COUNTRYSIDE CUTE

I put together a forties inspired outfit of some of the old stuff I've bought to the countryside to wear around grass, dust and garden. As most people, I generally have a (very small) different wardrobe for just haning around out there. But sometimes it's nice to also make those just-hanging-around-the-garden-and-cooking-rhubarb-jam-days cute, by brushing out that whatever-ponytail into a nicer do. And then you can take a break from whatever it is that you were doing and go pose by an apple tree for a while.


The linen shorts are old from Indiska (they became countryside-wear since linen gets so damn wrinkly in an instant...) and the clogs are Moheda. The knit is some decade old H&M. Sometimes today's high street wear can last a long time too.

(And we'll actually have some people over soon, so brushing out my hair turned out to be not just for my own vanity this time.)

CASHEW ICE CREAM

A big slice of (or, in the crumble case: pile of) warm fruit pie and ice cream is one of the best  combos there is! And in summer -at least if you have a garden- you're sort of obliged to make lots of pies and cakes all the time, to make use of what your garden produces. (And preferrably enjoy those in said garden, with ice cream.)

My friend K came over to the contrysidea few days ago. She has a vegan diet so I made us my healthier version of rhubarb crumble (I figured the measurements are about 1:1 with coconut sugar and oats - a tiny bit more oats perhaps- and a third  of the amount in coconut oil. I top the pie with almond flakes) and served it with vanilla ice cream based on cashews.

"Whipped cream" on cashews is a quite classic vegan cake filling/icing and is also seen in lots of raw food recipes as pie fillings and such. Or served with berries for breakfast. When you freeze it,  you get a very creamy dairy-and egg free (and sugar free) ice cream!

The cashew nut ice cream is very easy to make as long as you have a mixer; you don't need an ice cream maker. It takes about five minutes plus the freezing time. Just remember to take a peek in the freezer every now and then and stir the bowl.

For a small set you will need (as usual with me, measurements are a bit so-so):
250g of natural cashews,  a dash of water
1 ripe pear
real vanilla powder
(sugar for extra sweetening)
This makes enough to top about five to six servings of pie

The how-to:
Mix the cashews to a fine powder in the mixer. Add a little water if the mix seems very firm. Peel the pear and add it to the cashews, mix them smooth. Add the vanilla powder. I have this vanilla grinder, kind of like a pepper grinder, with which I sprinkle along. Utrekram also has ready ground real vanilla.  You can add quite a lot of it, I do so, but a little already will add the lovely scent and taste of vanilla. Put in some extra sweetener if you feel it needed (the taste depends on how sweet the pear has been.) I add about a teaspoon of coconut sugar. But the mix in a bowl and freeze for an hour or two. Stir and "fluff" the ice cream a few times during the freezing process. Then you eat it and amaze over how good it tastes!

PS. this works a chocolate version too, just add cocoa powder.

THE ONCE-EVERY-EIGHT-YEARS-DRESS

I'm continuing with my quest to dig in the depths of my wardrobe wear as much as possible during the summer: This dress is my grand-aunt's old and I have had it for a very long time. I used it last time one day during 2008 and the time before -the first time- when I graduated from the 9th grade ( I remember having had big curls in my hair from curlers and wearing those bonzo platform sandals of the late nineties, uh, with it); which means I've used it once every eight years so far. So yes, it was a fair idea to let it out in the sun again.


It's, ahem, rather short and I've felt it's not really me because of that but then again what the heck; why not! I wore it with black hotpants underneath for those just-in-case moments. And painted myself some candy nails to go along.

AT THE ZOO

Some sunny days ago we headed out the Helsinki zoo; Högholmen.

As Eddi was out celebrating my sister's fiance's bachelor party Dag and I grabbed my sister along.

You can reach the Helsinki Zoo by bridge east of the city centre but we took the easiest and most popular route; the boat from the market square downtown.

Högholmen (Korekasaari) has some old beautiful buildings from the late 1800's.

Here's how it looked some 120 years ago.


Looking at different creatures...

...back in 1900-something... 

...atoday, in 2013. Dag loves animals and is totally fascinated by all of them - lions in a cage*, dogs being walked on the street.

*) Ok, we did not see the lions; they were sleeping off the hot summer day indoors. And the animals don't really stay in cages anymore either, I guess you'd call them yards or so...


Most interesting however were the geese (that we also have in the park in front of our house at home...). Dag donated most of his lunch to the small geeselings. (Or, to the ground at least. Most of what he eats himself tends to end up on the ground, fluffy bird babies or not.)

Bears in the old bear fort in 1900, which is still there, although of course empty. I always found it quite sad to think of the bears in it back then.

The bears have it a lot nicer today. Well most things are different with zoos nowadays.

I have however been to zoos in other parts of the world where the cages sadly looked like the ons from a few centuries back, with a lion lying apathic in the back and a keeper trying to raise it's interest by hloding a boar piglet from another cage in front if the bars. It was quite surreal, and I was reminded of a story of my grandmother in the 1960's hitting some zoo keepes in a zoo in Egypt with her purse  for seeing them maltreat an animal. (She really did that.)


The peacocks always strut around here and there in on the island.

We had a mini picnic in front of the mongolian horses.

And then headed to the ferry back home.

When we got back in to town Helsinki had turned into a samba carenval.

The old photos are from the SLS Helsinki archives.

TIMELESS STRIPES

I got myself another "sweat pants dress" (as in really super comfy and easy to wear) for a few coins on sale; a classic breton style striped dress in a light weight knit. Comfy enough to sleep in. I should have got another one for when this wears out I think...

The dress is plain high street (from Lindex), bag Ted Baker and jacket vintage.

And here's me doing a bag model pose. Ta-ta, over and out.

SUDDEN MATCH

I have a belt that happens to be the exact same color as my nail polish.

The nail color is Kure Bazar's natural nail polish, the belt is vintage. It's a strange color that in one way is a bit off, but still works surprisingly well with a lot of stuff. A very useful greenish shade of nothingness.

This belt was originally part of a skirt that no longer is, and now serves as help for many of my dresses and skirts that are without or with a lost belt. The skirt it belonged to was one of my grandmother's old A-line skirts that had white stitching, big pockets (!!!) and a metal zip in the back. I totally ruined it in my younger days by cutting it of at the top, making it low waisted. I don't know what I was thinking. Or, I do; it was the late nineties and everything had to hang on the hips. I think it's alright to alter vintage to make an item more wearable (and I wore the skirt low waisted a lot aroudn the turn of the millenium) but it does demand a thought or two; not to take the whole idea of the garment away. My heart bleeds not only a little but a lot thinking about that poor skirt. Damn it young me, damn it!

LULUS IN AZUR BLUE

So, whatever was in the bag peeping in one picture from a few days back?

These ones! Azur blue Lulu-heels from Minna Parikka.

Some may recall me saying that I'd get a pair of Parikkas after giving birth. And I got a little gift card to the Parikka shop from my sister last Christmas. So now almost one year later I kept the promise to myself and settled for these true blue ones. 

And, more on the shoe front still: the Reina Muerte wedges that Freestyle Xtreme was giving away has found an owner!
Dum di dum...

In the drawing luck was on Dita von Grué's side! So off we send a pair to France then :)

DRESSES ON PARADE

As summer so far has been pretty much like summer's should be, and as I last year missed out on pretty much all dresses I have (bad weather and post partum, you know) I've now set out to try and wear everything summery that I have in my wardrobe at least once. Because what's the use of having all those nice items otherwise, if you don't let them out every once in a while! Dresses on parade all summer long!

So here I'm wearing one of my almost forgotten Trashy Diva dresses. I have worn this "looped" before; tied some ribbons around the neckline/ sleeves which gave this dress an even fancier feel, but I removed them for now, for a more everyday wear look. This dress had pockets, a reason enough for any dress to deserve at least a second wear this season I think :)

SUMMER!

Well, here it is, the best time of the year: summertime!
Hard to believe that a mere two months ago we still had heaps of snow. But then again, this year spring was late and very short, and it is warmer than normal for this time of year (we've had over +25 for almost a week now).

We went out to the countryside after work to do some of the 10,000 things that need to be done there.


The neighbor's cows are out now. Summer.


So are the labs of the farm.


Eddi and Dag chillign out by the lambs.


I have lots of work to do at the computer, and lots of gardening to attend to. After complaining about all dead branches I started seeing everywhere, Eddi gave me a cutter for our anniversary. Now I see even more of those branches and have been running around cutting them here and there, making piles everywhere. But I'm taking some time to take it easy in the sun too.


I'm no garden pro as you know but this little spot of mint I've managed to keep real clean and tidy. I've planted sunflowers behind the mint. No sign of them yet though.


Although bit further away there's an old herbgarden totally overgrown with mint doing very well all by itself...


The herb garden is on the foundation of an old house. I should try to fix it up some times with something more than just mint. There are wild strawberries growing by the foot. Propably the best tasting berry there is, and the one that grows in the smallest quantities...


I picked some mint for smoothies and such.


Husband and friend made themselves this hipster bbq smoker grill of and old barrel.


And I gathered some rhubarb. Last year I gave away shit loads of rhubarb because as you know no joy is greater than the joy of giving.

This year however I will settle for the next best thing, which will be shitloads of rhubarb for myself. Time to start jamming soon!


But for now I made a rhubarb pie. A crumble one, like the one found here from last year, but this time a version 2.0; just oats, coconut palm sugar and coconut oil. (Also note that all cooking is more enjoyable when complimented by a glass of red.)

The pie turned out really good, tasting just as unhealthy as with butter and regular sugar. Hehe. But breakfast worthy nutritionwise! Almost at least :)

Meanwhile husband was testing out his new grill.


I went out and took some greens for our salad.


Ground elder (or biship's plant) is another utilityplant gone weed (like nettles). You eat the leaves when they are young and still a bit shiny. This one grows pretty much everywhere. Makes a good green-add to smoothies too btw.


We all had a late night supper (ten-something) out in the green. The pale scandinavian evenings allows for that...