We have had 38 days of hot weather and like usual, it always comes to an abrupt end. Last Sunday at the country fair it was still hot and on Tuesday morning as the kids left for their first day of school it was raining. The hot days are gone. It will still be warm but the breeze is a bit cooler and holds the slight chill of autumn; foretelling what is to come. But we’ll enjoy these cooler beautiful days and remember the warm summer beach days. On our trip this summer we visited some very dear friends and family up in Rovaniemi. My husband’s grandmother lives in this northern artic city. She has a cabin on the Kemi River. There is something quite rustically beautiful about the region. The gently sloping nordic fells, the gnarled and stunted trees and the summer so short. This year they also had a warm summer, but some summers it never really becomes truly shorts weather.
At the cabin, on the same lot is a little tiny white cottage not in use anymore. It is hidden among the birches and is right at the top of the river bank as a remnant of days gone passed. Right at the bank of the river, the water is shallow making it perfect for wading and for telling the best fishing tales.
Several days we spent with our friends Elisa and Mikko. Elisa is an artist and I loved their home full of little details. Mikko is an artist in his own right. He is a very skilled carpenter and built their house. I tried to take some of the inspiration home with me. As soon the darkness will be here and it is then a perfect time to work on little projects around the house.
Before we came, their daughter had baked the most delicious little triangles that just melt in your mouth. I think we had a couple each morning with our coffee and tea then again in the evenings after the house had quieted down. We have a tradition with them that during the days we do things as a family with an occasional short outing for the just the ladies or men. In the evening we stay up late savoring the quietness, adult companionship and delicious food. And since we were in the artic, the sun would slightly dip around 1am but by 2am the sun was coming up again. We saw the sun rise every evening. 
Tara’s Triangle Cookies
250 g/8.8 oz butter, softened
3 dl/ 1 and 1/3 c sugar
2.5 dl/1 c brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
5.5 dl/2 and 1/3 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 bag of Omar toffee candies (220 g/7.8 oz)
slivered almonds
Beat the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Cut the Omar toffees into small chunks and mix with the dry ingredients. Fold the dry ingredients with the batter. Pat onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet with small sides. Sprinkle with almonds and place the pan in the middle of the oven and bake at 175 C/350 F for about 18-25 minutes. Do not let them become too dark or else they will be difficult to cut. Let cool before cutting into triangles.
I thought the Triangle cookies would the perfect thing to bring to a virtual blogging get-together that Angie at The Novice Gardener hosts on Friday. If you are looking for inspiration for the weekend menu, click on the Fiesta Friday badge.
tableofcolors 
Reblogged this on A Dream In Words and commented:
My Finnish cousin’s blog — wonderful!
Thank you Bridget—you are so kind ❤
Alas, I fear that our summer days are coming to an end as well. It was 50 degrees when I walk walking our puppy this morning and it felt quite chilly. I love pictures from your trip to Rovaniemi. The deserted cabin looks especially intriguing!
I can imagine that summer would be coming to an end in Michigan as well. It seems as if we go into a summer frenzy in order to take in all of the sun and warmth and it then passes by in an eye blink. But fall is a great time for baking and cooking and blogging 🙂
Loved the picture of the water going everywhere….very fun! These triangles sound lovely Laila!
The guys were having so much fun putting a little water into a soda bottle and adding compressed air…and all the kids were giggling with glee 😀
Triangle cookies are such a cute idea 😀
2am? I would have them all night long!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I probably would have had them all night long…but I forced myself to bed as the little ones would be up the next morning 🙂
I think the cookies are the perfect treat to bring to FF. Love the story, the photo’s and the cookies.
Thank you Suzanne…I think the trick to the cookies is to not bake them too dark, then they work out perfect. Happy Fiesta Friday!
What lovely images and descriptions of your summer! Darling treats too!
Thank you Miss Marzipan!
You are creating such wonderful memories. Your pictures are beautiful as are the children!
Thank you so much for your kind comment. 🙂
The Toffee Triangles sound delicious! I love the pictures, thanks for sharing both!
Thank you so much!
What lovely memories this summer gave you. I laughed at the photo of the biggest ‘kids’ playing with the hose.
I did too…and the little ones giggled on the patio watching the big ones. They put a little water into a plastic soda bottled and filled it with compressed air and let it go…glad they were quite far from the house 😛
Indeed! And I can hear the little ones giggling.
I envy your trip into the arctic circle. I wanted to make that trek when we were in Finland, but it was too far and too expensive. Thanks for taking me with you. 🙂
Hi Juli, hope you might have the chance to do the trek sometime. I would recommend coming in the end the March or the very beginning of April to visit Lapland. It is the perfect time to go skiing on the nordic fell or downhill skiing on the slopes.The sun comes up quite early and the weather and nature is spectacular and the landscape is very clean and white.
I just love this post – full of happiness. 😀 The triangle cookies sound easy to make and they are adorable. Thank you for sharing this story as well as the happy photos to FF crowd. I hope you have a lovely week ahead. 🙂
Thank you Jhuls. 🙂 The baking sheet makes quite a few triangles…perfect for a party!
I can’t imagine trying to sleep in a place that has 23 hours of light! We were in the north of Scotland one time and it didn’t get dark until about 11.30pm and that was difficult for an early to bed person like me! Lovely sounding cookies, and photos. Wishing you many warm days yet!
I suppose you just have to get used to the light or use extra heavy darkening curtains…or else your bedtime schedule just goes a little haywire for two-three months out of the year as it tends to do to us. 🙂
lovely captures …..
What an amazing summer! and these treats look perfect for morning tea 🙂
Yes, they are perfect for morning tea as they are just the right size…enough for about three or four dainty bites. 🙂
We so love those northern beech forests. There’s something beautifully and uniquely serene in them. As for those ‘white nights’ … they take a while to get used to. Coffee at 2am? Sounds great.
I definitely agree. There is a calm beauty in the green and white landscape in a birch forest. And although I absolutely love the light in the summer and look forward to it after the long dark winter, by fall I am ready for the children to start going to bed in a timely manner (and myself as well 🙂 )
What a lovely post! Beautiful evocative photos of not only the holiday but also the interior of the home you stayed in with such beautiful artwork and woodwork too. How wonderful. And what a lot of lovely memories you have created too. Those toffee triangles look fabulous – thank you so much for sharing your holiday and this lovely treat with us at Fiesta Friday!
Thank you Selma for your lovely comment and for co-hosting Fiesta Friday. I really appreciate it.
Lovely–It looks like the perfect spot to spend the last days of summer.
Yes, it certainly was and the weather could not have been any better.
These photos are too cute!
Thank you Mary 🙂
Your description of the circus brings back wonderful memories of similar shows that my children and their friends held years ago.
A lovely reflection of summer with the family…the simpler the better. Spontaneous fun and oh those toffees. A perfect combination. Thanks for sharing.
Alexa from Sydney, Australia
http://www.Alexa-asimplelife.com