"It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." A.Holmes

Sunday, December 19, 2010

It Must Be Getting Close To Christmas ~

The Christmas Village is up, and when evening sets in the lights of the village make it appear to be a living miniature town. Magical ! Must be getting close to Christmas.
Baking seems to occupy every bit of spare time, but the cold and rainy days outside cause the kitchen to call out to us.."come bake, be warm, and eat"! Must be getting close to Christmas .
My husband makes his traditional Berry Butternuts, something his father did, and still does, but with the many, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren my dear Father-in-Law has, he cannot possibly bake these yummy cookies for everyone anymore, so it is a good thing his grown children continue this tradition. A yummy good thing~ Must be getting close to Christmas. I have already made several batches of lefse for two different occasions. For all my married life, 37 years and then some, I have made lefse for Christmas. Lefse is our traditional Christmas morning breakfast. I make it the night before , so all my Christmas Eves are spent making it, then cleaning the kitchen and setting the table , making sure there is butter to spread on the lefse, and also making sure there is a mixture of cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle on it. Then the lefse is rolled up like a jelly roll and eaten. Hot coffee, rosettes, ( another Scandinavian treat ) and some cheese and fruit are all that is needed to complete this breakfast usually eaten after we open gifts and before we prepare for whatever else we will be doing Christmas Day. The lefse griddle is still out,ready for more use ~ as are the rolling pin and lefse turner...must be getting close to Christmas. "While lutefisk requires some getting used to, most people take an immediate liking to lefse, Norway's unleavened soft bread. Somewhat thinner than a commercially prepared tortilla, lefse rounds are also much larger and softer than the Mexican bread....While a great variety of lefse types exist in Norway, potato lefse dominates almost exclusively in the United States. Like lutefisk, lefse now serves as a badge of Norwegian ethnicity..." 'Keeping Christmas, Yuletide Traditions in Norway And The New Land' by Kathleen Stokker ~~~~ My Grandmother taught me how to make lefse many years ago, when I was a young girl and I am very thankful. I had no idea then of how precious this gift of teaching me how to make lefse was, but I know I need to teach this to my Grandchildren, just as I need to know and teach the real reason I celebrate Christmas. "For unto you is born this day in the city of David......" It must be getting close to Christmas!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love the warm and cozy look of your Christmas village Kathy. Your kitchen must smell heavenly with all the Christmas baking going on. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas.

Connie said...

What a lovely post, Kathy! The traditions of Christmas run deep. It's interesting how different they are from one household to the next. I've never heard of Lefse, but it sounds delicious. I hope you have a great week!

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Ah, I bet it smells wonderful at your house, Kathy! Christmas is such a cozy time and I love how it prepares us for Christ's birth, winter and then Easter. We've never been folks who celebrate church days such as Advent, etc. but prepare our hearts in our own way. People who don't have these beautiful traditions and the love of Christ...simply cannot imagine.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Lady Jane said...

Lots of smells coming over from your kitchen Kathy, smells good.... I have never heard of lefse either. Hope you have some for the Tues. Tea so I can give it a try, lol....

Pondside said...

I love to read about new traditions, Kathy. Lefse is new to me, but my Norwegian friend always spoke very fondly of Lutefisk - and then I learned what it is! I'll take the lefse, please, with lots of butter and jam!

Karen said...

Wish you could send tastes and smells along with those beautiful pics! Enjoy the week! God bless you and your family.

Dolores said...

I've never heard of Lefse, but it sounds wonderful. Your husband's cookies sound good too. I love family traditions.... you certainly have some sweet ones.

Your village looks it's ready for Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Southern Comfort said...

I'd love to learn how to make lefse too. I understand about spending time in a cozy kitchen, making Christmas treats or a hearty meal. My husbands asks me what is for supper everyday. Your post made me warm and cozy. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

What is it about seeing a man working in the kitchen that is so wonderful! I just love that!

thanks so much for sharing this...I think I'll show my hubby! heheheee....

ciao bella

creative carmelina

Deanna said...

Dearest Kathy,
May you have the best Christmas ever and a very Happy New Year!

I have enjoyed blogging and having sweet friends like you to share with. It is always a delight to visit with you and see what you're doing.

God bless,
d

Lady Katherine said...

Oh, how I would love to taste just one! Your village is wonderful, I forgot to get mine out again, I have had 4 grandchildren daily, and two 24 hrs. I am in amidst a storm! Not my grandchildren, doing what I can to keep them. I miss visiting. Wanted to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.
I still want to taste one!

Lady Katherine said...

I think you should write a book! Just adorable!!! Thanks for joining me for Tea Time! Have a wonderful Christmas.
I still want to taste!