среда, 27 ноября 2013 г.

My Mother's Apple Pie for Thanksgiving Day!

This was my mother's apple pie recipe. It will always be my favorite,i was growing with and I decidet to bake it for Thanksgiving day!

For Russian Nesting Dolls click Here!

For 8 inch round baking pan, you will need:
1 cup of sugar,
1 cup of all purpose flour,
3 large eggs,
1 teaspoon of baking powder,
1 tablespoon of vinegar,
1-2 large granny smith apples,


Put in a big bowl eggs and sugar.

 Mix with hand mixer until the mixture becomes foamy and pale yellow. Sugar should be almost dissolved.



Add the flour and baking powder. 

Mix it again until the batter is smooth.



Wash the apples, cut them into big chunks removing apple hearts. I cut the apple into teeny pieces, just because I prefer smaller bits of apple throughout.


Place the apple chunks in the batter, and mix the mixture with spoon or silicon spatula until all apples are covered with the batter.
When we finish,add few pieces of apple on the top.


Grease baking pan and sprinkle with flour. Bake it in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. 
Bon Appetit!




"Herring Under Fur Coat"-Russian Salat

 Getting prepared for Thanksgiving day with a russian salat  "Herring Under Fur Coat",,because all my friends love it. :)
To prepare russian herring salad, “Herring Under Fur Coat”, you need to have whole salted herring. And of course you need to know how to fillet it, so read this post if you don’t.
Herring Under Fur Coat is a word-to-word translation of russian name of this salad: “Seledka pod Shuboj”, which represents salted herring under a “coat” of boiled vegetables. So, as you’ve probably guessed, you will also need boiled vegetables (potatoes, carrots and beats) and green onions. In the rest, this is 5-layers salad with a lot of mayonnaise.
This salad requires some time and agility to assemble it, also it needs at least 12 hours for layers to soak after it is assembled. So make sure you have enough time before you plan to serve it.
for Nesting Dolls go Here

Ingredients:

  • 1 big or 2 small whole herrings (pickled with a salt)
  • a piece onion
  • 1 big potato
  • 3-4 middle size carrots
  • 3 medium size beets
  • Mayonnaise
1.Prepare ingredients: boil carrots, potatoes and beets for salad, let them cool till room temperature and and skin; fillet salted herrings

2.Dice herring fillets (and pick bones if you see any)

3.Add chopped green onions as third layer and dress with mayonnaise

4.Grate boiled potato on big slots of grater and form round layer in the middle of the plate (make sure you have about 2 inches left till the edges of the plate):
5.Dress layer of grated potato with mayonnaise (yes, you need liquid mayo which is easy to pour):

6.Cover whole thing with an even layer of boiled carrots grated on big slots, use your hands to form the shape:
7.Spread mayonnaise on the surface:

8.Cover whole thing with an even layer of boiled eggs grated on big slots

9.Spread mayonnaise on the surface:
10.Cover whole thing with an even layer of boiled beets grated on big slots:
11.And again cover it with mayonnaise
12. On desire you can cover with am layer of boiled egg yolks grates on small slot:
13.Let salad to rest at room temperature for 2 hours, after put it to the fridge. Prepare this salad in advance, it needs at least several hours of “rest” after assembled so layers can soak juices of each other and mayonnaise. I usually prepare this salad night before I am planning to serve it:

Bon Appetit!



понедельник, 25 ноября 2013 г.

Morozko Russian Folktale

Once there lived an old man and an old woman. The old man had his own daughter and the old woman- her own. The old woman pampered her daughter, doted her and made the old man`s daughter do all the work, scold her for everything, abused her and didn`t give her enough food.
The girl consented to all work and did all she was ordered. She did everything awesome possum. People look at her and cannot praise sufficiently.  And about the old woman daughter they just say:
- Here she is- she cannot weave and spin. Here she is- idle and lazy!
The old woman became even angrier and more quarrelsome. She ate girls head off. And think of nothing else but just to kill her.
One day the old man went to town to the market. And an evil old woman colluded with her daughter:
- Now we  will do this hateful girl in!
The old woman called the girl and ordered her:
- Go to the wood and bring some brushwood!
- We have quite enough brushwood, -the girl answered.
The old woman started crying  and  stamping her feet, fell on the girl together with her daughter and pushed her of the hut.
The girl saw that there was nothing to be done and she went to the wood. The frost was crackling, the wind was howling, and there was a heavy snowstorm.
The old woman with her daughter were in the warm hut and said to each other:
- That hateful girl will not come back. She will freeze up the wood!
And the girl went into the forest, stayed under a thick fir tree and did not know- where to go and what to do…
Suddenly she heard the noise and crackles: it was Morozko riding through a fir grove, birch forest and skipping from tree to tree, crunching and clicking. He went down from the fir tree and said:
- How do you do, fairy maiden! Why have you come to my wood in such a severe cold?
Morozko have listened her and said:
- No, fairy maiden, you were not sent here for brushwood. Well, if you come to my wood, then show me what a mistress you are!
She was given a tow and a distaff:
- Spin threads out of this tow. Weave cloth and sew me а shirt out of that cloth!
Morozko said that and left. The girl did not think much and started to work at once.
 Her fingers were frozen she would breath to warm them and worked on again.  And the whole night like that. She did not stop working. She thought just about one thing –how to sew the shirt.
In the morning she heard the noise and crack near the fir tree again: that` Morozko came. He looked at the shirt and praised :
- Well, Fairy maiden, you worked well!
Here brought Morozko a large forged trunk, put it in front of the girl, and said:
- Like work, like reward!
After that he put on a warm fur coat on the girl, tied a patterned kerchief round her head and led her to the road:
- Good bye, Fairy maiden! Here you will find good people to help you to get home.
He said that and disappeared as if he were not there.
At that time the old man came back home.
- Where is my daughter? – he asked.
- She went to the wood for brushwood and did not come back.
The old man was anxious, did not start  unharnessing the horse and drove to the wood. And as he glanced  – his daughter was standing near the road, well-dressed and merry.
The old man seated her in the sledge, put Morozko`s trunk with presents there in the sledge and took her home.
An evil old woman with her daughter were sitting at table, eating pies and said:
- Well, she will not come back home alive!  The old man is going to bring just her bones!
And the dog was barking near the stove:
- Bow-wow, bow-wow! The old man`s daughter is going to bring such expensive presents! And no one will marry old woman`s daughter!
The old woman gave pies to the dog and beated her with the poker.
- Shut up, nasty! Just say: «The old woman`s will be married and old man`s daughter will be brought dead!»
But the dog repeated all the time:
- The old man`s daughter will bring presents! And old woman`s daughter will not be married!
Here the gates squeaked, the door to the hut was opened and the girl came in well-dressed and rosy, and people brought a large trunk following her, decorated with frosty patterns.
The old woman and her daughter rushed to the trunk, started to take out and examine the costumes, and put them in the benches and question:
- Who gave you such an expensive present?
As far as the old woman knew that Morozko gave that present to the girl, they began to bustle , wrap up her daughter warmly, gave her the bundle with pies and told the old man to take her to the wood:
- She is going to bring two such trunks!
The old man brought the old woman`s daughter to the wood and left her under a high fir tree. She is standing, looking around, scringing and scolding:
- Why that Morozko do not come for such a long time? Where has he, so-and-so, disappeared?
Here she heard noise and crackle: Morozko was riding through a  fir grove, birch forest, and skipping from tree to tree, crunching and clicking. He went down from the fir tree and asked:        
- Why have you come to me, Fairy maiden?
- Don`t you know yourself? I have come for expensive presents!
Morozko smiled and said:
-Just show me first what a mistress you are – knit me the mittens!
He gave her knitting needle and a ball of wool and left.
The old woman`s daughter threw the knitting needles into the snow, pushed the ball of wool with her leg:
- Look at what that old one came up with? Who ever heard of such thing as to knit in such a severe cold? So I can get my fingers frostbitten!
In the morning it cracked and crunches, - Morozko came:
- Well, Fairy maiden, show me how you coped my work?
The old woman`s daughter rushed at him:
- What a work, old noodle? Ae you blind, you can`t see: I am chilled to the bones waiting for you here and I am more than half dead!
- Well, like work, like award! –Morozko said.
She shook with his beard – and snowstorm and blizzard began –all paths, all roads were covered. And Morozko disappeared, as if he were not there.
The old woman`s daughter dragged herself along without knowing the road and came to a deep ravine. There she was covered with snow…
In the morning the old woman shook the old man very early, woke him up and ordered him to go to the wood to take his daughter. He she herself started to bake pies. The dog was sitting under the bench and barking:
- Bow-wow, bow-wow, bow-wow! The old woman`s daughter is not going to come back from the wood!
The old woman threw pies to the dog and stroke her with the poker painfully:
- Shut up, nasty! Eat the pie and never say such things! Better say: «Old woman`s daughter is going to bring expensive gifts. And the old man`s daughter will not find a fiancй!».
The dog eats a pie and repeats again:
- Bow-wow, bow-wow, bow-wow! The old man`s daughter will marry and the old woman`s daughter will not come back from the wood!
The old woman was startled:
«What if something`s bad is going to happen with my daughter! What if they lose the expensive gifts on the road! I will run following the old man!»
She put on the fur coat and ran to the wood. The snowstorm was howling and whirling even stronger. The whole road was covered…
The evil woman lost her way and she was covered with snow…
The old man was looking for the old woman`s daughter for some time and could not find. She came back how –there were no old woman. He gathered neighbors. They all started to look for the old woman and her daughter. They looked for and looked for. They dug over all snowdrifts and still did not find them.

And the old man started to live together with his daughter. And when spring came – a fine young man, a smith from the smithy asked her in marriage.

They celebrated a merry wedding and lived in love and harmony. And so they live now.

понедельник, 18 ноября 2013 г.

Beware of cheap immitation of the Russian Nesting Dolls

The Russian nesting dolls (also called matryoshka ,mamushka,babushka) is a century old traditional Russian craft. The dolls are hand painted by the skilled Russian artists to become a fantastic gift, an adorable toy or even a piece of art. Unfortunately, due to the increased popularity of the Russian dolls in recent years many cheap imitations claiming to be the Russian nesting dolls have appeared.  These can be found on eBay or sometimes even in grocery stores.

What are the typical features of the counterfeit dolls that can be used to distinguish then from the authentic Russian dolls? Here are some of them:
  • the pattern is very simple, they also use significantly fewer brush strokes to create ornaments than the genuine Matryoshkas
  • the colours are usually simple and often dull
  • the facial features are often asymmetric and unpleasant
  • the top of the head is often flat and excessively squared
  • the most distinctive feature of the cheap stacking dolls is that they do not have bevelled skirting at the bottom of the largest figurine
  • some of them are signed on the bottom by the artist
Thus, it is very easy to avoid disappointment by paying attention to these several features. Of course, if your set of matryoshka dolls is shipped directly from Russia or by a reputable retail store, then you can be assured that they are authentic!


среда, 13 ноября 2013 г.

Konstantin Vasilev and his Paintings

Konstantin Vasiliev was born on the 3 September 1942 in town Maykop of Krasnodar region. His father Alexey Vasiliev was born in St.Petersburg, he took part in three wars (The First World War, Civil War - he fighted in Chapaevskaya division and Second World War - partisan and communist). He was an engineer, big admirer of nature and literature. His mother Klavdia Shishkina - on maternal side she was from Saratov peasants.
  On the 8 of August 1942 Maykop was occupied by fascists, father of K.Vasiliev became a partisan. But in February 1943 the town was set free, and his father returned home. In 1946 the family moved to Kazan, then to Vasilievo village, located in 30 km from Kazan in front of the place where Sviaga flows into Volga river. Virgin forests and an expanse of river waters… Kostya went hunting and fishing with his father. These seems to be unforgettable moments when soul is open to everything wonderful in the world. He began to draw very early. His mother said about him: 'He was born with pencil in his hand'. His parents did their best to help their son to develop his gift for drawing. After he had passed examinations successfully, Konstantin Vasiliev became a student of the Moscow art school - boarding school at institute named after Surikov of Academy of Applied Arts USSR. From 1954 for 1957 he had been living and studing in Moscow. These years were filled with impressions from fine art, music, theatres. There he became an artist, who deeply apprehended a bases of an aesthetics of Russian national art. But then, in the middle of 50s, at school after the change of the director the training of monotonous drawing style began. The teachers started to specify how to draw and what to draw. Social realism did not attract Vasiliev. He wanted to create not under somebody's instruction, he asserted his right to choose a theme and picturesque method. After the annual vacation Konstantin did not return to Moscow school. He had continued education in an art school of Kazan.
The Kazan art school has more than century history. Here studied and taught Nikolai Feteshin, the favourite learner of I.Repin. Talented Kostya Vasiliev was noticed at once. His teachers were P.Speranski - outstanding theatrical artist of Kazan, V.Timopheev and N.Sokolski - learners of N.Feteshin. They continued traditions of Russian realistic school of painting, which was based on figure, colour and composition. It was close to Vasiliev. Subsequently it became a basis of his picturesque method. He had graduated theatrical-decoration branch with distinction, his degree works were the sketches of scenery to a musical drama "Snegurochka" (Snowgirl) by Ostrovski on music by Tchaikovski. By this time on an operational table his father died of coronary deficiency. Konstantin was very depressed, besides him in the family there were two young sisters - Valya and Ludmila. He was the only son and senior brother, their hope and support.
After finishing school he was recommended to take place of the theatrical artist at movable theatre in Menzelinsk. But the place was engaged and Konstantion Vasiliev returned home, in Vasilievo. He became a teacher of drawing and plotting at school, then artist - designer at a factory, periodically he performed the orders of Art fund in Kazan. But his main work he did at home for himself and for his friends. All this time he made his own search of direction in painting.
At the beginning of 60s K.Vasiliev tried many directions of modernism in painting, especially in surrealism and abstract expressionism ("String", "Coliseum" "Atomic explosion", "Argonauts", tenth of abstract compositions). However at the age of 24 he stopped his searches of form. He considered that the art without subject expressing the painter only, but painter must work for people. He thought the ideal to be a goal of creative work. Everyone has its ideal it is God's gift and it could be opened for a person. K.Vasiliev turned to realistic style of painting. He draw native scenery: "Twilight", "Stump", "Chapel", "Swans". Sometimes he draws several images of interesting theme. His paints are often composed as theatrical decoration with side scenes and background. Beauty and harmony of person and world around.
In early childhood K.Vasiliev read Russian epic novels. He was interested in history of nation, and more all - northern Slavs, prehistory of Russian nation, Scandinavian legends. In his creativity he addressed to folk art: songs, epics, fairy tales, Scandinavian and Irish sagas, Poetic Edda. From this moment a heroic theme, epic novels and legends, theme of Second World War (" Marshal Zhukov", "Invasion", " Parade of forty first ", "Nostalgia of home Land ", " Farewell of Slavic woman"), scenary-portrait lyrics, profound philosophical thoughts of life became key points of Vasiliev's creavity . Such canvases as "Expectation", "Swans", "Woman-reaper". " Near the well", " Northern eagle", "Man with an eagle owl " became favorite for many people...
Painter's world view was deeply influenced by Russian literature, especially by F.Dostoevski, N.Gogol, M.Lermontov, I.Bunin. K.Vasiliev was great amateur and expert of classical music. He had a large collection of gramophone records with classical music. Graphic portraits of composers and musicians also reveals his interest to music.
During Vasiliev's life some exhibitions were held, where the works of the artist were submitted. In 1963 he participated in republican exhibition " Artists - satirists of Kazan ", which passed in Moscow, in the Central exhibition hall in Arena. From 1968 to 1976 K.Vasiliev sometimes participated in exhibitions in Zelenodolsk and Kazan. The creativity of the artist became especial popular after his death. During twenty years there were held more than half-hundreds personal exhibitions of his canvases in many cities of Russia and also in Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Spain.
IIn 1988 Konstantin Vasiliev was posthumously awarded by Premium of Tatar Comsomol named after Musa Jalil for a cycle of canvases devoted to the Second World War.


IIn 1996 and 1997 were opened two museums and Picture gallery of Konstantin Vasiliev.

This charming collectible stucking doll is made in Russia with love.The set has depctions of Konstantin Vasiliev paintings-a russian artist,a creative legacy,which has more then 400 paintings and graphic works:portraits,landscapes,surrealistic compositions,paintings epic,mythological and battle genre."In another window","The Reaper","The man with the owl","Divination","Yaroslavna's lament","Giant","Monster rusalka","The magic swan gheese" are some of the pictures related on this beautiful stucking doll. Hand painted,hand lacquered,signed by the artist on the bottom in 2000.The largest doll measures 10"tall.Makes a great gift !
Artist:Starostin V.
  • 10" Tall
  • 10 Pieces
  • Imported from Russia

вторник, 12 ноября 2013 г.

Mammoth, Lizard and the Queen of the Urals

    The Queen of the Copper Mountain is a famous character of the Ural folk stories. Every child in Russia knows a fairy tale written by Pavel Bazhov.
   It says that the Queen of the Copper Mountain is a beautiful young lady who owns all the treasures hidden in the Ural Mountains. Very few people met her because she turns into a lizard every time a man comes up. There was one lucky man though: Danila, a local miner. The Queen of the Copper Mountain fell in love with him. She showed him where her gold was, in return Danila had to stay with her deep underground. The man refused for he had a fiancée at home. The Queen was kind enough to let Danila go. She even gave him a present for his fiancée. As Danila got back home he gave the present, a malachite box full of treasures, to his future bride.
    However, he never married the girl, for he went insane and for the rest of his days he was dreaming of the Queen of the Copper Mountain…

Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka Russian Fairytale

    Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a brother and sister walked together down a long road. The sister's name was Alyonushka, and her brother was called Ivanushka. The two had been walking a long time when they came to a cow's hoof filled with water.
  "May I drink form it sister?" little Ivanushka asked.
   "No, or you will turn into a calf," Alyonushka answered. Little Ivanushka was very thirsty, but obeyed his sister. He obeyed her again when they came to a horse's hoof filled with water. Alyonushka told him that if he drank from it, he would turn into a foal. The brother and sister walked along further, and Ivanushka became increasingly thirsty. Then they came upon a goat's hoof filled with water.
  "May I drink from it?" Ivanushka asked.
Alyonushka once again was firm.
  "No, if you do you will turn into a kid." But this time the boy disobeyed his sister, and upon his first sip turned into a little goat.
Alyonushka sat on the rode crying when a merchant drove by and inquired about her trouble. Alyonushka explained the situation to him, and he said that if she married him they could live happily with the goat.      Alyonushka agreed, and so they lived happily this way for some time.
Then one day an evil witch tricked Alyonushka into going down to the river, where she tied a stone around her neck and threw her in. The witch then took on Alyonushka's form and lived as her for awhile. Only poor   Ivanushka knew the truth about his sister. Little did he know that the witch had plans for him, too. When witch overheard him one day talking to his sister in the lake, she decided to ask the merchant to kill the little goat.
   It was hard for the merchant to agree to kill Ivanushka, as he loved the goat like a person. But, being deceived by the witch, he felt his wife's wishes to be the most important. Ivanushka asked the merchant if he could go to the river for one last drink before he died, and the merchant agreed.
There at the river's edge the goat cried out to his sister, and she answered him that she couldn't help him with a stone tied around her neck. Neither the brother nor sister realized that this time a peasant had overheard their conversation, and was on his way to stop the merchant from killing Ivanushka.
   Upon hearing the peasant's story, the merchant ran to the river, found Alyonushka, and took the stone from around her neck.
 The witch was then tied to a horse, which was turned loose in an open field. The little goat was so happy that he turned three somersaults, and was changed back into a boy.

 They lived happily ever after.

вторник, 5 ноября 2013 г.

Christmas Gifts Ideas,Cupons

           



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 Autumn orders for any of our Russian Gifts fit for a Czar.  We offer the world's best selection of  Nesting Dolls, Russian Ornamnets,Religious Eggs,Carved Santas, and more.
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Christmas Craft Project
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Looking for a great, kid-friendly Christmas project? Here's one you are sure to love! This Unpainted Nesting Doll kit provides DIY fun for the Christmas  holidays. Anyone in your family can put their artistic talents to work with this 5-piece doll and friends. Use acryl and a paintbrush to create your own unique Matryoshka. 
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