It's coming...

The heat waves! This weekend is supposed to be around 90 degrees (or here, in the 30s, yikes), and this country is all about NOT having air conditioning. Ugh. You may have your heat and humidity back in DC and other areas of the U.S. but at least you can escape it inside your own homes. I can't. And I spend a lot of time being inside during the day, either cleaning, cooking, or studying.

After I returned from a trip in the U.S. last summer, I hemmed and hawed and made Matt drive us to the Hornbach (the German equivalent of Home Depot) and purchase a window unit.

We named him Harvey. He's a very important member of our household, even more important during these trying times of summer heat.

Of course, in our apartment, we don't have windows so we have to get creative and rig it with a partially opened door and use masking tape and a big piece of cardboard. It's nowhere near perfect, but it's effective enough when combined with a careful positioning of the fans, keeping the rolladens (super swanky window shades) drawn down to keep the sun out, and also just sitting still. We only have the one Harvey so it lives in our bedroom at night and then we typically move it upstairs during the day if I anticipate being upstairs a lot.

Oh - and there is a moratorium on using the oven for obvious reasons. Thank goodness for the crock pot. I also will be making batches of cold-brewed iced coffee and some iced tea to have at the ready.

Cold brew iced coffee is one of my favorite things. I loooove scooping my Lavazza Qualita Oro coffee in the French press, pouring fresh room temperature water over it, stirring it all up and sticking it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, all I have to do is press out the grounds and it's absolutely perfect with a splash of milk. It offers a great escape from the weather with each sip.

Is it iced coffee weather where you are? This website tells you for sure :-)

The German postal system continues to rock our socks off.

Did you know you can get beer shipped to you?!

As has been stated before, Matt's current favorite brand of beer is Schneider Weisse. It's found down in Bavaria, so it's not one that's easy to find up here in Western Germany. When my parents were in town we went to the brewery for lunch, yet were saddened to find the store closed. Matt was bummed because he wanted a case of most of the varieties they carry. We even tried to head back there on the return trip, but alas.

After checking around at a few Getrankemarkt (which translates to "drink stores") in the area and only finding one variety that we already had, Matt took to ordering it online. He ordered a total of 18 bottles.

Yep, it's a thing. A postman tried to deliver it, but I wasn't at home to receive it, so Matt and I headed to the post office to pick it up. Unfortunately for Matt, it was only in one huge and heavy box so I couldn't be much help. I trailed behind him as he carried it, in a vain attempt to be an effective stop between it landing and smashing on the sidewalk should it slip from his hands.

But yay, it's here! We'll totally do that again. Matt has already enjoyed one on the balcony.

Next time I'll be more aware of when we order it so I can be around to sign for it. It's really nice to have the option to have alcohol delivered to your door - that really speeds up the whole drinking thing, so, hats off to the postal service in Deutschland.

Veggie Chili

So yesterday, I had every intention of going to the grocery store to pick up some extra food.

I soon had to change my plan when I walked out of the house and over to the gym, because this is what I saw:

Desolation....

Not so much destruction....

A stray car here and there....

Which could only mean one thing: It's a German holiday I totally forgot about. Which means everything is closed, and apparently nobody goes anywhere.

I was going to make this sweet potato and black bean chili anyway, but I was bummed I didn't have any sour cream for it. Oh well, next time.

After the gym, I panicked when I saw my aging sweet potato, so I peeled and diced and got rid of any bad looking bits and dunked it into ice water (thanks, internet for telling me that was a thing!) and stuck it in the fridge for later.

I also started getting my extra ingredients out...(yay quinoa!)

(Not pictured: seasonings and probably some other stuff).

Matt was dubious when I told him what I was making, a little concerned about how sweet potato would go in a chili, and I don't blame him. I offered other things (frozen pizza, tortellini) for him to eat but he passed. He's working in the home office right now on the computer, so I had the kitchen all to myself.

How it turned out. I had to cook it for much longer than was stated in the original recipe, and also reduce the liquid (uh, also, I should have pulled out my 5 quart pot and not use my 3 quart, because man that was close to some crazy spillage). A few of the potatoes were still undercooked when I finally had had enough and decided to eat. The quinoa was spot on, though.

I'm pretty sure my ratio of sweet potato (it was a big sucker) to beans and tomato and onion was off. It was a tad too sweet potato-heavy.

The first few bites were a little bland, but then I started to "get" it. It made sense. It also was improved by the shredded cheese and the taco sauce. Matt even gave it a "yeah, this is pretty good" approval. Will definitely be better with sour cream though.

Final verdict: For some reason, this tasted twice as good the next day (today) for lunch. Not only did it heat up well, the flavors meshed a lot better, and I'm sure the spoonful of hot salsa didn't hurt, either. And the cheese.

We still love our meaty chili, but when we're in the mood to try something different, I will certainly give this another go, and probably add some more veggies like red pepper, extra tomato, beans... all sorts of things to junk it up. That's the best part about chili - you can add tons of random things and still call it chili.

Burger Review: Bully's Burger

There's a new burger place in town, called Bully's Burger. Their original location is in Frankfurt, and this branch is a short walk from our apartment, and is actually located in the center of a street close to the train station. I was immediately drawn to it because of its adorable mascot, the bulldog. Their Facebook page is chock full of the sweet, sweet puppydog.

The Mainz location is a super small shop, and Matt and I had previewed the menu online before heading over so we knew what we were doing. Within a few sentences, the guy taking our order asked if we wanted to switch to English (which was nice to ask since most people just switch without asking).

Matt ordered the Mariachi Burger, which had cheese, arugula, tomato, cucumber/pickles, red onion, jalapenos, tortilla, chili sauce, ketchup and mayo. Plus sweet potato fries with an aioli sauce.

Me? I went for the New York Burger: cheese, bacon, fried egg (!!!), some kind of cabbage slaw mix, tomato, onion, cucumber/pickles, BBQ sauce, ketchup and mayo. And also sweet potato fries with the aioli sauce.

Matt and I decided to take our food back home and eat, and that was the right call. There was absolutely no need to be seen in public as I made a 100% mess of myself as I ate this monstrosity. (So sorry for only one picture - Matt was into his before I could get one.) It was similar to other burgers we've had here in that the structural integrity of the bun became compromised with the juicy toppings. I myself had the problem of the bottom bun falling apart close to the end (even though I was shoving it in my mouth rather quickly). And yes, I did cut the thing in half.

The verdict: Matt liked his burger, but not the topping combo. He polished off all his fries and scraped the last bits of aioli clean too. He'd go back.

As for me, I'm still dreaming about this burger. I hadn't had a great burger in a looooong time. I don't think I can ever NOT have a fried egg on top anymore. Next time if I go with other people who would see me eat, I'd probably go for the cheeseburger which would yield a less-messy Kim. The fries were really good too, and you don't see sweet potato fries everywhere. Next time we could certainly split an order of fries, as I couldn't finish mine.

But this NY burger is perfect for those times you are going to eat by yourself in a ravenous and dizzying "MY PRECIOUS" sort of way that nobody wants to see. Just remember to wear a shirt made of paper towels.

Tis the season...

For festivals!

Contrary to the overcast skies outside as I write this, we're coming into the summer season here, which means a lot of sunshine, low humidity, and pleasant temperatures. It's a time when Germany and beyond gets all warm and fuzzy and start celebrating with festivals of music, culture, food and wine.

Oh the wine.

For this reason, I've been spending a lot of time at the gym recently, as I'm trying to bank some calorie burning-action prior to the endless glasses of wine, sausages, cakes, and more. And do some school work so I don't have to stress about it while enjoying all that the season has to offer.

Here are some of the events we did last year that are coming up fast! Who knows what we'll add on this year...

Wine Hike: These are awesome. They are heavy on the wine, very light on the hiking portion. The Eibinger Weinwanderung is a 5k loop with 10 stations setup for you to sample. At the beginning you get this little glass, pay 12 Euro, and at each stand you get a refilled glass. They've really made a game out of it, too, because you get a card to take to each stand for a "stamp" as well. Despite the fact the glass is on the small side and only holds .1 liters, about halfway through it's inevitable that we'll strike up a conversation with Germans our age, people will start passing around bottles.... and things get a little fuzzy. What saved us last year was Matt carrying large bottles of water.

Johannisnacht: It's Mainz's huge summer festival down next to the Rhine. I only got to enjoy one day of it last year, but this time I'm so going every day. And I'll get to see the fireworks this time! Great food, great wine and beer, and even a large selection of cocktails. Even live music and carnival rides. I'm really looking forward to it (especially since that after it's over, my sister is going to be here! Eeeeeeee!)

Lake Como: this isn't currently on our schedule right now, but I would always, always, always go back. It's one of my favorite spots, if not my top. We have two trips on the schedule right now, but I'll share that info later.

Frankfurt Apfelwein Festival! Take the train into Frankfurt, follow the crowds, find a table, and start imbibing in this delicious hard-cider cousin. Matt and I recall fondly the ham sandwiches from last year, which were perfectly moist and only included ham and some sauerkraut on a crusty roll. The music was good too.

Apartment grilling! I want to do all kinds of burgers and some chicken this season. Oh - and pineapple and peppers, mmm.....

Mainz Wine Fest in the Rose Garden: Another favorite. The backdrop is a huge park area, full of flowers (I recall I needed to pop some Claritin last time), and each night we went, we always ended up at the cake stand. Hence the preemptive gym action.

...Because after these have gone, it's not too long before Oktoberfest, and you gotta be in tip-top form for all that beer!

Parents in Europe: Part 3 of 3

Since I still have so many pictures left to share of my parents, I'll try to do them in chronological order, but just post witty captions or explanations for each. Here ya go!

Before Matt went on a work trip, we all decided to hit a castle. And take some pictures by the Rhine. We opted for Burg Sooneck.

 We also got a private tour on the inside, where we had to put on giant slippers. There was a huge bronze chandelier in the dining room and our guide said we could totally take it for free - as long as we carried it out ourselves. Considering it was several hundred pounds, we politely declined.

Oh yeah - this was the first night my parents got here, and their first introduction to true German wine and delicious sausages. It did turn cold as the night wore on, but they were troopers. I kept them awake as long as I could when they got here to get them used to the time change. After taking an afternoon nap they were doing really well!

On the way to the castle - first trip on the autobahn! They tolerated it very well and didn't seem scared. If they were, I didn't know.

Dad tried a nice Belgian beer for the first time. He tried many during the trip, and we landed on his favorite: he likes a pilsner. In fact, he drank a ton of Bitburger that we had at home.

 After Matt had left, my dad really, really really wanted to go back to the "river fest." He wanted a cheese filled sausage, wine, and some spatzle. He thought he wouldn't like spatzle at all, but then he saw it when Matt and I shared one, tried a little, and was hooked. He tried throughout the trip to correctly pronounce it, but to no avail. I obliged and took them back to the fest. Here he is, completely content with a glass of wine and a huge portion of spatzle.

Then I went and got them their sausages. My mom later went up to the coffee stand (all by herself!) and ordered her first of many cappuccinos. That was her drink of choice throughout the trip. Some days she had as many as five cappuccinos.

 After filling up on fest food, I took them on a walk along the Rhine for the afternoon. We stopped to snap a picture at the Mainz Strand, the beach area they setup in the summer.

I walked them all the way down the river to the train bridge and coaxed them on really quickly for another picture.

On the way back to the apartment, we came upon a little setup of old cars, of which my dad was fascinated with. He wasn't used to seeing so many varieties of cars during the time he was here, and looked genuinely pleased with them all.

One of the places we went to eat was Eisgrub. Mainly because you can get towers of beer at the table, but also because the food is outstanding.

 My mom even tried a little beer!

 Like me, my dad got the sauerbraten. My mom got this huge and tasty salad.

Not all days were spent being a tourist. On more than one occasion, my parents were perfectly content to just chill out in the apartment all day. They don't have Netflix, so it was all new and exciting to them to binge-watch old TV shows they hadn't seen, like The Twilight Zone.

Oh yeah - my mom got a fancy new jacket! We went to a German department store and found this gem.

We also ate at home a little. This is a shot of our nibbles night - Matt, me and my dad sampled all six of these Belgian beers, and enjoyed amazing cheese, crackers, rolls, and sausages.

 Yummy stuff!

 Near the end of the trip, my dad kept asking for pretzels. We went around town and got some, and then he went back to this stand - Pretzel World.

Here he is enjoying one!

For the last meal, my mom went for the mushroom cream sauce schnitzel. And very much enjoyed it.

My dad ordered his usual - sausages and sauerkraut.

On the last day, I pulled out Matt and my Oktoberfest clothes to play dress up. My dirndl fits my mom just fine!

 She's so cute!

 And check out my dad....

 ...hamming it up for the camera.

So there you have it, folks. My parents trip to Europe. From the pictures anyway, it looks like they had fun.

Parents in Europe: Part 2 of 3

Road trip to Vienna!

My dad was very adamant about going to Vienna while they were here. Since Matt and I hadn't been there before, we decided to all go. It's about a 7+ hour drive so we elected to break up the trip by first heading to Schneider Weisse for lunch, a brewery in Bavaria, where Matt swears it's his favorite German beer.

Our trip was also the day of my parents 34th wedding anniversary, so I made them pose for pictures. The dark beer here was my cola weizen, which is part beer, part coke. (Don't knock it 'till you try it! I was just looking for something a bit less alcoholic, since it was my turn to drive after lunch).

This was the end of my meal - a turkey steak with potatoes and some of the best veggies I've ever had. My parents were thouroughly happy with their meals as well - dad had the sausages and saurkraut (which he maintains was the best he'd ever had) and my mom had a ham and cheese salad. Yum yum yum.

 We also caved and got an apfel strudel. Flakey and pretty much perfect.

 On the search to find the shop to buy beer, we walked all around the complex, and I snapped this picture of a content (and a bit buzzed) Matt as he posed with the grand tower of beer crates.

 ...But wait, it's not open?!

 No... sadly they were closed for the rest of the day. Sad Matt... Another time, I promise!

Back in the car, we headed on our way, and a few hours later we stopped at the border with Austria. To drive on the Austrian highways, you need a vignette so Matt went inside while I stayed with my parents.

First picture of dad in Austria!

After more driving, we finally made it to the Hilton Danube. We decided to have a late dinner in their restaurant (after first checking out the executive lounge) and then we called it a night.

The next day after breakfast, we took the subway into the city center and stopped first at St. Stephen's Cathedral. At which point it started to rain and rain and rain....But we checked it out.

Happy mother's day, by the way!

Also, I was really smitten with all the horses in Vienna. It's hard to see, but they all have TINY LITTLE HATS FOR THEIR EARS! Oh gosh. So cute.

Next we walked over to the Hofburg Palace for a tour, followed by lunch, and then over to the Schonbrunn Palace for another tour. Matt enjoyed the various statues around the city.

Matt insisted we walk around the gardens afterwards. It was still raining like crazy so my parents decided to pass, but I went along. I felt it was part of my wifely duties. My pants and shoes and socks were soaked.

It was very difficult to get pictures whilst carrying an umbrella (that had a hole in it and was leaking a bit onto my face), but Matt insisted I capture the fountains and assorted neatness. This duck was having a great time.

After we called it a day, made it back to the hotel and dried off, we were just in time for snacks and drinks at the executive lounge happy hour. The forecast for the next day looked much more promising, so we went to sleep thinking dry and sunny thoughts.

We got up early because we decided to take a train through the alps to the small town of Semmering, a ski town during the winter. We took the mountain train because during the week, our foursome could take regional trains anywhere for 35 Euro round trip. A really great deal!

Here we are on the train!

Finally, we get to Semmering. The goal was to walk into town, check out the scenery, and grab some lunch. We somehow ended up taking the long and hike-centered way on the excursion into town. My parents aren't hikers, but they were good troopers getting up hills! And now they can say they hiked through the alps!

Also- we saw this sign a lot in Austria. Matt lovingly referred to it as a child abductor zone. Just something about those hats....

On the way, we stopped briefly in a little church to listen to an organist practice.

But then we found a great lunch spot. Matt and I got the menu of the day which consisted of cream of spargle soup (white asparagus - German-speaking countries LOVE the stuff), followed by pork medallions in a pepper cream sauce with veggies and potatoes, and then a rhubarb cake for dessert. My parents both got these huge salad plates.

Our soups....

And cake....

My mom had spotted an apple strudel-type dish so we inquired about it. We were told it was an apple cake and so we asked for one for my dad.

He was really glad.... look at this apple-tastic creation?!

Since it was shaping up to be a much nicer day, we decided to catch the train back right after lunch and see if we could check out Vienna in the sunshine. On the way back to the train we took a shorter yet equally beautiful route:

Back in Vienna, we walked around the Belvedere gardens.

Quite nice fountains indeed. It was nearly time to eat again, so we walked over to this massive market area where they had vendors for everything setup, including some restaurants. I was particularly in the mood for Italian, so we found a cute little place and sat down.

I started out with an Aperol Spritz. Have you heard of these? Aperol is huge over here and it's one of my new favorite drinks. Aperol is a bitter orange liquor (so it's not especially sweet, but it gives off a nice orange-y flavor), and the "spritz" part is prosecco and sparkling water. Very, very tasty.

And then I had a big bowl of pasta. Darn good.

With that meal complete, it was back to the hotel and to bed shortly thereafter.

The following day we headed home. We attempted to go back to the brewery for Matt but alas, it just wasn't in the cards. A short distance from the brewery they closed the highway and were directed around the chaos. Matt was sad once again. (It had also rained quite a good deal on the drive, so it was especially sad he couldn't reward himself for all the driving. Sigh.)

Since nobody had gotten pizza at dinner the night before, we ordered one when we got home. We also decided to play monopoly. I got Matt the German language one for Christmas, so we whipped that one out.

Matt is a capitalist dog when playing monopoly. Check out the serious expression. It didn't matter at all that he was playing with his in-laws: he crushed them. (And me - it really doesn't matter - he's in it to win). You've been warned.

On Friday, I'll re-cap the rest of their travels in Germany. Have a good week!