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. 

Gift guide: Art

1. sneaker customization kit - for those that want customized shoes or love to design
2. digital time lapse camera - video making made simple and weather resistant!
3. michelle armas calendar - or a painting if someone's been extra good this year.
4. ona camera bag organizer insert - camera protection and organization in a bag you already own
5. coptic marker sketch set - refillable and with replaceable nibs
6. peas USB hub - sleek, practical, and useful
7. uten.silo - organization for offices, studios, or kitchens
8. brush vase - for flowers or paint brushes
9. ipad CF & SD card reader - makes storing photos on the go simple.
10. slice scissors - gorgeous steel scissors
11. iphone case - find something pretty, or design your own
12. pebeo porcelaine 150 - paints to decorate your own ceramics at home

Bunnies

These Lindt chocolate displays always make me happy to see all of those metallic bunnies in a row. This year I've even seen white and dark chocolate available.

Parisian New Year

It is going to take me days to pour over the photos we've taken in Paris. To say we had an amazing time bringing in the New Year would be a massive understatement.

Hope 2011 is treating you just as well!

Bonne Année

Thanksgiving + Lebkuchen

With the holidays quickly approaching we had a jump start on Thanksgiving, since we are unable to celebrate on the actual day. I decided to surprise Stefan with a small feast when he came home from work and I made everything on my own from scratch.

This was the menu:
Spinach Salad
Pumpkin Apple Soup
Apple + Onion stuffing
Blood Orange Cranberry Sauce
Whipped Sweet + Mashed Potatoes
Chestnuts
Turkey

...and dessert consisted of Pumpkin Delights sent from my parents in the US. I kind of ran out of time to make a dessert, because I've been trying several lebkuchen recipes.

So far they have all been relatively successful.

The biggest problem is storing them for several weeks so the flavors can intensify, because I keep making cookies and they are continually disappearing. I guess that's a good sign.

I'm planning on heading up to Nürnberg sometime during their Christmas Market to get some of their flourless cookies, which are fantastic. My flourless version are slightly less picturesque, but at least they taste good.

Gift guide: Him + Her

1. Graffiti Mug - Draw until it's perfect then bake for a custom mug. (image plastic land)

2. Beer + Chocolate tasting - Find the perfect mix of salty and sweet. (image theo chocolate)

3. Bike spooklight - Charges by USB, enables braking and turn signals for optimal road safety. (image 50 cycles)

4. Buck Stacking game - A modern game of skill. (image uncommon goods)

5. Magwear Helper - A simple way to hold screws and nails. (image spoon sisters)

6. New Skewers - Nature inspired skewers that help foods cook faster. (image nextrend products)

7. Your name novel - Insert the names of yourself, friends, or family in timeless novels. (image u star novels)

8. O'Clock Watch - A beautiful array of versatile watches. (image oclock)

9. Light up books or the enlightenment - Perfect for bibliophiles or as a quirky accent piece. (image light up your world)

10. Tulip USB - More USBs in a decorative manner. (image fred flare)

11. Westelm Manzanita Candelabra - The perfect touch of nature for an elegant table decoration. (image west elm)

12. Colorku - A great Sudoku twist for visual types using color instead of numbers. (image garnet hill)

Gift guide: For a Cause

1. Sagaform Fresh Herb pot - Finally an easy way to attempt to have an herb garden that rivals my Mom's. There's also a three pot version available. (image Sagaform)

2. Time Lapse Plant Camera - A fun look at how plants - or anything else - changes and grows overtime. (image Signals)

3. Rose stem cleaner - Another excuse to buy and receive more roses. (image spoon sisters)

4. Origami banks - Pretty banks that donate money to St. Jude when you purchase. (image west elm)

5. J. Schatz Egg Lamp - The only downfall of city living is not having zillions of stars above - bring the stars inside with this dreamy lamp. (image J Schatz)

6. Pigeon Toe Ceramics handmade garden stakes - Pretty markers that are great for those that love fresh herbs. (image pigeon toe ceramics)

7. Kiva small loan - Help someone around the world finance their small business. (image kiva)

8. Gaiam Smart Powerstrip - Stops wasting energy when things are plugged in. (image gaiam)

9. Aladin Bento Box - Save money by packing a lunch. This small bento keeps hot food hot and cold food chilled for up to 4 hours. (image aladin)

10. Silver Origami Crane Necklace - An international symbol of peace that donates food to animal shelters with purchase. (image animal rescue site)

11. Water Pebble - Save water while showering, although there's a catch - overtime it recalculates so it's progressive. (image water pebble)

12. Recycling Bin Cart - An organized way to keep recyclables in order. (image frontgate)

Gift guide: Travel

1. Michele Varian Chalkboard Globe - A great planning tool and a pretty decor piece. (image Michele Varian)

2. Sam Hect Jet Lag Alarm - A convenient way to deal with international travel and figuring out sleep times. (image A+R)

3. These are Things 2011 Calendar - A beautiful limited edition letterpress calendar that makes it easy to schedule trips - and made in Ohio! (image these are things)

4. Artecnica KnoWhere Cosmos Clock - Finally a clock that makes it easy to tell what time it is in a variety of global cities. (image Artecnica)

5. Simplicitas Wolf Udo Wagner Picnic Set - Reusable stackable plates that travel everywhere. (image Simplicitas)

6. CARES Child Aviation Restraint System Harness - Lightweight and hassle free way to strap kids into airplanes without hauling a car seat. (image cares)

7. Aerobed Packmat - A portable mattress for quality sleeping virtually anywhere. (image aerobed)

8. North Face Base Camp Duffel - The small version is a fantastic carry-on and weekend bag. We also have the large 'Rolling Thunder'. These bags are durable and easy to pack and unpack. Hands down my favorite and most used piece of luggage. (image the north face)

9. Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky - Unless you're on the list of the Most Traveled People chances are good most of these islands will forever be arm chair travels. It's still pretty incredible to think of all the unique places in this world. (image amazon)

10. Atelier Pompadour Felted World Map - Made to order with your own travel route. (image atelier pompadour etsy)

11. Plastic Land ceramic Paris plates + mugs - A whimsical way to celebrate a romantic city at your own table. (image plastic land)

12. Hapticlab Softquilts - Maps made into quilts that are sure to be heirlooms of special places. (image haptic lab)

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)

Gift guide: Toddler + Pet

1. Learning Tower - A stable tower that makes children countertop level so they can help in the kitchen or it can be used for forts and puppet shows. (image learning tower)

2. Little Pim DVDs- Learning language while young is the best method, so these educational DVDs can help. (image little pim)

3. Kalon Studios hut hut - A modern take on a rocking chair. (image kalon studios)

4. KidO stack + nest - Nesting objects for stacking or playing with during bath time. (image KidO)

5. 36 cube - For those older children who love puzzles. (image think fun)

6. Kaiku design wagon - A double seated wagon that's perfect for long walks or going to the market. (image Kaiku Desigh)

7. KidO memory matching game - Two levels of difficulty with extra cards available. The images are beautiful and can be used for learning. (image Kid O)

8. Haba Kaleidoscopic Blocks - Color mixing for budding artists and architects. (image Haba)

9. Uncle Milton Pet's Eye View - Collar camera that allows you to view the world as your pet does. (image Uncle Milton)

10. Spellwell cat toy - A decapitated mouse toy for cats. (image etsy Spellwell)

11. Karlie bunny hop - For teaching your bunny the fine art of rabbit hopping, which is a sport that's gaining momentum. (image Karlie)

12. Nina Ottosson dog brick - Keeps your dog entertained and fine tunes problem solving skills. (image Nina Ottosson)

Other sites for pet gifts:
Olive Green Dog
The Modern Pet
Ruffwear

Gift guide: Baby + New Parents

1. KidO Animal Homes - Durable wooden book with beautiful illustrations. (image kido)

2. Sassy mesh teether - An easy way to give babies really food for teething without the choking hazard. (image sassy)

3. Paper boy 'Hand Made' wallpaper - Beautiful wallpaper that's sure to spark imagination. (image paperboy)

4. Moby spout cover - A sweet little whale to protect little ones from bumping their heads in the bath. (image MoMA)

5. Wee gallery Art cards - Black and white cards for a dose of graphic. It's never too early to teach good design. (image Wee gallery)

6. Juvenile solutions baby cubes - An easy way to make and store baby food in the fridge or freezer. (image juvenile solutions)

7. Notneutral wooden blocks - A pretty collection of fonts and alphabet that is multiple puzzles in one. (image Notneutral)

8. Vulli Sophie la Giraffe teether - The iconic French teether that I'm told babies love to gnaw on. (image Vulli)

9. L.L. Bean Sunbuster shelter - Perfect for sunny days at the beach, park, or for building a quiet little den. (image L.L. Bean)

10. Baby Emi jingle anklet - A Cambodian tradition that helps babies become aware of their movements. (image Baby Emi)

11. Milkstars nursing shirt - A shirt that looks normal, but has a hidden panel to allow for easy feedings. (image milkstars)

12. Petit Collage mirror - An acrylic mirror that's safe for babies, who always love staring at themselves. (image petit collage)

Gift guide: Art

1. SLR Pin hole lens - A simple way to capture some of the old world beauty with sophisticated digital results. (image photojojo)

2. iConvert® Portable Document and Photo Scanner - Portable scanning for books, photos, receipts, etc. (image brookstone)

3. Caran D'ache Water Soluble Crayon Sets - Turns drawings into watercolor paintings. (image Caran D'ache)

4. Japanese washi tape - Pretty way to jazz up letters, packages, and more. I brought back quite a few of these when we went to Japan last year. (image masking tape)

5. One sketch a day journal - Great for illustrators and those who enjoy drawing for daily creativity. (image amazon)

6. Muji Paperclips - Beautiful monuments from around the world. (image Muji)

7. How to be an Explorer of the World - Creative projects to do in day to life for inspiration to stop and notice the details. (image amazon)

8. Glow Graffiti - For those aspiring to be the next Banksy. (image uncommon goods)

9. Instant photo mirror - Because everyone loves polaroids. (image uncommon goods)

10. Seletti Pantone boxes - Fun and stylish storage solution. (image Seletti)

11. Graphtec / Quickutz Silhouette SD Craft Cutter - Media cutter to create custom magnets, vinyl, and paper. (image Graphtec)

12. Color Splash Flash - Photo effects through unique color combinations and it's as much fun to use as it is to say. (image photojojo)

Gift guide: Cooking

I love giving gifts and the past couple years I composed gift guides with ideas for the holidays.

Here are some of the interesting cooking related things I've seen throughout the year.

There will be several more gift guides in the coming days and weeks.

1. Dr. Bird Juicer - A pretty hummingbird juicer to add some excitement to the mundane. (image imm)

2. Microplane Herb Mill - Quick and easy way to add fresh herbs to anything, plus fresh herbs smell delightful and I love microplane. (image microplane)

3. Lékué Decopen - This is a modern take on a decopen and had 4 interchangeable brushes, so you can make your meals look like the professionals. I like to write notes to Stefan on the edge of his plate. (image Lékué)

4. Quirky Waffler - This is in the pre-sale phase, because it was developed by an inventor. The waffle machine makes tiny cups, which can be filled with fruits or other breakfast delights. (image Quirky)

5. Jeni's Ice Cream - One of my favorites, and from my home state no less, is Jeni's Ice Cream. Even if Ohio isn't nearby you can order a few pints to have delivered. It's worth the splurge at the holidays and people tend to share edible gifts... (image Jeni's Ice Cream)

6. Carol Keys Measuring Spoons - Simple, yet beautiful and functional accessories to use while baking. (image imm)

7. Grass Holder - A fresh and beautiful place for letters or dishes. (image plastic land)

8. Norpro Bread Forms - An easy way to make canapés and shaped loaves of bread. (image Norpro)

9. Melamine plastic plates - 'Paper plates' that are great for a picnic or everyday use and recyclable as well. (image One Hundred 80 degrees)

10. Menu Stackable Cookware - Made by Christian Bjorn, these stackable oven dishes allow you to cook many things at one time and can go straight from the oven to the table. Form and function unite. (image A+R)

11. Bunny Dishrack - Chris Koens created this adorable dish rack, which would brighten anyones kitchen. (image design-3000)

12. Apron Cooking Guide - This is a great gift particularly for someone that lives abroad or does a lot of converting. (image John Caswell)

Happy gift giving!

Happy Halloween

Nearly every year I decide to create something for Halloween at the very last minute. Finding decorations here isn't so easy, so I decided to make my own. Stefan helped me hang the bats since I can't reach our ceiling even with a step ladder. They turned out very cute.

Our friends Allison and Jamie are visiting for the long weekend, we received a card from the Great Pumpkin, and it's the end of daylight savings time so we get to 'fall back' an hour and have more sleep... so we've already had several great treats.

Here's to hoping your Halloween is just as fun!

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!

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.

Gone but not forgotten

This past Monday was Memorial Day in the US. It's a day to remember those that have sacrificed in serving the country, which unfortunately is a very real and harsh reality for many families even today.

I was surprised and delighted to see that General Harry Collins' grave in Salzburg was visited by his military division. He was largely credited in variety of ways with helping Salzburg after World War II and is also responsible for liberating the Dachau concentration camp.

Happy Valentine's Day!

This year is extra special, because it's also the Chinese New Year / Year of the Tiger!

We celebrated with a much deserved dinner after a full day of packing. Thankfully everything will be finished by this time next week, including furniture deliveries. (Can I tell you how happy I will be when this is finally over?)

For dinner we went to Emiko, a restaurant that opened shortly before we left for our trip, in the new Louis hotel at Viktualienmarkt. The food is Japanese inspired and it was excellent. Lots of tiny portions served family style, which ensured a lot of variety. They also had a lot of little origami decorations hanging around for a sweet touch.

It was such a great way to celebrate - a mix of old favorites (a bottle of one of our favorite wines, Grüner Veltliner) and new classics (touches of Japan when we're missing Tokyo).

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.