One and only Poland's coolest Tree-House Hotel

Those who have never in their childhood had fantastic experiences with tree houses, probably won't understand why in modern times the term carries such positive connotations for many (not only the adventurous) people. A house in the trees is a DREAM that many of us have cherished at one time or another, and I would be really surprised if none of you was at times "a proud resident" of one of these kind constructions. Chances are high that this primitive desire to escape to a simple, secluded place where Mother Nature, rather than "Graham Norton Show" satisfies your entertainment needs, is still burning. 

What you focus on is magnified. For that and many other reasons, I hold an undisguised admiration to the Fraszka family for making their childhood DREAM come true. Thanks to their determination and surely an ingenious idea, like modern Robinson Crusoes, they found the place to build the house and began in labours. And now, a few years later they can proudly say they own not one, but three tree house (if you are interested to see how the houses were growing from zero to their top shape, you can follow W Drzewach profile on Facebook by clicking here ).  

So, it has been two years since "W drzewach" (Polish for "In the Trees") has been inviting their guests to try out to have a sleep up in the leaves. From 4 to 5 meters off the ground, they built a complex of three luxurious lodges called: Sosna, Jodla and Grab. While some of you think of just planks of wood nailed together in the tree tops, this first in Poland tree-house hotel is something much more than this. Built around a gigantic pine and fir trees the apartments offer a very special experience living close to nature and I appreciate the efforts of making the whole interior look simple but luxurious. Each of the eco-lodges has a bedroom, kitchen unit, sleeping loft and private balcony (or two) for dining and lounging.  

Another highlight of these modern high-flying apartments is its surrounding that fully surprises tourists with its lush greenery and sentimental atmosphere. As a former local resident (I used to live in the Lublin Area), I am genuinely, genuinely delighted to see how this region is progressing!!

 Why is it unique: 

• ideal for a group or family holiday
• ultimate adventure accommodation
• eco-friendly, completely built with sustainable materials
• ingenious, modern design with a choice of three lodges each of them having its own look
• extremely comfy and high quality cabins
• tranquil environment in the nature preserve in Naleczow
• beautifully done lodges including kitchen unit, open plan living space and en-suite bathroom. It has a simple design and perfect balance between comfort and luxury. 
• one in a lifetime experience

Oh, and there is a home made apple pie and a cup of tea delivered to your tree-house, just if you need more convincing :) I think this place is just too cool not to visit! x

In no particular order, JODLA, SOSNA and GRAB inviting their guests to an unforgettable stay in the heart of Naleczow's naturally beautiful forest reserve. 

All pictures - courtesy of "W drzewach". 
For more information about eco-lodges in
Naleczow visit www.wdrzewach.com  

Sunday Breakfast

I just couldn't be any happier! I can officially announce that I managed to revive my grandma's recipe for Poppy Seed Buns, Polish popular sweet breakfast rolls which everyone in the country calls "drozdzowki z makiem". I was going through old recipes kept in the family for years, then suddenly got a burst of inspiration and a sense of warmth in my heart. I am not sure if this is only me, but very often smell and taste of what I eat can literally instantly bring me back memories of emotions I had when I first tried the food. And I absolutely and positively love the feeling when it brings great memories from my childhood!

I do not know what my and my kids' mornings would be like, if  my grandma did not just once baked these goodies, filling my and my sisters' noses with the most amazing scent of freshly baked drozdzowki. Back in Poland they are traditionally served for breakfast and are best freshly baked, so don’t  even try to save them – eat them up immediately! lol

So here it is, my perfect Sunday Breakfast. Something lovely to eat on lazy morning. A trademark and an old beloved tradition. Homemade Polish Poppy Seed Rolls accompanied by a glass of milk. Exactly how I remember from being a kid. If there are any readers of Polish descent - Is this is how you ate them too? I am genuinely interested to know!

I do hope it inspired you to have a bite. When in Poland you certainly can try them out in any bakery and patisserie or... you can simply start baking them at your kitchen. Freshly baked buns in the morning? Oh, why not. Making them is really not as hard as it may feel. It takes just under 2 hours and makes 12 buns which is my family's daily supply lol. Yes, it is a quite long-winded process, though everyone agrees it is worth the hassle. Smacznego!

Happy Easter everyone!

A world-renowned "Gyros" salad (a 15-minute recipe)

We all know "Caesar", now it's time to introduce you to "Gyros" lol. One of the most famous Polish salad recipes of all time, a nice chicken and veg combination. There is no extraordinary story behind how I was introduced to this recipe. The salad was simply made by my lovely sister, Domi, who wanted to treat us with something fresh, healthy and hearty at the same time. Ever since then this recipe has been a hit in our house for years and it still steals my friends' hearts away each time they attend our dinners or parties.  I guarantee it will be loved by everyone regardless their personal taste and acquaitance with Polish cuisine. 

Ingredients:

1 can sweet corn
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large chicken breast, diced
4-5 gherkins, finely chopped
1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
Gyros seasoning (available in all Polish supermarkets for about £0.49)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Preparation steps:

Place chicken breast in a frying pan and sprinkle it evenly with gyros seasoning. Fry it. In a medium bowl place fried chicken pieces and cover with ketchup. This would be a very first layer of your salad. The order of ingredients makes the difference in taste so make sure you put layers as follows:

*chicken breast
*ketchup
*onions
*gherkins
*sweet corn
*mayonnaise
*lettuce

All ready to eat! Healthy and easy to make. Great for any occasion. My favourite serving suggestion?? Accompanied by a fair portion of French fries :)

"Colour Lakes" in Rudawy Janowickie Mountains

Visiting Lower Silesia, the southern part of Poland, can be a really rewarding experience, especially if you are a true nature freak and like to be surprised at times. The region is very popular and this popularity can surely be attributed to its beautiful wild nature and great heritage. Even though there are many who have in their minds only one powerful association between Silesia and industrial chimneys, I am going to prove today they cannot be much further from the truth. 

Here come Colour Lakes in Rudawy Janowickie Mountains, a complex of three lakes-ponds created in the pits of former German pyrite mines - probably the most beautiful place in Rudawski Landscape Park. In my opinion, truly magical and unique. All in one, spectacular phenomena, freaks of nature and great examples of existing industrial symbiosis. By the way, it is hard to believe how well nature and heavy industry can work together. Or maybe how the nature outwit the industry, I should say.

Usually unusual places come with extraordinary stories behind them. Our story is going back to 18th and 19th centuries when there was pyrite mined here from mica schists. The works continued until 1925; the mines were abandoned and the old pits flooded by the water which resulted in creating a spectacular view: three small lakes: "Purpurowe" (Red),  "Błękitne" (Turquoise) and "Zielone" (Green). Their colours are the result of different chemical compounds present in the waters and they are in fact, some kind of mineral solution. 

First on the educational track, you'll see the biggest of all three, Purple Lake. It is a flooded pit of the oldest (established in 1785) German mine called "Hope". Its deep red yellowish colour owes to iron and copper compounds still present in the water. It is easily recognised by its distinctive smell and high acid pH = 3.1. 

Further up the track is situated smaller Blue Lake positioned in a small pit previously being an open mine called "New Happiness". It is the smallest and shallowest out of all three lakes. Contrary to the Purple Lake its water is clean and odour-free. Due to copper compound water has stunning emerald colour which reminds me of the Caribbean Sea. 

The last on the track, The Green Lake, was established in the mine pit called "Gustav Grube". The work in the copper mine continued until 1902. After leaving, it was flooded by water which resulted in creating a wonderful lake, also called the Black Pond. Unfortunately, viewing the Green Lake is not always possible as in period of drought disappears.

With many thanks to the author of all photographs published in today's post, Zbigniew Rękas, born and bred in Lower Silesia. To see more of his stunning pictures visit his blog: www.zbychflash.blogspot.com and fotoblog: http://zbyrek.flog.pl

Useful information:

*Colour Lakes are situated on the northern slope of Wielka Kopa mountain near the town of Wiesciszowice. 
* to read more about Colour Lakes visit: http://www.kolorowejeziorka.pl/eng/index.html

* the so called Green Track through Colour Lakes is more than lakes on their own. The area attracts its visitors with tunnels, caves, canyon and majestic wildlife around them. 

* here on the site, it is planned to soon open a natural water reservoir. What a lovely project! Fingers crossed!

Polish food tastes so good! - Meatballs with tomato-garlic sauce

This is one of those quick, easy and comfortable traditional dishes that every Polish lady of the house is very proud to serve! :) The benefit of it is the fact that you can modify the recipe in many ways and it always tastes so good. Today I will give you the traditional recipe with a tiny bit of modern twist. My only modification to my mum's original recipe was fortifying a sauce with an extra garlic and a scallop of natural yogurt. Other than that, the taste of it is exactly the same as I remember from being a kid.  

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

500g minced pork
1 free-range egg
2-3 tea spoons freshly chopped or dry herbs to season (like marjoram, basil, salt and freshly ground black pepper)
1-2 table spoons bread crumbs

For the tomato-garlic sauce:

1 can tomatoes
2-3 fresh tomatoes (prior to chopping leave them in hot water for 10 minutes, then peel the skin off)
1 tea spoon of tomato paste (optional)
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper according to your taste
1 medium onion
1 table spoon olive oil
fresh coriander

Preparation method:

1. In a bowl, mix the minced pork with herbs, beaten egg and bread crumbs. Make sure the mixture is nice and smooth. Season it with salt and pepper then place it in a fridge for about 10 mins.

2. Meanwhile, make the tomato-garlic sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the chopped onion and sweat on a gentle heat until soft

3. Add the canned tomatoes, empty can fill in half with water and add it to the sauce too.

4. Chop fresh peeled tomatoes and add it to the sauce together with crushed garlic and sauteed onion. Season it with salt and freshly ground pepper.

5. Cook it all covered for about 10-15 minutes until tomatoes soften and the sauce gets its right texture. You may need to use a hand blender to make it nice and smooth.

6. Keep making small round meatballs and place them in a sauce. Sweat covered for another 15-20 minutes on a very gentle heat until meatballs are cooked.

7. Evenly top with a fresh coriander. Serve hot with potato puree, plain rice or pasta (optionally a scallop of natural Greek yogurt). Tastes like heaven and it looks like million dollars to me! lol

Pictures prove it! Enjoy!

Guess where I am

Guess where the pictures were taken! 

With many thanks to my dear student Aneta Jakubaszek who kindy agreed for the above photographs to be published on this site! 

Any reason is a good reason...

"When live abroad you are more likely to lose your existing friends than you make new ones". How many of you are nodding heads and saying uh- huh??

As a rule, I am not afraid of making friends with other people. As a rule, I don't judge them by their rank, class, occupation or physical appearance. Whoever they are, I am pretty much all the time willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Off to a good start! Perhaps this is it; my small contribution to the big, ongoing global discussion on tolerance and non-segregation. 

Being an immigrant as much as it gives you a chance to make friends with people from a number of countries and origins, it also makes you see your own nation from a completely different angle. They say that you do not acknowledge what is right in front of you, until you do not have it anymore. Common saying and completely true in this case. 

When I first emigrated, I felt really lucky to be able to engage in social groups with other cultures and thought there are real chances that some of these relationships may turn into a real friendship which, when so far away from home, I needed quite badly. When starting a new life overseas, people usually begin to seek some similarities in their new environment; something that either reminds them of their old life or gives them sense of belonging to the new one. For instance, those who were close to family and friends in their home country try to surround themselves with as many new faces as they possibly can so it feels like home. 

With special thanks to my super talented sister -in- law, Beata Wiktorowska, who kindly drew these beautiful pictures for me. Enjoy!                                

And that is exactly what we Poles do. Try to make friends. 

I must admit that over the past few years my views on friendship underwent a drastic change and now I choose friends wisely. I may have only a few but they are "carefully selected" and definitely tick all the boxes! Here is why I praise my Polish friends so much:

• they may not be the smiley faces and chattiest people in the world but this is not what I look for when making real friends, 
• extremely reliable and trustworthy. 
• catch up meetings are organised around dinner table so you can freely eat and drink as much as you like while you are talking (it always leaves me in a good mood!)
• no biting around the bush. You will instantly know whether you are truly friends with them
• they are hard on the outside but soft on the inside. Warm and charming people when you really get to know them, 
• sincere. Luckily we are not trapped by etiquette and social conventions so you always know exactly where we stand
• people of more discreet character. They may seem to be guarded and do not open up easily, though I don't know what is worse: not saying too much or telling other people your whole life story within the first 5 minutes after you met them??

Whatever reason you choose to start making great friends with Poles who live all around the world, whether you search for fun, laughter, support or inspiration, I encourage you to give it a go!

** ** Let's make love, food and Christmas magic! ** **

Are you all ready for Christmas yet? Before the moment of festive magic starts for good, I hope you take a short break from last minute Christmas rush, sit with your feet up and let me wish you a holly jolly Christmas this year! May your Christmas be white and filled with many happy memories. May you spend this festive season at home surrounded by family and those you love and care about. 

Let's create this Christmas magic through following traditions, making great food and sharing the love. At last, it is the time of a year when you let your h-e-a-r-t, and nothing else, do the thinking! 

From all my heart, to every reader of Everything Polish, I am wishing a truly merry Christmas. May all your Christmas wishes come true this year! xxx

Handmade is Hot!

It is this time of a year again. Christmas is coming and you know exactly what that means - Christmas shopping! With this festive season fast approaching, I thought I would make a list of unique gift ideas and inspire you to have a look at some awesome handicraft stuff. I am so excited to share with you the beautiful modern art with a traditional Polish touch which just stole my heart away! 

Buying presents can truly be a great fun as long as we change in our heads the perception of gifts as such. For some people gifts are only physical objects which are exchanged during Christmas when in fact giving a present has always got a meaning and always shows our true intentions. Obviously they are people whom we buy usual boring gifts, but I think that our loved ones deserve to be snowed under more personal, meaningful presents. Ironically, the best presents do not cost a fortune.

If you think your partner wouldn't bear getting another pair of men's novelty Christmas socks and you cannot think of anything worse than getting another hot bottle warmer or set of PJs, this post will surely be helpful. A unique look and value for money were the two main criteria which determined mine choice. Here's the list and details of where to look for more original Polish handmade Christmas gift ideas:

1. Beautifully hand painted porcelain tea cups by talented Polish lady, Hania Jakubiec. And yes, I am a massive fan of her folky designs already! Morning tea must taste like heaven when you drink it in such a sweet gorgeous candy easy on the eye cup. For me - a real masterpiece! 

in red - red roses tea cups

in blue - blue roses

the shadows of grey

a red roses tea set 

a red rose and gold flower combination tea set

and a beautifully wrapped wedding gift 

With many thanks to Hania Jakubiec (Malowanki Hanki blog), the author of the above photographs who kindly agreed for them to be published on this site. For more exciting photos of  hand painted cups, dinner sets, shot glasses, clothing and eco bags, all decorated with traditional Polish folk designs, mainly ethnic floral motifs visit Hania's official fanpage on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Malowanki-Hanki/286532751462828?fref=ts or follow her blog: folkifashion.blogspot.com. 

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2. Handmade vintage crochet and embroidered designs by Ania Szwarc. I have to say this. Ania gets my immediate admiration for cultivating basis for these Polish craft traditions that are slowly dying out in the contemporary world. I absolutely love the quality and great care for details. Just imagine snuggling down under fluffy handmade blanket on a cold wintry night with chilly winds howling outside your window. Just the idea of it has warmed me up! lol And if you are a fan of vintage, this is definitely your perfect choice.  

With many thanks to Ania Szwarc (Kot Bury blog), the author of the below photographs who kindly agreed for them to be published on this site. For more artistic photos of handmade crochet cushion covers, beautiful cuddly knitted soft toys, hand made house decorations, accessories, extraordinary crochet throws and blankets  visit Ania's official fanpage on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kot.bury or follow her blog: http://kotburykot.blogspot.co.uk/

 Halloween house decorations

crochet cat face keyrings

hand knitted purses

and finally a crochet bed throw

3. And last but not least, one of women best friends - jewels! lol I still cannot express enough of my admiration to astonishing personal creations by Izabela Stachnik. How clever can one be to do such great gifts out of nothing, basically? All she needs is a handful of beads, she says. A variety of unusual beading patterns, a range of colours and skillful hands when put together can do a real magic! A high quality and contemporary look made this jewellery an absolute timeless hit. Any woman who gets such a nice Christmas prezzie would surely love you to the moon and back!

For more artistic photos of amazing works including: handicraft artistic jewellery, stained glass, handmade table lamps, handcrafted folky keyrings, handmade animal felt hand warmers visit Venabell handicraft gallery: http://www.venabell.com or its official fanpage on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/venabellshop?fref=ts. With many thanks to Izabela Stachnik (Venabell handicraft gallery), the author of the below photographs who kindly agreed for them to be published on this site. 

Out of curiosity, has anyone ever tried to measure how many positive vibes one can trigger by treating their loved ones with a carefully chosen meaningful gift??? For now, myself and Agatha (below) are wishing you lots ofun doing your Christmas shopping! xxx

Yet again, many thanks to Izabela Stachnik (Venabell handicraft gallery), the author of the above photograph who kindly agreed for it to be published on this site. 

A place that makes a culinary difference - Kaliszki Manor in Mazury

After a full day of exploring the great outdoors, you may feel like satisfying your appetite on the savory aromas and local dishes prepared by talented chefs. My proposal? Kaliszki Manor in Biała Piska. A carefully renovated 19th century mansion with stylish interiors, great food and beautiful surroundings. A complex combining 4 star hotel, a restaurant, tea room, drink bar and SPA guarantees a stay worth every penny! 

A few words about the restaurant. Although it is posh, you will be nicely surprised by how much high standard cuisine you can get for a very reasonable price. The owners of Kaliszki Manor's promote healthy, eco-lifestyle and the dishes so much reflect these fascinations. In the menu, you will find nothing but traditional, regional Masurian dishes prepared with a great care, made from organic products from the local forests and manor's private herb, fruit and veg garden. Simply great food experience. What I particularly appreciate about the place is the fact it serves food for people having strong food allergies and those whose diets are restricted by celiac disease. The staff is so polite and flexible that you do not feel awkward asking for a low-fat, low-salt or gluten-free dish cooked and served especially for you. This was the main reason for awarding Kaliszki Manor restaurant with many county cuisine awards (among them membership of European Network of Regional Culinary Heritage, for more details click the link below:

http://www.culinary-heritage.com/foretag.asp?regionid=53&foretagid=3355#.UpJlK9I72OI

With many thanks to the owners and management team of Kaliszki Manor, who kindly agreed for all the pictures to be published on this site. For more super tasty photographs and information about Kaliszki Manor visit the official website: http://www.dworkaliszki.pl

The chefs ensure their dishes are seasonal and always involve those tastes we ling for: a taste of traditional preserves made of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, homemade bread, a selection of wines, delicious fresh fish, duck meat stuffed dumplings or game so rarely served in current restaurants. All in all, fine organic food that has nothing in common with what we daily see in stores. 

If travelling around Masurian Lake District, I do hope you pay a visit in this exceptionally beautiful place. I wish it became a part of a rewarding experience providing you with a lifetime of rich flavours and memories. "Kaliszki Manor- a place worth staying longer..."