My Inheritance

One of my most precious possessions, what I call my inheritance, is a recipe written in my Nana’s own, European handwriting, for a cake with chocolate frosting.



A simple, not too sweet, Swedish cake (the sesame seeds give it away) and the chocolate frosting, homemade and yummy but what would now be deemed gourmet. No mixes or additives to make it big and puffy. Just really good.






Ada Helena (my namesake) and Knute Salem came to the US through Ellis Island with their firstborn child. Eventually they made a life for themselves with five children. All served in the Navy during WWII, even my aunt. She was a Wave. And my father was quoted several times in the book ‘Flyboys’ by James Bradley. I have my father’s Medal of Honor (awarded for personal bravery) and Distinguished Flying Cross (awarded for extraordinary acts of heroism while in flight). If you read the book, he is Robert ‘Swede’ Akerblom.

But look at this. In my Nana’s recipe, one of the directions is to ‘beat while you sing three stanzas of “Seeing Nellie Home”. Not beat 3 minutes or 200 strokes. No MixMaster or Cuisinart, just your own voice and timing and voila! The cake of your dreams. Try it! (I don’t actually know that song, but I keep meaning to look it up)



If that isn’t the sweetest thing ever, I don’t know what is. Jag Alskar Dig, Ada.