Remote blogging

So, it seems that Blogger, along with Facebook (which I can live without) is blocked in China. I am not able to access my own blogger page, except at work (because we use a Finnish server). Thankfully it is possible to remotely post using email, but that means that I can only post basics: text and images, as you can see from my previous post. I'm excited I can still post, but I also hope I'll be having so much fun after work that I won't have much time to post until later.

In any case, my first day in Shanghai went well and I am now at work. Our offices are on the 22nd and 23rd floors, with great views!

I made it!

A quite uneventful trip although I think the taxi driver gave me a few more grey hairs. But more later, I'm going to take a quick nap before exploring a bit.
Here is the view from my 9th floor hotel window.

Away I go!

I am finally finished packing! I have also double checked that I have my ticket, passport, wallet (with money & cards) and work laptop. Everything else is just a luxury for travel and not must to travel. I'm not sure if I'll have access to my blog while in China, as I know many websites are banned. I know Facebook is banned in China, but I also know that because my work uses a Finnish server, they can access FB. Hopefully the same is true for Blogger, because then I can share some photos!

I hope everyone has had a good August ICLW. Thank you everyone for your comments, I've enjoyed every single one of them. And now, I have 5 minutes to give the cats one last pet and kiss and a quick snuggle with Mr Siili. 

2 more sleeps

Why do I feel like I have hardly any time for extracurricular activities?! It's not like I have been doing much after work. I haven't been going to the gym (bad me) and I sure haven't been cleaning, nor much else either. I have some things I should do, which I'm avoiding and I shouldn't avoid them. And then there are some things which I don't need to do, but have been doing, such as Mr Siili and I watching some TV shows together. Tons of fun, but not really productive. I really have to get my behind in gear this evening and tomorrow evening as I only have 2 more sleeps before I head off to China for just over 2 weeks for a work trip. I need to clean the cat litter box, do dishes, empty the camera's memory card, get some money exchanged, figure out what I want to wear while there and then pack it, finish buying a couple of small gifts, bread and who knows what else! I should check my list again. I love lists, even if I don't always follow them.

I'm starting to get to the stressed stage of traveling and I haven't even left home yet. Actually, I always get stressed just before traveling, it's once we're on the road or in the plane that I can finally calm down, because I know the plane can't leave without me if I'm in it. *big grin* I'm sure I'll start having travel-stress dreams soon. Anyone else have these types of dreams? I quite often have them when I'm visiting family in the US. I know we need to get to the airport in the morning, but I always have one last store I need to go to to buy that last item. Something happens and I'm late. Either there is a long line at the store, not everyone is where they should be, the traffic is horrendous or we just don't get to the airport on time. LOL I dream that sort of dream almost every time I'm going to travel. Thankfully none of that has happened in the waking world.

I've wanted to write more on my blog the last few days, but I just haven't felt like I had the time (see first paragraph) and I just haven't has much to say. Life is just life right now. I have had some time to do ICLW stuff, but not nearly as much as I should. I guess that needs to go on my list of things to do before I leave also.

I hope everyone is having a good ICLW. When I logged in today, I saw that I now have 30 people following me!! I truly find it too cool for words to have people following me. Thank you everyone!

August ICLW

Welcome to August's ICLW. I hope you enjoy this week, find some new blogs to follow and reconnect with old friends. I truly enjoy ICLW and look forward to it each month! I hope to see you around.

Fall has arrived here in Finland. I hope your summer has been good and warm to you (unless you are in the southern hemisphere, I hope your winter wasn't too cold). The sun is still warm when it isn't rainy, but you can definitely feel the nip and chill to the air, especially in the mornings and at night. The trees haven't started turning yet, but I'm sure they will start changing soon. Even though I love summer, I also love the colors of fall.

A tiny bit about me:
I'm 35 and Mr Siili (DH) will be 37 on Tuesday. We've been TTC for 3 years, as of this month. AF arrived today in full force, making this the start of cycle #39. We've been on break this summer from treatments and I know this cycle is completely out as I'll be out of the country during O, but cycle #40 will hopefully be an FET cycle.
If you want to read more about who I am and my TTC journey so far, you can click the tabs above.



And just because I like to share a bit of fun stuff for my intro ICLW post, here are some random questions that I found on a friend's blog:

What is bothering you right now?
My neck! I slipped and fell a week ago, went to the chiropractor on Friday and my neck spasmed this evening. It hurts like crazy! Thankfully I have another chiro appointment on Wednesday!

Do you like celebrity magazines?
No, not really.

When was the last time you were ill?
Last year some time.

Who owns you?
My cats.

One place you’d love to visit?
Scotland.

Did you skip school?
Yes.

Ever played an instrument?
Flute and a tiny bit of piano.

Favourite alcoholic drink?
I don't really like alcohol, but sometimes I'll go for a pear cider.

Do you follow fashion?
Nope.

What colour are your eyes? Do you like that colour?
Green and sometimes more grey than green. Yes!

What is the furthest you have travelled from your home? How far was it?
I grew up on the west coast of the USA and I moved to Finland. I have no idea how far that is, but it's about half way around the world

What is the coldest temperatures you have experienced? Where were you?
I've survived -30C / -22F with wind chills in Finland.

What is the hottest temperatures you have experienced? Where were you?
Probably something like 106F / 41C when I was visiting relatives in California.

Do you like long train/car journeys?
Sometimes.

Have you ever considered writing a novel?
Nope.

Have you ever punched someone in the face?
Yes. I've trained/practiced and competed in Taekwon-do.

What is your sense of humour like?
A bit of this and that.

Are you a good person?
I like to think I am.

Change is inevitable, but it doesn't mean I have to like it

I've been at my current job for 3.5 years. I like what I do and I like the people I work with. I work as an Accounts Receivable (AR) Specialist in the finance service center of a multinational company. This isn't really a job I would have ever thought of doing. Sure, I did get a degree in International Business, where we learned a bit about marketing, accounting, e-commerce, etc. But I not that great in numbers, beyond the basics. Things like calculating interest, taxation, depreciation and so on just weren't something I grasped easily in school. So, I never really thought I would I'd have a job where numbers figured big in it. What I do as an AR specialist doesn't really have much to do with interest and depreciation, but we do deal with numbers on a daily basis. I'm just very thankful we have computers and SAP. (Although, SAP can sometimes be a pain too! lol) I think I'm quite lucky to be able to say I like my job.

The service center where I work only came into existence about 4.5 years ago. Before this center existed, each office, site or mill around the world had their own finance department and their own ways of working. Our center was created to consolidate and harmonize the ways of working. It sure has been a process with many challenges and learning curves, but this service center has shown great results.

As you can calculate (4,5yrs-3,5yrs = 1yr), I wasn't there for the very beginning of this process, but I have been there through most of it. The team I am in only came into existence when I started with the company. Before that, the work we do was still in its own units around the world. I was the first of our team (well, our team leader was really first). Through all the other people coming and going, I am still in the same team and same department. In fact, myself and another teammate have been in our team and department the longest. (I find that so strange to think about.)

At the end of 2009, the global business climate started to change and take a down turn. Our company, and many others in the industry, started negotiations to cut back the number of jobs. Several mills were to be shut down (and did shut down) and a plan was announced that many jobs (roughly half) in our service center would be sent to China. For almost all of 2010, we didn't know who was staying in the company, who was leaving and which sections of our jobs would leave us. As the dust settled and issues worked out, some people left the company on their own and some moved to different departments. I learned that I was going to be one of 9 people that would be staying in our department (as I have a permanent contract). Yay! But, I also learned that almost all of my team's work was going to transfer to China. Un-yay.

Fast forward about a year and some of our Chinese counterparts came to our office, learned some of our tasks and took them back with them. This part of the change was ok. Only some of what we did was transferred to China at this point, and actually it was part of what I liked the least. *big grin*

Fast forward again to the beginning of this summer and several more Chinese came to our office to take the major part of what will be transferred to China. This is where the change happened. Friday was the last day for me to officially handle the tasks that I've been doing for the last 3 or so years. What I went to another country to learn and bring back to Finland is now being transferred to China. I'm quite sad about this, yet I knew and know it is a part of work and life. I really liked the tasks I was doing and the people with whom I was in daily communication with. Sure, I'll still be in contact with the same people, just not as often. I'll also still be doing the same basic tasks, just not my original countries. Life will go on and I'll learn new stuff. Change happens, it's inevitable. But I just don't always have to like it!

What do you think?

Do you see the new image I have at the top?!
My online friend, Anne, over at my blethering blog did a huge favour for me and created this amazing header for my blog. Not only is she talented in creating/making graphics, she quilts, sews, knits and I'm sure much more that I don't know about. I am so thankful for the time she took to make this for me. Thank you, Anne!!

So, tell me: What do you think?

This and That, Putty-tat

Not much to say lately, so I haven't been saying anything at all, but I figured I'd give a few 'this and that' bullets just for something to say.

• putty-tats are what we call our cats sometimes

• when not doing an IF treatments, there isn't too much to say on the baby making front. CD9 this evening, and I caved: BFN. I've been having nausea, a bit of queasiness and some gas the last 3-4 days. Not normal for me at all, but I suspect it is from the food we ate.

• I miss my mom. Still. Always.

• my summer holiday is over, I'm back at work. It's ok. It'll be my last week doing this particular part of my job and I'm a bit sad about it. I know I'll still work with the same people and do some of the same tasks, but it won't be the same. I've been handling this task for the last 3 years. Onto new and different tasks.

• 11 more sleeps until I leave for Shanghai on a work trip.

• Mr Siili's birthday is coming up next week. I know what I want to get him, but I need to go find it. (Hmm, maybe I should wait until I go to China.)

soup, eggs & dessert

I love to cook and especially bake. I also love trying new recipes. This year I've been a bit lacking in trying new recipes, but this past week, I've tried 3 new recipes! They are: Thai Summer soup, Egg nests & Lemony Strawberry-Brita. The first and third, have been a hit and the second, not so much. I think part of the reason for Mr Siili didn't like the egg nests was because I was also making the Lemony strawberry-Brita at the same time and he was expecting something sweet, not savory. Oops.

In any case, I'm sharing the recipes below. Let me know if you make any of them and what you think of them.


The Thai summer soup was light, quite delicious and easy to make. I'll definitely be making this again, in the summer or winter. I found this recipe from a Pirkka, which is a brand for Finnish K-group markets. I've translated the recipe below.

Photo credit - Pirkka

Thai Summer soup (Thaimaalainen kesäkeitto)
Prep and cooking time: 30-60 minute
5 servings

Ingredients
4-5 (~ 10,5 oz)	potatoes
3 (~ 7 oz)	carrots
1/2 (~ 8,8 oz)	broccoli
1/2 (~ 8,8 oz)	cauliflower
1 Tbs	green curry paste
4 cups	water
3/4 tsp	salt
1 can (400 ml)	coconut milk
~ 3,5 oz	sugar pea pods
2 Tbs	chopped parsley or coriander
	In addtion lime slices

Directions

1. Peeland chop up the potatoes and carrots. Remove the broccoli and cauliflower florets and cut up the stems. Heat the curry paste in the pan for a moment.
2. Add the potatoes, carrots and water. Bring to a boil and season with salt. Boil on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the broccoli and cauliflower to the soup. Boil for about another 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. In the end, add the coconut milk and sugar pea pods. Let the soup come back to a boil.
4. Decorate with parsley or coriander. Serve with lime slices and bread.

My Notes:

We don't care for sugar peas too much, so we substituted baby corns instead. Very yummy! Also, the green curry paste we used wasn't very strong, so we ended up doubling it. I think next time I might even triple or quadruple the amount to give it more curry flavor.


I love Simply Recipes recipes! She has so many easy recipes that are just yummy. While this recipe is my least favorite of all that I have tried from her site, it is due to a personal preference due to the fact that I don't really care for eggs. But when I had extra egg whites from the Lemony Strawberry-Brita recipe (mentioned below), I figured I had to try this novel egg idea instead of letting them go to waste. The nests are a great and fun idea, but I'm not sure if I'll make them again.

Photo credit - Simply Recipes

Egg Nests
2 servings

Ingredients
2	eggs
1/2 tsp	salt
1/4 cup	grated Gruyere cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle. Line a roasting pan, or baking sheet that can take high temperatures without warping, with parchment paper or Silpat.
2. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Make sure there are no little pieces of egg yolk in the whites or you will have difficulty getting the whites to beat properly. It helps if you are making more than one egg nest to keep each egg yolk in a separate prep bowl.
3. Place the egg whites in a very clean mixer bowl (any residual oil in the mixer bowl will keep the egg whites from whipping up properly). Add a quarter teaspoon of salt to the egg whites. Beat the egg whites with a whisk attachment in a mixer (or using a hand mixer), starting on low speed and then slowly increasing to high speed, until stiff peaks form.
4. Gently fold in the grated Gruyere cheese, taking care not to deflate the egg whites.
5. Create two mounds of the egg white mixture on the lined baking sheet. Form the mounds so they look like nests, with indentations in the centers.
6. Place in the oven for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, open the oven, pull out the rack with the egg white nests, and gently add an egg yolk to the center of each nest. Return the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 3 more minutes. Serve immediately.
   

My Notes:
We didn't have Gruyere cheese on hand, so I just used the edam that we do have.


I clipped this recipe out from the S-rhymä (which is a brand for Finnish S-group markets) magazine I get each month because the picture looked so good and who am I to resist strawberry and lemon? When Mr Siili saw the recipe, he got excited about it remembering something his mom made. That just clenched the deal and I had to make this! A bit on the sweet side, but still very yummy!

Photo credit - S-rhymä

Lemony Strawberry-Brita (Sitruunainen mansikka-Brita)

20 - 25 pieces

Ingredients
Base
1/2 cup + 1 Tbs	margarine
1/3 cup	sugar
3	egg yolks
2/3 cup	flour
2 tsp	baking powder
1/3 cup	cream
1 Tbs	margarine (for the baking paper)
Meringue
3	egg whites
2/3 cup	sugar
1 bag (~2,5 oz)	sliced almonds
Lemon Kissel
1/3 cup	lemon juice
1 cup	water
1 cup (scant)	sugar
4	egg yolks
4 Tbs	corn starch
2 Tbs	soft butter
In addition
1 quart	fresh (sliced) strawberries

Directions

1. Prepare the cake base. Separate room temperature egg yolks in one bowl and whites in another. Whip the margarine and suger. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing the whole time. Mix the flower and baking powder. Add them to the dough in alternating turns with the cream. Mix until the dough is smooth. Cover a baking pan (with sides) with baking paper and spread the margarine over the paper. Spread the dough over the margarine, about the size of 8 in x 12 in. 
2. Prepare the meringue. Whip the egg whites into a hard foam. Add the sugar a little bit at a time, beating the entire time. Spread the meringue on top of the dough. The surface of the meringue can have peaks/shapes. Spring some almond slices on top. Bake the cake base at 350F in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes or until the meringue is a beautiful color. Let cool.
3. Prepare the Kissel. Measure into a sauce pan all of the kissel ingredients, excluding the butter. Over medium heat, heat the ingredients, stirring briskly the whole time. Once the kissel has thickened a bit, continue to heat it for a few more minutes over a low heat. Add the soft butter to the kissel and stir until smooth. Allow the kissel to cool and sprinkle some sugar on the top.
4. You can prepare the kissel a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Cut the cake base in two (horizontally) and lift the meringue layer away from the bottom half. Spread the kissel and sliced strawberries on the cake base. Put the meringue layer on top of the kissel and strawberries, meringue side up. Serve immediately.

My Notes:
My base and meringue were not nearly fluffy enough to cut in half when I took it out of the oven. I think it was because I just tossed the cream and flour in together and mixed away. It didn't effect the taste one bit! Next time I think I'll bake them separately anyway. The lemon kissel was insanely sweet! I think I'll try to make it a bit less sweet next time, or as per Mr Siili's suggestion, just leave it out completely. This dessert was sweet enough and yummy enough to not really need the lemon kissel. It was good though.

Enjoy!

Three years TTC

Later this month marks 3 years since I removed my last NuvaRing and we started TTC.

The first year wasn't so bad. I knew it could take some time before anything happened, so I wasn't worried. I also thought that because I had gotten pregnant so many years earlier, way too easily, that this time would be the same. Boy, was I naive!

The second and third year have been filled with fear, mega hormones, uncertainty and utter sadness among other things. Fear and disbelief have come from the need to go to a fertility clinic, have lots of treatments and become one of 'those' women. Disbelief that my body would let me down, especially when I knew it worked, at one point. Hormones, my own and additional ones administered to my body. Mood swings that come out of nowhere. Hormones that have at times caused me cry for the stupidest reasons and uncontrollably, snap at my husband for no or little reason, bloat and at times just feel all around miserable. (In all fairness, I've actually had it pretty easy as far as side effects from treatments go.) Uncertainty of whether the next cycle or treatment will work. The sense of hopelessness as I've gone into yet another cycle and already having the feeling of this not being the one and then AF shows to rub it in even more. Being torn between being happy for everyone else who has gotten pregnant, had their kid(s) to being utterly saddened by my lack of any sign of a positive pregnancy test.


Three years! Three years and not one single show of two lines, a smiley face or BFP. No chemical pregnancy, no ectopic, no miscarriage, no nothing. As sad as it sounds and the reality of it is, I would give anything to have been pregnant and lost it than to be in this place of never having had at all. I just want some sort of sign to show that it's even possible for me to get pregnant. I know our embryos from IVF grow in the lab, but what is happening when they are transferred back to me? Obviously nothing.

Three years and we still have nothing to show for it. That's what saddens me the most.

Acupuncture update

I've been thinking on this post for some time now, but I've just been having a difficult time getting myself to actually sit down and write it. I think I'm still on holiday mode. *big grin* At least for a few more days...

After my first session 3 weeks ago, I have gone another 2 times, each on Tuesday. I think acupuncture is doing something to my body. I don't see any 180 degree changes, but I can see some differences in myself. For example:
-My lower back doesn't seem to hurt as much. I haven't been going to the gym, so that is not a reason to make it feel better.

-I think I'm warmer overall. Sure, the weather has been quite nice during the first 2 weeks of my holiday and with the warm weather we were having, something definitely would have had to be wrong with me to be cold then. But this last week the temperatures have chilled a bit and I'm still not 'cold'. My hands and feet have been a bit chilled in the evening as Mr Siili and I sit and watch some TV programs, but I think that is to be expected. I just don't feel freezing. I think the true test will be when it gets much cooler and even cold.

-My ankle is feeling better. Not cured, but also not as painful. After the first session where one of the needles definitely triggered pain which continued for the week. I talked to MRJ (acupuncture guy) and told him about the discomfort and also about my tearing the ligament in my ankle several years ago (I had forgot about it during the first meeting). He placed a needle or two for the ankle during the 2nd and 3rd session and it has helped! Especially after the 2nd session, my ankle didn't hurt AT ALL the rest of that day and only slowly became a bit annoying during the week. So far this week it hasn't been too bothersome either.

As for how acupuncture might be effecting my endometriosis, I don't know yet. Since I am one of the "lucky" ladies that doesn't have any sort of symptoms, I don't know what is going on inside of me. And since I am not currently doing any medical treatments, I'm not getting any u/s done to see my innards. I guess we'll see what happens in another week and a half if/when AF shows.

During the 3rd treatment this week, MRJ tried something new on me: EFT. Or, Emotional Freedom Techniques. I found a decent description of what EFT is on Mercola.com.

EFT is a form of psychological acupressure, based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and emotional ailments for over five thousand years, but without the invasiveness of needles. Instead, simple tapping with the fingertips is used to input kinetic energy onto specific meridians on the head and chest while you think about your specific problem - whether it is a traumatic event, an addiction, pain, etc. -- and voice positive affirmations.

MRJ has just started learning this, and took a course on it over the weekend, so he asked if I would like to try it. Maybe I have/had some mental stress or other negative aspect in my life that was blocking me emotional from getting pregnant. But when MRJ asked me to think of negative things in my past, I really couldn't think of much. The main things that came to mind was financial stresses because of the house we've signed for (and Mr Siili not having a job yet/still), my mom's death, my parents' divorce many years ago (but they've always remained civil and even good friends in the end) and one ex boyfriend. I honestly think I've had a pretty good life. No major traumas, in my opinion. In the end, MRJ decided to focus on the ex.

This ex mentally abused me, in my opinion. I don't know if he meant to do it, but I think he was fucked up enough himself that he knew nothing else. But in any case, I seriously thought of slitting my throats that Halloween we were together. It was a very dark time in my life, yet no one knew how badly I was hurting. This guy also slept with my then best friend on my bedroom floor was I was sleeping in the bed. (Yes, I've always been a deep sleeper.) So, even though I've tried to forget it over the years, I still had anger, hatred and unpleasant thoughts when I thought of him.

So, MRJ did 2 rounds of EFT regarding my ex. He also did one round focusing on my infertility. He would say some words (in Finnish, of course) and I was to repeat them. As he said the words and I repeated them, he would tap on parts of my body. I think I did quite well repeating the words the first 2 times. But as soon as he started using a specific term for 'childlessness', which I this was hedelmättömys. I just couldn't get my mind and mouth around the word, much less repeat it. LOL. So he chose a different word with the same basic meaning: lapsettomuus. But you trying saying this word over and over while you are being tapped on the top of your head, near your eyes, upper lip, etc and still be able to say it correctly and without laughing. For some reason, after a while, this word didn't want to come out correctly. You know how sometimes when you say a word over and over and it just starts sounding funny? This word sounded funny.

I have no idea if this EFT worked or not. But when I think of this ex, I don't seem to get the same feeling as I used to. But I also don't seem to be actually 'thinking' of him, but rather just glancing over the idea and images of him in my thoughts. Almost like its too slippery of a subject for me to get a grasp on anymore.

So, that's my 3 appointments so far. My next appointment with MRJ won't be for another month when I get back from Shanghai. I did mention to MRJ that I was thinking of checking out acupuncture while in Shanghai, if it isn't too expensive (at least much less then 45€). I mean, after all, it is China! He sounded quite open to that and said he'd love to go there someday and try it himself. MRJ also did say to make sure they diagnose me before doing a session.

In a way, I hope this acupuncture will work on me and I will get pregnant this cycle, not only for the pregnancy side of it but, it would feel to me that Mr Siili would have to believe that not so traditional methods might actually work too. If this all natural cycle doesn't work, the next cycle would be a miracle indeed as I'll be in China during O and the one after that will be monitored by my clinic for FET. Not to say that I wouldn't be thrilled to get pregnant then also, but at that point I wouldn't know what treatment did the trick. Not that I'd really care how it happened, right?
x

What I did on my holiday

Remember the first few days back at school and how you had to write an essay about what you did during the summer? Hehe, that's what this reminds me of. While this isn't my whole holiday, but only a snippet of it, it's still stuff I did, with Mr Siili, the cats and my father-in-law (FIL).

Mr Siili and I tossed the cats into the car on last week's Wednesday and drove to his parents' house to spend a few days with his dad. (His mom is walking the Way of St. James pilgrimage in Spain.) We should have waited until the evening as our cats were very hot from the trip and Rusty was panting for quite some time after we arrived. It was quite scary.

During our stay, we picked black currants from Mr Siili's parents' yard and also the berries from one of his sister's yard. The weather was perfect! The first day we picked it was beautifully sunny and hot, with just a touch of warm breeze! We first had to rescue the bushes from nokkonen (stinging nettle) and then we could pick the berries in relative peace. It was so nice to just be outside, together and in relative quietness with only the shushing of birch trees in the breeze and a small plane doing aerial stunts overheard. After about 1.5 hours hours of getting rid of the nettles and 2.5 hours of picking currants, we decided it was enough for the day even though we hadn't picked everything yet. We did go back the next day for another 2-3 hours and got the rest of the berries.

mustaherukka pensas / black currant bush

I did pick about 2 liters of karviainen (goosberry), which I boiled with a bit of water and sugar and then froze to use at a later date. I think I'll make an apple-gooseberry pie or two this winter.

karviainen pensas / gooseberry bush

When we got back to the in-laws house, FIL got out their steam juicer and we put the black currents to juice. Basically you just dump the berries (stems, leaves and bugs included) into the juicer, add some sugar and steam them until the juice comes out. Then you pour the hot juice into sterilized bottles and cap them. You've then got great juice for the winter, especially if you get sick and need something hot to help you feel better. In total, I think we picked about 16 liters of berries and ended up with about 6.5 liters of juice.

Mehu-Maija / steam juicer

While the berries were juicing, Mr Siili picked me some raparperi (rhubarb) from the yard and I made 2 rhubarb strawberry pies (recipe below). Unfortunately, Mr Siili's 2 sisters didn't come join us for dessert and we had to eat them all by ourselves (ok, the 3 of us only polished off one of them that first evening).

raparperi-mansikkapiirakka / rhubarb-strawberry pie

The only thing I didn't get pictures of was the 4-5 liters of kantarelli (chanterelle mushrooms) that I picked the morning we headed back home. These are some of the yummiest mushrooms! I'm thinking I'll make a quiche, a soup and just fry the rest at some point.


This pie recipe was one of the first Finnish recipes (after potato bread) I learned when I came to Finland. These pies are delicious and so very easy to make. They are also quite versatile in that you can put any type of berry or combo of berry you like.


Mamman marjapiirakka / Mamma's berry pie
Dough:
2/3 cup (150g) butter/margerine
1/2 cup (1dl) sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup (3dl) flour (regular flour or wheat flour or a combo works)
1 tsp baking powder

Mix ingredients together, spread on the bottom and sides of a low pie pan.


Filling:
1 cup (2dl) sour cream
1/4 (1/2dl) cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups (1/2 liter) berries (rhubarb, blueberries, lingonberry, apple+cinnamon)
(w/rhubarb, put it in the filling for a few min before pouring it into the shell.)


Pour the filling in the pie pan/shell.

Bake at 400F (200C) for 20-40min.
Let cool a bit after you take it out of the oven so the filling can set. Serve warm or cold with vanilla sauce and/or ice cream.

I've been on holiday

I've been on holiday from work for the last 2 weeks. It's been great! And I even took this last week off from blogging. I spent the entire week enjoying not doing anything that I didn't want to do! I thought about blogging and things that I could write, but I just couldn't be bothered. *big grin* But now I'm back home and I'll update you all with some of what I've done during my time away from here, tomorrow. As, I still have one more week of holiday from work, I've stayed up way late (it's 2:45 am) and I should get to sleep now as I actually feel tired and I would like to get some stuff done tomorrow.

Happy 5th Anniversary, Mr Siili

July is now over and all of the celebrations and events to remember have come and gone. I love July and most of the events we get to celebrate and I definitely love the fact that it is summer. But nothing takes the cake on my wedding anniversary.

Happy 5th Anniversary, Mr Siili

On our 8th anniversary of being together, Mr Siili asked me to marry him. I didn't quite believe him at first, but once I did, we were married within two and a half weeks (at the magistrate's office). I love my guy very much, even if he does bug me at times. hehe. Here's to many more years to us!