whipped cranberry vanilla porridge

Even though winter comes faithfully every year, it always catches me by a surprise. We have had snow for over a week but I keep being amazed at the winter wonderland I seem to be living in right now. Snow is very welcome in the wintertime, as everything is so much brighter when there is snow. Freshly fallen snow, untouched, also paints such a beautiful picture of peace and purity.

Winter is not my favourite season - somehow, fingers and toes frozen numb, only a few hours of daylight in December, and the coldness that is hard to shake off, do not make it a favourite of mine. Still, many of my favourite memories from my childhood set in the wintertime.

The best days have always been the ones with snow but the temperature only a few degrees below 0C (32F).  Those days you get the best out of the winter activities without completely freezing. Whether sledding or ice skating, we would put on about 17 layers of clothing to protect us from the cold, and Mom would prepare for us a thermos bottle containing hot beverage of sorts, like glögg or hot chocolate. When finally done, our fingers would be numb, noses red, and the thermos empty. Mom would meet us at the door, trying to keep the snow outside and control the chaos caused by the clothes; yet we would all end up with wet socks from the melted snow.

Something about the winter makes me go back to the traditional Finnish dishes. Whipped porridge is something so very traditional Finnish and I find it fits the winter. Maybe it's the tartness of the berries, or the fact that it is eaten cold. Maybe it is the bright pink colour that is rather welcome in the dark season.

Whipped porridge is made of berries - usually lingonberries - and semolina, cooked into this pink porridge that is cooled down and then whipped until light in colour and fluffy in consistency. Once whipped, the porridge is eaten with cold milk, and a sprinkling of sugar if the tartness is too much. This porridge makes a great breakfast or a snack, although we Finns are also known for eating this for dessert.

Cranberries make the porridge fit for the season, though other berries such as lingonberries, red currants, or even raspberries could be used. I definitely recommend the addition of vanilla, though it could be left out for an even more traditional version of whipped porridge. I find the vanilla cuts nicely through the tartness, bringing out the sweetness just enough to enhance the flavour of the berries.

Whipped Cranberry Vanilla Porridge

serves 4 to 6

500 ml frozen cranberries

1 litre water

3/4 tsp salt

100g sugar (adjust to taste)

150g semolina

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Combine the cranberries and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, then strain the juice into a mixing bowl or a 4-cup measuring cup. Add enough water to make 1 litre and pour the cranberry juice back into a saucepan. Add sugar and salt; bring to a boil. Whisk in the semolina and simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes.

Once the porridge is done, put the saucepan into a sink and fill the sink with cold water until it reaches halfway up the saucepan. Stirring occasionally, cool the porridge to room temperature. Pour it into a mixing bowl and add the vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on high for 3 to 5 minutes, until lighter in colour and fluffy in consistency. Serve room temperature or cold with cold milk and sugar, if desired. Store in the refrigerator.

spiced sour cream bundt cake

December has arrived and along with it came snow. In just a few days time, everything has changed from dark and depressing to this magical, white wonderland. Now, piles and piles of pillowy snow decorate the nature, inviting to go out and play in the snow. (Although it's freezing right now, so you might want to think about that.) When there is snow, everything seems so much more enjoyable and it's easier to give in to the mood of the joyful season.

In our household, the Christmas season is restricted to December. While the rule applies to everything related to Christmas, Christmas songs are the biggest no-no. For years, this rule did not make any sense to me but I am starting to see the reasoning behind it. Waiting for the first of December makes the Christmas songs and decorations seem just so much more precious, and my heart is fully embracing the season through the days of December leading up to Christmas.

When December finally comes, Christmas baking takes over in the kitchen. Spices are prominent in the baking, and the comforting fragrance drifting from the kitchen makes everything better. There is always an overload of sweets; yet it fits so nicely the season that can be described as sweet as well. All those hours spent in the kitchen, surrounded by snow and darkness in the evenings, make me feel like I am capturing a moment of time, a stillness in the midst of the rush and the stress of the holidays.



This spiced cake is a traditional one in the Christmas time here in Finland. The spices come together wonderfully in this sweet, light cake. The cake tastes like gingerbread cookies (the Finnish ones, at least); so if you're feeling like eating some gingerbread cookies but don't feel like making a batch, this easy cake is a good option. I have yet to try but I think a simple powdered sugar glaze would work really well on this.


Spiced Sour Cream Bundt Cake
makes one cake

* Bitter orange peel is a traditional ingredient in Christmas foods in Finland and Sweden. It is used in, for example, gingerbread cookies and Glögg (mulled wine). I imagine bitter orange is difficult to find anywhere outside the Nordic countries so feel free to leave it out.

150g salted butter

200g plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground bitter orange peel (optional) *
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cardamom
a good pinch of nutmeg

2 large eggs
225g sugar
200g sour cream or Crème fraîche


Preheat oven to 175C. Grease and flour a 6-cup Bundt Cake pan. In a small saucepan or microwave, melt the butter and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and spices. In another bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in the melted butter and sour cream. Fold in the flour mixture in a few batches, taking care not to overmix. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan. (The batter is rather thick, that's why it's better to spoon it.) Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool to room temperature before inverting. The cake tastes better the next day.

spiced banana cookies

On Thursday afternoon, I was watching out of a window with a cup of tea in my hands. The sky was clear and the sun was shining, a ray of sunlight flicking through the blinds and the trees just outside the window made it look like the light was dancing around the room. That moment right there, it was beautiful and peaceful.

Yet, I was sitting there out of tiredness. I was watching out of the window, hoping that the moment of stillness would help me to fight the weariness trying to take over me. I was truly tired, with that kind of tiredness that hadn't gone away with a good night's sleep and a 20-minute nap in the morning (and I  nap very rarely, so that was something).

The thing is, I felt bad about being tired. I honestly felt bad, even a little ashamed, that I would be so tired though I had slept well the night before. As I lifted the cup to my lips and sipped the hot tea, I watched out of the window. I watched, and saw beauty. The rays of sunshine pouring in through the windows. The branch of a tree waving with the wind, the sunshine behind it. The golden hue of the afternoon sun, lighting up the room.

And then, I realized.

It was okay to be tired.
It was okay to feel weary, even at the brink of exhaustion.
It was okay to not be at my best. It was okay.

Because there will always be days when you feel tired and weary. There will be days when you are feeling down, maybe even depressed. There will always be those days and that's nothing to be ashamed of. We all experience them and what matters is whether you get through them. How you get through them. For me, I find rest and comfort in the Lord. This may not be the case for you. But I do pray it would be.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Now, I suggest you go and make these cookies. Maybe you are feeling weary or down. Maybe you are feeling rested and happy. Maybe you have a sweet tooth that's acting up. Or maybe your day just needs some sugaring up. However you are feeling right now, if you happen to have a few browning bananas on your kitchen counter, I suggest you go and make these.

These cookies are fun, seriously. They are really cakey and soft, so much so that it's more like you are eating banana bread than cookies. (So if you have problems with portion control, here you go.) They are sweet but not overly so, and the spices come through beautifully. I absolutely love these with a cup of black tea, and have been enjoying these on many afternoons now.


Spiced Banana Cookies
adapted from Simply Recipes

115g butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 to 3 medium)
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups plain flour
3/4 tsp groung cinnamon
1/2 tsp groung nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
a good pinch of ground ginger
a pinch of salt


Preheat oven to 175C. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, stir together the mashed bananas and baking soda; set aside for 2 minutes. Stir the banana mixture into the wet ingredients.

In a bowl, combine the flour and spices. Stir into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Drop tablespoonfuls of batter on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake the cookies for 11 to 13 minutes, or until golden brown.

mexican-style ground beef soup

Somewhere along the years, we stopped eating dinner together as a family. Busy, irregular schedules did that. There would rarely be more than two to eat dinner at the same time, and usually at least one of those would be going to the gym or for a run, hence not eating dinner but later. And if it was me and my sister that were at home, dinner would often be eaten watching TV (together at least).

For a longer time now, Saturdays have been the only times we gather together as a family to eat dinner each week. And those times, I'm sure, we all cherish. The time spent together, sharing everything that is pressing in our lives. That Saturday dinner is always a time of laughter as my sister keeps us entertained with her jokes and funny stories of her life. As we leave the table - after an hour or an hour and a half, usually - the sense of a family has been restored.

So nowadays, if it happens that all of us - or at least most of us - happen to be at home for dinner during the week, it is always somehow special. The same kind of special as when you were a child and Dad would come home early one afternoon and you got to spend extra time with him. The same kind of special as when you visited Grandpa and he snuck you an ice cream. The same kind of special as when you got to help Mom in the kitchen.

Now, please don't get confused with the name. The only reason this is called Mexican-style soup is that it has corn and kidney beans in it. And it's tomato-based. Somehow, those ingredients make this soup Mexican to me. I don't even know. Please, someone tell me you also do this.

Nevertheless, this is a very easy and tasty soup. It is very hearty but also packs in a bunch of vegetables, which I love. I made this soup with a can of diced tomatoes with spicy red pepper and I loved the kick it brought. This is definitely a keeper for those chilly evenings that are already around the corner.

Mexican-style Ground Beef Soup

serves 6

Note: I used a can of diced tomatoes with spicy red pepper and loved the heat. However, if you are serving this to (small) children, I would recommend using plain diced tomatoes and adding a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for heat. We ate this soup with a good dollop of sour cream, which is not only delicious in the soup but also takes the edge off the heat.

1 (400g) can diced tomatoes *(see note)

4 cups beef or vegetable stock

5 to 6 medium potatoes

2 to 3 medium carrots

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion

2 garlic cloves

400g ground beef

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground coriander

150g frozen corn

100g frozen, chopped green beans

1 cup red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

salt and ground black pepper, to taste

+ sour cream to serve

In a large pot, bring the diced tomatoes and stock with the basil and thyme to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the carrots and slice them. Put the carrots to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Put them to the pot with the carrots after the 10 minutes have passed.

Peel the onion and garlic cloves. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet and sauté the onion and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown on high heat until evenly cooked. Season with the cumin and coriander, then add the frozen corn and green beans. Lower the heat to medium-low and sauté until the vegetables have heated through. Add the ground beef mixture to the pot and simmer until the potatoes and carrots have softened, about 10 to 20 minutes.

Once all the vegetables are cooked through, turn off the heat and add the kidney beans to the soup to warm through. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve with a good dollop of sour cream, if desired.

chocolate chip espresso muffins

It feels as if I am baking purely for brain fuel nowadays. Because when you spend most of your free time writing, there comes times when all the words seem to be used, all the thoughts already written down, all the emotions poured out.

When it feels like I am stuck between thoughts, muffins are a good option. Muffins are easy to make and there are plenty of options as for the kinds of muffins you can bake. The act of baking always manages to relax me. I love baking just for that. There isn't much flexibility in baking; rather, the fixed ratios are very important if you want something edible as a result. Still, there is always something small that can be done to make the baked good more to your taste. Whether it is adding spices or chocolate, using different flours or sugars, making muffins instead of a cake. That's why I like baking so much. It takes time and trials to know what you like, and what you don't like. It takes time to know what goes well with what.

And while there is the excitement of trying something new when baking, you can also find comfort in baking those goods you have been baking for years now. In using those old recipes that are perfect just as they are. For those days when you are feeling adventurous, the internet is full of new recipes and ideas for you to try. And when comfort is needed, there is no judgement to be found in baking those brownies you have been making for the last 10 years without changing anything. If it's good, no explanations are needed. All will be received with a glad heart.

If there ever is a time when words fail me, chocolate and coffee usually help. When those two are combined in a muffin form with a delicious oat streusel topping, it seems as if words start to flow again. Thoughts start clearing up and taking a form.

As for these muffins, they pack flavour as the espresso and dark chocolate come together, but these aren't too sweet. Rather, they are hearty, full-bodied muffins with a sweet streusel topping, and I love them as they are. However, if you are looking for sweet muffins specifically, I'd recommend adding maybe 1/4 cup white sugar and a little more yoghurt if the mixture seems too dry. Another option is using milk chocolate, which would add some sweetness to the mix as well.

Chocolate Chip Espresso Muffins
adapted from Sprouted Kitchen
makes 12

115g butter
2 eggs
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp plain whole milk yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

11/3 cups plain flour
3/4 cup spelt flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp espresso (or finely ground coffee)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

100g dark chocolate, chopped

Streusel Topping:
30g cold, salted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 175C and grease a muffin pan or line with paper lines.

Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, and let it melt. Watch the butter as foam starts to form and when the butter starts to bubble, stir it with a spatula. When the foam starts to subside, watch for small brown flecks in the bottom of the saucepan. When you see the brown flecks, take the butter off the heat and set aside to cool. The butter should be light brown in colour.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, yoghurt and vanilla. When the butter has cooled, whisk it in as well.

In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, making sure there are no brown sugar lumps. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the chopped dark chocolate and mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared 12 muffin tins.

In a small bowl, rub the streusel topping ingredients with your fingers until the butter is evenly mixed into the oats and sugar. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly on top of the muffins.

Bake the muffins on the middle rack for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.