New Year's Resolution Recipe #5: Jelly Roll Cake

One thing I learned in school this past week was how to make jelly roll cakes.
They're so easy - too easy.

So I tried to make my own at home using home-made jam and chocolate sauce (couldn't find my dark chocolate bar for shaving) and I baked it a smidge too long!
So it isn't rolled up as nicely.  But it still tasted lovely!

At home - yeah it was threatening to break so I just flattened it because it wasn't flexible enough to roll properly or tightly.

School version - much more roll-y looking!

I got positive reviews of my piping skills of the whipped cream at school (photo below) until I started to run out of whipped cream and some pieces had too much cream.
"This isn't America D! We use a lot less cream!" she chastised me.
Naturally, having American friends over on Friday called for "American-style" whip cream.

At school all pretty.

So how easy is this?

Pre-heat your oven to 225*C

• 4 eggs
• 2 dl of sugar

Beat these with an electric mixer!  I used just a whisk and it wasn't beat well enough and I found the cake to be a smidge heavy.

Sift:

• 1 dl of potato flour
• 1 dl of all-purpose flour

Fold it into the wet ingredients and mix well (not with mixer with a spatula) and then pour into a baking-paper lined baking tray and bake for 5-8 minutes.

I try to aim for 7 but apparently nearly hit 10 with the one I made on Friday!

Remove from oven and have a second baking paper sheet on your surface sprinkled in sugar, powdered sugar, cocoa powder or whatever you want your cake dusted with on the outside.

Flip cake onto the 2nd sheet and slowly peel off the paper backing.

Spread a thin and even layer of filling all over the cake (but don't go over the edges!) - whether it be:

• jam
• Nutella
• marmalade
• whipped cream etc.

Carefully roll the cake horizontally from one side to the other and tightly as possible without breaking the cake.

Wrap tightly in baking paper and chill in the fridge until you're ready to serve it - then slice it up and enjoy!

This is a fantastic cake for your next handicraft meeting, book club meeting or little tea party!  It's dairy-free (unless you put the whipped cream or chocolate) - which will make your local lactose-intolerant/dairy-allergic friends very happy I'm sure.

I wish they weren't so easy to make!  Really I do.
BIMU

Originally posted on 2 Hookers 2 Kitchens.  Recipe from Kokkiprokkis - my school book in Finnish.

How I Became A Gym Mouse...

If you didn't see my video already or my Instagram posts as of lately- I have joined up for a local gym.
It's called "Fitness 24/7" and I first heard of it in Sweden when visiting friends last summer.
I brushed it off as "I'm not a gym person" because I'm really not.  (Or I wasn't...)
There are several reasons why I'm not a gym person:

• I have commitment issues. I don't know if I'll be in Finland next year -so any kind of yearly-contract membership was a no go.
• I really do have commitment issues and I didn't know when I would have time to go to the gym with my school schedule and picking up/dropping off the kids.
• And even if I found time (which I have) - I still don't know if I could commit to going!
• Budgeting. Trying to save money-remember?
• Self conscious of my increasing muffin top and the fact that I'm in cooking school does not help. 
• I love food and am a stress eater. The greasier the better. 
• I hate sweat- the stench of it or my body sweating.  Sounds funny but I've probably been traumatized by that high school hockey player boyfriend who hugged me after every game-and I just wanted to puke. 

Anyway, a classmate suggested I sign up for Fitness 24/7, as it is a central location, reasonable price, no yearly contract (just 2 months notice prior to ending your membership), group classes were included and she goes there.

So I signed up last week and have to say I'm impressed with the layout and more importantly the security built into my membership card. It has my photo in the card which flashes on their screen (I'm guessing when the card is used), my finger print is required for entering the building and I need my card to get in the changing room.

The first day, I didn't have my headphones with me and just went with the flow.

My goal was to try and do a little bit of this and that with the machines. I hurt like hell the next day but only in my shoulders and chest. Considering I haven't been to a gym in almost 11 years- not bad.

I also credit carrying a heavy backpack regularly to me being able to do anything in the gym. 

I went on the treadmill with mixed jogging and walking-with the hopes I would not have an asthma attack during my exercise. 

(It's also super annoying when you're on the treadmill and the tv program is showing "Italian week at Lidl" and a variety of pasta, tiramisu and other tasty delights...then a cooking show with beef, potatoes and roasted carrots...)

So I did the same on day two and three-I would spend about 1 hour and a half there-happily.

I seriously never thought I would say that but my head feels so nice and empty-it's amazing.
I am guessing that is the feeling when you're "in the zone" - you're focused on your work out and not thinking about anything else!
I honestly haven't felt like that since I was a teenager!  Just honestly, having a completely empty head free of stress and worries about:

• School - learning it in Finnish and having a classmate that has been incredibly difficult to work with...
• Supper and what to cook and what to buy at the grocery store and when with this school schedule...
• Kids - who I need to spend time with more lately because they haven't had 1-on-1 hang out time and what we can do that isn't costly and doesn't involve Netflix.
• Hubster - am I giving him enough time to do his work (apparently not as he's exhausted running around to two day-cares 3 days a week now so I can be in evening class) and when was the last time we actually had a conversation this week?
• Cleaning/laundry/how many cleaning supplies do we need this week? - turns out my dishwasher is busted - the spray doesn't work quite randomly.
• The dogs - have I spent enough time with them too?
• Friends and family - when was the last time I chatted with my girlfriends in Canada?  Hmm - better remember to Whatsapp them today.

The list goes on - but all of this rotates and spins around in my head usually and it's exhausting thinking of all these various things and trying to get it all done.  

Anyway, the feeling of having a clear mind has really been amazing and I might not do hardcore work outs but I do try to push myself a bit more everyday and get myself up to hardcore work outs where I might actually break into a sweat...some day.

(I never understood why in movies women are always drenched in sweat when they're in labour because I seriously didn't do that - not because "I didn't want to because I hate sweat" but because I just didn't!)

I find I am also more motivated to go to the gym to do yoga (nothing fancy or complicated) as part of my post-work out stretching and put aside about 20 minutes time to do so.

I try to listen to slow music and sappy stuff so I move with the music as well.

I started out with positions like "The Warrior" and whatever I could remember from my days of being a dedicated "Wii Fit" user (until we moved and lost a cord and still don't know which cord needs to be replaced - it's only been over 3 years) - then I used my phone to find some basic yoga positions on Pinterest (so I didn't have to watch videos) and went for that!

I also like that the gym here (maybe it's all of them in Finland) doesn't seem to have any strict rules about using your phone in the gym.  I suppose it's common sense to not take photos of strangers (in-appropriate ones or not) and so many people use their phones for tracking their fitness and for music - it'd be harder now to say "no phones in the gym".

Yesterday I laid on my side straight and lifted one leg up in the air and slowly put it down (like scissors) and repeated that a few times and switched to the other side and I just hoped that I didn't cut one with a guy behind me doing his stretches! :P

I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one to fart in the gym - my friend is a PT (personal trainer) and she's shared some stories of stenches going on the gym that were simply not from sweat.

I don't do yoga at home (especially when the kids are awake) because the dogs are constantly in my face and last night mid-pose my husband asked me "Why are you doing that now?" which totally killed my mood and I got rather snappy with him for interrupting my attempt at having a stretch to help me be a bit more tired so I could sleep!

Well, I find I'm more energetic, feel refreshed and my patience with my children is increasing as I try to just ignore their wails and whining (unless serious) and not take it all so seriously and focus on my next work out - or refer back to the list above of things to think about! :)

I have found I am more conscious of what I'm eating in terms of treats and portion sizes and have tried to do half a plate of salad or just 1 potato if there's no salad available at lunch time.  I don't even crave any of my regular junk food anymore (i.e. Burger King, McDonald's etc) because I have another way to have "me time" alone downtown.  I can go to the gym and have a healthy bagel sandwich and a cup of tea (healthier than deep fried goodies) at the nearest cafe instead!

It's so weird and yet so exciting!  I've noticed some changes already - my attitude, my desire to stress eat is cutting down, I'm not munching on snacks for no reason anymore and I just feel happier.  Also my ability to concentrate and focus has also greatly increased - which is a massive need when studying!  And I no longer feel like taking a nap mid-day - usually because I'm too busy to do so anyway with class! :)
Of course the ultimate goal is to shed the muffin top, decrease the extra love handles I've developed over the years and feel fitter, more energetic and sexier even (since I'm being honest here)!

Your gym rat in training (current status: gym mouse),
BIMU

New Year's Resolution Recipe #4: Surf & Turf Shish Kebabs

Sorry it's been a bit over a week - I've been secretly planning a pampering baby shower for my friend who was expecting kiddo #5 - and prior to that - another baby shower for another couple of friends!

Anyways, I'm back and I've been trying a few new things!
For the life of me, I couldn't find skewers (metal or wood!) in a shop downtown and didn't have a lot of time to spend - so I asked the cashier and she found me these metal wires with super sharp skewer tips and they were 2 in a pack for 13.95€ and I thought I'd try them out.

I don't know why I never think to even DO skewers - they're so easy and simple!  I suppose not having a barbecue and not being allowed to have one on my balcony has something to do with it too!
But I got motivated from school (where I'm studying cooking) and the student restaurant treated us to a fancier lunch and there was a chicken skewer.

School "fancy" lunch from the student restaurant where I study.

So it turned out last Friday (2 days ago), we had our guests over as usual and I found out through Facebook that my friend's birthday was on Saturday - so I wanted to make something a little more special and opted for those skewers/wires.

I had 5 minutes to marinade the beef and I just tossed them in soya sauce with roasted garlic spice and Chinese 5 Spice and pepper.  

I didn't thaw the shrimp all the way - so there was a bit of water in the pan when I pulled it out of the oven.

I do plan on doing this again as it was easy, a great motivator to eat more vegetables and I felt happy and full (without the need to switch to sweat pants) afterward.
I'd also try to put more thought into the marinade and maybe brush some extra on during half way (but was in a rush making dessert) of the cooking time - but otherwise it was a pleasant treat.

I used (already cut) chunks of beef, frozen shrimp, bell peppers, red onion and whole mushrooms.
I used cooking spray on my wires to ensure easy slide-off and cooked them in a pre-heated oven (350*F/175*C) for approximately 30 minutes.
I couldn't flip these as they were on a wire and both wires were filled from loop to tip!  This fed 4 adults, 5 semi-peckish children and was served with rice.

In the bottom two, far-right photos - a filo pastry (puff pastry) covered in sliced pears with brie, crushed walnuts and pecans and dried cranberries with a drizzle of honey and shaved dark chocolate!

Off to bed for now!  Until next time!

BIMU

PS Originally posted in 2 Hookers 2 Kitchens!

New Year's Resolution Recipe #3: Chocolate Avocado Pudding (Crap in a glass)

I tried 3 new recipes today as a spur of the moment but I'll try to spread them out (in case I don't make new things in the next couple of weeks! :) ).

Today I'm going to talk about a failure.

I had made egg-drop soup today and it was okay - there was something missing and I think now, I realize it was some sort of red Chinese vinegar that I normally ate with it and it should've been a tad thicker.  I'm letting it sit overnight with the hopes it thickens on its own some more.
But that wasn't the failure.  that was the could've been better.

I felt like dessert and I was trying to avoid devouring cookies and chips and whatever else - oh yes, chocolates from Christmas - as I'm actually trying to lose my chub buddy.

So I went on Pinterest.  I wanted something:

• Quick
• Quiet to make
• Healthy 
• But yes, also some sort of dessert-classified thing.

I came across this: Chocolate Avocado Pudding on Pinterest.
Perfect!! I actually had some leftover avocados I wanted to use up and they were still ripe and lovely.
I didn't use a blender because I didn't want to wake the kids up so I just used my hand mixer and it didn't do it for me in the end.  It was a bit chunky - despite me mashing it a bit more with a spatula and mixing it again with a mixer.

I tried drowning it in honey and extra coconut/almond milk and a bit more powder to make it darker and I was gagging as I scooped it down and into my throat as fast as I could.
Of course because it contained avocado I couldn't feed it to my dogs.  Nor would my Hubster even look at t his...and the kids were asleep - so I couldn't trick them into thinking/eating this chocolate pudding...
(A-Man would call my bluff anyway.)

If I were to do this again I would:

• Use chocolate milk instead of a nut milk to liquidize it.  (Chocolate oat drink or something chocolate-y and vegan - dairy milk's been making me sick lately - even lactose-free!)
• Whipped cream on top - it honestly looks like crap in a glass.
• Add peanut butter or Nutella for more flavour.

Not all recipes will be winners and that's okay.
I think also, I'm so used to avocados as a savoury item like in guacamole, in sushi or a salad or on a pizza or with cheesy garlic bread (it was some sort of vegetarian recipe I found years ago) - that the concept of it going into something sweet baffled my brain.

If I try it again - I'll let you know when I'm despserate enough.
BIMU

PS Originally posted on my other blog, 2 Hookers 2 Kitchens

A Side of Autism: My Moisturized Sofa

I love my kids and there are times where I am more on the "why the f*ck did I have kids?" end of the scale.

Remember that awesome trip to Helsinki I vlogged about?  Well, I was riding on that high of having a meltdown-free day with the V-Man and even managing to travel to Helsinki and back within the same day (almost 8 hours on a bus!) and it was all burnt to smithereens this morning.

We (Hubster and I) were still asleep and we knew 2/3 kids were awake.  We found out that the V-Man was awake when A-Man started screaming, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
I let the Hubster go check and see how much damage control would be needed and then when I heard him shout, "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
I braced myself for the worst.
Like laundry soap all over our old hardwood floors (that soak up liquid like sponges - so you need to act fast!) or more fabric softener...

I opened my eyes and saw white stuff everywhere on our grey sofa.

Thankfully - my sofa probably needs to be washed anyway.

Unfortunately - I'm super lazy and don't have a car to rent a deep cleaning vacuum.

I then saw red.

Why be so pissed off about THIS much lotion spread deeply and all over my sofa?  Along with my daughter M-Girl who was caked head to toe in it?

Because I just bought the lotion the day prior, it was 750 ml and was nearly empty by the time we saw that up there and I used it once.

I'm trying to be better at moisturizing my skin because frankly - my legs look like snake skin boots - for free! HA!

I was also mad because it was Burt's Bees lotion and I can't get that in my city - so it was a real shocker for me when I walked past a shop and saw it for 50% off.

So what you're looking at (not including the blobs of lotion in M-Girl's hair, on her belly and all over her hands, feet and diaper/pajamas) - is 9€ of lotion everywhere.

We know the V-Man did it because A) he was caught red (white?) handed with the tube in his hand and hand painting it everywhere and B) A-Man shouted it to us.

I'm calmer now about it - I can almost chuckle about it.

I realize it could have been worse.

It could've been blood.  Mud.  Poop.  Pee. Wine.  Vaseline.  Olive oil.  Soya sauce. 

Remember my New Year's Resolutions?

Calmer parent - well, that's gone.  In fact, on NY Day - I am pretty sure I screeched the roof off about something at the kids and cursed a storm.

That morning of the moisturizing sofa incident - I did a billion times worse.  I think I yelled at V-Man and M-Girl (as she was caked in it) for a solid 5 minutes - like hollered at them - for a solid 5 minutes.
Then I stormed off and tried to scrub the sofa with sofa cleaner and then went to the bedroom to sob and calm down.

But it's done and over with and the stain is sort of fading.

And Milo licked the sofa a lot for the next 2 days to try and help me out I guess.

This is exactly why I don't buy new anything (with few exceptions like underwear, groceries, toilet paper and so on).
And it's also why we don't have white clothes or furniture.
This is the life of motherhood that annoys me the most I suppose and I have no shame in saying that.
I'd love to meet the parents that thoroughly enjoy parenting to the extent that they're happy 100% of the time.  Never once having a melt-down or a breakdown (whatever sounds nice to you), children that are pure angels that do no wrong and can own nice things from the moment they're with their partner straight through baby barf, toddler-hood and creative art on the wall ages.
(Or is this completely imaginary like unicorns?)
BIMU

New Year Resolution Recipe #2: Moose Burgers

Again, copied from a blog I'm co-writing with a friend - should you wish to follow that blog.

I am on a roll with new recipes!  Today's Sunday which is for me, the beginning of a new week although most people in Finland consider the beginning of a week to start on a Monday.

Anyways, last week - I made moose burgers!

This was one of the larger patties...so delicious.

I bought minced moose meat frozen and took it out to thaw the morning of.

I started my bread machine to help me make the hamburger buns for me too.  Recipe can be found here.

I mixed 2 eggs (because I used a kilo of meat as we had guests over), various spices and the meat and formed them into patties.  I thought I had bread crumbs but apparently not - they still held their shape. I only flipped them once the meat was half-way cooked so they wouldn't crumble on me.

Fried in a pre-oiled pan (cooked the bacon first - bacon fat is lovely for everything!)  and also had the buns baked before I made the patties and served them with condiments like pickles, lettuce, ketchup, mustard and bacon.

I also had made hand-cut potato wedges which were simple enough.  I rinsed potatoes, sliced them as evenly as possible, tossed them in olive oil with salt and pepper and baked them at 225*C in my oven for 45 minutes while stirring them every 10-15 minutes.

Moose meat - is nice and light tasting to me - not super greasy and doesn't give me cramps or digestive issues like beef or pork can sometimes or that "heavy gut" feeling.

It didn't taste very "game-y" either - I suspect, as a friend suggested - that it was cooked properly because over-cooking can lead to very game-y flavoured meat.  Of course some meat just has that taste but I found this moose didn't!
Neither did the roast I did in the previous post!

Until next time! :)
BIMU

New Year Resolution Recipe #1: Slow-Cooked Moose Meat

So I've decided to stick to the same New Year Resolution as last year and make/try a new recipe a week.
I was tired of eating the same things every week - sometimes multiple times within a week for the sake of convenience or laziness.  

So last night to celebrate the new year - I decided to try my hand at a moose roast.
A friend/neighbour gifted me with a chunk of moose from her father's hunting group and I immediately got excited about the possibilities of what to do with it.
The Hubster swears I said "chocolate mousse" when I tossed it to him after swapping presents with my friend!

Please note - I have 0 professional cooking experience and am not educated in fancy-pants cooking.  I rely on the internet, cook books and guess with measurements!
I'm going to a home economics vocational school soon - but it's nothing incredibly fancy!  I'll be sure to keep you guys updated on my culinary skills I learn from there!

1. I took the moose roast out to thaw the night before.
2. I started the dough in the bread machine (my favourite machine in the kitchen right now!).  Recipe from good ol' Betty Crocker.
1. I opted to just make plain dinner rolls this time instead of garlic cheesy ones instead!
3. The morning of - actually - closer to 11am - I heated a frying pan and added 2 minced cloves of garlic and 1 small onion peeled and quartered into the pan with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and tossed in the roast as well to brown on all sides.
4. I tossed the moose roast into the slow cooker and included the lightly fried onions and garlic, favourite spices (i.e. pepper, onion spice mix, dried parsley) and added some fresh cut rosemary and chives.  
1. I rarely have fresh herbs on hand - I'm usually a bagged dried herbs and spices kind of person!  But I had it for something else on hand - so why not?
5. I added a mug full of red wine (0,4dl) and drizzled a bit more olive oil and a splash of water and turned it on "LOW" for 5 hours.
6. I flipped the meat only once to ensure the top part wouldn't dry out.
1. I also baked the dinner rolls at some point!
7. I mixed flour into the drippings in the slow cooker with a silicone whisk and made a gravy - it was lumpy AF - but still edible.

I ended up crashing for a nap some point during the day and it was too late to try making mashed potatoes - so I opted for rice with a jelly bullion blob in the rice cooker (Tupperware one - my life saver) and green beans. 

So there you have it!  I've never cooked with moose meat before (other than already pre-shaved and toss it in a stew from the frozen section) - and was happy with the result of the meal.

Tonight I'm making moose burgers with ground moose meat I got from the frozen section of the store (friends made them last week for us and I had to try it!) and will update you with my results/attempt in a few days!  (Or sooner if I manage!)

BIMU
PS You might see me writing on another blog in joint efforts with another friend who's interested in tackling the same NY Resolutions! :)
2 Hookers 2 Kitchens - still a lot of work to be done - but don't fret if you see duplicate (or mostly duplicate) blog posts here and there!)