The Social Experiment

This blog is about understanding and exploring what my Grandmothers experienced by living on the home front during World War II. I am going to be living, as best as I can, to the US rationing standards of 1945. This is a social experiment, not only to connect to my families past, but to explore new way to live environmentally and socially responsible. I hope to show, that by living as our grandparents did, we can reduce the amount of waste that our society throws out and live healthier and more simple lives.

Monday, November 28, 2011

The Joy of Lefse

In preparing for Christmas… I looked at my stock of butter and sugar. What I discovered is that I do not have a lot left. I have three sticks of butter left – and at 16 points a pound- I am unwilling to purchase more. I did discover that I have a new sugar ration coupon that I can fill this week – which is good for five pounds of sugar… but that has to last me two and a half months. I came to the sad realization that I cannot bake Christmas cookies like I did before. No fruit cake. No spritzes. No Peanut butter stars.

Oh- but I can still

make Lefse. This wonderful treat of Christmas (for Scandinavians) made from potatoes, ¼ cup of butter, 3 table spoons of sugar, a cup of milk, and two cups of flour. Hurray for Lefse!!

This Saturday, my mom and I measured out the left over mash potatoes from thanks giving – and it was enough for a whole batch of Lefse. SO we put on our aprons, plugged in the griddle, and started working.

Lefse is not the easiest thing to make. It requires you to rice your potatoes, mix in your ingredients, then to roll out a spoon full of dough on a floured board. Then using long sticks – the flat dough (you should almost be able to read through it) is placed on the griddle and baked for 4-5 minutes. Presto! Lefse!

The challenge is that I like Lefse with a little butter and sugar on it – I did discover it is wonderful with apple butter on as well! (And that is only a 2 point stamp!) There is still the taste of Christmas in the times of rationing.

It was fun to work hard with someone else - and now both of our freezers are full with Lefsa (about 3 dozen large circles that is cut into 4's). I can imagine that is what the canning circles were like- everyone working together to put up food for winter.

Stay tuned to hear about my war cake (it is a substitute for fruit cake from 1940’s)…

Posted by at

1 comment:

  1. AngelaNovember 29, 2011 at 5:44 AM

    Lefse has always been a Christmas treat in my family and since my grandma passed away the task has fallen to me. I think the biggest misconception about lefse is that it is tricky to make, it really shouldn't be. It is an American frontier trick that housewives used to make sure leftover potatoes didn't go to waste.

    Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm looking forward to getting out great-grandma Carrie's hand carved turning stick in a couple weeks!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)