I love traditions

The Joo family invited us to their home yesterday to teach us how to make Toltott Kaposzta ( stuffed cabbage) and to make a wreath for the holidays.

Steve became quite the expert in taking the back part of the vein of the cabbage off.

The filling was ground pork with chopped onion and rice.

Julian was a big help putting everything together.

Ande made a delicious pastry. This is a picture of the walnut and raisin but she also had a poppy seed filling that was good. We weren't having any drug tests soon so we ate our share.

Julian is brushing them with egg.

After the leaves of cabbage are stuffed and rolled they are put in a pot with shredded cabbage on the bottom and then some smoked pork, the stuffed cabbage and then more shredded cabbage with a couple of bay leaves and some pepper. The pot behind is soup which was also very good.

While we were waiting for the food to cook we made traditional wreaths. This custom was started in 1839. Each wreath has four candles on them.

I was struggling with the ribbon among other things so Ande made the bows for me. I know that will answer a lot of questions for people who know me and wondered where the bows came from.

The four candles represent faith, hope, love, and joy. We light one each Sunday until Christmas. In Christian cultures Advent (waiting) is the four week period before Christmas. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. I hope I am not the only one who didn't know that advent meant waiting.

Tonight after dinner we lit the first candle and talked about faith. Elder Allredge and Elder Hansen read from Preach My Gospel.

The dinner was delicious! I love Christmas time.