Italian Sausages & Apple Stuffing Recipe

So I really have no idea what I'm doing half the time I'm in the kitchen.
I love cookbooks and baking books and treasure them.

Most times things turn out pretty alright in the kitchen and I very rarely burn anything. :)

 

What you need (serves about 6 people):

• 12 slices of whole wheat bread - left out to dry overnight
• 1 vegetable broth jelly blob (it's not a cube -it's a jelly blob)
• Boiled water for jelly blob - about a medium bowl worth
• 1 small onion chopped finely
• 1 medium apple chopped (I used Golden Delicious and left the skin on)
• 4 Italian Sausages (I got mine from Craig Beckley in Helsinki - fantastic product and awesome service by the way!) 
• Pepper, parsley and other favourite spices to taste
• Butter
• Duck fat to grease baking dish
• Optional:
• • Celery chopped
  • Nuts
  • Raisins
  • Dried cranberries
  • Chopped bacon (Next year I'll add this! I was super pressed for time!)
    
    What you need to do (sorry Blogger is acting up and won't let me re-align things properly!):
  • Boil sausages in water and once in awhile poke them with a sharp knife to release the fat.  Be careful of possible splattering.
  • Cut the bread slices into pieces
  • Put bread pieces into a large bowl and add chopped oinion and apples, vegetable broth.
  • Remove sausages from their casings by using a fork and knife to slice the skin open and scrape the meat out.  Crumble it up a bit and add to the stuffing mix.
  • Add spices and mix well.
  • Add melted butter.
  • If dry looking - use a spoon and add some of the juice/fat from the pot you cooked the sausages in.  Mix really well.  Don't be shy - add more - as long as it's not too soggy or swimming in fat - you're good.
  You can put in a greased dish (I used duck fat) and if it doesn't fit in your dish - like mine - then you can flatten a turkey breast and line it with stuffing then roll it up to cook in the oven.
  To flatten turkey breast - use a meat mallet.  I don't have one - so I used my marble rolling pin and place the meat between two sheets of parchment paper.
  
  In a dish - bake at 175-200*C for about 30 minutes - or until bit crisp and golden brown on top.
  
  Enjoy.
  BIMU

New Year Resolutions

I guess, like anyone else, I have NY Resolutions that I try to stick to longer than two weeks.
Also, if I write them down and publicly - surely it helps me be responsible.

It's something I start thinking and planning around November, when I should be writing out Christmas cards and knitting/crocheting/sewing.

1. Don't buy ANY yarn this year.  Originally this was supposed to be "Don't buy yarn I don't need"...I do  have a gift card that needs to be used by the end of June.  That's my only exception - and I just might use it for needles or hooks instead.  Not sure.  Anyways, that's all I'll allow myself to buy.  Or if I absolutely need it to finish a project...but I really do have too much yarn in storage...and in my bedroom...in the closet...everywhere.
1. Minor exception: I can buy yarn for others as gifts.
2. Don't shop as much for anything.  It'd be nice to see the savings account go up instead of down...right?
3. Eat healthier.  While I might not go to the gym (not worth the money if I can't guarantee the time alone), I do try and hike, take the kids out and walk the dogs etc.
4. Try at least 1 new recipe a week.  - This is the same resolution I had last year with great results.  The reason for this is because I was so tired of having the same meals on the same days, week after week.  We were able to try new things and I was able to better budget and plan meals better - and the new dishes added new flavour and variety! :)
1. This also forces SH and my kids to try new things too...they are the pickier eaters.
5. Be a calmer parent.  Easier said than done.
6. Blog & craft more.  I didn't do enough this past year - based on the number of WIP (work in progress) I have laying about...Sure I have knitting meetings every week - but I am usually spending that time entertaining A-Man and helping him use the bathroom it seems.  I also read recently that knitting an hour a day is very calming and good for your health and so on...
7. Be better organized/Clean more.   I usually remember all the appointments and birthdays and so on.  But this past Christmas I was terrible at getting cards out on time...or ordering photos.  At this point, with the kids screeching - I'm probably going to have to skip it.  Sorry folks.

I try to make them realistic.
We'll see how this goes.
BIMU

Christmas With An Autistic Champ

From the moment V-Man was born - I called him a champ. 
Now, after a filling dinner (and a new artsy-looking bathroom sink...) and conversation with my friends - I realize that he IS a champ.  He has a wonderful temperament and is just (mostly) always happy to be around my friends noted.
From an outsider's point of view - I am ashamed to say I have never noticed.  Because we're so busy chasing him down from the very top of a high chair he climbed, from pulling down clean laundry off the racks or clip-hanger thing...or from doing this or that...

Anyways, here's how our Christmas may have differed from yours:

• I don't wrap his presents.  I should note that I didn't wrap them when he was first born because honestly?  What's the point?  He's a newborn...a month and a half old and not only doesn't know what Christmas is - but also doesn't care. :)
• He's not at the age (mentally) where he cares about wrapping paper, ribbons or ripping them off in excitement.  His gifts were in plain sight on the sofa in the corner and not wrapped.  He occasionally notices the paper and wants to shred it.  That's about it.
• I try to find gifts that would tickle his senses and he'd find interesting.  Like magnets, or GAK (haven't opened it yet) and this year I got him a "rain stick"...but with this said, I also try to not take it to heart that it takes him a few days (sometimes weeks) to get interested in a gift I bought him at Christmas time.
• V-Man does not give two stinks about the latest video game, toy, gadget etc.  or Christmas itself.  Whenever he does show interest, throughout the year about some sort of toy or book that's acceptable for his age - I'll happily buy it (within reason).  We're trying to save up to buy him an iPad - as I think he can really benefit from one (with a military-style protective case of course) - but we'll see.
• We don't have a (large or real) Christmas tree.  I drew it on for the last couple of years with Crayola Window Markers.  This year, I set up the foot-tall fake tree and only put ornaments on it that aren't breakable and definitely no lights.  After breakfast, he grabbed the whole tree and presented it to SH (Super Hubby).  By 10am it was on a shelf up high in the kitchen.
• I don't decorate a lot.  I hang stockings on the 24th when the children are asleep and try to take photos of them with their new Christmas pajamas from the night before and then again on Christmas morning.  I visualize all the time and money into decorating being destroyed when he notices them eventually and decides to rip them down.
• I especially don't even tack up Christmas cards we've received - they're a personal favourite of his.  And his new thing is trying to shove things down the radiator...
• We don't have Elf on the Shelf...or advent calendars.  Can you imagine trying to explain to a child with a bottomless pit for a stomach - why he can't eat all 24 chocolate pieces in one go?  Or why the Elf -tee-hee- pooped peppermint candies in the toilet...or tried to bake etc.?  I can't either.
• I'm considering learning origami to make boxes for advent calendars next year for all 3 kids...wish me luck.
• We don't go to church for midnight mass... Well, we never did anyway.  But there have been some nice caroling events at the downtown church that I have enjoyed and heard were fun - but there's no way we could stay in a relatively quiet place for any length of time.
• We don't visit many people.  It's not that we're anti-social.  Totally not.  Just it's easier to have people come here - where the Champ feels at home and comfortable.
• It can be hard to Skype because he doesn't sit still for very long.  And our family understands. 
• Also there's the possibility of our friends having a lovely decorated home and we don't want anything damaged or flat-out destroyed...
• We avoid crowds of people or Christmas parties...It just means food and he'll usually opt for the cookies, chips and candy/chocolates...and making a mess everywhere.  And fondling people in-appropriately...Wait - is there a way to fondle stranger without offending them? Oh right - if you're a baby. V-Man is 5.
• Also, he's a runner.  So if he's not interested in something - he's gone.  Also with the boys going to different day-cares - that means only one parent gets to go to A-Man's day-care Christmas party or we just don't go at all.
• We don't travel or go anywhere exciting.  This is a downright bummer - especially where we don't have family here in Finland to cook our meal for us (I'm totally cool with cooking and deciding on a menu etc.) or in-laws to go to on the other holiday day.  So - we have stayed in our home every year.  We don't even go to Helsinki or Estonia - which isn't terribly far and doesn't require a plane.  We also don't have a car - ah well.  Maybe some day.
• So we're thrilled and love having friends come to us to share dinner and chit-chat around our table.  Seriously - it's the best fun!
• He does enjoy sledding - so we try to do that every night before bed time.
• We don't have family photos together.  I try every Christmas Eve to take a photo of the kids together on the sofa and they all scattered or aren't looking at the camera at the same time...and again Christmas morning with stockings - and it just doesn't work.
• We don't bother with Santa.  Santa is seen by kids in Finland on Christmas Eve - so the photography set up and long lines don't really happen here.  Occasionally there's Santa in the bigger grocery stores walking around and sometimes sitting down but you have to be lucky to have your own camera with you.  
• 1.  Line ups are a no-go for the Champ.
• 2.  Strange man?  He'll probably get dragged away by the Champ, who is ridiculously strong.  Or he'll get fondled by the Champ.  He wouldn't be the first man to get a nipple rub...
• 3.  In all fairness, our kids don't quite get Christmas or who Santa is - so it's not just the V-Man.  When they're older and if they have the desire and patience to wait to meet the big guy - sure.  I'll do it for them.
• If the lines will be long - then V-Man stays home.  He despises line ups and my phone battery life isn't the longest for him to watch endless Youtube - so it's just easier for him to stay at home.
• We don't expect him to sit at the table for the full any length of a meal.  It's impossible to expect that of him.  He did join us and repeatedly left and returned at his leisure and that was fine by me.  Better than trying to keep a child still who doesn't want to be there at all.  
• We want him to use a spoon or a fork - but it's okay if he eats with his fingers.  Please bear in mind, this is the child that has a sensory overload and also, as of 1.5 years ago - was the pickiest eater.  Thanks to the day-care he's at, which specializes in children with special needs, he is at least willing to try everything.  And when he likes it - nobody's plate is safe.
• He is trying to use his utensils!  He just needs heavy supervision and constant reminders to try. :)
• We haven't tried building (or baking) a gingerbread house...or men people to decorate...  It would get devoured by him and us before the decorations came out.

I don't mean for this list to come off as harsh or negative whatsoever.  This is the reality of life with an autistic/mentally challenged child in the family and just thought it might be worth sharing.
So if you have friends in similar situation as us - this is how it is and we don't mean to not visit your lovely decorated home...but it's just a wee bit safer for everyone (and their nerves) if we don't. :)
BIMU

A Hole, Flying Blueberry Pie...It Must Be Christmas

By A Hole - I mean - a single hole.  Not an a-hole.

Now that I have that out of the way - my day was pretty jam packed and I like it that way.  I do well under pressure.
Last night I decided I'd prepare the vegetables at least because we were going to have a total of 6 adults, 5 children (2 that don't eat as many as the rest) and I truly agree with my mother on one major thing:  "Guests should never feel hungry when they leave your home."
Totally.

So I dragged in the carrots from the balcony last night to only discover that they were frozen.  Crap.
I didn't know what to do and I don't know if you ever tried to peel a frozen carrot before - but it's not easy.  And the poor carrot had such a holey appearance - I felt awful!  They looked awful!
Yes, they look like mush going through your digestive system and out the back door - but it'd be nice if they looked like carrots before being chewed up...
I discussed on Facebook with friends and Google searched my heart out on what to do with thawed out carrots (I had ran them under hot water) and a friend suggested tossing them back in the freezer and if I can't peel them again (no I couldn't because they were chopped up already!) then pop them into the slow cooker.  Alright - simple enough.
While the children were asleep - I opted to set up the foot-tall fake Christmas tree and all the presents on the sofa in a corner and then went to bed.
I hadn't even wrapped all the gifts for the guests...go me.

This morning I woke up at 6:30am and decided I'll just sleep a bit more and then noticed it was almost 9am.
Our guests were aiming for 3pm...NOTHING else was ready.

Here's my menu and why I started to freak:

• Roasted boneless lamb meat
• Turkey breast (which I last minute opted to flatten then roll and fill with stuffing)
• Italian sausage and apple stuffing
• Slow cooked ginger carrots
• Mashed potatoes
• Roasted turnips
• Buttermilk tea biscuits
• Blueberry pie
• Apple pie

This wasn't even including the stuff our friends were bringing!!

• Waldorf salad (an apple salad - don't put a lot of mayo...it's so much better without that extra dallop apparently)
• Green bean and bacon salad
• Grandma's brownies (might be GREAT Grandma's)
• A picnic ham - just in case.
• Ice-cream
• Glöggi

The meat was thawed, so while the hubby made breakfast - I pulled out sausages from the freezer.
I then began to peel and chop up turnips, onion, dried bread (I left out 12 slices overnight) for stuffing, apples (2kg) and potatoes (8kg).
I tossed the frozen blueberries and a cup of sugar into a pot to sit on the stove until I was ready.
I boiled sausages, loaded dishes, un-loaded dishes, made pie dough, made tea biscuits, prepared the meat, mixed up the stuffing...made pies....debated on a dish of fudge and said nah...

3:30pm - SH is showering and opened the bathroom mirror cupboard and I hear a clunk and an "Oh shit."
Yeah - we had a crack in the bathroom sink for awhile because his glass deodorant bottle had made a crack - which has spread...and well, the plastic disinfectant fell from the top shelf and hit the crack just so.  Boom - a chunk of the sink is gone.
I e-mail my landlord in a frenzy and rush to the bathroom, plop down on the toilet to pee and have clothes in the bathroom to shower - and guess what?

DING!

Our guests have arrived...no shower.  My kitchen looks like there was a Pokémon tournament happened in there...oh no.

But the meats were in the oven with the turnip and 1 pie was baked and cooling.

Well, the lovely ladies helped me speed clean that kitchen...so thankful.

Then my friend K turned and fffffffftttt - the blueberry pie went flying.

BUT! It landed face up!  Some blueberry streaks on the floor but we wiped those out after. 

Otherwise, a fantastic dinner and I'll post the sausage stuffing recipe tonight or tomorrow! 

Time to get 2/3 kids to bed...
Hope your holidays were as awesome as they could possibly be!
BIMU

THE LIST: What You Might Have Forgotten To Get

It's almost 4pm and I thought I'd try to whip up a list for you last-minute folks (like me) who may have forgotten to hit up the local department/grocery stores before they close for tomorrow:

• Toilet Paper (and of course if you have guests - you probably get the nicer, softer stuff - right?)
• Paper Towel
• Garbage Bags, biodegradable compost bags or recyclables bags
• Bread
• Butter
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Aluminum foil and baking paper/parchment paper
• Wax paper
• Egg nog
• Apple cider
• Liquor, wine, beer etc.
• Flour, baking soda or powder, yeast
• Honey
• Tea/Coffee/milk/juice
• Cough Drops
• Chewing gum/mints
• Coffee filters
• Pads/Tampons
• Diapers and baby wipes
• Band-aids
• Pain relievers (nothing worse than a headache with the guests about to arrive in five minutes!) 
• Prescriptions
• Contacts/Contact cleansing liquid
• Laundry Soap
• Cleaning product for the household
• Dish Soap or tabs for the dishwasher
• Rubber gloves
• Sponges for cleaning
• Meat/Fish
• Veggies
• Fruit
• Desserts
• Christmas Tree
• Ornaments
• Tinsel
• Lights
• Holiday Gifts
• Gift cards
• Boxes of chocolate or candy
• Packaging for home-made gifts
• Tape
• Wrapping paper
• Ribbon
• Name Tags 
• Cards
• Air freshners
• Poop bags for dogs
• Gift for the pets
• Cat Litter
• Batteries
• Flashlight or candles (as the power often goes out when you don't expect it to...)
• Light bulbs
• Fuse (because they always burn out - like light bulbs - when shops are closed)

Hope this helps and yes, I also went to the store today!
Happy Holidays!BIMU

Learning About Finland: The Winter Holiday Edition

Here is a list of almost everything I can think of that is related to winter and Finland.
Ready?

1. It can be really cold - especially in northern Finland!
1. It can be extra dark outside when there isn't any snow - be sure to take vitamin D!
2. Make sure you wear layers.
3. Make sure you moisturize - the dryness can really damage skin and cracked skin isn't pleasant for anyone.
4. Be sure to have a reflector on your coat or bag.  At least a couple...
5. Walking a dog or cat?  Same goes for them and yes, people walk cats in Finland.
6. If there's snow on the ground or by December 1st - it's mandatory to have winter/snow tires (depends on what term you want to use) if you have a car.
2. Shops are closed on:
1. 6th of December for Finnish Independence Day (some small shops like Sale or Siwa may be opened).
2. 24th of December - Christmas Eve - by 12pm.  Buses in JKL at least, are done driving at 1pm.
3. 25th of December - Christmas Day - all day.
4. 26th of December - Boxing Day to North Americans - all day. Some smaller shops may be opened.
5. 31st of December - New Year's Eve -Fireworks are allowed to be set off from 6pm-about 2am.
6.  1st of January - New Year's Day
7. 6th of January - Epiphany - also the day where everyone tosses away their Christmas tree.  So do be careful and look up - so one doesn't fall on you.  It's much easier to toss a tree over your balcony than drag it down the stairs.
3. Christmas
1.  If you're shipping packages - do so as early as possible because the line ups can be quite long and tedious.  Bring a book for while you're waiting.
2. You can hire a Santa to come deliver presents and sing songs with your children but it can be pricey!  You can even find advertisements for "sober Santas with own vehicle"....
1. With that said, yes - children see Santa on Christmas Eve and generally presents are opened on that day too. 
3. There is even a Santa's village in Lapland! 
1. Sorry, he is not considered from the North Pole. 
4. Finnish Christmas food is typically ham (a massive roasted piece of pork), vegetable casseroles (that quite often look like baby food), glöggi (drink it warm and never heat it in a water kettle!  Or be freaky like me and drink it cold or mix some 7Up in there for a cold fizzy drink!), joulutorttu (Christmas tart - a star-shaped flaky pastry with plum jam in the center) and Christmas porridge in the morning.  If you get the almond in the Christmas porridge - it's said to be very lucky. :)
5. Santa's are usually in the bigger grocery stores and sometimes a mall - there doesn't seem to be a photography service included.  Be sure to bring your own camera or use your cell phone.
6. It's alright to get a real Christmas tree - even in apartment buildings! (In Canada there tends to be more restrictions.)
1. It's illegal to just go out and chop down a tree wherever you please.
7. Finns don't do Christmas stockings - so they might be hard to come by.  You're better off making your own or using a real sock! :)
4. New Year's Eve
1. Don't drink and drive - it's illegal here too.
2. Fireworks may be publicly set off from 6pm-2am in Finland.  Your city will have ones at midnight to welcome in the new year.  The reason for allowing them so early - is for those with children who don't want to keep their children awake so late.  Best to walk the terrified dogs beforehand if you can!
3. You may get some tin metal horse shoes....and according to Finns - you melt them in a pot of boiling water then toss them in the snow or somewhere cold and whatever shape they take determines your following year.  Friend of mine got one that looked like sperm...still hasn't had a baby and this was 3 years ago at least.

As usual - I'm super late getting this out and posted. 
Well, happy holidays!  I'm back to cleaning and cooking - as we're going to celebrate Christmas tomorrow with friends visiting! :)

Happy Holidays!
BIMU

Awesome Gift Ideas for a Crafter

Rushing around last minute for your holiday shopping?
Oh and you have one of those friends or family members with a birthday so close to Christmas (or actually ON Christmas) that you'd hate to leave out one or the other?
I'm sure I'm missing a lot of ideas but here's the ones I can think of!
Here's a list of awesome gifts for crafters in your life:

• Any craft:
• Organizing boxes for craft supplies
• Labels for boxes
• Notebooks 
• Magazine subscription (or e-magazine subscription) to their favourite magazine.
• Gift card or vouchers:
• Etsy
• Zibbet (similar to Etsy)
• Local craft supply or yarn shops
• Tickets to a craft exhibition or event
• Art or handcrafted item made locally or from a favourite artist.
• Baby-sitting time so if the crafter is a parent - they can actually craft! :)
• Seamstress (sewing): 
• Voucher to fix or tweak sewing machine
• Or a gift card to the local fabric shop
• A new sewing machine or serger
• Thread
• Fabric
• Patterns or books filled with patterns
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Chalk or washable/fading marker
• Pattern paper (I hear this stuff is pretty expensive - so most people use baking paper or newspaper to trace patterns.)
• Pin cushion or magnet for pins
• Pins 
• Seam ripper
• Pinking shears (they're the scissors with zig-zag edges to prevent fraying)
• Container for haberdashery
• Knitter:
• Needles 
• Interchangeables
• Circular
• Straight sets
• Double-Pointed Needles (DPNs)
• There's different materials too!
• Bamboo
• Wood
• Plastic
• Metal
• Stainless steel
• Yarn
• Or a gift card to the LYS (local yarn shop)
• Patterns - printed and put in a binder or paper-free and e-mail them to him/her.
•  Books - either full of patterns of techniques
• Knitting kit - something you could put together yourself (and also applies to a crocheter):
• Stitch markers
• Measuring tape
• Stitch holders (moreso for knitting than crocheting)
• Row counter
• Gauge and/or needle measuring tool
•  Pouch for needles/hooks for travelling 
• Pencil
• Notebook
• Small crochet hook for picking up dropped stitches
• Little toppers so stitches don't slide off the needles.
• Needle holders - come in a wide variety. 
• Crocheter (Many gift ideas are applicable from the Knitter):
• Hooks
• Tunisian crochet hooks
• Double-ended Tunisian crochet hook
• Sets
• You could buy cheap metal ones and use polymer clay and bake creative handles for them.
• Patterns, books or technique books 
• Yarn
• Gift card to a local yarn shop or online shop
• Drawing tools:
• Paints
• Cleaning products
• Sketch books
• Brushes
• Sponges
• Pastels
• Pens
• Paper
• Pencils
• Erasers
• Canvases
• Frames
• Markers
• Carrying case for portfolio work or finished pieces
• Carrying case for drawing utensils
• Refills (i.e. Copic Ciao Refills) 
• Scrapbooker:
• Paper
• Scrapbook albums
• Plastic refill cover pages (these are used to protect the individual scrapbook pages - usually 12x12 inches (30cm x 30cm) )
• Inks
• Stamps
• Washi Tape or other decorative tapes
• Gloss paint
• Crackle Paint
• Embossing folders
• Stickers
• Rub-on Transfers
• Embellishments
• Hole punch of various shapes
• Embossing powder
• Embossing heater
• Glue
• Double-sided sticky tape/squares
• Pens, markers, water-colour pencils, pencils
• Die cuts
• Gift card
• Cosmetics Maker:
• Essential oils
• Silicone molds for soap shapes
• Jars with lids for lotions/body butter
• Little tins or tubes for lip balm/salves
• Digital scale for weighing ingredients
• Gift card to purchase other ingredients
   

Enjoy and I'll try to update this every now and again! :)
BIMU