Happy New Year's Eve!

 Good morning,

Happy New Year's Eve from Elsa and the rest of us in the Evensen Household!

Catherine sent me this picture from the dog club yesterday.  That pretty ribbon on the left side of the image is Elsa's to bring home.  It represents her winning "Labrador High In Trial."

Congratulations Team Catherine and Elsa!

Catherine tells me there are more ribbons since then, but I don't have pictures of them.  Watch this space.

Happy New Year, Everyone!  We'll be staying home tonight with our pups and celebrating by watching the celebrations on TV for as long as we can stay awake.  

All the very best,

Lois

Just Out of the Bath

 Good morning,

Here's Elsa in her pretty purple bathrobe.  She's just out of the shower and drying off.  I built a fire for her in the fireplace which helped, too.  I love the smile on Wendy's face.  She didn't have a bath today.

This weekend Elsa will be at a dog show at our local dog club.  

Good luck team Catherine and Elsa!  We'll be cheering for you!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Fun Presents

 Good morning,

Last night we had dinner with son Don and family to celebrate Christmas.  We had dinner at our favorite sushi restaurant which was great because no one had the stress of hosting at home.

We exchanged some really terrific gifts.  Two of them were so very clever I had to share.  Above is special coffee that is perfect for us!  Yes, our dogs sleep in our beds and yes we love coffee.  I got a kick out of the cartoon image on the front of the bag:  she's a redhead. 

 And, this is a totally different type of maple syrup.  It's banana rum infused.  I'll have to make pancakes soon because I can't wait to try this!

 It's always such fun to see the kids and grand kids.  We are so very proud of each of them!

All the best,

Lois

Work in Process - Bavarian Stitch Afghan Blanket

 Good morning,

We recently sold another Bavarian Stitch afghan blanket from the shop and I realized we only have one of that design left!  

I love going to my craft room and organizing colors to make projects.  For the next Bavarian Stitch blanket I settled on shades of tan, brown, antique white, with spring green as an accent.  I am quite happy with it as it is coming together.  When finished, I'll photo and list it in the Afghans and Blankets section of the shop where there are many other styles and colors available to ship now.

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the best,

Lois

Christmas Dinner by Catherine

 Good morning,

We enjoyed a quiet Christmas Eve dinner at home this year.  It's our tradition to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve.  

Catherine prepared another fabulous meal of prime rib, loaded baked potato, and spinach salad.  

We'll celebrate with other family members later this week and next month when we can get together.  It's fun to be able to stretch out the celebrations.

We hope your Holidays are wonderful, too!

All the best,

Lois

Mr. Erik

 Good morning,

Please keep our Erik, age 14, in your thoughts and prayers.  Erik is experiencing balance issues and isn't feeling very well.  He likes to stay close so is sleeping between Kjell's and my chairs in the living room.  He also likes to pull down and be covered with whatever blanket I happen to have on my chair at the time.  I'm happy to share my blankets.

Erik's balance issues are common in older dogs.  He is on medication and will be feeling better soon, but in the meantime, we are trying to keep him as comfortable as possible.

Erik is a sweet soul.   For a giant of a Labrador Retriever, he has always been gentle and loving.  

I'll now go back to hugging my pal, Erik....

Lois

Merry Christmas!

 Good morning,

Merry Christmas!  We hope you have the joy and peace of the Christmas Season with those you love.

All the very best,

Lois

 

The Pups Are All Nestled

 Good morning,

It's finally Christmas Eve!

 Tonight near the warm fireplace the Pups will be nestled, all snug in their chairs,
While visions of toys, treats, and steak (!) are dancing in their heads....

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Lois

Single Serving - Jule Ribbe

 Good morning,

 I was asked about the Jule Ribbe (see yesterday's post) and how it looks and tastes when served.

The image above is a top view of two sections.  Two pieces are enough for me!  This is very tiny, probably 3" x 1".  The top you see is very crunchy.  In fact, you can hear the crunch all around the table.  It's delicious.  

 This is a side view.  As we know, fat carries flavor. The piece you see above has a section of meat in the center of the piece surrounded mostly by fat.  I dissect my Jule Ribbe. I eat the crunchy top and the meat out of the center.  I pass on the fat and I still get plenty of flavor. 

So, obviously, if we ate this every night, we'd be dead in less than a month.  It's a Christmas treat in Norway where it is very, very cold in the winter so the extra calories help keep them warm.  

What are your traditional holiday foods?

All the best,

Lois

Christmas Cooking - Jule Ribbe

 Good morning,

Kjell took this image while preparing Jule Ribbe yesterday. It's a pork belly with skin on that has been scored into squares and slowly baked for four hours. It's not finished in the image above.  He'll drain off the fat, bake longer, then finish for one hour at high temperature to make those squares crusty on top.

And, here it is fresh out of the oven and ready to eat.  We had to have some for dinner last night and put the rest away for the weekend.  It was delicious!  It's so much fun to be having Christmas food all week!

What are you preparing for Christmas?

All the best,

Lois

UC Health

 Good morning,

We are so very glad that we have UC (University of Cincinnati) Health near us.  Not only is the main facility only eight minutes driving time from home, it is one of the premier medical facilities in the country.  

Kjell had an appointment at the main hospital for a routine test yesterday.  There is construction going on in the main garage and the weather is very cold so we opted for the valet parking.

 You cannot go wrong with this!  Only $6 to park (and we tip another $5 when the car is returned to us) and you are steps away from the front door of the hospital.  Valet service is fast and the people are friendly and wonderful.

When we decide to park in the garage ourselves, parking is free as long as we remember to have our parking ticket validated.  It would be hard to forget since almost everyone with whom we interact asks, "do you need a parking validation sticker?"

 Back in the 1980's (goodness, that's a long time ago!) I taught accounting at the University of Cincinnati.  My Dad came to Cincinnati to attend UC, circa 1927 then met my Mom here.  UC is very special to us.

So, thanks, UC, we're so glad you're nearby and a part of our lives for all of these years!

Lois

Santa has Special Keys

 Good morning,

I took this image of our fireplace last night as I was thinking about what I asked my mother when I was little.

I was so concerned about Santa coming down chimneys when there could be fires in fireplaces.  Mom eased my fears by telling me that Santa comes in the front door at those houses.  Then I was concerned about leaving doors unlocked and Mom was quick to tell me that Santa has special keys.

Wow, my Mom had all the bases covered, didn't she!

And, to all a good night....

Lois

Our Annual Journey to Stehlin's Meats

 Good morning,

Last week we made a journey to the East side of town for a doctor appointment.

This week we made a journey to the West side of town to purchase meats to make special Norwegian Christmas food. 

 I had called ahead and ordered special cuts of meat.  Stehlin's slaughters their own meat so we know it is fresh.  

We were disappointed we were there a day or two too early for the Christmas decorations!

So, I'll just have to share images I took a prior year when the decorations were in place:

The choices of fresh meats here are fantastic!

 Stehlin's is a family owned business in a neighborhood where we lived for eleven years while the kids were little.  Our kids went to school with Stehlin kids so a visit to the old stomping grounds is an added treat when we drive out there to shop for meat.

 Stehlin's processes their own meat so it is always fresh.

In addition to the pork belly, we purchased some ground pork that Kjell used to make another Norwegian Christmas treat, Medisterkaker (pork meat balls with Norwegian spices). 

The trip to Stehlins is always so much fun each year. 

The meat is fresh and good and the people are friendly and helpful.

As we left, I took a picture of the little Christmas tree near the front door.

 

 

Of course, the concrete piggy bench was dressed for the holidays, too.  :)

 

So, that's what we did yesterday!  Now for lots and lots of cooking and eating good food.

 

All the best,

Lois

My Chaperone

 Good morning,

Each evening after dinner I come upstairs to take prescription medication and to check my email.  I have a chaperone (aka a shadow!) who follows me each time.  

This is sweet Elsa who doesn't let me out of her sight if she can help it.

We see that Elsa's winter nose reveals the light spot scar that she got when she tangled with a snapping turtle at our friend Erica's home more than a year ago.  Erica has a pond at the end of her property where the pups like to play.  Obviously, the turtle didn't want to play.  In the summer Elsa's nose becomes very dark/black, but in the winter it lightens up and her very distinctive battle scar is visible.

I don't think Elsa will tangle with a snapping turtle again!

I hope you're on track with what you need to accomplish before the holidays.  We're coming down the home stretch here.  Today we'll go to the meat store to pick up a special cut order for Kjell to prepare Jule Ribbe for Christmas.  Watch this space for more about that!  

All the best,

Lois

Grilled Lamb

 Good morning,

Catherine grilled a five pound lamb leg for us yesterday.  Five pounds was just about right for four of us (our friend Bill joined us) with some left over for tomorrow.

Before going on the grill, the meat was rubbed with garlic and covered with rosemary.

 Catherine prepared a fresh salad.

 She served the lamb with her marvelous mushrooms in wine sauce, roasted brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy.  I can only take credit for the cranberry sauce.  Catherine did all the rest.

Thank you, Catherine.  That was a lovely dinner.

Love you,

Mom and Dad

Rooting the Begonias

 Good morning,

A few weeks ago I believe I mentioned cutting off begonia stems and putting them in water to root before we had a frost.

 I thought I'd share my success with this very easy way to propagate these pretty flowers.  My next step will be to plant the rooted stems in potting soil and keep it moist.  I hope to have a large healthy plant by Spring.

Have you had similar successes?  I'd love to hear about them.

All the best,

Lois

Work in Process - Brilliant Rainbow Lap Blanket

 Good morning,

This is my current work in process, a Brilliant Rainbow Lap Blanket.  This design has been popular in the shop in many sizes and since I most recently finished a full size blanket, a lap blanket was next.  It's appropriate for any room of the house and so very comfortable.  When finished, I'll put it in the shop.  Of course, there are many other blankets ready to ship in the shop now.

What are you making, baking growing this week?  As we are here, there is a great deal of holiday preparation going on!  

All the very best,

Lois

My Birthday Clock

 Good morning,

Kjell made a beautiful clock for me for my birthday.  As soon as it was finished he brought it up from his wood workshop to see where we could display it.  It fits nicely on the mantle in the living room next to the anniversary book he carved for me for our 20th anniversary more than four years ago.

We weren't happy with the reflection in the mirror over the mantle/behind the clock.  It made the workings and design of the clock hard to see.  So...

 ...he moved the clock to a low table to the left of the mantle.  The light on the table illuminates the wall behind the clock so the clock details and movement are visible.

Here is a close-up of the words engraved on the front of the base. 

Thank you, Sweetheart!  The is a masterpiece, just like you!  

I love you so much!

Lois

Client Gift Baskets

Good morning,

It's the time of the year that Catherine creates gift baskets for her business clients.  This year the theme is a smores kit.  

Included in the basket is a small burner, and all the ingredients to make smores.  

Very clever!

I am only responsible for the bows this year.  ;)

Merry Christmas!

Lois

Over the River and Through the Woods....

 

 Good morning,

This is a continuation of yesterday's post of our "road trip."

We certainly went "Over the River...

 "...and Through the Woods" to the doctor's office last Friday!

Why can't I get that tune out of my head!

I can't believe Christmas is only thirteen days away!  I hope you're on schedule with all that you need to do for the holidays.  We're going out to dinner with the gang so that no one has to stress with hosting.  This will be fun!

All the best,

Lois

Winter Sky

 Good morning.

This week I had an appointment way on the other side of town.  In fact, it was so far that the quickest way to get there was to drive from Ohio, across the Ohio River to Kentucky, through Kentucky, then back across the Ohio River to Ohio.  Yep, confusing.  Anyway, it has to do with our freeway system.

At least the weather was dry and not too terribly cold. What impressed me, though, as we neared downtown Cincinnati, was the winter sky.

In fact, a day or so later, we had a few snow flakes in the air.  The good thing about Cincinnati is we can have snow one day and it's gone the next.

I hope the weather is comfy wherever you are!

All the best,

Lois

Merry Christmas from Teddy!

 Good morning,

Catherine took our friend Teddy to the dog club yesterday.  She sent me this picture and I turned it into a Christmas card.  

Wow, What a handsome guy!  

Merry Christmas from Teddy and all the rest of us.

Lois

Gravlax Comfort Food

 Good morning,

It was time for comfort food once again so we had Norwegian Gravlax.  

Kjell prepared the gravlax (salmon), I made the bread, and Catherine prepared the sauce and scrambled eggs.  For those who haven't seen these recipes before, they can be found on my blog here.

Enjoy!

Lois

He Knows Me So Well

 Good morning,

My Son #2 knows me so well.  He certainly hit the spot when he sent me this tray of chocolate covered fruit this week.  That fruit tasted even better than it looks!

Thank you, Don, you are fantastic!

Love you,

Mom

Snow Globe Elsa

 Good morning

One of my birthday gifts from Catherine is this "Snow Globe Elsa."  In addition to being absolutely precious, it plays Christmas music.

Is that darling or what!

Thank you, Catherine.  

Love you,

Mom

Birthday Flowers

 Good morning,

My Honey is so sweet about giving me flowers for special days.  These beauties are for my birthday yesterday.  He has a secret shopper (Catherine) who was kind enough to pick them up for him since we haven't gotten out of the house for a couple of days.

Thank you, Sweetheart, and Catherine, too!

Love you both,

Lois

Berries

 Good evening,

These tiny berries are on the vines that cover the fence next to our driveway.  

Very pretty, and definitely Christmas colors.

The dogs don't pay any attention to them, but the birds seem to like them.  

It feels like Winter here, whether the calendar says it is winter or not!

All the best,

Lois

Brunch ala Catherine

 Good morning,

Catherine was kind enough to make brunch for us once again.  Pictured are an omlet, applesauce, and goetta.  There was other good food on the table, i.e., bacon, but I passed.  I still wasn't able to eat all of what you see here.

Thanks, Catherine.  We so appreciate the wonderful food you make for us!

Love you,

Mom

Kjell's Work in Process

 Good morning,

Kjell has been very busy designing and cutting/carving the parts for a beautiful clock!  I'm so very excited about this!  It is gorgeous!

Stay tuned for more about this one!

All the best,

Lois

Work in Process This Week - Basket Weave Knit Hat

 Good morning,

I'm making the last basket weave hat and scarf that I can make from this yarn.  It has been extremely popular in the shop and with custom order items, but the yarn has now been discontinued.  Yes, I'm very sad about that!  Photos just don't do the shades of blue and white justice.  I have a blanket in the shop made with this yarn.  It's a wool blend that is so very soft and comfy.

So, with all the events and gift wrapping, it is already getting very busy here.  

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

I hope you have a fabulous holiday season!

 All the very best,

Lois

It's That Time!

 Good morning,

It is wonderful to see the Christmas decorations again!

I snapped this picture at UC Health when we were there for appointments yesterday.  

We are so grateful for the University of Cincinnati and UC Health. And, way back in the 1980's, I taught accounting at UC.  It's a special place.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Lois