Next in our series in which women living all over the world share what they love about the places they know is Therese. Therese is a student of nutrition, food, and culture, with a background in pottery, textile design, and drawing. She combines her artist’s eye with her nutritionist knowledge by sharing beautiful, healthful, and mouthwatering recipes (such as Roasted Pecan Butter and Himalaya Salt, Gingerbread and Buckwheat Granola, and Golden Milk) over at The Baked Apple. Here she describes how she would spend her ideal Saturday, home in her town in Norway.

When I was asked to write about my ideal Saturday, I was immediately inspired. I absolutely love Saturdays and they are very sacred to me. No matter how much I have to do during my week, including the weekend- I believe that there should be a day devoted to nurture the mind, body and soul. For me, that is Saturdays.

My ideal Saturday starts with a sunny and fully rested morning, preferably without an alarm clock. I will slowly stumble out of my bed to go down and prepare my morning tea (which I need every morning, Saturday or not!). I find it very crucial to hydrate the body after roughly eight hours of sleep. I have never (and I will never) start my day with coffee as it drives water out of the body, which will just dehydrate us even more. While drinking my morning tea I like to check up on my emails, blog and social media to see if anything happened over night. If the weather allows it, I love sitting on the porch while slowly waking up to the warm sun, the sound of the birds and the slightly cold breeze.

A part of nurturing my body, mind and soul is my Saturday breakfast. I love making a delicious and nutritious breakfast I would not normally make during the week. For this post, I will include one of my favorite lazy-day breakfasts; Poached eggs on toast. I always make sure to eat a couple of eggs during a day, because it is the most nutritious foods you can find and it keeps me full for a long time. Eggs are cheap, nutritious and if you have a couple of eggs in your fridge you got a meal (hey-ho students!).

After a while when I feel awake and energized I will go out for a walk to my favorite places in the area, especially if the weather is good. As I live in Norway, there are not many sunny days during the winter/spring. Don’t get me wrong- we do have a lot of sun, but sometimes it feels like when we get one day of sun, the next following days are rainy and cloudy. I guess that makes us appreciate the sun even more when it is out. I love walking as a way of clearing my mind, getting some fresh air and slowly warming up the body for my daily yoga practice.The pictures are from the beach in the town I live in, currently with the water far away. This day was especially sunny and amazing- kids playing in the waterfront and their parents relaxing in the sun.

During my walk, or when I am back home, I will practice yoga, which will be exactly what my body needs for that exact day. That is why I love yoga so much, you listen to your body and connect with it in a way that no other ‘activity’ does.

Since I am a true foodie, I love the smell of something freshly baked. For lunch, I would bake something warm, comforting and delicious- like scones, or oatmeal cookies!

Preparing a good pot of dark, steaming coffee also gives me a soothing feeling of relaxation and comfort. My ideal Saturday will then go into a deep chill mode, doing what feels right for that day; writing blog posts, reading up on yoga and having some real me-time. I always make sure to have something delicious prepared for the evening if I feel like watching a movie. As the typical Norwegian that I am, I need almost everything to be ‘koselig’, which means cozy. Norwegians are famous for the need of having cozy stuff and surroundings. It might have something to do with the dark weather we have during the winter months). Lighting up a bunch of candles, a slice of something delicious and nutritious and a movie- my evening is all set!

Thank you, Therese, for sharing with us your perfect Saturday! What a lovely way to wake up, ease into the day, and unwind. I must have some Norwegian heritage, because I, too, have a deep appreciation for all things cozy. Really looking forward to continuing to read all of your recipes over at The Baked Apple!

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