Aftermath of Christmas

WOW. Those last few days snuck up on me so quick, I didn't get the chance to put up the rest of the cookies I wanted to share - I'm sure that my husband won't complain though. If I'm not baking anymore christmas cookies, then I must be done as he puts it "trying to make him fat". Sure. That was the plan all along, not christmas cheer or tradition - a conspiracy to make you eat your own weight in butter, sugar and almond. Riiiiight. This is what it was really about .....

Yep. It was all about the kiddos, and seeing as this was his first Christmas, and his first spritz cookies .... well. That's what counted in the cooking section to me, anyhow. Sure, my older boy got plenty of his favorites, but he wisely hoarded his in front of my tv with the door closed so no one could take his picture as he scarfed them down.

I'll be back soon with new ... wait, OLD scandinavian recipes again soon. Taking a short break from the cookie explosion that occured here not even a week ago.

Happy Holidays & Blessings in the new year!

Day 9 Christmas Cookies - Sandbakkelser

Sand Cakes are light buttery tarts that can be filled up with berries (lingon is my fave) cream, puddings - use your imagination, or keep them plain. They are delightful that way too!

1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 cups of flour
1 tsp almond flavor
1 Tbs. almond paste

Heat the oven to 375*, and lightly grease your sand bakkel tins.
Mix up the batter as normal - butter & sugar creamed, then in goes the egg, and almond paste & extract, then the flour. The batter should be able to pull away from the bowl just a little bit when you ask it to. With floured fingers, pull off a tablespoon or so of dough, roll it into a ball and press it into the tin's bottom and sides. Do the same with the rest of the tins - just keep in mind different tins hold different amounts of dough.
Put them all on cookie sheets and pop 'em in the oven 10 - 15 min. You'll want to check them at just before 10 minutes and watch them carefully so they don't burn.
Remove from oven and let them cool a little before popping them out of their tins. Wait until they are totally cooled before you try to fill them with anything.

Makes around 30 tarts

Day 8 Christmas Cookies - Norwegian Goro

In contrast to an earlier cookie, we now have Norwegian RICH Man's cakes :D Named so because they contain such rich, expensive ingredients (well, for the time period, mind you) and because they require the use of a really fancy pants iron that was usually custom made for the families - not something my farmer ancestors could afford, but they sure look lovely . They have also been referred to as Norway's most beautiful cookie.

Goro:

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla or almond

1 cup of whipped cream (at stiff peaks)

1 cup melted butter

1 Tbs. brandy (any flavor)

6 - 7 cups flour (start with 6, and if you need it, add the last cup later - you don't want it too stiff)

1 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Beat eggs, sugar & vanilla - fold in the cream & butter. Mix in brandy, sift the dry ingredients and mix into the batter. You want it to be about the same as bread dough.

Roll out the dough to around oh, 1/8 inch thich, cut to fit the goro iron.

NOW, put the dough in place on the HOT iron one at a time. It kind of works like a waffle iron at this point - an old fashioned waffle iron that needs to be flipped over. Do that. The whole cooking process should take 3 minutes or so on each side, until they are golden brown. Turn them out onto a cooling rack and cut them apart while they are still warm to keep them from breaking. Keep them in an airtight container, and enjoy!

Day 7 Christmas Cookies - Pepparnotter

Pepper nuts! Pfeffernuesse, Pfeffernussen, Pepperkaker, Pebernoder - it's all the same thing.
Pepper, nutmeg, and cardamom flavor this little treat

This is one of the oldest Christmas cookies in existence! They date back to medieval times when spices were only used for baking - pepper included. Just about every scandinavian country has their own little version of this little cookie, all of them fantastic. This particular recipe is Swedish in origin, cuz that's how I roll. They are hard and crisp, and have a little bite to them.

1/2 pound butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
**almonds or hazelnuts

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (I think all my cookie recipes start like this) Gradually stir in the cream, then sift the dry ingredients together. Add dry slowly into the butter mix. Mix by hand until you have a soft dough that sticks together well. Chill the dough 20 minutes or so and form into small balls. Press a nut into each ball, and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350* for 18- 20 minutes or until firm and browned.
Makes apx. 10 dozen cookies

** Special note*** these cookies are very peppery and spicy when freshly baked. You may want to store them in tupperware for a couple of weeks to mellow before you dive in.

Day 6 Christmas Cookies - Berliner Kranser

The name says Germany, but nein, nein, nein - pure NORWAY here!!!

Simple pretty little hand formed cookies decorated with coarse sugar to make it sparkly :D

Here's the recipe:

2 hard cooked egg yolks

2 raw egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 pound butter

2-1/2 cups sifted flour

1 egg white, slightly beaten

pearl sugar, or coarse sugar

Press the hard cooked egg yolks through a wire strainer into a small bowl. Add the raw egg yolks, sugar, and almond - blend.

Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until fine and crumbly. Add the egg mixture, knead to form a smooth dough. If necessary, chill until it can be handled easily.

Break off small pieces of the dough (about a teaspoon worth) and roll on an unfloured surface to the thickness of a pencil or so, around 6 inches long. Form into a ring, with the ends overlapping just a little.

Dip the wreaths as they are made into the egg white then into the coarse/pearl sugar. Set them an inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350* for apx. 10-12 minutes, until lightly brown at the edges. Cool a little before removing from pan, because they are quite delicate.

Makes around 6 dozen wreaths

Day 5 Christmas Cookies - Finska Pinnar

Doesn't that picture just make you want to get a big ol' glass of milk?
I figured that since I haven't posted up any Finnish cookies, that today was as good a time as any. First, a few things about Christmas & Finland.
Like the other scandinavian countries, the Finns scrub their homes to the floorboards for Christmas, and are sure to feed the some of the wild animals as well as themselves before their Christmas feast. It is tradition to tie up a sheaf of grain, nuts and seeds to a pole in the garden or yard for the birds & little animals to feast on. This is one tradition I personally LOVE.
Dinner is only allowed to start after the animals have feasted, and the first star is visible in the night sky. (And after everyone in the family gets a good sauna & puts on their best clean clothes)
The Christmas tree - generally a fir - is decorated to the hilt with apples, other fruits, candy, paper flags, cotton ornaments and tinsel.
They do not hang stockings, but wait as Santa comes door to door with some of his helper elves to deliver the gifts. By the way, did you know Santa is supposed to live in Finland? Well, that's what the Finns say, anyhow. ;) Who would blame him though? Incredibly beautiful country that it is!!

Anyhow, For the Finns, Finlanders, what ever you may call them, here is today's recipe....

Finska Pinnar (Finnish Fingers)
2-1/2 cups of sifted flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 pound of butter, softened
1 tsp. almond extract
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped blanched almonds
**pearl sugar, crushed loaf sugar, colored sugar, or other sparkly preety sugars (no jimmies)

Combine flour and sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it's crumbly. Sprinkle the almond extract over the top and knead lightly but well to distribute the flavoring.
Divide dough into 8 parts and with floured hands, roll into long strips the thickness of your little finger. Cut into 2 inch lengths and press the tops a little to flatten it out just a hair.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet, spaced about an inch apart. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle the almonds & fancy sugar on top.
Bake at 350* for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a delicate golden brown.
Remove from pan to cooling rack to cool completely.
Makes approximately 6 dozen finska pinnar. ;)

Day 4 Christmas Cookies - Rosettes

The original 'funnel cake' ... only ... lighter and prettier! Sweet, light, delicate, and traditional - what more could a scandinavian or scandiphile want? Pretty easy to make once you get used to the system, said all the right prayers, danced around the kitchen in the right direction, and had a couple of shots of aquavit to get started.

The dough is really more of a batter that you dip pretty little rosette irons into before you deep fry them, remove them from the iron, and cover in powdered sugar. Traditional and commonly found shapes are generally stars & flowers but you can find some really nifty shapes that are out of the ordinary and fancy too! Nordicware has some great stuff in general, but their selection of rosette irons is out of this world.

Rosettes:

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla or almond

1/4 tsp salt

* vegetable oil or canola oil for frying

***special equipment needed - a rosette iron (obviously), fry pan or deep fryer, skewers or a clean knitting needle, thermometer for the oil, and paper towels***

Whisk together all but the flour & salt, then sift in the flour and salt, mixing until it is a very thin batter, like that for swedish pancakes - think much like heavy cream. Chill for a few hours in the refrigerator - this will make for very crispy rosettes.

Set your fryer for 365 or pour 2-3" of oil in your frying pan, and get it to the same temp. Once the oil is hot, let your iron get to the same temp by submerging it in the oil, and bringing back to temperature.

Say a little prayer to Odin and Freya before you start. ;) This part is a little tricky.

Carefully dip the irons into the batter so that it covers the bottom and sides - NEVER the top!!! Quickly now. Move from the batter to the oil and submerge the entire rosette. Let it cook to a lovely golden brown, just a few minutes.... you'll know you did it right when it flares off the iron - then, you remove it the rest of the way off the iron, give it & yourself a second to celebrate your good fortune, then flip that sucker and let it FRY. When the color is to your liking, remove with the skewers/knitting needles and let drain on paper towels. Dust with powdered sugar.

It's the right thing to do.

Now, try to restrain yourself. Oh, wait - nevermind. Just remember to share.

Day 3 Christmas Cookies - Fattigmans Bakkels

Norwegian Poor Man's cakes are a sweet & simple little pastry that is easy to make, and great while still warm. They are so popular that there are even special pastry wheels just for making this little cookie!

Give them a try! Nothing to them!

Fattigman's Bakkels (Norwegian Poor Man's Cake)

1 egg

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbs melted butter

2Tbs heavy cream

1 Tbs Orange flavored liqueur - Grand Marnier or Triple Sec are both great

2 cups sifted flour

Oil for deep frying

Confectioners sugar

Beat eggs, yolks, sugar & salt until light in color. Stir in butter, cream, & liqueur. Add the flour, blend until smooth - if necessary, add a little more flour to make the dough stiffer.

Roll out a third of the dough at a time on a lightly floured board to around 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 x 1 inch strips with a crinkled edge pastry wheel, cutting the ends diagonally. Make a lengthwise slit in the center of each and pull one end totally through so that the center is twisted.

Fry a few at a time in oil heated to 350*. Fry until a delicate light brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels, and dust with confectioner's sugar.

Makes around 5 dozen.

Because they are fried, they are best when super fresh - so don't bother trying to give them out with the rest of your cookies. These are almost totally a home thing.

Day 2 Christmas Cookies - Pepparkakor

Swedish Ginger Cookies - Think gingerbread, only more intense in flavor, super thin & crunchy & with waaay less decorations. Norwegians make a similar cookie - traditionally they cut theirs into diamonds & put an almond in the middle. Danes do the same, only theirs are rounds. Us Swedes though - we like the fancier prettier decorations. Hearts, stars, scalloped cirles, animals then the edges are piped with a fine line of royal icing in either straight lines, zigzags, loops or dots. I have never seen pepparkakor done with much icing. Always just enough to emphasize the outline of the cookie - but it's just enough, flavor wise. Here is a simple recipe to try.

1/4 pound of butter (softened)

3/4 cup of sugar

1 small egg

1Tb molasses

the juice and grated rind of 1/2 an orange

2-1/2 cups of sifted flour

1 tsp. ginger

1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

Royal icing to decorate.

As with most cookies, cream the butter, sugar - add the egg, molasses & orange juice & grated peel. In a seperate bowl, sift together your dry ingredients, then mix them into the wet. Chill the dough very well. Overnight is best, and I've even left it in the fridge for a few days when I'm really rockin' on cookie making.

Roll out small amounts on a lightly floured board to right around 1/8 of an inch thick - thinner is better!!! Cut into desired shapes & place an inch apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet or a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375* for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown (watch very very close. They go FAST. ) Remove from pans immediately(they will continue to cook on the pan otherwise) and let cool totally on wire racks. When cool, outline each cookie with royal icing, as desired. Makes around 5 dozen.

Day 1 Christmas Cookies - Spritz :D

Christmas is not Christmas at our house without Spritz cookies. We may have others that come and go, others that demand attention, but the one constant every year no matter what, is the Spritz. If you look it up on line, there are tons of variations made by well meaning people, but for most Scandinavians I know - there is only one. Certainly, vanilla is well known, but that is not the classic flavor. I'm talkin' Almond. Nothin' like a good almond spritz. NOTHIN'. I've seen lemon, and even walnut, but no. Those are decievers. Almond is where it's at. Here is my recipe. It kicks the tar out of all others.

Kimi's Buttery Almond Spritz

1cup softened butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 egg yolks

3 Tbs. almond paste

1 tsp. almond extract

2-1/4 cup flour

Cream butter, sugar and yolks. Add in and cream the almond paste & extract, work in the flour - but don't mix the tar out of it. Too much mixing will make it tough. Just make sure it's well incorperated. Chill the dough for about an hour, then put it in the cookie press with the die of your choice - family favorites here are : Hearts, trees, wreaths, and bells. Press them onto an ungreased cookie sheet. As you press them out, sprinkle colored sugar on top of them. This is where some folks have gotten lazy and dyed the dough. Don't do that. I cannot type my most disapproving tone here, but believe me, I'm using it. People: don't dye your spritz dough!!! It's a crime against all that is pure and buttery. Just don't do it!

Alrighty. After you've pressed, and sugared, and properly resisted the urge to get lazy & DYE, toss them babies into a 400*F waiting oven. Bake them for 7 - 10 minutes, being sure to pull them when just the edges start to turn a light golden brown (another reason not to dye - they are almost always overbaked when dyed) and remove from pan. They will be a little soft, but they firm up as they cool. Believe me, I've made about a gazillion of these lil' suckers.

Heavenly. Just enjoy them with the fam. Even little ones love their Spritzes. I'll post pics of the little ones cookies in hand once I get done making them. :D

Potatiskorv

Potato Sausage is one of those fantabulous dishes usually made and enjoyed during the holidays - specifically Christmas. Now, this is a tricky one because it's really become more of a Swedish American thing rather than a straight up Swedish thing. Which, is where the best of my experiences come from - being a swedish american. But, I digress. This tasty concoction was devised in the old country well over a hundered years ago. I'm not for certain, but I believe it was created out of necessity when eats were scarce and families made do by throwing together what little they had. Astrid Lindgren mentions it in one of his books about Emil, too! In the case of which I am speaking, the dish became what many scandinavians called potatiskorv, or potato sausage.

Essentially, it's ground potatoes, onions, and sometimes rutabega mixed with ground meat. I say meat, because just about any kind will do. Generally, I use a combination of venison/beef and pork, though it can be done with pure beef, or venison. The pork adds a little fat that is very needed and appreciated even when it comes time to stuff the sausage. We have experimented over the years and tried it with all lean meat, but stuffing the sausage was incredibly hard to do when it's too lean, and the sausage comes out tough.

As is tradition, usually this is made around Thanksgiving or Christmas time, however, since I am our family's official potato sausage maker, keeper of the grinder & stuffer - I can make it any dang time I please, and it has been my requested Birthday supper for as long as I can remember.

My time line and rules are simple.
1) I don't make any on short notice. It takes mental prep to get into the mood to make this stuff. It's very time consuming, and dang it, messy too!
2) I will only make it for blood relatives. Everyone else, just hope I'm makin' a batch because I want it, or you ain't gettin' any.
3) I dispise making potatiskorv when the temp is above 50. It's just better when the weather is cold. I don't know why for sure, but I just prefer it when it's cold. It tastes SO much better.
Other than that - don't you dare put ketchup anywhere near my plate. It's just wrong. I can forgive non-swedes for such a heinous infraction, but to even suggest it to me could get you injured.

OK. So. On with the recipe. Here is a good version. I will include all the variations that I am told norwegians and finlanders like to mix in - feel free to create your own variant according to your tastes. It's ok. that's what it's all about.

Special Equipment : Grinder, Sausage Stuffer. Sausage stuffer doesn't have to be fancy. My grandfather made one years ago from an aluminum can, some spare sheet metal, and made a plunger out of wood. Many hardcore Scandinavians will use a cow's horn, or in leiu of a stuffer will use a angel food pan with the casings on the center part and hand stuff it. I think this is silly. Make a stuffer, or buy one. It's so worth it if you make it more than once in your life.

First things first. Here is where many folks would rather not even try to go. The casings. Natural pork casings really are the best there is. We have indeed tried collagen, but you can't boil collagen, and a baked version just doesn't come out right. So, get your casings, rinse them well inside and out (they are clean when you get them, I just like them super clean), try to keep them untangled, and set them aside in a bowl. They need to be untangled for the stuffer.
Start with a 5 pound bag of potatoes. Wash, peel, quarter, and wash again. Let them sit in a bowl full of water while you continue. Next, peel and quarter a few onions, depending on your personal onion preferences, and the strength of the onions. There are no set rules here. Peel and cut into pieces around the same size as your quartered potatoes - the rutabega. It's ok. Rutabeggy is a highly underrated root. I like to sneak them into the family's mashed potatoes. They never know. well - maybe now they do.

Moving along. Take out a grinder, attach it to your preferred area (mine is the dining room table, with a pie pan directly under it to catch the excess water and potato starch). Put a pan under the business end of the grinder and start grinding your potatoes, rutabega, and onions.

Toss the ground goodness into a larger bowl than you think you need and add to it 2 - 3 pounds of ground meat. Try 2 to 1 beef to pork, or venison to pork. Adjust the next batch as you prefer. Add salt, pepper, allspice, and, if you prefer, milk.

My personal spicelist is vast it includes : Salt. Pepper. That is all for me.

Mix it all up very well, and stuff the mixture into clean, rinsed casings.

Add salt to the water and sausage** in the pot, bring to a boil and keep it there for 30 minutes. Serve hot with lingonberries, and a side of baked beans. Perfect dinner. Enjoy.

**Tips & Tricks - A helper is incredibly nice, but not necessary. Tips: Use fresh fresh fresh meat. Did I mention fresh? Do not include any funny spots with the potatoes, and when in doubt, hold back with the salt. You can always add more later. Be aware that there is one little road bump that can occur when cooking the sausage. Blowouts. It's a hazard. To avoid them try to follow the simple rules:

1. Poke holes in the rings with a toothpick or tip of a sharp knife. (but not too many)

2. Bring it to a good boil, but don't have it rockin' too hard. If there is too much heat, you will probably split the bottom ring (nearest the burner)

3. If you do split a ring - do not dispair!! Let it rest in a collander or strainer to drain out the excess water, and dig in. The flavor is not damaged, even if it is a little water logged.

*** Special Note: If you are not so inclined to make potatiskorv, there are several butchershops and other retailers with wonderful reputations who make and sell potatiskorv in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, Northern Minnesota, and I'm sure some areas of Wisconsin. I'm sure it can be found in other Swedish strongholds here in the United States as well: Chicago has Wikstroms, and Lindsborg, Kansas and some areas of the Dakotas are heavy with Swedes. Good Luck!!

Æbleskivers

Aebleskiver - a Danish dessert, like doughnut holes, but sweeter and much better. They are traditionally served with glogg during the Advent. Cooked in a cast iron pan that resembles an egg poacher - which, you can use if you do not have an aebleskiver pan. Serve hot with syrup, jam or powdered sugar and the best ones have a piece of apple or some jam in the middle. Oh boy!! Thinking of making some, but don't know if anyone here will nosh with me.

Here is what you need:

2 egg whites
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

1 apple diced, or some jam in a decorator's bag - any flavor

DIRECTIONS
In a clean glass or metal bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they can hold a stiff peak. Set aside.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sugar, egg yolks, melted butter and buttermilk at one time and beat until smooth. Gently fold in the egg whites last.
Put about 1tablespoon of vegetable oil in the bottom of each aebleskiver pan cup and heat until hot. Pour in about 2 tablespoons of the batter into each cup - push some apple into the middle, or give it a second or two and put some jam in the middle, taking care to cover it up with some batter . As soon as they get bubbly around the edge, turn them quickly (Danish cooks use a long knitting needle, but a fork will work). Continue cooking, turning the ball to keep it from burning.

Turn them out onto a warm plate, if you can, and dust them with powdered sugar, or drizzle some warm maple syrup all over them - or both if you can't choose. No one will tell.

Aren't they cute in their little pan? They're even cuter on the plate, toasty and melting the powdered sugar, or sucking up the maple syrup. Fabulous alternative to regular pancakes or even doughnuts on a crisp fall day. Enjoy!!!

Salt Cod Supreme, or Klippfisk for Two

Salted Cod. Makes your skin crawl at the thought doesn't it? At least, if you're a non scandinavian. The tamer, more personable cousin to lutefisk, salt cod is a staple in many Norwegian homes, and some swedish ones as well. Come to think of it, just about every european country on the sea has it's own version of salted cod. The Spanish have quite the reputation for very fine salt cod, but the Norwegians have the corner market on the best. As it has been done for over 500 years, the fish are pulled from the sea, beheaded, and gutted. Once on shore, they are salted an dried. Simple, eh? Only overfishing has caused cod to become harder to get a hold of, so unless you buy the most expensive version - klippfisk - you will probably be getting some other whitefish, which is fine. I would love to get my hands on some klippfisk though. It would drive my husband nutty - in the bad way. He can't grasp my desire to eat so much fish. Actually, neither can my parents, kids, sisters and most of my cousins. Hmm. Guess I'm concentrated Scandi. :D Anyhow, the Klippfisk is graded superior extra which means it's been line caught - so it's alive when they bleed it, and you KNOW it's super fresh, and wasn't dead when they hauled it from the sea. It's then fileted and salted with DRY salt, left to rest, and salted again.

Sounds downright mouthwatering right? Well, wait. I'll cover lutefisk another day. Just be aware that I started you with the tamer, kinder little brother.

There is no recipe that I know of. All I know is that you soak it, drain it, and simmer it. I suppose telling you not to salt the water is kind of a 'duhr', huh? Anyhow. Some folks like to throw in their small potatoes, carrots, and parsnips with the fish. I think that's overkill. 2 pots, I say. Use one for the veggies, another for the fish. You can make a white gravy to go with it, but I think that little bit of white, mostly flavorless goo does nothing to help. A little white pepper and potato and bada bing. That's some good stuff. Filling, and hearty. Oh, and if you can find a reliable source for that klippfisk, let me know. I have been searching!

Fall is in the Air

Oh, how my heart aches. Tis the season - the MOST wonderful time of the year, for sure. When it's nice out, I look at the trees, and breathe in the cool air and can think only of the wonderful things that most people think of - hearty soups, autumn colors, fresh bread, apples & cinnamon .... you know. Like most ladies of distinction. I also think of Trail riding through fresh fallen leaves, fighting my horse off the apple trees, and my favorite season .... bear hunting season.
I have long had a love for bears. Always fascinated by them, dream of them, and of course horses. One day in my future, I hope to combine the two, on a nice pack hunt out west where I can only get to my bear by long trail ride, and can only get it out by pack mule. If I'm lucky - a BIG pack mule, lol.
My heart yearns to go north. I want to be in the only other place in the world that I feel like I am home - the upper peninsula of Michigan. The air is cleaner, colder, and crisp. The humidity is not as bad as it is here, and the people are wonderful. So far, all the folks I've had contact with - in the particular reigon of the UP that I love - are just what I want to be around - when I want to be around people that is, which is not so often.
Bear season will start soon, and the guys that crack me up so much (super nice guys) have been getting set up for the opener, I'm sure they're busy as hell, checking everything time after time after time, to be sure that they are ready for the hunters that they will guide to the woods.
Until I went hunting in that reigon of the upper, the only other place that I felt like I was home was near Escanaba - of course, that nearly is home. I have family that I love there, and I visit every chance that I get. This fall will be the second year that I haven't gone up to hunt, and my trigger finger is getting anxious. Last time I sat in my stand there, I saw wolves, coyotes, deer, pine martins, ravens, squirrels, partridge, foxes, and even got the crap scared out of me when a porcupine fell out of a tree nearly beyond my line of vision. The first bear I saw was a pair of cubbies that tried to climb my tree. I watched them for 3 days, on the final day, their mama let me know she was there, and that she knew that I was there too. I have never felt more polite, yet happy to have a gun in my lap. The next stand, was a bomb, but that's where I saw the porky. funny buggers. Third stand was a bust on my fault. I misunderstood my directions, and thought that I had to walk myself out. I stayed until I couldn't see then walked out - should have stayed. Dumb move, on my part. Saw deer and ravens there. Next came the perfect stand. Nice big, beautiful bear, and I was ready. Calm, cool, eased myself to take the shot - and clean missed. Took me a while to figure out that I was a moron for not shooting out of my treestand with all my camo on before we went up. Scared the crap out of the bear - never saw him again. Boy, did I feel like a jackass on that one. I could have my order of where I sat screwed up, but I digress. The last stand, I was told there was no way I would see another mama. I had gotten close enough to one, and had no desire to see another. For 3 days I watched this one little bear come in, and grind his face into the bait, scratch his butt on a tree, and act like a goon. A big bear rushed in and scared him, but I never saw him. I had stayed til nearly end of my hunt period and the fam was starting to miss me, so I decided that even if I only saw the little bear, I would take him. He wasn't a cub, but compared to my first bear - a whopper at 285# - he was a little guy. Still, after nearly a month of hunting, I knew that to me, it was better to go home with something than to go home empty handed. So, thats what I did. I shot the little guy, then not 20 minutes after I shot him, his bookend twin came in, and was promptly scared off by a mama and 2 cubs. Oh, boy. Mom saw the downed bear(died instantly) and treed them about 20 yards from me. They were eye level with me them in their big white pine, me in my cedar. She paced around, sniffed everywhere, circled my tree for a bit, sat at the base of my tree, walked to her cubbys tree, and laid down. She never once looked up at me. Never knew I was there. The cubbies saw me, but didn't make a sound. We 4 sat like that until after dark when my guide/friend came to pick me up. As soon as she saw the lights from his atv, she blasted off the way she came, cubs still in the tree. That was about the only time I got nervous. As he walked in to help me out of the tree, I told him there were 2 cubs in the pine, and mom took off the way he came. He grabbed my bear, and threw him on the atv as I climbed down. His advice to me - don't unload your gun. Oh boy. So down I went, gun loaded, safety on (not my preference, but I knew the danger was quite real) he ran to meet me at the base of the tree, telling me 'don't talk, don't rush too much, but try to be quick - I have your back' I was so happy he was there at that moment. As I undid my harness, he pulled the stand, and had me go ahead of him out of the stand. Threw the stand on the atv, and said - 'don't unload til we're at the truck' oh. wow. that, I didn't expect. I figured we were cool. not so, apparently. As we blasted down the trail, he told me that was the most dangerous situation all season. I know he was right. But I didn't want to think of it at the time. It was a great hunt all in all. Great people helping me. Had fun while my hubby was up, though he got his durning the first week, then we went home, and I went back. I couldn't stand leaving my tag unfilled. Of course, this would bite me in the ass a bit. My car died about 20 miles west of the mackinac bridge on the way home. I had to wait for hubby to come and save me, my car, and my bear. But even with that, I made some friends in Naubinway. Such great people - you just don't have too look too hard to find them. I will make it one day.
And when I do - oh, boy. Black bears, beware. I will stalk you for years between licenses getting to know which one I want in my freezer. Oh, my..... bear stew. How I miss you. Probably another year anyhow, unless we move there first. oh..... my dreams. Maybe still possible. I hope, I hope!

Swedish Meatballs

I don't normally make anything like this, but it just so happened that I was out of normal american cuisine last night, and the only meats available in the house were ones that either my husband or I shot, and processed. Generally, that means that it's time for boiled supper or meatloaf or stew. But sadly I did not have what I needed for boiled supper, and we had meatloaf the other day. So, that meant a good opportunity to make some Swedish Meatballs. I don't know how they stack up to IKEA's version - I've never been to one. Have no plans to go either. My swede goods come from smaller swedish shops across the country. They need help a lot more than any retail goods giant.
So here is my recipe for swedish meatballs, it can be done with ground beef as well, but I think venison adds a little more authentic feeling to it, and, I have a lot of venison.

Swedish Meatballs
1 Tb butter
1/4 c. finely diced onion
3/4 c. mashed boiled potato
3 - 4 Tb fine dry bread crumbs
1 pound of ground venison, or lean ground beef
1/3 c. heavy cream
1 Tb salt
1 egg
1 Tb finely chopped fresh parsley (if available)
2Tb butter
2Tb vegetable oil or crisco
1Tb flour
3/4 c. heavy cream

Melt 1Tb butter in a small pan, and sautee the onion until they are clear, not browned.
In a large bowl, mix the sauteed onion, mashed potato, bread crumbs, meat, cream, salt, egg, and parsley. Mix very well it should look smooth and fluffy. It will look a little looser than regular or Italian meatballs will. Shape into small balls, around an inch in diameter, and chill for at least an hour before cooking them.
Over high heat, melt the rest of the butter, and oil together in a heavy 12" skillet. Add meatballs 8 - 10 at a time when the foam from the butter seems to back down. Lower the heat to medium, and be sure to keep shaking the pan, almost constantly to keep the shape of the meatballs - they are very hard to manipulate with tongs or other means - shaking them is best. In 8 - 12 minutes, the meatballs should be brown outside, and you should find no pink when you break one open.
Add more butter and oil - in equal amounts as needed, and put every finished pan full in a casserole dish to keep warm in the oven set on low (200*)
To serve as hors d'oervres or in a smorgasbord, make them just a touch smaller, and viola! you're already done. But, to serve as a main course, at this point, or a little before the last batch of meatballs are cooked, you will want to start up a pot of hot water for noodles, or have mashed potatoes nearly ready(I know of a couple of swedes that will even use rice to go along with these). You will also need to make some gravy to go with those little suckers if it's for a main course.
For the gravy, Take the pan you fried them with off the heat, and pour off the fat. Stir in 1Tb flour ( I like to use Wondra flour - it's in a blue shaker tube) Quickly stir in 3/4 cup of cream and boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until it's thick and smooth - think southern milk gravy here. Salt the gravy well, or it will have no taste, and you may as well use it for lutefisk - no one wants that. A little white pepper goes a long way here, too.
Now, enjoy! A classic addition to a smorgasbord, a traditional dinner, or, as is popular lately, an odd ball hors d'oervre for grad parties etc. (Still don't understand that one)

Thursday Supper

I am told, that in Sweden, it is traditonal to have split pea soup for supper on thursdays. I love the idea of this, as I love split pea soup, which I think is totally under rated now days. I guess that makes me traditional. However, my darling polish-german husband does not appreciate split pea soup. We have had some pretty good knock down drag outs over this. I love it, he can't stand the smell, much as he loves, but I can't stand the smell of saurkraut. Awful stuff, really. Anyhoo - I have been wanting some soup, but have not wanted to take up the whole pot - cuz who can make a little batch? Not I, says I. I make a full pound of peas pea soup - every time. Even if I am the only one to eat it. I just freeze the rest in nice handy dandy gladware containers. Works fine for me! So to make this fantabulous soup, here's what you do.
Sort and wash a pound of split peas - color doesn't matter here, we love all colors!!! (though I am a little partial to the yellow variety, I'll tell you why later) You must sort them, because there will occasionally be loose pea skins and little pebbles, and mis shaped, tiny hard peas. You don't want any of these in your delicious peas porridge. It's a sin. And you could break a tooth, and that would wreck just about anyone's day.
After you have your peas in order, cover them with about 4 inches of water, and toss in some dehydrated chopped onions - no I dont have measurements. All I know is that this works well with the pound bag o' peas.
Get the water boiling, and chop up a couple of carrots, and a couple stalks of celery. I toss in a little salt too, just to move things along. I also find that it is necessary to throw in a few cups of chopped ham as well. Some folks go by the ham hock route, but you have to chop that sucker up later, and who want's to mess with a ham hock when there is pre diced ham readily available? Not me.
Cover the pot, and let her go. Simmer for just shy of all afternoon. That is the key. gotta go slow. Then, just when you think you've got it just about done - chop up a good sized potato, and throw that in too. I like to let it go until it's a big ol' pot of yellow sludge with chunks of white, orange, green and ham floating around. It's deeeee licious. No substitute for a hot bowl of pea soup and some bread and butter. Just perfect for a soggy afternoon.
Now, to my earlier preference of yellow v. green peas - well, that's easy. Truth is, I don't care if they're yellow or green, but, after a recent pot of yellow peas, my husband actually ate a bowl. Yeah. A whole bowl. This has been a sticking point since we were dating. He never could understand my love of the peas.... but he ate a whole bowl. Without me asking him to taste it or anything. All on his own. I was both shocked and pleased. He said it smelled better than the green peas. I didn't see any difference. I think he just has a mental block against green sludge. Yellow is fine, but green I guess is too much for him.
Anyhow, try this, if you enjoy pea soup! It's one of those simple country pleasures that's right up there with meat and potatoes for me. A staple in my home, and in that of my Swedish bretheren.

Testing, testing, 1.2...

I'm hoping this is a good place to keep my thoughts on the Swedish side of my family. All of them good, I promise. Recipes, Family traditions, and some of the incredible stories and history we carry in our hearts about our predecessors. I hope that if anyone sees this, it brings fond memories to mind of their own family. My family is Swedish with a little Norwegian in the wood pile, but the history is so rich, and laced with tragedy and triumph. I only hope I can do it justice.
So, if, dear reader, if you are not of my family, you are welcome anyhow, whether you are Swedish, Norwegian, or Finlander. If none of those fit you, well, Scandiphiles and just lovers of the swedes are welcome as well. I hope someone enjoys my musings. This subject just doesn't fit in with my horse blog.
So, here goes nothin'.