My secret vice...

... is sauerkraut. I love it! A lot of foolish people (sadly including my husband and daughter!) turn their noses up for it - why, oh why? It's so fresh, tasty and so ultimately good for you. Cabbage has an awful lot of vitamins and minerals - the Russians used to call it the portable medicine cabinet for its beneficial properties. Add the natural lactic acid formed by wild fermentation and you get a total health bomb! There´s a lot of interesting recipes for using sauerkraut too - I´ve mostly munched mine raw but I´m going to have a go at one of these vegan recipes. I get my daily dose of sauerkraut from the organic vegetable and fruit basket we order weekly. Last week I got very adventurous and got some wild fermented carrots too - tasty but lacked the character of sauerkraut! Mmm! I´m going to have to go and have some!

Korvapuusteja!

This is what I've been up to today! Cinnamon buns filled with cardamoms, lemon rind and apple. They´re called korvapuusti since they look a bit like a thick ear! I use non-dairy milk and just leave off the eggs that are in the traditional recipe and they're just as tasty - tastier even if you add a bit off organic lemon rind for tangy taste. Lots of sugar and vegan margarine and white flour too so not so terrible healthy but delicious. The plateful was gobbled up pretty quickly after taking the photo!

Moisturise me!

 

This is what I need, inside out! Fat! Good oils! This long, long Finnish winter has made my skin ever so dry and according to my organic cosmetologist this Rose and Aloe moisturiser should do the trick. I've had some Provida cosmetics before and have quite liked them. I am happy to see they've done something to their tubes though because they used to be oddly crumbly - the paint came off too easily when you squeezed! But I'm not sure what to think of the fact it says this product is for aging skin though...

The cute little Weleda jar was something my husband brought me from abroad - it contains ever so fancy little rose oil capsules I've tried to use sparingly! They work really well as a protection against very cold temperatures so I tend to share one with my daughter before going sledging on a cold day.

The avocados are not only delicious and pretty but also very nutritious!

Shhh! I'm reading!

And this is a good one too! Rather gothic, even if set in the post-war England. A huge decaying mansion, flickering candle flames, desperate love. What more can you ask? It wasn't quite the typical Sarah Waters book since there was a lack of forbidden sexuality - on the surface at least...

Look! This followed me home!

Today on the way home from work I spotted a cute little shop called Ekovintti selling organic children´s clothes made by small scale entrepreneurs in Finland. I don't usually buy too much clothes for my daughter since we tend to get lots and lots of lovely second hand stuff from friends and family but I couldn't resist this top! My daughter is really into dogs so this was very suitable. It's made of organic cotton by little company called Muru. It feels so soft I am almost jealous for not being able to wear it!  They had also cool patterned reusable nappies and sanitary pads for mums - if I didn't have my trusty moon cup I might have been tempted!

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

Or have I really finally found it?! An organic, vegan lipstick that is bright and nice and stays on? And doesn´t smell odd?? Looks like it! It´s made by Beauty Without Cruelty, an old and established ethical cosmetics brand that seems to have hit the jackpot with this one! This excellent lipstick comes in a rather stylish package and does not cost a fortune. I´m a bit of a lippy addict and have millions of different shades from different makes - some organic ones that haven´t quite been satisfactory and some ordinary ones.  (This one is called Rosehip by the way - looks like this wooden lady likes the same shade!) I think I will slowly replace my naughty ones with these naughty but nice ones!

Saturday night...

My Saturdays are fairly domesticated these days and this is what I make every Saturday. I call it The Hotpot. It´s simple, nutritious and stews in the oven while we´re having a sauna. What you need is a good pot with a lid, lots of (root)vegetables, some grain like spelt or quinoa (I know, that isn´t actually a grain) and vegan sausages, tofu or beans for protein. Lentils will do also. Wash, peel, dice, throw in the pot with oil and tomato puree or coconut milk, keep in 200 degrees for 2 hours. Eat and feel righteous.

Long live cobblers!

I found some rather nice boots from a thrift shop a while ago. They were in a bit of a neglected state though so a trip to the cobbler was in the cards. I really like cobblers. I've never met a nasty one and I just love the slightly odd atmosphere in their shops. Anyway my boots came back as good as new or better actually!

These are the rugged ones:

Rather cool and piratical, eh? Surprisingly comfy too!

This is the other pair from the rather fancy Finnish make Palmroth. I think my mum had a pair of these back in the 80`s and that´s where I think this pair might date from as well. Excellent for the long slushy time of year!