The Tree House

Walking in the woods can simultaneously be calming and exciting. I often get overwhelmed by the grandeur of nature; the sense of other things out there that are larger than I makes me turn inward and ponder my role in it all. At the same time, the potential for adventure (will we see any animals?, will we discover new plants?, or, in particularly extreme cases, what if we get lost?) pushes me forward to walk the new grounds with a racing heartbeat.

The forests are beautiful, simple yet grand, and it is easy to experience a sense of belonging among the trees.

*****

Setnja sumom moze istovremeno biti i umirujuce i uzbudljivo iskustvo. Suma (i sav zivot koji vrvi u njoj) je odusevljavajuce grandiozna. Spoznaja da je svijet prepun stvari koje su vece od mene ucini da se zapitam koja je moja uloga i sta zelim da bude moja uloga u svemu tome. U isto vrijeme, vodi me osjecaj uzbudjenja: hocemo li naici na divlje zivotinje?, hocemo li otkriti nove biljke?, ili, u ekstremnim situacijama, sta ako se izgubimo?

Suma ocarava svojom jednostavnoscu. Ja svaki put osjetim da joj pripadam.

On a lovely, warm summer day, just a few days after I arrived back to Sweden, my family suggested that they take me out for a hike. We'll show you the tree house, G. promised, excitedly. I accepted, excitedly. I believe she would love to live in a tree house, if only it were possible.

We set out for a hike and the road takes us to the shores of Finja lake (Finjasjon). We take in the sight of the calm, dark blue lake, and proceed to walk up a small hill. G. chases butterflies as we climb. The south of Sweden is stubbornly flat, and yet I was surprised with the view at the top: endless green and golden valleys and hillocks spread far in the distance (You can see entire Sweden from here, M. would later joke).

*****

Nekoliko dana nakon sto sam se vratila u Svedsku, moji su predlozili da napravimo izlet u prirodi. Pokazat cemo ti tree house!, obecala mi je G., sa uzbudjenjem. Ja sam prihvatila sa vjerovatno jednakim uzbudjenjem.

Na dvadeset minuta voznje biciklima od naseg grada nalazi se Finja jezero. Odmorili smo se na obali mirnog jezera i nastavili do obliznjeg brda. G. je trcala za leptirovima dok smo se peli uzbrdo. Jug Svedske je tvrdoglavo ravan, i, iako sam to znala od ranije, kad smo stigli na vrh ipak sam bila zatecena: beskrajna zelena i zlatna polja prostiru se u nedogled (M. ce kasnije u sali prokomentarisati: Odavdje vidis citavu Svedsku.).

The tree house was almost at the top of the hill, right at the entrance to the forest. It doubles as a restaurant, blending well with the surrounding nature. We walked in the woods behind it; the sun was peeking through the tall tree branches. Finally, we ended at a flat, sun-kissed hilltop.

G. ran around, her laughter echoing in the stillness around us. She is calling for us, telling us that she has discovered an apple tree. It is perfectly ripe and we pick some of its fruit. Delicious and refreshing. There are also blackberry bushes all around. An unexpected feast.

We rest here, munching on apples and watching the sun set. On our way back home, I realize I have left my jacket behind. G. remembers I dropped it on the ground when I was helping her reach for the apples. We drive back and I climb the hill alone while they all wait for me at the bottom.

*****

Tree house se nalazi na samom vrhu brda, na ulazu u sumu. Koristi se kao restoran, i svojom gradnjom ne narusava prirodni ambijent. Setnju smo nastavili kroz sumu i izasli na osuncan plato na vrhu brda.

G. trci uokolo a njen osmijeh odjekuje u tisini koja je oko nas. Doziva nas, otkrila je drvo jabuke sa savrseno zrelim plodovima. Uberemo nekoliko plodova, socni su i osvjezavajuci. Otkrivamo i grm zrele kupine u blizini. Neocekivana gozba.

Napravimo pauzu ispod jabukovog drveta, uzivajuci u jabukama i posmatrajuci zalazak sunca. Pri povratku kuci, shvatim da sam negdje zaboravila jaknu. Gabi se sjeti da sam je spustila na tlo kad sam joj pomagala da ubere jabuku. Vozimo se natrag do podnozja brda, i dok one ostaju u podnozju, ja se sama penjem uzbrdo.

The sun has already set and a bluish shadow is covering the grass. It is eerily quiet and I hear nothing but my footsteps in the grass; the nature is getting ready to rest for the day. As I am walking to where the apple tree is, I spot my jacket from the distance and breathe a sigh of relief. Someone has found it and hung it on a nearby bush. My heart warms at the thought of a kind stranger.

My jacket in hand, I run down the hill.

Thank goodness you found your jacket, says G. while showing me the photo of the moon that she just took. Thank goodness for this lovely day, I think to myself.

*****

Sunce je vec zaslo i plava sjena prekriva travu. Jezivo je tiho; priroda se sprema za pocinak. Iz daljine ugledam drvo jabuke i na grmu pored, okacena na grani bijeli se moja jakna. Neko nepoznat ju je nasao i okacio na granu grma. Nasmjesim se na pomisao o ljubaznom strancu.
Sa jaknom u ruci, sjurim niz brdo.

G. je sretna jer sam pronasla jaknu. Smijesi se i pokazuje mi fotografiju mjeseca koju je upravo napravila. Ja sam zahvalna na ovom divnom danu.

Apple and Walnut Bundt Cake


Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 vanilla bean
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups grated apples
1 cup roasted, chopped walnuts


Method

Preheat the oven to 200 C (325 F).

Roast walnuts for 5 minutes in a warm oven, stirring occasionally. Whisk oil with sugar, and add eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla seeds. Sift dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking soda). Add to the mixture. Fold in apples and walnuts.

Coat the bundt pan with oil, carefully greasing every nook and cranny. Sift the flour all over the bottom and the sides of the pan. This will help the cake not stick and come out of the pan easily when baked. Bake the cake for 45 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes before removing from the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and serve. Note: I used mini bundt cake pans, and one medium size pan. The measurements in this recipe are meant for a standard size bundt pan.

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Bundt torta sa jabukama i orasima


Sastojci

2 1/2 mjerice brasna
1/2 kasicica soli
1/2 kasicice sode bikarbone
1 stapic vanilije
3 jaja
1 1/2 mjerice secera
1 1/4 mjerice maslinovog ulja
3 mjerice narendanih jabuka
1 mjerica przenih, nasitnjenih oraha


Priprema

Zagrijati pecnicu na 200 C (325 F).

Proprzite orahe u toploj pecnici (oko 5 minuta, uz povremeno mijesanje). Rucno umutite ulje sa secerom, i dodajite jedno po jedno jaje, uz mijesanje. Dodajte i zrna vanilije. Prosijte, ili pomijesajte, suhe sastojke (brasno, sol i sodu). Dodajte ih prethodnoj smjesi i umutite. Umijesajte jabuke i orahe.

Pazljivo nauljite posudu za pecenje bundt torte, prekrivajuci uljem citavu povrsinu. Nakon toga pobrasnite nauljene dijelove. Na ovaj nacin torta ce se nakon pecenja lakse odvojiti od posude. Pecite tortu 45 minuta. Ohladite je 30 minuta prije vadjenja. Pospite mjesavinom cimeta i secera, i servirajte. Napomena: Ja sam koristila manje kalupe i dobila osam manjih tortica i jednu tortu srednje velicine.