New Years Eve has to have games and lots of munchies right?...we thought so! We invited our cute neighbor, Natalia and her son Ivan to our apartment along with the Anderson's to celebrate and bring in the new year. Natalia said, "OK all of us together" and then motioned her arms as if to show everyone together. We told her to come around 8:00 in the evening. She came all dressed up and said that Ivan was still chopping up food...ok...the night is young.
Jim, Natalia, Mark, Fran eating...chips and carrots with dip, 7 layer dip and chips, cheese and crackers, juice, cream cheese fruit salad, clementines, candy, pizza...
Natalia let me try on her REAL fur coat!!!
A short time later, Anna (8 years) and her brother Vanya (short for Ivan, 11 years old) came to our apartment with a picture of a kitten she had drawn for us. They told us to come to their apartment at 9:00. We asked them if they wanted to have some munchies and Vanya said, "no, not before the feast!" The feast?...
This is Anna with pictures she has drawn and painted.
Our neighbors Katya, Vanya, Maxim, Anna, and Juliet the dog.
THE FEAST!!!
The evening was not over yet! At 11:00 we left and went over to Natalia's apartment where Ivan had been chopping up more food for us! He had made the olivia salad, the herring in a fur coat salad and Natalia had also cooked a turkey! It was delicious! I have to admit that I didn't eat the "fur coat" salad because of the fish...but Jim did! Natalia sat by him and dished him up a very healthy portion of the salad at both apartments. He said that Natalia's "fur coat" salad was much better and not as fishy. I loved the olivia salad and the turkey was wonderful! 
This is Natalia's apartment. We visited and watched President Medvedev speak at midnight and wish everyone a wonderful New Year. They had fresh berries (they were very small and orange) ground up in a blender and gave it to us to drink and use for our many toasts. Ivan and Natalia toasted with champagne. After the toasts we watched some fireworks from her window and then ate some more. However, the evening was not over yet! We put on our coats, hats, gloves, boots, and scarves and went out into the snowy night so that Anna and Vanya could go sledding! We walked to the park and watched the fireworks, sang songs, and had a snow ball fight! We had a great time. Natalia and Ivan had Santa hats on and that made it all the more memoriable! (fyi - President Sorenson told all the missionaries to be in at 6:00 - the secretary to the area presidency was with us and he forgot and we're glad he did!)
Natalia let me try on her REAL fur coat!!!
A short time later, Anna (8 years) and her brother Vanya (short for Ivan, 11 years old) came to our apartment with a picture of a kitten she had drawn for us. They told us to come to their apartment at 9:00. We asked them if they wanted to have some munchies and Vanya said, "no, not before the feast!" The feast?...This is Anna with pictures she has drawn and painted.
Our neighbors Katya, Vanya, Maxim, Anna, and Juliet the dog.
THE FEAST!!!We had been invited to their apartment for a traditional Russian New Years Eve! How wonderful! We must have missed something in the translation..but we were having an adventure of a lifetime (and glad to leave our munchies back at our apartment)! She served all kinds of mushrooms (pickled, garlic, regular), pickles, cabbage with carrots (pickled), bread, fish pies, sliced cheese and ham, lettuce and mayo salad, olivia salad (similar to potato salad), and a very traditional salad called (with the English translation) herring in a fur coat (made with fish, potatoes, beets, and cream). They also had many things to drink because we were making toasts all night long to the new year (out with the bad and in with the new). Natalia was very protective us us making sure that everyone knew that we didn't drink anything stronger than juice!
Natalia, Fran, Mark, Maxim, Katya, Vanya, friend, Anna
The evening was not over yet! At 11:00 we left and went over to Natalia's apartment where Ivan had been chopping up more food for us! He had made the olivia salad, the herring in a fur coat salad and Natalia had also cooked a turkey! It was delicious! I have to admit that I didn't eat the "fur coat" salad because of the fish...but Jim did! Natalia sat by him and dished him up a very healthy portion of the salad at both apartments. He said that Natalia's "fur coat" salad was much better and not as fishy. I loved the olivia salad and the turkey was wonderful! Natalia and Ivan (21)
(another son Sergey, 26, is married and lives in Holland)
This is Natalia's apartment. We visited and watched President Medvedev speak at midnight and wish everyone a wonderful New Year. They had fresh berries (they were very small and orange) ground up in a blender and gave it to us to drink and use for our many toasts. Ivan and Natalia toasted with champagne. After the toasts we watched some fireworks from her window and then ate some more. However, the evening was not over yet! We put on our coats, hats, gloves, boots, and scarves and went out into the snowy night so that Anna and Vanya could go sledding! We walked to the park and watched the fireworks, sang songs, and had a snow ball fight! We had a great time. Natalia and Ivan had Santa hats on and that made it all the more memoriable! (fyi - President Sorenson told all the missionaries to be in at 6:00 - the secretary to the area presidency was with us and he forgot and we're glad he did!)Mark, Fran, Me, Natalia, Ivan
Olivia Salad
Herring in a Fur Coat salad
and a Turkey!
Olivia Salad
Herring in a Fur Coat salad
and a Turkey!It is Russian tradition to have a lot of food for this meal. Left over food means you will have enough food for the coming year.
1 comment:
That just sound awesome. the fur coat dish sounds scary, I guess it is nice to have dad there to be your escape goat. Glad you have a happy new year
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