Go with the flow in Week 5 of "15 Weeks of Friluftsliv"
Whether it's a cold dip, hot spring, or soothing observation, check out the wonders of winter water.
Flow through winter with some inspiration from water
It’s Week 5 of “15 Weeks of Friluftsliv” and this is moment where we really settle into the winter season and embrace it. The glow of holiday festivities may be diminishing, but with weekly outdoor experiences, you will create the warmth to move through what can be a dark or gloomy season. This week, we’re taking inspiration from water. If you think about it, there are so many ways that water brings delight in winter: a cold plunge to jolt you into the present moment; a hot soak to soothe tired muscles; ice to skate and slide on; and of course the powerful peacefulness of just pausing to listen to a stream cutting through snow and cold air.
Check out this week’s activity guide and recipe of the week for ways to find awe in winter water. Winter provides the unique moment where water is transformed and has the power to transform your state as well. Go embrace “frilfutsliv” and the open air life to experience this magic.
1. Winter Water 3 Ways - Week 5 Activity Guide
There’s a reason many people start the year with a cold dip—it’s a powerful jolt and reminder of the present moment. Water in winter reminds us of how transformation occurs with the seasons. In this week’s activity guide, you can choose one of three ways to enjoy the transformative power of water in winter. We hope that whether it’s a cold dip, hot spring, or soothing observation, you are inspired to get outside in this moment and embrace winter.
Research shows that even just gazing at a body of water can help lower your blood pressure and heart rate, and can increase feelings of calm and relaxation. This can happen in winter months, too! Find some winter water and flow through the season.
Download this week’s activity guide and follow us on Friluftsliving Family Instagram to share your favorite ways to explore winter water (tag #15weeksoffriluftsliv).
2. Family “kumla” recipe (what it lacks in looks, it makes up for in love)
This week’s theme of go-with-the-flow is helpful to embrace when cooking too—especially when working with family recipes. Boiling root vegetables in winter is a tradition in many cultures. Water transforms potatoes into all kinds of dishes to warm families and friends. In Norway, “kumla” is a potato dumpling dish that requires time boiling grated-potato balls in water… and for Tacy’s grandparents in Iowa, kumla dinners were worthy of heading out on snowy days to gather with friends.
This week we’re sharing the kumla recipe from her family’s recipe book. Fair warning: this is another one of those where much was known but not necessarily written down in the recipe. When we made it, there was a lot of laughter with the looks of it and our trial and error. You may want to do some online searching for more reliable recipes…however, the ham flavor makes it all go down easy, whatever your result.
Kumla (Raspe Baller)
Ingredients:
Ham hocks
8 cups of grated potatoes
4 heaping cups of flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
Optional butter for serving
Instructions [verbatim from family recipe book]:
“Boil smoked ham hocks in plenty of water until done. Drain as much water from the grated potatoes as possible. Mix them with dry ingredients. The amount of flour needed will vary. Shape into balls the size of dumplings. Drop one into the boiling ham/broth mixture. If it falls apart, add more flour to the remaining potatoes. Allow from 45 minutes to an hour for dumplings to cook in the simmering broth. Serve with butter (some use melted butter).
Leftovers are good fried the next day.”
Note from Tacy’s grandmother included with the recipe: “This is a traditional Norwegian recipe in our family… Not too long ago on certain days, it was possible to order kumla in a restaurant in Radcliffe and another restaurant in Story City. Grampy and I would mark those days on our calendar to go eat kumla.”
This note fills our hearts with love for our family’s roots and how they preserved certain traditions as they made their life in Iowa, while creating new ones as their family grew and spread across the country. Family recipe books are an incredibly powerful way to share the love for generations to follow.
4. Ways to gather
Find a recommended hiking spot near water: Social media is at its best when it’s about sharing accessible places to venture outside. If you’re in the NJ, NY, or PA area check out Seek.discover.play on Instagram who recently shared some lakeside trails to try. Gather some friends and family and hit the trails! Water is a great motivator when hiking with kids.
Winter Tea at Reeves Reed Arboretum: Tea is another way to enjoy water in winter—heat it up and drink it! Even more enchanting, gather with fellow outdoor and tea enthusiasts at Reeves Reed Arboretum tea events with the Secret Tea Room. Enjoy tea then walk the beautiful grounds.
Mark your calendar:
Full Moon Hike, Campfire & Friluftsfest this Friday, 1/10. Join Friluftsliving Family and Raritan Headwaters Association after the holidays for a Hike & Howl to celebrate midwinter and the Wolf Full Moon. Enjoy treats and enchanted, illuminated trails in the light of the moon.
Yoga+Hike at Fairview Farm Wildlife Preserve on 1/12. Join Gnome Matter the Weather’s Lauren Theis for indoor, all-level gentle yoga followed by an optional guided hike on the beautiful trails of Fairview Farm.
Not local to NJ? Everything we host and share is something you can modify to do wherever you live.
We can’t wait to hear how you welcome winter in Week 5 of “15 Weeks of Friluftsliv.” Let us know in the comments!
Here’s to sharing ideas and getting outside with a “free-air-life” ethos, gnome matter the weather.