July in Sweden: Eat. Drink. Be Merry.

ShopSwedish.com is excited to offer Falksalt, Sweden’s oldest and most popular selling salt.

Once there was only one kind of salt on the spice-rack, but that was long ago. Today, Sweden’s Falksalt offers a wide assortment of salts sure to enhance your culinary repertoire.

Falksalt comes in a variety of infused flavors, from citron to rosemary, garlic to chili; the delicious and unique flake salts impart robust but delicate flavor to your finest cooking.

Have you ever tasted tomatoes, right off the vine?

Try sun warmed tomatoes, sliced with a pinch of Sweden's Natural Falksalt Crystal Flakes on top. 

Enjoy happy hour with Falksalt Citron

Makes 1 glass

1 shot Vodka

1 shot Sour Apple Liquor

1 pinch of Falksalt Crystal Flakes, Citron

1 cup of crushed ice

Champagne

Mix all ingredients except Champagne in a blender and pour into a cocktail glass. Top off with the Champagne a pinch of Falksalt Crystal Flakes, Citron.

Clock off, tune in, chill out

"Short sleeves, bare midriffs, ice cream, fishing in a country lake. To counterbalance a life of functioning infrastructure and technological modernity, people are nostalgic for the primitive, rural life." The Year in Sweden by Kim Loughran   Filled with breathtaking photos and insightful narrative, The Year in Sweden offers readers a month-by-month glimpse of Swedish life, whether it be the bustle of beautiful Stockholm or the serene wildness of Sarek National Park. Find out more about how Swedes celebrate summer and the rest of the year in the book The Year in Sweden on sale now in the online bookstore at ShopSwedish.com

OUR NEW FAVORITE HAPPY

We get very happy and excited around here when we come across a new Swedish designer yet to make a splash in the U.S. We get even more excited and happy when that designer has wonderful and funky products for us to offer.

Case in Point - Swedish illustrator Ingela P Arrhenius, whose aggressively happy designs are brightening up our store room.

Her book, 100 Wood Block Figures, showcases an exhibition of her hand painted wood block figures. Since all of the figures in the book were sold and dispersed, she calls it her “family album.” We dare you not to smile as you scroll through the images below.

Ingela’s designs are also available on greeting cards. The cards are on their way and will be available in our store this week. Just try to pick a favorite.

Of course there are Tea Towels and Dishcloths too. The Tea Towel comes in one great retro(y) design available in three different color combinations. The Dishcloths feature your choice of a Cat, a Rooster, or an Owl. Good luck choosing, you should probably get one of each.

Rounding off our Ingela Funfest is her inexplicably addicting and original book 142 Actors, which is, of course, a book showcasing Ms. Arrhenius’ interpretations of a German talent catalogue circa 1933 that she found on her bookshelf. Go ahead, re-read that last sentence, it still won’t make any sense, but the little book is fascinating and inspiring and would look stellar on your coffee table.

 (Almost all images courtesy of Ingela)

You can learn more about and follow Ingela on her blog at www.ingelaparrhenius.com, and of course order all of her happy happy products @ shopswedish.com

Our Haiku winner and her winnings

Sarah Erickson Lume stopped by ASI to pick up her Summer in the City gift package.

Seriously, is there anything cooler than a carafe wearing a jacket?

Thinking up a new contest soon, perhaps something to do with inanimate objects wearing jackets.... 

Congrats again to Sarah for her winning Haiku!

We Have a Winner

A big heartfelt thanks to all of you who participated in our Haiku contest.

So much fun to read the posts each day.

We are happy to announce that Sarah Erickson Lume is our grand prize winner with her Haiku:

                                              new road construction
                                   I turn the radio on
                                   I take my watch off

                                    

Sarah will receive the following Summer in the City prizes:

1. Klippan MOA Blanket: Perfect for a summer picnic

2. Eva Solo Fridge Carafe with Neoprene Cover:Lime - What is cooler than a carafe with a jacket?

3. Bengt and Lotta “Flower Power” Cutting Board:  newest pattern from Sweden's hippest design team! 

4. Camilla Läckberg's The Ice Princess: After having lunch with her at ASI, we had to include her book!                

 Congratulations Sarah!

Thanks to everyone for playing.

More Haiku Love

Sarah Erickson Lume

Bird songs ricochet
off of night’s heavy slate roof
landing lightly here.

Lin Nelson-Mayson

Black truck, steamy hot
Open windows - more hot air!
Drive fast! Cool me now!

Kirk Duffy

A Swedish summer?
Only the year you don’t go;
The grass is greener.

Summer In the City Haiku (vote for your favorite)

Carolyn Johnson Spargo

sensommarnätter
två människor vid vatten
dröm om framtiden

On late summer nights

Sarah Erickson Lume

how do bugs survive
such long winters she asks me
as she stomps on ants

Dee Schlong

Haiku Entry:
Rolling hills happy,
Searching for smiling flowers,
Sun fills my spirit.

Kristin Bergstrom Gibbs

Warm, alive again
Run,walk, bike,soak up the lakes
Each day a gift,skol!

Lin Nelson-Mayson

Sturdy legs, bright red;
The Dahl horse enjoys summer.
Simple, cheerful, grand.

Chad Snelson

Movies and Music
The Walker almost blew it
Red Wine in the Park

Danielle Langehaug

Wow, I am tired...tired.
How many syllables are
there in Haiku? Two!

 

Sarah Erickson Lume
summer rain won’t stop
her from doing a cartwheel
in the kiddy pool

Cheryl J. Olson

Svenskarnas Dag nears
Music, food and dance abound
4th Sunday in June

Judith Erva

ja i am swedish
no i don't color my hair
stop asking me that

Susan Brower

Is DQ open?
I’ll give you ten bucks if you
Get me a blizzard

Kari Volkmann-Carlsen

Warm People
Shoulders unhunched, breathe
Life's a full-bodied smile
Stretched on a green lawn

Sarah Erickson Lume

light pinwheels through trees
crashing into swing sets and kids
without making a sound

Brad Neuhauser

Picnic planned today
Morning wind blows in a storm
Beach ball at the curb

The Haiku Contest is Heating Up ( vote for your favorite)

Matthew J. Kinservik

Birds are *really* loud
Open windows, bright mornings
Summer wakes me up

Katy Freed Epler

Oh, the pressure's on
I'm not good at poetry
But here goes nothing

Peggy Korsmo-Kennon

Desk chair spins she exits
Red kayak leaves beach and floats
Auto-reply Out

Sarah Erickson Lume

new road construction
I turn the radio on
I take my watch off

Elyse Ericsson

Sandals on bare soles
Tires whirring, gears clicking, squeaks
Summer sings gently

Paul Kruse

Summertime is here
Glogg is out of season now
Elderflower gins!

John Podeszwa

古池や
スウェーデ飛こむ
水のおと

Yvette Webster

Lovely lake water
Laps softly against my feet
In summer I bloom

Nina Clark

Note: bike with mouth shut-
Gnat clouds on the Greenway trail
Make an icky snack.

Ramona Harristhal

Green as green can be,
We wait so long for heaven.
Sit and drink it in!

Savage Press

Buzz buzz cicadas.
Hum hum streetlights and cool rum.
Kids running in sun.

 

Haiku Entries!

The Lakes 

We’re out at the lakes
Cooking burgers cooking steaks
What’s in the cooler?

President Bruce's Haiku
Bike trails, boats and sails
Lakes and pails, baseball with hail
Minneapolis

Summer Swenglish
Sommar sol och strand
Sunburn with no spf
Sand mellan tårna

Sommar svenska Haiku:
Svenska skärgården
Räkor Kräftor i magen
Fjällbacka är bäst