SAUTÉED WEEDS

  I´m all nuts for wild edible greens now! It´s been a rainy spring, which apparently has made the "weeds" grow luscious and generous. I´ve been collecting them almost daily with my three-year-old daughter, trying to pass down the knowledge. =)

  Today I boiled the first new potatoes of the season and served them with sautéed wild greens and tofu for the whole family.

A pan full of the most nutritious and natural greens ever, straight off our yard (we never fertilize).

This time there´s goutweed and fireweed, seasoned with fresh chives and lovage from the garden.

The recipe (serves 2-4):

4 cups (1 liter) freshly picked mild-tasting wild edible greens
a bunch of chives
a few leaves & stems of lovage
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
soy sauce

+ Chop the greens and lightly sauté in a skillet in little olive oil with the garlic.
  Serve over potatoes (or rice or pasta) and drizzle soy sauce over it.

  Super healthy, nutritious and free of charge! Can it get any better?

LAMMAS FASHION COLLECTION

  Yay, I have completed my Lammas garderobe!

#1: Linen & peach.

#2: Ragdoll.

This year I made a new necklace to the outfit. The wooden thread spools, of which I was looking for last year, finally reappeared in the craft store, and I was able to execute my initial plan.

#3: Mary had a little lamb.

The earrings are self-made aromatherapy ones.

#4: The nude hippie.

#5: Animal print dress.

Another pair of my aromatherapy earrings.

  Now seeing all the looks here one next to the other, I am pleased with the versatility. The overall feeling of the whole collection remains warm, natural, and calm. Just the way I like my Lammas to be. Happy!

LAMMAS FASHION: LINEN & PEACH

  This is an update to my already existing outfit. What´s new is the top, which is a bit warmer than the original one, and a bit more colorful. As my Lammas Collection has taken form, I noticed there is quite a lot of beige in it, so adding a touch of color was a good idea. The original top will still be stored and worn annually, but now I have a choice in case of a cool day.

Peach is a color only suitable for Lammas. It is so warm and delicate, and resembles the dry fading hays in nature.

The pants are made of linen-like fabric, but they do not wrinkle like real linen does. The fabric was a good find back then, years ago. And since I only wear each of my fashion collections for approx. six weeks a year, the garments stay well for ages. These pants are a living proof, and I´m still happy to wear them. Combining a peachy top with the brown bottom livens up the look, and adds variety to the nude-toned Lammas collection altogether. Big baggy pants combined with a snug top simply looks good as a silhouette, always.

Jewelry pops right out, and brightens up the area around the face. True to my style, I kept the colors subtle and natural also in makeup.

The shirt fabric is synthetic something, but it breathes well and feels warm to the skin. Not all days of Lammas are exhaustingly hot, so I need to be prepared for slight chills too, especially towards the end of the season.

LAMMAS FASHION: ANIMAL PRINT DRESS

  Animal print is a newcomer in my interests. Never until now have I thought it was for me, or for everyday wear. But when I saw this fabric in the shop earlier this summer, I just knew I had to include it in my Lammas collection somehow. Here´s how:

Tiger print is more interesting, and less seen, as the usual leopard, and it is also lighter colored. Two reasons I fell for the fabric. Plus it drapes beautifully and is cool in hot weather. But making the look casual enough for everyday wear was tricky. I did it by choosing a loose and simple pattern for the silhouette, and kept accessories in control. At my work I may meet people from all social classes, from the homeless to the president, all in one day. That sets an impossible challenge for a girl to dress properly to the occasion. So I just go with whatever I like, since I´m dressed wrong no matter.  =)

Ahh, I love these late summer/early fall warm days! I felt like a cat on a hot tin roof (quite literally in fact =).

Golden accessories are a must. The belt is important for creating, or showing, the feminine waistline, which is the key to all of my looks. That´s what separates us women from men, regardless of weight. I mean, men can even have boobs, but not a waist like us women. Let´s celebrate our femininity by showing it off!

Another important key to keeping the look casual is wearing minimal makeup. This classy lady does not look like she´s off hunting for men, does she? (And I´m not yet in cougar age either, so no worries there  =). My aromatherapy earrings here add to the exotic and oriental feeling, and if ylang ylang essential oil was used, the outcome would be quite tempting...

  Animal print goes well during Lammas because now the weather is at it´s warmest, and closest to the natural habitat of tigers and leopards and the kind. At first I was tempted to add a touch of safari style too, but found it too masculine after all. I feel very feminine in this outfit, and in a different and new kind of way. I´m so glad life is for learning and evolving, at all ages!

LAMMAS FASHION: THE NUDE HIPPIE

  A little provocative title, but I do mean nude. In a beige kind of way. Nude beige in fashion and clothing.  I´m not hippie enough to run around butt-naked!  =)

The nude hippie wants summer to go on forever. She is sunkissed and wears muted beige to complement the overall plain color palette on her. Only little and natural makeup, and earth-toned jewelry. Light blue pants give a spark of color to the look, preventing it from appearing dull. I chose lightweight fabrics with synthetic fiber in them, so they would breath better and keep from creasing during hot weather.

Pigtails bring a touch of everlasting Indian summer. The bracelet I got as a gift years ago.

Seems unreal, but I bought this necklace 21 years ago in my teens! Here you can see the shirt in detail.

Now is the time to chill, relax, and enjoy summer in it´s still state, when all the work is done. A calmness fills my mind in Lammas.

  Beauty can be achieved by doing very little. This nude hippie is definitely not trying too hard, and still oozes self confidence and style.

PATCHWORK DRESS FOR A GIRL

  Once again I´m so happy my second child is a girl! Without her I would not be able to make these adorable little dresses! =) Boys´ clothes are plain old boring, there´s not much room to be playful. And it seems the older they get, the narrower the accepted wardrobe becomes. (Yawn.)

  But back to cute girls´ clothes! Here´s the latest of my creations to my two-year-old:

Floral mimic-patchwork dress in late summer/early fall colors. I still can´t do pink alone, but here it is a part of the whole, and looks more stylish combined with the deep red wine. The pattern is the same I used to make the light blue dress for her, and I still think it is perfectly shaped. This one is completely different style-wise, and once again proves that one great pattern can go a long way.

The only accent is the red "belt" around the waist. There is so much going on with the patches of plaid and flowers, that the rest needed to be more calm to remain stylish.

How could I resist this? I bought the fabric two months ago already, and my fingers have been itching to turn it into this dress. And now it´s finally here, right on time for Lammas.

No tricks in the back either, just a zipper.

  The very first day my daughter wore this dress, she got compliments on it and her cuteness. Isn´t it strange how even young girls are noticed for their looks, compared to boys, who can live a life free from scrutiny? Well, since it is so deeply within us/our culture, why not take advantage of it early on?!   =)

DARKENING NIGHTS

  It is always an inevitable sign of fall approaching, when nights begin to darken. Summer nights are unbelievably light here in Finland, as the sun sets only for a couple of hours (or not at all further North) leaving the sky beautifully lit. But now darkness is creeping slowly back in.

In a way it feels calming, after a hectic and super energetic summer.

And it feels cozy to use light bulbs and candles again.

My zen.

As a bonus the solar lights I installed two months ago in our summer home´s brand new outhouse come in use, finally.

  I count these murk nights as the first sign of autumn.

VISITING CHICKEN

  Since I´m testing to eat eggs now, we took a trip to a nearby organic chicken farm. They produce eggs, not meat. I wanted to see what their chickens´ living conditions are like, and to buy some eggs, whole spelt grains, and rolled oats. It made a nice little field trip for me and my daughter.

The farm is located in this beautiful scenery.

To my surprise they also had a small cafe open in the summer months.

We begun our journey. Different species of chicken are sorted in their own coops.

I was happy to discover they had lots of activities and a chance to climb and fly.

A beautiful individual. I doubt the chicken in mass production farms look this fine and dandy.

The roosters were very handsome and healthy.

Omg, what super cute bunnies they had! This one is still a baby, and stole our hearts immediately.

Quickly it´s mother came to make sure we´re not dangerous.

My outfit is from my Freedom Collection, and my daughter is wearing a mommy-made dress too.

One of their most exotic hens came from China. This is a he...

...and here´s a she with their chicks.

Old-fashioned machinery suit the organic surroundings, and are a proof that the people are not doing it for the money, but for their beliefs and hearts. Admirable!

There was also a playground for kids. Here under inspection is a second (or third or fourth) hand pedal car.

They had also a few ducks. These chicks are a week old.

Then it was time to head home sweet home.

  We both had a fun time and gained new experiences. And when we got home, I made us scrambled egg salad. Truth be told, my daughter did not like the eggs, since she´s not used to eating them. So I guess we´re both learning...  =)

SLIMMING SUMMER VEGGIE SOUP

  Recently I have strongly craved for vegetables. Cooked ones for a change. This is the latest form I have eaten them in:

This was actually my breakfast today. =) I made it yesterday for dinner, and it was simply the fastest grab this morning.

Packed with flavor and fiber, but low in calories. This soup can virtually be made with any vegetables in season, so it is a good choice around the year. Here I used carrots and  red bell pepper (which I happened to have in the fridge) as main ingredients soaked in tomato-based broth.

  The recipe:

a kettle full of seasonal vegetables, chopped into bite-size pieces
(carrots, red bell pepper, celery ribs, zucchini, and spring onion in mine)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 quart/liter vegetable stock (I used 1 vegetable bouillon+water)
1 cup (2 dl) puréd canned tomatoes
fresh herbs (lovage and oregano in mine)
cayenne pepper, to taste
1-2 bay leaf(s)

+ Heat the oil in a big pan and lightly fry the vegetables in it, until just beginning to soften. Add the tomato puré and enough stock to cover the veggies. Stir in the bay leaf and cayenne pepper and let simmer until the veggies are al dente (a.k.a. nearly softened but still a bit crunchy). Remove from heat and add chopped fresh herbs.

  This summer veggie soup resembles the cabbage soup in cabbage soup diet in a way, that it can be eaten freely, as much as desired, all day long, without getting fat. But I went taste first, and the slimming effect was just a nice bonus to my soup. =)
  Makes a nice any-time-of-day meal with wholemeal bread, pasta, or brown rice!