You Can't Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones)

Food has been an adjustment for me here. I don't speak the language, I can’t understand 95% of what is being said on TV, but I know how to cook. Well I did in the states anyway. There are a few things that aren’t regular staples at the grocery store. For example, they do not sell things like vanilla extract, Crisco shortening (or any shortening) or chocolate chips. They have many delicious cheeses but they don’t sell the cheddar cheese we have at home. I took these things for granted in the U.S. never dreaming I would never be able to get it here. Fun foods like Fluff, cornbread mix and peanut butter are sometimes found in the "American section" of ICA (a grocery chain here) or they can be ordered from “Greys American Store” in Stockholm, but they don’t have Skippy or Jif brand peanut butter. In fact mostly everything they do sell that is “American” is a generic Shoprite brand, a Northeastern grocery store that I think went bankrupt. You can get Skippy peanut butter, but it is made in Sweden and it isn’t the same. My friend Alexis sent me vanilla extract, chocolate chips and Splenda. I was so excited that I made a bunch of chocolate chip cookies and passed them out at school and to neighbors here so I could show the folks here what they were missing. I think I made a few new friends that week.
The food here is actually better then it is in the states. It is fresher. It doesn’t have all the preservatives that we have in our food. And there aren’t any instant or quick meals like Hamburger Helper. Another thing that is different is the flour. They have several different types of flour here, but nothing close to what we refer to as “All Purpose”. I made a few breads and cakes and they turned out lethal. If I threw them I probably would be serving a life sentence if someone got in the way of one of my projectiles. This happened a couple of times and I became really frustrated. I didn’t know what I was doing wrong. The only thing I noticed was that the flour was heavier. I searched the Internet and found an article comparing flours. I read that all-purpose flour is 1/3 flour and 2/3 chemicals and preservatives. My American-turned- Swedish friend Cheryl said, “You have to make a choice, either pay to have the things you think you can’t live without sent, or just make do with what you have.” I decided instead of sending out begging emails to friends requesting stuff, I would stick with what I had and try to make it work. So instead of using vanilla extract, I am using vanilla sugar. Instead of using shortening, I am using real butter or cooking margarine. But I am not giving up my Fluff, peanut butter and chocolate chips damned it! Consider that a silent request.