Dairy-free Food Alternatives for Toddlers

 

It's not easy when one child has allergies and the other doesn't. The toddler has a long list of food allergies - including dairy.  We try our best to give them an substitute for things their sibling can eat but they can't. 

Here are some of the dairy-free alternatives we use:

Milk

Oatly

Note: We are in Sweden, so Oatly brand may not be available where you are.

Cream cheese

Oatly

Hard cheese

Violife - toddler prefers "Mature Cheddar Flavor" 

Butter

Flora

Porridge

Enago Milk free 

Of course, whenever his older sibling gets dessert, we need to give him something or he tries to take her food.

Swedish Cinnamon buns - Findus brand frozen cinnamon buns are vegan!

Whip cream

Ice cream

Sorbet or Choice brand dairy, soy, nut free ice cream (made with rice).

For a Vegan pancake mix we used to use Vantastic brand.

For chocolates, we have tried MooFree and Purdy's Chocolatier. We have seen Vegan Lindt and Kit Kat too, but Toddler surprisingly prefers candy over chocolate. 

These are the brands that are available to us at the regular grocery store in Sweden.

While visiting Canada, we found other brands for alternatives like Daiyo (cheese), Earth's Own Oat milk, and Earth's balance dairy free spread. 

Hopefully, you can find some Dairy-free alternatives where you are! Don't be discouraged if there's nothing at a grocery store, try a local Vegan store!

Don't forget your snacks (especially the allergy safe ones for your little ones with allergies)!

Explore the Gothenburg Archipelago

One of the activities on our "Moving checklist" from Gothenburg, Sweden, was to visit the Gothenburg Archipelago!  The Archipelago are the southern group of islands about 20-30min ferry ride from the ferry terminal at Saltholmen. These islands are car-free and offer some beautiful views.

We have enjoyed exploring various islands in the Archipelago since we moved to Gothenburg. The Swedish style island homes, beautiful nature, trails, and relative proximity to Gothenburg centre always made it a great day activity. 

The ferry to the islands is on the regular Vastraffik transit line. You can use the tram ticket you bought for getting to Saltholmen as your ticket for the boat. 

In the summer season the city even ran a ferry from the city centre right to the islands! Before your trip, you should check where to take the ferry from.

We've eaten some delicious fish like smoked mackerel and crayfish on the islands and have sat to enjoy fika at the cafes.

Now, with the kids, we find ourselves enjoying the island playgrounds and beaches more!

During our most recent trip to the islands,  we decided to visit Styrsö. It's the biggest and southernmost island in the Archipelago. We were lucky to have sunny weather for our day trip.

As always when traveling with kids, you need to have plenty of snacks! There are a couple of restaurant cafes that open until 9pm on the weekends on Styrsö! There's also two grocery stores to pickup snacks for the day.

The islands are car-free but you will see a few vehicles like this or golf carts.

If youre visiting Gothenburg for a few days, why not a day trip to the Archipelago?

Enjoy the islands and remember, don't forget your snacks (both the kids and parents need some energy to explore)! 

More information about the Archipelago ferry services can be found on the Styrsöbolaget website and plan your journey with Vastraffik.

Steinbrenner och Nyberg Cake Buffet!

It's been literally years since I've been to Steinbrenner & Nyberg for Cake buffet lunch! It's actually soup and cake but everyone knows you just have a small bowl of soup and move on to eating dessert ;)

I've been to the cake buffet maybe 3x in my whole stay in Gothenburg and it has always been enjoyable. I remember reserving a birthday lunch one year and many friends were trying the cake buffet for the first time!

The weekday lunch offers a daily soup along with fresh baked bread, cheeses and a few spreads. Dessert consists of various cakes that Steinbrenner och Nyberg offers. 

The licorice cake wasn't too popular that day which was surprising considering how much Scandinavians love licorice! 

The selection can vary depending on the location. A few cookies and pastries are also included.

This strawberry cake was one of our favorites that day!

The soup and cake lunch is a really great way to sample Steinbrenner & Nyberg's cakes before deciding which one to order for a future celebration! 

A previous blog post of mine featured fikabröd and carrot cake from Steinbrenner & Nyberg but actually carrot cake wasn't included in the cake buffet.

If you're in Gothenburg and looking to treat yourself for a sweet lunch, try Steinbrenner & Nyberg's delicious Soup and Cake buffet! You will definitely leave feeling full and happy from the sugar high :)

Don't forget your snacks!

Steinbrenner & Nyberg

Gothenburg, Sweden

Check out their website for locations around the city that offer the soup & cake buffet!

One of the Best Gifts for a New Mom

I read a post recently about new moms having a hard time getting used to the new baby and getting adjusted to their new selves.

It made me think back on becoming a new mom. I remember how slowly I walked as I was recovering. I was sleep deprived and cranky. I didn't feel myself. I was also hungry all the time due to breastfeeding and constantly made these little oat, peanut butter and flaxmeal "energy balls" to help with milk production. Becoming a first-time mom is a huge change and can be a real challenge to get used to.

Some things that helped me were, walks outdoors, watching my favorite shows late at night when baby was up, seeing friends for fika (much harder during Covid), and of course sleeping when the baby slept.

Clothes or toys for baby, are nice gifts but often people forget the mom. Snacks for the mom are appreciated. Little practical items even, like items to help breastfeeding (a pump or even nipple cream) are also useful. However, I think one of the best gifts as a new mom is a home-cooked meal. 

It takes energy to cook something, or even go to the grocery store to buy items (now there's grocery delivery fortunately). As a new mom, you are often up all night with the baby. 

For friends who have just had babies, I have prepared one of my favorite chicken dishes, with garlic and ginger, and omitted anything that could make the breast-fed baby gassy like onions, broccoli, or mushrooms. 

I've dropped it off for them, listened to how they've been and sometimes even washed dishes or held the baby so they could use the bathroom.

All babies are different and it can be a challenging time for new moms and first-time parents. Helping out or even asking how they are doing means so much more than you think.

Don't forget your snacks!

5 Gift Ideas for Teachers

We have been lucky to enjoy having such great staff at my kids' daycares. It's nice to have many options in the neighbourhood for daycare as well, this is one thing we have really enjoyed in Sweden. 

Teachers work so hard that it's nice to thank them. We have given them gifts just before summer break and during Christmas time. Just small things, a small token of our appreciation.

Here are 5 gift ideas for hardworking teachers:

1) A snack bag with different snacks for all the teachers in the class to share and have during break time. There are usually 3-4 teachers per class. Just make sure there are no nuts if the school has a no nut policy. 

2) Giftcards are always appreciated! Even something small from a coffee shop or store is nice or maybe a giftcard to the movie theater!

3) A small plant to take home. Maybe your child helped plant it? Or you can find something nice at a flower shop :) 

Photo from interflora.se

4) A mug and some coffee, tea or hot cocoa mix. Nice and cozy for "fika" or "coffee time"

5) A thank you card or note, signed or decorated by you and your child. It's nice to know they are appreciated!

Hope you find these ideas helpful! Thanks for reading and remember...

Don't forget your snacks! 

Mini-cupcakes from AweSum Cakes

We have been so lucky to have this custom  bakery in our neighborhood in Gothenburg, Sweden! We love to support local businesses when we can and AweSum Cakes bakery is definitely one of our favorites.

Sumana or the "cupcake lady" as my kids call her, is super sweet and friendly. She is also quite talented and has made such beautiful designs for various birthday cakes we have ordered. Her custom cakes are really cute and you can tell she loves what she does :)

You can either choose a design or give her some ideas of what you'd like as a theme and she can plan with you to make your custom cake exactly what you want!

For our recent "Hejdå-fest" or "Farewell party" she helped with some mini-cupcakes!!

These were a huge hit with both the kids and adults! We ordered vanilla with pink and white icing and also some vegan vanilla minis as well. I picked them up fresh just a couple of hours before the outdoor party and they were so soft!

If you're in Gothenburg, Sweden, be sure to check out AweSum Cakes for your next cake or grab a cupcake treat (there are often some prepared in the fridge display)!!

Don't forget your snacks!

Checkout my past blogs on AweSum Cakes and their amazing custom cakes and cupcakes!!

Unicorn cupcakes from AweSum Cakes 

Cupcakes for Swedish National Day!

Custom Easter-themed cupcakes! 

Mother's Day Cupcakes 🧁 

AweSum Cakes

Haga kyrkogata 22, 411 23 

Gothenburg, Sweden 

Beautiful Artwork of Elin Ostberg

If you are a fan of the Studio Ghibli art style and interested in seeing some unique spots from the Swedish city of Gothenburg, check out Elin Ostberg's beautiful artwork!

I have the lovely print of 'Järntorget' hanging in my office which I purchased during the Pandemic. It brightens up the room and I love that art-style. On my video calls, many colleagues have commented how beautiful and unique the artwork is!

You can choose from various print sizes and even order them framed! I've noticed a few new prints have been released recently. 

After moving away from Gothenburg, it's a nice keepsake. We have had so many compliments on our prints. 

Elin is a Swedish artist and graphic designer current based in Gothenburg, Sweden. 

Be sure to check out Elin Ostberg's page to see what other posters are available.

Don't forget your snacks!