Lego Art Exhibition

Yesterday we were at the Lego Art Exhibition at Iso Omena shopping Center in Esbo. The Exhibition opened on Feb 6 and will close tomorrow. Even if Iso Omena is only, an about, 20 minute drive from us we hardly ever go there. Now, however, was a good time to go there. To, as we say; “catch two flies with one hit”. Meaning to see both the renovated, enlarged shopping center and the Lego arts. Both were so worth the drive. The shopping center is huge compared to the one we visit daily and also the Lego Arts, in my opinion, are huge. Imagine how many Lego bricks and hours to build them and how much they weigh ! My favorite is the tiger with the cub. I thought the ones at Omena were huge. I googled and saw even much bigger ones at different exhibitions around the world !

Catnap

It’s so much more fun to sleep under the mattress than on it 😀Oops, sorry ! I didn’t want to wake you.

Riihimäki Museums

Yesterday I was in Riihimäki together with friends. We visited three museums. Riihimäki Art Museum, The Finnish Glass Museum and the Historical Museum.

As you can see, it was a such a beautiful crispy sunny winter day. Look at the gorgeous, friendly, cuddly cat we met near the Glass Museum. He would have loved us to stay longer to pet him. I think he too enjoyed the lovely winter day. We walked from the railway station to all the different museums. Even if we took a taxi from the Glass Museum to the last museum, the Historical Museum, there was not much time for the visit there. On the way back home I wish I could have stopped the train to take photos of the most gorgeous sunset in a long time. I tried to shoot through the window but the train run too fast.

Valentine’s Day ~ Ystävänpäivä ~ Vändagen

I wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day !

Homemade Swiss roll which is so quick and easy to make.

Homemade Shrove Buns

We usually have the shrove buns on shrove Tuesday. But, my husband is going to be away on Tuesday and suggested we have them today. While he was at the indoor swimming pool I baked them and filled them with raspberry jam and whipped cream 😀

I have been asked for the recipe. Here it is. It’s very ordinary. I use it for all kind of buns like cinnamon buns, “butter eye” buns, shrove buns etc.

150 grams butter, 5 deciliter milk, 50 grams yeast, 1 ½ deciliter sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, about 14 deciliter all purpose flour

1 egg for egg wash, decoration pearl sugar or powdered sugar

Melt the butter in a pan. Add the milk. The butter and milk temperature should be “finger warm”= not too hot nor too cold. Poor the butter/milk mixture into a bowl. Add the yeast. Stir till the yeast melts. Add the salt and sugar. Stir till both melts. Add flour, little by little. Knead till it is soft and elastic and a still a little sticky. It must not be too sticky. Cover the dough e.g. with a clean towel. Let the dough rise to the double of volume. The recipe makes about 20 buns. Let the buns rest for about 20 minutes under a towel. Apply the egg wash and pearl sugar. Bake the buns in 250 degrees C. for 6-8 minutes. Cover the buns with a towel. If you prefer the powdered sugar you may add it now when they are not warm anymore.

Fill the buns either with raspberry or strawberry jam and whipped cream or marzipan and whipped cream.

Photo Album 2017

Finally my 2017 photos are in a slip in photo album. I’m happy I have photos, starting 2010, in the old fashion way, in real albums and not only on my computer. I said to my husband that of all the of the hundreds photos I shoot per year I will choose only 200 per year. Good thing is the paper photos are not as expensive anymore as they were in 2001 when I bought my first digital camera. In 2016 it was so difficult to choose only 200 so I ended up ordering 300. And guess what ! I just had to have 300 photos for my 2017 album too 😀 But, that’s the limit. There is not going to be 400 for 2018. We, of course, have several albums with photos from the time back to when we met and married. But, I wish I had arranged all our photos into albums. There are many boxes with photos. Maybe I some day will have the energy to arrange them.

Runeberg Tarts

Finland’s national poet was born on the 5^th of February in 1804. It is tradition to on this day have tarts, simply called Runeberg tarts. His wife Fredrika baked them, perhaps for his birthday.

For years we bought them but, for the last 6 or 7 years I have made them myself. Also this year. The recipe I use is for 6 tarts. I only decorated 3 and put the other 3 in the freezer.

@ Ateneum Art Museum

Yesterday we visited the art museum Ateneum in Helsinki. We had planned to go there ever since The Von Wright Brothers and the Treasures From The National Gallery Of Duckenburg exhibitions opened in the end of October last year. Yesterday was the perfect time to go there because my husband had to take care of an errand nearby and it was a gorgeous, sunny day. I have, of course, seen pictures of both the von Wrights and the Duckenbergs in magazines, newspapers and on the internet but it’s not the same as to see the original paintings. I have always liked the von Wrights brothers’ paintings. Especially the birds and animals. But, all the others, still lifes, botanical themes, landscapes, wintry landscapes, portraits, drawings etc they all are fantastic. Also the paintings and drawings from different places in Helsinki showing how different the life was in the 1800’s was fascinating. There was quite many visitors. Photographing allowed without flash.

Snapshots from the exhibition + one of the Atenemum and some other buildings surrounding the railway station square.

By the way, good we went there yesterday because, today is a snowstorm ! Meteorologists say it will cause traffic jams.