"Seven Kinds of Cookies..." and other treats!

April 20, 2011

Before moving here, I must confess I never gave Sweden much thought – it just wasn’t on my radar screen.  After learning we were moving here, in my mind’s eye Sweden was about Scandic clothes,  and baked goods - lots of baked goods. In fact, there is a favorite Scandinavian almond cookie I make each Christmas that my family loves, although I got the recipe from a former neighbor in California!  And, of course, I remember when our children were younger, Gary would always tell me if I ever died he'd take my life insurance and get the family a Swedish au pair...  Those were the only thoughts of Sweden I had up until this move.

So, my curiosity (and concern for adjustment in living here) was greatest about the foods, how our version translates to the Swedish version so I could cook.  For example, I learned that sour cream is gräddfil.  Once I learned that and found the flour tortillas (and yes, they have them here) I could make sour cream chicken enchiladas.  I brought jalapenos from home but found out they have those here too!

Back in February, I had our friend Karolina Nilsson over for lunch.  As you recall, she was the one so helpful to us in locating our apartment and getting situated.  For lunch I decided to serve something I might enjoy out with a friend back home in the US, so she could experience our type of girlfriend-food.  I served a Caesar salad (with homemade croutons!) and salmon.  Along with this, I served iced Luzianne tea which is not served or offered here in Sweden, although they are now selling bottled (Lipton-type) versions. I told Karolina that in South Carolina we traditionally have sweet tea but mine was unsweetened, and I allowed her to add sugar or sweetener if she wanted.  She liked it!  For dessert I made homemade thick, chewy chocolate chip cookies with pecans.  This was new to her, too, and she enjoyed them.

While we enjoyed lunch she told me of an old Swedish tradition called, “Seven Kinds of Cookies.”  In previous posts I shared how fika is a common daily tradition where coffee and some type of sweet is served.  In Sweden, it is not uncommon to have people pop over, planned or unplanned, for a cup of coffee – although Gary and I have yet to experience this.  I’m not sure about you, but at home, if I had a pop-in guest, my first reaction would probably be, ”Oh, no!! What do I serve?”

Karolina explained that as an old Swedish tradition it was (and probably for some still is) a common practice  to bake ahead during the week, sometimes twice a week, in order to have cookies, biscuits, cakes and buns on hand to serve if guests should drop in.  In fact, at one time there was considered a certain competitive spirit among hostesses that there would be at least seven different kinds of cookies or dessert available for guests.  Yikes!  That many desserts around our house is just plain dangerous!

One of Gary’s favorite cookies (besides my homemade chocolate chip) is the “Chokladflarn” (see picture) which you can buy at all the grocery stores.  Chokladflarn are thin, crisp oatmeal-type cookies with the bottom side dipped in chocolate.  They are delicious and he buys a big box regularly for a little “flarn” treat.  A perfect fika cookie! 

“Chokladflarn”

“Chokladflarn” (Rhubarb flavor )



Below is a recipe for a Swedish sugar cookie sent to me by Rhonda Carlson, a friend from high school in Fremont, Nebraska.  She says it is the recipe of her grandmother who came from Sweden. They are very good!  (Thanks, Rhonda!)

Swedish Sugar Cookies

1 cup oleo (margarine)

½ tsp. almond flavoring

1 ½ cups sugar

½ tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

Cream oleo and sugar together.  Add eggs, vanilla and almond and beat.  Add flour, baking powder and soda, mix until smooth.  Chill.  Form into balls and flatten with a glass bottom.  Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10miutes. 

NOTE:  I’m not sure how oleo (margarine) would translate over here so I use butter.  Also, a tip: dip the bottom of the glass in a tad bit of flour before flattening cookie, so it doesn’t stick.

~~~~~~~~~

In the grocery store, I found rhubarb which is quite popular here.  I remember eating rhubarb fresh from the garden as a little girl.  We would wash and trim off the ends and our mother would give us a pot-pie tin with a little bit of sugar so we could dip the stalk in the sugar and enjoy the otherwise sour crunchy treat. 

Rhubarb pie is one of my sweet husband’s favorites that his mother used to make the best!  I know I have her recipe but I am thinking it’s filed away at home, even though I brought many recipes here with me.  I just haven’t located that particular one yet.  Below is a recipe that's very close.

Here is the rhubarb pie I made for him.  It was simple and delicious!

Rhubarb Pie

Double pie crust

3 cups rhubarb cleaned and chopped into bite size pieces (~4 large stalks)

1 ½ cups sugar

2 Tbs. flour

2 eggs

It’s easy!  Toss everything together in a bowl and pour into a 9” pie plate lined with a pie crust.  Top with the second crust, crimp edges together, and cut slits on top (can do a lattice if you prefer).  I sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top of my crust.  Bake 375 degrees F for 45- 50 minutes until bubbly. Delicious!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scandinavian Almond Bars

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

½ tsp. almond extract

Milk

½ cup sliced almonds coarsely chopped

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt.  In another mixing bowl cream butter with electric mixer until softened and add sugar.  Beat until fluffy.  Add egg and almond extract and beat well.  Add flour mixture and beat until dough is mixed. 

Divide dough into fourths.  Form each fourth into a 12” roll.  Place 2 rolls 4-5 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten until 3” wide.  Repeat with remaining rolls.  Brush flattened rolls with milk and sprinkle with almonds.  Bake 325 degrees F  12-14 minutes until light brown around the edges.   While still warm, slice into 1” strips and remove to baking rack.  Cool.  Drizzle with icing.  Makes 48 cookies.

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ tsp. almond extract

Milk (3-4 tsp.) to make a drizzle consistency.

Drizzle over cut and cooled cookies.  Store layers of cookies with layers of waxed paper. 

The Harpers Come to Visit!!

April 15, 2011





Cheri and Doug (in blue behind her) Harper arrive
in Karlstad by train!  Gary and I both met them at the station
which is a very short walk from our apartment.



This was a long-awaited day for me especially.  On Friday afternoon, April 15th, Gary and I walked down to the train station and met Cheri and Doug Harper who arrived on the train out of Stockholm after they had traveled around Europe for almost two weeks.  We were thrilled they would come this far out of their way to visit us.  Getting to Karlstad from any place is no easy or short trip. 

A little bit of history:  Cheri and I have been Bible Study Fellowship International (BSF) friends for years and remained part of a lunch group called "The Roman Sisters" after Cheri led the group through the study of Romans. Prior to our move, Cheri and I were in leadership together.

We had a delightful visit.  Karlstad had just won the national hockey championship the night before and the town square was all abuzz with excitement and celebration.  So, after we got settled with their luggage in the apartment, we walked down to the square to check out the festivities where a crowd had congregated. On our way back to our apartment we showed off the downtown area a little bit. Since the weather has been much nicer, and the threats of winter snow have passed, outdoor seating has been set up for many of the restaurants. 

Saturday morning after breakfast we drove to Arvika and had lunch at a little café in town.  Cheri got her meatballs that she had wanted to try and enjoyed them in a sandwich.  Stores were already closed for the day, so there wasn’t much browsing going on.  When we returned to Karlstad we went for another walk around town after dinner.  Gary and I were so thankful that the weather was beautiful and sunny and many of the flowers were in bloom.  

The next day, after lunch, we drove to Stockholm where we sadly dropped them at the airport after enjoying a dinner of pizza in a pizza place that was once a – get this – Applebee’s!!!  In fact, after going into the still-like-Applebee’s restroom, I played a little fantasy game that I was back in the states, that is, until two Swedish fellas walked in and were talking rather loudly – that bounced me back to reality rather quickly.  I passed Gary on the way to the restroom again before we left and he said, “You have to go again?”  I said, “No, I’m just transporting myself back to the states again…” (GRIN)

We had a wonderful visit and enjoyed spending time with the Doug and Cheri. Great house guests!! Precious sweet friends…

Benny Baker Band at the Jazzhole Bar!

April 9, 2011

Gary and I were invited to celebrate the 50^th birthday of a GE colleague, Mikael Lindberg, who happens to play the saxophone in two bands.  The party was in a warehouse area of Karlstad, but inside the building it was set up like a club with tables and chairs, a bar, and good-sized stage.  We enjoyed sitting at a “GE table” of others Gary knows from work.  The music and singing were fabulous.  Most of the songs were jazz songs sung in English, so we recognized and enjoyed them very much.  We had a great time and would love to have the opportunity to hear them again. 

Below are pictures…

Mikael is playing the saxophone... they were all very talented!!!

Mikael with his other band ... equally talented!!

And more...

What I have grown to like about Sweden—

The other day I heard Gary tell someone that we have been here four months!  FOUR MONTHS!  I can’t believe it, but he’s right.  As a matter of fact, tomorrow we begin our fifth month.  So, in honor of that I want to share what I have grown to like about living in Sweden…

·     The view on the long drives is breathtaking.  For example, on our drive to the Oslo airport a few weeks ago the mountainside was filled with pine trees  that were covered with snow.  They looked like they were coated with frosting by Mother Nature.  I would post pictures but they were blurry.  It was very early in the morning!

·     The produce – some of the best I have had.  I love a good cantaloupe and at home at this time of year they can taste almost muddy – they’re just not ready for consumption yet.  Here, they have a juicy sweetness that reminds me of Texas Pecos melons. The lettuce – some of the prettiest I have ever seen and those avocados that I thought I would never get – are perfect for a great guacamole that we have for Friday's Mexican fiesta!

·     Lofberg’s Lila coffee.  After I ran out of my many bags of Starbuck's that I brought from home, I switched over to the local brand.  In an earlier post I mentioned this is a family-owned coffee roasting company that dates back to 1906.  The taste is rich and robust.  Yummy!  But, unfortunately I can still only drink it in the morning.  Still no fika for me…

·      Our new church. We have attended an English-speaking church, Koinonia International Fellowship (koinonia is a Greek word meaning ‘true fellowship’).  This is a smaller group that meets in the afternoon in a room of a larger Bible-preaching church.  The praise, worship and fellowship is sweet.  We realize we are the oldest ones there, but we have enjoyed getting to know many of the young members. Areas of Africa, the Philippines, Sweden and the US are represented in the fellowship. The Biblical teaching is wonderful and it’s refreshing to see those who are new believers in Christ.

·     Easy access to stores and restaurants. On any given night Gary can walk in the door from work and if I need something at the grocery store he’ll run down and get it and be back in fifteen minutes or less.  How easy is that? One of our favorite dinner spots, Fontana di Trevi, is directly below us.  In fact, from our second bedroom window we can look down into the kitchen!  Not sure if that’s a good thing or not…

One of my favorites - wienerschnitzel! 
I don't have it very often - it's very rich.
(That's bearnaise on the side)

·     People who are willing to speak English to us when we ask.  One young woman at the local pharmacy told me she liked it when I came in because she could practice her English with me.  What a kind thing to say!  We haven’t met anyone who hasn’t been willing to help us by speaking English, and yet, we chuckle over how many words we are now able to decipher!

·     Karolina Nilsson has been a wonderful help to us since we moved here.  What a sweet friend we have made.  She is as lovely inside as she is outside.

·     Our apartment – it wasn’t our first choice but it turned out to be the right choice.  I love the sweet smell when we enter.  It’s interesting that my kitchen here has only a fraction of what I have at home and yet I get by just fine.  Makes me realize the excess is unnecessary.

·     The bright sign across the street.  There is a huge sign across the street and the light streams in the windows around the slats of the blinds.  For some, in the city, it's very irritating.  To us, it makes a perfect night light until they turn it off late in the evening. 

·     The sign is nothing compared to the glorious sunlight we are starting to experience most days. When we first arrived, it was dark most of the time each day.  Very soon we are entering into the time where the sun stays up until late in the evening.  It will be fine.  Gary and I plan to take many walks.

Even more catching up...

March 10 – 19, 2011 ~  A Trip to San Antonio, Texas

One of my favorite cities in the US is San Antonio, Texas.  It’s a place I used to visit once a year or so, and then it became two times a year.  During my visits I would enjoy visiting family, shopping and lunch at Nordstrom’s, and even getting my craving for Tex-Mex met a time or two.

 Over the last few years, I have been fortunate to visit more often because my sweet mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s some eight-ten years ago, has been steadily declining.  This last visit was the saddest and hardest because it was my time to spend with her before I said goodbye – probably for the last time. 

My father often says that had my mother known she would ever have Alzheimer’s, and become as she is now, it would have just killed her soul. I’m sure this is true.  I often think it would have really angered her, too, as my mom was feisty and had quite the temper!

Prior to my recent visit it seemed mom had declined rapidly. Her words had faltered for some time to where she remained silent.  Her walking had become a struggle too. In the last month, Hospice has been overseeing her care.  Mom fell three times in two days, and so she was confined to a wheelchair.  Soon after, a hospital bed was brought into the nursing home where she stays.  She became unable to feed herself and when subsequent swallowing difficulties arose, she was placed on pureed foods.  Now she spends her days and early evenings in the wheelchair either sleeping or sometimes staring off unless family members are there – which they are regularly throughout the day.  When I arrived I didn’t know what to expect, but those who have been with her on a regular basis noticed she seemed to have rallied where she would look at us and a fleeting smile would cross her face.  Sometimes she would make a funny face by making her eyes open wide, and always when my father went to leave, she would pucker up for a little kiss.

Two memories will stay with me as I remember this last visit.  The first, our son Sam flew out to be with his Nana.  He said he’d rather be with her in life than to be at her funeral.  When he first arrived and saw his grandmother her eyes opened wide and she had a slight smile cross her face. We’ve all agreed she may not know us by name, but she knows we are hers in some way.  Sam has known a special bond with my mother.  I’m not sure what it is, but if I had to guess, it’s that he inherited her sense of humor which was evident early on. This comes from me, of course!  Sam sat at my mother’s side and talked to her and gently touched her.  This sweet son of mine comforted me, too, when I left the nursing home for the last time before the long flight back to Sweden.  The second memory was on day three of my visit, when my sister and I started to leave. I bent down and kissed my mother and said goodbye.  For some reason, I do not know why, it didn’t cross my mind at that moment to say it until my sister prompted me to.  I told my mom I loved her.  In the clearest and strongest sound I have heard from her in a long, long time she said, “I love you” in return.  Those three words are forever etched on my heart, as I’m sure it’s the last time I will hear them from her lips. And to think that day I almost didn’t say it.

The deception of Alzheimer’s is one minute you think your loved one is worse and you grieve.  Then she seems to get better and you are hopeful, only to have things change again and you plunge into sadness once more. But what I know for certain is this:  I can celebrate the gift of my mother’s rally, the gift of my son’s love and his support, and the gift of those last three words, I love you.  And, in the end, when we all gather from different cities, states, and even countries to honor her life, we can celebrate the gift she will give us all - the gift of a family once again joined together.

You're going where???

January 6 - 7, 2011

It’s hard to believe we are settled in our apartment, but when you consider how little we were actually able to bring over here – it shouldn't have taken long!  Since the kitchen was probably the most work, and Annie took care of that, no wonder it seemed to be so easy.  My biggest struggle – if you could call it that – is how to make the bed look neat with two duvets side-by-side. 



Kitchen

Living Room 
And yes, that's a chandelier from IKEA. Annie picked it out.  
Ceiling light fixtures are easy to install because they plug in.

Since it's a short walk, Gary came home for lunch.  We had those tuna fish sandwiches I had been waiting for.  They were pretty good too.  During our lunch he casually mentioned that he was going to travel back to Greenville on business at the end of the month. 

I'm thinking: You're going where?  Greenville?  We’ve only spent two nights here, and already you're telling me you're leaving, and you're going HOME?  I smiled sweetly and said, “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could go back with you and take care of some business – you know, like make appointments for this summer when we return?"  I threw in something like how we’d still be together on our anniversary for good measure.  He just smiled.  Not what I was looking for.

When he came home for dinner I waited until he had finished and asked him, “Have you thought any more about me traveling with you at the end of the month?"  Of course, he didn’t know I had a prayer chain going from here to Greenville and back.  He told me he would look into it and that was all he would commit to.

The next day he phoned me and said he would be having lunch at the restaurant downstairs ("pea soup Thursday") but while he was making his reservations, he happened to look into flights for me. The frequent flyer use was outrageous, so that was out.  Then he checked the cost and it wasn’t much better, although I reminded him his parents had given me a nice check for Christmas.  He still wouldn’t commit.  My optimism was guarded, so I let the conversation slide that evening.

During lunch on Friday (the 7th) – this time the tuna had been turned into a tuna melt – he brought up the trip without any coaxing from me, and his only condition was, “If I let you go with me, do you promise to come back?”  YES! YES! YES! I promised.  He said okay, and I emailed Sam and phoned Annie.  She cried.  I think she already misses her mama.

I proceeded to make another gigantic list of things we’d want to bring back to Sweden. Many were food items I knew would be less expensive at home, or that I knew I had in my pantry that wouldn’t be consumed by those at home.

One other task I knew I needed to complete was to determine how I really felt about being in Sweden.  I had to know, because what I felt would be what I reflected to others on my return to Greenville, and would determine how I would actually manage returning back to Karlstad.  In the end, I realized I do like our life here.  I liked that even though there have been stresses in some adjustments and waits for certain things to happen – it was okay.  Even the down-time I have experienced here, where I don’t go out or really see anyone, has been fine, too, because it has given me time to recover from the frenzy just before we left Greenville. 



This is our guest room.  Notice the bed is missing a
bedskirt - it's to come.  Also, notice the dinky little side tables. 
What's up with that? 
We both laughed when they were delivered thinking
 maybe they were stackable tables and they
just forgot the other half of each... Nope.
(Sorry for the angled picture)



Let's have some fun ...

With any move, especially one to another country, you have to find your way around, learn the signage, and the different names for items that are pretty common at home.  So, in this post I am going to share with you some of the signs and food and appliance items we have encountered that gave us a good laugh… Enjoy!

When Gary first traveled here and worked for a week he spent the week-end checking out some of the local areas.  Here are some signs he encountered along the way.

Fart-hinder means "speed bump"



Skum means "foam"



Recently, when leaving the Oslo Gardemoen Airport for the three-hour drive back to Karlstad, we stopped to get Gary some Coke Zero for the road.  In the US we have 7-11 (they actually have one here in Karlstad which shocked me) and we have Spinx in Greenville.  This is the "stop and shop" place in Oslo...

Here's a close up of that bottom sign... Do these signs work well together??? I hope not!!!

Grocery shopping has been the hardest thing I’ve had to do here and probably what has reduced me to tears the most.  In fact, the first few times we shopped, I would get in the car, cry, and say, "I miss Publix." There were and are several reasons for this.  One, is because we would shop on a Saturday and everyone else did too.  In fact, for many, it seems to be a family-affair making it very crowded and noisy,  so it was  tad overwhelming.  Now  we have switched our shopping time to Wednesday or Thursday evening and it's working out much better.  Another reason it has been difficult is because I didn't know my way around the store, I cannot read the signs, and I cannot read the labels causing me to (humble myself) and ask someone if they speak English, or to rely much on pictures or what few words I can decipher.  As I said in another post, I might find a can that has a picture of tuna fish, but with the Swedish wording – I cannot tell if there is anything added to it that I might not want.  Google translate has been a tremendous help for me to make my grocery list from the local newspaper ads. 

We have been amazed at the huge assortment of creams, crème fraische (I’ve seen it written different ways), gräddfil (sour cream) which has different flavors, yogurts – all very good – at least the ones that we have tried, but the choices are so vast and overwhelming.  For example, the creams – we have learned to look at two things:  1) the picture on the carton –what are they doing with it?  And, 2) the amount of fat (fett) to know if it’s regular whipping cream or heavy whipping cream – or could it be cream for maybe your coffee? For our coffee we now know to look for a little green box that has a cup of coffee on the outside with a swirl of cream and the label says, “Milda kaffe 10%.”  We're getting there!

Packaging is quite different too. The yogurt is pourable from a carton and has a cap - which is great!  But some of their milk cartons and cheese packages are quite different.  In the states, we have the easy close and re-sealable.  Not so easy here.  To open the cartons you cut the opening on a dotted line and make almost like a beak to pour, but then it doesn’t seal shut tight like you might like (or at least I do).  Cheeses you either use it up or you secure it shut another way - no press and seal.  

Below are some other pictures of food items and appliances that we have encountered:

Friday it's common to have tacos, nachos, etc.  I noticed they have guacamole in a can.  I make mine from scratch.  Which is a funny story in itself.  When we learned we were moving here I started thinking of the food items we probably wouldn't have for a long time (like two years).  I mentioned to a friend that avacados were one of them.  He said, "You'll probably be able to get them but pay a pretty penny for them." It never occurred to me that they would be imported from somewhere closer - like Spain!  The price is approximately US-$1.20/each, which is comparable to what I might pay in South Carolina.

Lettuce is beautiful here but when you purchase a head of lettuce, say Romaine or some other type, you not only get the lettuce - you get the whole plant!!  Think I could use the greens and plant the roots and have a lettuce garden?

And what about Swedish cereal - would you want to eat this one?

Breads are wonderful here. I found a nice little bakery right around the corner from our apartment where they have all kinds of breads, rolls, pastries, and desserts.  But, in the grocery stores, like at home, they have freshly baked breads or packaged breads.  Here's an example of a packaged bread we purchase often.  Interesting name, huh?

Oh, and then there is my favorite pepparkaka (gingerbread) muffin from the Espresso House. Yum!

Our apartment came with a (older models) stackable washer and dryer located in the bathroom.  Only problem - I couldn't read the different settings.  That's when google translate came in handy.  Now I have the settings translated and posted on the dryer for a quick reference. 

One of my first loads of laundry took forever.  I am still not sure why.  Not only that, when I opened the door of the machine, water came pouring out.  The drain under the tub (in the floor) caught the spillage. One time I slipped on a shirt I had just washed and dried.  There were two holes in the left sleeve and it was too big and stretched out.  I told Gary that I thought the washing machine had a major problem and why.  He said, "That's my shirt and those holes got there a long time ago!"  Whew!

I can't show you my oven well enough for you to see, but although it's small, it looks like a normal oven.  Imagine my surprise when I opened it up and found only one heating element - and it was on top!  Was I to broil all our food - even cookies?  I figured out on the nob there are different pictures that depict which area gets the heat (top-bottom or both) all by where the drawing of this little line bar is - so two bars means all-around heat - great for baking cookies.  It works!!

Of course we needed to purchase a vacuum cleaner and found a nifty little one called a dammsugare which we nicknamed the "damsucker."  Notice I dropped a box of Kleenex next to it so you can see how small it really is.  Works well though!

As we become more acquainted with signs, foods, etc., we'll be sure to show you more.  I have to say that from this experience I have learned that when I am home in the states I am going to try and be more aware of people who might need help. This is true especially since Greenville has many Europeans coming over for Michilin and BMW.