No One Does it Like the Swedes

This will be the first in a short series on frozen foods.

Sometimes in a girl’s life, like when she’s doubled her semesterly grad school load, started back at work, is in the midst of a move, and is about 30 days away from her big, fat, WASP wedding, meal planning gets away from her.   It’s understandable.  I hope.

My friends, should you find yourself in said predicament, there is help out there.

IKEA.

First the obvious.  IKEA has great furniture.  My parents took me 13 years ago to pick out new bedroom furniture, and I still use all but one piece today.  It’s not horribly attractive, but I’m that cheap.

In recent years, IKEA has upped their standards in the style department.  These pieces are all part of my new home (all images from ikea.com).

IKEA furniture names are approximately half the fun of going, so without further ado, the Leksvik side tablethe Hemnes, 6-drawer bureauand my personal fave, the Markor TV stand.

And of course, the Ektorp chair and ottoman.  Go ahead and find me someone in America without an Ektorp.

Still wondering what this has to do with your dinner tonight?  After you’ve made it through IKEA’s check out aisle, and paid 5 cents for your plastic bags, stroll over to their Swedish market.

Follow the cold.

Open up the freezer and pull out a bag of Swedish meatballs.

Take a powdered sauce packet to go with it.  Part of me believes all good sauces start as powder.  Just ask Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

And voila!  Dinner!  It’s a marketing trick really.  This is a dish that is deceptively simple, and is downright perfect on a night when you’ve been assembling furniture all day.