Thanksgiving Day

Andrea and I celebrated Thanksgiving this year with some members of our St. Christopher's family. We enjoyed ourselves, good conversation and delicious food.

Finnish Christmas Bazaar

Andrea and I continued our Christmas bazaar hopping. Today the Finnish bazaar was our destination. Again the focus was FOOD! There was a very large cafe where one could buy the materials for a tasty lunch. We again ran into Nicole, a fellow bazaar-hopper.

My lunch consisted of a Karelian pastry or pie with egg and butter spread (top right on plate), a Christmas tart (with prune jam), and four ginger snaps.

The Karelian pastry/pasty was delicious. The Chef Gourmet describes it thus:

North Karelia is the birthplace of Karelian pastries. Although they are eaten throughout Finland, the Joensuu version, spread with real butter, is the genuine article. The thin rye crust is filled with rice and shaped 'like a moccasin,' as a visiting tourist once described them.
Use fine rye flour that is finer in texture and lighter in color than regular rye flour. If unavailable, use half regular rye flour and half wheat flour.
Warm pasties are traditionally served with egg and butter spread. Pasties may also be eaten topped with plain butter, cheese, slices of ham or roast reindeer, gravlax, shrimp or whatever you happen to like! Pasties can be reheated in an oven or toaster.


This bazaar offered a wide variety of items. Andrea bought me a lovely Christmas present, a necklace and matching earrings. (I will post photos of them soon.)

There was also music.

And books.

Amici Italiani Sub-Committee

Five members of the Amici Italiani di Fairfax Meet-Up met at Faccia Luna in Clarendon for pizza and conversation in Italian. Qui si parla italiano!

Maju, Christine, Andrea, Marina, and Gina

Berman Lecture and Founding Farmers

Several members of the SON lodge met for dinner at Founding Farmers, the popular green restaurant in DC (owned by North Dakota farmers), before attending Irene Levin Berman's lecture at GWU on her book, We are going to pick potatoes, about her experience as a Norwegian Holocaust survivor.

 Denise, Merry, Nina, Tim, Marie, Christine, Lynn, and Rosalie

Denise and Christine had butternut squash ravioli 

We shared two delicious appetizers - fried green tomatoes and cornbread (the best I have ever eaten)

Danish and Icelandic Christmas Bazaars

'Tis the season for Christmas bazaars and we decided to go to two Scandinavian ones today.

The Danish Bazaar in Rockville, MD

 In line for the Danish pastries

 In line for the Danish open-faced sandwiches

 Nice red aprons!

The Icelandic Bazaar in Fairfax, VA

The American Legion Lodge

 What luck!  We ran into Nicole at this bazaar and enjoyed lunch together!

Lunch with Kim

Today Kim and I met for lunch at the Lebanese Taverna in Pentagon Row. We had a wonderful chat and a delicious lunch. Kim's daughter joined us and was a very well-behaved two-year old.

In Oslo in Spirit

My cousin Tormod and my friend Elin hosted two of my American friends in Oslo tonight. Tormod sent me a photo from his I-Pad while they were chatting and dining at the Oslo Cafe. It was as if I were there -  almost.

Jason, Elin, Tormod, and Bill

Russian Birthday Party at Aroma

We celebrated three birthdays tonight at the Aroma Indian Restaurant near GW. The Birthday People were Larissa, Oksana, and Jodi. We had a wonderful evening with lots of interesting - and often funny - conversation. The food too was great!

                                            Larissa, Jodi, Christine, Ginny, and Oksana