• Springerle or Aniseed cookies

    A photo of springerle aniseed biscuits.

    I continue with my series on German Christmas biscuits and want to tell you about the most famous cookie in Schwaben or Schwabia, the area in which my in-laws, Karl and Leni, live. Any housewife who has any self-respect whatsoever puts a lot of effort into her Springerle and it is a highly talked about cookie. As always, the recipe is to be found at the end of this post.

  • Macarons or Macaroons

    A photo of macaroons from Paris.

    I was checking out some of my favorite blogs and found a great recipe for spaghetti squash on chocolate and zucchinis blog with links to other blogs and on one of these (http://verysmallanna.com/) I found a recipe for macaroons (or macarons depending on where you live). So instead of doing spaghetti squash (promise to do so later), I am going to do a piece on macaroons that involves amongst other things, lunch with friends and the French gendarmes / police

  • Christmas market in Forchtenberg, Germany

    A photo taken at Forchtenberg Christmas market.
    One of the many things I like about Germany is the traditional Christmas market. They have such great atmosphere and are so beautifully decorated that I just love walking around and looking at the stands. Most villages these days have little cabins so that the traders don’t have to freeze their butts off in the snow and rain. It’s still damn cold in the huts, but they have little heaters and Gluhwein to keep them warm.

  • A cook on the Grumpy side

    Today's recipe: Butternut Squash Lasagna
    The finished lasagna.

    Today is the official launch of my new unofficial blog section, “A cook on the grumpy side”. This new category will cover all my bloopers and maybe even my bad moods, which of course are few and far between…unless you believe my husband. And needless to say, he is still in the naughty corner where he will remain until he learns to behave better, or my mood changes.

  • A restaurant near Nurnberg

    A photo of a waitress in a traditional dirndl.
    The Three Wise Men have once again proved their worth. After growling my way through the last month trying to stick to my Weight Watchers points, The Family (of three) took a vote that I should be taken to a restaurant before I actually ate any of them. You don’t need to give me Gold (okay, maybe), Incense (stinks anyway) and Myrrh (am going to have to look up what it is before I continue…) to make me happy – JUST FEED ME!!

  • Steak and kidney pie

    A photo of steak and kidney pie with mash and beet.
    Of all my wonderful memories of England, steak and kidney pie is way up there as a fixed favorite. Friends and family would try to have me eat other foods, but I just HAD to try the steak and kidney pie wherever we went. With LOTS of gravy and NO peas.

  • Christmas markets by day

    Today’s recipe: Christstollen (The recipe is at the very end of the post. Da ist auch ein Link zu einem Deutschen Rezept ganz unten.)

    A traditional German Christstollen.
    I had hoped to get to another Christmas market of an evening to practice my night (naught) photographic skills, but (lucky for you) I have been unable to get to any of late (and late) so day views of how it gets set up (with German efficiency) and clearer photos are on today’s order. Phew, that was a long self-interrupting sentence.

  • Merry Christmas Everyone!

    A photo taken in our neighbourhood.
    Thank you for reading my blog! I hope you get as much pleasure out of reading it as I get out of writing it. I intend to continue bothering you with my ranting and raving, and have some cool new ideas for next year...