THE ONCE-A-YEAR PASTRY

To balance up all the healthy things I baked some Runeberg's cakes. They are moist cakes with almond (and some cardamom) with jam in the middle, named after our national herald Johan Ludvig Runeberg (or, actually, after his wife Fredrika). The real shape of the pastry is high and cylindar but I don't have molds for that so I made them in cupcake molds, works just as well.

You only get these -or make them- around this time of the year, as the Runeberg day is February 5th. Which is insane as they taste so good. I always try to eat trough all bakeries variations, hehe, although this year I only went for the home made ones.

There's  actually a bunch of food and baking you "may" only have once a year. While enjoying gingerbreads in June for example would feel a bit off but I think I am going to break the etiquette and make more of these just whenever. Or if not then a raw-verision, which recipe I have been playing with in my head.

BABIES AND CATS IN THE SNOW

(Or alright; one baby, but two cats.)

Spot little Lulu in the last pic?

4 x GREENS

My favorite salad for the moment is one with lettuce, China cabbage, avocado, carrots, fresh coriander and asian basil, with peanuts and fried tofu on top. Had some fine chopped celery in there the other day too. But the most important is the sauce, which I make of soy sauce, rice vinegar and some lime juice. I have it as it is or then roll the ingredients in a lettuce leaf. Or, of course, the best thing is to make a vietnamese roll out of it if you have some rice paper around. 

Seriously, I start drooling just by the thought of this.

Sliced pressed dates with peanut butter on top! I use those eco peanit butters with peanuts and some fancy smanschy salt only, no extra oils or such. I have this for breakfast with a smoothie, but it works like a snack as well; sort of like a snickers! You can make it even more of  a Snickers bar with some raw (or dark) malted chocolate in between, or some cocoa nibs on top!

I tried out some aubergine-olive "meat"-balls today with a recipe from Jolie. Only I put in some kidney beans too, as I did not have enough of the eggplant. It made them a bit drier perhaps but very good nonetheless.

Green suppa-duppa smoothie! With apple juice, fresh coriander (my favorite herb...), fresh ginger, cucumber, frozen pineapple and a little spirulina. I'm a smoothie freak you know.

B- TO THE -L - TO THE - I - TO THE - N - TO THE - G!

One of the best in the world, the Helsinki Burlesque Festival 2013, is just around the corner. This year I am working on a new solo number. In autumn I managed to get not only one but two new routines done plus build our Christmas Show . Prety amazing considering. but then again was so small, Dag mainly sleeping or admiring all the glitters and feathers and happy if he got a little cuddling and a lot of milk in between. But now it is So. Much. Harder.  Making me wish around the corner was a few blocks away still...
But at least I got myself a lot of bling (to stay at least a little bit sane I was smart and outsourced most of it, for once) and a very nice outfit coming up!