#recipe: 3 recipes for fall

For me fall and winter are the most inspiring time for cooking/baking. It's cold and dark outside, so there's nothing better than warm kitchen and all that delicious smell :)

So, I decided to put here 3 recipes that are in my opinion very perfect for fall time!

CHICKPEA + LENTILS SOUP

1 chopped onion

1 chopped carrot

1 garlic clove

salt, pepper

400 g canned chopped tomatoes

dash of sugar

400 g canned chickpeas

1 dl lentils

2 dl vegetable broth

Heat oil in the pot. Add chopped onion, carrot and garlic. Season with salt andpepper. Add chopped tomatoes, chickpeas and vegetable broth. Let it boil until chickpeas are soft. Add lentils and boil till they are ready. Season with salt, pepper and sugar if needed (I didn't add any of those to this dish because onion and garlic gave so much flavor themselves!)

PUMPKIN COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Oh yes! Finally I got pumpkin puree and got to bake something out of it! I made basically the first pumpkin cookie recipe I found. The cookies turned out so good!

100 g unsalted butter

100 g brown sugar

6 tbls (90 g) pumpkin puree

1,5 cups whole wheat flour

0,25 ts salt

0,25 ts baking powder

0,25 ts baking soda

1,5 ts ground cinnamon

0,25 ts nutmeg

0,5 cup (90 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180 C degrees. Mix butter and sugar. In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients. Add pumpkin puree and sugar-butter mix. Mix is nicely. Add chocolate chips. 

Roll the dough into balls (about tablespoon of dough for one ball) and place them on to a baking sheet on a baking pan. Flatten the balls a bit. Bake the cookies about 8-10 minutes. If the cookies didn't spread much at all, flatten them when you them them out of the oven. Let them coold down and enjoy :) (they are just as good when they are warm as well!)

I took the original recipe from HERE, but I changed it a bit..made it healthier :)

BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES 

I am such a big sweet potato lover! I used to not like sweet potatoes at all, but now I truly love them!

I had been craving for sweet potato fries for quite a while and I finally made them today. Oh they tasted so delicious! I think the sweetness of sweet potatoes is just so perfect for this season! 

The recipe is of course very simple:

1 big sweet potato (mine was 700 g)

0,5 ts salt

0,25 ts pepper

a bit of potato seasoning (optional)

about 2 tbsp olive oil 

Preheat the oven to 235 C degrees (450 F). Cut your sweet potato in half. Cut slices out of both of the halves. Slices cut into strips (try to cut them as same size as possible). Put the potato stips to a baking sheet. Add olive oil, salt, pepper and any other seasoning you want. Mix them all together (use your hand). Now comes an inportant part: line your potato strips all nicely, so they don't touch each other. That way the strips will be crisp :)

Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes, then turn them over (yes, one at a time) and bake 10 more minutes. If you don't want them to be so very crisp, reduce the baking time a couple of minutes both sides.

Fun times :)

Last weekend was so great because Jay didn't have to go to work on Saturday. So, on Friday he went out with his friend and when he came home early morning I woke up too. Neither of us were tired, so we just chatted and laughed and just had so much fun :) I enjoyed that early morning with my hubbies company a lot! Finally we fell asleep. In the morning I made banana bread and went to the food shop.When I got back Jay woke up as well. We had agreed that he'll make a dinner. He went to the easiest way and bought frozen pizza and baked it in the oven. It was very good! And I just liked the fact that I didn't have to cook :) The same evening we went to the cinema to see Dracula. It was such a good movie! When we walked back from the movies we laughed again so much and had such a nice time together! I think it was one of the best days together in a while. He's been working so much and he has weekends off very seldom. Luckily upcoming Saturday he's off again and we are planning on going to the cinema again :)

On Sunday my sister Anni-Brit came to visit us. So, in the morning I made banana cake. I asked dad over too so there would be more people to eat that cake :D Anni and I went to the shops, watched a movie (A Single Moms Club) and just caught up on each others lives. She's going back to Estonia on Thursday morning.

The weather has been pretty changing. Saturday was super sunny but cold. Sunday was not cold but so rainy. And Monday and Tuesday were cold, but cloudy. Today actually even snowed a bit. Because the weather has mostly been cold I have been eager to bake :D Halloween is coming closer and at work we are preparing for our Halloween party (doing decorations, planning activities ect). My friend from work found canned pumpkin puree (we were all looking for it everywhere, but couldn't find). But she found it and I asked her to buy me two cans. I had never had any pumpkin sweets (pumpkin pie or pumpkin cookies..). Yesterday when I got the puree I knew that when I got home I would make something. I made pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips. They were sooooo delicious! Recipe will be up soon as well :) I never thought they could taste SO good! I am definitely addicted and I have a new favorite thing to bake now!

Over all these past few days have been so much fun and I have been enjoying my time with Johannes and my sister!

Weekend in Estonia, ViPR workout, book reading and more

Last weekend I went to Estonia to visit my grandparents. It was nice to see them!!! I also spent time with my mom and my friend Laura. Laura and I had so much fun! We had real girls night in! We cooked, chatted, did online shopping and ended our night with a facial mud mask :) 

In the morning we had delicious breakfast (porridge with almonds and fresh strawberry jam + chai tea). I also did some shopping while I was in Estonia. I managed to buy two pairs on jeans and boots. I also bought some food stuff that we don't have in Finland.

Last week at work was pretty busy. But I still had time and energy to go to ViPR class with my workmate Ashley. I totally loved it. It was definitely the most hardest and intense workout I have ever done in my life. But I felt so great after it was done! Of course the next day all my muscles were sore and to be honest the seconds day was even worse. At nights I couldn't even turn.. everything hurts..still! But I definitely want to continue. I am thinking of buying a monthly card for that gym. It's pretty expensive so I want to be sure that I am ready to commit and that I have energy and will to go to some workout classes after work.. Lets see how it goes and what I decide :P
Besides that one workout I have been reading books. I read through the newest Bridget Jones book called "Mad About the Boy" and a book "The Beginning of Everything". I loved them both so much! Currently I am reading "The Book Thief". I just started with it so I don't have an opinion of that book yet. But I mostly end up loving all the books I read. 

It's weekend today so I feel relaxed! When I came home from work yesterday I cleaned our apartment and made apple jam. I know it's so random. But my mom gave me some apples and I can't really eat them :/ For some reason apples make my stomach hurt and give me huge digestion problems :S That's why I decided to use these apples to make apple jam. I love apple jam and it was my first time to make my own. It came out sooo good and I am looking for tomorrow's breakfast porridge that I will top with that homemade apple jam! I also got a jar of apple jam from my workmate whose grandmother in law had made pretty much, more than she could eat. It was so nice of her to share some of the jam with us at work :)

I made a delicious and healthy banana bread today. I love baking on the weekends. But I try not to do that every weekend because otherwise I would be eating only cakes, pies and muffins (they always last for so long since my husband doesn't eat them). I also made a next week's dinners menu and went to the foodshop to buy all the ingredients that I need. I find that method so good. Firstly, it's much cheaper to really think through what I need for the week and buy them all at once, it's also so good to come home from work and to know what I am going to make for dinner and also to have all the ingredients in the fridge. I got that menu idea from my workmate Ashley and I have been doing that for a month already. It works so well! :)

#recipe: Banana Bread

I got this awesome banana bread recipe from my friend (she took it from the Internet). I am so glad she shared that recipe with me because this banana bread is so delicious and healthy (that's the best part!).

So, if you want to make a moist and delicious banana bread without sugar and butter, this recipe is meant for you! ;)

Ingredients:

1 heaping cup mashed banana

1/4 cup honey or maple syrup

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or coconut, rice, oat milk)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

How to make:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C degrees (350 F). Cover your loaf pan with baking paper (or spray it with nonstick cooking spray). 

2. In large bowl combine mashed banana, applesauce, honey/maple syrup, egg, almond milk and vanilla until well combined and creamy. In separate medium bowl whisk together whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda (I didn't have it and I just left it out), salt and cinnamon. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined (don't overmix!).

3. Pour into prepared load pan, sprinkle oats over top (if desired) and bake for 60-70 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Enjoy this delicious and moist banana bread! Keep the bread tightly wrapped to maintain its moisture. 

Original recipe taken from HERE.

Hello October!

October has arrived and I am so pumped about it! The weather is getting colder, I can wear scarves, bake a lot, eat lots of tea ect. I decided to write down some of the things that I want to do and things I am looking forward to this October:

• Drink a lot of Chai Tea (I'll buy a Tiger Spice Chai Tea from Estonia)
• Bake a banana bread
• Bake a pumpkin pie (my very first one ever!)
• Attend to an Halloween party (also my very first one ever!)
• Wear an Halloween costume (at the party obviously!)
• Burn lots of good smelling candles
• Have long walks and pick up some colorful leaves
• Do more and more fun fall arts and crafts with my kids in kindergarten! 
• Continue with the weekly dinners' menu (more about this later!)
• Ride my bicycle as much as possible (before it starts snowing..)
• Enjoy every little moment because life is good :)

#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