Although my husband’s Oma came from a wealthy family with an onstaff cook & had only one child herself (his mom), she still had her own special recipes in kitchen. Oma passed these culinary traditions down to my mother-in-law who in turn gave them to her only child…my husband…and so I present to you Oma’s Wuerstchen & Kartoffelsalat (Sausages & Potato Salad): Read the rest of this entry ?
Archive for July, 2011
Oma’s Wuerstchen & Kartoffelsalat
July 31, 2011Simply Delicious Carrot Cake
July 30, 2011
Summertime on the farm meant a lot of hard, dirty work but Grandma always managed to steal some extra time to make birthdays & other occasions special with her unique Garden Parties. With her own flock of kids joined by school mates, cousins & other youngsters from the area frolicking in the garden, Grandma would be busy in the kitchen whipping up a feast of treats! Here’s a quick & easy garden party favourite that’s yummy for Moms & Dads too (especially on rainy days)! Read the rest of this entry ?
The Toy Nanny
July 28, 2011Here’s a super simple idea to keep your little one’s toys from escaping!
The Toy Nanny keeps toys safe & clean. Attach one end to the car seat, stroller, baby carrier, shopping cart or high chair, and the other end to the toy, that’s it! Easy! It’s great for sippy cups & pacifiers too! Here’s how to make one:
How to (not) get married in Germany
July 27, 2011Speaking from experience, (as a non-EU citizen) trying to get married to a German in Germany is as impossible as it is frustrating. The mountains of completely unnecessary paperwork; running from this office to that office; getting all of the certified documents within a specific timeframe; trying to get a Ledigkeitsbescheinigung - a certified letter from a government office in your home country confirming your single status – something that the German authorities insist on having BUT does not actually exist outside of Germany, the list is as confusing as it is endless. This video made by the talented & clever Andrew Bossum (aka rewboss) illustrates all of the insanity perfectly (although rewboss is an EU citizen & had to jump through a few less hoops than those of us without EU passports)
One shade whiter in just 1 week?
July 25, 2011I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for teeth cleaning products but hey, who doesn’t want a fantastic smile? I’ve always prided myself on my naturally straight healthy teeth (inherited from Grandma – at 83 she still has her full set!) and lovely smile. From my experience, Europeans aren’t as concerned about having a Hollywood smile & the toothpaste selection is sorely lacking so when I heard about a groovy new toothpaste available here I toodled out and bought a tube.
Colgate Max White One promises 1 toothshade whiter in 1 week. I put it to the test for 2 weeks, brushing 3 times/day for 2+ minutes each time. Here’s the results:
Before After
Other than my lipstick colour & smile-type, I honestly don’t see any difference between these photos. unfortunately I would have to give a thumbs down to the whitening power of Colgate Max White One however when comparing it to other toothpaste on the market here I give it positive marks for “that clean feeling” & at €2.85 per tube it’s not cheap but also not unreasonable. (hygiene products in Germany are super cheap – normal toothpaste ranges from €0.49 – €1.29 – makes you wonder why there are so many stinky people on the train…)
Open Face Apple Pie
July 25, 2011
Grandma & her brood
You know when you have a craving for something but don’t realize you haven’t enough ingredients until you’re almost done making it? That’s exactly how Open Face Apple Pie was born!
Kleines Süßes Kleidchen (Lil’ Sweet dress)
July 24, 2011Our little darling has a long torso & outgrows onesies at an alarming rate. They still fit easily over her head but are too short to snap closed at the bottom. I came up with a sweet n’ simple solution:
Boring to Funky in 1 hour
July 24, 2011We have a few duvet covers…one of them was ridiculously boring until it became friends with some knots & fabric dye. (I also dyed a really blah coloured vest).
Really blah….
Tied a bunch o’ knots in the duvet cover & pillow cases
Chucked it all in the washing machine & added the dye
an hour (or so) later….and the results are awesome!
…and here’s our now-much-improved bedroom!
Self Employment Visa – or – how to become legal in Germany
July 21, 2011This is how I (a Canadian) received my first 1 year freelancer/self employment visa - Freiberufliche Tätigkeit, how I extended it for 2 more years & then got the insanely easy unlimited spouse/marriage visa I have now .
The Self Employment visa is the least complicated to get if you are an architect, artist, language teacher or have profession that can be easily proven to work on a freelance basis (ie: graphic design, catering, hairstylist, etc…) .
If you do not speak a passable level of German you MUST take along someone who does. Seriously, governmental offices do not make a habit of employing English speakers, you are in Germany after all.
Simple walks through history
July 21, 2011Living in Berlin is like wandering through Grandma’s house. There’s loads of fancy new technology & improvements that have been added by kids & grandkids but scattered throughout the newness remains the now vintage/antique farmhouse & knick knacks from generations past.
A simple walk through our neighbourhood reveals a treasure trove of artifacts that don’t quite fit with the modernized surroundings.
These statues survived the renovations made to a pre-war apartment building
