Froggy Friend

This was a very popular find at the dacha!

Dacha

A "dacha" is a summer cabin usually somewhere outside the city. 

The dacha is where the older generation especially spend their summer holidays and weekends.

It gives relief from the tight confines of flats in the concrete jungles of Russian towns. 

Dachas come in all shapes and sizes, they are mostly self-built.

I love the variety, I love the little inovations, and I love the artistic touches

Dachas are fairly primitave with no running water and a toilet dug at the end of the garden, 

however most do have electricity.

This is a "banya" (that is what the sign says), a Russian steam bath.

A dacha is mainly for growing fruit and vegetables, potatoes are especially important,

it's how the Russians survive during economic crisis.

All the pictures except the one below come from our neighbours' dachas,

which all seem prettier and more productive than ours!

I will show you some more of our dacha in later post.

Prepare your sledge in the summer

This russian phrase warns you to get ready for the winter whilst the short summer is still warming the land.

Now is the time for conserving berries (at least the ones you haven't eaten)!

Here is our take on how to make a delicious fruit drink (Kompot).

Fill a steralized conserving jar one fifth full of berries (these are local cherries and blackcurrants, but we have also used raspberries, goosberries and crab apples)

 Fill the jar (ours is 3 litres, but any size will do) to the brim with boiling water.

Leave it to sit for five minutes (or so), 

then pour off the juice into a saucepan, leaving the fruit in the jar. 

 Add a cup and a half of sugar to the liquid in the pan.

 We buy ours in 10 kilo (22lb) bags from the supermarket.

Disolve the sugar and bring the juice to a boil.

Pour the syrup back into the jar onto the fruit, filling to the brim.

Seal the jar with a sterile lid.

Flip the jar onto its lid and check for leaks.

Cover the jars on their lids with a blanket and leave until morning. 

The kompot will keep for more than a year at room temperature.

Dilute to taste before drinking!

Faces of Sasha

Alexander in Russia gets shortened to the "diminutive/affectionate" - Sasha!

Our Sasha is three years old and although he likes to pull faces for the camera,

he is more willing than the older kids to be photographed.