My Life as a Finn

Hyvaa Itsenäisyyspäivä Kaikkille

2011-12-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

Terve kaikkille

I recall in 1992 celebrating Independence Day in Finland in a small town in Finland, visiting an old church with sand floor. It was truly a remarkable experience. I also remember this day because three years prior to this one of my very good friends passed away. So December 6th is always a day to pray, a day to be thankful, a day to reflect.
That's what I have been doing today and remembering good friends and good times :-)

I sent greetings to my family in Finland as they all were watching the celebrations on TV....94 years independent from Russian Empire. Wow. Amazing how young history is for the Finns! But there is a lot of history before that eventful winter day!

So, lets be thankful everyday for the people in our lives, the freedom we live in, and the memories we share.
Kippis!

Ontarians Go to Vote

2011-10-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

So Thursday is voting day...and I am still undecided. First of all, what the hell are those commercials stating " Vote Against Kids" what a lame message...which is not even getting through to anyone.
So on Thursday I need to vote but can hardly decide at this point. I have only seen the NDP campaigning. Where are the other leaders? It's 2 days away. Hello folks......whatever you decide, please go vote.

Banana Cilantro and Pecan stuffed Pork Tenderloin

2011-09-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

1/2 banana chopped up
1/4C goat cheese
1 green onion diced
1/4C fresh cilantro chopped
1/4C crushed pecans
1tbsp dijon
salt/pepper to taste

Mix all together, mashing the banana, set aside

Sear pork tenderloin until golden brown in a cast iron skillet (it`s the best) with olive oil
Let cool
Cut pork tenderloin open lengthwise and pound out.
Stuff with banana mixture and tie pork back up.

Place in oven in cast iron for 45min

Nova Scotia Baco Noir by Blomidon Estate Winery

2011-08-02T13:58:00.000-07:00

So today was a drizzly, damp cold summers day in Canning...at 17 degrees and overcast I figured why not check out my local winery before stealing a glimse of Kingsport Beach..... so off we went to the winery....to taste three wines which were worthy of trying but one of them blew me away. NS made a full bodied Baco Noir that could compare to any Cab I have had? I was shocked. Having tried Niagara BN's, I had not much hope that NS could do anything different....well I was wrong!
The 2010 Blomidon Estate Baco Noir was full bodies, vanilla flavours, with a nice smooth finish to it! They say in a cpl years it will be even better so a cpl bottles to drink now and 2 for the cellar! Hip Hip Horray!
http://www.blomidonwine.com/wines.html

Tomorrow will include 5-6 other wineries in the region :-)

Homemade Tea biscuits and blueberry port coulis

2011-07-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

Great easy dessert in 20min start to finish!

Tea biscuits - 2C of flour, 4tspn of baking powder, 1tspn salt, 1/2C butter....mixed together baked at 4oo for 11min.

Blueberry port coulis -mix 2C blueberry's, 1/4C sugar....a tad of port (Taylor Fladgate 10yr)....boil and stir....gently lower heat and pour in more port until u have added 1/2C....add a tspn of white balsamic vinegar, 1tspn of lime juice, let it thicken over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Slice tea biscuit, spoon coulis inside, close and spoon more coulis over the top and serve:-)

Mya the whippet

2011-07-14T19:33:00.001-07:00

Most of you who know me know that my dog is my life! She's a 4yr old whippet...recently diagnosed with Addison's Disease. It took a few months but appears that her medicine is balanced and she is now living a normal happy life.

So, just thought I would share our adventure yesterday.....before going on my 20km bike ride...which I do for exercise...I decided a walk in a local field would be the ideal spot to take her....she had energy to burn! So while on our walk...she ran with 2 boxers, whom really wanted to catch her but could not....she took the opportunity to show off her speed and agility!

On the way home not 1 but 2 groundhogs decided to be her next play toys. When she caught one and nudged it with her nose, the big burly groundhog turned around and hissed at her until he jumped through a fence and escaped the mini-sized looking white reindeer....Mya!

Nespresso

2011-07-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

So, I decided to buy the Le Cube Nespresso machine! So far I am loving it! I have probably drank 10 espresso's in 3 days which may not be so great when I can't sleep at 2am! But I am truly finding that coffee is like a fine whiskey....and they each of their individual characteristics that should be appreciated! I have modified the amount of water for my short espresso's and I don't believe I am messing up the recipe too too much...correct me if I am wrong! I may start blogging about certain coffees in the near future... stay tuned.

Mexican Cornbread

2011-07-11T18:12:00.001-07:00

This is one great corn bread...if you love cornbread......

3 eggs
1c butter melted
mix together
add red pepper and 2 jalopenos
add 1can cream corn
1c of flour
1c corn meal
4tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

add green onions if you like....

grease a 9x13 pan, bake at 400 for 1hr

Best recipe I ever modified to make this!

Spanish Paella

2011-06-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

Cook the sausage and chill/slice them to add later
cook chicken breasts and chill/slice to add later
cook the chicken legs with onion and garlic and turmeric
Add the rice, saffron, chicken stock, shrimp and tomatoes to the chicken legs in a paella pan and put in oven for 20min.... add more stock if required, add the sausage and chicken breat pieces along with 1/2c frozen peas, red pepper sliced, and onion. Bake another 20 min at 35o.
Add muscles and cook for 5 more minutes...stir all together, serve in centre of table so guests can help themselves!

Beef Sliders

2011-06-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

I use a very simple recipe for this but the secret is to spice as they cook and always always always use a cast iron skillet!
Step 1: Choose your spice...this is where u get creative...make them your own...sometimes i use chipotle, onion, even a tandoori or anise....it's whatever mood you are in.

Add 2 eggs to your beef, salt and pepper.... mix thoroughly....no fillers.... pure grilling angus ground is the best! Next make your patties...not tight....you want the meat to hold the fat to keep them moist.....make sure heat is at medium...as the burger is cooking.....once you see the greyness of the cooked beef sneaking up the side....spice! Be generous! 2 min and flip....grill the other side for 4min approx.... and remove skillet from heat...let the meat keep cooking in the pan off heat. Remove, place on slider buns...add a slice of brie cheese to the hot burger and close....serve! One Gourmet Slider that will impress any crowd!

Chocolate and Ginger Cake

2011-06-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

This recipe was featured in Food and Drink in Spring 2008.

I have been making it since then and its always a success!

Go to www.lcbo.com and search the Food and Drink section for the recipe. Sounds complicated but honestly, it's a piece of cake! No pun intended!

The great thing about this cake...2tbsp of flour...that's it! But I must warn you, there is NOTHING healthy about this cake except for the sweet tooth!

Curry and Green Apple Potato Salad

2011-06-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

2lbs red potatoes boiled til al dente 20min
1/2 red onion chopped
5 boiled eggs chopped
2 green apples chopped
1tbsp of yellow curry
2C maionnaise
1tbsp pepper
1tbsp sea salt

Mix together, refridgerate.....serve cold! Awesome! Simple! Apple gives it the taste u need!

Election 2011

2011-05-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

Enjoying the pre-show of the Canadian Election 2011! Stay tuned....

Last Night's Menu

2011-04-24T05:41:00.000-07:00

So I decided to cook....and create. So last night I made the amazing Risotto I blogged about along with the gourmet burgers, this week.

Other menu items:
Hunan beef
Manderin chicken
Pruchutto wrapped asperagus
mini pitas with chicken/apple/curry
Tortellini with sausage
snap cheese from Sweden!

I will post the hunan beef and manderin chicken recipes...coming up!

Gourmet Beef Sliders

2011-04-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

Made these chipoltle and onion sliders tonight....with some bacon and topped them with pear and brie!
Cook them in a cast-iron skillet for best best results!

Sausage and Rosemary Risotto

2011-04-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

This is now my favorite recipe! I made it last night and served it as an appetizer!

1/2 onion chopped and browned in a skillet with butter....add garlic, sage, thyme and rosemary (fresh) and sauté for 5min.
Brown your sausage (6) and set to cool
Add Arborio to the skillet (2.5 cups I guess)
Sauté til translucent....add 1/2 cup red wine
Prepare 5C of chicken bouillon....slowly add 1/2C at a time until liquid absorbed.....
Add sausage (thinly sliced) salt and pepper to taste
Serve Hot!

The life of the Umbrella

2011-04-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

Well, this is an odd entry but seems fitting for today as it is bloody raining and windy out and is just a really miserable day. So I am walking in the rain in my black trenchcoat with no umbrella...dodging the large drops that seem to come from the roof of the buildings on the sidewalk. And I see in the distance, laying on the sidewalk, a crippled blue umbrella. It appears the wind snapped the frame and the person must have been frustrated and just threw it on the ground. I also, for a brief moment, thought perhaps somone gave it to a homeless person (which is what I had done once a few years back) but thought, well, if they did that there would be someone huddled up under it, in which case there was noone around.
I quickly thought, I could use this umbrella to protect me from the rain as I walked to my office. Then I thought that I might look a wee bit silly walking with a broken umbrella.
And in the end, I walked past this umbrella and wondered if someone else might pick it up...

New Drink

2011-04-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

So I was playing around....I hate wasting the morning coffee that doesn't get drunk...so I decided to create a beverage... 4oz of coffee (cold) 2oz whiskey 2oz of Kahlua Shake in a shaker and strain into a martini glass! Bingo, soooo good!

Election 2011

2011-04-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

Watching the debate.....Harper really needs to wake up and respond to these questions and allegations or else...... they are hammering him!

My the Whippet

2011-04-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

So Mya fell ill 4 weeks ago.....the day I was flying to Cuba for a week in the sun. Thanks to good friends, they were able to be there for her. She spent 4 days in the hospital (Vet...she's a dog BTW). She's back home with me now......doing better but still not 100%. Since yesterday her medication needs to be increased to see if she responds better...should know more by Monday. Anyway, she's doing well, seems well, just a bit restless at night (prob. discomfort inside somewhere:-(

Ginger chilli Chicken

2011-03-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Olive oil and sweet chilli sauce in skillet....heat medium for 2 min...add chicken and garlic....add fresh sliced ginger...saute....add water cresents...add more swett chilli sauce if required.....serve over bed of rice.

Hoisen Beef with Red Pepper and Onion

2011-03-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

Hoisen Sauce: make your own...its simple and tastes better than any pre-packaged sauce! Saute beef in seseme oil....garlic chopped.......3min on high in cast iron skillet...add hoisen....another 2 min....add peppers and grill 5min...add onions and grill additional 3min....more hoisen if required......serve over a bed of basmati rice.

To decant or Not to Decant

2011-03-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone...just recently (yesterday) opened a bottle of wine which tasted very young and immature (the way I feel most days) and so we decided that because I have 3 more bottles of it, the next one I will decant....or should I just cellar it for a few years. It's a young Australian Shiraz...which typically i would not cellar....but is it worth keeping at a price point of $13.00/bt??? Comments....

Canadians go to Vote!

2011-03-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

Today our government was found in contempt of parliament.......we need to take this seriously and understand what this means. Our government has not respected our democratic process, the laws of the Canadian people and has ultimately been thrown out of power because of this. Canadians need to react. We cannot accept and tolerate this egocentric behaviour! We have rights and they need to be respected. Unfortunately this government has disregarded every Canadian! Please stand up and vote accordingly for what we all believe in; a democratic society!

Simple Appetizers

2011-03-10T18:50:00.000-08:00

Olive and chorizo
- slice chorizo....saute them in garlic and olive oil
mix to olives warm
serve with toothpicks and a honey mustard dipping sauce

Cranberry Beef

2011-03-09T14:25:00.001-08:00

1 package of beef strips
cranberry relish (David's)
Spicy hot peppers
1/2C water
garlic
salt & pepper
350 for 30min
Serve over rice

New Recipe

2011-03-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

Guiness Chicken
2 chicken breast chunked
1/4 cup guiness
2tbsp of mustard seed
balsamic
salt and pepper
chicken coated, baked in over 375 for 40min.
Enjoy over steamed rice.

In this crazy world.....

2011-03-04T06:28:00.000-08:00

Well I thought the title was fitting.....speaking with so many friends whom spent the year with me in Finland....learning tidbits of their lives....just makes you sit back and think about where we were and where we are now. One thing stays constant....a friendship that will always be there...as some of them get married in the next week....others seperate......others...sometimes just confused with the path we are on. At the end of the day, great memories relax the feeling and emotions that some of life`s challenges deliver...and we can find some peace in knowing each other the way we do.

Have GREAT day everyone!

Mexi Guacamole

2011-02-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

- chop avacado into chunks
- chop 1 onion
- Splash of lime juice
- pepper/salt
- tomato diced seeded

...and don`t forget the cilantro, cumin and hot chilli powder to taste!

Mix together, chill and serve!

New recipes

2011-02-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

Simple Flan
- Melt sugar in a saucepan....pour into bottom of ramekins
- mix 6 eggs, 2 cans of condensed milk and 1 evaporated milk and 1/2 cup of sugar
- and dash of vanilla and nutmeg
- bake in over in "bain marie" for 45min
- cool, invert on small plate and serve

Mix it up, add your fav ingredient!

December 6, 2009

2009-12-01T12:21:00.000-08:00

Well another great year and another day to celebrate Independance Day.....Finnish Independance Day! This day has more than one meaning for me, although in 1992 i remember I was in an old church (sand floor) in Rovaniemi or another town with a group of exchange students. It was a magical time,; we learned about what being free meant to the Finns. In the back of my head.....it took me to 1989.....my good friend Jennifer also died on this day. Who would have known this day would come to mean more than one thing for me. But I now have more memories of this day than the passing of my friend and it has certainly helped from living in the past. I am happy to share this day with new meaning and I will always remember Jennifer for her sense of humour and magnetic smile. There are Angels in this world for many reasons and for many occasions and it is an unbelieveable feeling to know that Angels work in many mysterious ways. God Bless the Independance of Finland on this day and God cherish the heart and soul of a friend.
When this day rolls around Saturday I will pray and remember what this day means to me for freedom and sacrafice....celebration and sadness and I will remember my friend who left us way too soon and I will think of my life and friends in Finland who have so much to be thankful for.

Nakamiin

Making Pulla

2008-02-19T10:04:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone,
Just thought it was the coolest experience ever....Sunday I made finnish pulla! Wow, it's truly the 1st time since being in Finland that i have had it! It tasted like it did 15yrs ago! I planned to make it during the reunion in July when my 4 friends came to spend 4 days with me in Ottawa. However, we just got caught up in catching up that we didn't have enough time to do everything we wanted to do.
Sunday morning I woke up...saw the ingredients I had bought....and decided....it was time! Pulla, for those who don't know what it is, is a finnish bread that is sweet, and is often eaten with a cup of coffee. It's the best thing in the world and while I lived in Finland i probably ate 4-5 pieces of pulla a day (like a roll or a muffin but so not the same thing). I was also running 10-15km a day (crazy i know) so the pounds never caught up to me then! I am NOT running that much these days...in fact today I ran 5km, which is my first stint at my training regime for the 1/2 marathon in May.
Back to Pulla! This sweet bread is soooo good, i could get addicted to making it again...although time consuming (I never have made bread either), i think it could become a weekly duty in my house!
Well, I hope you all have the pleasure of enjoying a piece of Pulla at some point in your life! It certainly is worth it!
Cheers to another Finnish memory!

Going Home

2007-12-28T06:56:00.000-08:00

Interestingly I titled this entry going home....not back to Nova Scotia...but to Oulu, Finland! Yes, we are planning a 3 week trip to Finland in July 2008! Any takers?

It is going to be a great trip to finally go back and see my family and friends that are still there and see the new families! It will be 13 years since I have last been back! It's going to be a whirlwind trip but I think it will be the best trip ever!
We will fly directly to Oulu (not a direct flight from here! LOL) and we will drive to the Northern parts of Finland, cross into Norway, visit some beautiful scenic spots there (Hammerfest, Tromso) and we'll venture to the land of Sweden where we will indulge in some old city sightseeing in Stockholm. I have friends in Tempere and helsinki that we will also visit! This is a trip in the planning stage and I am looking into accomodations, etc. but it will be just so awesome to go "home."
Stay tuned as i will update this on my planning progress for Suomi 2008!

August Run

2007-08-22T06:05:00.001-07:00

Well where has the time gone.......it's going going gone and soon September will be here. Excitingly enough, August has meant the adoption of our lil baby girl, Mya! She's my whippet that I truly love and she brings so much joy and excitement to my life; she's unbelievable! We got her on August 5th and my life has never been the same since! I must say she is demanding and does require a lot of attention but am told that this will subside once she becomes an adult! She is 19 weeks old this weekend...almost 5 months! She's really a part of our life now and she has fit in perfectly! I have been teaching her tricks and trying to control some of her bad habits that she developed but all in all, I couldn't have a more perfect pup! She is affectionate and cuddly, cute and quarky!

Her temperament is amazing, she loves people, dogs, kids, everything! She loves to run and a cpl times a week I take her off-leash to this huge field where she loves to chase me and run like a wild weed!

I'm sure now, many of my stories will involve her as she brings so much joy to my life:-)

I'm trying to be a good parent and have done a lot of research on how to raise her. I am controlling her diet and vaccinations to support her healthy body. I feed her raw and she loves it! And she is vaccinated minimally to ensure her immune system stays strong and healthy and not complicated with the numervous optional vaccinations that the veterinary world would like you to spend money on. This is a whole new Post which I may write about later.

So cheers to Mya and thanks for so much fun and excitement she has brought us thus far!

FINLAND FINLAND FINLAND

2007-07-31T15:06:00.001-07:00

Thanks D'Arcy and Monty Python for the title!

Well, where do I begin, on July 26th around 6:47pm my "gang" drove into my driveway, for our 14yr reunion, and a weekend I will NEVER forget!

I played host, D'Arcy played taxi, the three west coast Americans played "pay to drag your ass to Canada....what kind of holiday vacation resort is there in Canada?" and that is how this weekend came about!

A few years ago I had a moment....a moment where I wondered where all those close friends I had in Finland were, where were the people who made me who I am today; because although Finland changed me forever, I can dedicate a huge part of who I am to the people who I grew close to. Daphne from Philomath, Ismail from Eugene, Oregon, Monica from Angola, Indiana, and D'Arcy from Peterborough. BTW, these are not our cities we call home now, but how I remember them all!

They arrived, after 14yrs of being apart, and it was the most incredible weekend I think I will ever spend in my life!
We did NOTHING! And we were so happy to do nothing...well, we did sit on my back patio and watch the days go by as we hugged, cried, laughed, reminiced, and got up-dated on our lives!
Fourteen years....and there was a bond stickier than "pulla" that we cannot explain. D'Arcy said it best in her Blog; we grew up, we had kids, we came out, we loved, we lost, we never forgot each other.
After searching high and low for some of you, we came together. I THANK you all for making the journey, and I hope I made the journey worth while! My deal was, get your ass to Ottawa, I will do the rest! I did not want them to buy one once of alcohol or one gram of food while they were at my house, that was my promise, and I wanted to provide everything that they could imagine so that it would be memorable! I think we made it memorable!

So 14years have escaped us, but within 5 years we will all be together again....a promise we can not let go.

If you are ever fortunate to be an exchange student, please, do not forget the people who helped you along the way! I plan to visit my supporting Rotary Club to share this weekend with them and to let them know how much their generosity and belief in me as a student has changed my life!

Merci, Kiitos, Thank-you

Finn Reunion - 1 week away!

2007-07-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, Thanks Daph for getting me hooked on yet another website/blog site. Like I need another site to manage! LOL But what a great idea! I love it!

In 1 week I will be meeting up with 4 of my other exchange buddies who spent a year in Finland with me, living and growing into who we are today! I know they have experienced everything I have and for that I am thrilled to share our weekend reunion with them!

I can`t wait to tell you how it goes...some people say you will never capture what you had back then....I know that's true, but we will capture a new found friendship I hope and a friendship that will be with us for another 15 years!