FARMER'S & SLOW FOOD FAIR IN OUR HOODS

This weekend there's a farmer's market and artesan food fair for locally and mainly organically grown and produced products at a farm close to ours.

After a storm last night autumn was as it's best this morning, crisp and sunny.

Suitably for the occasion I put on my cowboy boots that I got from Ina for making her some promo material for her shop.

Dag got to wear a team shirt.

The fair is at Mangs which is just around the corner (in countryside measurements) from our farm. It's a very idyllic place. The fair itself is rather small but with a huge amount of visitors.

Eddi & his brother's farm is all-organic. Here's the stand.

We have linseed, fava beans, honey, rolled oats and rye flour. (Or well, "we"; I did not make that much to produce those. But I have made the packing and print material for all the products.)

We also had sour dough bread that a local bread enthusiast has baked of our products.

And care products for home and house, like linseed soap which is an all-natural product that can be used to clean anything and everything.

The boys had also picked linseed flowers which they sold. Not Dag though (although he did a nice try to pick some with me earlier this fall; they are rather hard to collect neatly actually).


He spotted the tractors right away and it topk many tears to get him off the BIG TRACTOR after some time of admiring.


I took him to admire the alpacas instead. Which are super cute. Such cuddly shape! And they  make cute noises as well.


A couple of our lambs are also admirable at the fair for the kids to pet and feed. Dag was super excited because you know, he can also see them almost every day at home.


To let him try out something he does not get to do all the time like look at tractors and lambs, he got to ride a pony. And then we got cinnamon rolls made with goat milk and they were so good.
(They sell them close to the yellow house just next to the pony rides, if you happen to go there. YUM!)


Here are some more alpacas BECAUE JUST LOOK AT THESE!

The market is open today on Sunday from 10 to 16hrs. To get to Mangs turn off road 51 at Degerby and then follow the signs to the market, which is a 10-15 minute drive from there.

HOW TO GET AWAY WITH IT pt.2

If you put on a turban and some lipstick almost anything goes for the rest.

(In this case, an old big shawl, rolled up yoga pants and a nice pair of heels.)

FRESH APPLE CAKE WITH CINNAMON

Then apple season came and went by. We picked apples and I made apple mash and apple marmalade and apple cakes... and then decided I wanted to try out something different and new - which turned into a raw food apple cake!

I used almonds and sunflower seeds for the crust but you can make this with just either one, or hazelnuts and walnuts for example. I used one of this dried pressed packs of dates (250g) that I soaked in water; 2/3 for the crust and 1/3 for the filling.


For the curst:
4dl almonds
2 dl sunflower seeds
200g  dates
a handful (about 0,5dl) dried apple bits, soaked

Filling:
2 dl cahsews
3-4tsp cinnamon
1tbs melted cocoa butter or 2-3tbs coconut oil
100g dates
7 small apples

The apples on our trees over here are rather small so 2-3 equals one store bought regular sized one.


Mix the nuts and add the dates and the apple bits. Press the curst out in a cake mold (I put baking paper underneath to get it out easily), then proceed to make the filling.


Mix the cashews smooth. You can add a few drops of the water you soaked the dates or dried apple in, (or some apple juice) after a while for easier mixing. Then, add the cinnamon and the dates in small portions. Pour in the cocoa butter (or coconut oil; you won't taste the coconut); this will firm the filling once you let it cool afterwards. Chop the apples (peeled or unpeeled, your choice) and add the bits to the mixer. Pour the filling in the crust, smooth out and let the cake cool for an hour or two before serving.

Enjoy with a cup of fruity tea or coffee. Or some apple lemonade!

#EASTERNFINLAND14

This summer all our further-away gigs were concentrated to the east of the country.

Late in May we drove out to perform our cabaret show at a private motorcycle event held at mansion.

With a rather fancy atmosphere at our backstage.


And some yellow widow to go along.

We also managed to 'throw our winter furs away' -as one says in Finnish, referring to the first swim of the season- at that trip.

In July we performed at a motorcycle festival at an island in the Imatra river. No swimming this time though, as the current there is deadly.

As you may recall from my post about the trip, we got to stay at the art nouveau hotel downtown, that I remember admiring in my childhood.

And we got to take that swim on our way home instead, when stopping by my grandmother's cabin.

In August we headed further away, seven hours up all the way to Nurmes in Northern Carelia, performing our burlesque & rock n'roll combo with Sweet Jeena & Her Sweethearts at a rockabilly & car show. Here the guitarist Risto is happily posing with our patch in his jacket.




We stayed in one of these traditional Carelian timber lodges.

(On a side note I can add that during the trip I stuffed myself with local treats like pirogs and barley bread and so called "home ale" which made me look like I was four months pregnant in the end.)

Northeast in our country. Huge woods and big lakes.

Lake Pielinen is beautiful!

Getting ready in our room.

Backstage at the venue, House Bomba, a huge traditional timber lodge.

Jeena's pre-show preparations.

Leaving back home for another gig we had in Helsinki the next day. One of my "Skoda -ads" again... It really is amazing how much we manage to fit in this car.

The next week it was time to make another seven hours drive, this time to Iisalmi, performing with the same set up at yet another motorcycle event. (The theme for this summer - motorcycles and going east!)

Most of the road is the same as to Nurmes and this time we had more time on our hands so we managed to stop at this big statue park/shop in the middle of nowhere that we wanted to see.

Something about that huge Elvis is calling out to me; I can picture him in the middle of the field by the road among our lambs. But for now he will remain with the huge chickens, cherubs and what-nots in Juva.

Our stage was at a truck. And this time our 'backstage' was a little different...

Well, we did have an indoors one as well. In -of course- a timber lodge.

And then it was, once again, showtime!