Lefse

Lefse is a traditional Norwegian flat bread. Although I am of Swedish descent, lefse definitely has a place in my Christmas time memories. Our family normally eats it with butter and brown sugar. Norwegians have been known to use it as a wrap for lutefisk.

My friend, Sue, bought a lefse iron and all the necessary accessories so the past couple years we have had a lefse making day. It's quite an art, and it takes awhile to get in the rhythm of it. There is a connection to past generations of women who gathered together to bake and find support in each other.

The dough is made from potatoes, milk and flour. It is then chilled and rolled out very thin using a cloth covered rolling pin. There are long sticks that are used to transfer the thin creation.

Yesterday was our annual lefse day so Sue, Tudy and myself spent a couple hours taking turns rolling and grilling. We drank tea and listened to Handel's Messiah and ended our time together with potato soup and cornbread.

Thought for the day: Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow, ripening fruit. Aristotle

Traditions

Recently I made the trek to Brainerd on a snowy day in order to continue the cookie baking tradition. When my kids were growing up, it was an annual event to make cut out sugar cookies with Grandma at Christmas time. My mother would make the dough and keep in the refrigerator until my kids could come and "help" her make sugar cookies. She had an array of cookie cutters that were used, and the cookies would be sprinkled with green and red sugar crystals. Sounds pretty simple and unexciting, but it's a memory that my kids will have for a long time.

My daughter, Tahnee, and I have been trying to continue this trend for the past couple of years. Hopefully at some point my granddaughters can join in so the memories can go on for years to come.

Thought for the day: Tradition is the illusion of permanence. Woody Allen

A Simpler Time

Yesterday I spent the afternoon making spritz cookies. A couple years ago I bought a battery operated cookie maker so once you get the rhythm down, it goes quite well. In my kitchen drawer is a box that contains a spritz cookie set that I somehow inherited. It belonged to my aunt Violet, and I used it until the purchase of the modern set.

So each year I contemplate getting rid of the old set; however, I am never able to do it because it hearkens back to a much simpler time based on the box that houses it. It is addressed to my aunt with no other details than Nelson, MN. Also, you can see that it cost 24 cents to mail the box, and the postmark is 1952.

Perhaps the battery operated model will break as modern items often do, and I'll go back to the old fashioned way. In the meantime, the box will continue to occupy a spot in my drawer.

Thought for the day: Life is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated. Confucius