The Stanley cup doubles as baptismal font

The Stanley cup is currently in Sweden - this past week it was in Piteå with the Detroit Redwings own Thomas Holmström. Us folks from the northern part of Sweden have a bit of a reputation, stereotypes include slow drawly speaking using few words (like the south in most other places, go figure) and being a little eccentric - or 'different'. OK, so that last part might be true - after all, Thomas Holmström's cousin Robert Sundström decided to baptize his daughter in the Stanley Cup. Robert says it was Thomas' idea though - either way Robert is thrilled. "It feels great to baptize Alva in such a unique priceless object. I don't have any idea if it's happened before" he said to Piteåtidningen.

The Stanley cup has bodyguards that travel with it - Walter Neubrand and Bill Walter - and they did not protest when Alva Felcia Sundström was baptized in the cup that all hockeyplayers dream of getting their hands on. Last thursday Thomas even used the cup as a "paltgryta" as well. Told you we were different. ;)

(food lovers continue inside for instructions on how to make palt)

How to make palt:
12 "mandel" potatoes (looks a lot like Bamberger Hörnchen but only grows in northern Sweden.)
6 dl kornmjöl - whole wheat flour
1 1/2 dl wheat flour
3 hg pork
salt
allspice/pepper mix

Peel the potatoes, duh.
Mash the potatoes, spices and flour in a bowl until it's like a dough.
Make little itty bitty bacon squares from the pork.
Make round balls of the dough, that fit your hand like a good snowball, poke a hole in them and shove some pork in the center, then keep shaping them, you want that pork to stay in the dead center and the surface of the ball to be somewhat even.
Boil water (with salt) in a large pot. 10-liter pot is the tradition, Stanley Cup optional.
Sink the balls into the boiling water one at a time so that they get tough enough to handle being in there with other balls.
Simmer for 30-40 miutes.

Serve with butter and lingonberries / lingonjam.
in the end, it'll look like this.