Blog

This flavorful open-faced sandwich is sure to be a welcome appetizer at any holiday gathering.

In the 19th Century, many Norwegians heeded the call to move to North America, buying a ticket to seek their fortune abroad, or being sponsored by a family member who had emigrated before them. Now, the town of Vang in Norway wants their people back.

If you live in North America and hear talk of homemade lefse, you might assume that the most important question about the recipe is: real potatoes or potato flakes? For many American and Canadian descendants of Norway, it is simply referred to as lefse, with the potato being an assumed ingredient.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live in an Arctic village during the winter months, without the hassle and stress of a permanent move, there is a unique opportunity available to you.

Lefse is a staple of Norwegian cuisine. These delicious roll-ups are bite-sized treats, perfect for starting a Christmas meal.

This past August I traveled to Norway for the first time with my parents and my husband Brad. It was the trip of a lifetime! We spent 10 days traveling from Oslo to Lærdal, Lærdal to Bergen, and Bergen to Stavanger.  

2027 is marked to be the year for the opening of a new Viking Museum in Oslo. The Museum will be called the Museum of the Viking Age and will be an extension of the current Viking Ship Museum. It will be three times the size of the current museum and will showcase Viking ships and artifacts in an inspiring and modern way, to keep the heritage alive for years to come.

After a successful 97-day voyage from Stavanger to New York, and days of events commemorating the original crossing, the ship’s crew was likely ready for a break and relieved to be boarding an airplane home.

Adapted from the cauliflower and juniper soup in The New Nordic: Recipes from a Scandinavian Kitchen by Simon Bajada (Hardie Grant Books, 2015)

The original artwork for this year’s limited edition rosemaled ornament was painted by Karen Van Loan of Apple Valley, MN.