It's warming up again - a little

Conditions at 6:00 am: 10' with a few clouds
Expected later: 15' and cloudy

It's going to get warmer over the next couple of days but rainy. Guess we can't have it all. Brenda and Bernie are planning to travel to Cape Breton to see the fall colours - hopefully it will be better weather over there.
I did my first training shift last night at the store. It went well but it's hard to really get the feel for it without real customers and real groceries. We'll spend a couple of hours training on Saturday then we'll each be assigned a mentor to stay with us for the rest of the day while we actually do cash. Most of the time it's pretty simple as the bar codes scan. It's the items with no tags or the weird produce with no stickers we have to identify. But there is a system for looking stuff up so I think it will be fine. It's also the unusual stuff like coupons, etc where you have to push all kinds of buttons. I know it will get faster with experience but I hate that rushed feeling when you don't really know what you're doing and people are waiting on you. But I'm sure it will be fine.

I talked to Lloyd yesterday and he made it back from St. John's.  He came home with a bag full of frozen fish but no partridgeberries this year. They were just way too expensive.  I suggested he pick up several jars of lingonberry  jam from Ikea before he moves out here. (that's the Swedish name for partridgeberries). One of Lloyd's favorite things is the meatballs at Ikea and whenever we would go there, that was his favorite reason for going. Well yesterday, I was reading my newest edition of the Food Network magazine and, lo and behold, there was a recipe for the meatballs. Ikea wouldn't give up the recipe but the Food Network Kitchens were able to re-create them so they are "spot on" so the article says. So Lloyd, here you go- let us know the results:

Almost Famous Swedish Meatballs
For the Meatballs:
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup minced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground allspice
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1 large egg, plus 1 egg white, beaten
Vegetable oil for brushing

For the Gravy:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Lingonberry jam, for serving (optional??? - I think not!)

1. Make the meatballs: Put the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, allspice, 2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp white pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer.Pour the milk mixture over the breadcrumbs and stir to make a thick paste; let cool. Add the beef, pork, egg and egg white to the bowl and mix until combined.
2. Brush a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Roll the meat into 1 inch balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 400'. Bake the meatballs until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
4. Make the gravy: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer.  Add the cream and meatballs. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with the parsley and serve with lingonberry jam, if desired.