Swedish food cravings

Hej!  I am headed home to Skåne soon, can't wait, and thinking about what to stock up on while I'm there.  This photo was posted on a Swedish FB site of someone's stash.  The Swede received this lovely grouping of Swedish macaroni, chocolate, and oatmeal from a visitor.  She asked what other Swedes like to get from home -- here are some of the ideas that followed:

• falukorv (big round sausage)
• meatballs (really, can you bring meat into the States?)
• sauces
• Mannagryn, messmör och jäst (this is just weird - the first one is porridge, the second a gross brown cheese, and the third is yeast)
• sour cream (from someone who lives on Sicily)
• candy of all kinds (yeah, I'm with you on that one!)
• Swedish cheese and salami
• Johnny's mustard (yup, I do that) and Kalle's Kaviar (we have that at IKEA but still a good idea!)
• Bregott (a blend of butter and margarine that Swedes eat on the sandwiches which is so good)

And the list goes on and on and on.  On person remarked, how do you have room in your suitcases for all that?  I just said that I was getting hungry. ;-)  I will def. check out a local ICA when I'm home and pick up some sweet licorice, chocolates, a bag of candies for the kids, and some Kalles when I'm there.  I may also look for some "hjortonsalt" with which you can make this delectable cookie called Swedish Dreams.  Photo thanks go to Swedish Dreamish!


https://www.instagram.com/p/0fjD56JKB0/

Glad Midsommar! Happy Midsummer!

It's the day of feasting and dancing, singing and smiling.  I am headed to NY so I can't participate in the annual bacchanal but I will have fun celebrating my niece's graduation (although in a more subdued manner.)

Leaving you now with some information on Swedish midsommar and a beautiful Evert Taube melody sung by his son Sven-Bertil Taube, the Swedish uber-troubadour.  Happy Midsummer everyone!  Leave 9 flowers under your pillow tonight and you'l dream of your intended. :)

Art Update

Lovely friends and former students, I haven't had much time to reach out to you or even to make a painting, sketch a drawing, or write an idea down lately.  The weekends have been full of fun trips to see family and getting ready for the end of the school year, but I wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about ART and how fun it is!

As a matter of fact I am hoping to do a lot more of my own art this summer and develop my style.  I hope that you will understand that that means scaling back on teaching art, which I love, but can't do simultaneously. There are other local classes in case you need to spark your creative output this summer: the library has free classes on Mondays, July 8, 15 and 22; Colorful Kids in Amesbury is offering art summer camps for $225/week; and my friends at Youth Services have artistic classes as well.

Just keep on drawing and making art using whatever materials you have available like shells, stones, or Legos.  There's a lot that you can do on a bright sunny day or a summer night without the pressure of school and sports hanging over you, and I hope that you will take full advantage of it.

Tell your adult to read this well-written article on creativity, hopefully they will be inspired to make art with you too! - https://creativesystemsthinking.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/every-child-is-an-artist-by-nature/. Here's a sampling of what it says (see below).  I look forward to teaching you art again in the fall.

One of the best ways to inspire learning and enjoy being creative is to to study and imitate what we most love. All artists begin by copying and imitating others who inspire them. Bob Dylan imitated Woody Guthrie’s style of singing, Van Gogh made copies of Japanese prints and pointillist paintings, the Beatles began by covering the songs of other musicians they enjoyed.

Children will benefit if they are encouraged to spend significant time with (and learn from) the creative works of skillful people who inspire them.  This kind of engagement is a critical part of a child’s education, and does not have to happen in school. As a teacher, I often give this as a homework assignment, encouraging my students to spend time with creative works they enjoy and then write (or make a presentation) about their experience.

Have fun friends and a very Happy Summer to you all! 

Hej då Mamma!

My own ambassadress from Sweden left today on her travels.  I'll miss you but see you soon in the homeland! We visited Kittery Maine together.  Turns out that there's a lot more than outlets there - like an amazing noodle shop named Anju (7 Wallingford Square #102, Kittery, ME 03904) and some hipster stores such as "Folk" with beautiful handmade items.

Folk

We also liked a little cooperative gallery on Route One with some beautiful things including fish chimes made of wood, and interesting felted items.

I hope that you'll have a great weekend.  Here it's beautiful weather and we will enjoy the weekend with LOTS of family. (See pic.) More to report later.  Safe travels to my mother and family.

Kram! (Hug)

The "goodest" country

Sweden has been ranked the "goodest country" by Good Country Index creator Simon Aholt.  

As he told The Local:

“Sweden must be bored of coming top in every bloody country index but that’s the fact of the matter.” 

So what does that mean?  Well it has been deemed to make the greatest contribution to humanity as a whole. I am proud to be Swedish, I know that there are things that are wrong there, and that America is wonderful in many ways too, but given this election season it sure is nice to remember that I have a Swedish passport! 

Evidence of goodness exists in the Swedes who came upon the Stanford rapist and stopped him, holding him until the police came. Carl-Fredrik Arndt and Peter Jonsson were biking home when they came across Brock Turner in an alley on top of the passed out girl.  He was moving a lot, they said, and she not at all, which they found very strange.  Realizing once they stopped what was going on one of the young men helped the girl and the other ran after and detained the rapist.  This is what the woman wrote to the Swedes.  Good exists in the world!  Read more from the article here.

"Thank you to the two men who saved me, who I have yet to meet," she wrote. "I sleep with two bicycles that I drew taped above my bed to remind myself there are heroes in this story. That we are looking out for one another. To have known all of these people, to have felt their protection and love, is something I will never forget."

The letter in full is linked here, please note it is very graphic, read it and remember that this could have been your wife, daughter, friend, girlfriend or even a male that you love. Please try to always, always be supportive and loving of others and be the "goodest" that you can be. 
Hate mongers need not apply. 

Happy Swedish National Day!

This dog is kind of awesome and very Swedish with his dour expression and "tre kronor" shirt.  It's Swedish National Day so why not dress up your dog and get on your blue and yellow?
Congratulations to Swedes everywhere! 

Places to go, people to see...

Le Foundouk

Boo, hoo. Didn't win the dinner anywhere in the world raffle again!  This year if I had won, I would have whisked handsome hubby and myself off to Marrakesh.  This excellent blog post by Maryam Montague who lives in Marrakesh provides an excellent insider scoop to the restaurants that abound. Le Foundouk with its mix of international and Moroccan cuisine might have been a good choice. Last year I was dreaming of visiting Istanbul.  I'm going to have to head over that way soon!  I love to travel and explore.

http://www.foundouk.com/

Cultural Night

Here we are - the intrepid cultural night committee! See my post "baking bullar" about the lead up.  I hope that we were able to make a little bit of difference in broadening people's perspectives, and taste-buds.  I'm the one popping out of my striped skirt, it was a little hard to button up this year.  Urk! Leading me to my next adventure... exercising the summer away.  :)  And it's almost here folks!  I am very exited to see my personal ambassadress from Sweden soon (my mamma) and then head to the homeland for a short visit in July.  Hopefully I'll come back with some fresh inspiration for you all.  Hej så länge!

baking bullar

Swedish buns, mmm, could there be anything better?  Get your mind out of the gutter folks, I'm talking about bread here! :-) Every time I make "bullar" the house smells like home. I love the sweet cinnamon smell and the way it allows for stress relief when I pound away on the warm dough.

Today I'm making vetebröd (Swedish coffee bun recipe here) for the Multicultural fair that we have every year in our little town.  I've been the resident Swede for so long at this event, I think I'm ready to pass on the torch.  Any takers?

Then again, I do love when the little kids ask me questions, and someone remembers that Aunt Anna came from Sweden.  It stirs up conversations between young and old about their own heritage and what it means to them.  Some people even know a word or two in Swedish!  Like "fin flicka" (nice girl) or something like that.  It's a nice event, but now that my own rascals are growing up and unwilling to help I think I might hang up my "dräkt" (Swedish folk costume) next year.

In the meantime, until I start my own Swedish cafe, here's a list of some great places to "fika" (have a coffee break) in the motherland.  Annas Hembageri in Mariefred won!  It does look nice, meet you there!