Every so often we get in the car and drive to Renton, where the huge blue box with the yellow lettering that spells IKEA signifies we’ve arrived at the Swedish-based store. It’s a great place for inexpensive but well-made frames for Spencer’s photographs, unusual vases for my flower arrangements, and common houseplants when mine have died.

But until recently, we had never tried it for lunch, and were VERY pleasantly surprised when we finally did.

Here’s my heart-healthy choice, split-pea soup, gravadlax salad, and some crispy, crunchy, super-tasty whole-grain crackers. I liked them so much, I bought a pack for at-home munching.

Meanwhile, Spencer got the dish of the day, Swedish Meatball and Mashers (which I imagine is DotD on most days). 🙂

The Scandinavian specialty-food section right next door to the cafeteria is a gold mine for foodies; in addition to the rye crackers mentioned above, I stocked up on Lingonberry Jam and whole-wheat pasta shaped like elk.