For the Love of Food

So, to continue sharing with you all that I have been keeping busy doing the past few months…while I wasn’t blogging…I want to share with you my garden!

I have been busy growing may types of plants – most importantly the ones that I can’t get here in Germany like Tomatillos and Jalapeños. By the time September roles around I hope to be making Tomatillo salsa and canning it to hold us over for the winter.

For the past 4 garden seasons I have not had any luck with cucumbers. This year I tried a different type that seens have be doing very very well in my garden. I have harvested 7 of these so far and more are growing! It’s so exciting to eat food you have grown yourself. Check out these slices: Continue Reading »

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to share some pictures of lobster that I realized I hadn’t blogged….they’re from New Years eve!!

So, yes, we had lobster for New Years because one of the local grocery store was selling frozen pre-cooked whole lobster for €4 a piece! They each came in a double bag sort of packaging and where frozen like big popsicles..I mean…really really big.

I hadn’t had lobster in years and we all really enjoyed it, although I don’t think my husband appreciates when I buy food that he really has to work hard to get to and can be a bit messy. My then 2-year-old son found it fascinating that he basically got to beat up his food with different tools before eating it…he also ended up eating almost an entire lobster!!

So, enjoy the mosaic – I shot the pictures with my new macro rings that I got for Christmas from my husband – and a super happy belated New Years to everyone!

Well, it’s another beautiful day outside today. And, what is nicer than taking a stroll outside on a cool sunny morning? Taking the same walk with a homemade soft pretzel hand.

My husband and son made these one afternoon. And, what recipe did they use?? Can’t remember…. bummer huh?? They were really yummy too. Continue Reading »

About two months ago I saw a small sign on my way to kindergarten with my sons that said “Markt der Ideen“. No other information. So, I googled them and found not much more to help me. So, I went and ended up with a free ticket from a friendly lady leaving the convention, and I made my way inside.

Wow.

It was handmade/homemade heaven! Cookies, cakes, jams, jellies, sauces, postcards, paintings, dolls, tapestries, etc, etc…

I dream of selling fantastic homemade goodies here one day!

Just see all the awesome things I found bellow: Continue Reading »

So, a few months back I was meandering through my local grocery store when I came across a package of “wild tomatoes”- also known as heirloom tomatoes. Having heard so many wonderful things about heirloom tomatoes and never having seen them in any of my local stores before, I got excited and bought them.

Never buy tomatoes out of season…it’s always so very disappointing…I wish they’d just take the temptation away.

Anyways, getting past the disappointment, I was sitting at the table watching my son cut tomatoes into funny shapes and eat them when something caught my eye. Continue Reading »

Just want to share some of the past few months with you…

About a month ago I was in our local mall and I found this amazing Lebkuchen (a cake-ee German Gingerbread type cookie) shaped like Saint Nicolas. My son was so very excited to receive this big cookie with chocolate candy coated eyes, nose, and buttons; a coconut beard; and sprinkled hat.

Before I left on my trip to the US, my in-laws visited us here in Germany and we took a 3 days trip to the Czech Republic. We spent 2 days in Prague and a day in Pilsen – the birth place of the pilsner beer.

I really really enjoy Prague every time I go, it’s just so very beautiful. And, I recommend if you ever have the chance to go that you take it.

Bellow I will share with you some of the many pictures that I took while in Prague and on our tour of the Pilsner Urquell brewery. Enjoy! Continue Reading »

As I hinted at in the last post, my father-in-law visits cooking classes at his local Williams-Sonoma that they offer for free on Sundays to anyone who wishes to attend.

While were were visiting, my husband and I had the opportunity to visit a class with him in north Austin.

I found the set-up quite nice. They had a large angled mirror on the ceiling so that we could see what they were cooking. We were able to taste-test everything and it was quite tasty. I was, however, disappointed that they were using mainly ingredients that you could only buy in their stores – like their roasted version of Ro-Tel for $12!!!

My father-in-law mentioned that they have different cooks for the different classes, and that this lady is the one who plugs their products. Other cooks cook from scratch and give tips as to where the correct ingredients can be found at other locations around town.

So, what did we eat while we were there?? Continue Reading »

While on my vacation in the US my brother took me to a cupcake bakery in Austin called hey cupcake! I’d never been to a bakery before that only specialized in cupcakes.

I have had my fair share of bakery cupcakes in my life time, so I wasn’t expecting too much. Then, I took the first bite…

They were heavenly! So perfectly moist, but not gooey, with the perfect creamy frosting on top – I was in heaven! Continue Reading »

Well, I am back into a normal sleeping/waking pattern – finally! I actually have been for a few days now, but being at the end stages of pregnancy makes it hard to sit at a computer and do anything – because it makes my feet swell.

Anyways, I want to start sharing some pictures with you from my vacation, and I’m going to start backwards. The last leg of our vacation took us on a 15 hour car ride from south-central Texas to just south of Denver, Colorado. So, why would I subject myself to a 15 hour car ride with 5 other family members (including a 2-year-old)?? For my brother-in-law’s wedding, of course!

We had a really great time – especially escaping the intense Texas heat and getting to visiting with the extended family that flew in from all over the US and world. Of all the people who enjoyed going to Colorado the most, I believe it was my son. He fell in love with his new aunt and still talks about her all the time. Many evenings he will come to me while I’m in the kitchen preparing dinner and tell me “goodbye mommy – going Jessica home”. Then he puts on his helmet, gets on his bike, and rides down the end of the hallway and tries to open the door to no avail. It is quite cute, ut makes me sad that we live too far away for a quick visit. Maybe that will change in a few years….

First, let’s talk wedding location: Continue Reading »