Swedes: We Are a Hugging People

We Swedes sure are a hugging people. While we tend to value our privacy and Jante-esque humility, we hug about as much as American's shake hands. Read more on The Local: http://www.thelocal.se/20140325/i-cant-embrace-swedes-obsession-with-the-hug

Grattis Våffeldagen

Grattis Våffeldagen, or Happy Waffle Day!

You know how one phrase gets said so quickly that it means something else? Sometimes that can be horrendous, but sometimes it can be delicious. That's how Waffle Day came to be!

March 25th is Our Lady's Day, or the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin. Nine months before Christmas, this day celebrates the Immaculate Conception. Pronounced Vårfrudagen in Swedish, Our Lady's Day sounds similar to Våffeldagen, or Waffle Day. So while there are no known connections between the Blessed Virgin and waffles, they're now both celebrated on the same day.

To assist in your Swedish celebrations, enjoy these Svensk våfflor.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour;
• 1 teaspoon salt;
• 3 teaspoons baking powder;
• 2 tablespoons sugar;
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups warm milk;
• 1/3 cup butter, melted;
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract;

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Pour milk mixture into into the flour mixture, blend well. 

Pour batter into a preheated waffle iron, and cook until golden and crisp. Serve with lingonberries and whipped cream or with syrup. 

Grattis Våffeldagen! 

Crown Princess Victoria Celebrates Name Day

Monarch-in-training: Crown Princess Victoria

Today, Sweden celebrates the name day of their future queen, Crown Princess Victoria, by flying their blue and yellow flags. Name days, as we discussed in yesterday's post, were once a way to celebrate the saints we were named after, but have now become something of a 'second birthday.' This practice is deeply embedded in Swedish tradition and widely celebrated.

Grattis På Namnsdag, Kronprinsessan Victoria!

Cookbooks From the Hembakningsrådet

They're here! Birgit from the Hembakningsrådet (Home Baking Council) so kindly offered to send me cookbooks (read about that here) to teach me my "Swedish Bread Heritage." Well…they're here!

Included are:

Julbordet (Christmas smörgåsbord)

Hembakat - recept, tips och glädje (Homebaking - recipes, tips, and joy)

Kära små kakor: Baka mormors klassiker och några nya favoriter! (Dear small cakes: bake grandma's classics and some new favorites)

In the days, weeks, and months to come, I'll be sharing these great Hembakningsrådet recipes with you, listing them under the "Swedish Recipes" tab above. Enjoy and share!

Let the baking commence! 

Name Days: Religious Observance or Opportunity to Celebrate?

As a child, Walt Disney taught us how to celebrate a very merry unbirthday ("with another cup of tea"). Meanwhile, Sweden and other parts of Europe were enjoying the practice of name day celebrations. These special days are often celebrated like second birthdays, but with more jubilation and legitimacy than half-birthdays and unbirthdays.

Cake to celebrate Queen Silvia's name day (August 8)

Rooting back to the creation of the liturgical calendar with a 'calendar of saints,' each day was assigned one or more saints, that day then being known as that saint's feast day. Anyone with that particular saint's name then celebrated that day.

While name days have been observed for centuries, they were popularized in Sweden when the nation would celebrate the names used by the royal family. An official list, regulated by the Royal Swedish Academy of Science, was first organized in 1901. This official list, which expired in 1972, evolved as modern usages of names changed throughout the generations, and was reissued in 2001. While no longer officially regulated, the Swedish Academy's list is universally accepted in Sweden, and will be updated every 15 years.

Now considered to be a part of regularly Swedish culture and tradition, it's common to celebrate with cakes, parties, and presents. Name days of the royal family continue to be celebrated publicly as official flag days. Swedes publicly display their blue and yellow flags on the name days of King Carl XVI Gustaf (Jan 28), Queen Silvia (August 8), and Crown Princess Victoria (March 12).

However you celebrate, with a cake and presents or with flags, always wish a hearty "Grattis På Namnsdag," or "Happy Name Day!"

PS…Named 'Matthew James,' I have three name days. St. Matthew has two feast days, February 24 and September 21, and St James' feast day is July 25. Shall we celebrate? Hint, hint, hint…

PPS…This practice just might make a holiday opportunist out of me...

Beloved Christian Hymn Originates in Sweden

'How Great Thou Art' isn't just a beautiful hymn used by most Christian sects, it's a Swedish hymn! Titled 'O Store Gud,' or 'O Great God,' in Sweden, the hymn is based on the poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg in 1885. It spread throughout Christianity after Stuart Hine, an English missionary, translated it into English and added two verses to the original text. 

In addition to being Swedish, 'How Great Thou Art' is a popular one around the world. It was once voted the UK's favorite hymn by the BBC's Songs of Praise program, and was ranked as the second most favorite hymn of all time in 2001 by Christian Magazine, (second to 'Amazing Grace').  

The original Swedish version.

Original Carl Gustav Boberg text:
O store gud,
När jag den värld beskådar,
Som du har skapat 
Med ditt all makts ord.
Refrain:
Då brister själen ut i lof sångsljud:
O store Gud! O store Gud!
Då brister själen ut i lof sångsljud:
O store Gud! O store Gud!

Hur där din visdom
Leder lifvets trådar,
Och alla väsen 
Mättas vid ditt bord.
Refrain

Modern text in English:
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hand hath made.
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.
Refrain

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Refrain

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
Refrain

Fläskpannkaka - Not Your Ordinary Swedish Pancake

One of the most well-known Swedish foods in America is the Swedish pancake (pannkaka). These crepe-like griddle cakes are thin, dense, and delightful. Served with whipped cream and lingonberries - mmmm!

But here's something a little different. The pork pancake (fläskpannkaka). It combines two of my many favorite things: Swedish pancakes and bacon. 

This is a well-loved Swedish dinner dish because of its simplicity. It's a great weekend breakfast dish or dinner on a busy weeknight. With only four ingredients, it's a snap to put together. 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound bacon;
• 3 eggs;
• 3 1/4 cups milk;
• 1 3/4 cup flour;

Preheat oven to 425º F. 

Cut bacon into small pieces. Place in 9" by 12" baking dish, and put into the oven to brown. Stir occasionally. This should take about 5 minutes. 

While bacon cooks, whisk together eggs, milk, and flour. Mixture will have the consistency of a thick cream. 

Once bacon is browned, remove dish from oven and pour mixture over bacon. Return to oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes. Pancake will be set and lightly browning. 

Remove from oven, and let sit for a few minutes before cutting. Serve with lingonberries or by itself. 

Wasn't that an easy dinner? Try it on March 4th, which is International Pancake Day.