Life in Uganda

A lot of things are different in Uganda. And sometimes you just need to take a seat, and think about life, the world, and the universe. Sometimes things so simple can be so difficult to fathom - like, for example, that there can be such diversity from one place to another and people existing in hugely different realities all on the SAME, round planet! 

In any case, I learned a few things from my first experience visiting Uganda, and some of them were the following: Ugandan people have beautiful smiles and hearts, avocados and mangos exist in abundance (to my heart's delight), and the traditional Ugandan dish of matooke is extremely (and I mean extremely!) filling, just to name a few.

Another thing I learned is that safaris are amazing, but more about that in another post! ;)

Ugandan flowers part 1

Imagine a world without flowers. Or a world with flowers of only one color. Somehow it seems it just couldn't work. They seem so important to life on this earth, even though they maybe aren't directly necessary for us to survive. Life without beauty is somehow not life, even though a heart may be beating. So, since flowers are beautiful, they are a necessary and vital part of our existence on this planet and that's why I have come to develop an obsession with them lately... though, it's not such a bad thing to have an obsession with! ;) 

I landed in Uganda just about a week ago together with my husband, whose family works for a development & relief agency here (ADRA). They have been begging for years a long time that I should finally come and see the place. So, despite my fear of meeting one of the worst creatures on the planet (s.n.a.k.e.) I decided to embark on the adventure... and so far it has not been a disappointment! Uganda has many beauties, and one of them, though maybe not often thought of when you here about the country, is flowers. 

Here are a few of my favourites from the trip so far =)

Fall and the beginnings of winter 2013 in Finland

It has been over two years now since I moved with my husband to Finland. Before that time I barely had a clue about what Finland was like, and hadn't entertained even the thought of living in such a place. But since living here, I could say Finland has grown on me in a mysterious way. Though the late fall can be one of the most dreary and depressing periods of the year, I am learning to find the gems of beauty that Finland has to offer during this time of year! =)

A taste of Italy

One of the most exciting adventures I had this summer was almost taking a spontaneous roadtrip to Italy... notice I say almost... It was very close, but, it was something I suppose was too good to be true to really happen. Typical. But, we ended up going to Czech Republic instead, and that was fair enough for me :)

Anyho, I got inspired to grow some pesto at home. Did I just say grow pesto at home.. I guess it kind of feels like that when most of what I used was loads of my fresh homegrown (on our patio :) ) basil... everything else I added to the recipe just pales in comparison! 

For someone who has never made their own homemade pesto before, *blush*, it turned out to be quite easy and extremely tasty! We ended up using it over spaghetti and took it with us on our trip that we left for the next day. Though it wasn't warm (which I'm sure would have been good too),  it was a nice treat in the car instead of sandwiches..

So you are wondering what ingredients I used?

Now, I'm not going to give you exact amounts - I'm sure you all are adventurous enough to guess about how much it should be! :)

So here goes:

• Fresh organic basil
• Garlic clove(s) 
• Virgin olive oil
• Dry-roasted pine nuts
• Parmazano (it's a type of vegan parmesan - any type of parmesan replacement should work)
• Salt

Mix everything together in a food processor, and voilà - you have homemade pesto!

Enjoy to your heart's content :)

Sewing in red

Finnish sea and Swedish summer

An old boat lying on the beach in Finland More Finnish ocean...
Dark woods :-s
 
Swedish summer in Tryggeboda! Tinted flowers
And the real flowers... :)

Green, green forest...

Kitties and food

Vegan homemade enchiladas! Nom nom nom.... Mock tuna salad - made from tofu, celery, pickles, vegan mayonnaise, and more! Oven-roasted zucchini strips with homemade vegan cheese, fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and tomatoes. Raw, vegan raspberry cheesecake for dessert!