Taste of Scandinavia by Sons of Norway Vikings of the Smokies

I lived for a time in Wisconsin, home to many Norwegians, Swedes and transplants from Scandinavia so when the Sons of Norway Vikings of the Smokies announced their third annual Taste of Scandinavia I couldn’t wait to attend.The smorgasbord included; potato sausages, smoked salmon, cheeses, pickled & creamed herring, Swedish meatballs, lapkaus stew, open faced sandwiches, cabbage soup, lefsa, kringle, ginger cookies, fruit soup and cream pudding.

While many of the foods were familiar to me I was introduced to Ekte Gjelost, a brown goat cheese. The cheese was strong yet sweet and was one of my favorite tastes of the evening. I was told it could be ordered online http://www.igourtmet.com and is sometimes available in grocery stores that have a large International cheese department. My favorite dessert, and there were so many to choose from was the Almond Cake. Simply delightful! The cake is traditionally baked in an Almond Cake pan but a loaf pan will work. Tomorrow I will be in the kitchen baking this delicious cake and it is definitely going into my cake collection. The event included music and the Trollkretsen Scandinavian Dancers, a casual recreational dance group that meets on Tuesday evenings at the Laurel Theater in Knoxville. For information about becoming a member of the Sons of Norway Vikings of the Smokies or a list of upcoming events visit www.tnvikings.org.

Cades Cove Cabins by Artist Michael Hardin

Michael Hardin's Cades Cove Matchstick Cabins

Cades Cove is the most popular spot to visit in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Established as an historical site in 1945, the area was once home to the early pioneer settlers that moved to the area. Today visitors experience the beauty of the mountains, view the bears and other wildlife, and tour the remaining log cabins, churches and the working gristmill on the 11 mile loop around the cove. Artist Michael Hardin spends his spare time recreating the cabins, churches and the grist mill from matchsticks; each having been first struck, and then painstakingly glued into place to form the walls of the buildings. Each structure takes between 3 to 6 months to complete and Hardin says he often works on two buildings at a time, allowing the glue to harden on one while working on the second. The detail is impressive with tiny hinges on the doors and real bells in the bell towers. The Primitive Baptist Church even has pews and benches. To date Hardin has created the John Oliver Cabin, The Primitive Baptist Church, The Methodist Church, The Missionary Baptist Church, John Cable Mill, and the Carter Shield Cabin. I find it interesting that the Methodist Church built in 1830 took 115 days to complete and cost $115. Mr. Hardin’s cabin took slightly longer to finish but cost less than $10. Michael Hardin’s Cades Cove Matchstick Art is truly amazing and a tribute to times gone by.