
Lefse and the Real Importance of Holiday Traditions
Today, I was reminded why we jump through all of those holiday hoops. We make dozens of cookies, we drink...
Read More
Search Our Site

By Mary
/ December 1, 2018
Lefse and the Real Importance of Holiday Traditions
Today, I was reminded why we jump through all of those holiday hoops. We make dozens of cookies, we drink hot chocolate or eggnog, we shop and we trim the tree. Just when we think we can't do anymore, we clean the house and make 250 Swedish meatballs for the crew descending on us for our family Christmas Party (or whatever holiday you celebrate). Every year we say we are going to cut down, make it simpler, but few of us rarely follow through. There is a reason why we do it -- even if we are not 100% aware of that reason. It is that light we feel inside -- may it be flickering at times, but when we see a smile, a look of appreciation, or the hear a roar of laugh from our great uncle Scrooge -- the light is impossible to extinguish. So we do it again and again -- just to have the light ignited. My son-in-law and daughter come over each December to make lefse -- basically the Norwegian equivalent to a tortilla. Every culture has a flat bread that is easy and inexpensive to produce. We Scandinavians have lefse. We don't eat it with the usual meat filling of other cultures-- for our family it is just butter and sugar -- more of a dessert fare. Back to my son-in-law...Donnie has had many challenges in his life. He lost his mother early and he lost most of his hearing from a childhood illness. Last year, however, was a banner year for him...he married my daughter at Cocoa Beach in Florida and had a cochlear implant which restored a great deal of his hearing --another story that will have you in tears for a later time. One of Donnie's fondest , faint, memories was of lefse, so this week he bought a...
Read More
About

Welcome to my blog! I am an Iowa Farm girl who aspires to write a cookbook featuring vintage and favorite recipes from my family and friends. I'd like to bring you the art of cooking like your mother, grandmother, or whoever is your cooking inspiration. Keep it simple and enjoy! --Mary Food Blogger, Travel Writer, Photographer, Computer Geek, & Gardener
Blog Categories

More Great Stuff
State Fair Blue Ribbon Bread and Butter Pickles
State Fair Blue Ribbon Bread and Butter Pickles Several years ago I had a bumper crop of cucumbers. I decided I needed to find a pickle recipe I liked since...
Quick and Easy Corn Chowder
Originally I posted this Corn Chowder recipe as a way to use fresh corn which is so plentiful here in Iowa at the end of the summer. However, the other...
The Great British Bake Off Inspired Me to Bake a Cake…
I have been binge watching The Great British Baking Show this winter -- all seasons and the Christmas shows and it made me think I wanted to be a better...
Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken for a Dinner for Two
Last night my husband wanted Mexican for supper, but I was getting tired of the same old beef tacos and burritos -- I wanted chicken and I wanted it grilled....
Stories of My Mother…Episode #623: The Great Escape
One of my favorite pictures of mom posing for my dad. A few weeks ago my sisters and I flew out to Washington for a visit with two of my...
Summer Strawberry Ice Cream Perfection
Last year for Father's Day I gave my husband a Cuisinart ice cream machine. Well, I might have given it to myself, but only so I could lovingly hand make...
Finding Julia Child in Paris….and crepes on every street corner!
Julia Child is my food heroine. We have so much in common -- we are both a little awkward, late bloomers in life, have an obsession with butter and things...
Church Cookbook Classics: Ice Pick Lemon Cake
Do you have recipes from your youth that conjure up mouth-watering memories? This cake is one of those for me. Mom would make this one in the summer and I...
Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar Chicken Salad Recipe
Hot Damn Sam!!! I lost weight this week and it feels great. Granted it was only a pound and that may not seem like much, but getting the first one is...
Cheats Puff Pastry Recipe from The Great British Baking Show
The Farm Girl Attempts Cheats Rough Puff Pastry Recipe from The Great British Baking Show and It Works! I love this kitchen -- I want that fridge for sure! I...
Easy Butter Pecan Ice Cream
My husband would eat ice cream for every meal if I let him, so for Father's Day this year I gave him a Cuisinart Electric Ice Cream maker. However, he...
Pineapple-Mango Chili Jam
Recently I purchased an electric canner to replace my old water bath canner. I have been eyeing them for some time to make canning all of the lovely things...
Herb butters fresh and real!
https://farmgirlcookn.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Herb-Butter-4.mp4 Fresh herbs, real butter...it doesn't get much better. Julia Child said, " With enough butter, anything is good!" Oh, so true. Many people are afraid of butter, but it...
Easy Fresh Salsa / Pico De Gallo
https://farmgirlcookn.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/07/video-1470347180.mp4 Nothing tastes as wonderful as fresh tomatoes from the garden and if I have some ripe tomatoes I try to incorporate them with almost every meal. Tuesday night...
Church Cookbook Classics: Purple Ribbon Cinnamon Bread
In a desperate search for a 4-H food project for our county fair, my mother suggested I make my grandmother's Cinnamon Bread recipe. As a lazy teen, this seemed like...
Spring Means Rhubarb Season
It is spring in Iowa and nothing green will be appearing for several weeks, even so, I am already dreaming of rhubarb. Rhubarb cake, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb jam, rhubarb pie,...
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
If you are looking for a quick, flavorful chicken recipe this is a great recipe to put into your dinner rotation. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but it is...
America’s Test Kitchen Rustic Almost No-Knead Bread
I've been making a lot of bread lately, stress baking, but also learning how to make different kinds of bread. As a teacher in a past life, one of my...
Social Distancing Recipe: Just In Time 10 Minute Jam
For the last few days -- especially after I made biscuits, I've been wanting some jam. I had used up all of the jam I made last summer from my...