4th of July

We took full advantage of being in the US last month and even bought some sparklers to have some fun with once the fireflies had disappeared for the evening. I always buy extras when they have them in Germany - at my other favorite holiday - New Years.

I love uniting holidays. I think it's a combination of the fire works, cook out foods, and the fact that people gather with the community that make me love it so much.

There are several events going on in Munich today -

The Amerika Haus has a cookout with live music.

The International neighborhood festival in Haidhausen at Johannisplatz starts at 14:00.

There is also the Thai themed Khao-Pansah-Fest at Westpark.

It looks like there are plenty of options to enjoy the day for those that want to celebrate.

We'll head to one of them until the heat becomes too much and then it's time to come home for more American foods.

Independence Day

Our day began with American spirit - both in clothing and in shopping.

We stopped at IKEA so I could get a frame for my new letterpress print, which is simple and inspiring.

I came prepared for their ice cream and brought my red, white, and blue sprinkles along to spruce things up. I can't think of a better breakfast.

At the grocery I needed to pick up a few last minute things for the weekend and I was beyond excited to find corn on the cob, which seems to be a rarity here.

Stefan kept commenting how delicious it was and I had to remind myself that there are quite a few foods that we both associate with family events or holidays that are entirely new and foreign to each other.

It's still unbelievable to me that he'd never had corn on the cob before.

Lunch, dinner, and left overs were, and still are, plenty. In addition to the corn on the cob, I made: baked potato salad, deviled eggs, fruit salad, wasabi crusted tuna, and an oreo dessert.

It was nice to talk to family celebrating at my Grandma's house. She sure was being the jokester and answered the phone saying, "city morgue, you stab `em we slab `em" as she hysterically laughed. It's good to see she was having such a great time and her sense of humor is alive and well.

Between serenading me with various patriotic songs, Stefan asked if people exchange gifts on the 4th. I gave him my smarmy response - the best gift of all, time together.

Hopefully your 4th of July was wonderful as well, even if you weren't celebrating the American way.

233rd 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!

The United States seems so incredibly young, which I guess is due to the fact that it is.

Thanksgiving and the 4th of July are two holidays that always make me homesick. I think it's the American spirit, gatherings, and the non-exclusive nature of the two. They both just seem so uniting and celebratory.

This is a photo I took a while back, at a county fair in Ohio, that my roommate took me to. I loved walking through the barn and seeing the animals. All of the farmers were very proud of their livestock and there was a great feeling of community. The glowing light just seems like a ray of hope and the flags are the sweetest little detail that give it the ultra Americana vibe.



Tomorrow I'll post more about how we spent our day.

Preparing for the 4th

The Fourth of July is right around the corner and I am really excited. This year it even falls on a Saturday, which makes the festivities even better.

I'm still debating on what foods I will be making, because I love an excuse for a cook out and feeling a connection to home. Fortunately while I was in Ohio I was able to buy some of my favorite sprinkles and now I just need to decide on a menu.

I'd love if I could get out to pick some blueberries and enjoy some fresh summer foods.

What are your favorite things to eat on the 4th of July?

American cookout + sparklers

To celebrate America's independence Stefan and I had a nice evening cookout. I made black bean burgers from scratch and was happy they weren't only delicious but also survived grilling. For dessert I used one of my precious mixes and made a whipped Oreo delight.

Something that is comical, or perhaps marketed towards American ex-pats like myself, are the product names and packages. The burger buns we used were called 'Tennessee Hamburger'. The sour cream chive dip was also Americanized with both a Statue of Liberty and the Golden Gate Bridge gracing the lid. I really love seeing how things are portrayed here and finding the occasional item named after a US state. I'm curious who in the marketing department decided that Tennessee was known for burgers or that it was such a great name that it would simply sell itself. They also chose very American baseball players to put on the side of the package.

Stefan made me laugh by asking what movies are traditional for the 4th of July and if we could call my family and sing 'Born in the USA' by Bruce Springsteen. 'I'm proud to be an American', 'The Star Spangled Banner', or 'You're a Grand Old Flag' is probably more appropriate, but I think we'll spare them.

Instead we spent the evening laughing at Germany's funniest home videos and enjoying a few sparklers. Aren't they beautiful? I'm even sending my love back home with a sweet little heart.

Happy 4th of July!

Today is a rough day to be an American living abroad. I get slightly homesick as I think about my own friends and family celebrating with a cookout and enjoying evening fireworks. When things in America slow down and most of the country has the day off it's always a special day.

Today I've been occupying myself with some digital Lomo style photography. I really love all of the effects of Lomo cameras, however I appreciate the control I have over the digital modifications - and I don't have to be patient waiting for film to develop.

The photo above, from the New York Stock Exchange, I took last September and today it looks entirely new and different. It's nice to experiment with my thousands of travel photos and see something new.

While I wait for my family to wake up, perhaps I will make American foods and look forward to an evening with sparklers.