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Smokey Cottage Tea

Deep in the heart of the forests of Finlandia are treasured sanctuaries built from trees felled by the ax of ancestors sweat & love. The clock doesn’t tick here. Time is measured by the rolling of the sun across the sky, the rise & fall of shadows, the waxing waning moon. The Finnish cottage is a place where the veil is thin, and dreams come alive into the waking world.
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In honor of my husbands family cottage, I crafted Smokey Cottage Tea. Finlands treasured flavors of Birch, Meadowsweet, Goldenrod, Linden, Fireweed & Angelica meld together in a tea whose flavor is reminiscent of sitting by the fire in a cozy cottage.
I chose herbs that are anti-inflammatory, contain natural pain-relieving salicylates & have a traditional use for reducing muscular body aches & arthritic pain. A tea to settle your bones and soothe your muscles, a tea whose flavor may carry you to the cottage of your own imagination.
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All herb ingredients are Finnish and I wildcrafted most of the herbs myself. A percentage of sales proceeds are donated to Finnish Nature Conservation groups to help protect and give back to the forest.

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Birch Leaf Rieska

Making Rieska has become a Springtime tradition since I discovered how simple and easy it is to make these delicious traditional Finnish potato breads. I experiment with adding different springtime herbs such as nettle, ground ivy or dandelion. Birch leaf is one of my favorites because the flavor of young birch leaves is so refreshing and just tastes very ‘Finnish’ to me.

Here is the recipe for Birch Leaf Rieska: 2 tsp young birch leaves chopped, 300g mashed potato, 1 egg, 100g flour. Mix together and form small round flat pancakes on an oiled baking sheet. Bake at 220C for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

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Finnish Birch Bud Potato Bread

Rieska is finnish potato flatbread and its so freaking delicious. I added fresh young birch buds to this traditional recipe and the taste is like a fresh spring forest. Recipe: 300g mashed potato mixed with 1 egg & 100g flour. Add a teaspoon of chopped fresh birch buds, or more if you want an extra birch flavor. Mix ingredients with a spoon and form into thin little patties with your hands. Bake for 15 minutes at 220C, on an oiled cookie tray or use baking paper to cover the tray. Enjoy with melted butter or honey on top… yummm!

Fresh Birch Buds