It’ll be Dick Clark and diapers in L&D!

Alright folks, it’s show time!
We had a prenatal appointment yesterday morning at 8 a.m. While waiting in the examination room for the doctor, the nurse came in and told us the doctor was called to surgery and wouldn’t be back in the office until two hours later. However, she did offer to give us an ultrasound, which we most gratefully accepted. Well, when the doctor’s away, the nurses play, lol. She definitely took her time with the ultrasound, letting us ask beaucoups questions and see Hannah from all angles. Let’s just say Hannah’s got plenty of energy! Her heartbeat was 137 beats per second and the nurse estimated her to be 7 lbs./1 oz.
We told the nurse we’d come back, and in the meantime we did some shopping and then got online to purchase VIP tickets to a comedy show on New Year’s Eve. Of course at that time we were going off of my 1/6/11 due date and I’ve been feeling just fine. Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, but not intense and not intensifying. Well, this is the way to speed things along… buy non-refundable, not-cheap VIP tickets, or make ANY financially committed plans around your due date. Guaranteed that will be when things get started!
Sure enough, when we got back to the doctor’s office, he did a cervical check and exclaimed, “You are SO READY.” He recommended we come to the hospital at midnight Wednesday night to start the induction. Of course we asked if that is what he thought was the wisest thing to do (I was iffy about induction), and he was pretty emphatic about it being the medically safest route to go. So, here we are! I am going to the hospital at midnight TOMORROW NIGHT to get the ball rolling. Hannah will be here Thursday and, from what I gather, we’ll all be celebrating New Year’s Eve in the hospital. Not that I’m complaining one iota. We’re both just so floored and flabbergasted at the pace that has picked up rather rapidly. Just when I thought I might be ready, I now find myself faced with: putting away the Christmas decorations, recycling the tree, vacuuming, cleaning out the fridge, cooking/freezing ready meals, laundry, floor scrubbing, car maintenance (wash, gas fill up, put in car seat), RE-packing my hospital bag (I have done this countless times), getting all the chargers/cables/USB sticks ready, etc. And most importantly? Spending today and tomorrow on one long “date” with my husband…we’ll have a very nice dinner out somewhere tonight (I am wise enough to NOT make reservations, however) and tomorrow we’ll just take it easy at home and go to bed early to have the alarm clock wake us up around 10:45 to get ready for the hospital.
We can’t yet fully grasp the fact that Hannah will be in our arms DAY AFTER TOMORROW!!!!!!

•••

We both had a lot of nervous energy to spend last night, so Christian offered to make some homemade pesto pasta while I did my “nesting,” i.e., lots of organizing, throwing out trash, etc.

I’m sure Christian’s phenomenal food and cooking is a key component to Hannah’s very good growth and I love to know she’s going to be way above and beyond Beef a Roni, Happy Meals and Cheeze Whiz!

•••

So, I just may be out of commission for the next few days, with the possibility of photo updates…but I can’t promise it will be before Friday. May all of you have a wonderful, safe New Year, and I’ll see you next year! (Okay, maybe earlier, but let’s just see how tired this mamma is!)

The Happy Homemaker

I have a confession to make … I’m having an affair …

… with Mr. Clean.

… AND with 50% off sales for autumn seasonal items at Walgreen’s (got all this for just about $2 yesterday!). AND price-comparing mops and brooms at Lowe’s. AND checking out new recipes to try online. AND rearranging the pantry items almost to the point of OCD. AND tending to my little indoor garden. AND reading anything and everything baby related that crosses my path (which is constantly)…
I’m becoming the Happy Homemaker and, for anyone who has known me more than about 4 years, NEVER EVER would have thought possible. Yep, me too.
Whereas once I would have put off doing laundry until I was down to a pair of sweatpants and flipflops, now I’m loving the process of washing, fluffing and folding. Whereas once I’d just go without dinner (or call Domino’s. Their number is 533-7500. I memorized it YEARS ago) rather than trudge over to the grocery store for real food, I now roll that cart down the aisles of Albertson’s and Sun Harvest (yep, I now even go to more than one store to get the best deals and products) like a vet. Whereas once I thought a little dust accumulation couldn’t hurt too much, I now pace around the house with Lysol wipes to obliterate any dust or smears or spills that I can find.
This nesting thing is AMAZING. I’ve never experienced such a rush of wanting to do so many things at once… and actually DO them!! I was never a neat-nick, nor was I the type who ever thought running errands was particularly enjoyable. But when I think about the reason I’m doing all this “grub work,” I do it with a smile. I’m doing it to bring Hannah into a clean, organized and safe environment. But I’m also doing it for me and Christian, to make our lives just a little bit easier, simpler and pleasing. Don’t you dare call me a Stepford Wife, lol. Not quite THAT bad, but let’s just say I’m enjoying it while it lasts…

Last night, this “Stepford Wife” made a Crock Pot beef stew for dinner, served with rice and cheese/mustard brussels sprouts. The Crock Pot is my new BFF. I simply added half a pound of diced pot roast meat, two chopped roma tomatoes, two chopped carrots, one chopped onion and one diced potato. Put it on high for an hour, then added some fresh parsley, lots of paprika, onion powder, salt/pepper and Maggi seasoning (called Jugo here in the states). Then left it on high for another 3 1/2 hours before turning it to low. About an hour before dinner, I added a can of mixed veggies (corn, lima beans, celery, potato, peas) to the mix and let that incorporate. The rice, a piece of cake. Just boiled two bags of Success instant rice. The sprouts? Cut them in half lengthwise, steamed them in scant water until they were just crunchy, and added some mustard and parmesan cheese. Cooked that down and that’s it! Even Christian ate his sprouts…
I had pumpkin cake for dessert, but that was store bought. I haven’t quite gotten the Betty Crocker in me enough to master making a cake. But I’m sure my inner Betty is getting ready to come on out! My first dessert baking attempt will be a Stollen for Advent. Luckily I have two Stollen I ordered from Germandeli.com in the freezer as a backup.
Anyone with a special German Stollen recipe they use for the holidays?

Picking the ‘perfect’ pumpkin

Underripe but just right for me

I’ve always rooted for the underdog. I would bet on the least favored horse in a race, I’d pick the pastry with flaws such as imperfect frosting or misshapen dough because it had “character.” I love farmstand fruits and veggies because they are so misshapen, odd and would never pass muster stacked up in the aisles at a big grocery chain. I even chose one of my dogs from the pound specifically because I was told she was the runt of the litter and, well, “who really wants a runt?” I DO! I love the odd, the misshapen, the different and the “last one to be picked,” because… well, I guess you could go into some deep-rooted psychological analysis of this, but suffice it to say, I JUST DO.
Yesterday we went to La Union Maze, a yearly tradition for families around here around Halloween time. I’d never been before, but since it is only 3 miles away from home, Christian had never celebrated Halloween before, and we had to have SOMEWHERE to wear our new Halloween T-shirts, we chose this spot. It was fantastic!

Cotton fields surround the maze

It was the ULTIMATE family outing, full of old-fashioned games for children (raised trampoline, hay rides, “duck” races with rubber duckies, a petting zoo, non motorized dune buggy derby, and more. And a REAL (huge) pumpkin patch hidden among the cotton fields and the maze itself. We attempted the maze, carved out of a massive Sorghum field, but to be honest, neither of us have that much patience or that much attention span, so after about 15 minutes we back-tracked to the entrance to head on over to the pumpkin patch.
I know some people spend days, time and money to find that perfect pumpkin. The flawless, perfectly shaped and colored gourd to proudly make the most intricate, Martha Stewart-ish Jack O’Lanterns. I, on the other hand, had a heyday looking for the most odd, flat, albino, Siamese-twin, full of pockmarks, hidden away gourds. And I couldn’t decide, so I ended up taking about 4-5 smaller gourds to place next to the other ones I foolishly bought for about $3.99 each at Albertson’s. I liked mine much better. Don’t know if I have the heart to try to carve faces into my little “underdogs.” I think I’ll just keep them on the dining room table to let them have their little time in the limelight

•••

Yesterday we had brotzeit for dinner after getting home from the Maze, and I KNOW it’s not your typical brotzeit (but IS there a typical brotzeit?) I got out the Tchibo antipasti plate Christian’s brother and sister in law gave us for Christmas last year, and Christian got to “inaugurate” his brotzeiteller I purchased for him from Germandeli.com (I forgot to order one for myself, so Christian’s going to bring one home from his visit to Germany in a few weeks). I served some herring, smoked almonds, baba gannoush, grapes, salted tomato, sausage, sliced ham, Emmentaler cheese, mustard, Bauernbrot, baguette, and some leftover cabbage salad from lunchtime. Other than the fact that yesterday was a no-holds-barred overeating and overindulging day, it was fantastic, simple and fun! I wish I could say today I’ll be more conscious of eating healthily and moderately, but tonight is our Culinary Travel Part II: Ireland. I’m cooking Irish beef stew as our main course. Christian is making a Dubliner cheese spread as an appetizer, and an apple-barley pudding as our dessert. Moderation again must wait for another day…

… And mamma’s out of the kitchen

Yesterday I hit 30 weeks! That means I am now in my eighth month and I can’t for the life of me figure out how I got here so fast! I’m supposed to be doing twice-daily kick counts (at least 10 kicks in an hour’s time when I measure) but I really don’t have to devote a particular time to it, since Hannah’s making it very clear she’s a kicker at almost all hours of the day. Or is she a puncher? I don’t quite know which limbs are making their presence so well known, but she’s definitely got it in her.
It’s definitely getting to be full-fledged nesting time for me. I’m collecting recipes, photos, Christmas decorations and old letters, getting my life as organized as Amanda Kemp Waldmannstetter’s life will ever get organized. I’m cleaning like crazy and almost to the point of being a little OCD about it. And I’m beginning to wind down a bit, meaning no more hour long power walks. I’m quite happy walking the dogs for 30 minutes… at their pace (i.e. Stopping every other block to pee…but I go back into the house for that, by the way). I ordered an advent calendar for our apartment, a cute Playmobil “Forest” one, which I can’t wait to start opening. I’m still looking for an affordable German one from Milka or Ferrero, one with little chocolates in each “window,” and hoping I’ll score one at the German Community Center’s Christmas Bazaar in early December. Now I’m looking for a nice advent wreath to complete (other than the tree of course) our little apartment German Christmas. We’ll celebrate German style on Dec. 24 and American style on Dec. 25, so we’ll get the best of both. I also ordered Christmas stollen, Santa chocolates and a brotzeiteller set for us for Christmas. Early on, I know, but those things tend to sell out on Germandeli.com MONTHS ahead of time, so I played it safe. If the stollen lasts until the holidays will be the true miracle.

Last night Christian made his mother’s recipe of Blumenkohlauflauf, which is basically a gratin of cauliflower. If you do not like cauliflower (I adore it in every incarnation), you’ll like this. And if you like butter, cheese and ham, then all the better! I had this once at his home in Rohr, made by his mom, but I must say his is up there, even if it was his first time making it.
Here’s the recipe. Leaving it as is, just as she emailed it. She left out the ham, and Christian added it. It would be great for a vegetarian entree, especially on cold nights. And it’s easy on the wallet. Serve it with a simple salad and rice (and ketchup!) for a hearty and heart-warming dinner.

Straight via e-mail from Mama Waldmannstetter:

hier endlich das rezept für den blumenkohlauflauf

2 stück blumenkohl je nach größe
salzwasser
40 g butter
60 g mehl
1/2 l gemüsebrühe
1/4 l milch
3 – 4 eier getrennt
salz, tewas muskat
reichlich geriebener käse

zum backen: 20 g butter 2 – 3 eßl. semmelbrösel

blumenkohl waschen, putzen, in röschen teilen, in wenig salzwasser nicht ganz weich kochen.
helle einbrenne herstellen, mit blumenkohlsud und milch aufgießen, 5-10 min. leise kochen lassen, mit
eigelb legieren,geriebenen käse und etwas mskat untermengen, abschmecken, steifen eischnee unter
ziehen;blumenkohlröschen in gefettete auflaufform legen, auflaufmasse darübergeben, mit semmelbröseln bestreuen, mit butterflocken belegen, in vorgeheizter röhre bei mittelhitze backen. garzeit etwa 30 min.

wenn du das eigelb in der soße verquirlt hast, nicht mehr kochen lassen.

gutes gelingen mama

You can take the girl out of Germany…

Mom checks out the plethora of pastries at International Deli

… but you definitely can’t take Germany out of the girl. Although I can’t join my husband on his two-week trip to Germany later in November, I’m determined to continue my quest to find or replicate as many German traditions and customs as possible, even here on the Mexican border. Unfortunately, most of the German restaurants (er, ALL of them), bakeries and the German Community Center are on the opposite side of town and not easy to get to on a daily or weekly basis, so I have chosen to take refuge at the International Deli, a deli (natch) and bakery not far from where I live. It was once owned by a German couple, but has been sold. Fortunately the new owners realized they had a heavy German clientele, alongside their Middle Eastern (mostly Lebanese) clientele, so with the Hiedelberg Rye bread and the Apfelstrudel one can find Baklava, Feta/Spinach croissants and just about everything in between. Their pastry rack and breads are plentiful and varied…. perhaps not as authentic as Marina’s German Bakery on the other side of town, but decent if you realllllllyyyyyy are jonezing for some fairly authentic Kaffee und Kuchen, as my mom and I were yesterday.
I’d already eaten lunch with my husband, so I opted for dessert while my mom had the bratwurst sandwich served with sauerkraut and potato salad (a decidedly AMERICAN potato salad, i.e, yellow mustard, pickle and mayo mixture), but to her a very good sandwich. She was quite surprised when I told her that no Bavarian would eat sauerkraut the way it is served here, however, straight out of the jar. When I told her it involved a long, slow cooking in lard, she looked horrified, lol.
I had a delicious strawberry shortcake slice of cake and abysmal coffee. What I would do for some Dallmayr or Jacobs, but I’ve bypassed my Germandeli.com budget for the month after ordering two Stollen cakes, Milka chocolates and a Bavarian Christmas Songs CD.
At least I got a little taste of Bavaria yesterday, enjoying Kaffee und Kuchen with my lovely mom, letting the world of frenzy, road rage and rushing-for-no-reason carry on without us just outside the door.

•••

Obatzda for Americans? Smoked Salmon spread at Famous Dave's

Last night Christian and I met my dad at Famous Dave’s for dinner and, while the barbeque is pretty good, Christian and I couldn’t stop raving about the appetizer… smoked salmon spread. God, does anyone have a recipe for that???? Really, if you ever go to Famous Dave’s, skip the entree, order the smoked salmon spread (comes with good pita) and a salad. Really a better deal and much better!

What I miss about Germany…

I was born here in El Paso, spent most of my childhood here, and I’ve lived in the following cities: Dallas, Texas; Los Angeles, Calif.; San Diego, Calif.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Cloudcroft, N.M.; and Wellfleet, Mass. And although I can’t say I officially lived in Rohr, Niederbayern, Deutschland, I did spend months at a time there, staying with my husband and his family, last year.
Out of all of those places, none has stricken me so much as Rohr, with a population of about 5,000, a small community that has one grocery store, two bakeries, two butchers, one community pool, and miles upon miles of rolling hills of corn and rapeseed fields. It’s about one hour northeast of Munich, and a world away from crime, pollution, gangs or stress. And it IS where I call home.
Although we can’t live there again, yet, I can still look forward to the day when we can, along with our new addition, Hannah, who I want to grow up with both American and German customs, culture and language. And even if we don’t live in Rohr (most likely Abensberg, Regensburg or Munich), it will always be the place I idealize for how it changed me so profoundly and was so instrumental in turning me into who I am today. And I want Hannah to have that, always.

I order a lot of food and German products from Germandeli.com, a business that is actually based here in Texas, but carries all the products I used and adored while staying in Bavaria. Fa bath gels and lotions, Almdudler drinks, Knorr and Maggi fixes and spice mixes, breads made in Germany, REAL cheese (unfortunately all pasteurized, but still more real than what’s available here), semmelknodel mix, German DVDs and books, German tableware, etc. All the things I just adored when living in Rohr, right at my keyboard! And the site has a great link called “What I Miss About Germany,” where all German ex-pats living here in the U.S. can reminisce about their lives in Germany.
But there are some things I miss about Germany (from my perspective, being an American married to a German, and not having a good grasp of the language…yet). And they are:

1. The common sense of courtesy and decency shown to everyone, even strangers on the street.
2. The fact that it is a GIVEN that families will dine together every meal possible, without question.
3. The fog rolling over the hops fields early in the morning, with foxes, hares and deer in abundance.
4. The smell of the bakery from a mile away, each and every morning. AND walking home with a freshly-made loaf of rye bread or broetchen for the day.
5. How HOUSEPROUD all Germans are, with their lace valances on their windows, their orchids proudly blooming for all passers-by to see.
6. Kaffee und Kuchen promtly at 3 p.m.
7. German TV, with almost no commercials in sight.
8. German newspapers. Actually full of information. Actually taking a while to read and to digest the info. Actually not full of ads.
9. Biking to the next town to enjoy a beer or Schwip Schwap in a biergarten by a babbling brook.
10. Going to the thermal spas to soak in the mineral waters, and it being covered by insurance!
11. The Munich Airport. God, I could LIVE there. Neat, tidy, easy to navigate, the best hotel ever (The Kempinski), wonderful shops and cafes…
12. The clean streets, fresh air and courtesy, even in the Marienplatz in central Munich.
13. The on-time trains.
14. The obsession with bio-foods and organics, no matter what income level.
15. Homemade food being preferred to a restaurant, any time, any day.

What are the things YOU miss most about Germany??

It’s all good….

After yesterday’s horrible trip to the emergency room for bleeding and being diagnosed with a “threatened miscarriage,” I was pure raw nerves, petrified, confused and exhausted. I had been told by the ER doctor to rest, not take baths, not lift anything heavier than my finger, and to see my doctor ASAP this week. Of course I couldn’t/can’t see him until Monday, and can’t leave a message, so I am in a limbo that is scary. BUT….
My husband Christian was everything and more today. He did the laundry for us, prepared our meals (see below), made sure I got plenty of rest (three hour nap this afternoon!), rubbed my back and shoulders, and simply made me feel like everything is going to be JUST FINE.
My bleeding persisted a little until around 9 a.m. and I haven’t had any bleeding since (it’s been 12 hours). And the blood today appeared to be just old remnants from yesterday. Too much information, but I am so grateful and relieved, I am above shyness about talking about this
I tried my hardest to stay bedridden today, but I really just found it to be impossible. So I puttered around the house, planted some seeds, organized my closet and took out the trash. Wow. I took out the trash. Just 24 hours ago that would have been a CHORE. Today it was a little journey. And we went to Barnes and Noble for coffee and a sweet, where I flipped through some serious stuff (the newspapers) and then distracted myself with Vogue, Hello and Us magazines. I also partook of the lemon berry parfait and a decaf.
Tonight, Christian made what I told him was probably the most successful dish to date…Lachs mit Spinat, or salmon in a cream-spinach sauce, served with shell pasta and a side salad. We overshot by making four fillets when all we could handle was one each, but that means we get to have it again for lunch tomorrow. He used his Maggi powder mix for Lachs that he purchased online at Germandeli.com, and we found ourselves scraping the sides of the Pyrex dish, not wasting a single drop of the luxurious sauce.
The sun has gone down and the neighborhood is quieting down. Christian is playing a game of online chess and I am going to take a shower (need to get used to those, since I’m a bath girl and no baths allowed for me until I see the doctor). Then we’ll put on a movie, and just cuddle.
I really feel so much more confident and optimistic that the episode yesterday was a fluke and that Little Wally (we don’t know if it is a boy or a girl, but my friend Kay made up the name and it’s sticking!) is doing just fine! Today was a second honeymoon with Christian and now I must go because I’ve got some cuddling to do

Day of discovery (or dumpster diving)

Okay, I’ll admit it. I have dumpster dived. When I lived alone, near a shopping mall, I used to find tons of discarded books and magazines behind Barnes and Noble. And behind a local sporting goods store, dumpsters full of perfectly good running shoes that had maybe one stitch out of place, but spray-painted neon orange to discourage DDs like me Gosh, and backpacks galore. Slits purposefully placed, also to discourage DDs, but with one patch or even a safety pin, totally salvageable.
I hadn’t dumpster dived in years, partially out of age/wisdom, pride and a better financial condition…until today. I stood out on my balcony very early this morning, watering my plants, when I glanced over at the dumpster at the neighboring apartment complex. I saw a mountain of furniture, which included a dining table, three chrome chairs, an ironing board, a broken bookshelf and a tall lamp. My old DD instincts awoke from their hibernation, and I was over the wall and at the dumpster in seconds flat. Just mere seconds before another DD drove up in an old Ford pickup, eyeing the very loot I was already staking claim to.
In Spanish, he offered me $10 for the dining room table, which I was not-so-successfully trying to lift over the 3-foot concrete wall between my apartment complex and the one that held the dumpster. I was not to be deterred. I said no, albeit cheerfully, and proudly but extremely awkwardly carried the two chairs over the wall and, to be safe, kept my foot on the table to make sure it was quite apparent I wasn’t deserting the table.
I somehow managed to get the loot to my apartment, and even found a place for the table in our 485-square-foot abode.
I’m really stoked about the chairs and the fact that they match our dining room table, meaning we can get the old fold-up card table chairs from circa 1969 and relegate them to the balcony for balmy evenings.
So, sorry to the poor guy who left with an ironing board. But hey, the early bird gets the worm.
•••
In celebration of Germany’s win over England (I was a LITTLE torn, since I am, in fact, partially English AND I have this lifelong fascination with the British royal family), we made brats, kraut and brotchen for lunch. Christian is continuing to lose weight like mad, and it’s all going to me, but before my pants literally pop, I guess I’ll relish it! We had ordered the rolls from Germandeli.com, and they really are spectacular. The closest thing we can get here are Mexican bollilo rolls, but they’re made with much more sugar, and are almost sweet enough to be dessert. So we’ll be getting more shipments of that great bread, direct from Germany (frozen).
•••
After getting the table into the apartment, I decided to do some rearranging and cleaning up, throwing away a LOT of things I really felt like hanging on to but realized I’d probably never have a place for. One thing I did not get rid of was this “hammer” I found on a walk in a hops field, under the snow, once on a walk in Christian’s home town of Rohr, in Bavaria. I would LOVE to know exactly what it was/is used for, since it is a wooden hammer and probably not used for nails. Pegs, maybe? Is it a farm tool? A keg tapper? I’d be so grateful if any of you out there know.
•••
It’s back to sweltering temperatures after yesterday’s lovely reprieve, and the clouds have parted. Christian’s cooking “shake and bake” chicken, oven fries and cole slaw, and he doesn’t even know what Shake N’ Bake is. He’s doing it from scratch, and even though I’m not particularly hungry, I know I’ll forget all about satiety once I dig in. I really think Christian needs to moonlight as a German food caterer. I KNOW he’d make a killing. But at least I have his talents all to myself for now
My bread talents are blossoming a little bit, at least. I made another loaf of bread today, with 1/2 spelt flour, 1/2 bread flour, egg, milk, mashed banana, cinnamon, sugar, almonds, almond extract and a few raisins. I have yet to try it, but if anything, it made the apartment smell PHENOMENAL all day long. Even in the scorching heat, the smell of freshly baked bread is ALWAYS welcome.

No reservations

Once upon a time, I was purely a restaurant eater, meaning I never kept food in the house/apartment and found my only sustenance at restaurants, 7-11s or by being invited to eat at someone’s house. I just never had the desire to drive over to the grocery store, fight the lines, get frustrated by the coupon-clipper/check writer/penny counter in line in front of me, and then come home to make something … from scratch? Egads! No way!
Well, I fear change but here’s one thing I changed fearlessly, with the help of my German husband, who taught me that eating at home is far, far, far more enjoyable than eating at a restaurant, keeps a relationship strong, saves money and can actually be amazingly fun. The fact that we take turns cooking makes it even more enjoyable.

Last night it was Christian’s night to cook, and he was really looking forward to making Köttbullar, or Swedish meatballs, with a Knorr brand mix he’d ordered from Germandeli.com, along with some plain boiled potatoes and a green salad with sliced green onions, sliced jalapenos and tomatoes. All he has to do is roll ground beef into balls, brown them, and then add cream, canned mushrooms, the Knorr mix and a bit of butter. Out of this world, insanely good, and really the best Swedish meatballs (other than his “step-dad” Uli’s, shhhhhh) I’ve ever had. We sat down at the table, listening to Loreena McKennitt, enjoying the sun setting behind the cottonwood trees outside the window. I thought about how, in restaurants, we don’t get to have the uninterrupted alone time together, how almost invariably one part of our order is wrong, or they “just ran out,” or quality just doesn’t reflect the prices.
Granted, a restaurant meal is fun, enjoyable and a good thing once or twice a week, as a special evening out or a nice lunch, but it really shouldn’t be the status quo for families. I grew up eating most of my meals in restaurants or on the run, but I don’t want my family to do the same. I want breakfast and dinner to be a family affair, just as it was for Christian growing up. In most German families (I am calling on my experience in Bavaria) ALL meals are shared together, and restaurants are for VERY special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and such. But a Friday night doesn’t necessitate going out to dinner, as it seems to do here.
I wasn’t lucky enough to have a family that got to eat together most meals, mainly due to scheduling, sports, etc., but it’s never too late to start that with our growing family.

Did you grow up eating all your meals at home, saving restaurants for very special occasions? Or were you raised on reservations?

And I leave you with a glimpse of my Gnome garden (the log brought home from our weekend in Cloudcroft. The corn from the fields in Rohr, Niederbayern, is taking off and will soon need to be set “free” in a much bigger container or even transplanted somewhere in a field (is that legal? Transplanting non-native corn? Lol), and my sweet peas may come up with something tangible to eat in the next month or two.
Also, our sunset last night. Wish we had underground telephone lines, but the sky is gorgeous nonetheless…

Rocky Mountain high

I’m on a high because in just about 28 hours I’m going to be back in Cloudcroft, in the high altitude, lazying away with my husband in our tiny little cabin in the woods. Oh, and Cloudcroft just so happens to actually be at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, so I’m not just channelling John Denver for the poetry of it

We’ll be attending the High Rolls Cherry Festival on Saturday, where there will be vendors selling everything cherry: pies, cider, cakes, woodwork, clothes, etc. Except most likely the cherries will be from California, not High Rolls, since the crops have been dismal in recent years. But oh well, cherries are cherries and festivals are festivals, so I’m game.

I went to a farmer’s market this morning and stocked up on local (El Paso) plums, nectarines, corn, zucchini, and apples, and I think I’ll attempt my first pflaumkuchen this weekend. I’m not telling Christian, lest he tell me I’m doing it completely wrong and totally opposite his mother’s recipe (I will do it wrong, and it won’t be his mom’s recipe) but I gotta learn, right?

We planned to buy a rack of ribs and make those up at the cabin, but most likely we’ll eat dinner at the Texas Pit Barbeque up there, where you’re served, cafeteria-style, ribs (beef or pork), brisket, chicken, catfish, coleslaw, beans, cornbread, etc. A great, great restaurant with a really authentic country decor and menu. The rest of the time it’s home cooking (hopefully Christian’s!).

Christian stocked up on Knorr and Maggi spices with the gift certificate from GermanDeli.com I got him for his birthday, so he wants to make some goulash or meatballs in a mushroom cream sauce for us one meal. I’m already frothing at the mouth thinking about that, and I just had lunch! Lunch left something to be desired. I now realize sauerkraut doesn’t freeze well, because I packed up a previous meal’s leftovers of a wurst, sauerkraut and potatoes, and nuked them all in the microwave here at work. Watery, limp and pathetic! Thank god for the SoyJoy mango coconut bar and nectarine I had stashed away.

So, lots more photos and stories comin’ at ya from Cloudcroft, as soon as we find a hotspot to blog and check emails up there. In the meantime, I want to hear from YOU. What are your weekend plans? Any cookouts, travel or special projects?