29 August 2011

Asian for Unappreciative European Kids

Hello, happy Monday!

It's pouring over here, but the weekend was hot enough for one last late summer day at
the beach, and that means I'm in the best of moods today. It's absolutely pathetic, btw,
my mood's dependence on the weather.

I've been in a good mood a lot lately, though, and I think it has something to do with my
having cooked good food over the last month or so. Yes, you read that right, cooked. I abhor
cooking, partly because I never know what to cook, and partly because once I do cook,
nobody in this house, apart from wolverine Sisi, will eat it.

But here is something we all like to eat, that's healthy, and easy to make, and that includes tofu.

Mee Goreng, a vegetarian Malaysian noodle dish.

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You need:


2 tbsp groundnut oil
½ onion, peeled and diced
220g firm tofu, cut into 0.5cm thick strips
100g french beans, trimmed and cut in half on an angle
100g choi sum (or pak choi), leaves and stems, cut into large chunks
300g fresh egg noodles (I used 100 g dry ones, cooked)
1½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp sambal olek (or other savoury chilli paste), plus extra to serve (didn't use it,
too hot for the kids)
2 tsp thick soy sauce
2 tsp light soy sauce (I don't know the difference between thick and light soy sauces, so
I just used 4 tsp of whatever soy sauce it is that they sell in Finnish grocery stores)
50g bean sprouts
1 handful shredded iceberg lettuce
1 tbsp crispy fried shallots (didn't use them)
Lemon wedges, to serve 


Put a wok or large pan over high heat. Once hot, add the oil, then the onion and
cook to soften it for a minute. Add the tofu and french beans, and cook to give the
tofu a bit of colour - two to three minutes. Stir gently as you cook, so as not to break
the tofu.

Add the choi sum and, when it wilts, the noodles. Spread them in the wok using tongs
or chopsticks - you want them to get a lot of heat, almost to fry. Mix gently, cooking the
noodles for about two minutes. Now add the spices, sambal olek, soy sauce, bean sprouts
and a tablespoon of cold water, and toss carefully. Cook for about a minute, or until the
noodles are semi-soft.

When ready to serve, transfer the noodles into bowls and top with shredded lettuce and
crispy shallots.

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It tastes so good. (And the shredded lettuce, though likely unauthentic, makes all the
difference I tell ya)

The recipe is from Yotam Ottolenghi's book Plenty.


PS. I snooped around my stats and came across these two awesome new-to-me blogs:

... kiskakasblog from Hungary...
 and
... oon from Holland (Belgium!)....

See you later!

26 August 2011

Leseratte

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Finding letters she knows, making up stories about the pictures she sees. In bed.
The best kind of reading!

24 August 2011

Last summer day

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Likholm, off Korppo. It was to be our last day of summer. It seems like magic now.


I just love this print. It makes fall seem more fun.

23 August 2011

Nauvoo II

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Going through vacation pics. These are some more pics of Nauvo, off the coast of Turku.

I want to be like this mom, gardening, and crocheting the cutest things... with 2, 3, 4 5 kids!

22 August 2011

Bright kids rooms

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Some colorful kids rooms from around the web.

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Sorry that I haven't been around much. We've been busy... living.
That's a good thing. :)

18 August 2011

Horn of Africa








30,000 children have died. 500,000 children are in danger of starvation. 11 million people need urgent aid.

I know people don't read this blog to be told what to do. I hate being preachy, and I judge nobody.

But please donate.

Here or here or here. If you are in Germany: here. Or anywhere you like.

Even if it's just a little.

You can also fan this facebook page (25 cents will be donated for every like).


This is a picture of mothers and children who made it to a refugee camp on time.  (Source: ap.)


Sorry, there is nothing else I can blog at the moment. Anything I'd have to say about my blessed little life is trivial.





13 August 2011

Sisi by Fe.

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Fe took these. I love the angle and the strong light.

And I really like this bunk bed (via b:kids.)

12 August 2011

Animator.

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Fe's new goal in life is to be "the person who draws for animated films." She has
been trying to get Imtti and Iti and their robot pal (see above) to move. (By trying
magic on them, or taping them into the TV.) They are friends who go on a lot of
adventures, and fight a ton of monsters along their way. There is romance, too, as
Imtti and Iti are to fall in love with each other in a later episode.

I might have to help her figure out the animation thing because I really want to see
this movie!

11 August 2011

Indian Princess Jumping Cat

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It's August! That means fall in Finland. I usually become a bit melancholy in fall, but this year, I'm actually glad
it's here. We've been on the go, go, go all summer, and now I'm glad I get to stay indoors a little, clean and
organize the home, do some things that need to be done, get back into reality, while it rains on outside. We've been
getting our art and craft supplies out. Fe has been drawing for hours, every day.

We made this Indian feather headband together yesterday, using pieces of felt, a strip from an unused dress, and
some craft jewels we had lying around. It's nothing fancy obviously, it took ten minutes, but it made Princess
Jumping Cat very happy.

OEHWOEWOE!

08 August 2011

World's Best Chocolate Cake

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People, friends, women of the earth! I've found it! The best chocolate cake recipe ever.

3 dl all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 dl cocoa (the real 99.9% kind)
3 dl sugar
2 dl brown sugar
3 dl dark chocolate chunks/chips (at least 70% cocoa)
2 dl melted butter
4 eggs

1. Mix the dry ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients. Mix them all together.
2. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes.

Eat while still warm.

This cake is ostentatiously called World's Best Chocolate Cake, but I must say, it might just be exactly that.
The secret are the melted chocolate chips, which give it a sort of souffle type moisture. Perfect.

It was so good that all of us ran around with the biggest smiles on our faces all night.

For more lovely Sweet Sunday recipes, go here and here.

* adapted and translated from here. (The original recipe adds 1 dl of espresso to the mix). First seen on pinterest.

PS. Update: MariLouise wanted to know what a dl is. My inner math genius/the internet tells me that
1dl = 0.422675284 US cups. I think this recipe is forgiving enough that if you just use 1dl = a half cup as a guide,
you'll be fine. :)

Phew. To check out more measuring unit loveliness, go here. I know you want to. :P

07 August 2011

Happy 8th Anniversary

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Not many have the luck to be married to the best man on earth. I do.