On a roll…

Yesterday night we had our Culinary Travel dinner, with this theme being “Taiwan.” Being as it is we’re a bit preoccupied these days, we didn’t get cooking until fairly late in the day and, by the time Christian had rolled his last egg roll and I’d further progressed my carpal tunnel by stirring, stirring, stirring the very glutinous and thick chicken congee, we’d decided our goal of making mochi for dessert was just too much to ask. Oh well, today all we have on our plate is my prenatal appointment this morning and walking the dogs, so it’s mochi and leftover egg rolls and conchee for the foreseeable future (we keep on forgetting that it’s just two of us eating, not the 8 that are typical for the recipes we find).

As always, Christian won this round. His egg rolls simply rocked my world. Crispy and light without being soggy and a grease-fest like most Chinese restaurant egg rolls are. I usually don’t order egg rolls at restaurants (spring rolls? A big YES, but not egg rolls) because they’re just so greasy! My chicken congee (filled with rice, chicken, coconut milk, bok choi, chicken broth, habanero flakes and dried bonito flakes) was a bit on the bland side, but very good for me, considering heartburn has been a constant for the last two weeks.
And for lunch yesterday? My absolute favorite thing in the world, courtesy of Christian… Pfannkuchen! I could…and would… live on the stuff for every meal, every day. Filled with plum jam and a side of fruit salad? God, I can’t get enough!
I’m 37 weeks pregnant now… that is technically full term, and yes, I feel it! There is such a big part of me that wants it DONE, DONE, DONE…but another that will mourn the loss of being pregnant and feeling Hannah growing and moving, safely, inside of me. I’m anxious about this appointment today, I guess because we’ll have a clearer picture about her growth and expected arrival. And we’ll find out if these contractions I’ve been feeling are the real deal or just a “warm up.”
There is still a little voice inside my head that says “Christmas Baby.” But if she is not, and sticks to her due date, I won’t mind. I just hope Christian doesn’t mind another two weeks of moans, groans, sobs, tantrums, weird food combos and sweatpants

Light show

Last night we went to Scenic Drive to see the luminarias, something I’d never done, even though I grew up less than a mile from Scenic Drive. I mean, sure, I’d BEEN to Scenic Drive, but I’d always avoided the special night of lights because I thought, “How cool could it be? And I’ve seen cool…the Vegas Strip, Rockefeller Center, the midnight torch runs in Aspen, the Christmas Markts in Frankfurt, Regensburg and Munich…”
Okay, the luminarias didn’t blow me away, especially with the backdrop of the City of El Paso down below (the “jewel box” they call it at night), many were blown out, the lines of cars were long, and the living nativity scene mixed Nikes and hoodies with “authentic” burlap robes… but it was SO El Paso tradition and a great opportunity to take in the majestic views of the city as well as the fantastic lighted homes along Rim Road.

My pictures didn’t turn out, i.e., no way of seeing the luminarias and I will never get how to take night photos. But they did turn out “artsy” at least.
Before our Christmas car ride, Christian made us some bacon-wrapped sausages and sauerkraut to warm us up…and tonight is our Culinary Travel Night… Taiwan! We’ve not had our Travel Night in a few weeks and we’re looking forward to getting back in the cooking saddle.
And the countdown to Hannah continues. And continues. And continues. Lol. She’s not due yet (two more weeks) so I have no right to complain yet. But oh those nightly heartburn attacks, the inability to see or shave my legs, and the slow demise of my beloved daily walks is getting to me! It’s all good and I’m learning to just sit down and relax, but it doesn’t come easy.

Pelmini, please!

Christian was down in the dump … lings … yesterday, making dumplings not only for lunch but for dinner as well, and I may FEEL like a waddling dumpling after yesterday’s very indulgent meals, but I’m in LOVE with the little, decadent pillows of deliciousness.
For lunch, Christian made Griessknockerlsuppe, which, in itself is actually a very light and elegant dish. A perfect start for a very rich meal. But when you can’t get enough of it and end up having three bowls of it, perhaps it’s not so light and elegant. Here’s a version of the recipe:

http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/recipes/griessnockerlsuppe-consomme-with-dumplings/

With the soup, he served a very good tomato/onion salad and I added on a pretzel and some cookies for dessert (I’ve only got a few more weeks of using my pregnancy as an excuse to add on totally unnecessarily to my meals, so I’m taking advantage).

After we spent an afternoon finishing up some shopping and getting Christian some new eyeglasses, we headed downtown to watch the turning on of the Plaza Christmas tree lights, a 75-year-old El Paso tradition that brought approximately 70,000 El Pasoans and Juarez citizens to the downtown area. Very impressive and a family favorite, but we didn’t bring our camera, unfortunately. I’m sure just going to Flickr or Shutterfly or Facebook and typing in Plaza El Paso Christmas Tree 2010 will bring a multitude of pictures.
After that, we headed home and Christian went back to his domain, the kitchen (I just LOVE watching him cook!), where he made Pelmini (http://www.recipegoldmine.com/worldrussian/pelmini.html), a recipe his brother gave to him last week when he was home in Germany. SCORE!! Yet another winner for our ever-increasing recipe repertoire, and another meal of overindulgence and no regrets about it.
Tonight we’re making our big holiday meal… Christian will make the turkey, and I’m making a green bean casserole, creamed onions, toasted herbed bread and a salad with Gorgonzola, dried cranberries and walnuts. The pie, unfortunately, is pre-made and boxed. But nothing a huge dollop of cinnamon whipped cream can’t remedy. On Dec. 24, the German celebratory day for Christmas, we’ll have fondue with a variety of dipping sauces. And on Dec. 25, the American Christmas, with a brunch of various coffee cakes, cold cuts, lox and bagels and fruit. Or Jell-O and broth if my due date for Hannah was just a suggestion, lol.

Friday flocked with fun

We did it! Our first tree together is decorated, and it wasn’t tooo much of a logistical nightmare, other than the fact that of course I bought way too many decorations than would fit on the tree. We’ve got our favorites up, and the apartment smells wonderful, and I could just sit on the sofa all night long, mesmerized by the simple lights and holiday smells.
Friday was my all-out fun and too-much-food day… for lunch I made us some Gnocchi, drowning in a sauce made with tomato-basil pasta sauce, sour cream, hot red pepper flakes, diced ham and garlic. Hey, we needed sustenance to decorate the tree, right? And after we decorated, we treated ourselves to dinner at Okazuri, a restaurant that touts itself as “The Floating Bar Sushi Bar” on the sign outside. Never mind the “floating bar” wasn’t functioning last night… it was good food, intimate, and a well-deserved date night for me and Christian. And never mind I can’t have sushi right now. We did start with a Spider Roll, which has cooked soft-shell crab and tempura shrimp; miso soup; and chicken teriyaki for me (I could manage about a THIRD of what was offered) and beef teriyaki for Christian. And never mind that twenty minutes after dinner, we stopped by Starbucks and I COULD manage to find room for a grande Americano and a slice of gingerbread. I’ll repent today. But yesterday? NO regrets.

•••

We were going to hit the Weinnachtsnight over at Fort Bliss this afternoon/evening, but, since I was able to go to the Christkindlmarkt last week before Christian returned home AND tonight is the hugely popular lighting of the Plaza Christmas tree and a parade downtown, we’ll hit that instead. Christian’s got to check out the American tradition (okay, in El Paso, the Mexican-American tradition, complete with a posada, lots of churros and elotes for sale, and most likely a mariachi band mixed in. Oh, and Santa is on parade in a lowrider). But at least that way we get a taste of more than one culture’s holiday celebration.

“Driving (er, flying) Home for Christmas…”

My hubby’s over Cork, Ireland, as I write this sentence. I guess by the time I’m done with this blog, he’ll be a few hundred miles into the Atlantic ocean, heading home!!!!! Gotta love FlightAware.com, the real-time flight tracker service, for showing me exactly where Christian is at all times.
He’ll be home at 9 tonight, wayyyyy past my 8-months-pregnant bedtime and, since the airport is (of course) on the opposite side of town, I am going to just head on over in that vicinity in the early evening and do some exploring. I’ll hit the mall, World Market, Marina’s German Bakery, Make Room for Baby, and finish off with an Eggnog Latte (or four) at the East Side Barnes and Noble before I head on over to the airport to people watch the last hour or so before he arrives.
My nesting and hoarding has paid off… I’ve stocked the freezer full of Stollen, German chocolates, our holiday turkey, homemade fruit bread (my pathetic attempt at “Stollen”), brownies, beef, Kinder Buenos… oh, and some obligatory healthy food like spinach and liver.
I’ve also (GASP!!!) completed ALL of my holiday shopping…but then again I say that all the time, before I realize, “Oh, I really need to get (fill in the blank) a gift, too.” Any excuse will do. But for the most part, all the gifts are wrapped (using, I might add, a LOT of the gift bags and bows I got at my baby shower. I’m dreaming of a PINK Christmas, lol).
At the Christkindlemarkt at Fort Bliss last weekend, I went nuts for the nuts… got Christian his fave sugared almonds along with an obscene amount of chocolates, and the almonds sit at his desk waiting for him. He’ll have to wait on the chocolates. Tonight we’ll have a brotzeit with Brezen, smoked whole trout from the Markt, slices of Gouda and Emmentaler, olives, sliced/spiced tomatoes, Senf and some Pancetta. One gift I asked for was a Brotzeitteller to go with the one I got Christian a few months ago. I also requested (and am getting!!!) a whole bunch of women’s magazines from Germany, facial masques for relaxation from Schlecker, Bebe baby products, Penaten baby products, and a Steiff toy for Hannah (a precious snail!)
My baby gets back tonight, my baby gets back tonight, my baby gets back tonight… and my other baby is being very good and patiently waiting. Whew!!!!!

Chile and chess

Yesterday my dad and I were invited over to have lunch by our friends, Ed and Kay, and to have a little lesson on chess as well as to see their beyond-impressive collection of chess sets from around the world. While I don’t profess to be a chess whiz or even know the difference between a rook and a pawn, I can admire great workmanship and gorgeous detailing. And I can definitely admire some fantastic chile-cheese casserole
Kay made her chile cheese casserole following the recipe from “Seasoned with Sun,” the El Paso Junior League cookbook. Pretty much everyone in El Paso has a version of this cookbook…except for me. And now I am on a quest for an original copy (anyone, anyone?). With the casserole, she served a bowl of delicious fresh fruit, black olives, yummy whole wheat buns, and brownies. The perfect cold-weather brunch meal, with great company.
While I don’t have on hand the Junior League version of this classic El Paso brunch staple (which I fully intend to make for brunch Christmas Day, if I am still carrying this BIG bun in the oven ), here’s a decent substitute and a great addition to any holiday meal:

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup melted butter
10 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 lb. shredded monterey jack cheese
3 (4-ounce) cans whole green chiles, preferably Hatch
1 pint small curd cottage cheese
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
Whisk eggs in a large bowl.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk to combine.
Add all remaining ingredients. Stir well.
Pour into 9×13 sprayed casserole dish.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350.
Continue to bake 35-40 minutes
Serve cut into squares.

•••

It’s Saturday morning, and three more hours until the Christkindlmarkt at the Deutsches Soldatenstube at Fort Bliss opens (I’m going early anyway, in the hopes they JUST MIGHT let me in a few minutes early. After all, it’s like Black Friday for foodies and lovers of all things German!) To kill time, I’ve started my holiday baking. I just finished some chewy brownies filled with white chocolate chips, dried cranberries, almonds and peanuts; and now in the oven is some holiday breakfast bread, made with bread flour, molasses, milk, eggs, butter, salt, sugar, almonds, cranberries, cinnamon and nutmeg. As I always do when I bake, I go into it knowing full well I may have to stop by the International Bakery and Deli to pick up not-so-homemade replacements, lol. Pictures, if I dare, on my next post.

Ah, so THAT’S Thanksgiving

This is the year…this is the year I have waited for all my life. The year everything I ever wanted transpired, the year some major miracles happened…and the year I finally realized what Thanksgiving’s all about.
Although it was a horribly rough morning, sending my husband off at 4 a.m. to Germany, it was bittersweet. Because we used to be separated months and months at a time, and now it’s less than two weeks. It was hard this time because TWO of us will miss him, me and Hannah, and my husband couldn’t share this special day with me.
However, we’ve got a 20 pound turkey in the freezer (and a big bun in the oven) WAITING for his safe return, and when he gets back, he gets a very special holiday meal, with ALL the trimmings. The bun in the oven will (fingers crossed!) wait until after the holidays.
After having breakfast with my husband at the airport (Starbucks opens at 4:30, weeeee!), I returned home and napped for another 2 hours before getting up and getting motivated for a brisk 30 minute walk around the neighborhood. Well, a waddle is more like it, but I got it done. Then I got ready and headed on over to my dad’s house to go with him to the El Paso Club for our Thanksgiving brunch. Country Club, restaurant or private club holiday meals can be sketchy at best, but luckily for us, we had excellent food, great service and a bird’s eye view of the entire city. Perfect (well, except for the sushi… buffets shouldn’t have sushi, period). Only in El Paso will you find on a Thanksgiving menu the following: Pork adobado, mahi mahi, turkey (duh), roast beef, cheese stuffed jalapenos, jicama salad, pate, brie alongside asadero cheese, sushi, Waldorf salad, ceviche and pico de gallo. But it seemed to just work.
After brunch, I headed on over to mom’s to say hello and check out her and Rosser’s (my brother) very early, early start to Christmas decorating. No Charlie Brown tree here. Nope. More like 4 separate Christmas trees and more toys, nutcrackers, candles and batter-operated Santas and such to make FAO Schwartz blush.
I wanted to put off going back home because frankly, it’s no fun going home to no one. But with some DVDs borrowed from Rosser, the newest gossip magazines and a bathtub surrounded by candles, I just might make it out of this, Day One of Christian’s trip.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and remember just what it is that makes it THANKSgiving….

Home sweet home

Before recently, I never really felt I had a real home. I’d been a nomad for so many years, living here a few years, there a few months, hop-scotching my way coast to coast. I’ll always consider El Paso my ‘hometown,’ of course, because I was born and raised here, but I never really felt “at home” here and, frankly, never really knew what it was to feel “at home.” I was too antsy, too restless and not comfortable just BEING STILL.
The first time I really got a sense of being “at home” was in Germany, staying for months at a time with my husband’s family. There is a drastic difference between American home life and German home life. In short, the home IS life. All celebrations, meals, gatherings and milestones take place in the home. Germans are house-proud but private, maintain their homes immaculately but not extravagantly or in a way to try to one-up the neighbors or show who’s got the bigger, better, newer whatever…. The homes are lived-in yet clean and ALWAYS orderly, smells of hearty meals and crackling fires greet residents and guests alike, and it’s rare to want to leave home constantly to see what one might be missing. In fact, people look forward to going back home!
My nesting phase of pregnancy (I’m 33 weeks tomorrow!!!!) is making me really feel “at home” and trying to create an environment similar to the one I experienced in Germany. I’ll not have the crackling fireplace (are you kidding? It’s El Paso!) but I can simulate it with pine candles and incense. I won’t have a gorgeous view of the rolling hills of hops fields and fiery yellow rapeseed, the sounds of goats and cows or the greetings of “Grüss Gott!” on the cobblestone streets, but I can, and will, improvise! I’m making this apartment, er, home, a warm and inviting refuge from the dust, loud lowriders, smog and roaring trains that typify El Paso living, and I LOVE coming home.
Yesterday I spent a good 5 hours organizing, tidying, simplifying and beautifying our little home, getting it ready for Hannah’s arrival. Having a place that’s 480 square feet does give one a challenge and it really makes one sort out the needed from the unneeded. Prioritizing comes much easier when that is the only option one has.
So, with the space we have, here’s what I could do. Now if I can just figure out a place to put the Christmas tree!

•••

Last night, Christian made mini burgers for dinner, with baguette and salad. I haven’t heard differently from my doctor, but I am convinced my iron levels are low, because I’ve been craving meat like mad. Meat, gingerbread, baguette, cabbage in any way/shape/form, water!, non-fat lattes from Starbucks, oatmeal, milk, Sharon fruit and peppermint bark… yep, those are my current preggers cravings. Heck, I wouldn’t say no to sauerkraut and a latte for breakfast! God, how many more weeks??????

Culture shock

31 weeks and 2 days here! The countdown begins

I have spent the last two Christmases in Bavaria, but this time I must stay here in El Paso to await the imminent arrival of Hannah, our daughter. I’m on the “no-fly” list because she’ll be due just about a week or so after Christmas.
Christian leaves for Bavaria Nov. 25 for two weeks (he gets back Dec. 8) to visit his family he hasn’t seen for almost a year, so I’ll have to hold the fort (and hold in Hannah!!!) while he’s gone. He’ll most likely miss the Christkindlmarkt this year, having to return to the States before those begin, but he and I will celebrate a bicultural Christmas, with both German and American customs and family traditions honored. But here is where I may seem like a bit of a traitor to my heritage…
I think I really DO prefer the German Christmas tradition! Maybe it was the bucolic setting of my last two Christmases, STRAIGHT out of a child’s book: Tall pine forests, a thick blanket of snow, eerily quiet cobblestone streets; families carrying packages of.. NOT gifts in huge Target or Wally World bags… but Stollen, breads and pastries for their families; the smell of incense, gingerbread, Glühwein, chestnuts and roasted goose; and of course Christkindlmarkt, which focused on family, not commerce or the newest video games or “must have” fashion accessory.
I LOVED the fact that gifts are small and simple, and not a competition. I loved the lighting of the advent candles and the children opening their advent calendar windows. I loved Kaffee und Kuchen by the wood heater, looking at the quaint Christmas tree and listening to Bavarian Christmas music, LIVE, strummed on the guitar by my husband. Oh, and the amazing goose for dinner, the goose raised just a block away from where it would be served…
Then there’s the American Christmas. Don’t get me wrong… I have amazing, lovely memories of Christmases past. It’s just that, well, it’s really not about family so much as it is for consumerism, to me. Prove me wrong and tell me how your family avoids the shopping madness or creates customs…I do enjoy Christmas, but I guess the older I get, the more I just want simplicity and serenity. I’m not looking for the “Black Friday” sales or Wii games or how many parties I get invited to! And Christmas in El Paso, Texas, isn’t quite a winter wonderland!
Yesterday I attended the Junior League of El Paso’s annual Christmas Fair. It used to be held at the El Paso Country Club, and as a child it was a MUST to attend both days of the fair, stay all day long, and play with the toys and drink the spicy cider and hot chocolate. Then it got a bit corporate, moved to the Convention Center, and frankly, lost its appeal for me. I didn’t go for years. Well, yesterday I was nostalgic, so I went with my mom and brother to check it out and see if it had regained any of its old country charm. Alas, no. It was themed “Christmas in New York,” although I had a hard time buying their version of Rockefeller Center or the hot dog vendors.. lol.
I did find some cute items for Christmas at a German shop, as well as a Russian doll… and I managed to NOT go for the highly fashionable and expensive handmade sweater coat… so all was not lost. But it sure wasn’t Christkindlmarkt (the one in Frankfurt last year just blew me away with all the eye candy! But so did the one in Christian’s home town, Rohr. IT was tiny but straight out of a fairy tail).
•••
Before the market, mom, my brother and I had lunch at Tara Thai, a restaurant in Kern Place I’ve been to twice but thoroughly enjoyed. It was one of those days when no matter what I ordered they were out of, or it “wasn’t ready.” But I managed to come out on top with a delicious iced Thai coffee (DON’T TELL ME how many calories are in that luscious drink. I care not to know!) and Larb, a VERY spicy chopped chicken salad served with sticky rice. I burned a hole in my esophagus and cured my congestion with that one, but it was well worth it.

OKAY, my German ex-pats in America or American ex-pats in Germany… HOW ARE YOU CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS Bi-CULTURALLY???? What traditions will you share?

Orchids AND Schweinebraten? The perfect day.

Our little indoor garten at our apartment...

Yesterday I must have won some karmic lotto, because it was simply the greatest day. First of all, it was Friday, which honestly used to mean more to me when I was working full time, pre-pregnancy but it was still Friday; secondly, I felt physically great, and walked a great walk early in the morning; thirdly, met a great friend for coffee mid-morning…a friend who really knows how to get me going spiritually and emotionally; I found some amazing finds at the Jerusalem Grocery Store, an Arabic/International grocery store which ALSO sells GERMAN products!! Kinder Bueno, Jacobs coffee, Maggi spice mix, anyone?? I also got a variety of Arabic teas, soaps, soft drinks and pickled veggies there, too.
I made lunch and took it to Christian at his place of work, and we enjoyed a wonderful picnic meal outside in the gorgeous sunny-but-cool autumn El Paso weather; we spent a lovely and lazy afternoon cuddling and laughing when he returned from work; I had a great nap…
But I really, really wasn’t expecting to wake up to a gift from Christian waiting for me… my favorite orchids sitting for me at my computer table (by the way, the photo shows our high chair for Hannah, NOT my computer table, lol), with a note that simply said thanks for all the little things I do… they’re not taken for granted… AND the smell of schweinebraten, sauerkraut and semmelknodeln cooking in the little kitchen. Man, was I still asleep????
The best tasting dinner to end the best-ever day.
It isn’t often I have a day I can look back on and say, “Yeah, that was a perfect day in every way.” This was one of them.

Do you remember your last “perfect day?” Tell me about it! What made it so special for you?