Swedish Roots

I've always known my grandpa's family was Swedish (my mom's dad). I have always been interested in Sweden. My aunt a few years ago traced back our family line on ancestory.com and found many of our family members that are still located in Sweden. We communicate over Facebook and I really enjoy interacting with them. One day I would love to go to Sweden and see my roots.

Lately, I have found many Swedish wedding and marriage traditions I will be incorporating in my wedding. I will be wearing a veil, not throwing my bouquet and keeping it and wearing an engagement ring, a wedding band and a band for motherhood. 

On my way home for Christmas break, I stopped in a town called Swedesville. I picked up a cookbook and have flagged many recipes that I want to try. I have gotten many recipes from my distant Swedish relative that I am eager to try. While I was waiting for the recipes I found many that I wanted to try and tried them for our family Christmas. I loved them and I can't wait to try more. 

I'm very proud of being Swedish and love sharing it with everyone. I can't wait to make more Swedish goods. Hopefully someday I will make it to Sweden.

Love always,

Amanda

Swedish Visiting Cake

What You Need:
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for preparing pan
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not)

Instructions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy oven-proof skillet or a 9-inch round cake or pie pan.

Pour sugar into a medium bowl. Add lemon zest and blend zest into sugar with your fingers until sugar is moist and aromatic. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Whisk in salt and vanilla and almond extracts.

Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in flour. Finally, fold in melted butter. Scrape batter into prepared skillet or pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.

Scatter sliced almonds over top and sprinkle with sugar. If using a cake or pie pan, place pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and a little crisp on outside; the inside will remain moist.

Swedish Apple Cranberry Pie

Ingredients

For the filling:
5 1/2 cups apples, peeled & chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
3 Tablespoons sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice, cloves, cardamom
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the "crust":
5 Tablespoons melted butter (regular or light ... I used regular)
4 Tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the top: 1/4 cup chopped pecans


Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F and spray a deep dish pie pan with cooking spray. In a medium mixing bowl, toss together the filling ingredients. Pour the fruit mixture into the pie pan.
In the same bowl, melt the butter, then mix in the yogurt and the egg till smooth. Add the sugar, flour and salt and stir to mix well.

Spoon the crust mixture over the fruit and pat it to cover the fruit. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour or until the top is golden brown and the fruit is nice and bubbly.

Swedish Kokosbollar-Chocolate Truffles

What you Need:  

16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened 
1⁄2 cup  sugar  
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt 
6 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder 
2 tbsp. brewed espresso or dark coffee,  at room temperature 
2 tsp. vanilla extract 
2 1⁄2 cups rolled oats 
1 cup unsweetened finely shredded dried coconut

Directions:

Combine the butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and use a handheld mixer set to medium speed to beat the mixture until pale and fluffy, 1–2 minutes. Add the cocoa powder, espresso, and vanilla and continue beating until combined, about 1 minute more.


Add the oats to the chocolate–butter mixture and mix until combined.


Divide the chilled chocolate mixture into 36 portions using a tablespoon-size measuring spoon; roll each portion into a 1″ ball. Place coconut in a shallow dish and roll each ball thoroughly in coconut; transfer balls to a baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Baby Fever

As the wedding is getting closer we have begun making big plans for the future.


I recently left Mount Mercy University and enrolled at Crown College for their online degree program. I will be getting a degree in Christian Counseling. I got a new job at a day care center working as a teacher for the school aged children, I really love it there. Gareth will be graduating college in May. In August we will finally be married, I can't wait.


We've really been talking about the future. We plan to have a kid within the first year of marriage. That's exciting. I really can't wait to be a wife or a mommy. We are aiming for two and that is our limit, but we know that God is in charge of that.


We have picked out our favorite names.

-Elsa Marie
-Grady David
-Audrey Lou

-Ledoux Paul


The future is looking up for us, we have been though a lot this past year. Things are getting really exciting and we are so happy. During my two months off school I will be working on our homemade save the dates.


Love always,
Amanda

So God Made a Dog

God said I need somebody to wake up and give kisses, sleep all day, wake up again, give more kisses, and then stay up till midnight basking in the glow of the television set. So God made a Dog.

God said I need somebody willing to give no complaint about wearing costumes they do not understand. I need somebody who can break wind without a first thought or second thought. Somebody no matter what you didn’t do, or couldn’t take, or didn’t win, or couldn’t make will love you without judgment just the same. So God made a Dog.

God said I need somebody gentle enough to love babies. Somebody who will spend all day on a couch with the resting head and supportive eyes to lift the spirits of a broken heart. So God made a Dog.

It had to be somebody who would remain patient and loyal even through loneliness. Somebody to care, cuddle, snuggle and nuzzle, and cheer and charm and snore and slobber. Somebody who would bring a family together with selflessness of an open heart. Somebody who would bark, and then pant, and then reply with the rapid wag of tail when their best friend says lets go to grandmas. So God made a Dog.

God said I need somebody who would stand at your side when the world around you collapses. Somebody to lie next to you during the long nights of pain and sorrow when it hurts to move, or talk, or think, or be. Somebody to stand guard, play games, snore for hours, and repeat as needed. Somebody to give you strength when you have none of your own. Somebody to fight when you have no fight left, to hold onto your soul as if it were their favorite toy, playing tug of war to keep you in this world. Somebody to be your companion and guide in this world and the next. Somebody to wait for you on the other side or stand guard in your absence until they can join you for eternity. So God made a Dog.

The Dance

Over the past 2 years Gareth and I have been through everything possible. As we have been growing our lives together; our separate lives have been flipped up side down, torn apart, and stretched to the limits. Yet, as time marched on we stood the test of time hand-in-hand taking on the world and its hardship.

Traveling through time together has had its up, its downs, its happy moments, its sad moments, its hard moments, its simple moments, but every moment has been filled with love no matter what is happening.

He knows me like the back of his hand. I'm his girl, and he's my man. I know I love this man and that I want to marry him, have his babies, grow old with him, and just be with him. It's hard though. Trying to start my own little family, while being in college, a job, a dog, nieces and a nephew. It's hard finding time for everything and everyone.

I would say our love keeps growing stronger and our devotion to each other grows stronger. We've become comfortable and fallen in a routine; it feels like we've been married for 5 years already.

Since I was told I had heart disease I would say that's the turning point for things to change. Now it's watching over me, protecting me, and avoiding things that might make my heart act up. I miss the adventure and fun. I never wanted my heart to change us or hold us back.

Saturday night the walls of concern came down. He let it all go for one night and just let me have fun; no worries, no pauses, no rules. I had the time of my life. I had my three best friends and him all out celebrating Casey, Bri, Alesha and my birthdays. The girls, Gareth and I all went downtown to the only country bar. We had a few beers, sang and danced the night away. It was perfect.

"Wagon Wheel" came on, Gareth loves this song. He grabbed me by the hand and took me out on the dance floor and the next thing I know he is singing to me and two-stepping with me. All over again I feel in love with him.

I've two-stepped before, but only with my family members. Being a country girl there is nothing sweeter or more romantic than two-stepping in front of everyone with the one you love. I was taken back, my breathe was taken away and I was happy. I couldn't stop smiling, nor could the girls. A man that can show you off and make you feel like the only girl in a crowded bar and not ashamed to do so in front of your friends is a keeper.

Just like that after we had fallen in a routine of safety and protection, the flame was light again. Love is amazing, it's always changing, it's always surprising. A simple dance can change her entire world. Turn the music up, play her favorite song, grab her by the hand, pull her close, sing to her, and dance the night away with her. Just never let the flame go out.