Yulefest: Ballard Hosts the Festivities

I always enjoyed attending the small Swedish Christmas Fair near my home in Southeastern Michigan. It was festive and charming. A few performances, tables of baked goods, a selection of Christmas decorations for sale. The hallways and common rooms of the church were packed with people saying:

I loved it, so I knew I would seek out the same kind of festival when I moved to Seattle. Jackpot! This region has a large Nordic presence and I learned that they are opening a beautiful new Nordic Heritage Museum this Spring (May 5, 2018). 

It was a rainy Seattle Sunday when Dan and I drove to Ballard (an area within Seattle) to check out Yulefest. After 40 years, we arrived in the final hours of the current museum being open. I could hear attendees making sentimental statements about coming to this building as children and wanting to photograph just a few more special places inside. 

The Nordic Heritage Museum was packed. Like turn sideways to cross through the halls packed. It was wonderful to see that so many wanted to take one-last-pass through the halls and honor their heritage. I took this short video (above) to let you hear a traditional folk song and witness the bustling cafe where attendees ate open-faced sandwiches and authentic Christmas cookies.

Vendors were set up in the museum's display rooms and hallways for easy shopping.

In honor of Yulefest, I wore a Dale of Norway sweater, similar to this glorious display (above) and the shop woman smiled at my choice.

I stopped to admire these Norwegian Rosemaling wood carriers. I imagine they are for bringing food to a party, but that might just be me. I love their beauty and craftsmanship. I found a similar piece on Etsy if you are interested.

I felt foolish when I realized that I missed my chance to get in line for a hot ebelskiver. By the time I peeked through this doorway and saw what was going on, the line was even longer. This kind woman showed me how you gently turn these Nordic pancakes with a wooden skewer to keep it from browning too much on one side. Next year, I am getting my hot ebelskiver first!

Whether your ancestors are Nordic or you are just an admirer like me, be sure to attend Yulefest (November 2018) in the brand new Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard, Washington.

God Jul! 

Adorable Advent Calendar

It's December 1st! Time to start the countdown to Christmas on your advent calendar.

I am completely taken with my new tin advent calendar. I found it at Michaels Craft store on sale for 50% off the $15 price tag - how could I resist? The only drawback is that the teeny-tiny tin pockets have been challenging to fill. You can see that only the Ghirardelli chocolates are a good fit. Since there are no kids in the house, I am comfortable tucking things in the pockets as I find them. My goal is to finish by Christmas Eve!

I found the darling Swedish clothespin doll girls at my new favorite garden store, Molbak's. One of my other favorite finds is the chocolate "Swiss Army knife." It was for sale in the candy section at Cost Plus World Market.

Are you counting down to Santa on a calendar that is special?

Glittered Shells

I named my style of decorating, "Swedish Beach House" years ago when I was assembling furniture and linens for our new house.  Painted tables, oval back chairs and plate racks coupled with a seashore palette of cream, shell pink, and blue gray.

This holiday season I wanted to add some sparkle in unexpected places around the house.  I decided that if I am truly a Swedish Beach House, I should have more shells around!

I took an inexpensive container of shells from the craft store, painted Sobo glue on them and then glittered away with a collection of Martha Stewart fine glitter from Michaels craft store.  They dried in minutes and you can see that I have them displayed in an antique dish.

When the sun shines into my family room, this display actually twinkles! 

Trust me, if you want to add a little gentle fabulousness to your house this year, try glittering something.

Advent Calendars

Would you believe that this sweet paper cottage is also an advent calendar? 

I love to countdown to Christmas with an advent calendar and have decorated my house with many cute ones over the years.  Remember the one I made with scrapbook paper?

 

I bought this pastel advent house years ago (by artist Camilla Ashforth for her illustrated series about a bear named, Willow) and have resisted bending back the paper doors until now.  It felt too pretty to open (and looks so great with my "Swedish Beach house" decorating!) that I liked having it on display just as it is.  This year, though, I've decided to open each window and peek into the world of a teddy bear as he prepares for the holidays.

We have just two more days until we can open the window marked 1.  Does your house have an advent calendar?  If not, you can head to the nearest bookstore (or shop online for darling ones here!) and find one to help you count down the days until Christmas.

Swedish Christmas Fair

Don't you love these giant "Gingerbread Cookies" made of cardboard?  Seeing these giant decorations (3 feet tall!) is part of what I love about going to our local Swedish Christmas Fair.

A few years ago I met the woman who made them.  She uses big sheets of cardboard (from an appliance box) and paints them gingerbread brown.  If memory serves, I think she uses grout in a tube to make the 3-dimensional "icing."  Aren't they wonderful?  She made at least 12 of these and hangs them high on the wall all around the fair.

I drank some hot glogg with raisins & almonds, listened to live Scandinavian folk music and nibbled on Swedish Dream cookies while I wandered the gift area.  My big purchase was a homemade Cardamon Twist ("Vetebrod") coffeecake in the shape of a wreath.  I know it will be delicious, but my favorite part so far is the ingredient list on the tag:  mjol, smor, mjolk, socker, agg, jast, salt, kardemumma and kanel - isn't that fun?

I am going to freeze it and bring it out to serve with coffee on a snowy morning in December. 

God Jul! (that's Merry Christmas in Swedish)

Swedish Christmas Fair 2009

Oh happy day! I just got back from a Swedish Christmas Fair. I walked through the doors and was greeted with a "God Jul!" and a cup of glogg with almonds & raisins. Now that is how I want to start a Saturday.

My Mom & I made fast friends with a table of ladies and talked about Swedish baking and such while we snacked on the plate above (Drommar Dreams, Rye Logs and Cardamom Rolls). The smorgas (open face) sandwich had meatballs on a bed of beet/dill/apple/leek salad over limpa (caraway/rye/fennel) bread. Yum!

We browsed the collection of Swedish dishtowels & decorations for sale, scanned the selection of food items (they had my Swedish Pearl Sugar!) and left with a bag full of homemade Swedish baked goods. Right now I am eating a vanilla-butter taffy called smorkola this is so good I want to book my flight to Sweden right now! I started with a bag of 7 hand-wrapped pieces and there are only 4 left! I love Swedish Sweets!

Swedish Almond Cake

Last year, after blogging about my trip to the Swedish American museum in Andersonville, Illinois, a reader wrote a comment to tell me about a cake pan & recipe for Swedish Almond Cake that she was sure I would like.
Later that Summer, when I saw that very cake pan in a little Swedish gift shop, I snapped it up. This week was its maiden voyage into my oven and what a success! I sprinkled Lars Own Swedish Pearl Sugar on it for a finishing touch.
This cake is light and sweet with chewy edges - yum! Where has almond cake been all my life?
Thank you, "Ann G" for opening up my eyes!

Swedish Bakery in Chicago

The cookbook, Swedish Cakes and Cookies, talks of a traditional coffee klatch where friends gather for coffee, sweets and conversation. I am in! 

I can't wait to try and replicate some of these sweets. This photo was taken at our last stop in Andersonville, "The Swedish Bakery" on North Clark Street. I ate cookies from each shelf and they were delicious!

Salute to Sweden

I would love love love to go to Sweden someday. I find myself drawn to Swedish-style furniture, the paintings of Carl Larsson and even Swedish sweets.

So when I was in Chicago last weekend, I headed straight to Andersonville, a Swedish community.

I shopped the Swedish American Museum (I bought a traditional cookie cookbook & pearl sugar) and then enjoyed lunch at Svea (Swedish meatballs and cold fruit soup). 

It was a beautiful day - perfect for window shopping.