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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Lefse For The Holidays


One of the benefits to being married to a Norwegian is the lefse.... I was introduced this yummy treat 23 years ago when my boyfriend (now my husband) invited me to share Thanksgiving dinner with his family - before they became my family too.... Dusty's great Aunt Doris would make a batch for the family to share. As the years went by she would make a special "secret" batch for me.... after all I was her favorite niece...

Now that Aunt Doris is no longer with us - I can't help but remember her during the holidays - not only her kindness and beauty but her wonderful lefse made just for me. Every year Aunt Doris would invite me to her home to learn how to make lefse and I always thought there would be time..... but there wasn't and her absence will be forever missed.... My advise to you - don't wait until tomorrow what you can do today..

Lefse is a lot of work but worth the time... Enjoy

Lefse Recipe - great with butter and sugar..

Lefse

- 4 heaping cups of mashed or riced potatoes
- 1 stick of butter (or margarine)
- 1/3 cup of milk
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 cups of flour
- extra flour for rolling out the dough.

Measure out the mashed/riced potatoes into a large mixing bowl. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter/margarine in the milk; stir in the sugar and salt. Then pour over the cold mashed (riced) potatoes and mix.

Stir two cups of flour into the potato mixture. The dough will be sticky and soft.

Start heating the griddle or electric frying pan. Do not add any oil, margarine or shortening. Lefse is baked on a dry surface.

Take a lump of dough about the size of an egg. Place a heaping teaspoon of flour on the surface where you're going to roll out your lefse. Work about half of the heaping teaspoon of flour into the lump of dough (enough so you can handle the dough, but not so much that the dough becomes dry).

Starting in the center, roll outward until the lefse is about the size of a dinner plate. Try not to roll the lefse so thin that you cannot pick it up. If the lefse tears when you start to pick it up, gather it into a lump and roll it out again. Don't do this too many times, though, or your lefse will end up tough and dry. Ideally, you should only roll the lefse once, although that's probably not a realistic expectation if you've never made lefse before. Also try to turn the lefse only once while you are rolling it out. If the lefse starts to stick, add a little more flour.

When you have the lefse rolled out, transfer it to the hot griddle. Carefully pick it up and quickly move it. If you move slowly, the lefse is more likely to tear. Expert lefse makers use flat lefse turners (they look like long flat sticks) to transfer the dough by rolling it onto the turner and then unrolling it onto the griddle. You can also try rolling your lefse onto the rolling pin and transferring it to the griddle or the fry pan.

Once you have the lefse on the griddle, bake it for about a minute, just until brown 'freckles' start to appear; then turn the lefse over and let the other side bake just until brown freckles start to appear. While the first piece of lefse is baking, roll out your second one.

After the first piece of lefse is done, use the pancake turner to remove it from the griddle and place it on a clean dishtowel. Cover with another dishtowel.

Bake the second lefse and roll out the third piece.

When the second lefse is finished, place it on top of the first one and cover with the towel again.

Then bake the third piece.

Repeat until you have baked all of the dough. Place each newly baked lefse on top of the previously baked lefse and cover the stack with the towel.

Once the lefse is completely cool, place it in a plastic bag or wrap it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to help keep it moist. You must wait until the lefse is completely cool before wrapping it, otherwise the heat from the lefse will condense inside of the plastic or the aluminum foil, and your lefse will end up soggy. If you leave the lefse overnight without wrapping it in plastic or aluminum foil, it will probably be dried out in the morning. If the lefse dries out, sprinkle a little water on the dishtowel and wrap the dishtowel and the lefse in plastic. The lefse will soften up again.

When you're ready to eat a piece of lefse, spread it with butter (or margarine), sprinkle sugar on it (some people also like to sprinkle cinnamon on their lefse), and roll into a log.

Also, once the lefse is cool, it can be frozen.

This recipe is from the book Christmas In Dairyland by LeAnn R. Ralph.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Santa Baby Terminology


I always have to laugh when this song comes on - the reason is my eleven year old loves singing this song but she has no clue what the words she is saying mean..

Example:
Slip the sable under the tree - an old fashion word for mink coat
Sign your X on the line - another word for signature
A platinum mine - a cave full of platinum rather than gold (much more valuable)
With some decorations bought at Tiffany's - Tiffany's an expensive jewelry store
A ring, I don't mean on the phone - an old fashion way to say "call me"

Merry Christmas to you.




Wednesday, December 23, 2009

When David met Bing


This is an awesome classic..... Love love this. I cry like a baby each time I see it.

Merry Christmas and May God Bless You Real Good!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Musical Monday - O Holy Night


Hosted by Diane at Good Mourning, Glory. One of my favorite sites!

I love the Christmas Season - I am sharing this song on the last Monday before Christmas. There's a little story behind it that I want to share...

When I was in the 7th grade so many moons ago - my junior high had a Christmas program. At the end of the program - all the children stood around the auditorium holding hands and singing "Oh Holy Night"... I was a kid that had the worst voice ever - seriously.... I still can't sing worth beans... Any way - my mom and dad came to the performance - afterward as mom, dad, and I were walking to the car my dad told me that it was his favorite song.... He said he could hear me singing and I sounded like an angel to him..... Now that he has passed away and this is my second Christmas with him gone - I wanted to share this song with you - every time I hear it - I can't help but well up..... God bless you and Merry Christmas to you and yours.



Sunday, December 20, 2009

A Letter From Jesus


Letter from Jesus about Christmas --

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own.
I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:


1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.



2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.



3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up... It will be nice hearing from you again.



4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.



5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.



6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.



7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a"Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families



8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.



9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them,

buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.


10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.


Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :

I LOVE YOU,
JESUS

Friday, December 18, 2009

Christmas Dinner

So I was thinking..... what to make for our CHRISTmas dinner feast.. Every year it's the same old thing... Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings... I was thinking about mixing it up a little...

How about a Sushi Bar for 20 guests




Or a Mexican Fiesta...



Or Hamburgers and Hot dogs..



But after a lively discussion with the spouse... we decided on the Bird....



Maybe we can deep fry it???? Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

The Christmas Lights


As you can tell I love Christmas - love to decorate. I love love the twinkling lights... For the first fourteen years while living at our home- I decorated the front yard - I put down the sheets of snowy white cotton on the lawn that sparkled in the morning like real snow from the dew on the ground... I covered the bushes with millions of lights and everything else that did not move.. Our lights would twinkle every night until Christmas night and then we would pack up everything for the next year.....

Well, the past three (3) years I have given the task of the outdoor decorating to the husband... Granted - he doesn't go as overboard as I tend to do... He'll wrap the bushes with a strand or two of lights.... he'll even set up the six (6) foot Santa globe... and place the candy canes along the lawn border... but this year I needed more... more I tell you....

When the hub went to work - my kid and I went to the task of putting up the flying snow man and the snowman teeter totter.. - I couldn't help myself - oh and hologram penguins too!!


The only problem is when the husband does the decorations the fuse always kills the lights... when I do them well let's just say our home is bright.... next year - I'm thinking it'll be a team effort...

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Daughter Decorates For Christmas

Every year I can't wait to get up my CHRISTmas decorations - this year was no different except for the fact my back has been out for a while. My thirteen year old decided to do the task for me... She had a blast...

Before



After



Before



After

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