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.

Dop och familjemiddag

Igår var vi på dop. Lille I som döptes som C blev fadder till som det heter numer istället för gudförälder. Dagen till ära blev solig och vacker. Dopet hölls i Spånga kyrka som är en riktigt vacker gammal kyrka. Jag tycker att många av dessa äldre kyrkor som finns i Sverige är otroligt vackra. Även om jag själv inte är direkt troende så är jag fortfarande med i Svenska kyrkan för jag vill gärna stödja kulturarvet som finns just i kyrkor och jag tycker också att vissa cermonier som dop, bröllop och begravningar blir väldigt vackra och stämningfulla i kyrkan.

Prästen och lille I. Lille I var så snäll så och sa inte ett pip när han fick vatten på huvudet utan tittade bara stort och förundrat på allt som hände.

I kyrkan finns alltid en stämning av ro och lugn. Att sitta där och sjunga psalmer är både vackert och känns speciellt.

En vacker höst dag och en vacker kyrka. Efter dopet var det dopkaffe i en intill liggande lokal vid kyrkan. Efter dopet blev det släktmiddag ute i Tullinge. C´s föräldrar är har varit uppe i Stockholm ett par dagar och det blev middag ute hos svägerskan med familj. Jag firades ordentligt igen och fick en utsökt god middag med finaste älgfilé som var bara sååå god! Jag fick även en present som jag ska dela med C. Vi fick biljetter till en utställning om Kinas terrakotta armé på Östasiatiska museet. Det ska bli kul att gå på den. Kulturupplevelser gillar ju vi båda.
I det grå höstmörkret så finns det underbara ljusglimtar med att vara i Sverige så som att kunna dela stora dagar med nära och goda vänner så som att vi kunde gå på I´s dop här idag men också att kunna få en skön och mysig familjemiddag tillsammans och samlas.

Lite fler reflektioner

TV: ni som bott utomlands länge har inte missat något på den svenska tv-fronten. Det är inte bättre tv här än i USA på något sätt. Jag blir förvånad över hur program och serier som gått i 10-15 år fortfarande går så som Efterlyst, Idol, Paradise Hotel, Americas next top model osv. Kanske kunde något av detta vara underhållande för flera år sedan men fortfarande....

Ni som bor utomlands kan gör det i något deceium till för de här serierna och programmen lär väl gå ett decenium till.

Lukt: Nu när jag åker tunnelbana så kommer man i kontakt med mer lukt av olika slag. Jag måste säga att kanske har min näsa blivit känsligare medans jag bott i USA. Jag måste erkänna att jag faktiskt gillar doftljus och doftsprayer. Men vad jag saknar mest är amrisarnas sinne för hygien. Antigen ska man dofta inget alls eller så ska man dofta gott och rent. Det har svennen inte annamat. Känns som om många här skulle må gott av att både duscha oftare, köra med mer deo och tvätta sina kläder oftare. Svensken är helt klart lite snusikgare.

Musik: what´s up with the Euro disco? Det verkar vara det som går hem här hos gemeneman. Det spelas ofta på radiokanalerna och det spelas på gym anläggningarna. Hmm... jag behöver vänja mina öron.

Hos svenska barnfamiljer kokas det fortfarande äppelmos egenhändigt plockat från äppelträden som växer på tomten. Underbart när doften av en stor kastrull äppelmos lägger sig i köket. Var hemma hos våra vänner C och A förra helgen som stod och lagade till 8 kg äppelmos. Vi fick med oss en bruk hem. Mums så gott!

Imorgon ska vi faktiskt på dop just till C och A som ska döpa sin yngsta son. Sedan ska vi hem till svägerskan där även svärföräldrarna har kommit och hälsat på och få oss en riktig god familjemiddag bestående av bland annat älgfilé. I Alabama hade man vare sig kunnat få till en familjemiddag på det här sättet eller fått älgfilé serverat. Vi hade inte heller kunnat gå på dop hos goda vänner. Livet i Sverige som återvändare är som en stor påse med olika karameller, några sura, några söta, några starka och en och annan besk. Lite som Harry Potters godispåse.

En vanlig torsdagskväll

Jag står på tunnelbanan och det är trångt men ändå kan jag le lite och uppskatta friheten. Friheten att kunna ta mig på egen hand dit jag vill, när jag vill. Behöver inte vänta in C och stressa till parkeringsgaraget för att vi ska träffas där ett visst klockslag då vi bara har en bil och det BARA är bil som gäller.

Jag blickar ut över Stockholm och även i mörker och höstrusk så är det en vacker stad och en stad med liv och rörelse.

Fast någon halloween stämning infinner sig inte. Det är lite som att försöka fira midsommar i Alabama när det gäller att få till halloween stämning i Sverige - det är trögt.

Känner mig fortfarande lite vilsen. Funderar, smakar och jämför ofta och mycket mellan USA vs Sverige.

Fick frågan på jobbet om vi börjat kolla efter eget boende än. Hell no! Än så är vi fortfarande helt slut efter denna flytten vi precis genomgått. Känner mig inte det minsta sugen på att leta efter eget boende. Höstmörker, kulturkrockar och omställningar har sugit musten och orken ur oss. Sjöstaden blir bra ett bra tag till. Behöver fortfarande samla både tankar och krafter.

Svamptider

Det finns gott om olika slags svamp att köpa i butikerna nu. Utbudet på svamp tycker jag är betydligt bättre här. Dessutom kan man faktiskt gå ut i skog och mark och plocka själv. När C kom hem från sin älgjakt nere i Blekinge för ca två veckor sedan så hade han med sig en STOR påse med egneplockade gula jättefina kantareller. Skogens guld. Så gott! När jag fyllde år i lördags gjorde vi svampsmörgås med hans kantareller som han plockat till förrätt. Så enkelt och så gott att bara steka dem i lite smör med salt och peppar. Han kom som sagt hem med massvis så övrig mängd har vi stekt upp och sedan frusit in. Men även trattkantareller som dessa ovan som pappa köpt är så goda. Från älgjakten fick också C med sig en del kött så nu kan vi göra riktig viltgryta med älgkött och sedan ha lite svamp i. Mumsigt gott!

Color and Coffee

It's been a few quite cold days here in Stockholm. The sun has been shining today. Now it is dark when I go to work and dark when I leave work. I guess the worst part is the darkness. When the sun is up and shining I have to work even if I would very much like to go out for a walk. One just has to hope for nice weather during the weekends and do stuff like that then instead.

Something else that is absolutley necessary is coffee here in Sweden. Swedes are crazy about good strong coffee and one can certainly understand why considering this dark season that has started now. The coffee machine that we had broke down the last week so we had to get a new one. It was not a question about waiting until later on it was something very urgent.

Our new coffee machine. I love it already. This one actually makes even better coffee and something else that I also like about it is that you can detach the part where you fill up water so it is so much easier to fill it with water that way.

Now that the grand dark season has arrived I feel like color is very much needed. Colors and light. So I try to get as much bright colors as possible to cheer me up and to light as many candles as possible and get into that cozy spirit. My father has taken up painting and has already done several paintings. He is working with acrylic and oil colors.

Here he has been using some of my mothers chili's as inspiration. I have unfortunatley not inherited any of my fathers skills or talents for painting but instead I like to take pictures with my camera. I also used my mothers chili's as inspiration. I love the colors and how the peel is starting to wrinkle up on one of them.

I also loved this picture that I caught of my dad's color palette that he uses to mix various colors into the shade that he wants or needs for his paintings. More color and more coffee is what I need in life right now in order to survive.

The weather is supposed to turn milder for a couple of days here now. They have even talked about a "heat wave" on the news. Well for Sweden and Swedes I guess it is correct to refer to temperatures of 5-10 C as a heat wave, ha ha. Well bring it on I say :-)

Birthday Brunch

Today the birthday celebration continued. Kind of nice to be able to extend the birthday in this way. I had booked a Sunday brunch at the Aquavit restaurant at hotel Clarion next to the grand central station. This place had gotten good reviews. We had a table booked for noon. They have two Sunday brunch seatings, one at noon and one at 2 pm. The place was really nice. When I have biked home I have passed it every evening and it has always looked very nice.

As the brunch was not until noon we still had to have a light breakfast at home in the morining. The weather when we woke up was absolutley disgusting. Light cold rain. The kind of rain that can just seem to go on forever. I prefer rain that pours down when it rains and then passes instead of this kind of rain that parks itself and just goes on and does not stop. It was so dark and murky outside that I decided to light a candle for breakfast.

Stockholm really offerd its most charming fall weather ( I am writing this with a large portion of irony). This weather really sucks big time! 4 degrees C and rain. Everything is just cold, gray and wet. It really does not get much worse than this. Well there could be some snow mixed with the rain, that would be the worst. It is just one of those days when you don't want to get up from bed or at least you don't want to step outside.

But despite the not so nice weather we were very happy that we at least could take the car and drive our selfs down to the brunch. Now we can drive legally with our car as it passed the inspection on Thursday finally. That is such a great relief. C has put so much hard work and effort into getting the car past this inspection.

The brunch was super nice. There was even a live band playing some nice lounge music and jazz tunes. The brunch buffé offered a large selection of both warm and cold courses as well as a very yummy dessert selection. Besides tea and coffee there were also two kinds of smoothies and several fruit juices. We left very happy and full.

Yesterday I forgot to show you this very beautiful candle holder (adventsljusstake) that I got from my parents. This is classical Swedish design. I like it a lot. In fact I had been looking at it already the previous year but I decided I would not buy it as we were about to move from Alabama and I just did not want to carry more stuff overseas just to pack it and have to ship it overseas. It was therefor such a coincidence that my parents had bought this particular one that I had wished for. It will be perfect for advent.

Yesterday we also finished our nice dinner with a carrot cake that I had baked. It turned out very well and tasty.

Something else that I bought yesterday was also the glögg (spicy sweet wine that we drink in December here in Sweden).

I know it may seem kind of early to buy it already but I figured it could be smart to buy it now and stock up because buying later on could very well mean it would be sold out if I had waited another month. Sure I could still get regular glögg but not this particular one that is the special version for 2010. I fell in love with the bottle that is in gold. This years glögg is spiced with saffron. It can be served both hot or chilled. Since the first snow had already arrived Friday and it is cold and dark outside I kind of already have developed some kind of christmas feeling. Maybe the snow triggered it off ;-)

I actually also lit my big christmas lantern from IKEA yesterday also. Now that it is dark, cold and rainy outside it really makes it cozy to light as much candles as possible. It adds both warmth and coziness. I guess I am ready for christmas already.

Birthday in progress

Today is extra special and nice Saturday. It happens to be my birthday. I have stopped counting years instead I just focus on having a great day. So far the day has been very nice. A nice slow start. Lingering in bed taking it easy, reading both blogs and the newspaper. Yesterday when I came home this large and very lovely flower arrangement was waiting for me when I arrived home by the door. My parents sent me this gorgeous flowers. I love the colors and the arrangement.

Also there was a small something from my dear C for me this morning. Something small but really beautiful. Right now after the move I don´t want more large things. We just don´t have space and room for more stuff so what I got here was just perfect. I still consider this apartment quite small (70 square meters or about 700 square feet) but hey I am born a Texas chic and have just spent four years living down in the deep South. It is funny as I have mentioned before because when I talk to my collages at work they consider this size of an apartment very big.

More pics of the flowers that I got from my dear parents. I love these kinds of flowers as they are a kind that lasts quite long. They can last and look pretty for up to two weeks easily. I love the tulips that C gave me but they will only last for a few more days before I have to say goodbye to them.

Yes we did get some snow yesterday here in Stockholm. First snow of the year always takes people by surprise and there were quite some traffic incidents. I did not go by bike yesterday and nor did C. I took the train and I am happy I did. I saw some poor people going on their bikes as I was riding the bus for the last part of my journey to work. They looked pretty miserable on their bikes. Cold and wet with the snow flurries coming straight at their face so they had to shield their eyes from the snow.

Of course I stared the day with a yummy birthday breakfast with some home made really good waffles and fruit sallad. It is not whipped cream I have on top but instead some nice really good Swedish yougurt. I am not a big fan of whipped cream.

So I just realize that I did not tell you what was in that pretty little gift from C wrapped in the silver paper. This is what I got.

A pair of really beautiful pearl earrings! I had some weeks ago past a jewelry store and seen them in the window. I fell in love at once. I like the simple design that makes them work both on everyday regular basis as well as for more festive occasions. The quality is outstanding. I just love the way they shine.

Well for now the birthday will continue and so will the celebrating. Me and C are cooking a something really nice for tonight. We decided on dinner at home. But tomorrow we are going for a brunch at one of the nice hotels in Stockholm.