Enjoy the things you can afford
Brand: Anthon Berg Cost: 10KR Found at: Coop I almost never eat marzipan chocolates except for in Sweden. There are two reasons for this. The first is that Swedes, in general, love marzipan. This country has a ton of tasty almond treats for me to indulge in while I am here. But the second reason... Continue Reading →
Brand: Buchanan’s Cost: £1.40 Found at: Tesco This candy reminds me of the classic animated film, Ratatouille. In the most famous scene in the film, Anton Ego (the sour-faced food critic voiced by Peter O’Toole) eats a gourmet version of title dish. The moment he takes his first bite, the camera pans into his iris and... Continue Reading →
Brand: Rowan Hill Cost: 55p Found at: Lidl Lanarkshire is famous for its bricks. About four hours walk Northwest of my house are the Glenboig brickworks – closed down in the mid 70s. In the 1800s, these bricks were famous: able to withstand incredible temperatures they were used in furnaces from Australia to Nova Scotia,... Continue Reading →
Brand: Zen-Noah Ibaraki Found at: Bokkusu I will say this again for the people in the back: Stop. Selling. Jelly. In. A. Packet. It is disconcerting and I hate it. Is the yuzu flavor pleasant and refreshing? Certainly. Is it convenient to be able to take a jelly treat with me in my purse? Most... Continue Reading →
Brand: Mr. Kipling Cost: £1 Found at: Tesco It was a miserable day for a walk. It is the last week in June, but the weather has turned extremely sour. I was warned that the Scottish summer would be like this, but the unseasonable warmth and sunshine of May had lulled me into a false... Continue Reading →
Brand: Chicago Town Cost: £1 Found at: Lidl The kitchen in our home is like an old-timey saloon: there is not enough room for both Emil and I. Part of this is the physical lay-out. The floor plan was designed for a single person living alone, and so squeezing both of us into the space... Continue Reading →
Brand: Nitton-Tea Found at: Bokkusu Ellen has come down with a fever. We’re not as worried as we might be - her symptoms are more consistent with tonsillitis than Coronavirus - but in the interest of public safety, the rest of the ladies have self-isolated until her antibiotics start working. The last thing any of... Continue Reading →
Brand: Lidl Deluxe Scottish Collection Cost: £1.29 Found at: Lidl Glasgow and Tacoma are so similar that I sometimes forget that I have moved abroad at all. Tacoma is a seaport with a temperate climate, Glasgow is a seaport with a temperate climate. Tacoma has a historic reputation for a drugs and crime, Glasgow has... Continue Reading →
Brand: Lancashire Eccles Cakes Ltd. Cost: £1.80 Found at: Tesco As an American living in the UK, I keep running into place names that sound made-up. Newcastle upon Tyne, Blackpool, Ipswich, and Swansea all seem like they’ve been lifted wholesale from the novels of CS Lewis or JRR Tolkien. Asking people about their hometowns, I... Continue Reading →
Brand: Innocent Cost: £1 (Meal Deal) Found at: Tesco Every Sunday, I go for a walk. A long walk – as far as I can go on food before my hips stiffen up and I start waddling like an adventurous penguin. It’s become the closest thing I have to travel during quarantine: I choose a... Continue Reading →
