95 years since Peace Treaty of Tartu,

Today Estonia celebrates 95 years since Treaty of Tartu was signed between Estonia and Russia in 2nd February 1920, ending the War of Independence. Estonia was the first democratic country to sign an official agreement with the Bolshevik regime and it was a first time Estonia got it's independence from Russia.
The wish to end the War of Independence in Estonia was evident by the summer of 1919, but the government had to consider the countries of the Entente and its neighbors, who did not approve of peace talks with the Bolsheviks. The breakthrough was brought about by the failed attack of the White Russian North-western Army in autumn 1919. This affected the Estonian military-political situation of Estonia and changed the attitude of the Western countries. Peace talks in Tartu started on 5 December 1919. The Estonian delegation was headed by Jaan Poska, and the Russian by Leonid Krassin (later Adolf Joffe). The main obstacles were differences on the border question – the Bolsheviks demanded Setumaa and the eastern part of Virumaa – and increased Russian military pressure, in the hope of securing a better position at the talks. An armistice was achieved on 31 December 1919 and the final peace treaty was signed on 2 February 1920. In the treaty, Russia recognized Estonian independence; all areas settled by Estonians were accepted as part of Estonia (including Setumaa and Narva). Russia gave up its possessions in the Republic of Estonia, agreed to return the treasures evacuated from Estonia, and ceded 15 million gold roubles to Estonia. The two countries established diplomatic relations.
More about Peace Treaty of Tartu can be read in Wikisource, where also articles have been taken out. Also from Histrodamus, where can see the road to our Independence.
That independence lasted until 23 August 1939, when Molotov-Ribbentrop pact was signed under in Moscow and Estonia together with other countries was annexed by Soviet again.  Now, we are independent again and it feels good.  It is good to see, how much Estonia has gain and achieved with this independence and how much more the small country can achieve in the future. I am very proud to be an Estonian.

Have a nice day!
                            Love,
                                     Ingrit

So peaceful,

Today the weather outside in Norrahammar is so peaceful. In the night it have been snowing again and after I had cleaned some snow I took a long powerwalk with my small black friend. If someone loves winter as much as me, it is our little Sally. She just loves to keep her nose close to the ground and eat the snow. Here is some pictures from our walking trip.

I just love winter and it's pureness. All is so white and so peaceful. It is so innocent outside. Not surprising that I love winter.

Have a nice day!
                           Love,
                                    Ingrit

Word's of wisdom,

Thank you all, who you are in my life and make it wonderful! 

Have a nice evening!
                                   Love,
                                             Ingrit

Quiet Saturday,

Saturday has arrived and it has been a nice day. It has been a day at home. Just some small trips outside.  In the same time, it has been a nice and mild winter weather. Most, what I have enjoyed has been a snowing. Nothing to complain. Training for free of charge and same time good way to burn some calories :)
I have also taken time to  make my school works. It should have been handed in next Friday, but I decided to do earlier. That means, more time to me and to my other things I would like to do and have planned to do as well in next week. Some coffee meetings and meeting in local Lions club. Same time I hope that I can spend time with handcraft. Have some ideas, what I would love to try. If I succeed with it, when I will also show it.
Tomorrow will I look some more skating. At the moment there is World Championships in skating in Sweden. Have also planned to take my husband out to cup of coffee as we did last Sunday. It felt cozy and good time and something we have missed bit. Espresso House, here we come :D Good coffee :P It is good way to take care of the cold I have got :D
Now, it will be little bit more TV. In the evening it will be my favorite film again - Sex and the City 2. There is some movies, what can be looked as often as it shows or on DVD :D I can't remember anymore how many times I have seen that film, but it is never enough. Always it is good to look again. So, I hope that you enjoying your evening as well as I do. It is a weekend and time to relax. Wonderful weather outside, perhaps winter will finally arrive and good cozy time inside in home.
 
Have a nice evening!
                                   Love,
                                             Ingrit

Cardamom coffee bread with almond,

For a while ago, I made a little bit different coffee bread, what I had never done before. I have eaten little bit similar one and have wanted to try as well, but I have not had courage to do it, because I do not believe much to my competence to succeed in some baking things. Since we had a Lions board meeting in our home, when I wanted to do something good for coffee and I thought, that I can try. If I do not fix it, I can go and buy something from bakery. For my surprise, I made it and it tasted very good. Only negative part in my opinion was, that I had bit too much Bourbon vanilla. It took taste over, since I was but bit more, than recipe had. Here is recipe for the coffee bread.

Ingredients:

Wheat dough:

30 gr yeast
250 gr milk
110 gr butte, room temperature
570 gr wheat flour
3 gr salt
5 gr ground cardamom
1 egg
110 gr caster sugar

Filling:

120 gr sugar
200 gr almond flour
150 gr butter, room temperature
10 gr vanilla sugar
Cardamom

Baking:

2 egg for brushing
Sugar
Cardamom 

Syrup:

1 dl water
1 dl sugar

First step is to do wheat dough. Crumb yeast into a bowl what you have with your kitchen assistant. Warm up milk until it is lukewarm and mix it with yeast. But other ingredients into a bowl and let assistant work in a slow tempo. When all is mixed together, you take a speed up a little  and let it work 10 minutes until it has build a gluten and gets a shiny and nice surface.
Take dough out from the bowl and put it to baking board what you have covered with a bit flour. Let dough rest there 15 minutes under the cloth . Roll dough out until it is 3-4 mm thick.
Make a filling. Mix almond flour, caster sugar, vanilla sugar and little by little a butter until you have smooth filling. Wide a even layer filling over the rolled dough. Sprinkle on sugar and cardamom, roll together to lengths. Take a scissors and cut a ankle, ca 1,5 - 2 cm big bites. Cut almost all the way, but not all through. Fold the pieces what is left and right alternately, but let them sit together as one wheat length. Divide the long length to 4 even lengths.
Concoct sugar and water to syrup and let it cool down.
Put the oven to 180 degrees. Let the wheat length rise under the cloth ca 1 -1,5 hours. Brush with whipped eggs the lengths and  cover with sugar and cardamom. Bake 2 lengths on the time, about 20 - 25 minutes or until it has got a nice color. When you take them out in the oven, brush every length with syrup.

I can say, that I liked the end result. It was perfect for the cup of coffee and it lasted for a while but not for a very long time since all liked it. I will not be last time I will bake it. There will come other times as well, when we get the guests. 

Bon Appetit!
                       Love,
                                Ingrit