German Potato Pancakes

                        This is a German favorite of ours potato pancakes or "kartoffel pfann kuchen". They are ridiculously delicious, especially with ketchup weirdly enough. You just grate some potatoes add some flour, eggs, and seasonings to make them. Pro tip is to save bacon grease and use that instead of pam or what-not it gives it lots of flavor.
                        It's a perfect meal on a cold Winter's night-its hot, hearty, and expands in your stomach. It also makes me feel like I'm getting to know my German heritage! Well happy rest of the holidays, and a very happy New Years "oder Glückliche neue Jahre"!

The Big Mac and Cheese

               So a little while back some friends came from Omaha, and since we're Rhett and Link fans (plus it sounded delicious) we made this. We revised it a bit, like using home-made mac and cheese. It was certainly a taste sensation. I literally gained two pounds, but it was well worth it for the satisfaction! It might also be one of the hardest things to eat ever, simply cause it's so squishy and squashy. If you don't mind gaining weight and getting messy this is for you. Frohe Weihnachten

Fall Activities

 

                     These lovelies are Pumpkin waffles! We had these to boost our stamina for the day ahead, which you are going to go through now without such a delicious kickoff. "Oh well"



                       After the waffles our whole gang (Brothers, sisters, a cousin, our grandpa, and a token honorary brother.) piled into multiple cars and zoomed off. We walked around looking at things and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows at a bonfire. Here we're picking out our pumpkins.

                        Here we're taking a picture with Sammy. She's the managers daughter and super sweet. She never forgets to say hi to us.

                       We came home and the next day carved them mine said "Pow" with a bubble around it. Sadly this computer doesn't have a picture on it. 

                        Later on I made these baked apples. Just butter, cinnamon  sugar, and apples. They seemed very Fall-esque and tasted marvelous! Glücklicher Fall und freuen Sie sich Thanksgiving!

Oktober Fest, and other things

                  My goodness so much has happened since I last blogged! I'll try and show you as much as my patience dictates. First Cheese and Bacon Quiche.



                     I made this beauty out of my new cookbook Comfort Food. I didn't exactly follow the recipe (more cheese less onions) But I think it turned out quite delicious. Not sure if you can tell cause it's such bad quality but trying to be fancy I, put little leaves on the crust.

                      These were my very sad slightly failed blueberry pancakes. They tasted alright but looked green. I call them pancakes from outer space (don't use frozen berries). Everyone was very nice and they really did taste good but you should have seen what they were surposed to look like!

                       Ryan and Fanny made these in their cooking class. Cheese, blueberry, raspberry, and lemon danishes. They tasted like heaven will! We heated them up just a bit and then they just melted in your mouth like buttery/buttermilk goodness. Everything you see in them was made from scratch too.

                    And now for the best part. On Saturday Carolyn and I went on a Oktoberfest picnic! We took spekulatius, (little ginger bread cookies) strudel, schnitzel, and pumpkin cider. We sat on a small stage in a park and watched the sun go down while attempting to read out loud in German. It was wonderful and turns out we were doing the picnic on the original Oktoberfest day! Did you do something for it? Also if you want to see our Chez Elle day check it out here.

Lately...

                            So lately I have been cooking, nothing special but very tasty nonetheless. Basically what this is, is homemade polenta with cheese, sausage, and bacon on the top. It's a very hearty and meat to the bones type meal great for Winter, and real quick.

                            Today we went to Half Price Books and I got a new cook book called comfort food. It's jam packed with recipes that make you want to curl up surrender to your (becoming more prominent) muffin-top. Mine of course, I'm sure that none of you have any! Also be on the look out for these, hopefully coming soon... Cronuts, and Homemade blueberry pancakes! 

 

                           And coming soon my broseph's wedding to a absolutely amazing girl. Quite the fun day, and I can't wait to show you all. Well that's all for now folks, and I want to end by saying don't you just hate it when your chewing mint gum and super thirsty, but then you realize that it'll burn real bad if you drink water? Haha auf wiedersehen und willkommen herbst

Bubble Tea

                             So on Sunday instead of buying bubble tea we decided to whip out our old Almond Bubble Tea recipe. As always it wasn't a disappointment. If you haven't ever had bubble tea beware, I'm not sure if anyone I know has ever had it and liked before the second time. You see it's delicious but really weird. Because when you take a drink these chewy squishy things come up too, there tasty but hard to get used to. Like I always say it's yummy and easy, here it is.

 Almond Bubble tea

1 T. Lipton instant iced tea

2 T. Poma Almond powder

3 T. powdered French vanilla creamer

1 1/2 cups Wu Fu Yuan tapioca Pearl

                             So for the almond powder and pearls you can get them at a Asian grocery store. First, start a small saucepan half way up with water to boil. Now mix those measurements individually in each cup then set aside. (So one Tablespoon of Lipton in each cup) When the water has come to a rolling boil put the bubbles into the water, when it has come back to a rolling boil set a timer for five minutes stirring occasionally. While waiting get a half cup of water and a quarter cup of both brown and white sugar mix and microwave until it becomes like a syrup. Drain bubbles but save the hot water. Put the bubbles into the syrup. Put a half cup of the water into the cup and stir until everything dissolves. Fill them the rest of the way up with ice, divide the bubbles into the cups and enjoy! You'll probably need pearl straws too.

-Serves six

Happy Birthday Julia Child!

                       So on August 15th Julia's birthday, I made a spice cake with apples, white chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting on top! We dressed up like Simone Beck (Carolyn) and Julia Child (me). Then went to multiple libraries looking for Julie and Julia dressed in heels and skirts/a dress. We did eventually find it and proceeded to watch it. But only after listening to Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole to get into the right spirit. Overall a wonderful night and I suggest if you didn't this year you should celebrate it next year. And now I think I might just finish My Life In France. Anyways that's all for now, Bon Appetit!

My Life Lately

 

                       So this is about what's been going on. The top five was a little get together that I had with some friends. (we call it Camp Russell) As you can tell it included;

                             Peaches from a local peach stand + Scones with milk while watching
                             leave it to beaver + The Importance of Being Ernest + Andre's
                             Confiserie Suisse, were we had delicious pastries and pies as
                             the fourth and fifth suggest + H+M, Anthropologie, and J. Crew
                             + To finish it all off we went to The Sound of Music on a outdoor
                             stage
                     
                     The rest are our delightfully fresh meals lately. BLTs are one of my favourite meals, I mean Bacon, lettuce, and fresh tomatoes! Then tonight my dad made us Lettuce Wraps. Which were surprisingly good. Well that's about it. Natürlich frische Sachen ist immer am besten im Sommer

The 4th of July

Me failing at American Gothic.

                So up above is Ryan and Fanny making peach pie for the 4th. I had a really great 4th of July it included; Mainly searching for horses on minecraft, also being entertained by Ben, Swimming, making a awesome Disney play list and listening to it all day, and little pop-its! (the world is not right when you can't even stuff up on the 4th) How was your 4th?  

                The minecraft cake I made for my brother, and the party he was having. Actually not that hard, just yellow cake in a square with white frosting! I personally thought it tasted real good. Sadly I didn't get to go to the party because I was out in Lawrence night swimming still fun.

                 And today we had some super adorable little kids over. You can't see Mary in this picture which I apologize for but oh well. So now your all caught up on my life, Glückliche schwimmen.

Cherry Pie

 

 

 

 

 

                I literally made this from scratch! I went out this morning and picked the cherries, then pitted them with a bobby pin. We made the crust. (It's the best crust in the whole world, flaky and buttery just delicious) The filling has almond in it so that's wonderful. And on top you cut up three tablespoons of butter and it melts down while it cooks. I also learned something new; for a really long time I'd just been calling what you see on the top a braided top but it actually has a fancy schmancy name... A Pie Lattice! Mine is a little uneven but it was my first one. Anyways I hope you feel like making a pie after this, Glückliche pie Tag.

The Home Coming of Paul

Us making, cough.. delivering a note from Majora

 

 



                     So Paul has been in Europe visiting a orphanage in Romania. When he came back we... Helped tiny Links move into his room + delivered/made a note from Majora to him; went to the airport to pick him up in the midst of his youth group, with signs that broad casted that he belonged to the rambunctious group laughing and overall obviously having the most fun of anyone there; (though I do believe I detected some stares) and as you can see opened and snarfed down his presents from Romania. My favourite ones where the Espresso Dark Chocolate; and the Dark Orange Chocolate. They were all delicious though, their Swiss chocolate manufactured in Romania. Paul actually got to meet the guy who makes the chocolate. He also learned that it's named Heidi because that's what his daughters' name is. Well I guess I will part by saying, Schokolade ist der beste!