Broccoli-siskonmakkara soup

Siskonmakkara is a mild and fresh sausage of Finland. It is made of pork, and should be cooked before serving.

Ingredients

1 litre of water

1 vegetable stock cube (I used 2 cubes)

10 allspice (Jamaica pepper)

100 g potatoes

300 g broccoli

100 g leek

500 g siskonmakkara (Finnish fresh sausage), can be substituted with any sausages

Parsley, to garnish

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, bring to boil the water. Add the stock cubes and peppers. Rinse the potatoes and peel , cut them into pieces, boil for about 10-15 minutes. I did longer.

2. Cut the broccoli into small pieces. Rinse and chop the leek. Add the broccoli and leek into the pot.

3. Press the siskonmakkara in small portions in the soup. Cook for the additional about 10 minutes. Add the broccoli blossom and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Check to see whether the potatoes are soft enough. Dress the soup surface with plenty of parsley.

Serve with rye bread

Sources

K-RuokaPirkka, a food leaflet August 2011, and my efforts to translate from Finnish into English. Hope to express the main idea correctly.

Digital version can be seen at: http://www.ruokapirkka.fi/ruokapirkka/70367/ (in Finnish)

Apple and raspberry smoothie

No recipe, it's a combination between vanilla ice-cream, a handful of frozen raspberries and half of the apple.

Anttola summer cottage

Right after my graduation, my friend invited me to her summer cottage in Anttola, about 25 km from Mikkeli, a city in Eastern Finland. Summer cottage is located in the side of the Saimaa lake, the biggest lake of the country. This was the third time I had been invited here.

Though the third time, I was still in wonder how lovely it is.

Inside out

I love every single thing in the house, so vintage, so adorable!

The warm & old fireplace

My friend’s hand and mine. Mine with the radish- salt on top, it’s so strange for me to eat it raw! One hand I hold the radish, another hand I hold the camera :)

The garden

Over there is a sauna room, a traditional Finnish sauna heated by the wood. I enjoy the heat so much, about 90 degree.

I woke up early in the morning when the others still slept. I walked along the lake, feeling so much relaxing. The ambiance was so solitude that all the worries seemed to be left behind.

If there is a heaven on earth, I would choose this place to be!