#monthlyfavorites September

I feel like September just rushed in and out. Days passed by so quickly. I can't believe tomorrow is October already! 

Like every month I have been loving some products more than others and I am here to share them :)

Thought: May you wake with gratitude - I love quotes and thoughts. In September I have been loving this one. Every morning when I wake up I try to think happy thoughts, be positive (even if I am super tired and would lovee to sleep longer!) and just be grateful for everything good I have in my life :):)

Book: Across the Universe - This is the first book of that trilogy. I absolutely loved that book! It was an easy read. I mainly read that in train on my way to work and back. I felt I really got to go into the story and I just couldn't put the book down! I am going to order two other parts very soon!

Treat: Fazer Pure Dark chocolate with roasted corn - mmm, I am enjoying the taste of this chocolate right now while writing this blog post. I love that the chocolate is dark (70% cocoa) and the roasted corn is a perfect compliment! The taste reminds me of something.. I don't know what, but when I eat it it just makes me happy and a bit nostalgic :)

Lip product: Rimmel lip balm Keep Calm and Party - I love purple lipsticks, but this purple sheer lip balm is the best! I like how it gives nice purple shade to your lips, but it's not like a lipstick purple. And it also keeps my lips moisturized. Only downside is the smell - doesn't smell good..

Activity: Finnish Course - In September me and my husband both started going to Finnish classes. It's twice a week and the beginners level. Even though I have already been through that level it's still nice to revise everything..and going to school with my husband is the best part of it! Plus surely getting new friends, learning more Finnish and being able to practice it!

Clothing item: Knee high socks - 2 years ago I got two pairs of knee high socks from my best friend for Christmas. She sent them all the way from Mexico. I have been wearing these socks like no other.. mostly in autumn and winter. When the weather got colder this month I dug up these socks again and have been wearing them so much throughout September!

Place: home - whenever it gets colder and darker I really enjoy being at home! I have been baking every weekend, burning candles, reading books and snuggling in my blanket while watching my favorite tv shows. Home is the best place to be at!

#weeklyupdate

This week was somehow full of different meeting and other important things at work. I was so busy all the time that the days just passed by. I almost feel like I skipped some days. Friday came so suddenly, but it's definitely a nice surprise :)

Besides work the week was pretty normal. I think it was Tuesday morning when I woke up and realized it's snowing :) I was super excited and that gave me instantly so much energy and happiness! I love snow and I just like where seasons change. But surely this snow melted before it touched the ground and I am glad... it's just to early for snow. Let's enjoy the autumn first! I really like how crisp and chilly it is outside. I love snuggling in my big scarf, sweater and jacket :) I also like to drink tea after coming in from outside. It gives comfort and makes me feel warm again! 

I have also been enjoying walking on colorful leaves! Oh, that crispy noise :D

On Wednesday I went to zumba class and after that I felt extremely tired. I didn't enjoy the class so much, because it was more hopping around and not real zumba (I went to a different sport club this time, but it's not for me!). Anyway, when I got home I took a shower and went straight to bed. Next day I felt so weird at work..I felt hot and the cold. I also had awful headache and I was soooo tired! I was supposed to meet my friend Stella after work to have a dinner together, but I cancelled because I was just feeling so sick :S I went home, had dinner and went to bed. And today morning I felt okay again :) I think I was just to tired and my body couldn't take it. So, now that have been slept enough I feel great again :) I will definitely reschedule with Stella and meet her next week!!! 

I am so glad it's weekend tomorrow! I don't have many plans...I will mostly be at home. In the morning tomorrow I will teach one boy for an hour. He'll come to my home so I don't even have to go outside :) But I think after I am done with him I will clean home, make next week's menu and go to the foodshop to buy the food we need for next week (my co-worker Ashley told me that she's always making the whole week's menu and buys all the things at the same time). I am going to try that too! Maybe I will be more creative with dinners then :P Sometimes I am really tired after work and don't feel like cooking at all..

I also want to do my homework for Finnish class and read a book! I want this weekend to be very relaxed and nice! I think I will also go out to ride my bicycle because I just love to ride when it's autumn :D 

I must mention that I keep checking foodstored for persimmon, but they still don't have it. I am wondering when are they in season? I just can't wait to eat them since I love them sooo much! I have been a lot clementines lately and they remind me of Christmas :D

Next weekend I am going to Estonia (I was supposed to go later but things got changed..). So, next weekend I will go to my grandfather's birthday and will meet my friend Laura. I also have a little list of things I want to do and buy in Estonia! :) About that later!

#recipe: 3 different healthy muffins

Last three weekends I have been baking! I just like how my home fills with baking smell! It's especially great during autumn! I like then it's dark outside, quite chilly, I burn candles inside and I can smell that muffins are baking in the oven. Oh, that smell! But since my hubbie isn't a big fan of sweet cakes/muffins/pies, then I know I must eat them all...that leads me to another thing: I must bake as healthy as possible, because I don't want to eat that much fat and sugar (but I also can't say no to the goods I have baked!). So, the easiest and smartest thing to do is to bake something healthy. That way I din't have to feel bad (or guilty) eating those all by myself.

I am going to share these 3 very easy and delicious, but also healthy muffin recipes that are perfect for  chilly and dark autumn nights! ;)

CARROT & AVOCADO MUFFINS: 

(recipe makes 6 muffins)

Perfect autumn recipe! Carrots give such an unique and sweet flavor to these muffins. They are as healthy as they can be: no sugar or butter! Your house will smell soooo good when you are baking these muffins!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup wholewheat flour (or rice flour or coconut flour)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup ripe avocado, mashed well
1/2 tsp lemon juice
3 large eggs
poppy seeds (if you want)

How to make:
Whisk together the eggs, avocado, carrot, lemon juice and honey. Add the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry until you get semi-runny batter. Spoon the batter into greased muffin tray. Bake in 200 C degrees about 15 min.

BANANA & AVOCADO MUFFINS:
(makes about 6 muffins)
I like the banana and avocado flavor combination. You can definitely taste that there is something different there (avocado!), but it's a good flavor! Plus bananas are always great in muffins! There's no sugar or no butter in this recipe, so it really makes you feel good when you eat this dessert :)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup rice flour 
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup ripe avocado, mashed well
1/2 tsp lemon juice
3 large eggs
1 tbs oat bran
poppy seeds (if you want)

How to make:
Whisk together the eggs, avocado, banana, lemon juice and honey. Add the flour, baking powder and oat bran into a large mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry until you get semi-runny batter. Spoon the batter into greased muffin tray. Bake in 200 C degrees about 15 min.

APPLE & OATMEAL MUFFINS:
(makes 12 muffins)
This recipe is great for cold autumn and winter nights because they are pretty fulfilling! They are not so light in texture, but they are definitely sweet and rather healthy.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup almondmilk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar (or honey)
2 tbsp lemon oliveoil (or any other oil)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 small apples (cut into small pieces)

How to make:
Preheat oven to 190 C degrees (375 F). Grease the muffin pan.
In a large bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a medium bowl combine applesauce, milk, lemon juice, sugar, oil and egg. Add applesauce mixture into dry ingredients. Stir until just moist. Fold in apple pieces. Fill muffin cups full.
Bake for 16-18 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Life update

Another week has passed. It was pretty busy! First of all, on Wednesday I took hygiene exam and I passed it! Yay! I had been studying for it past few weeks. I actually enjoyed studying. I never thought I would say that, but since I graduated I have been feeling that I want to study more (for myself, just little things, things that interest me and don't take too much effort and energy). So, that leads me to another thing. Jay and I are taking Finnish course now:) It started last Monday and it's twice a week (Mondays and Tuesdays). It's the beginners course so it's super easy (I took A1 and A2 lever course in university). Teacher told us to go to the next level course, but it's already full. So, we will still stick around in the beginners course. It's actually so fun there! They might open another 2nd level course, and I will go to that one if it's possible..but we'll see. I actually really enjoy studying together with Jay!!! Talking about him. He's also in driving school now! So, he has even more studying to do! I am so proud of him! :) 

Work wise things have been also pretty busy. On Thursday we had parents' coffee evening. So it was a very long day. I arrived home a bit before 9pm and I had awful headache so I went straight to bed. But the evening with parents was successful and very nice :)

I am totally enjoying this weekend! I only want to rest and relax! I made banana-avocado muffins today and for dinner I made broccoli puree soup :) I will eat dinner when Jay wakes up. He must go to work by 7pm and he will do 12 hours shift. They have crazy times at work right now..

Last week I barely saw him.. But this upcoming week should be better!!!

I finished reading "Never Let Me Go" and now I am reading "Across The Universe" which is very interesting so far! I think that's what I am going to do tonight - read and maybe watch some episodes of New Girl. Oh, I am loving Fazer Pure Dark chocolate with roasted corn! So delicious!!!

PS! I love the weather right now. It's chilly, but sunny. I love the colorful leaves on the ground and the smell of apples everywhere! I am craving for apple pie, carrot cake and pumpkin muffins :D I will do all of these this autumn for sure ;)

#monthly favorites: August

August went by so fast. Mainly because my work started in the beginning of August so I was working this whole month! But sure I did other things as well and most surely I loved some products :)

Here are my August favorites:

Book: Never Let Me Go - This book took me a whole month to read it :/ I just didn't have so much time and at first I wasn't so into it. But the story was still very interesting and the more I kept reading it the more I was hooked! I finished it today and if I think back it was such a good read! Very different from all the books I have read before!!! (while searching for a photo here of this book, I found out there's also a movie made after this book...and I just realized I have even seen that movie. I remember I started watching it while it had been on for about half an hour and I found that movie quite confusing..but not that I think about it I's much clearer now that I have read the book!)

Treat: Kingis Mint & Chocolate ice-cream - I don't want to think how many packs of this ice-cream I ate in August..Too much for sure, but I love the combo of mint and chocolate!!! It's probably my favorite ice-cream!

Equipment: bicycle - I have riding my bicycle every single day in August. I ride it when I go to work every morning, or just whenever I want to go somewhere fast! It's so good my bike has a basket in front because when I come from foodshop I like to put my groceries in there!

Lip product: Maybelline Baby Lips "Cherry Me" - I like this tinted lip balm. It gives just enough pinkish red tint to my lips, moisturizes and looks so natural! 

TV show: New Girl - This show makes me laugh and whenever I think of that show I instantly have a smile on my face! This show just makes me feel good and I always like to have something funny in my life!

As you can see I don't have so many favorites this month. I spent most of my days in August working, but I also enjoyed spending time with my family and enjoying all that the end of the summer has given me (especially apples!) :D

Weekend, mushrooms & an apple pie recipe!

If anybody says mushrooms or apple pie I instantly think of autumn (or the end of summer). Last weekend dad and I took out bicycles and went to pick mushrooms. We had so much fun! We found so many mushrooms and I totally enjoyed being out in nature with him :)

The same weekend I of course was boiling the mushrooms and marinated them. I got 10 glass jars of marinated mushrooms! Dad asked me yesterday again to pick some mushrooms and marinate them, but I think I have enough right now.

I also made an apple pie last weekend. Apples are obviously in season right now and they taste so good, sweet and juicy! I was craving for an apple pie so I made one. I know I would be eating it all by myself so I made the healthier version. I found the recipe from a cookbook called "Maitseelamused tervise heaks". (she was using rhubarbs, but the season is over, so I used apples!) I like that the author is using so good ingredients in her recipes and so you don't have to feel guilty! It's all about clean and natural high fiber ingredients! I am definitely going to try more of her recipes :) I must also mention that it's so cool how her book is divided into four chapters - recipes for each season! That for you can really use ingredients that are fresh at that time of the year ;) Clever!

I'm kindly sharing the recipe:

Base:

250g wholegrain flour

125g butter

50g cane sugar

1 egg

Filling:

apple jam 

about 4 apples

Crumble:

50g butter

30g cane sugar

100g oat bran

Instructions:

Mix all the base ingredients into dough. Cover the bottom of cooking pan with the dough and cook in the oven 5-7 min in 185 C degrees. After that put apples and applejam on a base and cook about 10 more minutes. Meanwhile make the crumble: mix cold butter, sugar and bran with your hands till it has a nice crumbly texture. Crumble it on top of the pie and cook in the oven about 20 minutes. 

It tastes good warm and cold :)

This weekend I have been at home (it's still Saturday evening..). The weather is so nice, sunny and warm! When I went to the foodshop earlier and passed apples on sale I just got a feeling that I need to make another apple pie this weekend. I would actually like to make a pie or a cake using avocado instead of butter. I must find a good recipe for that, but I'd like to try and make a cake even more healthier! Besides I love avocados!!! If I make one I will share the result ;)

Have a nice evening, everybody!!!