Thursday, August 30, 2012

Apple pie

Hello!

First of all I would like to thank you for commenting! It always feels nice to get a comment :)
This time I thought I would make an apple pie for a change. I don't even remember when was the last time I made one :D
Here it goes!

For the base:
  • 4 dl flour
  • 3/4 dl sugar
  • 1/2 dl cold water
  • 150 gr margarine

Filling:
  • 1 kg apples
  • 3/4 dl lemon juice
  • 1 spoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 dl potato flour
  • 1½ dl brown sugar

  • one egg

1. For the base mix the flour and the sugar in a bowl.  Add the margarine in pieces ( don't melt it! ). In the end add the water. Leave the dough in the fridge while you are making the filling. Butter the baking tin. Roll out half of the dough and apply it on the baking tin. Cut the edges.

2. For the filling peel the apples and cut them in small pieces. Add the lemon juice, the brown sugar, the potato flour, the cinnamon and the vanilla.

3. Roll out the other half of the dough and make these small holes in the shape of a leaf. Apply it on top of the pie and secure the edges with a fork.

4. Whisk the egg and apply it on top with a brush.

Bake your pie in the oven for 30-45 minutes ( depending on your oven ) on 200 degrees.

Voilà!
Karoliina

Out of control

Hey there!

It feels like I haven't written anything for so long! I have been trying to do other things for a change and I started running again...that's right! I hate running but it keeps my mind off from other things that have been making me sad lately. I just can't control my emotions anymore! These past few days I have been so messed up...what scares me the most is that I am going to have to go through that horrible depression that I had last year and right now that's the last thing I want!

At this point I should be just super excited that I have only one month left for my trip to Barcelona and be like WOHOOO! Instead I just feel numb...I am blank...no emotions...nothing. Why is that? Maybe it is because I always have too high expectations and in the end things are a lot different than I thought. This time I just want to go there without all these expectations. I guess when you don't have too high expectations you can't get disappointed either, right?

Anyway...I am trying to be positive and stop thinking too much about it :)
I had to share this picture of the most amazing moon ever. This reminds of last summer when I used to sit by the sea and watch the moon for ages...good times :)



Karoliina
 

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Exploring

Hello!
 
I have to share some pictures that we took with a friend of mine a few days ago. We went for a long ride around Kotka and I must say that it was fun to do something different for a change.
Here is a short post for today...I thought it would be nice to write less and show more pictures for a change :D
 
 
Karoliina

Friday, August 24, 2012

Friday, Friday!

Hello!

After a horrible day at work I found something to relax me which is music of course! I don't think I could live without it...or maybe I could, but then my life would be boring. I went to the library yesterday and I found all sorts of interesting things. I tried to hold myself from borrowing too many things but I ended up taking a buntch of cool stuff with me. The music selection is just huge! I always go to the library when I am bored and it has become one of my favourite places. This time I discovered this cd by Hugh Laurie called Let them talk and I must say that I am impressed. I love him on House and I love his cd...he is a talented man! We both like Ray Charles so how could I not like his music? :P


I also found the music from the movies Moulin Rouge, My blueberry nights, Pride and prejudice, Chocolat and Because I said so. This is how I am going to spend the rest of the night...listening to good music. I just love spending some time alone and doing nothing....I am happy this way :)

 
Also I have to say that I have an e-mail for my blog! If you have any good ideas for future posts or you just want to say hi feel free to contact me on karoliinablog@hotmail.co.uk! :)
Have a great weekend!
 
 
Karoliina

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Change of plans

Hey there!

I don't know if it is just me or is the weather really that cold? It's like 15 degrees out and it's still August! I don't mind though because I like autumn for some strange reason, but I don't like the fact that I have to go everywhere by bike even when it's raining...and it has been raining a lot lately!

I remember writing the last time about how excited I was that a hotel in Spain was interested for me to work there...well change of plans. Something happened so I am not going there and I must admit that I wasn't too happy about it yesterday. On the other hand I am a bit relieved and maybe there is something better out there... who knows. I am sure that Barcelona is going to be an unforgetable experience and for now I want to focus my energy on that :)

I am not the kind of person who always wants to stick to the plan. I have learned that you have to be flexible in these kind of things and a bit realistic as well. Sometimes it is good to just let things happen and go with the flow.

Now that I have had some days off from work I have been spending my free days with my friends so I am feeling gooood :) I am not too thrilled though that everybody's moving to other cities far away from here, but I am happy that they are going to study something that they really want. Besides I will be leaving soon as well ( yey!).

Now that I have had more free time I decided to post a video. This time I sing Pumped up kicks by Foster the people. I have the chords and the lyrics in case you want to learn how to play it on guitar...really easy just four chords Em, G, D and A.



Capo 3 or no Capo

Em G D A [2X]


Em                       G
Robert's got a quick hand
      D                             A
He'll look around the room he won't tell you his plan
Em                    G
Got a rolled cigarette
D                             A 
Hangin' out his mouth, he's a cowboy kid
      Em                     G
Yeah, found a six-shooter gun
       D                         A
In his dads closet hidden with a box of fun things
Em                    G
I don't even know what
         D                         A
But he's comin' for you, yeah he's comin for you, hey


Em                          G
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
             D
You'd better run, better run
A
Outrun my gun
Em                          G
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
             D
You'd better run, better run
A
             Faster than my bullet               
[Repeat]


Em                    G
Daddy works a long day
                  D                      A
He'll be coming home late, he's coming home late
         Em                    G
And he's bringing me a surprise
     D                                A
Cos' dinner's in the kitchen and it's packed in ice
     Em                     G
I've waited for a long time
    D                          A
The slight of my hand is now a quick pull trigger
  Em                      G
I reason with my cigarette
             D                            A
And say your hair's on fire you must have lost your wits, yeah

Chorus 2Χ
Em G D A [2X]
 
Chorus 2X
Again the quality and the lighting isn´t the best possible, but at least the sound isn't too bad (I hope) hehe :)
 
Karoliina
 

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Start the day with a good breakfast and a smile :)

Hello!

I am so excited for so many things! My trip to Spain is in 40 days and my plans seem to go they way I actually planned them. I have no idea where I will be working, but they found me a hotel that is very interested in me and they want me to work for them (YEY!). When they sent me the link the other day I was like WAU! I thought to myself...hell yeah I want to work there! I am trying not to get too excited though because you never know...but so long so good :)

Yesterday I had the inspiration to make sämpylöitä (bread rolls) and I was so happy to get a real breakfast. I don't even remember when was the last time I ate something else than porridge for breakfast. I added also  some grated carrot and garlic to the dough and they smelled so goood. It's funny how passionate I get about food sometimes.


I also have to mention that my driving lessons are going better now! Wohooo! Today is my last theory lesson. So embarrassing that I fell asleep during the lesson yesterday...no wonder why that girl in front of me had that strange look on her face.

This week I have two days off starting tomorrow and I am planning on doing something extra fun hehe!

Have a great day!

Karoliina

Monday, August 20, 2012

Mudcake

Hey there!

Yesterday I invited some friends over and I decided to make a mudcake! Whoever said that diamonds are a girls best friend is wrong...chocolate is MY best friend!
I had never made this cake before, but I thought I would give it a try and it wasn't that difficult after all...if I can do it, you can do it :)
Mostly I was afraid that it would be too dry but it turned out perfect. The whole idea of this cake is that you don't leave in the over for too long and the texture has to be a bit muddy ( that's where the name of the cake comes from tadaaa! ). Don't be scared if the cake falls flat when you take it out of the oven it is supposed to be that way :)
I compared different mudcake recipes and this is how I ended up making it.

Here is what you are going to need:

  • 2 dl sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 200gr butter
  • 200gr plain chocolate
  • 2½ dl flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder



1. whisk the eggs and the sugar
2. melt the plain chocolate and the butter and mix them together.  Add it to the egg-sugar foam.
3. Combine the dry ingredients ( flour and baking powder) and sieve it to the mixture.

Grease the pan ( or baking casserole or whatever you call it ) with butter and pour the mixture in it.

 Leave it in the oven for 20-25 minutes on 200 degrees. To be exact I left mine for 23 minutes exactly :P Of course it depends on the oven you have. Just don't leave it for too long and remember to keep an eye on it.

Let it cool down when you take it out of the oven and leave it in the fridge for a few hours before you serve it. Of course you can serve it a bit warm, but I prefered that it was a bit cold...do as you like :)
On top I just used some icing sugar. You can serve it with vanilla ice cream ( like I did ) or with whipped cream and raspberries. Be creative!



 Voilà!

Karoliina

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Call it what you want

Hello!

I can't believe it's Saturday already...time flies! These past few days have been a bit crazy because I had a problem with my application to get a job in Spain, but now everything is going well (yey!). All this has been driving me nuts, but I hope everything turns out gooood. Of course it is a bit nerve racking trying to find a job in Spain from here, I mean it sounds a bit crazy, but I am glad I found this organization that does it for me so all I need to do is send them the paperwork to start the process.

I must say that I am really terrified of how things will turn out, but why should I worry for something that hasn't even happened yet? I want this to be a good experience, but there is no need to get stressed over it. Over the years I have learned that getting worried for things that might happen in the future is a bit useless, but for some strange reason I keep doing it ugh -_-

I don't know if I am more stressed or anxious...maybe both? I don't know, call it what you want ;)

Today I finish my post with a song :D (weirdest music video ever)



Karoliina

Monday, August 13, 2012

Carrot Cake

Hello!

As promised here is the carrot cake I was talking about! I love this recipe because it is simple but still very delicious! I remember saying that I would start a healthy lifestyle...oh well, once in a while it is good to enjoy and eat good food :)

So here is what you are going to need for this cake:

  • 3 eggs
  • 2½ dl sugar
  • 4 dl flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1 spoon of cinnamon
  • 200gr butter
  • 5 dl grated carrot
  • 1 grated apple

For the frosting:

  • 200gr orange cream cheese
  • 1 dl sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
  • 2 dl whipping cream

Start by whisking the eggs and the sugar. Combine the dry ingredients ( cinnamon, flour and baking powder ). Melt the butter and grate the carrots and the apple. Add in the egg-sugar foam the melted butter, the dry ingredients and the grated carrots and apple in small batches. Add the mixture in a greased baking casserole (no idea if that is it's realy name ) and leave it in the oven for 20-25 min on 200 degrees.

For the frosting:


Remember to apply the frosting when the cake has cooled down. If you can't find orange cream cheese you can use normal cream cheese, but you might want to add more sugar to it.

Voilà!

Karoliina

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Let's have some fun!

Hey there!

These past few days have been very emotional for me and I have no idea why I have been having this strange feeling. As I said on my previous post I miss Greece sooooo much and I have been having problems with my driving lessons...will I ever learn? I keep making the same mistakes again and again! But now I am going to stop complaining because I have good news as well!

Nadia came to Kotka for the weekend and the timing couldn't have been any better! I seriously thank God that she came to see me. She always knows how to cheer me up and I needed that more than anything! We had so much fun cooking, listening to good music, watching a movie, going to sauna and just relaxing. Ahhhh life isn't that bad after all! We also made a carrot cake this morning and I promise to put the recipe asap!


Please don't hate me for putting so many pictures! :)
I know...I need to find a new place to take pictures, I am starting to get sick of that wooden fence -_-

Karoliina

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Now I know where I belong

Hey there!

Being a girl from two countries has good and bad moments. One of the hardest things for me this summer has been the fact that I haven't been able to go home and by that I mean Greece. My plan for the future is to go back to Greece no matter what happens. I just feel safe and happy whenever I go there. People ( most of the time ) are happy and very LOUD which is something that I absolutely love. They use so much passion even when they talk. These three years here were good for me because I learned about my other "half". I still believe that Finland is not the place I want to live for the rest of my life unfortunately. There are so many good things here but I don't belong here.
Just appreciate the fact that you don't have these kind of problems if you are from one country :D
Today I am showing off my nerd glasses...love them <3 thanks to them I am not blind :P


 

Now I have to focus on my driving lesson which is tomorrow...it is not as easy as I thought it would be :/

Karoliina

Sunday, August 5, 2012

More thoughts

Hey there!

Today I am going to start my post with a question, does it ever happen to you that you promise to yourself you will start making small changes in your life but you end up doing nothing? Well that's what happened to me. I remember I promised to myself I would make this summer special in a way and start doing exciting things, but all I have been doing is sitting home and watching telly and the only person I should blame about that is me! Okay...I must say that I have been trying, I mean it's a big step for me to even start driving lessons and I have also managed to organize my trip to Spain.

My biggest concern so far has been money and I have been trying to save every penny which has affected my time here. I even cut my own hair because it is so damn expensive here ( must say that I did a pretty good job :P ). When I didn't need to worry about money I would travel all the time and go to different places in Finland, but now things are different. I am not complaining though because I have a job and I have learned so many things. I am more careful with money and I have learned to spend it wisely. Yeah my life might have been a bit boring the past few months, but I have been waiting for my trip to Spain for two years and now that I know that it's only two months away it's like HELL YEAH I am really going and nothing can stop me!

These two years I have learned that if you really want something that bad you will have to wait and work really hard to get it. Sometimes I have this thing that I want everything now and I must say that I hate that about myself. You can't have the great career and your own big house by the age of twenty. Even nowdays I see that I want to travel as much as possible but I haven't realized that a) I don't have enough money to do that and b) One year isn't enough. On the other hand I want to study something next year but on the other hand I want to travel...I want it all! Silly me...

I know I have been driving you crazy with my long texts these pasts few days. I hate reading long texts but I don't mind writing them :P

Have a great week guys!
Here is a random video that I found. They are not bad...check it out ;)



Karoliina


Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Communication is the key


Hello!

What's up dudes?! My "relationship" with my blog has been a bit on and off. Today I am back with more things to write about... I will keep the recipes behind for a while because I am gonna start a healthy lifestyle now. We have a small problem with obesity in my family so I need to be extra carefull with these things.

Today was my first driving lesson and I didn't kill anybody...what a relief! Also for a few months I will have to live on my own because my mom and my sister went back to Greece. Maybe I will survive these two months that I have left here in Finland. Also I booked the language school in Barcelona and now I am looking for a job in the same city which is going to be a bit more challenging.

What I really want to write about today is relationships in general. Yesterday I had a bit of drama with a friend of mine. I am not going to get into details because that wouldn't be fair for anybody. I just want to write about my experiences so far and what is the best way to communicate with people. It is well known that in order to have a good relationship with somebody ( either it is your boy/girlfriend or just a friend or a member of your family ) you need to put a lot of efford to make it work. As always communication is the key. If you have something that bothers you don't keep it inside you. When somebody's behaviour bothers you talk about it with the person itself. If you find talking difficult then write a letter. Some people say that a letter is not a good idea, but I must say that I disagree. Writing it down gives you time to think about it more carefully and the person who is going to read it might understand better what you are trying to say. Usually when we fight we tend to say things that we don't mean and most of the times it gets out of control. It is important to talk about those issues when you are both calm and you can actually listen to each other. Also blaming the other person isn't the right way to approach things. It is better to say how you feel and what kind of changes you need to make together in order to make things easier for the future. We can never blame one person for everything. ( okay maybe that depends on the situation I guess :P )

Don't worry I am almost done! I just want to empasize that this is just my personal opinion,
there are still many things that I need to learn! I am glad that me and my friend cleared things out. These kind of situations come and go.

That was my lesson of the day. Have a nice day! :)



Karoliina