Sergei Boutenko

Permies,

I just started a wild edibles mini series on YouTube with this simple premise; harvest one plant, then make a delicious recipe with it. Currently, I'm two episodes deep. I'm interested in your thoughts and criticisms. Dare I say that on the Internet?🤪 LOL

Episode Two:

My friends and I used the global lockdown to build a mobile sauna! As always, I filmed everything and made a detailed (probably way too detailed) how-to video about the construction process.
The movie below depicts how you build a mobile sauna in 45 simple steps. Just kidding, there is nothing easy about making a transportable banya out of a rusty/crusty vintage horse trailer.
But, we did it anyway. Warning, this movie is long! Given the overall length of the production, I’ve included video timecode in the YouTube description to help viewers skip around easier.

Happy holidays Permies!

Here's a fun weekend project, which you can do while you're at home:

Permies,

I have a fresh project in the works called "30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge for Busy People.” The title more or less describes what I’m planning. I’m going to publish a new, feature-length video and eBook that will efficiently guide folks with crazy work/life schedules through a month-long green drink cycle.




The new 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge for Busy People will be just like the previous challenge, but completely different. What I mean by that is this: the framework of the month-long challenge will remain the same, but the guts (i.e. all the recipes, ingredients shopping lists, tips and tricks, etc.) have been modified to benefit people who want to lead healthy lives, but don’t have a lot of time to spare for cooking and food preparation.

30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge for Busy People is currently raising funds on Kickstarter. If you want to see another healthy challenge come alive, head to Kickstarter and pre-order your eBook & movie HERE

New Challenge Green Smoothie Challenge



Previous Challenge Green Smoothie Challenge

In September of 2016 I published a YouTube video on my channel called "SPRINTER VAN CONVERSION: My DIY Setup for Less than $1,200.” The video was a big hit. It blew up and remains my most viewed clip to date. If you haven’t seen it, here’s a quick summary; it’s a virtual tour of my first-ever, minimalist van build that discusses some simple/practical design choices. You can watch the video below if you like.



After publishing the video, my inbox exploded with emails. I must’ve received at least a thousand thank you messages and who knows how many more notes with follow-up questions. Long story short, I understood that people found my thought process helpful. So, three years later (almost to the day), I decided to shoot another video about van build number two. Hopefully this movie will be useful to folks who are looking into getting a van and/or people that want to optimize their current vehicle.

I know that van builds are a personal thing and don’t expect everyone to agree with my designs. Thus, I invite you to treat my video like a CD, listen to the tracks you like and skip the ones you don’t.

Mika,

Question, where do you live? And would you like to be in the movie? I could sure use an authentic Finnish perspective. If you're close to Washington, I'd be happy to travel and interview you, otherwise we could film something on Skype? Shoot me an email: sergei@sergeiboutenko.com if you dig.

Meg,

Your message put a smile on my face. Especially the Canadian protest part. It's true, in America we think we rule the world. This of course is just an illusion. :-) Plants don't know that we the people created borders. They just grow in the way that nature intended. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me!

Nicole,

Wowza, you're fast! Looks like you watched my video thoroughly! Yes, the forest in North Oregon is bursting with berries right now. The huckleberries, thimbleberries, and watermelon berries are especially abundant this year. In terms of the gooseberries/currants, you are correct. Typically, gooseberries have woody thorns and currants just have little spikes, that said, it was a mish-mash of thorns and spikes out there. :-) Given that both berries are in the same family, I wasn't too picky. Interesting that you still have strawberries over there, ours went out of seasons in early July. Thank you also for the lead on twinberry. I intentionally left that one uncategorized to restate the importance of not eating unknown plants. I plan to study up on twinberry soon.

Fall in North American means berry season! My friends and I went backpacking in the Oregon wilderness over Labor Day Weekend and found 15+ wild-growing berries. We chowed on thimbleberries, huckleberries, raspberries, serviceberries, watermelon berries, and many others. I had my GoPro handy and managed to film bits and pieces of our wild edibles harvest in between tasty bites. Watch this video to learn how to identify and forage for over a dozen delicious berries.

Mika,

Thank you for these wonderful links! I really, really appreciate it! You Fins know how to sauna don't you? :-) I've had the pleasure of sweating with a few of your people in Helsinki once, it was something incredible!