Posts Tagged Christmas stuff
Christmas treat ideas for all budgets
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on December 20, 2009
- Fine-dining: Enjoy a romantic dinner with a loved one at Refsnes Gods, Moss. Good food, good wine and good company – what more could one possibly want? www.refsnesgods.no
- Pampering: Treat yourself to a relaxing and revitalising weekend at Zen Resort in Rømskog. New year, new you! www.zenresort.no
- Shopping: Splash out and get yourself a Christmas present you really want. What about a piece of art for something really original? Visit the Østfoldkunstnersenter for some inspiration, or check out links to local artists on their website. www.kunstnersenter.no/oks/ (Norwegian only)
- Family: Take the kids to a hockey match. Sparta plays against Vålerenga on 22 Dec in Sarpsborg, while Stjernen takes on Storhamar Dragons on 28 Dec in Fredrikstad. www.sparta.no and www.stjernen.no (Norwegian only)
- Entertainment: Looking for something more festive? It’s not too late to catch a Christmas concert. The Parkteatret in Moss puts on its annual concert on today (20 Dec), 19.00; or you can hear Ole Paus in Østre Fredrikstad Church in Gamlebyen on 22 Dec 18.30. www.parkteatret.com
Østfold in Pictures: Nissenatt-Huset, Gamlebyen
Posted by admin in Photos and videos, Shopping on December 16, 2009
A Norwegian Christmas speciality: Pinnekjøtt
Posted by admin in Food and drink, Photos and videos on December 15, 2009
Pinnekjøtt Recipe
Posted by admin in Food and drink on December 15, 2009
Pinnekjøtt is a traditional Norwegian dish that’s very popular at Christmas. It consists of salted, dried and sometimes smoked mutton or lamb ribs which are rehydrated and then steamed, usually over birch twigs (pinne). You can buy pinnekjøtt fresh or frozen. Prices vary from about 150kr to 300kr a kilo, and the more expensive the meat, the leaner (and better) it’s likely to be.
How to prepare pinnekjøtt:
(Allow 400g of meat per person).
- Place the ribs in cold water overnight.
- In a big casserole, leave a wire rack or birch twigs (always remove the bark) at the bottom and fill with water so that the water covers the twigs and reaches just below the meat.
- Let it steam on medium heat for about 2-3 hours, or until the meat begins to come loose from the bone. You might need to keep topping up with water as you don’t want it to run dry.
- Serve with boiled potatoes and mashed swede.
- The drinks of choice to accompany this dish are, as more often than not with Norwegian Christmas dishes, beer and aquavit. Cheers, or rather Skål!
A Christmas tradition: The julenek
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on December 12, 2009
Another lovely Scandinavian Christmas tradition is the julenek, a sheaf of oats (sometimes wheat) that is hung on a tree or pole as a Christmas treat for the birds. It is believed to be good luck if birds eat from the julenek, as this means farming will be good in the coming year. Juleneks also have a practical use: when the ground and all vegetation are covered in snow, and food is scarce, they can be the only source of food for many small birds, and therefore crucial for their survival throughout the cold winter months. You will see julenek for sale on street corners all over Norway in the weeks before Christmas, and hanging in gardens and farmyards everywhere.
Østfold in Pictures: Christmas tree in Gamlebyen
Posted by admin in Photos and videos on December 9, 2009
Top 5: Christmas shopping, Norwegian style
Stuck for ideas for Christmas pressies? Well what about something typically Norwegian? Here are a few suggestions for presents that will also double up as souvenirs. And not a troll in sight, promise!
- Cheese slicer: A practical gift, as well as a slice of trivia rolled in one (no pun intended) – this is one of two Norwegian inventions of recent times. The other one was the paperclip, by the way.
- Knitted mittens: Typically Norwegian, at least if you buy the ones with the black and white Selbu star pattern. They are incredibly warm (much more so I find than normal gloves), and unlike the knitted jumpers, anyone can afford those.
- Wooden coffee cup: I came across those for the first time recently in a camping/outdoors life shop, and I love them. Practical (they are very light), original, and stylish, in a very Scandinavian kind of way. Which probably explains the hefty price tag – at around Kr200 a piece, it’s indulging the coffee drinker(s) in your life, but hey, it’s not Christmas every day.
- Smoked salmon: OK OK, no points for originality, but any gourmet friend or relative will appreciate that one. Look out for the word skiver (slice) on the packet, and make sure you buy laks (salmon), not ørret (trout), in case you can’t tell the difference just looking at them (no, neither can I, if that makes you feel any better).
- Thermal underwear: They might not be sexy, but they do work, and when it’s -15°C outside, who cares?? They come in a range of designs and colours, and you can even get them cheaper than back home. Yes that’s right – cheaper than back home. Now you don’t hear me say that too often do you? 
Mitt Hjerte Alltid Vanker (Arve Moen Bergset)
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature, Photos and videos on December 8, 2009
One of the most popular traditional Christmas hymns, performed here by Arve Moen Bergset (and no, in case you thought it was a woman, it’s not!). The song title has been translated as ‘My heart always wanders (where Jesus once was born)’. Lyrics by Hans Adolph Brorson, 1732. (‘Arve sølv’, 1987)