Norway- Closed on Sunday

It's early Sunday morning as I begin to write this post, and I'm starting to think about what I can do today.  More importantly, I quickly realize what I will NOT be doing.  I will not be browsing at the mall, shopping for home improvement supplies (which I really need) or even buying groceries.   Why?  Because nearly all stores here in Norway are closed on Sunday.

You guessed it...."Closed"

There seems to be different political opinions related to why stores should, or should not, be open on Sundays, but I think it would be wise for me to stay out of politics after only two weeks in the country.  I'll simply provide my own initial thoughts on the situation.

If I look at the positive side, I suppose one could really focus on using Sunday as a "day of rest" or perhaps as an opportunity to spend more time with family and friends.  Last Sunday, we went on a hike with friends and had a picnic (even built a fire and grilled hot dogs on sticks- these folks don't mess around!).  We did all this in spite of the questionable weather (apparently the "no bad weather, only bad clothing" is a mantra in Norway as well as in Sweden).  The possible downside is having the entire family sitting in front of the TV, computer, iPad, etc. all Sunday long (although I guess that's not a bad thing every once in a while).

Hubby and the youngest with our Sunday "tour guides"

The lack of Sunday shopping does encourage one to plan a little bit better for the coming week (i.e. making sure there is enough food in the house for at least a day or two as well as ensuring there is something to put in the kids' lunch boxes on Monday).  Otherwise, you will be forced to search for essential items at one of the small food stores or gas stations that are open (I agree...that would not be ideal).

Tacquitos and hot dogs for Sunday dinner??

In spite of proper planning, I can foresee situations when I will need (want) something on a Sunday that I just cannot find at the mini-mart.   This may bring my cooking, remodeling, etc. to a screeching halt.  Perhaps then I will begin lobbying for Sunday shopping!

"No shopping Sunday" is only the beginning of what will be many new and different experiences here in Norway.  I am certain that some of these differences will be easier to embrace than others.  I suppose it will be important to keep an open mind and adapt as well as I can.

Have a great Sunday!

We made it to Norway!

This will be a pretty quick post...just wanted to say that we arrived Sandefjord, Norway just over one week ago.   I will share a map since I had never heard of Sandefjord before moving here and many of our Swedish friends weren't quite sure where it was...so I'm guessing my American friends would likely not find it without the help of Google.  It's a small town about 1.5 hours south of Oslo and about 6 hours (by car) from our previous house in Lund, Sweden.

Yes...the country in yellow is Sweden!

We bought a house that I hadn't seen in person until we got here (craziness on my part...quite possibly), but it's really cute, and has a lot of potential (many more pictures to follow in future posts).   My husband moved to Norway about one month before the kids and me.   He had some help with the house hunting which I greatly appreciate!

Home sweet home!

One of the challenges we currently face is that our basement is under construction.  It will be great when it's finished, but for now we have a whole house worth of stuff crammed into every corner of the main floor (and in the garage...and on the patio...).   I will be so happy once we get more space!

Another difficulty is that I do not yet have a working phone (I must say it feels quite strange to be phone-less), so I really haven't taken many photos.  And what fun is it to read a blog with no pictures?  That being said, I will sign off for now, but I already have found several interesting things about Norway that I will be sharing with you soon.

New hobby or momentary lapse of sanity?

If you've been following along, you know that our family moved from Chicago to Sweden about one and a half years ago and will soon be moving to Norway.  So in my quest to make this move as fun and exciting as possible for our two daughters, I thought I would let them select new comforters, pillows, etc. for their bedrooms in our new house.  A simple (and relatively inexpensive) trip to Ikea probably could have sufficed.  Fortunately (or unfortunately) I mentioned this idea to my dear friend Hanne, who is a very talented painter, who also knits, sews and excels at pretty much everything creative (http://hannerimmensuniversconebane.blogspot.se/).  She suggested that I (with her help, of course) MAKE duvet covers, pillows, etc. for the girls rather than simply buying them.  Are you serious??  Perhaps she caught me at a weak moment because I actually thought that this sounded like a fun project.  Those of you who know me well probably are wondering if I have been abducted by aliens!

To the fabric store...and beyond!

For whatever reason, I got totally on board with this idea and started by letting the girls pick out a favorite pattern from the fabric store's catalog.  Then Hanne took me shopping and helped me pick out coordinating patterns and a whole cart full of stuff.  I just had to trust her because I was completely overwhelmed by this place and had no idea what to buy.  She did warn me in advance that making these things yourself would NOT be less expensive, but that they would be quite special.  She was certainly right about the first part!

What have I done??

Just a quick side note...AFTER I bought yards and yards of adorable fabric, my dear friend informed me that I had to wash, hang dry and IRON all of it before we got started (to say I'm not a big fan of ironing is an understatement, so it's a good thing she did not tell me about that beforehand).  Anyway, after all the materials were prepared, the two of us spent a few days making duvet covers and pillows for the girls' rooms.

LOVE the owls!

Clearly I had some help with the details!

For the youngest daughter's room

After phase one was completed, I put all of the new stuff on the girls' beds....and they were thrilled!  I have to admit that I was pretty excited about it, too.  It had been many MANY years since I had gotten anywhere near a sewing machine (and I don't think replacing an occasional button counts as "sewing").    Today was the day we finished up by making a few more pillows and adding some special touches (of course, none of these were my ideas...I just followed the instructions given to me).

Look what I can do!

So now I wonder...is this the beginning of a new hobby?  Will I start sewing curtains and table clothes and random things for our new house in Norway?  Only time will tell.  I will say that I am really happy that I took on this project...and I hope my girls are prepared to use all these beautiful things for a VERY long time (wouldn't they look great in a dorm room??).  Many thanks to Hanne....I could not (and would not) have done this without her!

Our Swedish Adventure takes a detour...

I guess I've been waiting about a month to make this news "official"...maybe because part of me has been in denial that this change in our lives is actually happening or maybe I've just been lazy.   So here it is...our family, after living in Sweden for just over one and a half years, will soon be moving to Norway.  Yes, the girl who had never moved more than a couple of hours away from where she was born, is now moving to country #2 in Scandinavia.

At least the red, white and blue are familiar

So how do I feel about this move?  Honestly, it depends on when you ask me.  Some days I am excited and grateful for the opportunities ahead.   Other days I find myself a little nervous and frustrated.  It took some time to get settled here in Sweden, to make friends, find a job, learn my way around the grocery store, etc. so I can't say I am thrilled to start those processes all over again.  

Does this phrase exist in Swedish?  or Norwegian?

At least moving to Norway from Sweden will not be quite as much of a culture shock as moving from the States to Sweden!  So, let's summarize the good and the possibly not-so-good stuff surrounding our move to Norway (I understand I may be making a few assumptions or generalizations here...just humor me).

GOOD STUFF-

• The Norwegians seem to be very active and outdoors-y
• I have heard that it may be a bit easier to make friends in Norway (I'm excited about this possibility, but don't want to get my hopes up).  Don't get me wrong, the Swedes are nice people...but it can take a bit of time for them to "open up"
• Our house will be quite close to the sea 
• Our girls already speak Swedish fluently, so learning Norwegian shouldn't be horribly difficult for them.  They are also excited about moving to Norway- which is good.
• My husband (who has Norwegian ancestors) is really excited to be moving to the "homeland"

Our cute house in Norway

NOT SO GOOD OR UNKNOWN STUFF 

• That cute house?  I have not yet seen it in person (only some pictures)...a little scary!
• Pretty much everything in Norway is crazy expensive (I have heard people actually leave the country to buy booze and food....WOW!)
• I will need to start the job and friend seeking process all over again
• The thought of leaving my friends in Sweden is starting to make me feel sad (and of course I still miss my friends and family in the U.S.)
• My Swedish is not very good and now I will be trying to learn Norwegian (at least a little)
• I have been told that "everyone" skis in Norway...and I have never skied before in my life (I guess learning to ski could be on the "good" list, but I'm a bit afraid of breaking a leg)

I think I'm seeing my future!

I'm sure there are things on both lists that I am forgetting...hopefully I can add more to the "GOOD" list as our moving date quickly approaches.  For now, I have a few more weeks to sort through our belongings and determine which of our things will not be needed (or will not fit) in our new home.  Wish me luck!

"Chicago Style" pizza in Sweden

I think this sets some sort of record for the shortest time between posts.   When I finished up the last post, reminiscing about some of my favorite foods from back in Chicago, I developed a huge craving for pizza!  And, to be honest, the pizza joints here are pretty ho-hum, so I generally make my own anyway.  But this time I searched for an authentic Chicago style recipe with a think, flaky crust (think Lou Malnati's) and found a recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  I have used many of their recipes since moving here, so decided to give theirs a try.

You can (and should) Google the recipe....but here are the highlights.   They have a cool trick for the buttery, flaky crust....after the first rise, roll out the dough and spread it with butter (no, I'm not kidding).  Then roll it up.

Seems strange, but who am I to argue?

Then you flatten out the rolled up dough, cut it in half and allow each half to rise again.   While you're waiting, it's time to make the sauce...super thick, with garlic, basil and big chunks of tomato.

Quick and easy!

Now it's time to put it all together.  I didn't have a large pizza pan, so I used two round cake pans instead.  First, I put down the crust, then the cheese (yes...cheese first!), then the sauce.  I forgot to add the pepperoni with the cheese, so I had to throw it on top...better late than never.  Bake for about 30 minutes...while praying that these pizzas will taste as good as they look...and voila!

Please, PLEASE taste good....

So how was it?   I will let the next few photos speak for themselves...

One smiling face!

Two smiling faces!

Two empty pans (the hubby also gave it a thumbs up!)

So my craving for thick Chicago pizza has been satisfied.  It took a bit of time, but was completely worth it.  Thanks again, America's Test Kitchen!  Now back to my regularly scheduled food coma...

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??