Monday Memories ~ Making Lefse

With everyone here for Thanksgiving, we took advantage of the opportunity to make lefse together. This has been a family holiday tradition for as long as I can remember...

My mom would roll them and my dad had the turning stick...
Then when I was in high school I was old enough to learn to roll...my dad had the turning stick and then my mom graduated to head supervisor...

When we were first married, the little kitchen in our first house had such narrow counters that the lefse griddle barely fit...but we still made lefse...and my hubby learned how to use the turning stick...
Now... my dad is no longer with us...and my mom is 89. This year she wanted to be in charge of peeling the potatoes...that was to be her contribution. Being the head supervisor should be enough, but she wanted to do this...
Start early in the morning by peeling 8 good size russet potatoes. Quarter and boil them until fork tender. When cooked, rice the potatoes while hot. To each 4 cups of potatoes, add 1/4 c. melted butter, 1/4 cup half and half, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. sugar. (It is important to use real butter and real cream) Mix well and cool thoroughly. Here in the Dakotas, I place the bowl out on the patio table. They cool in no time!

To each 4 cups, add 3/4 c. flour. Mix with a pastry blender. Shape into round flat cakes and keep in the refrigerator. Take out one at a time to roll.
Here, the head supervisor is ready to train in the next generation.

The lefse making apron is an important accessory, as there is a lot of flour involved...
Roll on a floured board with a covered rolling pin. Transfer to a hot grill and bake lightly on both sides.

Turning the lefse is serious work...one needs to watch the steaming and know just when to turn so that they are delicately browned...And one must be gentle...to avoid making holes in the paper thin lefse...

I am happy that I have inherited my grandmother's lefse grill...

We even taught Line how to use the turning stick...that's right, you heard me...our Norwegian foreign exchange daughter knows how to eat lefse, but has never made it.

Jake and Seth took turns rolling and turning too.

This is one family tradition that will live on for generations to come...