I started the day at 6:45… just woke up, without an alarm! Not sure why, but I decided to take the day as it comes. First thing, I went for a walk and collected maple samaras – their shapes are so perfect and delicate. Feeling inspired, I tried my hand at watercolor and painted the … More Vacation Day 28 – Morning Walk, Watercolors, and Foraging
There’s something magical about the first chanterelles. They always catch me by surprise — that golden pop in the moss, that earthy smell that says, yes, summer has truly arrived. It’s a small joy, but one I wait for every year. This time, I didn’t go to the forest; these beauties came to me thanks … More The First Chanterelles of the Season!
I stumbled upon a beautiful Amanita muscaria right next to our house recently. What a sight! It’s such a stunning mushroom, with its bright red cap and white spots—definitely a showstopper. Of course, we all know it’s poisonous, but it still adds something magical to the landscape. I love how nature keeps inching closer to … More Amanita Muscaria and the Beauty of Nature Close to Home
So, there I was, driving through the forest, when suddenly—mushrooms! Right there, smack in the middle of the dirt road. It looked like someone had carefully arranged them, like a little mushroom art installation. I had to stop and check if this was real or some kind of prank. But nope—it was real! These mushrooms … More Unexpected Road Mushrooms! 🍄
It’s school break for the kids, which means the house is full and loud! Trying to get work done has been a bit of a challenge with all the chaos, so I decided to take a break and go for a walk. The fresh air did wonders. I found some late-season raspberries, which tasted like … More A School break = Chaos
When the Latvian forests are full of mushrooms, I can’t resist heading out to forage for Russula, one of my absolute favorites. There’s no exact recipe for this—just a straightforward and delightful method that I follow. As the mushrooms cook slowly in butter (or oil), they release their rich, earthy flavors, capturing the essence of … More Comfort Food: Fried Russula from the Latvian Forest
I’ve always been a forager at heart, and living in Latvia—a country rich in sprawling forests—is a true blessing. Foraging is more than a hobby; it’s a way of life passed down through my family. My mom and grandmother taught me everything I know about the forest, guiding me on what to pick and what … More Forest Treasures and Family Traditions in Latvia
Something I whipped up in the kitchen a few days ago. Chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach. I added spinach to have a color in my food, cause before it looked… too sad. I bought a cast iron wok pan a few years ago and didn’t use it until this dinner. Actually, it seems better than … More Juicy Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Dinner
This recipe is inspired by fellow blogger Crunch Crunch Away and I still have wild mushrooms in my freezer! I like to stir-fry all the liquid out from mushrooms and then freeze them in small glass jars. This recipe requires 2 of my wild mushroom jars. Modified the recipe a bit according to my mood and taste buds, … More Cabbage and Mushroom Noodles
Thanks to our friend Aivar’s dad Aivars (Yes, they both are named Aivars) we have an opportunity to buy extra free range eggs! Also, we are lucky enough to have Janis Uncle that is also having free range chicken “farm” (about 10 chickens). Since Aivars (senior) started the “egg business” (I guess we are the only … More Mushroom Omelette
This year’s one of the biggest discoveries: Delicious Milk-Cap can be eaten right away after picking, don’t need to be preboiled and soak in water for few days! Nice! I was a bit afraid to taste it at first cause my family never ate Delicious Milk-cap fried. In our family, only mushrooms from the forest for … More Fried Delicious Milk-Cap
Woolly Milk-Cap (Lactarius torminosus ) First of all, it was very interesting to hear the opinion from a fellow blogger (from another country) of being crazy eating woolly milk-cap f. I didn’t know it is poisonous! I need to google to believe it! And this is what I found in Wikipedia: The intensely peppery taste of … More Delicious Milk-Cap / Woolly Milk-Cap
Do you remember this picture from the post a few days ago?! I love it! In that Sunday we had walked in the forest to charge our batteries and I forgot to share more of those lovely pictures. So, here you go! Helmī and Linna were sleeping in the car while Janis was working beside the … More Forest walk
I can’t resist foraging for mushrooms this year! Especially when there are a lot of mushrooms everywhere. I don’t like forage for mushrooms in big/unknown forests alone. But this year to get wild mushrooms you don’t have to drive to the forest. I can forage mushrooms near home. Only 10-minute walk from my home! How can you resist … More Woolly Milk-cap
As you know I love to go foraging for mushrooms and also you know that this year mushrooms are all over the place. Or at least where we live :). What’s my favorite wild mushrooms? These! – Suillus luteus (Slipery Jack) – Leccinum aurantiacum – Boletus reticulatus Schaeff. (Summer Bolete) – Leccinum variicolor Watling – Lactarius torminosus (Woolly Milk-cap) – Lactarius pubescens … More My favorite wild mushrooms
This is funny! I don’t know if you know how to pick mushrooms but I do! And I love those rainy days that brings mushrooms here in Latvian forests. Latvia have forests and forest this year have mushrooms. How do I know? Simply! Mushrooms like boletus type are at the same place every 3 years. … More How to pick mushrooms
I love instant noodle meals. BUT. The lack of nutrients and high amounts of salt and saturated fat and several unhealthy ingredients keeps these meals away from my plate. Another issue for me is they are packaged in Styrofoam, which contains a chemical called bisphenol A (BPA), which is known to interfere with how hormones … More Homemade Ramen with Mushrooms & Boiled Eggs
a day in the life of a latvian mom 