When we first moved here, we would buy the least expensive bread we could find at the grocery store.
And then we tried some other types, and we learned that at least with bread, you get what you pay for.
These days, we like to pick up a loaf every couple of days from our local bakery. It ends up being less than what some of the high-end grocery store loaves cost, and it tastes so much better.
The local bakery, Ivar Halvorsen, is a short walk from our house (5-7 minutes). And everything they have is delicious!
Photo cred for this post goes to William. He has begun learning a bit about photography, and I think he has a very good eye for it!
Yeah, yeah. It's really more of a mediterranean or Middle Eastern food. But I don't think it is possible to drive through a city in Norway - regardless of the size - and not find at least one kebab restaurant. It is like the national fast food of this country.
It is also one of the cheaper restaurant options. It's usually available fairly quickly (prepared to order, but doesn't take long), and typically at a counter service establishment. It isn't the healthiest food, but from time to time I find I must indulge! The meat is typically lamb, but many restaurants offer a chicken option, as well as some beef or blend options.
The lamb is often cooked on a large upright spit. In that case, the meat is shaved from the spit. At other restaurants it is chopped.
Daniel prefers kebab i pita: a warm pita filled with lettuce, meat, and other toppings like onions, corn, tomatoes, cucumber and sauce. We all like kebab tallerken as well. It has all the stuff you would find in a pita, but spread over a bed of French fries.
Kebab (noun) Kebab.
Used in a sentence Det er min mening at man ikke har vært i Norge før man har prøvd kebab. (It is my opinion that you haven't been to Norway until you've tried kebab.)
Related Words kjøtt - meat tallerken - plate/platter salat - lettuce løk - onion agurk - cucumber sterk - spicy
The Five Healthiest Foods in Norway (original post here) - carrots came in at number one.
Carrots are fairly inexpensive here. And very common, as are most root vegetables. I often have a big bag of carrots in the fridge. I use them in soups and stir fry, and last week I made carrot apple bread (it was really good! - I found the recipe HERE via Pinterest).
I've had a lot of Pinterest success stories lately - I really should start sharing them more often! In the meantime, feel free to visit and follow my Pinterest board "Pinterest Success."
The NRK article stated that everyone likes carrots, both raw and cooked. I am afraid I must disagree. I can handle them cooked in things, but I have a difficult time eating raw carrots (unless they're covered in dip or humus!). I really want to find more ways to prepare them since they are so good for you. So if you have any favorite recipes involving carrots, I would love to hear about them!
Gulrot (noun) Carrot.
Used in a sentence Jeg trenger to gulrøtter for suppe. (I need two carrots for the soup.)
Related Words grønnsaker - vegetables fiber - fiber vitaminer - vitamins rot grønnsaker - root vegetables
The Five Healthiest Foods in Norway (original post here) - at number two was mackerel in tomato sauce. (And hooray - Zack is writing today!...)
Would you eat a food if the nickname for it was "plane crash"? Yeah, me neither. I grew up seeing my dad eat sardines from time to time when we were fishing or hunting, but I think mostly his reason for doing it was to try and gross me out. Probably the same reason why he would eat raw chicken liver when we were fishing for catfish.
Anyway. Plane Crash or mackerel in tomato sauce. Sounds delightful. And with a shelf life of just over a decade, why not??
I was not much of a fish eater when we lived in the US. I ate some fresh water fish that dad caught and then salmon and tuna from time to time. I had to make some adjustments to my diet when we moved here because people (most people) eat a lot of fish. Beef and chicken are crazy expensive, and we found cod and salmon to be quite reasonable.
The day after our first Norwegian constitution day here, we went on a weekend cabin trip with some friends. We stopped on the way and bought some food to share over the long weekend. My friend K bought some mackerel in tomato sauce and brought it along.
Let me set the stage. It was hot by Norwegian standards, probably low 80's and we had been hiking most of the day. We are in an awesome cabin that was very rustic in many ways. It did have a toilet, but the toilet (poop, bæsj, crap- whatever you want to call it) basically went through the floor and into the woods outside. To help cover the odor, you put bark and soil over the top of it to "flush". It worked great and we had no problems at all, IF the rules were followed.
The first - and possibly most important - rule was to keep the door closed. Well, D and W apparently did not really remember that rule too well and we had just sat down to lunch. My friend K opened the can of "plane crash" and smeared some on a piece of whole wheat bread. He offered some to the boys and to Jenn and me as well. The boys loved it and asked for more. Jenn declined politely refused, and I took a piece.
Just before I put the piece of bread with the fishy tomato sauce smeared on top, a gentle breeze blew outside, coming up through the toilet and through the door that one of my little guys had left open. It went right up my nose and felt like it punched me in the face.
I went ahead and put the bread in my mouth and took a bite. My first thought was, I'm gonna hurl! I silently asked Jesus to help me swallow this food and he did. I am not very good at hiding what I am feeling or thinking, so they knew I didn't like it. After some good natured teasing and ripping, it died down and I was able to finish eating. K did however send D to shut the bathroom door, for which we were all thankful.
Fast forward about 1.5 years later with some small intervals of teasing from my friends about mackerel in tomato sauce and I am now eating it. I eat it once or twice a week. How did this happen? I will explain.
I was at a leadership conference in Kristiansand (south of Norway) last year and I saw a guy whom I consider to be in really good health and in good shape eating "plane crash" for breakfast. Mental note number one.
I heard a commercial on the radio where the mom was talking about healthy food and she was talking about mackerel in tomato sauce, but she had to speak English because she didn't want the daughter to understand and know that she was eating something so delicious and was so good for her. She then switches to German when the older son comes in (because he's school age so he would of course already be learning English!). Mental note number two.
My family has a history of heart problems and strokes. I know taking care of myself is very important. Fatty fish is good for your heart, memory, skin and also helps with seasonal affective disorder. I decided to give it another try. I bought a can of mackerel in tomato sauce and brought it home. I opened it up and put it on a slice of bread and it wasn't bad at all. I continued to eat it, but just out of the can with no bread and I REALLY liked it.
So now, at least 2-3 times a week I eat a can of makrell i tomat (Norwegian). I like it a lot and it is great to take with you on a hike, in the car, to a meeting, when your wife has surgery and you are at the hospital all day and just for a snack before going skiing or something when you need some quick energy.
(Here are a few TV commercials about mackerel in tomato sauce, based on a song 'tre små fisk')
Makrell i tomat (noun) Mackerel in tomato sauce.
Related Words fettsyrer - fatty acids fisk - fish sunn/sunt - healthy tre små fisk - three small fish
The Five Healthiest Foods in Norway (original post here) - at number three was oatmeal.
The nutritionists that participated in the study encouraged the importance of whole grains. Oatmeal is a good source of fiber, vitamin B, iron and other important minerals. (I also like the way it leaves you feeling full for quite a while.)
We eat quite a bit of oatmeal. I probably cook it an average of three times every week for breakfast. I use it when making multigrain bread. And it is a major component of the granola I make as well. The boys love it, especially with a bit of jam mixed in.
It seems the majority of people eat oatmeal with something sweet added, whether it be fruit, jam, or cinnamon and sugar. I am a bit odd in that I prefer mine with butter, a splash of milk, and a little salt. I blame it on my mom; that's how she gave it to me when I was growing up. So sweet oatmeal is really weird to me!
Havregryn (noun) Oatmeal.
Used in a sentence Vi spiser havregryn omtrent tre ganger hver uke. (We eat oatmeal about three times each week.)
Related Words havre - oats fullkorn - wholegrain grøt - porridge jern - iron
The Five Healthiest Foods in Norway (original post here) - at number four was blueberries.
Homemade blueberry muffins, made
from the berries the boys picked in
the mountains on a hiking trip
Berries are quite popular here. And berry-picking trips are popular in the summertime. Last summer, the boys enjoyed picking lots of blueberries while we were hiking in the mountains.
We all like blueberries. Sometime alone, other times in a fruit salad or smoothie, and occasionally in a treat like muffins.
The NRK article's nutritionists appreciated the antioxidants in blueberries. They were concerned that people do not eat enough berries, and also focused on the importance of 'five a day.' Furthermore, they liked that picking the berries yourself means additional physical activity!
Blåbær (noun) Blueberry.
Used in a sentence Guttene plukket blåbær og vi laget muffins. (The boys picked blueberries and we made muffins.)
Related Words bær - berry/berries antioksidanter - antioxidants
The Five Healthiest Foods in Norway (original post here) - at number five was milk.
The article explained that is the best source of calcium in Norway, and also a good source of iodine. We typically buy Ekstra Lett Melk because it has added Vitamin D - especially important in the dark winter months! (Eskstra Lett also has less saturated fat.)
We really like the milk in Norway. It is refrigerated! Sounds strange to some of you maybe, but in Ukraine we learned that this is not always the case. Yeah, unrefrigerated milk was kind of strange to me!
Price
There are two brands we can choose from: Tine Melk or Q-Melk. Most of the time we buy Tine, mainly because I have better luck finding the kind I prefer in the 1.75 liter carton instead of the 1 liter that seems to vanish as soon as it is opened.
The 1.75 liter costs a minimum of 21.90 Norwegian kroner. Our current conversion rate is quite favorable for us (not for Norwegians traveling to America!), so that is currently around $2.90 for 1.75 liters. That is the equivalent of about $6.24 per gallon (about double the price of a gallon in Georgia!)
We are occasionally able to find it marked down for as much as 50% off due to only a couple of days left on the expiration date. But the boys love milk, and we use it in a lot of recipes, so a short date is no problem!
Tine changes their packaging at Christmas and Easter. For the majority of the year, the photos on the cartons show scenes from the dairies located in your region. But at Christmas the nisser (the little trolls/elves) show up. And at Easter, Tine pays homage to the Norwegian tradition of Påskekrim - Easter crime novels* - by including mystery-based comic strips on the boxes.
Variety
Like in the states, there are plenty of varieties: whole milk, low fat, lower fat (with the added Vitamin D), skim milk, as well as chocolate milk, culture milks, and kefir.
[Okay, I just have to say that this may be the most boring post I've ever written!]
Melk (noun) Milk.
Used in a sentence Kan du kjøpe inn en melk for meg? (Will you buy a carton of milk for me?)
Related Words hel melk - whole milk
lett melk - low fat milkekstra lett melk - lower fat milk skummet melk - skim milk
sjokolademelk - chocolate milk
geit melk - goat milk
økologisk melk - organic milk
laktosefri melk - lactose free milk
kulturmelk - culture milk/soured milk (similar to buttermilk)
*You read that correctly - Easter crime novels - I should probably revisit this in a couple of months!
Our boys love Pop Tarts. And I have to admit, they are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me as well.
Growing up, you could almost always find them in our pantry. Okay, not really. What we typically had were generic 'Toaster Pastries'. You know, the store brand knock-off that came without frosting, and often with at least one major fracture, if not totally crumbled. Yeah yeah, I gripe, but we certainly ate them!
I know the boys enjoy them, but a couple of things keep us from having many on hand. First is the artificial stuff. I am really trying to reduce the amount of artificial stuff we eat. I won't totally eliminate it, but less is better, right?
But the bigger reason is the price. I've only found one store in Norway that carries them. And since they are an import item, they come with the hefty price tag of around $10-11 per 8-count box. So I won't be picking them up anytime soon. Yeah, there are some things you will pay a high price for to have a taste of home. [Like white cheese jalapeño dip - which I have yet to find anywhere.] But Pop Tarts are not on that list!
We are grateful to friends and family who've brought Pop Tarts to the boys when they've visited us. The boys always ration them out, saving them for weekends and special days. But I now have a solution that keeps my boys happy, saves me money, and keeps the artificial stuff and preservatives out of their tummies!
I attempted homemade strawberry Pop Tarts yesterday. And while I still need to perfect the process, I am quite pleased with how the first batch turned out. Like the generic wannabes, they lack frosting. But unlike any of the boxed treats, they have nothing fake and I can feel a little better about them!
The boys each had one with their breakfast this morning. No mention of no frosting, only "wow, these taste like Pop Tarts!"
Thanks to the Smitten Kitchen - fantastic recipe that does not call for any ingredients that are unavailable in Norway!! You can find the recipe HERE.
February 2, 2013 (Oslo) - Is it me, or do we
look a lot different in this picture than now?
We are approaching our two year anniversary of moving to Norway. Wow. Gotta stop and let that one sink in for a second.
Anyway, after almost two years, we continue to get a lot of questions via email or social media about various aspects of living in Europe. I love sharing, and I've done quite a few posts in the past about what it's like.
I plan to continue sharing more of these. And maybe I'll elaborate on some. If you have a suggestion for this series, feel free to let me know. After two years, there are many things that I don't even think of as being different or significant anymore, but someone else might be curious about them.
For now, I thought I would revisit them by sharing the links of the previous "What's It Like" posts here (there are quite a few!):
I got out this morning, for the first time since coming home from the hospital last Tuesday. One week in this house will definitely give you cabin fever!
I rode around with Zack while he ran some errands. I even went in a couple of shops with him (when we could park close!). We were only gone for about an hour and a half, and I spent the majority of that time in the car. It felt good to be out.
But I. am. tired.
Now I'm back home, resting up so I can stop by for a quick visit this evening for a dear friend's birthday. Amazing how much motivation birthday cake can provide, isn't it?
Lunch before leaving the hospital - don't I look thrilled?
Monday night was a long night. I think I had been so in and out all day Monday that I just wasn't very sleepy when night came. Add to that the elements of being in the hospital with a lot of activity around, and two other people in the room, and it just made for a long night.
I got up Tuesday morning and made my way down the hall to the patient cafeteria. This was quite different from my experiences in American hospitals! The nurse will gladly bring food to your room when you aren't up to moving around, but I was encouraged to try and start walking a bit so I could be discharged. So I had a bite to eat and then went back to my room, exhausted but happy with the progress.
Zack dropped the boys off at school and then came to the hospital. We sat around a bit, and then I had a meeting and exam with the doctor, who said I could go home after lunch. I managed to get myself dressed while Zack went downstairs and fill my prescriptions, and then he accompanied to the cafeteria.
Around 13.00/1:00 PM Tuesday afternoon I was released and we made our way home. Again, exhausting is the best word that comes to mind. Everything is exhausting right now. But I slept much better last night, and I feel a bit more energetic today. I'm trying to get up and move every hour or so, and each time it gets a little better. I just keep reminding myself that this will take a while!
Those of you who know me well are likely not surprised that I have a purple oppvaskbørste!
When we first moved into our home, I discovered that the landlord left two things for us next to the sink: dishwashing soap, and a vegetable brush.
Okay, nice that you would leave these things. But why a vegetable brush? I was puzzled.
And then we had dinner with a local family, and I quickly discovered that what I thought was a vegetable brush was in fact an oppvaskbørste, or a dish brush.
I had never used a brush for this purpose. But after 15 months it has become my weapon of choice when hand washing.
What is typically used for washing dishes where you live: a brush, a sponge, a cloth, or something else?
In 12 days, Norway will celebrate the 200 year anniversary of the signing of its constitution.
Before we arrived in Norway, I thought Syttende Mai (the seventeenth of May) would be a celebration something like the Fourth of July in America. And in many ways, it is. Only bigger. WAY bigger.
Over the next couple of weeks we will share some posts about Norway's constitution day.
For now, here are a couple of cool syttende mai window displays we saw in Oslo last week.
Easter holidays play out differently here than what we experienced in the states. As far as I can tell, all schools have the same spring break, the week adjacent to Easter. And the break is called påskeferie - Easter vacation.
Almost all businesses are closed the Thursday and Friday before Easter, and the Monday after Easter. Thursday is skjærtorsdag, Friday is langfredag, and Monday is 2.påskedag. All the shops in the city are closed. You might be able find one of the small Sunday grocery stores open, but that is about it. Most shops are open on Saturday (påskeaften - the day before Easter), but only for a few hours.
Here are some photos from our Easter break - it was a great week with beautiful, summer-like weather, lots of outdoor time, hanging out with friends, and getting to know our neighbors better.
I've posted about what it's like to drive here in Norway (see post here). What I didn't address was a driver's license.
The idea of having to take a driving test scared me. Sure, I've been driving since I was 15, but being tested on rules in a European country? Whoa. And in another language? Even more frightening! And trying to learn road rules and take a theory test in a second language? No thanks.
There are different requirements based on the license you already hold. Lucky for us, the requirements for someone with a US driver's license weren't so bad. As long as we began the licnse exchange process within the first year of arriving, we could exchange our license by completing a one-hour lesson and passing the road test. No theory/written test required. But only if we passed the first time (had we not passed, the requirements were significant.)
Zack began his process last fall, and it went smoothly. After his 'lesson' and test, he was the proud owner of a Norwegian drivers license. He was also happy to report that both the school instructor and the driving test examiner did everything in English.
The one-hour lesson does two things 1) it allows you use of the driving school's car to take the test (we were not allowed to use our own car). And 2) it involves driving with the instructor from Sandefjord to Larvik (where the testing facility is). You get instruction along the way, tips on things to improve, and reminders about rules that are a bit different from what we know from America.
So in late January (about four days shy of one year here - yes, I'm a procrastinator) I began all the paperwork to exchange my license. A few weeks ago, just after Zack returned from the states, I took my test. Same instructor and same examiner. And same result: success!
While we probably could have managed fine taking the test in Norwegian, it was nice to have one less stress factor involved.
It feels good to have one more thing in place to make life a little easier here in our new home!
I don't know about you, but the thought of being the new person has always brought on a lot of anxiety for me.
I remember the summer before fourth grade, when my parents moved us to a new city. I left the comfort of a small private school where I knew everyone, and began public school for the first time. The first day was filled with lots of butterflies in the stomach. But I have to tell you how relieved I was when I met another girl in my class who was also a first-timer, after her first few years in private school. We quickly became friends, and remain friends now, nearly 30 years later.
Then came the bigger move, in the middle of tenth grade. After years with friends and many layers of comfort and familiarity, I had to transfer mid-school year to a new high school, an hour+ away from our old town. I knew no one. No.One. Sixteen years old, with my own car, I suddenly found myself alone again. And riding the bus. Yes, humiliating. And this was the country. So all the kids - from elementary to high school - rode on one bus together. As the bus driver blasted Billy Ray Cyrus. Every.single.day.
That transition was a bit harder, but I made it. In America, at least in my experience, people tend to be curious about the new person. They introduce themselves to you, and ask questions.
And I thought that was normal. But as with many things over the past year, I'm learning that some of what we considered 'normal' is really more cultural.
Such is the case with being the new person. Thankfully, we read about what to expect before we arrived in Norway. So it wasn't a total surprise. But there is a difference in reading something and experiencing it firsthand...
In America, people introduce themselves to the new person. But here in Norway, the new person should not simply assume or expect the same. We've learned that if you want to meet people, you need to just go ahead and introduce yourself. It's one of the cultural differences we've come to recognize and accept.
What is it like where you come from? Who introduces whom? Have you ever had a cross-cultural difference that created difficulties?
Related Reading: Much of this stems from the differences between Hot and Cold cultures/societies. A year or two ago, I read a book that helped me a lot in processing these differences: Foreign to Familiar: A Guide to Understanding Hot and Cold-Climate Cultures. A great read to help you recognize and hopefully avoid cross-culture misunderstandings.
We've had a number of people ask us what houses look like here in Norway. So on Sunday, we went for a walking tour of our neighborhood to show you a little of what we see around us.
Architectural style can vary from fylke (county) to fylke. And of course, styles and methods change with time as well.
We live in Vestfold fylke, and while most of the homes around us have a similar style (more akin to the home where we live, a 2-story built around 1897), it is not hard to find some variety as well. And it doesn't take more than a stroll to the next street north of us to see what we're talking about. Go up the hill and take a left, and you just might feel like you're walking through a very random issue of an architecture magazine.
This is the first we come to as we begin to turn off our street. An interesting house - very large - and a mix of stone and mortar. It looks impressive at night!
This style of home is fairly ordinary here: particularly the white with black roof combo. It must be nice to have that garage in the back!
When my mom and step-dad visited last year, they couldn't get over the fact that much of Norway is rock. And what do you do when you want to build and there are rocks in the way? Just work around them, as was the case with this home.
Here is another angle of the house built on the rock. Reminds me of a parable in the Bible (you can read it HERE),
While most areas remain consistent in architectural style, this particular street really does exhibit a wide range of eras and materials. This structure appears to be at least two apartments (not at all uncommon: many homes here are multi-family homes), and was obviously built more recently than many of their neighbors.
Every time Zack and I walk past this house, it reminds us of Doc Brown's house in Back to the Future. Great Scott!
It's hard to see here, but I really like this modern home built on the hill.
Here, you can see how the houses are built regardless of elevation. They keep going up!
In another month or two, you won't be able to see this one for all of the trees.
Zack and I like this one a lot. It has a bit of a German/alpine feel to me.
And the green roof here is fun.
You can occasionally spots a house with a grass roof. We don't see them often in our area, but did see a little playhouse with one.
Finally, this one is on a different street. But we think the dragons are interesting - definitely has an Asian feel to it!
Do you see anything similar to homes where you live? Which one is your favorite?
