All I Want From America Is...

In a few weeks two of my best girl friends will be coming to Munich for a visit!  We have a jam packed 4 day schedule that I will post about another time.  I'm excited to show them the places that make Munich unique and for a chance to show them where Husband and I are living!  I know we are going to have a great time and I absolutely can not wait.

Even though we already have established that Germany is not a third world country, there are some things that an American girl can miss while overseas.  My friends asked for a list of what I "need" and here is what I said:

1. Tampax Pearl- Yes, this list is prioritized.

2. Secret Sheer Dry Solid Deodorant- I haven't found any antiperspirants only deodorants so far. Why mask a smell when you can prevent the sweat?

3. Aveeno Aerosol Sunscreen SPF 50+- Go ahead laugh it up! Red heads understand...

4.Bath and Body Works Stress Relief Eucalyptus Mint Shower Gel/Bubble Bath and Body Lotion (Not in the glass bottle)- A former Teacher Appreciation gift gone addiction.

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5. Clorax Bleach Pen- A request from the creative lady over at Cut and Tear who will hopefully give us ladies an art museum tour of some of Munich's finest works.

6. Pure Vanilla, Pure Almond, and Peppermint Extract- Husband and I might not have enough food to last 3 months in the event of a Y2K type episode, but I'm working hard to create my Extract stock pile.

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7. Packets of Concord Foods Banana Smoothie Mix- I just really wanted something from Wal-Mart to remind me of those crazy shopping trips back home.

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8. Packets of Ranch Dressing- I have pinned just way too many recipes on Pinterest that call for this stuff!

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9. Flea Market Style Magazine- It's like Pinterest but on glossy paper.

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 *AND* My super big wish but it's a far out there stretch are a pair of these guys.  Not only did I take chemistry at least two times in college, but I taught science, and they remind me of Sheldon Cooper.  Three reasons why I "need" a pair. 

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 It is interesting to realize the things you miss when they are no longer easily within reach.  Sure I can live without the items and no I don't really "need" them but they sure would be nice to have again.  As Fraulein Maria sang, these are a few of my favorite things!  I wonder what would be on your list?

American Woman Signing Out,

Sweet Petunias

Husband and I spent the weekend pretty low key.  Since last week I still seem to be battling a bit of a spring cold.  All of the trees and flowers are finally in full bloom and we've had a lot of rain here in Munich.  No doubt there are some allergies and colds going around. 

We did get a chance to plant some new flowers.  In Germany during the summertime it is pretty common for people to place flower baskets over their balcony railings. By late summer you sometimes will see Petunias bursting out of their baskets in massive groupings.  Petunias are a popular choice and they seem to grow quite well in the area. 

My Inspiration

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Our New Petunias Outside the Bedroom Window

We have a ways to go!

I decided to give Petunias a shot this year in hopes of achieving my own overflowing baskets of bright colors.  We planted two red and one deep purple in a basket just over a foot long.  These flowers are special to me because they remind me of my grandfather.  He loved Petunias and even used to call me Sweet Petunia when I was a kid. Hopefully we will have a beautiful flowering display come the next couple of months. 

In other news, Husband and I both had the pleasure of Skyping with our mother's today.  With our big year in 2012, we could not have done it all without the help of our moms.  Thank you guys for everything you have done for us not only last year but every day before then.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Happy Sunday,

Two Homesick Texans

Today is Father's Day in Germany!  We had the day off and every place is closed.  I did not get out of bed until about 4 p.m. due to a sore throat and swollen glands.  Eck. Husband wins big points for cooking, walking the dog, running two loads in the dishwasher, changing out the laundry, unclogging drains, and reestablishing a sparkling lemon fresh bathroom.  I did get around to looking at hotels for some very special visitors we have coming at the end of this month.  Two of my best girl friends and their hubbies will be with us in Munich for 5 days!

Somehow this hotel search lead to reminiscing through old photographs on Facebook...A.D.D. much?  Lately, Husband and I have really been missing our friends from back home.  These are the people who have seen us at our worst, the weirdest craziest times, and those that are so special in our memories.  Nestled here so close to the Alps, surrounded by 9 other countries, we are craving some good o' hometown times;

-A Friday night spent watching the Texas Rangers play under the warm evening sky
-A good spin around the dance floor singing country music at the top of our lungs
-Sitting around the fire pit drinking Shiner Bock roasting marshmallows
-Enjoying shrimp on the Gulf of Mexico
-Queso on any patio in North Dallas
-Tailgating, friendly football rivalries on college game day

OH The Things They Could Tell...

Hopefully in a few weeks we will make some super great new memories. Then someday we will sit around the fire pit once again, talking about that crazy trip over to Munich, Germany.

Y'all Come Visit,

Honey Almond Zucchini Carrot Bread

Yesterday was May 1st! Can you believe it?  Weren't we all just gathered around the Christmas tree opening pretty little packages? Anyways, back to May...the first day of the month is celebrated in different ways around the world.  A friend back in Texas leaves on doorsteps candy filled baskets, some celebrate in traditional clothing around a May pole, and here in Germany it is called Tag der Arbeit, or "Day of Work".  That's right folks, it's the German version of LABOR DAY!!! Meaning no work and thus causing 11 hours of UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP!

After waking from my deep May slumber I was itching to do something with the zucchini collecting in my fridge.  (You all wake up with first thoughts of zucchini right?!) What could be better than an old time favorite, zucchini bread?  OH wait, a "HEALTHY" version. Unfortunately, or fortunately, baked goods do not usually last more than a day around my house.  The great thing about this bread is that it is made with 3/4 a cup of honey instead of sugar.  I always buy local honey because it is thought to help with area allergies.  Thinking about the honey got me curious about trying almond extract instead of the normal vanilla.  I always love honey almond flavored sweets and it is one of my favorite lotion scents. So at the last minute I put in a teaspoon of pure almond extract.

When I opened the fridge, next to the zucchini I noticed a lone carrot on the verge of being a not so beautiful orange creature.  After I chopped up the zucchini in my miniature food processor I did the same thing to the carrot.  My thought being, if people put carrots in cakes why not try it in a bread? And this is how Zucchini Bread became Honey Almond Zucchini Carrot Bread.

Honey, Oil, Yogurt, Egg, Cinnamon, Baking Soda, Salt, Zucchini, Carrot, Flour, Vanilla Almond Extract

Chopped Zucchini and Carrots

The Wet Ingredients

The Flour Mixture Added to the Wet Ingredients

 Evenly Poured

 Baked Goodness

 Through out the house I could smell the honey as the bread baked in the oven.  The almond flavoring added a nice subtle aroma to each bite.  And when I heard my husband say with a mouthful "Oh. Wow." I knew this recipe was blog worthy.  Let me know if you give it a try and what you think.

Happy Labor Day,

Weekend Wrap-Up

This weekend was the perfect example of why we chose to move to Munich.  Through all the tough adjustments and stressful decisions we are finally at a point where the loose ends are tied up and we are enjoying our stay. It is a definite slow down from our past fast paced life style and we are loooooving it!

Saturday, Husband and I headed to a festival called Auer Dult.  The festival first started in 1905 and is considered Europe's largest market for kitchen goods.  It is located on Mariehilfeplatz right on the grounds of a catholic church.  One half of the platz is lined with rows and rows of antiques, pottery, kitchen tools and gadgets.  The other side of Mariehilfeplatz was a fair ground with tons of rides, a ferris wheel, and food stands with delicious smells filling the air.

Mariehilfe                                          Finally found my name!

After Auer Dult, Husband and I randomly found a cute coffee cafe near the university. The place had a lovely vintage feel.  My favorite part were the menus that all had been taped inside old German chapter books. Enjoying a cup of coffee, in the beautiful spring weather, with a great atmosphere is always a relaxing time.

 

Sunday, I convinced my homebody of a husband to take a picnic to Stanburg See.  Despite the overcast cooler weather, we had a wonderful time walking the trails.  Shelby even ran straight into the lake in true lab fashion!  I think I could have sat for hours staring out at sailboats crossing the water.  It was a nice change of scenery from the usual busy city of Munich. 

In love with Starnburg See!               Shelby Sunday Fishing

Husband and I also finally started getting our patio ready for the nice spring weather that has arrived.  We planted a few new flowers and hope to start a tomato plant or two.  It looks like we also will be getting rid of our current patio table and chairs as it is too large for the space.  There is not an unawkward way to take a seat.  Although, it is hard to give up entertaining with table settings, we have decided to try a more casual lounge set instead.  We feel it will suit the space better.  More updates to come later!

The Before, Ready for a redo!

Enjoying Spring,

Therapy

I was so homesick Saturday that Husband took me to therapy.  Ok, it was really shopping therapy.  Sometimes when a girl is feeling down, a day shopping is the perfect cure!  

We started the day off with a stop at Ikea.  This is the perfect home away from home for us because, if you don't know, Ikea is the same everywhere you go!  No matter what, you can count on the massive yellow and blue concrete box, filled with thousands of other boxes, hustling and bustling with people carrying home their ready to assemble treasures.  The only difference between a German and American Ikea is that beneath the Swedish price tags you will find the descriptions in Deutsch. Hello, Google Translate!

Ikea on a Saturday=Bravery

No trip to Ikea is complete without of course, a stop in their perfectly planned out cafeteria.  A meatball plate is exactly the same an ocean away except for the added horse meat. (Thank goodness they fixed that problem)  There is nothing quite like drowning your homesick blues under a big pile of meatballs and gravy.

"That's a good meatball."

About a month ago I was flipping through a German Instyle magazine.  Inside, I found a glossy ad with a very familiar logo for TKMaxx. Confused as to what happened to the J in TJMaxx, one of my British friends told me that TKMaxx is a clothing chain in England and there is one here in Munich.  Apparently, it is the same company, colors, logo and all, just with a K instead of a J.  My mouth dropped open and I immediately was dumbfounded as to why I had not known about this or more importantly, been there yet!

Feels Like Home!

So after Ikea, my wonderful husband drove me about 45 minutes outside of Munich to visit TKMaxx.  I spent the next hour in hunting shopping bliss.  Lucky for Husband, there was a conveniently located electronics store just on the other side of the parking lot.  Later on when he returned to TKMaxx he found me pushing one of their well known little plastic shopping carts, filled with a few wonderful items.

The Loot

After seeing some style inspirations on the blog All Things Katie Marie, I knew I needed wanted some skinny printed jeans.  Normally I'm a plain sweater, jeans and boots type of girl, but the Germans have clearly embraced the 80s, so why shouldn't I?  In the clearance section I found some coral, brown, and tan striped jeans.  Hearing my husband doubt these pants and making a sour face made me want to purchase them even more!  I tried the wild things on, they fit, I bought them.  I brought the pants home, tried out some different shirt/shoe scenarios and now Husband admits "they are not so bad."  So yay! I made my very first clothing purchase in Germany.  It only took me 9 months to gain the courage and desperation to figure out what my "European" size is!

Dare to be Daring

I haven't actually worn these pants out in public yet... but I'm hoping to get the guts to do so soon!

Happy Shopping Therapy,

Try to Walk Away...and I Stumble

Super embarrassing moment today.  

For this story you need to get familiar with the setting in which it takes place:

Every Thursday I take 8 kids from my class to a gym a block away from our school.  We rent out a room for two hours and the kids work on stretching, cardio, and large motor skills with our school's coach.  The gym is in one of the finest neighborhoods in Munich and is extremely swanky.  When you first step inside there is an espresso/cappuccino/smoothie bar surrounded by a fireplace and white leather European sofas.  It is dark, relaxing, and very contemporary.  There isn't a water cooler but rather a water station with different carafes of cucumber, orange, and lemon water. The machines are high tech, there aren't television screens running along the top of the walls or awkward techno music blaring out of the speakers. In the back of the gym you can smell relaxing aromas, see rooms with massage tables, and in the oasis that is the bathroom, there is a hot steamy sauna.  This gym is over the top nice.  I couldn't even come close to affording a membership here if I wanted.

So today...the kids are all walking in a line towards our work out room.  I'm at the back of the line with the last child.  As we turn the corner from the entryway and into the main gym room, I look over my shoulder to the last kid and say "Come on, let's walk a bit faster".  Right as the word "faster" slips out of my mouth my foot runs into a machine.  My right leg is knocked up and my left leg is forced to jump up and over the machine causing me to stumble forward. My arms spring out in front of me and my whole body jolts as I trip all over the floor.  Immediately, 3 guys gathered around a computer screen to my left, are spurting out in German "Alles ok?", "Are you okay?", "Kann ich Ihnen helfen?", "Can I help you?" They looked very similar to the following picture:

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It was a moment out of a Hollywood movie.  I'm. not. even. joking.  Time seemed to move in verrrrrrrry slow motion as I regained my step.  Flabbergasted, I just laughed it off, and replied "Alles gut, danke." ("Everything is good, thank you.") 

Who says you need to dress scandaless to get a guy's attention? Just fall on your face! (And yes, my husband laughed when I told him this story!!!)

In other news: 

Check out what we had for dinner tonight!

Remember the lyrics "I think I'm turning Japanese  I think I'm turning Japanese"?  Well, I'd like to change that to "I think I'm turning Japanese German." During the work week it is very common for Germans to eat a cold, fresh, finger food meal.  Usually, hot cooking is left to weekend meals. I'm starting to like this cultural norm after a long day in kindergarten. 

Tonight we ate:

-Pretzel cheese rolls

-Basil, mozzarella, and tomatoes

-Red bell peppers

-Salami

-Gouda cheese

-Avocado

-Black Forest Ice Cream (no joke, cherries and all!)

Everyone have a good Friday and watch your step out there! (Unless you're single, then may the best stumble be with you!)