Feeling American

Happy Halloween y'all! There are some pumpkins in Sweden after all. We did carve one today but also some of the other neighbors did.

Today I am feeling really American. I have planned to cook a traditional Gumbo for dinner tonight. However, I just realized that I would need some ockra. But there is no ockra in Sweden. So I will just have to do without the ockra. That is so funny how when you cook there were a lot of things I was missing when cooking i Alabama and now there are just other things that I am missing here. Well as always or as I used to do in Alabama it was all about being creative and finding substitutes. So I will be cooking a traditional Gumbo without ockra (I guess everyone from Louisiana is thinking I am somehow out of my mind as the ockra is one of the key ingredients). So tonight as we are eating our Gumbo we will be thinking about dear Kim and her delish Gumbo. She is from Louisiana and she really knows how to cook the most tasty Gumbo.

Today it is also Halloween! Even if this is not a big holiday in Sweden still there are some pumpkins here and there that have been carved. I made sure to get our selfs one too that I carved this morning. Hmm but we don't have much candy at home or any at all. So I hope there won't come too many kids. It is kind of harder to pretend you are not home here as we don't want to sit in complete darkness all evening long here. Besides that I am not so sure the Swedish kids know the basic Halloween rules. Actually I don't know if the kids here actually do tricks if they don't get any treats. Maybe I better go out and buy some candy after all.

After we had had breakfast I brought in my pumpkin, took out a knife and managed to find my pumpkin carving tool that I had bought at Crate and Barrel last year. I decided on a very simple pattern. None of those beautiful and advanced patterns that you find on Martha Stewart's home page or magazines.

I also decided on roasting the pumpkin seeds. Something I usually do. So easy and so good. I love roasted pumpkin seeds. I just spiced them up with some chili flakes, salt, garlic pepper and thyme. So good to just add a few to a salad as topping.

I really liked seeing the different pumpkins glowing in the dark. The one to the right is mine and the other one is one of our neighbors. Also I had to dig deep into my kitchen cupboards to find some candy because as I was cooking dinner there were three withes standing on my doorstep saying "trick or treat". I luckily managed to find them something so I escaped being tricked this year also.

I do miss the Halloween spirit of the Vista (the nickname for our neighborhood in Alabama). Halloween is just much better in the states. The Swedes will have to practice more before they catch up.