Marek's First Christmas

We went to see Santa at the HyVee on Sunday.  Marek wasn't bothered at all!  Maybe he'll think differently next year.

I took this picture a couple weeks ago in our do-it-yourself living room glamour shot studio.  I remember buying that outfit for him last Christmas before he was born.  I swear time just stood still while I was pregnant waiting for him to arrive and now I can't believe how time has flown!

My mother made him a hardanger Christmas stocking and of course we had to put him IN it!  He is such a happy baby.

I put the tree up the day before yesterday and I'm going to leave it up until at least the new year.  I just have not had time.  I wrapped all the gifts I had sitting in the sewing room and set them out.  We are having my family Christmas after the New Year so I have a little time yet.  We'll have our little family Christmas on Christmas Eve.

I didn't go anywhere this year to get any new and exotic ornaments.  These came from Target and I just loved them because they were a little gingerbread family.  I think the gingerbread lady dresses and carries  herself way better than I do!

They didn't have a gingerbread dog so Lopi was kind of sad about that.  She is still the top dog and is so patient and loving with Marek.  Here she is lounging on the couch like a dog.

Brenda and Melissa came to visit about a month ago and we worked on Christmas ornaments using Melissa's Cricut machine.  I was really impressed with all the things you can do with it and all the design options to choose from.  The machine cut this delicate "snowflake" out of adhesive vinyl that was then stuck onto this plastic ornament.

I coated the inside of it with glow in the dark paint so of course I had to go check it out in the bathroom!

Here is another ornament I made with a Nordic sweater themed snowflake.  This one was painted with metallic silver.

Brenda brought these plain wooden frames which we painted and cut embellishments with the machine.  This is pronounced "Go Yule" and is Norwegian for Merry Christmas.

And speaking of Christmas crafts, look what Marek made at daycare!  We got so lucky with our daycare lady and she so pleasantly surprised me when she gave this to us yesterday.  I've been meaning to make some salt dough ornaments of his hand and foot prints and this is even better because I can see and use it every day.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

In Praise of the Humble Rutabaga...

I was in Norway over a year ago and have yet to write up my official report.  In my defense, I did have a baby in the meantime so I've been a bit busy.  I've mentioned a few things here and there, so I guess my Norway report will have to be in topical installments.  Why rutabagas, you ask?  My major food discovery this trip was the rutabaga and it all happened because of raspeballer.  Raspeballer, kumla and klubb are all different terms for the same potato and flour dumpling.  Rick Steves recommended this Kaffistova restaurant in his travel guide and after checking their online menu, I learned they have raspeballer night every Thursday.

We really don't eat out much when traveling because we do it on the cheap, but for this we'd make an exception!  The place was very busy and it smelled like the Lutheran church basement during a kumla supper.  It was intoxicating and comforting on a brisk October evening.  They served the dumplings with currant jelly, lamb or a kielbasa style sausage, and kålrotstappe.  I had no idea what this rough golden mash was but it was delicious.  My google translate called kålrot a swede.  Apparently the rest of the free world calls a rutabaga a swede.  The more you know!  That lamb was buttery melt-in-your-mouth and if I'd been blindfolded, I'd have sworn it was ham.  We boil our kumla dumplings in ham broth and serve it with ham.  My sister put these pictures on her facebook that night and inspired all our friends and family back home to make kumla for the first time that season!

I couldn't wait to make this when I got home!  I did some reading and rutabagas are high fiber and much lower in carbs than a potato so it makes an excellent mashed potato substitute for diabetics and dieters.  They are healthy and filling and a little goes a long way.  I usually buy 2 good sized rutabaga and cook them together with 2 medium potatoes to aide the texture as well as a couple carrots to replicate the style of the restaurant. 

I used to boil them all together in a pot but rutabagas are dense.  They are hard as a rock when you chop them and take longer to cook than the carrots and spuds.  Here are my implements of destruction including my Instant Pot!  I'm still getting to know it but I love it!  It is a life (and time!) saver when you're busy with a baby and household.  That gray heart thing is a silicone trivet in the shape of a Norwegian heart shaped waffle.  More on that in a minute.

This thing is MAGIC.  Six minutes in here and you have beautifully soft cooked root vegetables with just 2 cups of water.  This makes a huge bowl and I always freeze half to eat later and save some prep time.

They're a little too fibrous to run through the ricer so I use my food mill instead with the largest blade.  I like them a little rough and rustic like they served in the restaurant.

I bought that waffle trivet because the heart shaped waffle is such a symbol of Norway.  Waffles aren't just for breakfast there.  They are dressed up and eaten with sour cream, jam, Nutella, nuts, etc. and taken with formal coffee or at sporting events or what have you.  This is a billboard we saw and this waffle is topped with gjetost which is sweet brown goat cheese made from boiling whey.  That waffle couldn't get any more Norwegian!

We went to an early Saturday morning flea market and had a blast.  They had an awesome turnout for such a cool day.  There were all kinds of things for sale: dishes, antiques, silver, clothing, coins, furniture, etc.

I was not all surprised to find a stall selling waffles (vaffler) and coffee.  This young lady was gracious and charming and visited a little with my dad in Norwegian.  You can see all the toppings for the waffles including a block of brown cheese with the slicer resting on top.

Here is Dad loading up his waffle.  It cost 25 kroner which is about 4 dollars but was worth it.  He shared a little with my sister and me and I have to say it was the best waffle I'd ever tasted.  I registered for and received a heart shaped waffle iron for my wedding but I don't use it nearly as much as I should.  Maybe my trivet will encourage me to bake more with it!

Giving Thanks

I am so thankful for this little munchkin!  I baked and sold some sugar cookies this month for a little extra pocket money.  What was I thinking?!  Baking and frosting sugar cookies is always tedious and time consuming and even more so when you have a 7 month old to keep entertained.  He really was pretty good though.  He loves playing with an old set of measuring spoons.  Maybe he'll grow up to be a baker man because I'm going to teach him everything I know about baking!  I used to pipe Dave's name onto cookies when we were still dating but now I'm piping my son's name.

Here is an actual cold weather action shot of him in his car seat with his hat and idiot string mittens.  He has such beautiful blue eyes!

A huge sack of potatoes is a joy forever.  Dave's sister Barb got us this 50 pound sack of russet potatoes and we'll eat them all winter in various forms.  Peasant food is some of the best food.

I finally finished his Tadpole sweater.  This is a free pattern and so user friendly and well written.  The verbiage is idiot-proof and very good for beginner sweater knitters because you're never in any doubt what to do. 

I used maybe one and a quarter skeins of Leading Men Fiber Arts fingering weight in Blue Steel.  I have more than enough left over for a pair of gloves for me some day...when I'm 65 and have some free time.  I soaked it for blocking in my Martha Blue enamel splatterware basin.  Yes that is snow in the picture.  We had some to look at the week before Thanksgiving but it is long gone now.

I just love this sweater and the color.  It's a shame he will outgrow it, and soon.  I made it longer than called for and the triangle pattern is little more than a glorified rib so there is some room for him to grow.  He wore this on Thanksgiving Day when we went to Dave's sister for dinner. 

He wore this underneath it!  My dear friends Melissa and Brenda came to stay last weekend and Melissa brought her Cricut machine.  Where has that been all my life?  I was finally able to make a "Bucky Is Yucky" onesie in time for the Minnesota/Wisconsin football game for Dave.  For myself, I made this "Mama Is A Yarn Ho" version!  Knitty used to have a dog shirt with this on it and I never forgot it.  If I can find a dog shirt to fit Lopi, I'll make one for her too!

Here we all are that weekend.  I can remember when Melissa's daughter was Marek's age.  She says all the time she grows like a weed.  I finally understand what she means!  Every single day it seems we have a new and different kid because he is constantly learning and changing.  It is a miracle and a joy to watch.

Here is our family picture we took that same day.  I'm just sad Lopi isn't in the picture.  It is still a bit much to wrangle the baby and dog at the same time for a picture and the light was fading fast.  We'll have to try again the next time we have company over.  I am thankful for my family and dear friends!

Winter Line of Knitwear

It is getting colder and this fat little boy will need some winter knits!  I bought this darling little pattern at Superbuzzy of all places.  It is supposed to have doe ears if you can believe that but I scrapped that detail as soon as I realized this sized version of the hat would fit him for about another 10 minutes.

I really love this pattern and used a wool/angora blend yarn I got at the fiber festival specifically for winter knits for Marek.  I'm already working on a larger incarnation of this same hat with a gray angora/wool/silk worsted I got at the State Fair for him.  Once that is done, I've been mulling over an idea to make a Minnesota Gopher's variation too.  So much knitting, so little time...

I also made a pair of thumb-less baby mittens complete with idiot strings!  These will do for now but I'll be making another slightly larger pair soon.  This is a nice pattern I've knit before.

The problem with taking pictures of babies in knitting is that they move quickly and can do this...

...or this!

That little pile of snipped yarn always makes me happy.  It is a sign of an impending finished project because all the tails have to be woven in and snipped.  Anne Boleyn is looking on disapprovingly from her coaster. 

The project in question is this raglan sleeve mallard duck blue sweater for Marek and I'm so close to being done I can taste it.  I just have to finish the ribbing on the neckline and button band and sew on the buttons.  With all this outgrowing he is constantly doing, the pressure is on.  I started this ages ago it seems.  I have yarn lined up for a few more projects for him and I have to make sure they are several sizes ahead because lord knows I don't have the time to knit and finish them in a reasonable amount of time.  I've been wearing my green Knitting Olympic sweater around the house lately and they looked so nice thrown together over the back of the couch.  Knitted things make me happy!

Konfirmasjon

My niece was confirmed a week ago and she wore the bunad my ridiculously talented mother sewed for her.  She looks like Solveig from Peer Gynt in this woodsy picture.  I still remember the night this girl was born.  Time flies.

I bought two bunads for Marek in an awesome second hand shop called Uff across the street from the central train station in Oslo.  My sister spotted the shop as we rode by on the tram when she saw a bunad in the window.

I was hoping to have him wear this to Ava's confirmation because it. was. tight.  It wasn't going to fit him for much longer and then he ended up getting a viral stomach bug from daycare and we wound up in the hospital for 2 nights last week.

I'm happy to report he is back to his normal happy self but it was our first test as parents with a really sick kid.  I'm thankful it was nothing serious and I have new sympathy and empathy for families who do struggle with seriously sick kids.  I've been a nurse for 18 years and very seldom am I on the other end of things and I was grateful for all the fabulous care we received.  We have so much to be thankful for.

Happy 1st Halloween!

Here is Marek in his official Halloween costume that we got last year on clearance for $2.  I was fresh home from Norway and pregnant at the time.  He looks cute as a bug in it!  I worked Halloween which was OK.  I put him in his outfit for pictures that morning and he wore it over to his grandparents' house and otherwise napped and played throughout the day so I don't think he minded my absence. 

This was his more 'business casual' Halloween outfit he wore to daycare.  That pumpkin hat was a hand-me-down from my sister I'd knitted for her kids from this pattern.  His onesie is a hand-me-down from Dave's niece Becky and says "My First Halloween" on it.  She has two sons and generously gave us bags and bags of hand-me-downs in all sizes and seasons.  Thank goodness for hand-me-downs!  I swear all I do is sort through his clothes weeding out what is too small and going through the stash for things that will now fit and up and coming fit.  There are so many things that get thinned from the herd that he hasn't even worn!  For that reason, I am also a great believer in shopping at Saver's.

Speaking of Saver's, I picked up this coffee cup the last time I was in there.  I need another coffee cup like I need a hole in the head, but it has a kitchen witch on it!

My grandma had a witch figurine just like this attached to her kitchen clock and we'd look at it sitting around the table eating breakfast.  I wonder if one of my cousins have it now.

They are supposed to bring you luck and keep your pots from boiling over and are a lovely little bit of Scandinavian folklore.  I think of my grandma every time I use it.

And of course we are fully into fall weather and foliage.  Our crab apple tree lost all it's leaves literally overnight and now just has the fruit.  It almost looks like a gumdrop tree!

The apples are such pretty, almost fluorescent, shades of sherbet orange, fuchsia's and yellows.

We have these jewels decorating the vines along the fence.  In the summer, this trailing plant blooms purple flowers that later become these brilliant red berries.

This is baking weather and I'm loving it.  I keep the thermostat low and the upstairs and kitchen are so cozy warm and fragrant from the oven and it's results.  I got this set of 4 mini bread pans at HomeGoods and love them!  I like having some little sweet loaves in the freezer to eat with coffee when we have company.  When Marek is older, he is going to help me bake bread and he can make little Marek sized loaves in these.

Here is my little baker man helping his mother in the kitchen.  I put his high chair next to the counter and give him some measuring spoons and cups and talk to him while I work and he babbles back.  He does really well for long stretches of time with me in the kitchen. 

Fair season ended with the summer and I never reported on my big winners.  That humble little jar of dried mint leaves won the grand champion ribbon for food preservation at the Ramsey county fair.  I couldn't believe it!  It is practically a weed that I picked, washed, dried and threw in a jar and it beat out all the other canned food items.  My favorite part about exhibiting is reading the comments the judges write on your items.  Nothing I took to that fair had any comments except for this mint.  On the back of the tag, it said simply, "Perfection."  HA!  I'm looking forward to making tea with this someday but I read that mint dries up your breast milk so I'll leave it alone for a few more months. 

My knitting didn't win any major awards this year but I won the grand champion ribbon in needlework at the Washington county fair for Marek's baptism booties.  They hand out free yeast and yeast coupons at that fair so I'm all over that.

I have not really had any spare time since this little guy was born so I don't get to knit or sew or craft with reckless abandon like I could before he arrived.  I'm already making a list of things to take to the fair next year but I've resorted to scavenging.  Since I don't have time to make new things, I find things I made over the years but have never exhibited and I already found two things in my Halloween/Fall decorations that can go next year!  All I have to do is look at this boy and know he is so worth the work and exhaustion and no spare time.  He is so very precious.