Family Day

Yesterday was nisu baking day! For those of you who don't know what nisu is, it is a traditional Finnish sweet biscuit that takes a long time and a lot of muscle to make. I started baking this delicious biscuit when I was about 16 years old. My aunt gave me a copy of my mumma's (grandmother to those non-Finns out there) recipe. My mother, a non-Finn herself, had never made this traditional biscuit, but encouraged me to try, because my father, and the rest of my family, loved it. And so a tradition was born.

I know there are people out there who bake nisu (also called pulla) on a regular basis, maybe even as much as once a week; but that is not in my nature. For one thing, it is hard to make; and if I made it all the time, it wouldn't seem as special. Besides, I can go to the Finnish Heritage Museum on any Saturday and get a cup of coffee and a slice of nisu for $2. Or buy a biscuit at the Finnish Treasures gift shop, also in Fairport Harbor. But back to yesterday.

My daughter-in-law and granddaughter came over yesterday morning (not too early; they know my habits), and we started right in. Someone had to watch my two great-grandsons, so I just gave directions and played with the boys while Beth and Heather did all the work. How special is that? While the dough was rising near the wood burner, the girls even decorated the Christmas tree that Den had put up the night before, and got out all the Christmas objects, articles, artifacts, or whatever you want to call them, and decorated the house.

Just as the first hot biscuits were coming out of the oven, my son, grandson, and grandson's girlfriend showed up at the door for coffee and nisu. So now you can see how special yesterday was. I hope you all have a day like that in your Christmas season.