feeling because it reminds me of those simple times.

I am posting my best attempt at replication of Lisa's Apple Pie. It has been said that there is nothing more American than Apple Pie, but something tells me (after living in Europe for awhile) its origins derive from someplace else.

The apples for this pie came from a neighbor's apple tree, so I guess my American Apple Pie is actually part Swedish. I decided to challenge myself and braid the edge of the pie crust. There is a great article on how to do this at Martha Stewart .com. After I completed the rim this pie really made me think of Lisa because of the long, thick French braid she always wore as a kid. Even though I am across the world from many of my loved ones I try to keep their memory close to me. I make them part of my life even though I am in this kitchen all alone.

Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Growing up in California I have always been around the traditional Mexican Holiday, Dia de Los Muertos. I had a classmate in Junior High School who was from a Mexican Family and one year she took me with them to celebrate the holiday and she opened my eyes to a whole new world. Dia de Los Muertos (or Day of the Dead) is a holiday held on November 1st, when people honor their loved ones that have passed away in the most colorful, vibrant and amazing way possible. People make alters for loved ones in their homes and also go to the cemetery and decorate the graves of family members with lovely tissue flowers, countless candles and marigolds. There is also many special traditional foods prepared for the day,which are all rich with exotic flavor, colorful and delicious. My impression of Dia de Los Muertos is that this is a day the Mexican people celebrate the lives of their loved ones and cherish the great times that they spent together, instead of dwelling in sorrow that they are gone.

  

 I started to enjoy the holiday in a new way after a trip to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico a couple of years ago. We were there during Dia de Los Muertos on chance so I feel really lucky because the timing really did enhance our entire experience.

I feel so lucky that we were able to enjoy so many wonderful things about Mexican Culture and tradition in such a short trip. The beaches, the Mayan Ruins, the art, the food and the people we met were all so amazing. I feel like I just scratched the surface on that trip and look forward to many more adventures in Mexico in the near future. What a country! What a culture!

Swedish Haunted Houses

I live in a small village in the middle of the Skane region of Sweden. This area has many "summer houses" and it's easy to see because many of the really old and charming houses in the village look totally abandon. The photos above and below are taken at one of my favorite forgotten houses right off the main road in town. There has to be at least five bedrooms, a huge yard with a whole separate garage in the back .The word around town is the people that own it have not even come to look at the property for years. There is also a rumor that the house belonged to a family that died while they were on vacation in Thailand during the tsunami in December of 2004 (543 Swedes died). I can't help but wonder what happened, and why they would ever leave a great big old house like this to rot

As fantastic and charming as it is it still looks haunted to me. I don’t know what it is but since I have been living here I have been somehow intrigued by this house .When I pass it at night I always have an urge to go closer and see if there is a light on. During this time of year it looks especially scary with the naked branches, the chill of the autumn air and the still quiet that makes you look behind your back at every slight stir you think you may hear in the bushes. It's like living on a set of the movie Hocus Pocus.

          Happy Halloween Everyone!!!