Do what the baking show people do, it sounds just right! And yes, very therapeutic!
One of the things my husband and I agree on is lots of garlic and spicy hot chilies! Which is not a Norwegian-type thing. I have one of his mother's recipes for a noodle dish that calls for a whole clove of garlic - pierced with a toothpick - and removed before baking! My version uses 3 cloves, minced and sauteed with the onions.
She mostly boiled her vegetables. Nothing wrong with that, but I like to steam mine (artichokes, with garlic powder and a few fennel seeds in the steam water) or roast them in the oven (with, yes, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon before serving). She would boil cabbage until it nearly gave up the ghost. I stir-fry mine lightly with salt and pepper and a pinch of whole celery seeds. I never liked beets all that much, the canned and pickled kind, but roasting them whole in the oven changed all that. I like my vegetables to shine on their own, not just be an extra thing on the plate.
Critical relatives? Perhaps you could take the pressure off by explaining that you're doing an ongoing experiment? Not looking for a thumb's up or down, you just need their feedback on the flavors? Hopefully choosing the testers/tasters who are also cooks? Even if you don't exactly match her flavors you will come close and create new family favorites!