Appelsiinikakku

Talvi tekee tuloaan ja klementtiini ja appelsiinikausi on alkanut. Olen puristellut

lapsille mehuja ja kokeilin hiljattain Kinuskikissan kirjasta appelsiinikakku 

reseptiä toistamiseen, mutta

tällä kertaa menin vaihtelemaan aineksia ihan omin päin. Tarkoituksena tehdä

vähän terveellisempi välipalakakku lapsille ja tietysti itsellenikin.

Satutteko tietämään että italialaiset lapset syövät valtavia määriä pipareita ja leivonnaisia. 

Varsinaisia karkkipäiviä täällä ei käsittääkseni tunneta eikä täällä olekkaan vastaavanlaista karkkikulttuuria kuin Suomessa, mutta muuten täällä kyllä tykätään herkutella.

 Yleensä päiväkotiin viedään mukana aamueväät (merendina) joka nautitaan siis aamupalan ja 

lounaan välissä. Tyttäreni päiväkodissa useimmiten lasten eväslaatikosta löytyy 

paketillinen pipareita tai kakkupala.

Itse pakkaan tytölle yleensä mukaan hedelmää, täysjyväkeksejä ( ei makeita eikä suolaisia), kuivattuja hedelmiä tai jopa manteleita. Tyttöni syö näitä runsasenergisia välipaloja mukisematta 

ja viimeksi viime viikolla opettaja oli kehuskellut miehelleni että kaikkien lasten pitäisi syödä niinkuin Luna. 

Kirjoittaessani hykertelen vieläkin tyytyväisenä tästä positiivisesta palautteesta.

Tokihan meillä myös herkutellaan ja tyttäreni onkin varsinainen kakkujen ystävä. 

Yritän aina toisinaan sovellella ohjeita ja muokata kakuista terveellisempiä, välipalaksi sopivia.

 Korvasin kakkua tehdessäni 3 dl valkoisia jauhoja laittamalla 1 dl manteleista rouhittua jauhoa ja

1 dl täysjyväjauhoja. Laitoin rypsiöljyn sijaan Bitontossa (8km kotoa) valmistettua oliiviöljyä ja korvasin 2 dl valkoista sokeria 1,5 desillä ruokosokeria.  Lisäksi korvasin 200g sitruunarahkaa 

1 desillä kauramaitoa.

Kakusta tuli aika makea eli seuraavaan kakkuun taidan laittaa vain 1 dl ruokosokeria ja lisätä mantelijauhoja karheutta tuomaan.

Kakun ainekset ja toteutus, äärimmäisen helppoa :

TAIKINA (Dough)

1 dl mantelijauhoja (almond fluor)

1 dl täysjyväjauhoja (wholemeal flour)

1 dl vehnäjauhoja ( white flour)

2 tl leivinjauhetta (2 tsp baking powder)

ripaus suolaa ( a pinch of salt)

1,5 dl ruokosokeria ( brown sugar)

1 dl kauramaitoa ( oat milk or cream)

2 munaa ( eggs)

1/2 dl oliiviöljyä (olive oil)

1/2 dl itse puristettua appelsiinimehua ( self-squeezed orange juice)

2 appelsiinin kuoriraaste (two orange zest)

PINNALLE (on the surface)

1 dl itse puristettua appelsiinitäysmehua 

(self-squeezed orange juice)

Kakun voi koristella vaikka sulatetulla tummalla suklaalla tai

alkuperäisen ohjeen mukaan kumkvattihedelmillä ( mistä niitäkin löytää???)

Itse jätin kakun ilman koristeita sillä niinkuin kuvasta näkyy oli kakku vaaraksi joutua 

syödyksi jo ennen valokuvaa.

Kakun valmistelu on riemastuttavan helppo. 

Mittaa kulhoon kuivat aineet kaikki iloisesti sekaisin. 

Sitten mukaan kaikki loput aineet ja vatkaimella kaikki tasaiseksi.

Kaada taikina voideltuun ja korppujauhotettuun vuokaan

(tilavuus 1,5 l).

Kypsennä 180 asteessa uunin alatasolla 40 minuuttia. Tarkista kypsyys

coctail tikulla : kun tikkuun ei jää taikinaa kakku on kypsä.

Maistui mainiosti niin kaksi kuin neljä vuotiaallekin välipalaksi

useampana päivänä.

Ja kakkuako ei muka saa syödä joka päivä ?

 

The winter is here and so are the beautiful tasty oranges.

I decided to bake a little healthy cake for my kids.

Please see above the ingredients. 

The making of the cake is super easy :

Just measure all the dry ingredients in a bowl. 

Mix well and add all the rest of the ingredients.

Mix well again . 

Grease a ring cake tin and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Pour the dough in the cake tin.

Cook in 180 degrees at the lower level of the oven.

Buon appetito !

Minä ja Sinä

Kuluneella viikolla nautittiin vielä 20 asteen lämmöstä, 

mutta nyt loppuviikosta puhaltaa kylmä tuuli

ja ensimmäistä kertaa piti kaivaa paksu villapaita esiin. Tällä viikolla sain nauttia laatuajasta 

niin poikani kuin tyttönikin kanssa ihan kahden kesken. Näissä kuvissa olen pojan 

( Samuelin) kanssa kävelyllä ja käytiin tietenkin myös puistossa ja mehulla tytön ollessa päiväkodissa. Sitten myöhemmin viikolla käytin tytön (Luna Lisan ) kampaamossa ja sama 

puisto ja mehu keikka käytiin heittämässä pojan ollessa lasten hoitajan kanssa kotona. 

Tulipa taas muistettua kuinka tärkeetä tuo kahden keskinen kiireetön yhdessäolo onkaan 

niin lapselle kuin minullekin. Tänään perjantaina oli sitten myöskin ihan omaa laatuaikaa 

ostoksia tehden ja lempi kahvilassa lehtiä selaillen, ai että oli ihanaa. 

Tällä viikolla tyttöni aloitteli uimakoulua ja viikonloppu näyttäisi 

rauhalliselta joskin Halloween painotteiselta. 

Mukavaa, värikästä viikonloppua kaikille.

 

 "In the beginning of this week we still enjoyed warm sunny days but 

as the week is getting to it's end

the cold wind is blowing and I had to look for my warm pullovers.

This week I had a chance to spend some special time with each of my two kids.

It reminded me of how important these quiet moments are for my kids and for me as well. 

It's strange how they become like really peacful and respectful and smily when they can 

have all the attention for themselves. "

I think this year for the first time I'm going to celebrate

the Halloween at home. 

I've never cared for Halloween but this year I feel like it's a good 

reason for dressing up kids and for making some silly cupcakes.

I'll post some pictures later on.

 That's all for now.

I wish a lovely and scary weekend for everyone."

Syksy tuli Etelään

Hei

Olenkohan jo maininnut että täällä meillä päin on aika vähän luontoa 

tai ylipäätään puistoja tai muutakaan vihreää. Pugliasta ja Barista löytyy toki 

paljonkin luontoa, mutta ei useimmiten asutusten lähettyviltä. 

Ollaan asuttu nyt reilu vuosi Bari Palesessa joka sijaitsee lähellä lentokenttää, 

tälläinen pieni kylänen vaan. Ajoittain kärsin luontokuumeesta ja sen seurauksena 

koti-ikävästä ja ilahduin suuresti kun tässä eräänä laiskana iltapäivänä ymmärsin 

käydä pesueeni kanssa nuuskimassa niin kutsuttua joutomaata, joka sijaitsee ihan 

kodin vieressä.  "Täällä on ihanaa", sanoi tyttöni ihastuneena. 

Löydettiin mantelipuita ja rukolaa joka päätyi oitis salaattipöytään. 

Manteleista päätellen voisi sanoa että syksyhän se tekee tännekin tuloaan vaikka lämpötila 

on lähes päivittäin vielä yli 20 asteen. Mantelit on  yleensä kypsiä elo syyskuun 

vaihteessa ja nämä kuvassa näkyvät ovat jo ylikypsiä ja syömäkelvottomia. 

Ensi vuonna pitää muistaa käydä ajoissa sadonkorjuussa. 

Että sellaista tällä kertaa, mukavaa alkavaa viikonloppua !

           " Hi there, Have I ever mentioned that there's actually not much nature, or any kind 

of green close to our home. Don't get me wrong, there is 

nature in Puglia, but usually not close to where people live. That's  why every now and 

then I get really home sick thinking about the Finnish fields and forests...This week I got 

a crazy idea of checking out the wasteland close to our home and it was worth it.  

We found fresh rucola and almonds ( that should have been collected in the August or 

September ). Anyway the point is that I was so happy to find some green space 

close to our home. I'm definitely going to have a walk there again and see 

what else we can find there.

That's all for now, have a lovely weekend everyone !"

Delicious Oats and Banana Cookies

 This is what I've been up to this week. Trying out a receipe of simple two ingredient cookies I've found online. When I first saw this receipe of just oats and banana I thought, yeah right, can't be good as there's no added sugar nor butter or fluor. It turned out they're even better. 

These cookies make also a perfect breakfast for my three years old daughter and she too 

loves them a lot. I've been making various versions with some added smashed pear or apple, raisins, coconut flakes and chocolate chips. I'm thinking of trying out with some pieces of almonds and nuts and some seeds and honey. The options are endless really and the result is DELICIOUS and healthy.

Just mix and match, just the way you like it.

Preparing time is quick, just about 5 mins. Cooking time about 10 mins. 

I must have a bite now.

See you later.

Today I made these cookies with smashed banana and apple, coconut flakes,
oats and some milk chocolate chips. Try it with a cup of coffee or tea, yum yum !!

Italian Bank and Olives

If you work in a South Italian bank in a little town called Bitonto 

and you take a good care of your clients, you'll be lucky. Why ? 

Because your richest clients would be farmers and as Italians are incredibly generous and caring people, they might bring you bags and boxes of the goodies. Oil, olives, fruits and vegetables. Even wine. Right now, among some other fruits and vegetables, olives are freshly collected from the trees. Before I came to live in Italy, I thought olives were fairly delicious although too salty for my taste. I had never tasted a fresh olive. I can tell you it's another thing. So what did my Italian partner do the first thing on Sunday morning. Sliced some fresh olives and tomatoes and in they went to oven with some oregano, oil and salt. I had it with some whole grain rise for a lunch and it was the best thing I've had this month. Got to love him !

Birthday

Yesterday was my my birthday and I'm feeling...yes a bit old(er), but most importantly delighted. I received so many lovely phone calls, messages, wishes and love, that today I'm feeling all warm, loved, happy and inspired! You see, all you need is love for the inspiration and I've been lately so busy with my two little kids that I haven't had time even to think about my life, nor my relationship with my lovely partner and not to speak of so many dear friends who also inspire me greatly. Just today, I also feel like I'm just fine the way I am as a mum and as a partner, as a friend and as a sister. I could write you a book of my thoughts right now, but I'm just going to say that even if my silly life never goes the way I planed it somehow it always gives me more than I ever asked for. There's one thing I've done right in my life and it's the fact that I've always followed my heart. Today I'm extremely thankful for everything I have and what will be part of my life in the future. Thank you.

And as I'm feeling so inspired, next post will be about my new little necklace project. 

I promise to write soon.

xxx

Think Again

I've already mentioned the book " New Day"( Uusi paiva) by a Finnish author Heidi Kuusisto. In her book Heidi talks about well being that starts from eating raw healthy diet and taking care of your mind by meditating and doing some physical exercise everyday. In general, living a much simpler and quieter life for example by not reading the news for a week. Just concentrating on the things that are important to you.

I myself have been stressing this morning about the

baby that wants to eat all the time and therefore leaving me with little or no time to put in to effect the tasks I had in mind for today. And why do I make tasks when I know it can be hard to do them with a newborn ? Now there's a good question.

So I asked my self do I really need to go to food shopping this morning or could I do it with my toddler this evening ? I want to write my blog and draw a " playing carpet" for my daughter. ( She got her first car toys this week and I got an idea to draw her a playing carpet with some streets and crossroads). Then there are the usual chores for tiding up the flat and preparing lunch and dinner...That's a lot to do

for one morning so could I just stop everything for a moment and think again...

Finally I didn't go shopping.

Instead I prepared my self a nice green smoothy, sat down to write my blog and started to sketch the 

playing carpet.

I'm already feeling better

and also the baby seems to be sleeping so everything is looking much better already.

Have a lovely and peaceful weekend everyone !

What You Do With What You Have

Here's my advice for anyone feeling down right now. I know we all have bad days and it's so easy to want something we can't have. But what we really should be doing is looking around, 

right now and realize that 

this is it. 

This is my life.

Only you can decide if you want to enjoy life as it is, or if you'll always look away wanting more...

I mean dreams are great and important. I think it's dreaming that drives us forward in life, but it doesn't mean life isn't good as it is. 

Well here's a little something I was thinking about the other day after reading a post on a blog that talks about well being and happiness.

I wish you all a wonderful day, xxx.

Nutrient Rich Food For Kids

Here's how to make easily a basic Italian dish more healthy and more nutrient rich for children. In Bari children eat lots and lots of pasta, often with only the basic tomato sauce. They add some parmesan cheese which is very rich in calcium and some vitamins but that's about it. My pasta for my kid includes whole wheat pasta ( which causes shivering for the majority of South Italians) instead of the white one.

For the sauce I've used fresh tomatoes, zucchini and garlic. After cooking I add the best quality olive oil (produced in Bitonto 15 km from our home), chia and sesame seeds and some fresh basilica. 

Chia seeds contain calcium, iron, magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids, 

phosphorus and manganese. 

They're also good sources of protein and dietary fiber.

Sesame seeds instead are an excellent source of copper and a very good source of manganese, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, molybdenum, selenium and dietary fiber.

I've taken some time to study a bit about good sources of calcium because my daughter won't drink a drop of cow's milk. She never did after breast feeding.  

She just doesn't like the taste. This is interesting because my stomach doesn't tolerate cow's milk and so I haven't used it for years. Could it be that my eating habits are transferred to my kid ?

She gets her calcium from natural yoghurt that she often eats with a drop of honey in the morning. Other calcium sources are various cheeses, tofu and seeds.

So far these "extra ingredients" go only to my daughter's plate (and my own of course), 

I still need to convince my stubborn M.  

Seasonal Goods

Delicious Figs and Mulberries, the summer season is on ! 

As I have mentioned in some of my earlier posts, one of the best things of living in South Italy is to be able to enjoy the seasonal food not only in the summer but all around the year. I personally have been very interested on healthy diets for more than ten years now but there have been periods in my life when I've given less thought about it. Now as a mum of a two years old and soon a new born baby I want to introduce the best eating habits and diets for my family. Now this is not the easiest task in Italy (I'll talk about this another time) but I'm not going to give up. Eating well as a mum has proven to be vital for my energy levels and for me it's the best way of simply feeling good about my self.

Mulberries are rich in Vitamin C and they also contain small amounts of Iron, Magnesium and Calcium.

Where as Figs are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, 

and acid. 

Instagram

The things that I'm getting done these days are just getting fewer and fewer, but there are two new things happening in my life today. I have finally started to use Instagram !! No, don't look yet at my profile because there's nothing to see, but TODAY I created the profile and took first quick photos. I kind of like it because the photos are cool with the square shape and with the effects you can choose to apply on them. I'm gonna be much more active with photo shooting from now on. 

Secondly, I know I've already mentioned it, but this pregnancy is getting on my nerves now. The giant belly, tiredness and slowness with everything is making me nervous. I have quit a healthy diet normally, but lately I've been eating a bit too much of ice creams, bread and pasta. Now I'm gonna put an extra effort on thinking what I'm eating because everything and I mean EVERYTHING I eat matters a lot right now.
Well ok, if you want to follow me or stay in contact on Instagram, here's the link :
http://instagram.com/ameramussa

On the Menu This Evening

 I cook a lot, most of the days for the lunch and for the evening. So that's two times a day. I always use fresh ingredients, and I can say that I don't eat ready made meals. Unless not on a holiday or somewhere outside. I know a lot of people are too busy or too tired to cook, or they just prefer to use their time in other ways, all my respect for those ones. After all every one has to choose how to spend their time.

Cooking with the fresh seasonal ingredients means that I go food shopping almost every day. In Bari we have lots of little specialized shops for fish, meat, vegetables and fruit, bread and so on. We live in the city centre and I actually have all these little shops literally just around the corner, so this is another reason why it's possible to use so much fresh ingredients in cooking on daily bases.

In Bari we eat lots of white fish which has been delivered from the fisher men to the shops early in the morning. It's useless trying to sell an old fish for a South Italian. Trust me. They recognise the freshness by the smell, the hardness of the fish and finally in the taste. The salmon in the picture comes from further away and is probably not as fresh as the cods and sea breams in the picture. As a Finnish I have graving for salmon every now and then and I just must have it. I cook it in the oven, add just a bit of salt, then I boil some potatoes and feel like at home. Yum yum.

These are just few examples of a large range of fish and sea food we enjoy here.

Then there's the cheese. I actually didn't eat much cheese before moving to Italy. I didn't like mozzarella, or that gum like white ball they sell in supermarkets in Finland. Here the taste is so different. I eat almost daily fresh mozzarella and other fresh cheese which also arrive from the farms not long after being produced. They do not contain any preservatives and that's why they're so much healthier than the ones that are packed and send to supermarkets all around the world.

This evening I'm planing to cook spaghetti with fresh spinach and ricotta cheese and for the second main course fillets of sea breams cooked in fresh tomato and garlic sauce. So lets get on with it ! Enjoy your evenings everyone !