Swedish Hospitality and Dried Toast
A memory I have of coming to live in my husband’s hometown is Swedish rusks.
Mike, Tabitha, Olivia and I were in Lindsborg looking for a house to rent since Mike had gotten a job in Lindsborg and we were to move from Hutchinson. Mike was born and grew up primarily in Lindsborg. (I’d been to Lindsborg before I met Mike when our high school marching band had come to be part of the Hyllningsfest Parade and my friend and I were left behind in Lindsborg when we didn’t make it back to the bus on time, which is another story for another time...)
One Saturday, after house searching, our family took a lunch break at the old City Bakery. Doctor and Mrs. Fuller were also there. Doc Fuller is the man who delivered Mike and was his family’s Doctor for many years. I was pleased to finally meet the man I’d heard so much about! After introductions were made, Mike had a reunion and catch-up visit and before we left we had been invited to live in their country home (built by Mike's Dad) as guests and house-sitters for the winter while they were away. The timing was right and the invitation so perfect that we began making plans all the while basking in the hospitality and quaintness of Lindsborg!
After we had moved in and lived there less than a week, we came home one afternoon to a “Welcome Neighbor Note” and a small container of rusks on the porch. Swedish Rusks are like chunky pieces of dried toast. We all thought it was so sweet that our country neighbors had welcomed us and we had some laughs calling rusks “dried toast” and joking that , “It sure was nice of our neighbors to leave some dried toast at our door! Are we supposed to feel welcomed or offended?” We knew full well what rusks were, but in the spirit of Lindsborg, we had to poke just a little fun at the Swedes!
When I called our neighbor to thank her for the rusks, we talked for quite a while. One of the things that stands out about our conversation, is her concern for our spiritual state. She spoke openly about her Savior and wondered if I knew Him. After giving a brief testimony and assuring her that I was indeed God’s child, we had the sweetest fellowship and I must say that dried toast never tasted quite so good as the rusks (Skorpor) left on our porch by Mrs. Anderson. (Eva Anderson, not the Andersons who own The Swedish Country Inn. When one lives among so many Swedish names, one needs to make distinctions!)
Here is a recipe for rusks, but our favorite rusks are those made from dryish cinnamon rolls cut into strips or chunks; Brush with butter (add more cinnamon sugar if desired) then “toast” them in the oven on a buttered cookie sheet. The time and temp. depends on how much time you have and how watchful you are. An example would be 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Crunchy Yummy!
Comments
Rusks. Never heard of 'em till now, but I could sure enjoying trying a batch of them. I've never met a cinnamon roll I didn't like--and if you dunk it in Dunkins', what could be better?
Zo- You'd love rusks! And yes, with good coffee!
I remember the Fullers house. I think I remember the Christmas there. I also remember making ostkaka with you. I remember the smell of the house. Kinda eggy? Maybe sewer-ish? When we first moved in especially. I remember the trees and climbing in them.
I remember riding the bus to kindergarten. I remember the big bathtub in the master bedroom. I remember the vet fridge in the basement. I remember the basement having a 70s feel to it. Kind of like Aunt Arlene's basement. I remember it being cold! Not in the house, though. I remember the oranges, they were so sweet! We'd sit and share a full orange. We watched Sesame Street? while eating it from a little cereal bowl.
Yes! I'd forgotten about Santa Bear by Michael Hedges!
http://www.nomadland.com/Santabear.htm
I remember you telling me that Natalie said you were a country girl!
And I must say that I missed my darlin daughters and was attached to them more than I realized too... enter home schooling... among other reasons!
Doc Fuller's basement had a lot of antlers and other hunting "trophies" is another thing I remember! I also remember Galen coming out to talk to Dad about a job. And yes, I remember ostkaka!
That was a very cold winter with a good amount of snow!