And Not a Moment Too Soon

Sure, things might be insane right now... planning a wedding, cleaning out and selling a house, buying our own house, to name a few... you name it, we're in the middle of it.

However, we can ALWAYS find time for the special hour-long season premiere of "The Office". Besides American Idol (anyone know when the new season starts?), this is my only "must see" show (I know, I'm not female or American since I've never seen an episode of Grey's Anatomy - did I spell it correctly, Christy?) and in the midst of such chaos (albeit all very exciting things), tonight's premiere will be a welcome break.

Scranton or bust!!!

Checking In...

It's been a VERY long but exciting past 2+ weeks... and I've been missing you all and REALLY missing getting in the kitchen with some fun new recipes. At the start of every season, I'm always re-energized with the different produce and selections available. So, rest assured, I'll be back - might not be as regularly for a while, though.

To tide you over, here are a couple of my favorite pictures from my aforementioned trip to Scandinavia... and in case you just can't wait for me to finally finish my online picture album, check out Christy's post!

Good Eats in Scandinavia

My last week in Scandinavia was an adventure in every sense of the word... while surviving the first 3 days with no luggage and exploring lands yet undiscovered (by me), we worked up quite an appetite. The Danes and Norwegians seemed happy to oblige.

What a trip... I couldn't have asked for more: an 8-day tour of Scandinavia (truly some of the most beautiful of God's creation) and all the while being introduced to brand-new and exciting culinary traditions. *Kara-speak for "we ate well"

Here are some quick "bites" from my jaunt across the pond...

Danish version of Hefeweizen - always seemed to be served in very large glasses that we had no chance of finishing...

Delicious "European" cafe au lait - love the froth and the rich coffee.

A Danish landmark - Ida Davidsen. Eating the world-famous smørrebrød "Danish open-faced sandwiches" here was a right of passage... and absolutely lived up to the hype. As my Lonely Planet travel book said, "if time is tight, skip the museum for lunch at Ida's"... but make sure and get a reservation.

The "menu" and selection changes daily at Ida's... based on what fresh fish are available.

Some of the sandwiches are named after famous regulars who suggest combinations to the chef; my favorite was "Fireman's Nightcap" with boiled, sliced potatoes, bacon, delicious creamy chicken salad, and shaved fried carrots to garnish! YUM

Of course I can't spend over a week anywhere without my Mexican... so even though we weren't able to find cilantro, we made my guac for a going-away party, and later in the week, tracked down a Mexican restaurant overlooking the fjord in Bergen, Norway.

But we didn't leave Norway without trying traditional fare... we enjoyed fresh prawns alongside the Torget (Fish Market) in Bergen, lots of fresh fish, and we even tried reindeer! I think I prefer our beef steaks, but it was worth a taste!

Overall, I found the food to be delicious and was quite sad to leave it behind. There was definitely something for everyone and you often were treated to the delicious food while facing breath-taking scenery... that was enough to make anything taste good!

*Check back soon for more pictures of my trip overseas!