Swedish food

Come and Say Hello!

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We will be at a couple of festivals and fairs this fall. If you are in the Chicagoland area, please stop by, get some safety reflectors, learn something new and say hello!

Scandinavian Fest

September 7th, Vasa Park in South Elgin, 10am – 6pm

Celebrate your Scandinavian heritage or just enjoy good food, entertainment and Scandinavian gifts anyway. Get in touch with Scandinavian organizations in the Chicago area and shop unique goods and Scandinavian foods from over 50 vendors from across the U.S.A. The festival features Scandinavian entertainment from folk music and dance to ABBA, pony rides and face painting and hopefully as much sunshine as previous years.

Scandinavian Fest at Vasa Park drew visitors from near and far.
Scandinavian Fest at Vasa Park drew visitors from near and far.

Chicago’s Green Metropolis Fair

September 14, Lake View High School, Chicago, 10am-4pm

Green Metropolis Fair 2014
Green Metropolis Fair, September 14

Evanston Green Living Festival

September 27, Evanston, 9am-3pm

The Evanston Green Living Festival is an annual community event presented by the Evanston Environmental Association  (EEA) and the City of Evanston. The festival is held at the Evanston Ecology Center and provides a venue where local organizations can present their green products, services and ideas to attendees who are looking for ways to lower their personal carbon footprint. This will be our first time exhibiting and we are excited to be part of it.

Warren Township High School Craft Fair

November 1st, Gurnee, 9am-3pm

Warren High School Band Booster in Gurnee organizes a huge craft fair early November each year.  Not only was it a good show last year, students also provided a phenomenal service and wheeled all our reflectors and displays to our booth. We are excited to be returning  as the Band Booster celebrates its 20th fair!

Student helpers at the Warren Booster Craft fair in Gurnee, 2013
Friendly student helpers at the Warren Booster Craft fair in Gurnee, 2013

Julmarknad at the Swedish American Museum

December 5-7, Chicago

The Julmarknad (Christmas Market) is our “holiday trip to Sweden” or as close as it gets. Swedish Lucia, music, food (meatball open face sandwiches!), baked goods (lussekatter & Princess Cake!) and Swedish related merchandize and hand made items. Don’t miss this weekend!

funflector® reflectors is one of many types of stocking stuffers you can find at the Julmarknad at the Swedish American Museum in Chicago.
funflector® reflectors is one of many types of stocking stuffers you can find at the Julmarknad at the Swedish American Museum in Chicago.

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Where Are My Cookies?

/ news, thoughts /

Hello IKEA,
There are two types of expat Swedes: those that live near an IKEA and those that don’t. For us that live close, IKEA helps us stay Swedish—but that will soon change. Many of us grew up with Billy bookshelves or the Poäng armchair and we go shopping for furniture and clever things for our homes. However, the main attraction is the little food store after the checkout and that one brings us back often. Our IKEA trips get scheduled when our freezer is out of meatballs, when we need Ahlgren’s bilar (yummy gummy cars) for Saturday candy, when the kids request Ballerina cookies for their birthday parties or when the cravings for Marabou chocolate bars overwhelm us. I have lost count of all the times I’ve given away a box of Paradis chocolate as an inexpensive but special thank-you gift.
It’s not just that Ballerina, Singoalla, Marabou, Abba’s herring, etc. taste good. Moving overseas is a BIG change in one’s life and eating food that taste exactly like the food we grew up with is very comforting and brings back memories. I’d also like that to be part of my kids’ memories. Every time I eat Brago cookies, I think of my mom’s story how she and her sister shared a roll on Saturdays while they were college students. That was in the late 50’s and because the cookies still taste the same, they bring stories and memories.  We can buy food anywhere in America, but foods that carry a greeting from “the old country” and our families is harder to find.

childhood memories - sweets still available at IKEA
Last chance to pick up this kind of childhood memories at IKEA (except that it should have been Singoalla raspberry, but there were none left).

There are rumors about a decision within IKEA-US to replace all classic Swedish food with IKEA’s own brand. I hope that you realize that that you will loose quite a bit of your Swedishness! Seriously!!! Your meatballs, and gravy are great (after we moved here and served our American friends your meatballs, IKEA meatballs have become a staple in their freezer as well. And they have picked up some pieces of furniture while they were in your store anyway…) !
However, when it comes to chocolate, I prefer Marabou, Lindt or Ritter Sport (I’ve lived in Germany and Switzerland too) and the latter two I can easily get at Target, so I’ll go there instead. I haven’t yet figured out what I will do without the Ballerina and Singoalla cookies. Whatever you come up with to replace them, no matter how good they taste, they won’t carry any greetings from my childhood.
I know you can’t make your stores go around on Swedish expats only, but we do bring you repeat business and new customers, so please don’t let us down! Please reconsider your decision—and if you change your mind, add Brago cookies to the must-haves!
Elisabeth

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