when we were planning for St Lucia day & our Swedish smorgasbord, i came across some great books & cookbooks. FYI, all of these books are available
here.
the above book is: Lucia Child of Light: The history and tradition of Sweden's Lucia celebration by Florence Ekstrand, it's older (1989) & more difficult to find, yet is filled with lots of information about the history of the saint & how Swedish people set aside a day to honor her.
Lucia Morning in Sweden is by Ewa Rydaker
the first part of the book is an elaborately illustrated children's story...
then the last few pages there is a brief history of St Lucia, recipes...
& patterns & instructions on how to sew your own Star boy & St Lucia costumes.
D is for Dala Horse: A Nordic Countries Alphabet is by Kathy-Jo Wargin
S is for St Lucia (& smorgasbord), that page contains a very brief explanation of how Scandinavia celebrates St Lucia.
Hanna's Christmas is by Melissa Peterson
it is a very cute story to read to young children, towards the end of the story the daughter serves her parents breakfast in bed a la St Lucia fashion.
Kirsten's Surprise: A Christmas Story is by Janet Shaw, again St Lucia day is celebrated by Swedish tradition.
Swedish Christmas Crafts is by Helene Lundberg & all of the projects are simple & uncomplicated
St Lucia wreath & apple candle holders
bundles of cinnamon
small green wreaths
The Swedish Table by Helene Henderson was the best Swedish cookbook i found (& it was really interesting to read about the author, her background & experiences growing up in Sweden). for
our Swedish smorgasbord we used the Swedish Meatballs with Gravy & the Baby New Potatoes with Sea Salt & Dill recipes. you will also find recipes for: Saffron & Raisin Buns (Santa Lucia Buns), Glogg, White Bean Salad with Roasted Red Peppers and Cherry Tomatoes, Swedish Pancakes.
Sweet and Savory Swedish Baking by Leila Lindholm was the best Swedish baking book i found (& again very interesting to read about the author & her background). the photography in this book is gorgeous !
i must try this GF chocolate & hazelnut torte !
i think this chocolate chip walnut brownies recipe could easily be made GF...
& maybe these almond cakes could be made GF, too ?
a couple of the 'baking without an oven' treats looked yummy & either were already GF or could be made GF.
and just for fun i thought i'd throw in a couple of Scandinavian craft books: Scandinavian Needlecraft by Clare Youngs contains 35 sewing projects &
Scandinavian Stitches by Kajsa Wikman has 21 whimsical projects ~ just look at how bright & cheerful the cover is ! anyway i will blog more about these 2 crafts books in February when i blog all about 2010 craft books & what i created from them :)
