A Little Taste of Home

Tonight I ventured into another neighborhood to meet a good friend for coffee.  She invited me to come on over to her house for dinner after a quick stop at the local grocery store.  We walked into this grocery store that I have never been in and much to my delight and surprise saw the relatively large American Food Section! 
It was kind of a surreal moment because I am just not used to seeing these products on a normal grocery store shelf.  Now granted, I cannot remember when I ever purchased Fluff Marshmallow Cream but knowing that it's available in a store in Stockholm somehow made me smile!  The big boon of the night was discovering the bottles and bottles of French's mustard lining the shelves.  We love French's mustard and for awhile, it was readily available in many stores.  Then, like many products, it just disappeared and we haven't been able to find it again.  We used up the last bottle we had (given to us by a woman whose husband works at the American Embassy) recently and were mourning our lack of American mustard.  Swedish mustard is good, but it's a totally different flavor sensation!  So tonight when I saw the overflow, I was tempted to buy like 20 bottles in case it disappears again!  Once I calmed down I decided that 2 was enough.  It cost about $5.50 by the way.  I have no idea how that compares to a bottle of French's in the US but it doesn't really matter.  We're happy to have it.  Good to know as well that when we get a hankering for a Mr. Goodbar or Shake 'N Bake, it's there! 

They have peanut butter but it's a brand that I've never heard of and I love my Jif Crunchy so it's likely I'll keep importing that. 
It's funny how home grown products make you feel nice.  Seriously, aside from the French's, there wasn't anything on the shelf that I have thought about buying for a long time.  But when a creature comfort like French's shows up, it really makes my heart sing!  So, if you are coming to visit, and you ask me what I'd like from the US, it is likely I will say, Brownie Mix (any brand), ziploc bags (all sizes) and the latest copy of Real Simple.  These are still elusive products in my grocery stores here in Stockholm and still things that I love to have on my shelf.