My husband and I are in a new season of life. We are both retired and have supportive roles in our extended family. My mother and brother are in declining health now and require the help of family. We are thrilled to have five of our grandchildren in the area…
Over the Christmas holidays my husband I traveled first to Michigan where we spent Christmas with my mother, sister and brother. After a brief interlude at home we drove to a town west of St. Louis, Missouri. We rented a house near Lake Sherwood and all of our children and…
My mother grew up on a small Finnish farm in Upper Michigan. At Christmas she would remind us that oranges are a special treat. When she was a girl her family had oranges only on Christmas. As a tradition we always received an orange in our Christmas stocking. When…
The mild fall weather is so welcome! Yard work is pleasant and I have found some fall raspberries to savor while I work. Wilting vines And a layer of leaves Yard clean-up Sweetened by fall raspberries My calendula is still blooming and my rosemary and thyme are still growing. I…
The sage in my garden is thriving. This summer it flowered. The beautiful weather this fall has extended our growing season. I have plenty of sage. The texture of the leaves has an artistic appearance, lovely to the touch. I am going to use it in some in apple-sage-cheddar muffins.…
The pasty came to the Keweenaw Peninsula of northern Michigan with Cornish miners. The Finns caught on to the hearty meal that was portable. Meat and vegetables wrapped in pastry made a filling lunch during the long hours in the mine. My grandfathers were miners, and pasties were served for…
The apples are ripening. So many good recipes include apples, but have you ever added apples to potato salad? A Finnish chef shared a recipe for potato salad with an apple at a conference I attended. Here is my version of the recipe: 6 medium size yukon gold potatoes 2…
A number of recipes for elderberry syrup are posted on the internet. I have collected ideas for making the best use of my elderberries. I want to preserve the health benefits for this fall and winter. UPDATE 3/13/2020: Please use caution when taking elderberry syrup during a viral infection. It…