Golden Leaves and Toasted Treats

Hi family and friends! I can't believe it's already the second week of October! Where has the time gone? Well, this lovely month is truly becoming one of my favorites. I can't spend enough time outside. The leaves are golden and air crispy; it hasn't even rained yet. This sweater weather is amazing, it's a miracle I get anything done. 

Really? This is where I go to school?! How did I get so blessed? 

It's official, this is my favorite run by far. I can't resist jogging out here every time its warm enough. It's the most liberating feeling to be able to just keep running with no obligations later that day. I think I spent a good few hours out here; nothing better.

Back at school. I always feel like a dork whipping out my camera (gives me flashbacks to the billion photos my mom would take of us..) but I NEVER regret the moments and beauty I capture. Definitely worth it.

Leaves on da grounddd

This picture is up the road (or should I say field?) about a mile from my usual run. Honestly, how can you not just keep running when you're here?

Okay. I'm a little obsessed with these leaves.

But look at the colors!!!

My third class, Gastronomy, started last week and I am already really enjoying it. The course is about sustainable eating in a global environment and is something completely new to me. Next week, we have an excursion to Malmo to do something evironmentally friendly... I'm assuming. Talking about excursions, I also have an excursion to Copenhagen for my Viking Age Scandinavia class next Thursday! While this class didn't turn out to be my faaavorite class of the semester, who could turn down a free trip to Copenhagen?! As for my psych class, I'm proud to say I am still attending the lectures despite my alarm sounding before dawn. Oh! I also started helping a professor in the Cognitive Psychology Dept. with some of his research. He is working with the law school to understand the effects of different wording and phrasing on interrogation methods in court. The surveys are in Swedish and it required me to talk in front of 120 students in large lecture halls, soooo this experience better be worth it...

With everyone moved back to LA, volleyball tryouts and Belles recruitment I've started to miss home a lot more. And how else do you cure these homesick blues?! Food of course. More specifically, traditional American gooey, sugary, heart-threatening treats: S'mores. I badgered my mom until she gave be her secret s'mores recipe and a few girlfriends and I spent a night making them. During the process we learned that Sweden does not have pecans and grocery clerks believe chocolate chips to be located in the chip aisle next to the sour cream and onion... But, never the less, we made do with the adjustments and the dessert came out perfect. I made sure to share some with the Swedes and explain that you're really supposed to make them over a campfire not in an oven.

Yes, that's caramel you see. What you're not seeing is all the brown sugar, butter, and walnuts that made this chocolately dessert even better. Nomnomnom.

While we;re on the topic of food, can you overdose on dairy? Seriously, I eat so much yoghurt, cottage cheese, and milk I don't think my body was made for this! Ugh why does everything have to be more delicious here. As if we didn't have enough sugar in our systems from the s'mores, National Kanelbullar Day took place 4 days ago so obviouslyyy we had to whip up a batch of those babies as well. Kanelbullar is basically a cinnamon roll sans the drippy-Cinnabon-goop on top. It's usually served with coffee during a midday break called a fika.

Do you have any idea how much sugar and butter go into a cinnamon roll? Well I do now and it definitely inspired me to hit the gym twice as hard for the next couple days!

The before product...

Ruthie and I couldn't stop eating the uncooked dough! (Alyssa you would have been so angry haha)

OOOPS. not my finest baking moment HA (shout out to Angela this is why you're our designated baker ;))

But the second batch came out just right!

I was even told they taste just like a Swede made them. Muahaha. Thanks to my corridor mate for giving me this recipe which I shall keep forever!! 

So other things that happened hmmm.. well in case any of you missed my fb post, my sister continues to rock it out on the court (there's physical photo proof this time!) And Buddy took a tough loss this week on the field. BUT since Poly vs Rancho Verde was the featured game, this link of the full game made my whole week! Buddy alsooo took his first SAT which made me weirdly proud (: (And also freaked out since I feel like I was just taking that horrible test, could it have been that long ago?!) Shout out to my best friend in the whole world; Taylor is still da baby but at least she's 20 now hehe. Last Sunday I finally attended a church service at the cathedral in town. It was an international service in English. It was similar to the Catholic mass I'm used to but is technically the Church of Sweden. At the end I pinned Riverside on their map for visitors. People from every corner of the world (for realz this time ANYA!!!) were represented. After, Rebecca and I got to meet some new friends over some free coffee and kanelbullar. Yummy. 

Tomorrow is a taco and sangria kinda night with my Spain travel buddy (and some other good friends, too!). Thursday, my weekend starts with the arrival of the best Miss Betts (hahaha). Really though, I CANNOT wait for this Bruin reunion. You underestimate the number of 8 claps we will be doing. GO BRUBRU'S!!

Thats all for now, 

Xo