A Christmas Tradition
We wish you a Merry Chistmas...
We wish you a Merry Christmas...
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year!
Good Tidings we bring...
To you and your kin...
We Wish you a Merry Christmas..
And a Happy New Year!!!
My husband's family ancestry is Swedish. The following will
tell you the rest.
"Christmas is a special time. The Swedish people begin celebrations on St. Lucia's Day (Festival of Lights) December 13. The eldest daughter in the family rises before dawn and dresses in a white robe with a crimson girdle, red stockings and a crown of green leaves in which nine lighted candles are placed. She then announces the opening of the Yuletide by visiting the bedside of each member of the family with a tray of coffee, buns and cake-one of which is the traditional Lusse Katter or Lucia's Cat ( a rich sweet bun shaped like the letter X and flavored with saffron or cardamom). Later in the day, the Christmas wood was procured from the forest. Old timers used to say they needed three breakfasts that day.
On Christmas Eve a festive supper is served--rice porridge and lutefish are the main foods. Families have their own special favorite foods and ways of serving them. Later the presents are opened. On Christmas morning at 6 o'clock the old-timers used to go to church for "julotta" and the choir sang. It was a time for happy family gatherings."
Now our family tradition doesn't follow the Swedish one but it is a happy time for us all. One thing we do have during the Christmas Holidays is "thin bread".It is Swedish and it is a family favorite, enjoyed by all that try it. Some weeks before Christmas I am busy making thin bread so that we have enough to get us through the holidays. I am going to share the recipe with you. Give it a try. I know you will like it.
"Christmas is a special time. The Swedish people begin celebrations on St. Lucia's Day (Festival of Lights) December 13. The eldest daughter in the family rises before dawn and dresses in a white robe with a crimson girdle, red stockings and a crown of green leaves in which nine lighted candles are placed. She then announces the opening of the Yuletide by visiting the bedside of each member of the family with a tray of coffee, buns and cake-one of which is the traditional Lusse Katter or Lucia's Cat ( a rich sweet bun shaped like the letter X and flavored with saffron or cardamom). Later in the day, the Christmas wood was procured from the forest. Old timers used to say they needed three breakfasts that day.
On Christmas Eve a festive supper is served--rice porridge and lutefish are the main foods. Families have their own special favorite foods and ways of serving them. Later the presents are opened. On Christmas morning at 6 o'clock the old-timers used to go to church for "julotta" and the choir sang. It was a time for happy family gatherings."
Now our family tradition doesn't follow the Swedish one but it is a happy time for us all. One thing we do have during the Christmas Holidays is "thin bread".It is Swedish and it is a family favorite, enjoyed by all that try it. Some weeks before Christmas I am busy making thin bread so that we have enough to get us through the holidays. I am going to share the recipe with you. Give it a try. I know you will like it.
THIN BREAD
1/3 cup margarine or oil
2 cups hot tap water
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tbsp. Fermipan or Bakipan yeast
8 cups white flour
2 tsp. salt
Melt margarine, set aside. In a large bowl combine milk and water, should be luke warm now. Add sugar and egg. Sprinkle with yeast. Mix with wire whisk until smooth. Add 3 cups of flour. Mix until smooth. Add shortening and salt. Mix well. Add remaining flour. Cover and let stand 1/2 hour. (I pour oil over my dough-about 1/4 cup to cover the side of the bowl as the dough rises) This recipe will make 3 loaves of bread if you don't want to make thin bread. Take a piece of dough about the size of a baseball and roll out on a floured surface until you get it the thickness of 1/8 inch. Beat with a meat cleaver until the whole surface is punched full of holes. Bake on the oven rack until it just starts to turn a touch of golden brown. Bake at 325 degrees. Cool and cut into squares and place in a plastic bag and freeze. Take it out as you need it. You have to keep an eye on it so it does not burn. If you don't want to use your oven rack you can place it on a cookie sheet or on some Oscar Ware. I use Oscar Ware. Eat it with butter (that's our favorite way), slice of cheese on it, spread with antipasta (that is delicious) or with crab dip (another favorite)Hope you enjoy this!!!
May the true meaning of Christmas be in your heart and life
1/3 cup margarine or oil
2 cups hot tap water
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tbsp. Fermipan or Bakipan yeast
8 cups white flour
2 tsp. salt
Melt margarine, set aside. In a large bowl combine milk and water, should be luke warm now. Add sugar and egg. Sprinkle with yeast. Mix with wire whisk until smooth. Add 3 cups of flour. Mix until smooth. Add shortening and salt. Mix well. Add remaining flour. Cover and let stand 1/2 hour. (I pour oil over my dough-about 1/4 cup to cover the side of the bowl as the dough rises) This recipe will make 3 loaves of bread if you don't want to make thin bread. Take a piece of dough about the size of a baseball and roll out on a floured surface until you get it the thickness of 1/8 inch. Beat with a meat cleaver until the whole surface is punched full of holes. Bake on the oven rack until it just starts to turn a touch of golden brown. Bake at 325 degrees. Cool and cut into squares and place in a plastic bag and freeze. Take it out as you need it. You have to keep an eye on it so it does not burn. If you don't want to use your oven rack you can place it on a cookie sheet or on some Oscar Ware. I use Oscar Ware. Eat it with butter (that's our favorite way), slice of cheese on it, spread with antipasta (that is delicious) or with crab dip (another favorite)Hope you enjoy this!!!
May the true meaning of Christmas be in your heart and life