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