Norwegian Apple Cake (Eplekake)

Norwegian eplekake may not be as synonymous with Norway as apple pie is with the United States, but it’s definitely something I hadn’t really heard of before moving here. This week I had a ton of leftover apples on my hands, and with tomorrow being May 17th, Norway’s Constitution Day, I wanted to make a Norwegian dessert with my leftover apples. This recipe is adapted from Tine Kjøkken’s, with a few modifications.

 

Gratulerer med dagen! 

 

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A Jew(ish) First Passover in Norway

The final Passover dinner spread.

(Disclaimer: I don’t speak for other Jews, any other person, or any group of people. The thoughts expressed here are my own, and are not intended to be malignant.)

Despite identifying as atheist, I was born and raised Jewish in New York City, and still identify as such. Being Jewish, for me, extends much further than just a religion: It is an ethnicity, and has its own culture. Despite moving to Norway and being non-religious, I still enjoy the traditions and foods that remind me of home, my family, my childhood, and my identity.

With everything that is currently going on in the world, I wanted to make a Passover dinner for my husband and I, to remind me of home. If you’re not familiar with Passover, I recommend reading more about it on Wikipedia.

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Waffled French Toast

A healthier alternative using protein-packed bread can help make this a nutritious breakfast! Plus, another excuse to justify your waffle iron.

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Creating My First Thanksgiving Abroad

With Thanksgiving being a huge tradition, I’ve surprisingly never had the opportunity to cook it! I have always been invited to the house of friends or family, and never actually prepared a turkey.

This year, since I’ve moved abroad, I wanted to be able to remind myself a little bit of home. Unfortunately, my fiancé is abroad for work, so there wasn’t an opportunity to share the holiday with him, so I decided to make my own “test Thanksgiving” to see if I could knock it out of the park before maybe inviting over some friends next year! From start to finish, I managed to cook Thanksgiving dinner in just under 2 hours. (Note: this does exclude some veggie chopping the night before, marinading overnight, and the cornbread I baked the day before. I also built a rough time table in advance so that I could get it all done!)

Curious to see how my first-time Thanksgiving cooking fared? Keep reading.

Click here to see more pictures and details of my first Thanksgiving abroad.!

Moving to Norway, Part 1

Unlike many expats moving to a foreign country, I have several advantages. First off: I can speak the language. Sure, my grammar isn’t perfect and my vocabulary isn’t that diverse, but I can participate in and have conversations with others, properly express my feelings, thoughts, and opinions, get help when necessary, and even try to help others. I can follow most conversations around me, so long as it isn’t too loud and too many things aren’t happening simultaneously, or there isn’t a heavy use of dialect or slang.

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Update: QueenHawk becomes ny2no

QueenHawk has become ny2no in honor of my transition to an expat.

While recipes, photography, language, food commentary, and travel tips will still occur, it’ll also talk about my experience moving to a new country for the first time, and becoming an expat in Norway.

Leftover Tortilla Mini Pizzas

These quick and easy individual pizzas are a great way to use up extra tortillas leftover from taco night– while having an entirely different culinary flavor!

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