Cookies + Markets

One thing I desperately miss about the US around the holidays is how everything centers around food.

It's an excuse to gather, to enjoy, and to eat a bit more than usual with pot-luck style meals and cookie exchanges.

Here people tend to do it all on their own.

I'm always impressed when we visit Stefan's family and there are an array of different cookies all meticulously put together and perfectly bite sized. His Mom has a legendary fondue, which has become a fantastic family tradition, too.

Each year I think I should organize a cookie exchange, because I love variety, but the holiday chaos usually gets in the way. It gets a little trying to make an array of cookies on your own. This year Stefan joined me for a glühwein and evening of baking, which was a lot of fun.

I try to make new recipes, old favorites, and learn some German varieties with lebkuchen and the standard Mürbeteig base.

There seems to be a distinct difference from celebrating in Germany and the US. As with many things I wish that I could meld the two together.

Here people celebrate oftentimes outside and away from their homes. They gather with strangers, neighbors, and friends for Christmas markets and festivals.

The US is a bit commercial with a strong emphasis on gifts, family, and individual traditions.

If we ever move away from Germany I'm certain we'll have an annual Christmas market party - complete with lebkuchen, glühwein, spiced nuts, spätzle, open fires, and undoubtedly our own traditions thrown in.

Here are a few photos from the Tollwood festival, which is an enormous organic around the world style Christmas market, similar to Yellow Springs back home. It takes place on the same grounds as Oktoberfest.

We had some incredible schupfnudeln and spätzle, which came in edible dishes. Isn't that ingenious? 

...and of course our fair share of feuerzangenbowle, which a glühwein with rum over pressed sugar that is then lit on fire. 

`Tis the Season

Our advent calendar is winding down, which I am actually going to miss. It's been fun to surprise Stefan each morning before he heads off to work. My aunt sent me the Elf on the Shelf a couple years ago and he's been making surprise appearances all around the apartment as well.

This past week we visited the Tollwood, had a candle light cheese fondue, bought and decorated our tree, watched a Christmas movie, and had a delicious breakfast to name a few of the advent calendar surprises.

Since I haven't seen many of our ornaments for the past two years there were some great treasures to rediscover. Somehow I forgot my angel that always makes me smile. I picked her up my very first Christmas in Germany at the Weltladen while my sister was visiting.

I also forget how so many trees here resemble bushes and for some reason the lights come as a lasso. I can't quite figure out why this is a good idea. Untangling Christmas lights is never fun, but when there isn't even a single end to work from things get interesting rather quickly.

Whenever we travel we like to pick up an ornament or something small that can be hung from the tree, which has lead to a really fun collection. Each year I love to unpack our Christmas decorations and reminisce over the exciting things we've done together.

I've wrapped Stefan's gifts and they are nestled so nicely under the tree. I'm very excited for him to open them, but I might make him wait until American Christmas on December 25th.

Christmas Spirit

Getting into the Christmas spirit seems to take more work than it used to, although that's probably because I'm now the one responsible for creating the magic. It also takes some work to figure out ways to incorporate my traditions while living abroad, as well as learning more about the Bavarian ways of celebrating. I'm certain much of it is self induced, because I love traditions and making things just so.

We've also worked at creating our own family traditions, like simple gift giving with 4 principles: want, need, wear, and read. It's pretty incredible how encompassing those 4 things can be and how much thought goes into finding 4 gifts that suit the categories.

In the recent weeks Munich has been blanketed with snow, which helps with the Wintery feeling. We've been trying to visit as many of the Christmas markets as possible, although my favorites are at the Rindermarkt + Chinese Tower.

The smell of spiced nuts and glühwein waft through the air and the lights seem to glow while people huddle around and complain about their numb toes. This is one aspect that is quintessentially German and absolutely delightful at this time of year. I also appreciate that eating lebkuchen and pomegranates for breakfast is acceptable.

Here are a few of the pretty scenes around town:

The Chinese Tower Christmas Market

Sledding in the English Garden...

How many cities have such a charming downtown park that people can use to cross country ski or go sledding?

Rindermarkt + Haidhausen

The Krampus Run

Tollwood

Ice Skating at Karlsplatz

Hope you're also feeling the holiday glow!

Homemade Glühwein

To start the weekend right how about some glühwein, homemade soup, and cuddling up to hibernate with a good book.

My dear friend Cait sent me the most perfect surprise, the book Just my Type, which is a great collection of stories about fonts. I should have probably waited until Christmas to open it, because it's proving to be a distraction from getting things done and I can't put it down.

I have to will myself out this weekend, because I really want to enjoy the Christmas Markets while they are still here and before the snow turns to slush. We also have to finally get and decorate our tree.

As for the glühwein...I tend to buy the tea bags filled with spices to cheat a little bit, however not everyone has that luxury, so here is a recipe that anyone and everyone can make at home.

I prefer my glühwein less sweet, and I don't add much sugar, although those with a sweet tooth can always add more. It's very forgiving, so you can omit or change spices according your preferences, too.

If you want to make this alcohol-free, or a Kinder Glühwein, simply replace the wine with a combination of cider, cranberry, and or grape juice.

If I really get ambitious I might try to make these glühwein truffels (recipe in German).

Christmas [post]cards

Last year we didn't send Christmas cards, because we were just coming off our enormous trip and there really wasn't time to whip something up. This year my friend Emily and I created a few packages for our families. It's so nice to have such creative and encouraging friends.

I must say they turned out rather nice, even if they cost a mint to ship.

In attempts to get into the holiday spirit, and to celebrate some of my American traditions, I made postcards like I did in 2008.

Wish we could be there to celebrate, but we'll be thinking of you all with our warm mugs of glühwein and incredible Christmas fondue.

Elisen Lebkuchen

Since not everyone is able to make it to Munich for the markets I translated this recipe and made a cute little card to match, so you can have some German Christmas cookies, too.

I've made these several times and Stefan claims they taste like his Oma's, which is clearly a good sign. Best of all they don't have flour or hirschornsalz (baker's ammonia) in them.

The illustrations were so much fun to draw. I'm working on a second edition of my cookbook and debating if I want to do use them as opposed to photos.

I'll post a recipe for homemade glühwein in the coming days as well... homemade is the way to go. The only trouble is it tastes better than most at the Christmas Markets, but the ambiance and warmth keeps drawing me back.

1933 Christmas

I was looking through some of my vintage photos and came across this Christmas tree from 1933.

Notice the German details - real candles as opposed to lights and the bushy shape, which I had never seen before moving here. I'm curious what types of gifts were given during this time.

Hopefully we'll get our tree up in the next week or so, but we won't be going so traditional with real candles.

Gift guide: Holiday Decor

1. Silver Mistletoe - It's always best to be prepared with a recyclable Mistletoe to bring holiday cheer - and plenty of kisses. (image delight)

2. Pottery Barn Organizer - The perfect way to organize wrappings, tape, and trimmings for those that love to give gifts and stay organized. (image pottery barn)

3. Winter ice canapé plates - A special edition from David Stark, which can be used through the Winter and for other festive events. (image west elm)

4. Gudari Sari Garland - A bright and beautiful garland with some history, since it's handmade from old Saris in India. (image sundance catalog)

5. Bakers Twine - The perfect way to tie up packages and present baked goods. (image crate + barrel)

6. Porcelain Origami Nativity - The coolest nativity I've ever seen. It looks like origami, only it lasts much longer. (image gumps)

7. Silver frame ornaments - A simple way to trim a tree and add some personality. (image crate + barrel)

8. Advent calendar canister set - I wrote about it before, but it is simply my favorite Advent calendar. There are so many ways to change it up, yet it's nice enough to use as decor. (image impressionen)

9. Gourmet cookie book - Sadly, Gourmet magazine wasn't able to continue publishing their print magazine, although they do have an ipod app for those that still prefer something slightly more tactile. For those that still like paper and flipping pages there's this collection of the best cookies in book form. (image Gourmet)

10. Johnathan Adler Relief Menorah - A classic and modern menorah. (image jonathan adler)

11. Dreidel Platter - The perfect dish for baked goods, like Kugel, Rugalach, and Sufganiyot. (image crate + barrel)

12. Hebrew Cookie cutters - Cookie cutters that help with those Yiddish and Hebrew spellings. (image modern tribe)

Advent

Merging traditions is especially important around the holidays. It's difficult to be away from family and not be able to enjoy the festive foods, great company, and different ways of celebrating.

Since moving to Germany I've learned Christmas isn't complete without glühwein, lebkuchen, spiced nuts, Christmas markets, a fondue, and advent calendars.

My friend Emily and I are working on creating a great glühwein spice mix to send home to family. I have my Mother in law's fantastic lebkuchen recipe (Vielen Dank!) - my mom even used it last year and they turned out quite nice. The spiced nuts I make whenever it's even remotely chilly out, and the Christmas markets, well, they can't exactly be recreated. It's magical to stand under the glowing lights with the snow falling and a warm mug of glühwein.

Last, but not least, is the advent calendar.

Germans adore their advent calendars. It's a fun way to add some daily excitement to the Christmas season. I've seen plenty of calendars available, however this one takes the cake... it's so simple, pretty, and modern. The simple typography is stunning. Plus, you can easily reuse the tins year after year and for birthdays.

Stefan has since developed a fondness for American Christmas tunes, my Mom's cookies, my Grandma's baklava, having a Christmas stocking, and blinged out trees with an array of ornaments from our travels. He also appreciates the fact he gets to celebrate twice, since German Christmas is actually celebrated on Christmas Eve.

I'm already thinking of the fun things I'll be filling these tins with, which incidentally begins one month from today!

Merry Christmas!

We are on our way to Ohio... I am actually writing this on the plane! Why don't more planes have free wifi? That definitely would have allowed me to write here more often.

Our trip has taken us to so many unforgettable places. I have to admit it's going to be harder and harder to make travel plans, because there are so many places I'd love to revisit - and my list of places to see continues to grow. Life is certainly too short!

I've neglected this blog, but for good reason. Our travels have just kept us too busy to write. The end of my day usually finds me uploading photos and then falling asleep very quickly. Between visits with friends, family, and tons of holiday parties I think we will go into hibernation mode in Ohio.

We're desperately missing lebkuchen, gluehwein, and of course our neighborhood Christmasmarkets, so if you are in Munich / Germany please enjoy some for us. We were happy to find some at the World Market, so that was a great surprise... but it's definitely not a replacement for the German christmas spirit.

I will write a more cohesive summary of the things we did and saw thus far when I get some more time. I promise that will come soon, because sadly our trip will end at the end of January. We visited cities, canyons, beaches, sand dunes, meadows, national parks, historical sites, and even an active volcano! Stefan and I keep reminding ourselves that it's not the end... it's merely a pause.

Since I last wrote we have seen so many phenomenal things and been to what feels like the ends of the earth and back. Some days it seems like forever ago and it's difficult to remember a life that's not constantly being on the road and flying from one city to the next.

Here's the laundry list of places we have visited that I will write about...
(feel free to leave a comment if there's something you're particularly interested in!)
Northern India
Nepal
Thailand
Malaysia
Singapore
Cambodia
Vietnam
Hong Kong
China
Japan
New Zealand
The Cook Islands
Hawaii
The Southwest US

...and we are still going to visit New York City and the Southeast US coast in early January.

Gift guide: Him + Her

1. Viva Terra Bamboo Radio - Handmade and a nice accent piece, that is both purposeful and beautiful. (image viva terra)

2. Acculevel removable propane tank gauge - Although he might have to wait a while to test it out it will give him something to look forward to in the warmer months. (image amazon)

3. Dress for dinner napkins - A great way to look dapper, even while dining. (image wishingfish)

4. credit card bottle opener - Sleek, easy to store and use. Plus don't you always love being able to save the day? (image fitzsu)

5. Bose quietcomfort 3 acoustic noise cancelling headphones - Great for travel or everyday life for the guy that loves music. (image Bose)

6. Parking Meter Alarm with Quarter Holder - Holds 10 quarters and keeps track of remaining time on the meter, so you can avoid tickets. (image spoon sisters)

7. etsy morelle truffle bag - A gorgeous and feminine catch all style purse. It's even large enough to hold a lap top! (image morelle / Elle Moss)

8. hand embroidered culture + comfort pillow - With a variety of cities and areas these beautiful pillows could provide a colorful reminder or a special time and place. (image uncommon goods)

9. nero shelf - A striking shelf designed by Nanni Holen that is sure to evoke compliments. (image huset shop)

10. object frames - I am still loving these simple, yet bold stated frames to show off your favorite things. (image the.)

11. napa style plant watering - A wonderful way to keep plants alive during a short get away. (image napa style)

12. Bloom flower light - Brighten things up during the dreary winter months. It also makes a great reading light, since it can be clipped virtually anywhere. (image World Wide Fred)

Gift guide: Toddler + Pet

1. Threadless YGB shirt - This shirt is perfect for budding horticulturists. I love the colors, the happiness, and the simplicity. If you like it enough, you can get an adult sized one for yourself. (image Threadless)

2. Haba blocks - I adore virtually all of Haba's wooden toys. They are so smooth and imaginative. Their various sets of blocks also have so much character and demonstrate that not every block needs to be a cube or rectangle - many are designed around some of the world's greatest architecture. (image haba)

3. vtech kidizoom digital camera - Art work by children is always interesting, and since they always have an interest in gadgets and electronics this can also help to make them productive. The bonus is that you can score some free art for your walls - with a slightly skewed vantage point. (image vtech)

4. Haba block + tackle - This pulley system toy will help children that love construction and lifting. And once again it's by Haba - need I say more? (image haba)

5. Tire Swing Horse - Many of my favorite memories as a child were playing outside and exploring our big back yard. While I never had a tire swing, I am sure that I would have enjoyed it... especially if it had as much character as this one. (image Target)

6. Wooden fishing play set - This fishing play set is not only beautifully made, but it also contains tiny magnets inside the wood so the fish can be caught. (image MoMA)

7. Kid-O matching shades puzzle - Wooden puzzles are so timeless and beautiful. This one is great for the subtle tints and tones. Kid O has an entire range of beautiful, simple, and practical puzzles. (image Kid O)

8. Pat Says Now computer mouse - These are the most adorable mice that I've ever seen. (some animals may be discontinued) (image pat says now)

For Children with 4 paws
9. Pet Top drinking device - Allows you to adapt any water bottle into an animal friendly water fountain. (image Pet Top)

10. Curve Wall Mounted Pet Bed from Akemi Tanaka - a beautiful and out of the way solution to a cat bed. (image Akemi Tanaka)

11. Critter cord - Protects your cords with plastic, a light citrus scent, and a bitter taste, so that 4 legged friends aren't tempted to gnaw through the cords. I had a bunny growing up and he certainly loved cord chewing, but he didn't like oranges. Sounds like it would work. (image critter cord)

12. Otomik - inventive dog toys that will give anyone a good laugh. (image otomik)

Gift guide: Babies + New Parents

It seems as though even more of my friends are having babies. I guess that's what getting older will do. There are a lot of really adorable gifts on the market that make shopping a bit more of a challenge. These are some that I love.



1. Baby Dam - This an economical and ecological solution to bath time. The only downside is that it fits only in straight sided bathtubs. (image Baby Dam)

2. Mr. Sneeze Forehead Thermometer - My sister and I had this thermometer when we were younger and absolutely loved it. It's less invasive and easy to take along in a bag. (image spoon sisters)

3. Etsy SuperSweetCreations - The t-shirts and onesies with ties are hysterical and a bit sophisticated - not to mention handmade. I love supporting local artisans. (image etsy)

4. The Weanmachine - This is a portable food grinder that helps to feed little ones table food. It quickly enables parents to make a nutritious meal on the go. (image weanmachine)

5. present time monkey door hangers - I first saw these in Paris and fell in love with them. Since then I gift them to anyone I know having a baby or with young children. They come in a variety of colors and are simple, yet modern.

6. Puppy Dog shoes - washable leather shoes that help protect little feet that are learning to walk. (image patina stores)

7. Billy Bob Pacifier - a large array of unique and specialty pacifiers that are sure to get a lot of laughs. (image billy bob products)

8. Knock knock medical organizer - a great place to store all of those new documents from checkups and doctor visits. (image knock knock)

9. Construction Tools - A lot of parents complain about getting their children to eat, so this may be a fun solution. (image flying peas)

10. Hushamok baby hammock - Who doesn't love a hammock? These are made for babies as a stylish option to a bassinet or swing. (image hushamok)

11. etsy Hipoart - This gorgeous rocking horse is made by hand in Kentucky. Undoubtedly it would make a treasured heirloom. (image etsy / HIPo Necessities)

12. etsy allthenumbers - A modern / retro handmade quilt with beautiful colors. (image etsy / all the numbers)

Schreibschrift

My first Christmas in Germany was a bit tense. I was sad not to be with my family, except for my sister who had come to visit. Together we attempted to make Christmas cookies and that was a bust due to different ingredients and a faulty oven. Then there was the issue of the lights and how many belonged on the tree, and last, but not least, were the Christmas cards.

Cards in general, aren't a high point of German correspondences. This is a bit tragic for people, like me, that love stationery. I knew what I was up against, and so I purchased all of my cards in the US and brought them here for various holidays, occasions, and celebrations. I wasn't as prepared as I thought considering if my American cards were remotely a few millimeters too big, according to the German standard, I would be charged 5€+ for one simple card.

Writing the Christmas cards wasn't one of Stefan's priorities. (This did, however, give me a greater appreciation for the letters he had written me over our 2 years apart.) He always had better things to do, which left me in a tough predicament. I was sending cards to my friends and family, so I wanted to include his as well. I had the duty of writing cards to people in a language I could hardly speak, let alone write. As forgiving as I knew people would be, I wanted to sound somewhat coherent and intelligent. We agreed that he would write down what I should write and that I would address the cards before I wrote them out. (I realize it sounds like I got the short end of the stick in addressing them and writing them, but I really do enjoy this kind of thing.)

As I was addressing the cards I learned writing 'Oma Lastname' wouldn't be delivered like it would in the US. More envelopes to rewrite. Then, as I wrote the capitol letter 'G' the way I had been taught, the way that hardly anyone does, I heard 'What is that?!'

I went from slightly irritated to saying if I was going to be criticized for how I was doing it that it wasn't going to be my problem. As the situation escalated my sister could see both of our frustrations. We searched online for our proof that this is how it's supposed to be done in the US. Low and behold German cursive is entirely different. I've since learned the cursive I learned (as seen above) is now somewhat archaic. Thank heavens that old 'G' remains the same, even if letters 'F', 'T', 'Q', and 'Z' are now closer to their printed counterparts in 'New American Cursive'. The website is pretty funny. It says to end the letter 'a' with a smile and it makes it sound as though 'extra strokes' are like running a 10K.

Online there are a myriad of sites dedicated to 'Old German', but we couldn't find many online for the 'New German cursive'.

Thankfully my German teacher was able to give me a nice example of German 'Schreibschrift' that I could share. It's interesting how much things are evolving to look much the same (especially if you look at old 'Deutsche Schreibschrift' that most Germans can no longer read). Our teacher told us she often has a hard time reading the handwriting of people from other countries. Even though we may use the same Latin alphabet, we're not taught to write the same way.

In my last German class, we had a brash Russian woman that asked if I 'always write like that'. She loved to pick faults with the teacher and she couldn't get a grasp as to why the teacher printed her notes for us to copy. Never mind the logic of it being more legible. The Russian woman is no longer with the group, but even if she was I know she would go into a dissertation on why everyone else was wrong in their way of writing along with everything else.

This is an interesting article about the importance of the written word. I'm still clinging to it in the technologic era. I remember how exciting it was to learn in 2nd grade. I felt as if I was getting a secret code to a hidden world. I still fondly recall laying on my Grandparent's living room floor and trying with all my might to master it or to have someone teach me before my time. What a tragedy if people can no longer read handwriting!

Pretty Reminders

I'm a firm believer in doing little things to make yourself and others happy.

Simple notes tucked into pockets, or into luggage, are bound to bring smiles to people's faces. I also think it helps to surround yourself with beauty - people who radiate happiness and make you feel good, as well things that brighten up life.

Being away from home makes me appreciate my friends and family so much more and to realize just how fortunate I am to have them in my life.

My family knows me so well and surprised me with the most thoughtful gifts for Christmas and my birthday. I would even go as far as saying it was one of the best and most memorable holidays for me. It was so nice to be home and have time with everyone.

A few of my favorite gifts that make me smile and think of everyone at home are a shopping basket, the classic style cafeteria trays, and further fueling my wanderlust is 'The Europe Book' by Lonely Planet.

My shopping basket makes grocery shopping that much more enjoyable and the reactions to it are priceless. The cafeteria trays make me think of cookouts and gatherings, plus they are eco-friendly. And I'm already reading up on Rome for our upcoming trip... and the smallest country with the lowest birthrate in the world - The Vatican.

And what do you know - as I was unpacking I found notes in my own luggage. What sweet reminders of home.

Traveling Home

After leaving Munich at 9am on Tuesday the 23rd, we finally arrived in Ohio at 7:30pm on the 24th. We were the unfortunate people that waited at the airport for hours and hope not to get stranded. We boarded our plane twice, deplaned twice, and finally got stranded at Dulles airport when our flight was cancelled.

Our options quickly dwindled when we learned that all of the standby flights were booked and the waitlists were 15 people deep. We were offered one flight to Cleveland on the 24th and every flight in the midwest was booked full until Christmas day, which was referred to as 'Thursday'. As opposed to wasting more time, we went to stay with my aunt and uncle in Northern Virginia after 7 hours of waiting. We were told we could pick up our bags on the carousel at the baggage claim, however once we arrived we were told it could take up to 3 hours! This is not happy news for two jet lagged people traveling internationally.

Getting home in time for Christmas meant spending $300 on a rental car and a 7 hour drive on Christmas Eve (German Christmas). We listened to way too many variations of the same songs as we drove through about 6 hours of serious down pour.

The end of the drive was beautiful. I had fun playing with the lights on the highway and once the fog and rain lifted the sunset made the clouds appear black. It was so interesting. When it was all said and done we went from Munich to London to Washington DC and then drove through Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and finally Ohio.

The worst part is that we have to fly through Dulles 4 times during our trips! Here's to hoping the rest of our travel is less eventful.

Christmas gifts

Before leaving for America we packed our bags with many gifts for friends and family. Most things were edible and I was surprised to learn that Kinder uberraschung eier (small chocolate eggs with a toy inside) are illegal for import to the US. Evidently there is an issue with having something inedible completely covered in something edible.

After gearing up for our trip we celebrated our own Christmas for two. I decided to give Stefan a surprise trip for use at a future date since we really appreciate gifts of time. I already have a few ideas as to where we could go and what we could do, and he won't have to lift a finger. He won't even know where we are going until we check in at the airport or get on the train.

Christmas Fondue

Since we will be spending Christmas in America, we gathered early for the family fondue, which is a Christmas tradition. Even though it's a broth fondue as opposed to one with oil, the food is seriously filling. My mother in law usually makes about 13 different kinds of meats in addition to many sauces and vegetables. Stefan usually eats as if I never feed him and we all enjoy many glasses of wine and interesting conversations. Of course the conversation gets more interesting as the night goes on.

I still will never understand why guests bringing a dish or helping out hasn't caught on here. I am looking forward to that potluck approach for our American christmas. This will be the first real American christmas for Stefan and he doesn't really know what to expect. Surprisingly this is also going to be the first time Stefan and I have ever flown to the US together, which is kind of amazing.

Oh Christmas Tree

Tomorrow we are going to visit Oma, so today we attempted to have a bit of festive cheer to give us something nice to come home to.

Since we'll be traveling so much, we opted for a 10€ replacement tree. It's minimal, festive, and will last well into the winter months. I can already say the smell of fresh pine is so wonderful.

Now we just need to get a few more of our decorations out, since we're going to the US in just about a week!

After I picked out everything I wanted, the florist said, it's 'klein aber fein' (small but nice). I definitely agree!

nativity

While I was shopping I saw the most beautiful nativity designed by a company called ˚es. It is very minimal and comes flat, in a mailer, for a simple, yet beautiful gift.

I'm sure it would even be enhanced with dramatic lighting. If you are lucky enough to live in the Munich area, you can find it at Magazin (inside Fünf Höfe).

(images ˚es)