Grandma 'Raine and Grandpa Ernie
My maternal grandmother was Swedish and my maternal grandfather was Austrian. They instilled in me a love of all things Swedish and halupsha--an Austrian potato dish that we would have every year at Christmas.
Grandma Alma and Grandpa Oscar
My paternal grandmother was German but baked the traditional Norwegian foods for her Norwegian husband, my paternal grandfather. Every year she made rosettes and krumkake (which she called scrollers) and lefse and kringla and popcorn balls and peanut butter blossoms, and a wonderful cake doughnut. When we would come to celebrate Christmas she would bring out this wonderful old red tin full of goodies. According to the label it originally held 50 pounds of Pride shortening. It now has a place of pride in my kitchen.
Grandma Jan
My mom was never really interested in making lots of time consuming, fussy cookies but I remember her making lots of quick breads at Christmastime and most years there was a beautiful tea ring. She is a great cheerleader in the hunt for new and old Swedish recipes. She sees to it that there is always a roaster of halupsha for Christmas. She always makes way too much food. Every year she sets up a card table full of all the goodies that my sister and I (who are interested in making lots of time consuming, fussy cookes) have baked and lately she has sprung for groceries for the goodies.
Grandpa Denny
My Dad was the one that got us interested in making lefse and the other Norwegian goodies that Grandma Alma used to make. Once or sometimes twice a winter we get together and make a bunch of rounds of lefse. Lisa is by far the better roller. Sometimes they let me turn. Grandpa mixes the dough and shapes it into balls. He also is the doughnut maker. Mom makes the batter from Grandma Alma's recipe and he cranks out the doughnuts. Each fall they host a doughnut day for their friends and usually once more before Christmas they are making batches of doughnuts. |
| grandpa denny at the fryer doughnut day 2013 |
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| grandma jan visiting between batches |
My sister, Lisa and I have both been bitten by the baking bug. We make different things but both of us are not afraid to tackle the fussy stuff. Some of the goodies may change each year but Lisa will always be expected to show up with her French Silk pie and Jack will always bring his signature cheesecake. There would be mutiny if they didn't.
...and the next
Nikole has now accumulated all the equipment to make lefse and last year she became the fourth generation of lefse makers in our family. As the cousins move into adulthood I can only expect that they will add to our family traditions.
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