kareina

I saw a recipe online for raspberry mousse that looked interesting. However, as with nearly all recipes, I thought it called for way more sugar than needed, so I thought about simply reducing the sugar.

Then I noticed that it called for less mascarpone than a single package, but more than half. And, of course our 3 dl package of cream is not equal to the 1 cup the recipe called for, so my adaptations soon took a much larger turn than first planned.

The original recipe said to cook the berries, strain out the seeds, and mix 1 cup of it with gelatine for the mousse, saving the rest for garnish.

However, the amount of berries given meant I wound up with 3 cups berry sauce, and didn't want the bother of saving that much for later, and decided I would put it all in. (note: the original was all raspberry, but didn't have the amount of raspberries in the freezer, so I used just over half raspberry, the rest frozen strawberry.)

Of course, while I used more dairy than the inspiration recipe called for, it wasn't three times as much, which means that the dairy structure can't support that much berry juice, even though I doubled the amount of gelatine I added to the berries, which is why I opted to make it into ice cream:
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I left Sweden on the first flight out of Luleå on Friday morning. I got to the airport early enough to do a yoga session while waiting to board the plane, and had enough time in Stockholm to both spend much too much money on a sweater and do more yoga before flying on to Edinburgh.

sismith42.livejournal.com met me at the airport and we took the buss into town to pick up her daughter, Emily, from school, after which we three had a late lunch at a cafe and then went to their home, where we had just enough time for me to eat another quick snack and them to pack a snack for later before we went right back out the door to head to ice skating. Sadly, while we were within 3 meters of the buss stop when the buss drove past, the driver refused to stop, so, undaunted, we walked 30 minutes to the rink, and then skated for an hour 20 minutes. After skating her friend Paul and his two kids, who go to school with Emily, drove us over to the neighbourhood where Gaita live. First we popped into the youth hostel on the corner so that everyone else could eat a late dinner, and then we went up to the Medieval Dance practice, where we had time to do a few dances before it was really too late to keep the kids out any longer, and we returned home. I had the option of staying later and making my own way back to the apartment, but, since I had gotten up at 04:30 that morning, I decided that sleep mattered more than more dancing.

The next morning I walked with Stephanie to work and admired the fabric store (and bought a feather pillow to use while I am in the UK, and leave with Stephanie afterwards--her "birthday present" (because she is precious). Then my friend Julian met me at the store and we walked 20 minutes to a bus stop (by which point my shins were already wondering about all of skating the day before and the various hills I had been subjecting them too), which we took up to Lauriston Castle and wandered around the grounds a bit, then walked on to the village of Cramond, where we had lunch in the pub (and I had a much needed rest from walking, since we did 1 hr 20 minutes of walking around the "castle" gardens and to the pub).

Then Julian helped me get back to Stephanies, and I had just time to bake her some birthday cupcakes and make a beetloaf before she got home from work and another of her friends, and her son, arrived to help celebrate her birthday. After I ate dinner I made up a ( birthday ice cream recipe )

Sunday morning we returned to the ice rink for yet more skating, before she drove me to the train station for my trip to Durham. It was snowing when I arrived, so aryanhwy and Gwen, who met me at the station, suggested that we take a cab back to their place. Given how slushy and icy the sidewalks were, I was delighted to agree to the suggestion. We had a lovely time visiting, and looking up various queens of Germany for Gwen's school report, and I baked a Swedish style oven pancake for dinner and to have food to pack for lunches. This was a big hit with Gwen, who helped me lick the batter from the mixing bowl with great entusiasm, and asked for thirds of the pancake after it was baked. (She actually asked for fourths, but was told that if she was still hungry she could have a carrot.)

Gwen joined me in yoga before she had to go to bed, and I didn't stay up talking with her parents very much later, since my weekend's adventures had pretty much worn me out. Therefore I woke up nice and early this morning and had time to get everything I needed for today ready, and had just finished microwaving myself some museli as hot porridge when Gwen came down stairs and asked for help making her morning oatmeal. This meant that she was nearly done eating before her mom came downstairs for her own breakfast, and we were soon out the door. I walked with them as far as Gwen's school (right by the cathedral) and then continued on to the Post Graduate Induction session. The walkways were somewhat slippery, as yesterday's slush had re-frozen in the night, and was starting to melt again, but I got to the induction on time anyway. The morning was full of info-dump "everything you need to know to survive being a post-grad student at Durham", and I made good progress on my nålbinding project as I listened. The session ended with free lunch (sandwichs and wraps with fresh fruit and potato chips), and the vegetarian options were edible, as was the fruit.

Then I wandered over to my advisor's office and we had a good chat about what I will be doing and what I need to do in the next few weeks, followed by a tour of the building. By that time it was almost 16:00, so I called it good for the day and went back to the apartment, where I got a nap till Aryanhwy and Gwen got home, then I joined them for dinner, after which I had time to catch up on LTU email and answering questions of one of our PhD students before it was time for Gwen and I to do yoga before she went to bed. Now It isn't even 21:00 yet, and I am seriously considering going to sleep myself, even though I haven't yet opened the books my advisor lent me.

Tomorrow my first time commitment is lunch with the vice-president of my College, and I will decide in the morning if I will work from home in the morning, or go use one of the department "hot desks" before my lunch date.