HEN HOUSE IN THE GARDEN

It's becoming more and more popular in Finland to raise chickens in your own garden. You just need a small cottage (for hens to sleep in and to lay their eggs), and a yard to wander around (for finding natural snacks). Some say that even a balcony of a apartment house would do, but that's rather a humorous image and I doubt any neighbor would like to hear cackle next door.

The advantage of your own "garden hen farm" is that you know how your flock live and what they eat. Brown chickens lay brown eggs, with the deepest yellow yolk you have ever seen! The commercial mass production of eggs and poor living conditions of the chicken make it easy to appreciate the eggs of your own garden.

You don't necessarily need a rooster to lead the hen community, but chickens seem to like a handsome cock. Plus, you'll get eggs that can, in 21 days, be incubated to new little chicks. Cocks are natural alarm clocks, as well... So... Before buying a rooster, you'll first need to negotiate with neighbors.

In the end of the summer garden farms close down. It's time to return the rented chickens to the owner, or sell your hens to a real farm. Some "summer farmers" make a harvest party, and all their  chickens end up in a casserole. Usually home farms are occupied only during summer months... But some families cannot give up their pet- chickens in the end of the summer and make the hen-cottage winter proof. The electric radiator (up left, on the wall) keeps the temperature steady even if it's freezing outside.

Garden chickens give modern city slickers a sympathetic glimpse of an old fashioned country life.
That must be the secret of their popularity.

"VERY BERRY"

This is the time of the year you see Finns crawling in the nature. If you only go to the forest once a year, this is it. The hummocks are covered with blueberries; dark blue dots all over. Finns pick lots of berries, and earn some extra money by selling them at the markets for those who do not have time or energy to pick the berries themselves. Yet, 90% of the harvest rotten every year in the forest. Planeloads of berry pickers arrive all the way from Thailand to secure the harvest will not be left unpicked.

This summer my retired mom has picked 145 liters of blueberries, so far. When the autumn rain starts, she finances herself a ☀︎holiday with the berry-money.

"Mom, the blueberry-queen"

Me? Well, long way to go. My saldo is only 3 liters, and it took forever to pick even that. The "professionals" use picking tool, but amateurs, like me,  pick the blue delicacy one by one.

In my childhood, I learned to enjoy the woods, wonder around and pick berries... just enough to have a sweet snack.

"ME, COUPLE OF YEARS AGO (blue eyes & blue teeth)."

Strawberries are cultivated, but farmers offer better prices for those willing to pick the red delicacy themselves... So, again you'll see Finns crawling along the endless (that's how it feels when you start from one end of the line) strawberry fields.

We have a saying in Finland "muu maa mustikka, oma maa mansikka" = "other country blueberry, own country strawberry". That tells how much Finns love strawberries. There's nothing better than homemade strawberry jam, or juice, or a cake...

LIGHTHOUSE PICNIC

My dear friend decorates her home "the beach house"-style. Seashells and lighthouses are part of her everyday life... She's a barefoot "city girl", though, and has never even visited outer archipelago, the very last islands before there's only Baltic Sea in front of your eyes.

What would be a better place to celebrate her birthday than a small island called SÖDERSKÄR?!
So, I booked us a cruise from our capital city to the lighthouse-island, which is only one and half hour   boat ride away.

This is the ecxact location of the historical island.

The 150 years old lighthouse has got 6 floors and rises up to 40 meters above the sea level.

Suspension bridge connects another small island to the main island.

In the end of the shaky bridge there is a birdwatchers observatory. The Söderskär first bird research started already at 1940's. It's the longest continuos monitoring of the arctic birds spring and autumn migration in the whole world.

Fascinating?! There're so many interesting stories, also about the light house itself, but no island visit is complete without a picnic?!

TABLE IS SET!

ONNEA = CONGRATULATIONS (blueberry-whitechocholate cake)!!!

CHEERS, CITY-GIRL, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! AND GREETINGS TO EVERYONE FROM THE "MUST VISIT/DAY-TRIP FROM HELSINKI".

BREAKFAST ON THE PIER

We've stopped wining about the weather and started adding extra layers of wool around us... And carrying raincoat everywhere with us. Like this morning, when the wind blew so strongly that it was difficult to stand on the bonton-built-pier. Waves rocked the pier side to side, like it was a boat. (It was fun though!)

We in Finland believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Therefore our breakfast often contains more savory than sweet treats. We also have a saying "runis se on mikä tiellä pitää" meaning "it is the rye that keeps you going". So, breakfast is not complete without dark rye bread, or karelian pies (rice filled rye pies).

Karelian pies are made out of rye-dough, and filled with potato-mash or rice porridge.

So, now you know it; rye is our our superpower!

ICE CREAM SEASON

KESÄ means SUMMER in Finnish. It's finally here, the hunt is over, we've got it! We have just celebrated the longest day, the nightless night, that marks the "official" beginning of the Scandinavian summer. A Finnish summer is not a Finnish summer without simple lifestyle @ countryside, with grandma's crochet curtains, lakeside sauna and ice cream, lots of ice cream...

This IS the season of ice cream, regardless of the weather. Finns understand it's summer, simply by licking the ice cold treat. Everywhere you look, you see someone giving long and intense tong-kisses to their ice cream cones.

Nothing beats the taste of homemade ice cream. The traditional Finnish recipe dates back to the beginning of the 1900-century, and can easily be prepared even without an ice cream machine.

☀ HAPPY ICE CREAM SUMMER TO ALL ! ☀

TRADITIONAL FINNISH ICE CREAM

1 vanilla pod
200 ml cream
3 egg yolks
50 ml caster sugar

Using a knife, split the vanilla pod lengthways. Pour the cream into a saucepan, add vanilla and bring to boil. Lift the vanilla pod up, scrape the black seeds out of the pod with a small knife back to the cream. Discard the vanilla pod and bring the cream back to boil.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is thick and foamy. Gradually pour on the hot cream, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a moderate heat until the custard thickens.

Let cool and pour into the ice cream machine, churn the mixture until it's thick, then scrape it into a freezerproof container. Freeze until ready to serve.

OR, if you don't have an ice cream machine: Pour the mixture into a freezerproof container and freeze for 6 hours or until firm, beating twice with a fork to break up the ice crystals.

➪ Hint: you can make variations, just leave the vanilla pod out of the recipe and add your favorite flavor to the custard before freezing. For example peppermint essence, food colouring or mango puree for babies give an exiting kick to the basic recipe!
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GRANNIE'S RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE ICE CREAM CONES

3 eggs
180 g caster sugar
150 g all purpose flour

Mix eggs, sugar and flour until combined. Line a baking tray with a baking paper. With palette knife, spread a thin layer of the mixture onto a baking tray (diameter 20 cm). Bake one cone at a time in a 200 C degrees oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the edges turn golden.

Remove the round waffle gently from baking paper, using a sharp knife as a help. Roll the waffle into a cone shape immediately so that the surface which was facing the baking tray (=bottom) will become the exterior.
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ITALIAN STYLE LEMON ICE CREAM

3 lemons
1-3 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tablespoon Limoncello licor
150 ml double cream

Squeeze the juice of one lemon and grate the yellow part of the chest finely. Cut 2 lemons lengthwise, squeeze the halves in top of the juice bowl, so that the juice falls into the bowl, and spoon out the flesh.

Mix the juice, grated chest and sugar in a bowl, taste and add sugar according to your taste. Whisk the cream until stiff peaks form. Season the whipped cream with Limoncello. Gently fold the cream and the juice mixture until well combined.

Fill the halved lemons with the ice cream mixture, even the surface with a palette knife. Arrange lemon ice creams in a freezerproof container and freeze overnight.

Just before serving cut each piece into half, so that you'll get 8 slices.

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INDIAN STYLE KULFI-ICE CREAM
1 1/2 litres milk
8 cardamom pods (or 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds)
4 tablespoons sugar
20 g shelled, finely chopped almonds
20 g shelled, finely chopped pistachios
4 disposable paper cups

Combine milk and cardamom pods in a large pan, boil and simmer uncovered until one third is evaporated and you have about 1 litre left. Stir often. Add sugar, stir until dissolved.

Strain the mixture into a large bowl, discard cardamom pods and stir in almonds and nuts. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Pour the mixture into a freezerproof container and freeze for an hour. Break the ice crystals with a fork, and return the container to freezer. Repeat once more after another hour, then divide the kulfi mixture among 4 paper cups, cover with foil and freeze until firm. Just before serving, tear off the paper cup and turn kulfi onto serving plates.
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ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

your favorite cookies
home made ice cream

Sandwich two cookies together with a tablespoon of soft ice cream. Pile the ice cream sandwiches into a freezerproof container and freeze for an hour before serving.
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OVEN ICE CREAM

3 egg whites
115 g caster sugar
berries or/and fruits
vanilla ice cream
ovenproof molds or cups

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff. Gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until the meringue is thick and glossy. (Stop whisking when peaks form, too much of whisking makes the meringue grainy).

Arrange ice cream and fruits or/and berries into the serving cup, and using a palette knife spread a thick layer of the meringue over each cup, making sure the meringue meets the edge of the cup and seals in the ice cream.

Bake oven ice creams for about 4 minutes in a 200 C degrees oven until the peaks are pale golden. Serve immediately.

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BERRY POPSICLES

200 ml caster sugar
200 ml water
500 ml pureed berries
popsicle moulds

Measure sugar and water into a saucepan, bring to boil and simmer until sugar is dissolved and the syrup turns clear.

Mix berry puree and the syrup, let cool. Pour into the moulds, insert sticks and freeze for 6 hours or until frozen.

➪ Hint for adults only: a dash of Vodka turns these popsicles into frozen summer-shots.