The PARTY was Great!! :-)

…. in fact is was so much fun, that I forgot to take pictures of the food!

but I got a couple of the dessert/cakes

notice this little fellow, a mini santa sittin’ on the cake… he was so cute……

and my friend got him on her piece.. but she never had the heart to EAT him, so I placed him on the candle stick holder… and took a picture.. that I think came out really great!!

Most of these people that I partied with, don’t much care for getting their picture on the web… so I have edited them out of the picture.. so you get only ME! hehe..

But this one is fine.. they were playing the chair game… ex.8 chairs, 9 people, play music and when music stops sit down… ooops there’s not enough chairs.. one person is out, and one chair removed,etc.etc.  until there is a winner!

It was a wonderful night, young and old together…with lots of good food, and drinks, beer, cider,red and white wine, and some sodas, coffe and baileys (yum). We danced and had alot of fun!!!!  And some of us tried to outsing the stereo with our christmas carols, hahaha!!!

X-mas party tonight!! :-)

I am just about to get ready for the annual x-mas party at my job…. really looking forward to that tonight :-)

We usually eat traditional christmas dinner like this :

 

But this year we are doing it a little easier and are making our own food.. from the kitchen I work in.. and will make food like this..

called “spekemat” it is pork og lamb legs that has been put inside salt and water for a few days, then rinsed and hung to dry…. and it tastes really yummy and salty… it’s so great, and goes very well with a delicious potatoe salad and or Waldorf salad..

And of course the smoked salmon, shrimps etc… OH, I am going to be so full at the end of tonight!!

And there’ll be lots to drink of course!!!  :-)

Don’t you wish you were here???

Have a great day everyone!!!

Gone bowling…..

My son celebrates his birthday today…

So we are bowling!!! :-)

His birthday is in a couple of days, but we are celebrating today.

Will be back later ;-)

Happy Thanksgiving!!! :-)

Have a wonderful thanksgiving everyone!!!

Monica

TAG.. you’re it!!

I have been tagged!!!! :-o

By Debi over at Whats Cook'n In Junk

Thanks Debi this might be fun.. (if I can come up with somthing interesting about myself ;-))

Now, for the rules... as follows...

Rule #1 ~ Link to the person that tagged you.
Rule #2 ~ Post the rules on your Blog.
Rule #3 ~ Write 6 random things about yourself.
Rule #4 ~ Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
Rule #5 ~ Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their Blog. Rule #6 ~ Let the tagger know your entry is up.

#1. I am the youngest of 3 children, I have one brother (6years older than me) and a sister (she’s 8 years older than me). I was a “daddy’s-girl”. I am the little girl in the photo.

#2. When I was 12 my sister got her first baby, a girl, and it turned out she was deaf, so I had to learn sign-language… I became like a second mom to this little adorable niese.. we did alot together.

#3. When I was 17 I went to Minnesota as an exchange student… I turned 18 that summer, and my father died only 2 months after I got there, so I had to go home for a while, before I went back to Cannon Falls in MN. I have such fond memories from my year over there.. the family I lived with are as close to me as real family, and I miss them every day.

#4. Two years later.. at age 20 I went back to the US. I stayed one year in Los Gatos California.. as an au-pair. I looked after 3 adorable little kids. I loved them to bits. That year was when the huge earthquake in San Francisco took place… I SURVIVED THE 7,1 EARTHQUAKE OF SAN FRAN.

#5. I met my husband during x-mas… I lived in Bergen at the time, and he in his hometown Ørsta (Oersta) I moved in with him after having known him for a month. :-) two years later we got engaged and had our first baby!

#6. Now we live in my husbands grandmothers house, which we have been “renovating” new windows, new roof, new walls inside and out, new floors inside, and everything is different. We have made it our own!! We have been happily married for 11 years now.. almost 12. :-)

..and now for passing it on… I TAG:

#1 Jessica at THE COZY KETTLE

#2 Briget at My Silly Blog

#3 Buffie at <u>Buffie's World</u>

#4 Terrie at Terrie's Lil" Piece of Serenity

#5 Shelia at Note Songs

#6 Rachael at Boys Will B Boys

Good luck to you all, I am so looking forward to hearing a little more about you!! :-)

Have a wonderful thanksgiving all of you!!!

Julekurv / christmas basket……

In Norway we sometimes make our own christmas decor.. like the “julekurv” or “christmas basket” if you will… They look very cute on the tree.. and I (I tell the kids santa does this.. so Sshhh!! ) usually put some of that chocolate Buffie got - the twist – inside them… other candy is good too :-)

Here’s how to make this one below:

Materials.

· 2 rectangular strips of different colored construction paper, 2 inches by 6 inches (we used red and blue). By trial and error we learned that origami paper, which is smooth and glossy, is easier to work with than typing paper.

· ruler

· scissors

· compass

· patience!

Make this pattern on each rectangle: two half-circles (radius one inch) and two squares (with side lengths of two inches). Use a compass to draw the half circles. On each square, draw three horizontal segments, one-half inch apart, and each four inches long, and cut along the three segments. (You can do this to both rectangles at the same time.)

Orient the two folded pieces as shown. We label them X and Y.

To weave the two pieces together:

1. Place A inside 1, 2 inside A, A inside 3, and 4 inside A. One row is woven.

Slide this row up - to make room for the second row (B) - on the three line segment cuts in piece X.

2. Place 1 inside B, B inside 2, 3 inside B, and B inside 4.

3. Place C inside 1, 2 inside C, C inside 3, and 4 inside C.

4. Place 1 inside D, D inside 2, 3 inside D, and D inside 4.

5. Attach a handle.

Of course you can design baskets with different dimensions (e.g., 4 inches by 12 inches), and with different numbers of weaving strips! You can also try other kinds of paper.

When you get this one right.. you can advance to other designs..

Or just simply use other kinds of paper

Want to try it???

Go for it!! It’s fun!!!

Oh my Goodness!!!! :-)

 A little while back I got the cutest award from Jessica… Thank you so much Jessica, I am so lucky to have found you “out there!” :-)

I am supposed to give this to 6 bloggers who I think is full of goodness!!

This is not an easy task… there are just so many GOOD ladies out there

The first lady must be Bridget… I havent posted a post yet that she has not been visiting and left a cute comment on. Thanks Bridget!  You are truly a great friend!!http://bigeeesblog.blogspot.com/

The next lady must be Jill… she’s such a sweetheart, and has been by alot!  Thanks alot Jill! http://jillsbelieveitornot.blogspot.com/

The third lady must be  Nancy.. she always leaves nice comments, and it’s just a treat to visit her blog!! Thanks alot Nancy!http://southernlady-nancy.blogspot.com/

The fourth good lady is Rachael… she has not left my side since I found her, and she’s such a great friend to have. Thanks for stopping by Rachael! http://willboyswillbboys.blogspot.com/

And the fifth lady is Terrie! I just love it when she stops by. She always has something good to say.. Thanks alot Terrie!!!http://terriedj.blogspot.com/

The last one I really want to give to a very sweet Norwegian friend of mine… Her name is Astrid and she always stops by and leaves me heartfelt comments! So I will take the last one and blog about that one on my Norwegian blog.

Thanks to ALL of you for being my friend!!!

AND since it’s thanksgiving.. I’d like to give thanks for all my new friends here in Blogland! Thank you for being my friend!!!

Did you think I was DONE???

I’m NOT!!

I have another award to give and it’s going to my dear friend Buffie!!

You make me smile!

Thank you for being my friend!!!

( we norwegians give our awards to 4 friends.. I have given this twice now.. so there’s more to come!! )

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!!!

About santas and “graut”…..

The little santa called “nisse” in norwegian.. and their story.

Farmers believe that in their barns, there is a small kind santa that takes care of their animals throughout the year.

Sometimes they do little pranks around the farm, like move things about etc., but mostly they are good, and come christmas the farm owners give them “graut” to keep them happy.

And the “graut” disappears, so surely the little santas have had a feast.

These little santas are tiny, and can easily hide in the barn….. they are not the ordinary kinds of santas..

We have that kind too….the ordinary ones…. you know the northpole santa, big fellow with the red suit and black boots etc.

And we have the blue santas that lives up in the mountains.. inside the mountains to be excact…

and they come out of their hiding only during winter/christmas, AND only during the “blue hour” ….

because they can’t be spotted that easily when everything turns blue.

Back to the little barn-santas.. and their “graut”.

I would like to give you the recipe, so that you can try it some day…

Ingredients
1and 2/3 cups water
3/4 cup long grain rice (or the small round one)

1 quart milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Directions

1 Boil water and add rice, cover and lower heat to simmer for 15 minutes.

2 Add milk, sugar and vanilla and bring back to a boil. remember to stir ofter… as the milk may burn in the bottom of your pan.

3 Cover, lower heat and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20-30 minutes. (stir.. a little)

4 Season with salt. ( might be too much with a teaspoon.. so taste)

5 Serve with butter, sugar and cinnamon and a glass of milk

6 you can also put some raisins on the top.

( oh.. and if there are any left-overs.. cool it down, whip some cream and mix the cream and “graut” together carefully.. put on some sweet red sauce.. like cherry or rasberry sauce… .. hmmm a delicious dessert.)

Good luck!