Rhymes and Rhythms

Waiting

for

the

temperature

to

rise





to

stir

and

apply

the

sealant




to

log-sided

nooks

and

crannies








and

cedar

shingled

peaks





for a

Nordic-style

welcome

to

our

ever-evolving

home.



Hooray for a warm October day! After hours of hand-brushing, this outdoor winter preparation is complete... and so is this stage of our re-siding project. Here's looking at its Rhymes and Rhythms.

Crystal Anniversary

Roll out the Scandinavian table runner.

Pull out the crystal candle holder and wedding plate.

Set up the center-piece of silk roses and ivy.

Fill sandbakkels
with chocolate and
chopped nuts.

(An Americanized Nordic treat.)





Light the Unity Candle – once again.

Today we celebrate 15 years of matrimony –

our Crystal Anniversary.




Upon receiving this treat, my groom said, "Your sandbakkels are better than any others I've had."

Here's why:

Wendy's Secret Sandbakkel Recipe


1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2-1/2 cups flour
2 egg whites (not yolks!) or 1 whole egg
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar (a Nordic ingredient)

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg whites. Stir in flour and vanilla sugar to make dough. Form a small ball and press into a sandbakkel tin, spreading the dough thinly. Repeat, filling the set of tins. Bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Turn over each tin and tap out the sandbakkel. Fill with fruit preserves or pudding and top with whip cream.

Or try our family's favorite filling:
In a small pot, melt chocolate chips with a splash of cream. Use the liquid mix to fill the sandbakkel. Top with chopped almonds or hazelnuts.

Brew a cup of coffee or cocoa. Serve on a crystal platter and celebrate with us!

His Other Job

... quarter log siding the house – for a Nordic flair!

At last, Dan has finished the north side.


(That leaves me to sand, prime and paint the back step, posts, rails and insets for a true Scandinavian feel.)



Now he's measuring up the east side with the deck and three-season porch...



... and laying one log at a time. (This job began last fall with the south and west sides completed before last winter.)

This year's plan is to finish the rest before the cold settles in.





Then we can enjoy a little outdoor dining and relaxing – Scandinavian style – especially, when our Norwegian visitors arrive the end of September. But for now, I look forward to white washing the floor and trim when he's done with... his other job.