Just Breathe....

Many friends and family have been urging me to get back to blogging. Not that I was ever really regular about posting. But a lot has been going on. Easy and hard. Happy and sad. Smooth and rough. Rather than get into the details I'll continue with some pictures my husband and I took at the beach last week. With these pictures I will share some of the revelations and inspirations I received from that day at the beach.

UP A STREAM WITH JUST ONE PADDLE

I know, the old saying is, "up a stream without a paddle" but that doesn't really pertain to me.

I have a paddle.

That paddle is my support system. My friends and my families - both Norwegian and American.

The paddle I'm missing - the one whose loss is making me paddle in circles - is the one I am supposed to give myself.

I've lost a lot of self-confidence in the last two years I've lived here. I forget what it is to say, "Yep, I've got this." That just doesn't happen anymore. I'm really good at faking it - not only to myself but to the world as well. I can't look in the mirror anymore. I don't see me. When I see pictures of myself I look lost. This paddling in circles is making me not only look tired but feel exhausted.


Once I find my paddle I'll find my way back to me.

YOU CAN'T PLANT ROOTS IN SAND - But you can try...

Since moving to Norway I've been searching for a place to plant my roots. That has proven very difficult because we do still rent our house. It's not really ours no matter how much work I do on it. It never will be. And that's okay. But for the longest time I was grasping to the handful of sand made up of hopes for our future.

Each grain of hope - building our own house, starting a family, finding a place in the community - have been slipping through my fingers lately. I keep trying to hold onto them. I keep trying to push them back into my palm and hold on tight.

But they haven't really been lost. I know that now. You can't hold onto so many grains of hope without some slipping through your fingers. That's why you find that bucket. That's what the "bucket list" really means.

It's that place where you put all your grains of hope - to free up your hands in order to grasp the here and now.

TEARS ONLY FLOOD YOUR PATH

I've cried a lot lately. A lot.

But only crying, well, that's not going to get you anywhere. It only floods the path you're supposed to be on. There's this funny thing that happens when you look at a fish in water. You don't really see them, just their reflection. The water distorts their actual location. The same thing happens with your feet on a flooded path - they look disconnected from yourself. How can you walk without stumbling when you can't see where your feet actually land?

Crying and learning from it. Crying and looking into yourself. That's where the tears are beneficial.

I'm not saying that crying is bad. It's really truly needed sometimes. To wash the film of sadness or sorrow from your eyes in order to see anew.

COWS AT THE BEACH

Just to break up the seriousness of this post with a a little smile!

Those are some lucky cows!

LIKE WATER OFF A DUCK'S BACK

Oy vey. This one is really hard for me to express. 

When you move to another country you get advice and encouragements from all aspects of your life. They mean well. I really believe they mean well. After two years of hearing the same sentences (sometimes word-for-word) they get more difficult to hear. After two years of being asked about when you're going to find a job or why haven't you found a job yet, or when you're going to start a family, why don't you have this or why don't you do that?.....etc....

No, I can't just let what people are saying or asking roll like water off a duck's back. 

I don't have an answer. All I can say is that I have been trying my hardest to, well, do anything they are asking or advising or encouraging. 

I don't mean to say that I don't appreciate people trying to help. I don't want to discourage people from reaching out or asking me questions. I just want them to know that sometimes I just don't have an answer and I'm more frustrated with myself and the situation than I am with them for asking about it. 

It's not always the positive that is hard to deal with. That's actually the easy part. The negative is like a knife in the stomach. When people talk about me when I'm standing right there and they don't think I understand Norwegian, that hurts. In grocery stores, in the waiting room at the doctor, at the pier when I'm at work. That rolls off my back like a granite boulder. 

But then I have to remind myself why water rolls off a duck's back. It's not only the natural oils on a duck's feathers but there is a delicate structure, feather by feather. Those feathers are constructed of toothy hairs. It's those toothy hairs of positive reinforcement I gather from those around me - no matter how difficult they are to hear at the time - that bind together to create my "feathers" - that create my shield.

Those feathers of positive reinforcement are what help those negative moments to roll off my back and protect me. 

So, please, don't stop asking me the hard questions. Don't stop giving me advice. It may sting a little bit when you do but please know that you're only making me stronger.

THE WEAKEST RUSTY LINK

I feel like everyone in our lives creates a sort of chain. Whether each link knows each other or not, we create this chain of people around us. It's there to grab onto when we're drifting away from our path. It's there to give us strength in difficult moments. The chain can grow. The chain can become shorter.


But we are our own weakest link.

If we don't maintain that chain. If we don't "grease" it with outings, phone calls, text messages, emails or even the simplest smile while passing on the street, those connections can rust and eventually break. I have been finding it very hard to remain emotionally connected with friends back in the States. At absolutely no fault of their own. I take full responsibility. It all stems from my own insecurities.

I've convinced myself that those I "left behind" think exactly that....I've left them behind. I've abandoned them. I promise I did no such thing. I've had to remind myself that wasn't the case. Yes, it is true, that moving abroad can filter out those relationships that were built out of only convenience but it also highlights those relationships that are steadfast and strong. Those links that are strong enough to anchor you.

I know I've drifted out to sea from some of you. I hope you are still holding on to your end of the chain because I'd love to come back to you. Lets polish off our link and make faces in our reflections on the shiny curved surface.

COWS AT THE BEACH AGAIN!

Take a break to smile!

A DOOR LOCKED FROM THE INSIDE OPENS FOR NO ONE

Oh boy, I'm opening a can of worms with this one. This past New Years I made a resolution. It's, quite honestly, the first resolution I've ever kept for more than a month (you know, just staying on trend with statistics!). My resolution was to say yes to Norwegians.

Yep, that's what I said. Unless time doesn't allow, safety is an issue, transportation is a problem or, most importantly, I can't give my fullest to the endeavor, I say yes to when Norwegians ask me to do something.

Why? Well, last December I went to visit my family in the States for Christmas. I did a lot of thinking while en route to Missouri. Why was I still feeling so disconnected to my community in Norway? Why had I not found my roll in the community? Why wasn't I participating in what was going on in the neighborhood? Why was I only finding out what was going on after it happened?

Because I wasn't putting myself out there enough. There are various reasons excuses why that wasn't happening but I decided to step up to the plate and participate every possible chance. This has led to me volunteering at ski events, getting small jobs here and there, meeting my neighbors, participating in community events and making connections and relationships that could lead to even more exciting opportunities.

I had been waiting for a door of possibilities to open for me - I finally opened it myself.

THIS SHIP HAS FINALLY SAILED....HOME

I am a tour guide again this summer. A couple of weeks ago I was chatting with a lady while hiking up to see the glacier arm at Briksdal. She asked me where I was from. I get asked this a lot so the easiest thing to say is, "The last place I lived was near Washington DC." It's a recognizable landmark so doesn't require too much follow-up. Well, she persisted and wanted me to list every city I've lived in....so I did. Her response shocked me.

"You lived in a lot of different places in a lot of different houses. I think you were looking for your home...I think you found it."

Woah. That's deep, lady! She had known me for maybe just over one hour and she had dug so deep.

I think she was right.





FINDING THE JOY

Esma doing her "dance" command.

So, this has been a pretty raw post. But I think it will give some insight into what I've been going through these past few months. I haven't been blogging as much as I had wanted to because I wasn't sure how to process all the feels.

Last week I was dealing with a huge loss. It rocked me to my core. So when I asked Svein Arild to take me to the beach he jumped at the chance. We grabbed our Biolite to grill some lunch, brought some knitting and crosswords (in bokmål Norwegian, I'll have you know) hopped in the car and drove out to our favorite beach in Hoddevik.

Svein Arild insisted that I just go for a walk by myself. I took the camera and a bag to gather beach treasures and walked. I walked in the cold water from the North Sea and smushed my toes in the sand. But most importantly, I BREATHED. I hadn't realized just how much I had been holding my breath. All day I kept taking deep breaths, feeling my shoulders relax, feeling my chest open up.

Picnic on the beach!

No matter what has happened. No matter what might happen. All that matters is my husband and my puppy are with me all the time. In fact I have a puppy draped over my shoulder and chest as I type this. When I look in their eyes I see joy and happiness reflected back at me.

When I look into their eyes I see this pure love - this unconditional love. I had heard rumors of this kind of love. I had seen it in movies. I didn't know I could have that love for myself. I didn't know that I could give that love either.

Esma the Magnificent

This furry little munchkin of a Havanese puppy makes me smile on a daily basis and she cracks me up all the time. Esma reminds me to find the joy in the little things. She reminds me that sometimes you just need to take a break and chase a butterfly. We are so lucky to have her.

My classy husband, Svein Arild.

This man. Wow. He is my angel. He is my rock. He is what keeps me standing when the winds of sadness try to knock me down. He holds me tight when he sees pain in my eyes. He makes me laugh with his ridiculous puns and jokes. He takes me on adventures and introduces me to new places.

Guys, I can't stress enough that I would be nowhere without this man. I don't know what I do without him. I don't think I show him enough what he means to me but I fully intend to right that wrong.

I am so lucky he picked me. I'm so lucky he found me. And, to steal a line from Bridget Jones, I'm so lucky because

he loves me just as I am.

Eg elskar deg kjempemasse, Bamsefar.



So, while I have every intention of continuing to post here, I will make no promises. You see, I have just said yes to another Norwegian today for a rather large project...I'm going to be very busy...

And then....drumroll.....MY PARENTS ARE COMING TO VISIT IN AUGUST!!! So, now that I have all this off my chest I can move on and get ready for their visit and plan all the amazing places I want to share with them of my new country - my home, Norway.

Thanksgiving i Norge

An American Thanksgiving.

To many non-Americans - and, indeed, many Americans - the words "American Thanksgiving" conjure up ideas of exactly the opposite to what they really mean. Whenever I mentioned hosting Thanksgiving dinner the following words reoccurred throughout the responses I received: fat Americans, turkeys, pilgrims, indians too much food, American football, Black Friday, family fighting, lazy, and (of course) pumpkin pie. 

Those words bothered me. While, yes, some or all of those words may ring true in some homes across America, they aren't the definition of Thanksgiving. I really wanted to show my Norwegian family and friends what I grew up knowing of Thanksgiving and how important the holiday is to me.

The actual history of Thanksgiving has been lost over the years. We may never know exactly what happened (or didn't happen) back when the early European settlers made their homes in North America. What we do know is that a public day of giving thanks has been around for at least 250 years. American Presidents used Thanksgiving multiple times as an attempt to bring together a country in turmoil. Political play? Sure. But the root of the action was to bring people together.

That is the meaning of Thanksgiving to me. No legends about pilgrims and indians. No political plays. No marketing ploys. Simply bring people together. Thank those people for being in your life. Tell them what they mean to you. Go the extra mile to set aside a day to spend with loved ones and celebrate them. 

So that is what I wanted to do. I wanted to bring the people in my family and community together to celebrate them and tell them "thank you" for all they have done for me in this year of transitioning to Norwegian life and culture. I wanted to share some of my traditions with them as a way of giving a little bit back to them.

Last year, in 2013, SA and I held a "small" Thanksgiving in our house. We had 14 people come to dinner and everyone brought a dish with them to share - many of which were American recipes. But the house is so small and just can't comfortably hold that many people. At some point this past summer my sister-in-law mentioned that the neighbors were asking about Thanksgiving. We also had two family members move back to the area with their families and we really wanted to include them as well. So...how was I going to accommodate neighbors reaching out and more family coming? 

Down the street from our house is a saw mill that has been converted into a sort-of event building. (And this past summer they built a beautiful amphitheatre!) So we rented out the part that had been converted into a nice dining room for our Thanksgiving day. I painted an invitation (see: top of this page). I started a Facebook event. I made a list of typical American Thanksgiving dishes in case anyone attending wanted to make them to bring. I asked that everyone bring something to share which was tradition in my family. My husband and I would provide the turkeys, stuffing and pumpkin pie.

<<Insert huge record scratch sound here>>

Shortly after starting planning this lovely event I went to the doctor for an ingrown toenail. Now, I know the timing doesn't sound optimal - and it certainly wasn't - but the only time the doctor had before the end of the year to perform the procedure was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Which means it was 3 days before our Thanksgiving since we held it on Saturday. I had to have the procedure done before the end of the year so I had no choice. So, I ended up having half the toenail from my left big toe removed...right before the holiday where you stand in the kitchen and cook for hours on end...

Well, Saturday rolled around and by some miracle I had:

- roasted two turkeys

- had a third turkey in the oven to look pretty on the table

- baked six loaves of bread to make stuffing

- made two gallons of homemade bone broth from the bones of the turkeys I had already roasted

- baked three batches of stuffing using the homemade bread and broth (one with giblets)

- made a gallon of turkey gravy from the drippings of all three turkeys

- baked a pumpkin cake with streusel topping

- baked two pumpkin pies (for the first time!!) [will blog this recipe later...you will want it!!!]

Now, I must interject with a much needed acknowledgement. My husband is THE BEST. He was so supportive through the whole ordeal. He put up with my tears from pain in my foot and anxiety about pulling off this big dinner. He forced me to sit on an office chair while cooking so I could scoot around the kitchen. He kept making me sit down so he could put slippers on my feet (I have a tendency to go barefoot a little too much). He is my hero, my rock, my Nitpicky Nurse Nelly. Eg elskar deg kjempemasse bamsefar!!

He wasn't the only one that helped prepare for the day. My brother-in-law, who happens to be caretaker of the saw mill we were using, went over to the building and heated up the room using the wood burning stove as it doesn't have central heating. It was so cozy and warm when we arrived to decorate! So a big thank you goes out to him for arranging the rental and helping warm it up!

Another big help setting up the dinner was my friend Laura who happens to be American! We met at Norwegian school, we're both tour guides and we both love Thanksgiving. She came early to help us take everything over to the mill and helped decorate the tables, light the candles, make whipped cream, arrange the buffet setup, etc. Thank you, Laura!! Unfortunately I don't have a good picture of you from the day!! (I didn't have any time to take pictures so SA took some.)

Our dining room.

Laura and I setting up the buffet.

In the above picture you might notice my footwear looks...different. I had cut a hole in an old sock to slip my bandaged toe through and then wore a flipflop on that foot while wearing a clog on the other. I just couldn't wear a shoe on my left foot yet. The get-up worked but wasn't too pretty. But who cares?! There was turkey to be eaten!

I had been concerned about how we were going to keep the food warm because it doesn't have a modern kitchen. So we borrowed some large hotplates from the ski center up the road (THANK YOU!!), we brought our own microwave and stand mixer from home and we kept the carved turkey in the crockpot on low. And we crossed our fingers that we wouldn't blow a fuse!

Well, everything was set up and ready to go and at 4pm people started to roll in! Pretty soon we had amassed almost 40 people! Earlier in the week I had written a speech - in nynorsk! - to give before dinner. I was very nervous to speak Norwegian in front of others and I had forgotten my reading glasses so I stumbled over some of it. And, yes, I broke down in tears a couple of times because I was remembering Thanksgivings gone by with my family in the States. It was harder to get through than I thought. 

Before you ask: No, I will not be publishing my speech. I was very personal for me and would like to hold that moment close. Lets just say there were quite a few wet eyes in the room.

Then we went around the room saying what we were thankful for which I know was awkward for some of the guests but I was very impressed that almost everyone participated. 

Okay, time to dig in! (I did forget to sing grace...We'll sing next year!)

The spread!

We had a gorgeous spread! Candied yams! Corn bread! Green been casserole! Two types of Jell-O salad! Mashed potatoes! Creamed spinach! Meatballs! Gravy! Two kinds of stuffing! "Cranberry" sauce! And, of course, turkey!!

I was so proud of the Norwegians trying the stuffing with giblets!

It was so cozy and warm and full of smiles!

People mingling and meeting new friends!

We actually had quite an international Thanksgiving because we had two Americans, one Australian and one Scotsman! Some of our neighbors came so they met some of our friends and family they had never met before. It was so nice seeing everyone socialize and smiling!

This family and this community have welcomed me with such open and warm arms since the day I moved here. I knew that I was moving to a great place but I never anticipated just how incredible the people really are here. I know that Norwegians are known for being introverted and distant but that hasn't been my experience. The Norwegians in my life are warm, inviting, caring, open and always welcoming with a smile. My only complaint - were I forced to give one - would be that they can eat a ton of food and cake and still be so skinny! What's up with that!?

Kidding aside, I couldn't have found a better place for me on earth. Yes, I might feel isolated from time to time in a small farmhouse up on a mountain but I know that if I walk to the end of my driveway and stand there for a little while someone will drive by and smile and wave at me. (For the record, I don't really do that but I know it could happen!)

Even if I have a horrible time with remembering Norwegian names I remember their smiles. Even if I don't always understand what they are saying to me I know that they consider me as part of their community now. This place feels more like home to me than any place I have lived since I left my parents' home as a teenager - and I moved A LOT since their house! To me, I feel lucky to be able to call two so very different yet so very warm places "home."

Now, just like a good ol' fashioned Thanksgiving dinner I will end this blog post with good ol' fashioned pumpkin pie! I was very proud of the pies I made and, again, I will post the recipe and more details about that later. Trust me, you will want the recipe for the pie and the crust! We also had pecan pie, lefse, a delicious dessert made by my mother-in-law, pumpkin cake, and spice cake!

PUMPKIN! And a little bit of lefse ;)

While I wish I would have been able to socialize with more people over the evening and even wish it had lasted longer I was so full of warm fuzzies at the end of the day. I am, truly, surrounded by an incredible family, an amazing community and awesome friends. 

This American has a lot to be thankful for this year.

A Pictorial Update on the Past Year

Well it has been over a year since I have posted here. A lot has happened. I am still living in Norway and still loving it. I guess the reason I haven't been posting is that the transition process living here was taxing and every day I felt like I was giving so much of myself to learning the language, adapt to the culture and process the changes that I needed to preserve what was left of myself at the end of the day and didn't want to put it out there for the world to see.

The past year hasn't been chock-full of unicorns and rainbows but I'm happy to say that the ratio of positive experiences raised high over the negative. I have received a few emails from people thanking me for the information given on the immigration process I went through and I'm so glad that it has been helpful. It has been mentioned to me many times that I should get back to blogging and I feel that I am finally in a place where I can do that again. So, here is a pictorial recap of what the past year has held for me and my husband. I have only selected one or two photos per month that has passed. I will be blogging more in depth about some of the places we have visited later. This is just a taste of what has happened.

August - Married in Loen! (perhaps I'll have a blog about the wedding later...)

September - My residency permit was FINALLY officially approved!! I then went to the local police station to have my picture taken and was fingerprinted (just the pointer fingers) and had a photo ID to carry with me in my wallet. Yay for being allowed to stay in Norway for a year!

October - I worked at Opera Nordfjord as a scenic/props assistant on their production of Flaggermusen as well as their Nutcracker. So much fun and so many amazing people! I was so glad to be able to use my skills and education. I wasn't sure that was going to happen in such a rural part of the country. Here is a picture of the Nutcracker's mask I made.

November - I began attending Norwegian school at the culture house in town. I attended four days a week from 9am-1:30pm.

We also had Thanksgiving at our house. We somehow squeezed 14 people into our tiny dining room and living room!

December - I made my first pepparkakehus (gingerbread house) and designed it after the little cabin down by the fjord that my husband's family has used for years as a boat dock and apple storage house. My father-in-law had been working down there a lot building the dock during the summer so I wanted to pay tribute to all that hard work. It takes about half an hour to walk down the steep side of the mountain to the fjord and about 45 minutes to get back up again. Impressive work for anyone to do, let alone someone who is 83!

January - We went to Bergen because SA (my husband) had a meeting to attend. On the way home we encountered some gorgeous scenery!

February - I started out the month in the hospital in Førde which was an interesting and informative introduction to Norwegian healthcare! I also took my first language test and passed! Finally, I redecorated our bedroom as a birthday present to SA.

Before...

After!

March - We drove down to Oslo to see one of my favorite musicians, Rufus Wainwright, in concert! I can't seem to find a good photo of the concert - you know, too dark and blurry - so here is one of us having a picnic on the roof of the Opera House...it was a little chilly to have a picnic on a windy roof but it was beautiful!

April - For my birthday SA surprised me with a trip to Kalvåg on the North Sea. We had a fantastic lunch on the pier and walked around the cute little shops. We also took a trip to the beach even though it was freezing!

May - I was on the planning committee for the 17.mai celebrations...even though it was my first 17.mai ever! (17th of May is the equivalent of the American 4th of July for those who aren't familiar) Here is the poster I designed for the 200 year anniversary. The whole day was a success! (I made animal balloons for the kids...and some adults!)

June - FINALLY GOT A JOB! Just for the summer but, hey, it was better than nothing! I was hired as a tour guide for the tourists that come off the cruise ships in Olden and Geiranger. I, of course, guided in English and most of my passengers were from America or Great Britain though I encountered many other cultures as well. It was a blast!

The Briksdal Glacier

We also welcomed a new member to our family! A Havanese/Chinese Crested Powderpuff mix (very allergy friendly because SA is very allergic!) named Esma! She is THE BEST puppy in the whole world. Seriously. The best!

July - I hosted a Fourth of July Party complete with the corniest, over-the-top, totally Americanized kransekake which made all the Norwegians roll their eyes at the crazy American!

Later in the month we took a 10 day vacation over to Røros, up to Trondheim, over to the coast and back down to home again. It was a great camping trip with lots of adventures! The picture is of Esma in front of the cathedral in Trondheim.

August - For our anniversary we went to Urnes Stave Church which is the oldest one remaining in Norway. It was so beautiful! (Separate post of that later, I hope) We also stopped at the church where we were married on the exact day of our one year anniversary and stood exactly where we stood to exchange our vows.

September - This picture was taken from our front yard on the night that I received my new residency permit! I was so surprised to see that I had been approved to stay in Norway for another TWO years and I didn't have to renew it next year! It is rare that we see the Northern Lights from our house because of where we are positioned on a ledge on the mountain. It was a treat to walk outside and see it for the FIRST time in my life and in our own front yard. I took it as a welcome present from Norway ;)

October - More redecorating! This time I tackled the living room and dining room. In the living room, alone, there were SEVEN different colors of brown paint. Well, not anymore! I also painted a "family tree" in the corner for pictures of our two families.

Before...

After!

November - And now we're caught up! I was originally going to post about the Thanksgiving dinner we hosted but decided to do the update. So I will compose a separate post about the dinner in a couple days. Here is a picture to hold you over until then. My first EVER pumpkin pie!! And it was GOOD! (I'm wearing that thing on my head because I have long hair and I was terrified I would get hair in the food I was making.)

SO

I will try to be better about posting. There really have been so many amazing adventures we have been on so I will even try to backlog some because I really want people to see the beautiful places and incredible cultural traditions this country has to offer. I hope you bear with me in this process and that this pictorial tour through the past year of adventures will entice you to come back and learn more about Norway. I promise you, this country will not let you down!

Until next time...Hadet!

RECIPE: Graskarkryddersirup! (Pumpkin Spice Syrup)

Wow. It has been a long time since I have updated this blog! So much has happened and, I'm sorry to say, this entry won't have too much news. I will ease back into blogging by first posting this recipe as I'm sure there are other Americans in Norway who miss Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

Fall is my favorite time of year and part of the reason for that is the delicious hot beverages made with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. The tastes of fall are so homey, welcoming and cozy. As an avid coffee drinker I would visit Starbucks on a much more regular basis in the autumn and order my "quad venti skinny two and a half pump pumpkin spice latte." The barista at my local Starbucks knew my order when I would go in so she would start it when she saw me come in the door before I could even have a chance to order it. I would order the "two and half pump" because Starbucks puts FIVE pumps of syrup in their venti lattes which, I think, is too much sugary syrup. You lose the pumpkin flavor let alone the coffee flavor with that much sugar! Ordering half the amount of syrup allows the spices and pumpkin flavor to warm and release into the coffee. At least that is my theory...and I'm sticking to it!

Can you tell how enthusiastic I am about this syrup!?

So, a year ago I knew I was going to be moving to Norway where there are very few Starbucks - none of them anywhere near where I live - and they don't offer the Pumpkin Spice Latte anyway.

The only three Starbucks in all of Norway are in Oslo! It's a 7 hour drive from my home! That's just too far for a coffee...

Oslo: Also the capital of Norwegian Starbucks. (P.S. Gardermoen is the "Oslo" airport despite being further away on the map.)

WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO!?

So I searched Pinterest for a recipe to make my own syrup. I didn't bother trying the recipe when I found it because, honestly, I was too worried that if I weren't able to find the ingredients in Norway I didn't want to be disappointed.

The main ingredient - canned pumpkin - I knew was going to be an issue. I had looked for canned pumpkin on a previous visit and found that I could order it online but I really try to shop locally first. Fortunately I was substitute teaching at the high school in Eid and after school I went to Coop Mega for groceries. They had pumpkins! COOKING pumpkins! So we bought one, of course!

There are differences in pumpkins. There is the kind that you carve into a jack-o-lantern and then there are the more flavorful baking/cooking/sugar pumpkins (depending on where you live and what is available).

If you don't have canned pumpkin puree here is how you make your own:
(Note: I had no instructions on how to do this I just made it up and it worked)

*Cut the stem off the pumpkin.
*Cut the pumpkin in half.
*Use a large metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy pulp. (Save the seeds if you want to roast them for a delicious snack later!)
*Line a baking pan/casserole dish with aluminum foil.
*Rub margarine on the exposed "meat" of the pumpkin. (real butter can burn)
*Place pumpkins "meat" side down on the foil.
*Roast at 220C until the "meat" is soft and can be mashed like potatoes.
*Let the pumpkins cool a bit before handling them. THEY WILL BE HOT!
*Scoop out the pumpkin meat into your food processor (or mash them manually)
*Store in an air-tight container in your fridge.

I was roasting a chicken the day I made the pumpkin puree so I threw the halved pumpkin in the oven with the chicken as it cooked.

Now to the syrup! (PLEASE READ THE WHOLE RECIPE BEFORE COOKING)

INGREDIENTS:
(Note: I doubled the pumpkin puree because I like the flavor but the recipe below states the original amount I found. Double it if you will.)

The pumpkin in the picture will be made into a pie later I just wanted to show the type I used to make the puree in the glass bowl.

PÅ NYNORSK
3 1/2 dl vatn
3 1/2 dl sukker
4-6 stk kanelstenger
2 1/2 ml nellikmalt
2 1/2 ml ingefærmalt
5 ml muskatnøttmalt
45 ml graskarspuré

IN ENGLISH
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
4-6 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tbsp pumpkin puree

*Over medium-high heat dissolve the sugar in the water careful not to bring it to a boil. Stir it frequently to avoid burning.

*Whisk the pumpkin puree into the sugar/water mixture.

*Add all the spices and the cinnamon sticks.

*Simmer on medium heat for 10+ minutes stirring very frequently.

*Remove from heat and let it cool.

*Strain the syrup through a fine metal strainer or cheese cloth into a large glass measuring cup. (Using a measuring cup will help you pour it into your final container)

*Pour into a resealable container (I used a pop bottle which I washed thoroughly with soap and warm water)

A cozy autumn still life...

**TO USE IN COFFEE**
I don't have an espresso maker so I made an "au lait" by pouring equal parts lett melk (2% milk) and regular black coffee into a mug (microwaved it because I don't have a steamer) and added about 2 tsp of syrup. DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I drew a little label for my syrup and covered it with packing tape before attaching it to the bottle.

Use your own taste and judgement to figure out what works for you.

I hope this recipe helps my fellow pumpkin spice latte fanatics get their cozy fall warm beverage fix in their own homes no matter what continent you live in!

If you try the recipe please let me know in the comments below!

RECIPE - Botwina Soup

And now for something completely different!

This has nothing to do with Norway but does have to do with my own heritage. Last summer we took our "European Pilgrimage" through Sweden, Poland, Germany and Denmark. We stopped in Poland for a few days staying at an amazing manor house in Nawino that we found in airbnb.com - a site where you rent a room in someone's home while on vacation. It takes a lot of trust but we certainly lucked out and the rate we were charged was almost too reasonable! The owner of the house also threw in his "personal chef" for a minimal fee per day.

Well, his "personal chef" turned out to be his elderly Polish mother but she certainly lived up to the title of chef! She made this soup for us on the first night we were there and we ate way more than we should have! Because we loved it so much she made it for us again the next night.

When I asked her son about the soup he said that it was made from very young beet roots - no more than three weeks old as well as the leaves of the plant and some other ingredients. I had always meant to look up a recipe for it but just kept putting it off.

This weekend I became very ill with acute bronchitis, a viral infection in my stomach and a skin infection in the hives (caused by stress) on my face. Whew! For someone with no health insurance that really wiped me out! On Sunday I had a strange craving for botwina soup. I hadn't had it for over a year and yet suddenly I really wanted it. I hadn't been able to keep food in me for 24 hours so I stopped at the store and bought the ingredients I needed. It came to less than $10!

It was all my stomach could "stomach" for the past couple days! I don't know what it is that makes my belly okay with it but I like to think my Polish ancestors had something to do with my craving. You never know! ;)

So, here we go! BOTWINA SOUP ALL AROUND!

(Disclaimer: I had never made this before nor had I cooked with beets so I made a lot of this up! Fortunately it turned out so yummy! Please excuse the quality of the pictures. I had to use only my cell phone.)

Some of the ingredients for Botwina soup!

 I want to give the original recipe I used as a base credit so here is that link.

I used it only as a suggestion because there weren't any measurements (which is how I like to cook!) and I made some tweaks based on what I remembered from Nawino. If you can find young beet roots, awesome. If not, just get the mature roots from the grocery. It's what I did and it worked great.

Ingredients I used: (~ means approximately...I tend to not measure stuff)
2 of the smallest beets I could find (Save the leaves!!)
~3 cloves of garlic
2 large red potatoes
~1 handful fresh parsley
~2 Tbsp white vinegar
~1/2 tsp thyme
~1/2 tsp dill
1 egg
2 boxes of Chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and finely dice two small beets.

Don't throw away the leaves!!

Your fingers WILL turn red but it washes off easily. HINT: Wear an apron!

2. Let's chiffonade! Chiffonade is a fancy way of saying "cut the leaves into fine strips." I learned how to do this by watching cooking shows on tv. First, stack a few leaves on top of each other then roll them into a tube.

Am I successfully hiding my poorly manicured nails?

 Using a sharp knife, cut the tube of leaves into quarter of an inch strips. Just cut them until you start reaching the stalky part of the leaves - you don't want the stems.

Chiffonade? Oui oui!

3. In a soup pot, saute the beets and the leaves (the ones you just cut into strips) in some olive oil.

I know, horrible picture...

 4. Peel and cut your potatoes into like-sized pieces. Add to the pot and stir.

Your potatoes WILL become pink and look like chunks of beet.

5. Pour in both containers of chicken stock. Bring to a boil only long enough to cook the potatoes.
6. Add thyme and dill, salt and pepper.
7. Smash 1-3 cloves of garlic (don't dice, just release the oils). Add them to the pot.
8. Now for the egg. This isn't in the recipe that I linked to but I remember it was in the botwina soup we had in Poland. I have NEVER done this before so I was just making it up as I go and it worked! I scrambled the egg in a bowl and as I poured it into the hot soup I stirred the soup kinda fast and the egg cooked like egg drop soup. (Another one I need to try now!)

Doesn't that look appetizing? I promise it's delicious!

 9. DON'T OVERCOOK THE SOUP! According to almost all the recipes I found it will lose color if you overcook it. So do the egg just before you remove it from the heat.
10. Ladle soup in to a bowl and sprinkle with some fresh parsley.
11. ENJOY!!

DELICIOUS!

So, there you go! Get cooking! I know this recipe is out of left field but I had a few people on facebook ask for the recipe so I thought I'd put it here with the pics I took (especially for the chiffonade part...and I hope I'm spelling that correctly....)

Feel free to let me know if you try the soup! It's AMAZING!