French christmas

Hope you all had relaxing christmas holidays with the loved ones

Our holiday begun in wednesday evening when we drove to Orange 

to spend christmas with R's family. 

23th morning we went early at the morning for the market for christmas food shopping

basically R's mom made the shopping and 

we were looking around and helping carrying everything

I just love markets,

I wish I could do my shopping always at the market..

Well, we could but we always forgot to go to the market at saturday mornings.

Christmas morning (24th for me), we had morning walk in little village near by...

For the 24th evening we had planned finnish menu, 

glögi with almonds and raisins

 christmas ham with rutabaga purée

and finally 

tiramisu with finnish piparkakku-biscuits

oui oui oui je sais, 

tiramisu isn't finnish but I didn't find any good finnish recipe

25th was more traditional with chapon (castrated cock) and 26th we had raclette.

But we had finnish breakfast with 

riisipuuro (rice porridge) and 

sekametelisoppa(fruit soup)

I ate way too much

but it's only a christmas

and new year soon..

See you in 2011!

ps. some trips planned to Paris, Finland and quick turn in Sweden too.. 

Can't wait the year 2011 to start!

goodies

Have yourself a merry little christmas

Let your heart be light

From now on,

our troubles will be out of sight....

I made some chocolate covered marshmallows for the coming holidays...

you just need to melt chocolate and roll the marshmallows in with a wooden toothpicks

I will have a break from the computer and blogging for the rest of the week, 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Frank Sinatra - The Christmas Album  (spotify)

piparkakkutalo / gingerbread house

leipoisitko mulle oman 

piparkakkutalon soman 

jossa voisin jouluun asti asustaa...

Finnish song called gingerbread house

 

 Our gingerbread house this year

10 days until christmas

Ho ho ho!

Christmas is in 10 days. 

Wait.. what?

10 days?

Ooops. 

My gift to my family is still waiting at the table, I need to rush to the post office.

Lots of baking to do

and shopping

I'm about to visit Ikea soon (again) 

to see what kind of christmas ham they have there

or do we need to go and order one from butcher.

This year we will spend christmas with R's family

and 24th we will have traditional finnish christmas dinner

and 25th, something french.

My favourite traditional christmas foods

Lanttulaatikko / Rutabaga (known as swede) purée

Porkkanalaatikko / Carrot casserole ( made with carrot purée mixed with rice porridge)

Imelletty perunalaatikko/ sweetened potato purée

Joulukinkku / Christmas ham, cooked slowly over night and covered with mustard

Graavilohi / Gravlax, raw (cured ) salmon

Karjalanpaisti/ Karelian's stew with boiled potatos

 The list is endless with the traditional foods,but these are my favourite

I wish I could cook all these, but these all are long to prepare

and some ingrediences, like rutabaga, is hard to find here

preparing the oven for the ham

christmas ham covered with mustard, ready to eat!

Morning we will eat riisipuuroa sekametelisopalla, 

rice porridge with fruit soup

 mmmm so delicious

desserts and cookies will be served too,

I just need to decide the recipes soon enough

my home in Finland, front yard last christmas

Naku enjoyed the snow last christmas, like a puppy <3

learn from mistakes

I find myself sitting at home again, after this weekend when I started and resigned from the work I got. I feel like a loser, to quit that soon but my body couldn't take it - neither my mind but that it isn't the worst part. So with aching body, unable to walk properly, R drove me back on sunday morning and I did quit. This experience opened my eyes that I'm not ever able to do physical work and that I need to find simple office job.

I know, I know.. I was warned. Even here.

And I'm starting the long road again to try and fix my back as I can't bend and it's getting numb until my legs, my heel is injured somehow as I can't walk without it hurts, and my wrists can't support any weight more than a coffee cup.

And then Naku.. I really miss her. The day when I will go back to home, it will be hard.. when she is not there anymore. I don't think I will take ever another dog again, she was the one and only one. Our wise and funny sweetheart.

But my life isn't just this misery, you know, I'm happy here and enjoy my life. And I'm smiling.

This picture makes me smile, always :)

Naku

 1997

Naku Sikiitta Enza 24.8.1997-10.12.2010

summer 2010

Now you don't have pains anymore.. 

rest in peace my sweetheart.

a-m-a-z-i-n-g

I have news - great news!

I finally got a job.

I applied for 2 jobs lately

and today, I got phone calls from both that I'm accepted!

How this is possible, first no job and now I can choose between two!

I took the one with more working hours.hehe.

 It's not my own area (secretary) but I passed 3-day-test and got the place.

I don't want to tell what it is here in my blog, but I'm happy :)

Tonight we are going to see friends who just got a baby boy last week. 

Can't wait to meet him :) And I got for him some sweet little blue shoes 

(I prefer not to buy colors like that, but what can I do when the stores sells almost only baby blue and pink)

 

 

bisous, Sini