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Hei! Welcome to the blog- Finnish Ms. -Ihmemaa (e-may-mah) means wonderland in Finnish. It’s sure to lead you down a rabbit hole. Fortunately, the rabbit hole I wondered into is an imaginary tunnel between two counties the U.S.A. and Finland. My journey all started when I married my Swedish husband and we decided to raise our family intercontinentally. With a M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction my doctoral studies led me to the University of Helsinki. My research focuses on new materialisms theory in art education and more-than-human empathy. Here on my blog I explore ideas to entertain my crazy bohemian lifestyle. This blog is my own personal Ihmemaa where I share with you my ideas, discoveries, thoughts, opinions, and experiences. Be sure to subscribe so that you don’t miss anything!

“The boundary between science fiction and social reality is an optical illusion” – Donna Haraway.

January 03, 2019

Havsvidden is a resort located on the Island of Åland which is also commonly referred to as Ahvenanmaa. Located in the Swedish archipelagos it is an autonomous province of Finland. The population is roughly 29,500 people with most of the inhabitants living in the capital city of Mariehamn. It is a beautiful island with lots of apple orchards, small farms, and traditional Swedish wooden house architecture. It is a very scenic island with a strong boating culture. Conveniently located between Finland and Sweden it provides a rest stop for many of the large cruise boats traveling between Scandinavian countries. The resort Havsvidden is accessible via a 30 minute taxi ride from Mariehamn. Or, if you prefer to arrive in style you can come by boat or helicopter. Below are some images from the our visit to the resort in November 2018, enjoy.

My husband and I were invited to go on a weekend get away with my brother in-law and his wife. The weekend began with a morning cruise from Turku to Mariehamn. We arrive at roughly 1pm and took a taxi to the resort. Villa Christina (pictured below) is a two bedroom, two bathroom mökki (of sorts) that we rented for one night. Given the short amount of daylight in the winter, we passed the daylight hours enjoying the ocean view. Once it got dark we cooked a nice dinner and relaxed in the hot tub and hot sauna. It was a great adults weekend getaway. A Refreshing vacation to get us through the long darkness of the upcoming November fall days.

Highly Recommended!

(Disclaimer: I do not receive and compensation for endorsing this resort)

January 22, 2012

This Two Tomato Pasta* was discovered in a Valio cookbook that my sister-in-law gave me as a gift. Everything is made with some sort of cream or dairy product, because Valio Oy, the company that published the book, is a dairy company. Everything that I have made from the book has been delicious and my kids eat it also. I wish that I had more information about the book I have used is so many times for various recipes that it is missing the back cover. Sometimes, I use just the recipe for this tomato sauce and turn it into another dish. Such as a tomato sauce to go on top of chicken or fish. I have also made this and added hot Italian sausage. The fennel in the sausage complements the basil nicely. I like to add crushed red pepper flakes to my bowl to give it some heat. Once you’ve made this recipe a couple of time you’ll see how easy it is to manipulate! This recipe is really easy to make and tastes fantastic!

Recipe:

Olive oil- drizzle

One medium onion diced

Garlic- to taste (I use two cloves) minced

One 28oz can of San Marzano tomatoes (whole peeled)

One veggie (or chicken) bullion cube (small)

2/3 cup of heavy cream (or omit for vegan version)

Honey to taste (use sweetener of your choice if you’re vegan)

Basil- an entire small plant, the ones they sell in the produce department. Reserve a couple of leaves for the garnish is desired.

½ lb of Pasta (farafelle, penne, or spaghetti) prepared according to package directions.

Add the olive oil to the pan and bring to medium heat. Add onions and mince the garlic to the pan. Sauté until onion becomes translucent making sure that the garlic does not burn. Pour in the can of tomatoes (juice and all). Stir. Reduce heat to low and simmer with the lid on for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the veggie bullion. When the bullion is dissolved add the honey and the cream and stir to incorporate. Bring to a boil and then reduce too low. Add the pasta to coat it in the sauce. Remove from heat and all the basil.

*This recipe has been adapted from, “Aloittelevan Amorin Keittokirja”

August 14, 2016

Recipe

For the dough

1 cup of milk
1 ounce of yeast
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 tbsp of cardamom
3/4 tsp of salt
1 egg
3 1/2 cups of flour
2 1/2 ounces of margarine room temperature

For the filling

2 1/2 ounces of margarine

1/3 cup of sugar1 tsp vanilla sugar

1 tbsp cardamum
*Mix the cardamum, vanilla sugar and sugar together in a bowl and set aside.

Place the milk in a pot on the stove. Bring the temperature of the milk up to "hand temperature" or slightly warm to touch.
Once the milk has been warmed pour it into a mixing bowl and add the yeast, sugar, salt, cardamom, and egg. Mix the ingredients together until dissolved.
Gradually add the flour, one cup at a time until all of the flour has been added.
Using your hands incorporate the margarine into the dough. If the dough sticks to your fingers continue to add more flour. The dough should not stick to your fingers (see video below).

Roll the dough out into a rectangle roughly 30x45 cm. Spread the margarine all over the dough. Sprinkle the sugar mixture on top. Roll the dough into a long tube shape. Cut the tube into V shapes. Slice off one V shape at a time. With the small narrow part of the V on top, press straight down to make the shape. I wouldn't worry too much about how it looks because they will be eaten rather quickly!

Place them on a baking sheet and let them rise again for another 20-30 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. When you begin to smell the wonderful smell check the Pulla to see if the inside is not doughy. You can do this by poking it with a toothpick and if it comes out clean the pulla are ready.

Remove from oven and let cool.

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I hope that you enjoy this recipe! It is one of my favorite things to bake. Making Pulla takes a lot of effort but it's worth the work. Be sure to share with friends and family over a cup of fresh coffee. The recipe posted here was modified and translated from the May 2016 Pirkka magazine. Be sure to subscribe to the blog!

~The Finnish Ms.