The American Store

So after living in Sweden for approximately 16 months, I finally ventured into the "American Store" for the very first time (and only because I was in the neighborhood).  And yes, there really is such a place.  I had heard all about this store, especially when we first arrived here.   When I was searching for things like chocolate chips or baking soda....I would hear "they have that at the American Store".  For some reason, I just never hopped in the car to drive the twenty minutes to investigate.  Instead, I improvised or asked my Swedish friends what I could use as a substitute.  I now chop up blocks of chocolate (which are relatively cheap) for use in my cookies and I learned that baking soda, marshmallows and other essentials are now available in the regular supermarket...I guess I'm lucky I didn't move here ten years ago!

"A True American Tradition"....it even says so on the bag!

So what DO they sell at the American Store and did I buy anything?  Well, there was a huge selection of BBQ and other sauces, many of which I had never seen before.  There was also a wide range of convenience foods...including pancake mixes and those cans of cake frosting that never expire!  

I was also reminded of some "American" items that I have never seen in the shops in Sweden, like Reese's peanut butter cups, Altoids, and Pop-Tarts.  In spite of all the interesting and colorful goodies within my reach, I did not make any purchases that day.  First of all, I have been baking a lot (more about that in another post), so I don't buy much in terms of pre-made cakes, cookies, etc. anymore.   Also, everything was crazy expensive and I just couldn't justify paying triple for things I really don't need.  I do have to admit that I was tempted by a bag of candy corn...but it appeared to have spent a long time on the shelf, so I took a pass.

For my Swedish friends....have you seen these before??  Yum!

Even though I didn't buy anything, I think the store is a fun idea.  I am fortunate enough to get back to the U.S. at least once a year to stock up on my favorite things, or I can beg my friends (or more likely my mom) to send me stuff.  Not everyone here has that option, so this store gives them a chance to satisfy a craving for a Pop-Tart or a can of Mountain Dew.  It is also probably fun for Swedes to pick up fun foods that they discovered during a trip to the states.

After being a bit "underwhelmed" by my choices at the American shop, I realized that the foods I really miss generally come from restaurants....Chicago style pizza, a medium rare ribeye steak or perhaps lobster mac & cheese.

Why can't they sell THIS at the American Store?

Ok....now I'm getting hungry...it's time for a snack!

Dirty Laundry...For Real

After several posts about fun and travel within and outside of Sweden, I'm returning to my "blog roots" with some quirky observations about a rather mundane task...doing laundry.  And yes, you guessed it,  I am the one (mainly) responsible for this joyous task.  The kids and hubby put their own clothes away...usually...but I am typically on the hook for the rest of it.  For those of you who do not do laundry, don't like stories about doing laundry or are looking for a tutorial on how to DO your laundry...this post is NOT for you.  For the rest of you (if there's anyone left), please read on.

There are a few obvious differences between our laundry "facilities" here compared to what we had in the U.S.   In our last home in the U.S., we were fortunate enough to have a GIGANTIC washing machine and comparably sized dryer.  I could get away with doing just a few loads of laundry per week, and the machines were also big enough to accommodate big batches of towels, sheets, etc.  Here I have a "smallish" washer with a "smallish" dryer stacked on top.  I'm guessing these are about half the size of what we had back in the states....never anticipated that "washing machine" would make the list of things I miss from the homeland.

The "equipment"

The other noticeable difference is the TIME it takes for the machines here to wash and dry a load of clothes.   The "average" wash cycle is an hour and fifteen minutes and drying seems to take forever.  Now I'm not saying this is as archaic as going down to the river and washing our clothes on rocks, but it is definitely a step back from the high efficiency machines that I had before.  Call me spoiled or demanding, but I see nothing wrong with wanting to make an unpleasant chore more efficient!

We know some people that have only a washing machine and hang all of their clothes to dry (I'm pretty sure that arrangement would show up in one of my worst nightmares).

No, thank you.

I also must admit that although we have lived in Sweden for over one year, I really have no idea if I'm even using the machines correctly.  For those of you who recall my steep learning curve with using the oven, you might be amused to hear that I have have faced similar challenges with the washing machine.
There are three different symbols that look like cotton, something that resembles a butterfly, and a bunch of other settings that I cannot decipher.  All of these have different power usage and temperatures....my SOP is to pick something that looks "average" and hope for the best.

Decisions, decisions...

The last funny thing (ok...funny to ME) about the laundry situation is the washing "supplies".  In the U.S I needed three things....super concentrated liquid laundry detergent, dryer sheets and some kind of stain remover.   Here I have found that there are some liquid detergent options, but there is also a larger selection of the powdered kind (does ANYONE in the U.S. use powdered detergent anymore?).  I use the powdered stuff (maybe because that is what the hubby was using when we moved here so I kept buying the same kind), but I am still totally guessing when it comes to how much to put in the machine (I think our clothes are generally pretty clean, so I will assume that I'm using enough).  There are also no dryer sheets, only liquid fabric softener.  The liquid works ok...but is it unreasonable to suggest importing some Bounce or Snuggle sheets to combat static cling?

The basics...

but I miss this little guy!

So there you have it....not particularly glamorous...but there are certainly some differences between the laundry situation in the U.S. and Sweden (and it's my responsibility to share these things with you!).  Too bad the clothes just can't wash themselves...

Is this in my future?   A robot that can do the laundry??