Sweet paul

Recipe monday

I have to say that beets are one of my favorite ingredients.

The sweet taste, wonderful red or golden color and so easy to prepare.

The best way is to roast them in the oven.

Place the beets in an oven proof dish, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 300F, 180C until tender.

It takes about 40-60 minutes, all depends on how big the beets are.

Enjoy!

Beet salad with pancetta and peas

The smoky salty pancetta is such an amazing flavor to go with the sweet beets and peas.

Serves 4

 3 golden beets, roasted and peeled

3 red beets, roasted and peeled

100 g pancetta, cubed

4 cups of salad greens

50 g macademia nuts

50 g fresh peas

Dressing:

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

salt

pepper

 

Thinly slice the beets and place them on 4 plates.

Fry the pancetta golden in a pan. Drain it on some kitchen paper.

Sprinkle over the beets.

Add salad greens, macademia nuts and peas.

In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, mustard and lemon juice.

Season with salt and pepper.

Divide the dressing among the plates and serve. 

Photo Colin Cooke

Crafty friday!

Flowers can create a boring chandelier to something magical.

Inside or out this chandelier makes a big statement.

Simply wrap flowers and foliage like ivy around the chandelier.

Fasten with some thin metal wire.

Spray with water to make it last longer.

Its not going to last forever, but will keep beautiful for a few hours.

Photo by Frances Janisch

Have a fab weekend.

Norwegian summer

Summers in NYC can be kinda hard.

Its hot, humid and well.....a bit nasty.

I found these images that I made with Nina Dreyer and Jim Hensley for a book we did some years ago about the norwegian summer.

I don't miss Norway, but I must say a week by the sea of the coast of Norway would be great right now.

Eating freshly cooked prawns and crabs and drinking lots of rose wine.

Recipe monday

Today I'm bringing all my readers back to my childhood in Oslo Norway.

Every summer when the apples stared to ripe my grandmother made this dessert.

In norwegian its called "Tilslorte bondepiker", in english that would be " farmers daughters dressed in veils".

I know, don't ask me why!

All it is is wonderful homemade apple compote, toasted spiced breadcrumbs and sweet whipped cream.

For me, this is the dessert of all desserts.

Enjoy!

Serves 4

 

2 pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into cubes

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup golden raisins

1 tablespoon rum

1/2 cup sugar

 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups whipped cream

Place apples in a large skillet.

Add lemon juice, raisins, rum and sugar.

Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until soft.

About 10 minutes.

Cool.

Heat the butter in a skillet and add breadcrumbs, sugar and cinnamon.

Cook, stirring, until golden brown.

Set aside and cool.

Spoon apple compot, breadcrumbs and cream in layers in 4 glasses.

Serve cold. 

Photos Ellen Silverman

Crafty friday!

This is an idea I did last year for Country Living.

Its a fun and easy way to decorate with flowers.

Just hang a wire over the table and tie ribbons of different lengths.

Tie a paperclip to the end of the ribbons and fasten the flowers to them.

The flowers will not last for hours and hours, but if you place a small amount of wet cotton on the ends of the flowers and secure with some flower tape, they will last for a few hours.

Photo by Frances Janisch.

Have a fab weekend all.

And the winner is...........

The winner of my tote giveaway is Kimberli of The un-organized mom blog.

My friend Claudia picked the winner, Thanks BB.

Thank you to everyone who left such amazing comments.

You make me blush.

Big hugs

Paul

Forest beauty.

This is from a story I did for Elle Deco in Norway some years ago.

I wanted to create this fantasy world in the forest where this beautiful maiden was living.

I really love working outside in the nature, you can never make this kind of light and backdrops in a studio.

Photos by Studio Dreyer Hensley

PS!

Don't forget to leave a comment on last weeks giveaway.

You can still be the winner of my Sweet Paul tote bag.

Recipe monday

Listen to this my friends!

Today is sunday, I woke up early to go to the flee market in Dumbo here in NYC.

I was so excited to go, as I was looking for some props for an upcoming shoot.

And what happened?

I came the, and no flee!

How could they do that to me?

I walked home, totally depressed.

Then it hit me.......the only way to make this day whole again was to make something with chocolate.

So I hit the store and made this recipe for my chocolate and cream cups.

And now, after two servings, life is looking bright again.

Thank you chocolate!

CHOCOLATE AND CREAM CUP

A super  easy and tasty little treat.

Serves 4

 

 

1/2 cup, 125g unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 cup plain flour

1/4 cup, 60g shredded coconut

4 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

 

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon sugar

chocolate sauce, you can use store bought

Preheat oven to 350F.

Beat butter and sugar until pale.

Add eggs, one at a time. Mix well.

Add flour, coconut, cocoa and baking powder.

Mix well.

Pour the batter into a 12 cup buttered muffin tin.

Place in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack

 Cut the cupcakes into cubes and place them in 4 tea cups.

Whisk cream and sugar into loose whipped cream and pour it in the cups.

Use the chocolate sauce to make a pattern.

Serve.

Photo by Colin Cooke

Enjoy!

Crafty friday!

I just love getting presents.

But I also love giving them away, and wrapping them is always lots of fun.

Here I wrapped a book in brown craft paper.

Then I wrapped a piece of wet cotton ball around the stem of a clematis, and cover with floral tape.

Tie it with raffia.

The clematis will stay fresh for a few hours.

Photo by the fab Frances Janisch

I also want to say thank you for all your amazing comments on my giveaway.

Warms my heart!

Have a fab weekend.

300th post giveaway!

This is my 300th post.

So I decided to do a giveaway.

Im giving away one "Sweet Paul for a sweet life" tote bag.

Perfect for all your heavy shopping.

Many of you ask me why I don't post more often.

I post about 3 times a week, I would love to post every day, but as I only blog about my work I don't really have material enough for more postings.

I have been blogging for about two years now, and I enjoy every minute of it.

I really love all your comments and emails.

Leave a comment on this post and you are in the draw for the bag.

Entries will close wednesday 17th, 12am

I also want to tell you all that I now have a "bad times" special for ads on my blog.

Its only $50 for 3 months.

Come on GUCCI, don't let me wait any longer!