We do have a lot of time to think about the season and the reason for this beautiful season. We are so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ - His birth; His life; His example on how to live and be happy; His atoning sacrifice and all that is and can be ours if we will but follow Him. We love our Savior and are so grateful for His love and sacrifice for us - for each of us. We are so grateful for the opportunity to share our love for Him and His gospel with the people of Norway.
Juletider in Norway is special! Today is Sunday, the 21 and we better get our grocery shopping done tomorrow and Tuesday because after that, we understand, things will close down. Juletider is a time for families to be together. There are no planned activities at the Center, for the next couple of weeks because the YA's will be with their families. But, this last week has been fun-filled!!
Family Home Evening - Pepperkakehus
Elders Drage and Arnold and Sandra, an investigator
Their finished pepperkakekirke
Another finished hus.
Hannah, Jennifer, Frederik, Mats,
Giovanni and Jocelyn.
They were serious builders/decorators!
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I have fallen in love with the Nisse - the little Norwegian elf. The Barn Elf, or Fjøsnisse, is my favorite. Let me introduce you to them.
"He is a short man, no bigger than a horse's head, wearing gray clothes, knickerbockers and a red hat similar to what Norwegian farmers would wear.
As the name suggests, the Fjøsnisse lives in the barn. Of course, he was so shy that he was hardly ever seen but he was a good little helper on the farm as long as the farmers treated him well. Especially at Christmas he would expect to get a large bowl of porridge and home-brewed beer in return for looking after the livestock. Often the farmers would also leave the leftovers from Christmas dinner on the table so the Nisse could help himself. But if the farmers failed to keep him fed and happy, the Nisse would do mischief or harm to both animals and people.
One story tells that the Nisse, upon finding that the farmer had failed to put a speck of butter in his porrridge got angry and killed the farm's best milking cow. Later he found out that the farmer had simply put the butter in the bottom of the bowl and the porridge on top. Regretting his mischief, the Nisse then went and stole the milking cow from the neighbor's farm to replace the one he killed.
In folklore and literature he has been described as the guardian saint of the farm. Even today it is a custom to leave a bowl of porridge and a jug of beer in the barn for the Fjøsnisse."
(taken from, "My Little Norway").
(taken from, "My Little Norway").
Isn't he the cutest?
Now for the rest of the story.......
How many of you have ever tried porridge? If you haven't, let me show you how to make risgrøt or rice porridge. This dish is a traditional Christmas meal for lunch on Dec. 23rd or 24th. Last Friday was our Christmas party at the Center and the YA's wanted risgrøt for dinner so I immediately started asking the R.S. sisters, how do I make risgrøt? What it is, is rice but a special kind of rice, cooked verrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyy slowly over a very low heat, stirring constantly for at least 45 minutes so that the pan doesn't scorch and the rice is tender and smooth. Or, another way is what our R.S. president told me about. We call this porridge, Dynegrøt.
Add the special rice to water and cook in
large pan for 10 minutes.
Add milk, it has to be whole milk, and
bring almost to a boil.
Take off heat, cover pan and place in center
of wool blanket on top of the dyne or duvet.
Cover with the wool blanket...
Then wrap with the dyne. Let set 2 to 3
or more hours.
We put our wrapped risgrøt in the back of the car, (the temperature was about 2 degrees C.), attended a wonderful Christmas concert that Hannah was in, drove to the Center and about 5:30 brought the wrapped risgrøt in. It was still hot, tender, smooth and ready to serve!
It is served with, of course, butter,
sugar and cinnamon.
Many of the YA's told me it was
really good for my first attempt.
Another tradition is that you put a white almond in the porridge and whoever finds it, wins a marzipan pig. I put in three almonds.
Lucky Even, found two of them!
The other lucky winner!
We continued with the party, introducing the White Elephant game to most of them, had a talent show and played games until....1:30! Broke our previous record of being home by 12:30.
Our mission includes very late Friday nights!
It's a good thing we don't have to be up early!
-
I am saving some risgrøt to put out on Christmas Eve -
we want to keep our nisse happy!
No beer though, home brewed or not.
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We visited one of our favorite couples yesterday! Charles and Oddbjørg are delightful! She has a big collection of dolls and nisse and at Christmas time, dresses them all in Christmas outfits.
Julenisse (Santa) and Mrs. Nisse
Charles and a lot of Jule baby dolls!
Oddbjørg and Charles
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Driving home we passed this cute family...
they found their juletre.
We are really enjoying our first Jul in Norway - lots of new experiences, traditions, food, decorations and icy sidewalks and roads. We will probably be putting the spikes over our shoes soon.
Ønsker deg en riktig god og velsigne Jul!
(Wishing you a very good and blessed Christmas!)
Stor Juleklem! (Big Christmas hugs!)
Love the nisse
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