Merry Christmas

  The Christmas Eve meal was one of the few when we held our noses, put the lutefisk in our mouths, and washed it down with water. Of course, Mumma and Puppa relished the lutefisk, the herring, the headcheese, the pig's knuckles (one of Puppa's favorites), and the other peasant foods of our heritage. We children loved the hardtack, the Bond Ost (Swedish Cheese), the rice pudding and the katbullar (Swedish Meatballs). The boiled potatoes and carrots and Mumma's deliciious gravy went down pretty well, too.  We always had hot egg kaffe during and after the meal. Sometimes we'd have strawberry Jell-o with bananas, particularly in the years after the war.

  Going to bed around 11:00 p.m., we were tired and happy, but we had to get our sleep because Mumma took us to Julotta at the Salvation Army in the morning. The Christmas worship service, all in Swedidh, started at  6:00 a.m. I can still hear and feel the crunch of the snow under our feet as we hurried to church in the early hours of the dawn. The birthday of our Lord, a very special time.

Swedes Come Home

When we were children, mother's arms and lap were the place you'd find the sick child~it wasn't only in sickness that our home was a haven. Each of us had our share of life's usual problems. Hers was always a listening ear, a helping hand and an open heart. Even Puppa got into the act when it came to opening the house for returning married children who needed a place to stay.

Waste Not. Want Not.

Half an apple, small piece of bread.
We were cautioned all the time,
Save a little here, take a little there.
Never waste a  dime.

And grow we did.
Strong and sometimes tall,
The Waste not -Want  not - strategy
Didn't seem to hurt at all.

 We're older now, and
Times again are lean.
Looking back - we wonder how
Our mom could be so keen.

Count your pennies,
I hear her say,
Waste not - Want not -
Is the rule of the day!

Stretched Swedish Meatloaf

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs ground chuck
1/2 c chopped onion
1 tsp Swedish mustard
1/2 c catsup
2 tbs Milnot
2 Eggs
3 slices Limpa bread

Place ground beef in large bowl. Soak bread in water..squeeze heartily. Add w/ eggs to meat. Add remaining ingredients. Mix very well. Shape into rectangular loaf. Place in pan 1 hour at 350 degrees. Smakar gott!

Stretching a Buck

Every night, in good and bad times, we sat down to dinner. That was a form of discipline in our house and the time when we could all be together. When we had meat, like pork chops, the children would split a chop three ways. We inevitably argued for the bone, as we figured we would get more that way. Many were the times that I noticed Mumma passed up the meat. “No, tanks, I'm yust not hungry for meat.” She never expected us to sacrifice without herself leading the way.