lørdag 28. oktober 2017

Weekend Cooking; Recipe for Norwegian Lapskaus

As I promised a while ago (see this post), I would write down and post my recipe for Norwegian Lapskaus. The beauty of Lapskaus is that it's easy to tweak it, depending on what you have at hand and your own preferance, it's no big deal, though I would recommend that the absolute basic needs to be at least potatoes, carrots and meat + some extra root vegetables.

While prepping for the dish, I would recommend chopping everything in the same size (preferably bite sized) so it cooks evenly, but you don't need to chop while using a measuring tape, so don't panic if it's not perfect.
Here's the recipe.

Norwegian Lapskaus
3-4 potatoes
1 small pack of mini carrots
1 leek
1 parsley root
1 small rutabaga
Around 400 grams Norwegian meat patties (can be substituted with some kind of meat balls)
7,5 dl stock
1 tablespoon corn flour

Chop all vegetables and place everything except the corn flour in a pot. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 45 minutes. In the end, add the corn flour and stir well, allowing it to thicken the dish a bit.

Serve with bread.

fredag 27. oktober 2017

Friday Finds; My Favourite Items From IKEA's VÄSSAD Collection

It's no secret that I really love IKEA and recently they launched a new collection called VÄSSAD. It was a lot of great items in this collection and today I wanted to show you my favourites.

From top left; rugchairtablestorage boxblanket and chandelier.

Did any of these items catch your eye? Feel free to comment below.

torsdag 26. oktober 2017

Thursday Movie Picks Halloween/Television Edition; Horror

It's yet another Thursday, which means it's time for a new Thursday Movie Picks post, thanks to the blogger behind Wandering Through the Shelves. The theme of the week was horror TV-series and here are my picks.


Sleepy Hollow; Modern-day retelling of the short story from 1820.

Penny Dreadful; It plays around with classic horror stories and Victorian London.

Bates Motel; For the fans of the original Psycho movie.

tirsdag 24. oktober 2017

Making a Home; 10 Free Halloween Printables

It's soon Halloween (yay!). For those of us who celebrate Halloween, we all know that sometimes things may cost a bit, so today I wanted to share with you 10 free Halloween printables, just to make life a bit more bearable. I believe that things don't always have to cost a fortune to make it fun.

Stock photo from Pexels
So here they are, the 10 free Halloween printables.
Printable Halloween Trick or Treat Chalkboard Art
Please Stop In For A Spell Halloween Printable
Skull Sign Halloween Printable
Halloween Bookmarks
Spooky Halloween Bookmarks
Candy Box
Free Harry Potter Drink Printables
Beware Halloween Printable
Free Halloween Tags
Halloween Treat Labels

Do you have any recommendations of great printables or other fun stuff/tricks to make the Halloween celebration a bit cheaper? Feel free to comment below.

mandag 23. oktober 2017

Menu Plan Monday Week 43

It's Monday again, which means it's time for another Menu Plan Monday post thanks to Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Sometimes I wonder what it is with my freezer and me? It "always" seems to fill up more quickly than I manage to do a destash. Oh well, luckily it means that I've got enough dinners for a while and need to do another "mini destash". That's where menu plans come in handy (aka have a bit of circulation).
Stock photo from Pexels
Here's my menu plan for this week.
Monday; Breaded Plaice
Tuesday; Mexican Stew
Wednesday; Leftovers
Thursday; Fish & Chips
Friday; Creamy Chicken Stew
Saturday; Leftovers
Sunday; Fish & Chips

What's on your menu plan for this week? Feel free to share below.

søndag 22. oktober 2017

Last Minute Halloween Costumes

(This post contains affiliate links.)

Some of us may be a bit late in purchasing this year's Halloween costume. Some might have gotten a last minute Halloween-party invitation. What to do when there's only little over a week left before Halloween?

One thing could very well to purchase a ready-made Halloween costume and
CoolStuff has a large assortment, both for women, children and men. An added bonus is that they have various make up, contact lenses and so on as well, so you can buy everything you need at once.

Have you figured out your costume yet? If you have, feel free to comment below what/who you will be dressing up as.

Halloween Sminkesett | Zombiefangekostyme ? medium | Vampyr Kostyme Standard | Day Of The Dead Senorita Large | De dødes dag ? Frida-parykk | Zombiejente i pyjamas kostyme barn ? large | Gotisk Nonne Kostyme Small |

lørdag 21. oktober 2017

Weekend Cooking; Rustic Apple Cake

(This post contains affiliate links.)

I'm not going to deny that I really enjoy a good apple cake and there is a bit of comfort eating it freshly baked in the autumn. An added bonus is if I have some vanilla custard or ice cream at hand (yes, it is indeed possible to eat apple cake with vanilla ice cream). Today I wanted to share with you an easy recipe for a rustic apple cake that I sometimes make.


Rustic Apple Cake
150 grams flour
150 grams sugar
150 grams melted butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice
2 eggs
About 4 apples, in wedges

Blend all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt the butter and pour over. Mix it a bit to let the butter cool. In a seperate bowl, whisk the two eggs together and pour over the blend. Mix well.

Pour the batter in a circular cake mould and place the wedged apples on top. Bake for about 30 minutes on 175 degrees Celcius.

Best served luke warm, preferably with some vanilla custard or a scoop of ice cream.

fredag 20. oktober 2017

Friday Finds; Autumn Playlist

Even though I haven't blogged too much about it, I'm a huge music lover and I can't go a day without listening to it. Considering it is autumn at the moment, I've created an autumn-inspired playlist on Spotify that I wanted to share with you.

It's a great variety of bands and artists on the list, from Enya to The Kinks and a lot in between, so I would guess there's something for a lot of you on this list.

torsdag 19. oktober 2017

Thursday Movie Picks - Halloween Edition; Body Horror

It's Thursday again, which means it's time for yet another Thursday Movie Picks (Halloween Edition) post, thanks to the blogger behind Wandering Through the Shelves. The theme of the week was body horror and here are my picks.


Eraserhead; Something for the fans of David Lynch.

The Thing; For John Carpenter fans.

Cabin Fever; For Eli Roth fans.

tirsdag 17. oktober 2017

Making a Home; 13 Ghoulish Recipes To Try This Halloween

As Halloween is a big celebration for some of us, which means we probably need to make some food and/or drink(s). I've found 13 recipes one could consider making for Halloween. Some are more suitable for adults, while some might be more suitable for the kids, so feel free to pick as you like.

Stock photo from Pexels
Here they are;
Bloody Black Currant Punch
Glow in the Dark Cupcakes
Chocolate Marshmallow-Ghost Cake and Mini Cupcakes
Apple Bobbing Punch
'Candy Corn' Fruit Cups
Tangerine Pumpkins + Banana Ghosts
Fossil Cookies
Jack-O-Lantern Cocktail
Witches Brew
Marsmallow Witches
Black Widow Dip
Soul Cakes
Samhain Beef Stew

mandag 16. oktober 2017

Menu Plan Monday Week 42

It's Monday again, which means it's time for another Menu Plan Monday post, thanks to Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie. I have a hunch that the weekend this week is going to be a little bit hectic; not only am I going to attend Dewey's Readathon, but there is a big farmers market I want to visit as well. Hopefully I will manage to do both.
Stock photo from Pexels
Regardless of plans, I still need to eat and here's my menu plan for this week;
Monday; Leftovers from Monday
Tuesday; Breaded Plaice
Wednesday; Norwegian Potato Dumplings
Thursday; Fish Cakes
Friday; Leftovers from Thursday
Saturday; Pizza Horns
Sunday; Pizza Horns

lørdag 14. oktober 2017

Weekend Cooking; 10 Harvest Inspired Recipes To Try This Autumn

Those of you who have followed the blog a bit, probably know by now that I really enjoy the autumn. One of the things that I really love about the autumn is all the yummy food and today I wanted to write a short round-up of ten harvest inspired recipes to try this autumn. I'm a firm believer that it's important to eat yummy food and when it gets colder and darker, a good meal can be a real pick-me-up.

Stock photo from Pexels
In regards of a foodie pick-me-up, feel free to check out these harvest inspired recipes.
Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Fall Harvest Pizza w/Roasted Butternut, Cider Caramelized Onions + Bacon
How To Make the Ultimate Autumn Harvest Cheese Board
Harvest Stew With Smoked Sausage
Fall Harvest Cider Roasted Chicken with Walnut Goat Cheese + Grapes
Happy Harvest Soup
Heirloom Tomato Galette with Honey + Thyme
Oven Roasted Cardamom Plum Jam
Acorn Squash Stuffed With Apples, Nuts and Cranberries
Caramelized Balsamic Goat Cheese Pasta
Maple Cream Sweet Potato Soup with Cheddar Cinnamon Sugar Twist

fredag 13. oktober 2017

Friday Finds; DIY Halloween Costume Ideas

Stock photo from Pexels
Considering it's October and soon Halloween, I just couldn't resist writing about Halloween costumes, especially today as it's Friday the 13th. Yeah, I know I'm a bit weird like that.

Regardless of weirdness, here's a few ideas for Halloween costumes;
13 Easy Last Minute DIY Halloween Costumes
20+ Creative DIY Halloween Costumes For Kids With Lots Of Tutorials
How to make a Queen of Hearts teacup fascinator from playing cards
Hocus Pocus: My Halloween Party Animals Costume
Princess Poppy Costume DIY (Free Pattern)

Do you have any great Halloween costume ideas? Feel free to share below in the comment section.

torsdag 12. oktober 2017

Thursday Movie Picks - Halloween Edition; Dolls

It's Thursday again, which means it's time for a new Thursday Movie Picks (Halloween Edition) post, thanks to the blogger behind Wandering Through the Shelves. The theme of the week is dolls, and here are my picks.


Tourist Trap; Sometimes an old horror movie is all you need.

Annabelle; Inspired by a real doll.

Child's Play; One thing for sure - not all dolls are cute and innocent.

onsdag 11. oktober 2017

Giveaway; An Autumn-Inspired Gift Set

I decided it was time for hosting another giveaway on Add Norwegian Lifestyle, since my last one went so well as it did. I'm participating yet again in a giveaway hop and this time it is the 2nd Annual Howl -O- Ween Event (Formerly Bugs & Hisses), hosted by The Mommy Island and The Kids Did It.
The price you can win is a gift set I've put together, consisting of a felted pumpkin from Sonnentaucher Felt, pumpkin spice soy wax melts from Children of Artemis and a pack of Chai-spiced black tea from Cemo, that I purchased at Kitchn.





tirsdag 10. oktober 2017

Making a Home; My Favourite Items From the IKEA and Hay Collab

I'm not going to deny that I'm a huge fan of IKEA and thoughout the years I have purchased quite a few items from there. Among other things, my lovely bright red desk is from that Swedish warehouse.

Recently IKEA launched a new collection, in which they had collaborated with the Danish designers behind HAY. After looking through this collection, I've gathered my favourites, which includes wooden items.

YPPERLIG table in ashYPPERLIG grey table in birchYPPERLIG blanketYPPERLIG bench in beechwoodYPPERLIG stool in beechwood and YPPERLIG pillowcase.

You can find the rest of the collection here. What is your favourites and do you have any plans on purchasing any items? Feel free to share below.

mandag 9. oktober 2017

Menu Plan Monday Week 41

It's a new week, which means it's time for Menu Plan Monday again thanks to Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie. At the moment I'm trying to have a bit of a destash of stuff in the freezer (again!) and I have to say that having a menu plan helps out a lot in organizing that destash. I found out that I among other things had a few leftovers from earlier dinners in the freezer and this week I will try to eat them up.
Stock photo from Pexels
Here's my menu plan for this week.
Monday; Norwegian Rice Porridge
Tuesday; Fish Gratin
Wednesday; Potato And Corn Chowder
Thursday; Fish Gratin
Friday; Tomato Soup With Tortelloni
Saturday; Chicken With Sauce
Sunday; Spaghetti Bolognese

What's on your menu plan for this week?

søndag 8. oktober 2017

Autumn Fashion Inspiration For Women

As it is officially autumn at the moment, I'm in need for some outfit inspiration to spice things up a bit. Or at least to prevent myself from going into a rut and doing "the same" outfits over and over again. I guess I'm not the only one, so today I decided to write a post highlighting some of the inspiration I got from Instagram recently. Yay for Instagram.

Et innlegg delt av Fashion Blogger Erin Moskal (@fashionmamaaquarius)



Et innlegg delt av Woodstock Vibes (@woodstockvibes)




lørdag 7. oktober 2017

Weekend Cooking; 20 Pumpkin Recipes to Try This Autumn

As it's finally proper autumn at the moment, a lot of people crave anything pumpkin. I must admit that as a Norwegian, I rarely make anything containing it, though I can "get" why some people go crazy about those big orange things. Me? I'll stick to a random PSL from Starbucks and use some fake pumpkins in different varieties in the home decor.

Regardless of whether or not I'm into using pumpkins in food, I still wanted to share a few pumpkin related recipes for those of you who actually eat pumpkins. I've divided them into three sections; savoury, sweet and beverages, which means that there is a fair chance you'll find a suitable recipe for your needs. Enjoy!

Stock photo from Pexels
Savoury
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Pumpkin Thyme Mac and Cheese
Pumpkin Bisque With Wild Rice
Thai Red Curried Pumpkin Soup
Mexican Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin Chestnut Soup
Pumpkin Soup with Sage and Bacon
Pumpkin Alfredo

Sweet
Mini Pumpkin Gigerbread Trifles
Pecan Praline Pumpkin Cake
Pumpkin Spice Latte Pancakes for One
Pumpkin Spice Loaf With Cinnamon Frosting
Pumpkin Roll
Whisky Pumpkin Shortbread Parfait
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting
Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler
Pumpkin Spice French Macarons

Beverages
Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate
Slow Cooker Gingerbread Pumpkin Lattes
Spiked Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes

fredag 6. oktober 2017

torsdag 5. oktober 2017

Thursday Movie Picks - Halloween Edition; Masks

It's Thursday and probably time for a new Thursday Movie Picks post, thanks to the blogger behind Wandering Through the Shelves. The theme of the week is masks (and Halloween) and here are my picks.


The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974); an iconic horror classic.

Friday the 13th (1980); another iconic horror classic.

Halloween (1978); a third iconic horror classic.

tirsdag 3. oktober 2017

Fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness

October is the month of breast cancer awareness and because of that I decided to run a fundraiser for the Pink Ribbon cause. The site I'm doing it on is found here and all the money goes to the Norwegian Breast Cancer Association/Norwegian Cancer Association. It's an important cause, so please feel free to help me achieve the goal of NOK 5000. There's so many that gets affected by the disease and it would be nice to end it, or the very least make it a bit more bearable for those who got it.
Stock photo from Pexels
For more information about breast cancer in general, you can check out Breastcancer.org.

mandag 2. oktober 2017

Menu Plan Monday Week 40

It's Monday, which means it's time for a new Menu Plan Monday post, thanks to Laura at I'm An Organizing Junkie. It's finally October, which means that the autumn-lover in me is hopping up and down of joy. Last month I even had my first PSL of the season, so yeah, I'm pretty content at the moment.
Stock photo from Pexels
No matter the season, I still need to eat and here is my menu plan for this week.
Monday; Spaghetti Bolognese
Tuesday; Leftovers from Monday
Wednesday; Fish Fingers
Thursday; Lasagna
Friday; Breaded Cod
Saturday; Heinz Tomato Soup
Sunday; Fish Gratin

What's on your menu plan for this week if you have one?

søndag 1. oktober 2017

21 Days Hygge Challenge

(This post contains affiliate links)

I would guess a lot of you has come across the entire "hygge"-trend in the last year or so. Even though the focus has been on the Danes in most of the articles etc, we do have the same concept in Norway, though a lot of us Norwegians use the word "koselig" instead. The French blogger behind A Frog in the Fjord has written a post about the concept here.

Stock photo from Pexels

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept, it is partially about the warm, cozy, welcoming feeling. Let's face it; Norway, at least the area where I live, aren't blessed with nice and warm weather all year around (we often do have both rain and sun - sometimes even at the same time - during one day), so we often need a bit of a mental "pick me up" in one way or another. There's a reason why Norwegians often seem reserved at times - there is no fun in being outdoors when the rain rains horizontal. Needless to point out; the Norwegian saying "There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes" is busted, though this specific mentality of making the most/best out of a situation is crucial.

Meik Wiking, who has written The Little Book of Hygge : The Danish Way to Live Well, points out 10 important pillars in terms of all things hygge/koselig; atmosphere, presence, pleasure, equality, gratitude, harmony, comfort, truce, togetherness, and shelter. Look at hygge/koselig as creating intimacy of the soul infused with warmth and presence while celebrating the everyday things. In a sense one can claim that hygge/koselig is a Scandinavian form of mindfulness.

Now, over to the 21 days hygge challenge. I wanted to create a challenge you all can participate in, if you want to tap into the concept of hygge/koselig, starting today. If you are in Instagram, feel free to take some photos and use the hashtag #addnorlifehyggechallenge.
  1. Light some candles, whether it's some simple white ones or one with a fancy scent.
  2. Have breakfast in bed. There is a certain luxury in spending some extra time in bed, so feel free to make a cozy space with plenty of layers; pillows, blankets, you name it.
  3. If you are fortunate enough to have a woodburning fireplace, light a fire tonight and just relax in front of it.
  4. Add some wooden home decor, like these wooden candle holders found at Etsy.
  5. Try a new cooking or baking recipe, esp if it is some kind of comfort food.
  6. Add a blanket/throw of wool to your home. Lucky Hanks at Etsy has some really nice ones.
  7. Invite a few close friends over for an informal get-together. Bonus if it's over some yummy wine and a board game.
  8. Banish the clutter. It is so much easier to relax and breath in more ways than one if there is no clutter around (IKEA has a lot of fun and fancy storage solutions) and let us be real; there is a reason why Marie Kondo has sold millions of her bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
  9. Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate while relaxing.
  10. Go for a hike WITHOUT the cell-phone/ipod/fancy gadgets. Allow your senses to take in the scenery by sight, sound, scent etc (photo camera allowed).
  11. Display some of your treasured memories. Family/vacation photos, concert/theatre prints, you name it. Find a nice way to display those memories.
  12. Embrace the old and imperfect. There is something about an old handknitted blanket that your grandmother has made that states hygge more than multiple brand new designer lamps.
  13. Unplug for an evening and invite som friends over. Cheese and wine or board game night?
  14. Find a place you can volunteer (and actually volunteer), either at a soup kitchen, a women's shelter, an animal shelter or somewhere else close to heart.
  15. Have a "me" weekend - do whatever that is "you": take a bubble bath, read a good book, have an alone-date at a museum or a coffee shop...
  16. Buy yourself some nice flowers and put them in a vase. They doesn't have to cost a fortune.
  17. Create something; it could be a painting, do some knitting or another creative outlet you enjoy doing.
  18. Write a letter to someone and post it; it could be to an international pen friend or it could be your grandmother. It's up to you (though pen friend and grandmother are just suggestions).
  19. Plant those bulbs that will grow in the spring, like daffodils and tulips. There is something soothing to do some gardening.
  20. Make a cozy nook in your home. Think a comfy chair, a blanket and a small side-table to put your tea and book.
  21. Buy or knit some comfy socks. At this time of year, some socks to keep your toes toasty is almost a "must".

What is your thoughts on hygge/koselig? Are you familiar with it? Feel free to comment below.