The day before the baptism I baked and filled the cake. One of our girls came in the kitchen and asked what I was making. I said that I was making a Princess Torte. “A Princess Torte for a boy?” was the next question. I had to explain that it was just the name of […]
Category: Celebrations
A celebration at home
This past Sunday we had the baptism for our little Hugo. We have always held our baptisms at home and it is a fairly small, intimate affair with family members and close friends. I really enjoy organizing the celebration for the small baby, even though the baby has not an inkling of the color coordinated […]
Midsummer and Crepes
During midsummer it seems as if our internal clock goes into a summer mode. Usually the kids are in bed at 8.30 pm and the wake up is at 7 am during the school year. But once school is out it takes about three days to go into summer schedule where bedtime is closer to […]
The smell of honey and clover and the sound of kisses
I found this poem that tells of the magic of scents and smells of a new little miracle. The original language is in Finnish but below is a rough translation. “Tuoksussa tässä on outoa taikaa. Miten voi tuoksua yhtä aikaa: hunajalta, apilalta, suukkojen mäiskeeltä, rakkauden räiskeeltä, talvelta ja kesältä, pikkulinnun pesältä?” There is a curious […]
Grampa’s Banana Cream Pie and a Gluten-free version
During one of their trips to Finland, Grampa taught me how to make Banana Cream Pie. It is one of those recipes that I know by heart. I’m not sure if I have the actual written version anymore. It has been a well-loved recipe that has been made many, many times. This past weekend we […]
Rocky Road Party Treats
These Rocky Road treats have become a regular at our birthday parties. The first reason is that they taste good, the second reason is that they are so simple to make and the third reason is that they store well up to week so they can made a few days in advance if preferred. I’m […]
The Mother’s Gift
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day! Motherhood is all about growth as a person. Little ones are good teachers about the simple pleasures in life. A peal of laughter, a burst of a song in the middle of the day. Rarely are adults as spontaneous expressing their feelings as freely. Life isn’t all about the laughter and […]
The Season of Celebrations
As the season of celebrations approaches I thought I would share a very traditional Finnish savory dish that has been done in a very non-Finnish way. The sandwich cake or voileipäkakku is served at many graduation and confirmation parties as well as at baptisms. I was able to make one for a friend this past […]
Happy May Day! Hauskaa Vappua!
May Day or Vappu in Finland is a celebration of spring. In the past it has had a stronger association with the blue collar workers, their demonstrations and speeches on behalf of their rights. Today the festivities have become more carnival and street party-like with paper streamers, silly string, balloons and picnic brunches. Students across […]
A Cupcake Birthday Party
As I’ve mentioned sometimes before, we get to celebrate birthdays quite often. Our birthday season starts in March, then we have another one in April, May, June, July, August and then the last one of the year comes right before New Year’s in December. We finally had the official birthday party for the Niner! As […]
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