Thursday, December 17, 2009

The Season Continues - Lefsa Included



Why not seize the pleasure at once, how often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparations.
Jane Austen

The muse of writing has left me the past few days as I've been entrenched in the business of Christmas. I'd like to write that I've done something altruistic and spent my time volunteering or aiding those in need. Somehow that aspect of the holidays has escaped me this year. I've entertained and had family and friends around me, but as to giving of myself, no.

Driving around my town the past few days running a myriad of errands, I haven't noticed Christmas decorations. Instead, the autumn leaves ablaze with color have caught my eye. My middle son arrived home from college in northern Arizona this past weekend. As we visited the toy stores in search of Dora items for my young niece, he replied, "It is still Fall here." Indeed, the oranges, reds and yellows are vibrant and have often drawn attention from my driving. Today, I will take my camera with me.

I do hate to put out yet another post of nothing worthwhile in terms of words, but here are a few pictures of the book club party (our December book What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver) and...





... for those of you Scandinavians out there, join our lefsa making party. Lefsa is sort of like the Norwegian/Swedish version of a tortilla, chapati, or mu shu shells. (Now the Norwegians claim it, but the Swedes do also. Little contention there. I was the only Swede in attendance that night.)

Lefsa is made from potatoes. The dough is rolled out very thin before cooking. We had to experiment a little before remembering our strategy from previous years.

We use a long stick to pick up the dough and roll it onto the griddle.

I like mine spread with soft, creamy butter and sprinkled with sugar, then rolled or quartered. I also like it spread with lingonberries. A friend eats his with Caro syrup. Another with cinnamon.

And what would a Scandinavian event be without the appropriate drink - Akvavit!

The results. Wish I could share it with you, but the photos will have to suffice. Please click on my friend, Beth's, blog as she has more photos. Disregard that photo of me. I never look like that.

Greetings until a better post.

33 comments:

  1. "I've entertained and had family around me, but as to giving of myself, no." ... seriously? I'm pretty sure that entertaining family and friends is giving of yourself!

    Posts with lots of photos are among my favorites, because it's in them that I truly see that the basics of the other person's life are pretty much the same as the basics of mine.

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  2. Okay you seriously are a fun person to be around, as is evidenced by all the happy people you hang out with! And yes, as Linda said, that's totally giving.

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  3. I had no idea what a lefsa was. Thanks for he education.

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  4. Family takes everything you've got, most times. Enjoy some moments of tranquillity.

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  5. Looks like a lot of fun! Good for you for making time to have fun! Great photos of the gang! Happy Holidays!

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  6. Books, fun, and food...you can't go wrong with any of it.
    Nice photo journal. :)

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  7. Looks like a fun book club. I used to be in one, but it kind of fell apart. Maybe I'll start a new one. I hope the muse returns to you soon.

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  8. Hey, that WAS a great post! It's cool to see a book club reading a short story collection. I studied that book in college. My professor was also a student of Gordon Lish (like Carver) and he loved, loved, loved those stories and made us read them many time. Thanks for bringing back a great memory!

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  9. Lefsa was new to me too - despite my own (distant) Scandinavian background (Norwegian). It looks tricky to make, but delicious! And there was nothing substandard about this post, by the way. I enjoyed it. Merry Christmas to you Julie!

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  10. Happy Holidays to you and yours

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  11. I love all these photos, so much warmth and happy going on

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  12. I love having a look inside your book club and lefsa making party. Looks like you know how to celebrate the season with lots of fun, friends and laughter. Oh and books! Don't forget the books. Sounds good to me.

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  13. Looks like a fun time was had by all. Was the lefsa fabulous?

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  14. Thank you for you comment on my blog - it allowed me to find you - and what a delight! Your book club seems to know how to have a great time.

    I've never come across anyone else who has listed one of Wallace Stegner's books in their favourites. I loved Crossing to Safety...I really enjoyed all his books. Did you read All the Little Live Things? It was an excellent read, as was Angle of Repose.

    Happy holidays to you and yours!

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  15. OH how I long to join you book club! You look like you were having a great time:)

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  16. Wow.. I love to eat lefse (with but sugar & cinnamon) but never tried to make it... might hav to add that to my list of things to do! : )

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  17. I don't think you need to apologize for all the fun and joy being spread around your place these days. I love the picture of you at Beth's blog. You look happy. Not enough can be said about the gift of happy.

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  18. Oh, if only I could find time for a Book Club I'd be in 7th heaven! If I could find 5 minutes to go to the bathroom by myself during the day, that'd be heaven too, haha! Someday my life will be my own again. And don't feel bad about not making it around regularly...I don't either. I do what I can and leave it at that. Life's too short to stress over the things we can't change...at least that's what keeps me going most days. Merry Christmas!

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  19. This is a delightful post!!! What on earth are you apologizing for? So fun to see your book club...and to read about your traditions!!! Lefsa looks really delicious!!! You are bringing joy to so many people...and have brought big smiles to me today through this post! Merry Christmas!!! Love, Janine XO

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  20. My husband is Scandinavian....pass the Akvavit!!!

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  21. Hey, it looks like you had a lot of fun! Spending happy time with family and friends is most definately a way of giving of yourself! Enjoy.

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  22. Entertaining your book club members looks like quite a commitment. Hope that you can enjoy some time to yourself.

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  23. A lot of happy friends gather, and you are happy.

    Thank you for showing the appetizing pizza which is good for Christmas.


    From the Far East.
    Greetings.

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  24. I'm in the Holiday Spirit now.
    Lefsa in Texas?
    Norweigans in Texas?
    Do you have Ole and Lena jokes too?

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  25. Looks like a very festive Book Club going on there, good times! And I so agree with Lorna, spreading happiness is definitely a beautiful form of giving :)

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  26. The lefsa sounds absolutely delicious and my tummy is growling at the moment... and I will have to wiki "akvavit" to find out more about it. Sounds like a very intriguing drink! The book club sounds like so much fun - I've never been part of one and doubt there would be any in this remote area I live in now!

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  27. Any time you make time for others, including family and friend, you are giving of yourself. Looks like the lefsa party was a lot of fun!

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  28. I think all of that hosting you have been doing counts as giving of yourself. And spending time with family is what the holidays are all about. Especially the members of the family who are testing out their wings.
    It is officially winter here. A lovely foot of atmospheric snow has fallen (I can say "lovely" because the roads are clear!). Enjoy your holiday--and the lefsa!

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  29. Flour and potatoes? My German ancestors loved those ingredients. And those little lefsa look wonderful. How fun to have a lefsa-making party! Love it.

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  30. I grew up in the midwest... many Scandinavians there and so ate Lefsa around the holidays when I was a child.. It's good!

    Di
    The Blue Ridge Gal

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  31. I've never even heard of lefsa but it looks yummy. It looks like you are continuing to have fun with your girlfriends. Enjoy your holiday.

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  32. Lovely - you really made me feel I was part of that party - wish I could taste and smell as well as see your blog. I do agree with Wander to the Wayside - entertaining involves giving of yourself so don't feel guilty about that. Have a wonderful Christmas.

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  33. Entertaining friends and family is giving of yourself....how often does your book club meet? I love the thought of belonging to a book club.
    Lefsa looks and sounds delicious, and I have never heard of it before, I realize there are so mnay customs, foods and countries I could and should learn about.
    .......:-) Hugs

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