Christmas Eve in Hälsingland

SOLVEIG'S TRIBUTE TO CHRISTMAS

Solveig has decorated a wall in her kitchen with umpteen hundred tomtes! It is amazing! Some are as old as she is, some are new. It is so fun looking at all of them. They are all different and so interesting. I will never forget this Solveig.

This is the exciting day when they celebrate in Sweden. We get up and have breakfast. Solveig has bought messmör for me. So sweet. Messmör is in a tub like margarine, has the consistency of margarine but is sweet and wonderful. I have never seen it outside of Sweden. Not even IKEA carries it. She also has some wonderful jams that are a combination of flavors. Raspberry & mint and Raspberry and saffron.

I think I talked about Fil mjolk. I do like it with cloudberries and Muesli. Arvid eats it with raspberries and Muesli. This is photo of fil at Solveig's. I feel like I had breakfast with this little girl every day for a week! Note the sugar cubes in the little woven basket. Arvid loves those sugar cubes. He remembers his dad using them as well. The flat wafer-like crackers at the left are what I like to use for my messmör.

We get ready for this exciting day. Elisabeth and Tommie will bring Ella at about 12:30. It is so fun talking to Albin. Since Albin and Karli are close in age we have photos of them together when they were not yet 2 years old. We haven't seen Albin in quite a few years. So it is a big shock that he is all grown up!

Solveig worked so hard for the dinner. It is so beautiful! And so is Ella. Another dream come true. God Jul Ella! We wish everyone God Jul with some glögg. So yummy. Thank you Elisabeth.

The tradition is to have ham for dinner and potatoes of course. Solveig had 2 kinds of potatoes, small round and Jonsons Frestelse..... oh soooooooo good. I think I will list all the foods for the meal since I did not actually take a photo of each dish: Ham, köttbullar, pate, 2 kinds of cabbage salad with orange zest, tiny potatoes, jonsons frestelse, 2 kind of homemade bread by Solveig, 4 pickled herrings (Solveig made again) 2 smoked fish, lax, senap for ham, homemade (by Solveig) lingonberry sil, and an enormous assortment of crisp breads. I am sure I have forgotten something...

We have dessert of chocolate mousse with raspberries on top. So good. What a perfect meal.

There are 10 of us in all. I was so taken with the whole thing I forgot to take any photos of all of us! We eat and eat and laugh and toast and laugh and thoroughly enjoy this most special Christmas. Solveig, how can we thank you enough for this.

Ella suddenly announces that she is tired. So Elisabeth and Tommie take her home soon after. We make plans to go to their house tomorrow. It is very cold and crisp and beautiful white outside. What a day.

Solveig has gone to so much trouble for this day. She must have been preparing it for weeks! She is amazing beyond belief. Then we bring the gifts from home to give to them. We give Albin the chocolate orange and tell him how to hit it down hard on the table to break it properly. We find it is a great hit.. ha ha, a pun!

Solveig brings out some earrings that Tommie's son's girlfriend has made. They are so cute. She gives Karli and I 2 pair. We really like them. After dinner we go into the living room and watch the news. We tend to watch tv a lot here, Birger likes it and we like the news too. After a week without any news in Dalarna it is fun to catch up!

Before we go to bed, Solveig made ris grött. (rice cooked in milk) We put sugar and cinnamon on top. She also had the raspberries. It was very thick and creamy. I feel like we have learned so much about traditions in Sweden so far on our trip. Have you learned anything from reading this blog??? If you are from Sweden please let me know if I am incorrect on anything.