Sweden

This week I have a fellow Viking Princess visiting the blog - Jessica from SWEDEN. She is so Swedish that she has earned the nickname "the Swede." We both attended Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri at the same time and people kept asking us if we had met each other. It took quite a while for us to actually meet, but when we did we bonded instantly over many things such as good Mexican food and Margaritas. 

My blog is called “Being a Viking Princess”, what does that “name” mean to you? Being a strong female in and out, and being a role model inspiring others to be the same.

Any website/blog/podcasts that lifts your spirit? Etsy.com and Pinterest.com are very inspirational and I often look to them for inspiration for designs on jewelry to make. Also any travel site. For a lover of travel, even dreaming of a place to visit lifts my spirit.

What is the most underrated veggie in your opinion? Parsnip. Great done in the oven, pan fried, boiled and mashed – like potatoes, but better for you.

Do you have a favorite inspirational quote and if so, what is it? “Det gör inget” in Swedish, translated to “it doesn’t matter”. “Oh no, it started raining!” “It doesn’t matter!” Helps one relax and not get upset over things one cannot control or change. Just see possibilities in every situation.

Have you ever been on a trip and discovered a new healthy food/spice that you now have incorporated into your everyday diet? If so where did you go and what kind of food/spice? Cumin is commonly used in Mexican food and that is definitely a spice I use on a regular basis in my cooking nowadays. It smells like a sweaty armpit, but makes any meat taste fantastic.

If money and time was no object, where would you go for an active vacation in your home country? Gotland. Hiking, biking, sailing and swimming.

What type of exercise are you currently doing, if any? Walking and biking.

Any “ritual” you do every night to end the day on a good note, and if so what is it? Saying I love you to my best friend.

Jessica, thank you! I will try to live more by your "It doesn't matter" and also try using the "sweaty armpit spice", cumin, in my future cooking extravaganzas!