gelato makes everything better

The only good thing about the immunizations is stopping for gelato / sorbet afterwards at Lorenzo Corno's. Today, he even had cheesecake gelato, which is perfect timing since it's National Cheesecake Day (at least in the US).

This time I was proud to not have any 'kreislauf' (circulation) issues or near fainting spells, although my arms certainly weren't this sore last time.

One more visit to the doctor's and then we'll be on our way!

Geimpft (immunized)

Today we got our first of three rounds of vaccinations at the University. It's nice that they have a special clinic that deals especially with immunizations that are needed for travel.

The Fit for Travel website is also very useful - for both English and German speakers, as is the Center for Disease Control for up to date country specific information.

Something that I really love here in Germany is that they have a yellow passbook that holds all of their immunization records.

Stefan just filled his up, so we both got a new one. His has all of the shots he's been given from the day he was born until now.

I had to tell the doctor my last shots were in 8th grade, which earned me a bit of a scolding. We were both behind on our boosters, however we'll be nearly caught up by the time we leave in September- at least with the most important ones.

Unfortunately I have a history of passing out from shots and I could feel it coming on, so the doctor prepared a drink to get my blood pressure back up which seemed to do the trick.

Mothers also get a book while they are pregnant that they always carry and contains their health records. As the Germans would say, 'wirklich praktisch' (really practical). It certainly does make life easier.

Insurance here has claimed they will pay for all of our vaccinations, which would be very nice considering we went for round one and easily spent over 500€ just today.

After I was having blood pressure issues the doctor laughed as told us he had another women who went to pay and they told her how much she owed that she passed out (also due to low blood pressure).

Happy ♥ Day!

Today is to our hearts - literally.

I made some heart healthy breakfast bars and then we met with Bruno, our trainer. For dinner we enjoyed some red wine and garlic to add to the theme of our heart minded day. It's a good thing we're married to survive the aftermath. Both from the garlic and from limping around like old people - from our bottle of wine at dinner and work out hangovers from Bruno.

For dinner we went to Tapas Teatro in Haidhausen, which is a decent attempt at a Spanish Tapa's restaurant. It was a 'staycation' experience and I would have guessed we were in Spain. The meal was delicious, but even if it wasn't, I would be disillusioned by the wonderful company that Stefan always provides.

One of the things that I absolutely love about my husband is his simplicity. For example, I love that he tips waiters and waitresses like an American. It's nice to bring happiness to people in the easiest of ways and I love that he realizes this. It's a dreary day to work - surrounded by couples and away from your own partner... or reminded of your loneliness. Here a 15% tip will get you extra drinks after a meal and a handshake when you leave. I also got a good laugh as we were finsihing our drinks when the waiter said, 'Hey Stefan how'd you like that wine?' while conferring with the table next to us as to which bottle they should order.

It's often easy to overlook the simple things. This isn't a day when flowers or chocolates are important. While I appreciate them as much as the next girl, for me it's simply a day to to appreciate what you have, and to let the people in your life know it.

I hope that you had a Happy Valentine's Day and were able to let someone special in your life know how much they mean to you!

Healthy Cooking

Yesterday I made my favorite sea salt oatmeal coconut chocolate cookies using coconut flour, which is gluten free and high in fiber. The cookies look slightly different than they have when I made them before, but they were equally delicious and healthier than ever.

We are eating fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal, but somehow it doesn't seem to be enough. I'm really trying to learn more about unconventional ingredients that work against peaking blood sugar and are more fiber rich. In addition to the Organic Coconut Flour, I also got some Organic Blue Agave sweetener.

I haven't used the sweetener as of yet, although it can be used in any recipe that calls for sugar. The only struggle is figuring out how much to use since it's slightly sweeter than sugar and comes as a liquid.

Next I may try baked goods with vegetables cooked in.