My baby is grown up...

TORI 5 minutes old

TORI 1 year old

Tori Today

Good gracious.  My baby girl is 18 years old today.  How did this happen?  It seems like only yesterday I was in the hospital holding that precious redhead, looking into her eyes and wondering how I was going to instill all the knowledge she needed, all the life lessons she would learn, and make her the woman she needed to be. 

Little did I know, she would end up teaching me more than I could ever teach her.  She became the woman she is all on her own, and grew into her knowlege with such grace and beauty.  She grew alongside me, taught me life lessons while I held her hand and looked into those beautiful blue eyes all these years, and gave me unconditional love.  This lovely child gave me a chance at life and is the love of my life.  My pride and joy. 

My heart breaks when I think of her leaving for college, yet it swells with joy when I think of her reaching such great things.  She reaches for the stars and yet has such a steady grasp on reality.  I am so proud of who she has become and who she is yet to be.  I love you Victoria Lauren.  Thank you for letting me be your mom.  It has been the greatest job in my life, and I look forward to so much more with you.

The Requested Birthday Dinner:
Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberry Sauce
Buttered Egg Noodles
Peas with Dill Butter
Chocolate Mousse

Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberry Sauce (Serves a Crowd!)

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound ground pork
6 slices fresh white bread, crusts removed
1 cup whole milk
8 shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs, beaten
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 handful fresh dill, chopped
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups sour cream
fresh nutmeg
salt/pepper
1/2 cup lingonberry jam

1. In small bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk, stir with fork and let stand for 5 minutes.
2. In dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat - add shallots and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Saute until softened but not browned.   Remove to measuring cup.
3. Put meat in large mixing bowl.  Add herbs, grate 1/8-1/4 fresh nutmeg over mixture.  Squeeze extra milk out of bread and add bread to mixture.  Pour extra butter off shallot mixture into dutch oven and put shallot mixture into meat.  Add eggs into meat.  Mix well.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Use moistened hands to form large meatballs, approximately 1/2 cup per meatball.
5. Heat butter from shallot mixture over moderate heat and add meatballs in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.  Brown on all sides.  Remove to platter as they finish.
6. Add flour to bottom of pan after all meatballs are done/removed from pan, whisking to dissolve in fat.  Cook for two minutes.  Add warm chicken stock and whisk thoroughly to stir up all brown bits from bottom of the pan.  Bring to boil, simmer until thickened.  Lower heat, stir in sour cream and lingonberry jam.  Season with salt and pepper IF needed.  Return meatballs to pan, Simmer until sauce reduces slightly and meatballs are cooked through and hot.
7. Serve over hot egg noodles tossed with butter, fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley, and kosher salt.