Today may as well be Christmas instead of Thanksgiving with the snow still coming down. I’ve never hoped for a white Turkey Day but bam, that’s what we’ve got. Snow is early even for Stockholm but it’s messing with gathering my Thanksgiving Day fixings (we’re feasting tomorrow, today’s a work day.)
On the other hand, I have to say I’m grateful for the improved availability of some of the “must haves” of Thanksgiving, cranberry sauce for instance.
Word on the cyber street of Stockholm is that cranberry sauce in a can and fresh cranberries are available in a number of local supermarkets. I managed to get a few boxes of frozen cranberries yesterday (though no fresh and no cans.) What a departure from the original Stockholm I moved to 17 years ago when even the Swedish word for cranberry, tranbär, only produced blank stares when I asked for it as a juice in bars (cranberry juice was THE mixer of the early 90s back in Boston.) Yesterday, the very helpful staff of a few supermarkets were conferring back and forth using “cranberry sauce” as the name food item interspersed in their Swedish in a surreal Swenglish dialog. Cranberry has come a long way.
And pumpkin pie no longer needs black magic. Pumpkin-in-a-can (the easy route) is still a prized commodity, but the elusive evaporated milk (to mix with the filling –even if made from pumpkin scratch) no longer requires a reconnaissance mission. The local Willy’s is my supplier.
Last year the lovely folks at Taylor & Jones delivered our bird to the doorstep. This year I decided to take The Local’s offer on a 10% discount buying from Ingelsta Kalkon, our original supplier. Looking out at the snow falling I’m thinking the smarter choice would have been T&J’s. Next year. (No snow please)
Happy Thanksgiving (how many shopping days ’till Christmas?)
