MIssion Accomplished - German meal in Southern California

 

The German half of my heritage came through for me and I managed a German meal that met with my son's approval. He only wished we were still overseas (no legal drinking age to speak of) so he could have a Radler - half beer/half lemonade. We didn't get to the German deli but made due with some respectable Bratwurst sold at Costco. No complaints and clean plates. I've earned my play time on the computer this evening.

Anyone want the recipe for the garlic/sausage mashed potatoes, let me know. Actually, we first had them in Hungarford, England but they go much better with Bratwurst. And, yes, the garlic featured in the right hand, top picture was all used in the potatoes.

Post-Vacation Quilting has Begun . . .

Even with a late start to the day, I finally dragged out the quilt I had been working on last month and got some real progress under way. It is a Christmas present and I know from past experience that I can't look at time as being that far away or slow in arriving! Christmas peers around the corner just waiting to pounce on unsuspecting quilters who procrastinate.

Another reason to clear out the project shelf is a trip to the fabric warehouse on Monday. Nope, don't really need fabric but I enjoy looking for finds and deals. I'm always on the lookout for religious fabrics as well as ones that have blocks of pictures. I like cutting the blocks into separate squares, putting a border on them and reinventing them into baby quilts.

Since I'm hopeful of building up my vacation fund, again, I'm digging out the All Saints' Day costume patterns with hopes of selling them on-line again this year. The red chasuble priest costumes with Our Lady of Guadeloupe on the front were good sellers last year as were the tilmas for prospective Juan Diegos. I like to sew and my brood is too big for costumes these days. Sigh . . . you send them to college and they go all mature on you. Go figure . . .

Dinner is in the preparation stages. My son wanted a German meal because he says he is homesick for German food and if he can't make a dash for Munich, he'll settle for Mom's version - Bratwurst, garlic mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut.

Hope everyone is looking forward to or already enjoying (depending on your time zone in the world!) a blessed Sunday with your families.

Bastogne - a look back at World War II

Another collage of pictures. This time, from our visit to Bastogne where the 101st Airborne defended the besieged town during the Battle of the Bulge. The center picture was our guide in the city who was also a 'witness' from World War II so could tell us first hand about that time in history as he lived it. The inside views of the church are especially memorable for us as our guide whispered a request to the church organist who, in turn, played the United States National Anthem on the pipe organ for us. Complete quiet in the church when he finished playing and more than a few tears were shed. Bastogne has a great love and respect for the United States and we saw our flag flying in many places.

Lemon Curd

The first time I heard 'lemon curd' when I was a child, I just knew I didn't want anything to do with a name like that, especially the 'curd' part! With maturity came a great inclination for lemons and whatever can be made out of them. Lemon curd is now a favorite of mine. It is a thickish sauce, very lemony and tart which goes well over gingerbread cake, plain yellow cake, or even sandwiched between two sugar cookies. It isn't bad on toasted wholewheat bread, either. I don't think anyone would turn it down if it came with hot biscuits from the oven.

Lemon Curd

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, cut in pieces
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

In a small but heavy saucepan over a medium heat setting, whisk the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice to blend. Add the butter, lemon zest, and extract. Cook while constantly stirring until the mixture is thickened. Pour into a small container and cool for 10 minutes before storing it in the refrigerator for complete chilling. Should be stored in the refrigerator.

Beautiful reminder . . .

“I turn to you, dear parents, and implore you to imitate the Holy Family of Nazareth.” 
~St. John Vianney

Reinventing travel treats at home . . .

 

Soft pretzels seemed to abound in Europe this year. Since it has been a long time since I've visited Germany, I couldn't say if this is a new thing or if it has been going on for a long time. All I can say is that you can buy a warm, soft pretzel on most any corner, bakery, or restaurant. They are chewy on the outside with just enough salt and soft on the inside. In fact, we noted that they offer them split like a sandwich and filled with everything from just butter to a variety of meats and cheeses. We have missed the ease at which we could pick up a couple of pretzels for a late evening snack or a quick breakfast on our way to catch a bus for a day out.

Since it was Friday and we observe meatless Fridays, I made Cream of Celery soup, a favorte in the family. I needed something to round out the meal and decided to try making my own pretzels. Given the shortage of time, I didn't make the normal twists but pretzel rolls. Very easy and fun . . . and it went with the soup!

Soft Pretzels as Devised by Barbara!

2 tablespoons yeast
1/4 cup tap water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
4 cups all purpose flour
Water as needed
Coarse salt for sprinkling

Mix yeast with 1/4 cup water, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Let is set a minute or so and then add the salt, flour, and enough water to form a workable dough. Knead for a few minutes until smooth. Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap (grease one side to prevent sticking when it rises - vegetable spray is great) and let double in size - about 30-40 minutes.

When the dough is well on its way to rising, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add two tablespoons baking soda. Turn down to a simmer.

Get your dough out of the bowl and briefly knead. Now you can either form the dough into pretzel shapes or just cut little loaves or rolls out of it. Place on a greased baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise about 15 minutes depending on the room temperature. The warmer the house, the fast it will rise.

Prepare another baking sheet - grease it and scatter cornmeal on it. Not a huge amount, just a generous dusting.

One at a time, place one of your risen pretzels rolls in the simmering water, let it 'cook' for 10 seconds on each side and then drain and place on your prepared pan. Sprinkle them with the coarse salt. Keep them a few inches apart to allow for rising. If the prepared pan is filled and you have more rolls left to treat, just cover them while you bake the first batch (abut 15-25 minutes depending on size you make) at 350 degrees. When they are almost finished baking, prepare the rest of your pretzel dough on another baking sheet.

And the rest of Munich, Germany

Learned something interesting that I never really thought about but the symbol of Munich is a monk . . . because that is what Munich means . . . monk! The figure of the monk shows him holding a Bible but some of the tourist stuff shows him holding the national drink . . . a beer! The joke is that he is holding 'the liquid Bible'. Also, another of our favorite eating places in Munich, the Ratskeller. The entrance was at street level but you had to go down a long flight of stairs to get to the actual restaurant. Too many beautiful sights to snap pictures of and we came home regretting all the ones we missed. Yes, we have already started a new vacation fund.

A last visit to all our favorite sights in Munich, Germany

The day before we flew home, my son and I just walked around the main squares of Munich and snapped pictures of some of our favorite places. Although we were tired and ready to go home, we were already realizing that we were going to miss the time we spent here in Germany. The last time I was in Munich was almost 30 years ago. The place definitely had changed a lot but it still felt comfortable. All the old landmarks were still in place and we soon found our away around. Okay, we did get lost a few times but that only added to the adventures. We won't talk about the two-hour walk in the rain while reading a wet map! The Augustiner Cafe in the collage was a favorite eating place for us. It had a huge outdoor eating area right on the square plus an even bigger, inside restaurant. The noise in the evening was deafening but fun. The food was also excellent and very German.