Holiday Traditions

As many of you know, I was born in Germany. My mother is German and my father is African American.  Well, I spent most of my childhood in the country, therefore we celebrated many of the traditions.

Every year, my mother got me an Advent calendar! It's a special calendar used to count down the days till Christmas!  The best ones--are filled with sweet German chocolate! 

Another big holiday tradition is our Christmas Pyramid. In German it’s called Weihnachtspyramide.  It looks like a Christmas pyramid, decked out in flowers and wooden figurines. It’s kind of like a carousel with several levels showing some sort of holiday theme!

As in many other European countries, on the eve of Dec. 6th children place a shoe or boot by the fireplace. At night, St. Nicholas goes from house to house carrying goodies to fill the shoes with. If you were bad, your shoes were filled with coal or sticks. My coworker filled my shoe up with my favorite goodies, Red Bull! 

What are you holiday traditions?

German Style Streusel Fruit Pie

From Mama Talks:

This is an original German recipe, which means that all the measurements were in grams.  I converted them best as I could, but they sound a little different than what you might be used to.

Ingredients for Pie

1 ¾ c. flour (not enriched)

½ c. sugar

1 stick of unsalted margarine

1 egg

For Streusel

1 1/8 c. flour (not enriched)

between 1/3 and ½ c. sugar  (right on the 3 oz. line)

1 pouch of Vanilla sugar (do not substitute liquid vanilla extract, just omit if you cannot find,  or use powdered vanilla extract)

Cinnamon

7 ¾ TBSP unsalted margarine

Fruit:  about 2 lbs of plums,  or whatever you like: peaches, prunes, nectarines

Optional: almond slivers

Wash and clean fruit.  Cut into slices, cover with cling wrap and set aside.

This recipe is similar to an American pie crust recipe, and I only know to fix it the old-fashioned way:

Pour flour on countertop, making a little “hill”, pour sugar over it, make a little “well” ( indentation) on top for egg, but add this last.  Place small margarine pieces all over.  Margarine needs to be cold. Next place the egg on top.  Use 2 kitchen knives with long blades, mix ingredients together with chopping motion until dough gets crumbly and starts sticking together.  You could probably use a pastry cutter to achieve the same results.  Briefly knead dough, maybe 2 – 3 times.  Then place it in refrigerator for about 15 min. or so.

Grease and lightly flour cake pan or baking sheet and preheat oven to  425 degrees F.

Also prepare streusels by mixing dry ingredients in bowl.  Add cold margarine cut in small pieces.  Use hands to combine and form streusels.

Take dough out of refrigerator and place on floured surface.   Roll out to desired size with lightly floured rolling pin.  Place in cakepan or on baking sheet and form about 1/3” rim.  I like using my 10” German springform.  Prick bottom several times with fork and top with a few almond slivers.  Next , place the fruit, topping it with some more almond slivers, if you like.  Now cover the fruit with the streusel.  It’s O.K. if the fruit peaks through in places.

Place in oven and bake for about 45 – 60 min.  Check after about 35 min. or so,  and if streusels get a little too brown you can adjust temp. to 400 degrees.  I usually need to do this.

If you like your pies very sweet you might want to put some extra sugar on your fruit, after you slice it.      You might need to make some minor adjustments  with this recipe, but I am sure you will love it because preparation is so quick and the cinnamon streusels complement the fruit so well.  Enjoy with a cup of coffee and some whipped cream!  Oh, and let us know how you liked it!  

Get Ready to Shape Up!

From Mama Talks

It's swimsuit season, and I'm not happy about my midsection - so I dragged my Jemimah Health Hoop out of storage.  I like the hoop because it's fun and easy to use.  It makes me feel like I"m doing a heavy workout (which I'm really not).  When my daughter Stacie came to visit she wanted to get in on the action, too - -  I believe the picture speaks for itself. 

The Jemimah is a hula hoop with 96 built-in magnets covered by air-cushioning projections/knobs.  While you exercise, they stimulate abdominal acupuncture points and also create a massaging effect.  The abdominal area is being toned, slimmed and strengthened.  Supposedly, it also has a stimulating effect on blood circulation and the intestinal metabolism.

A word of caution:  This hoop is designed for ADULTS.  The first few times you are exercising with it, you might experience mild discomfort and bruising (yes, I turned black and blue).  This will not last, though.

The hoop weighs about 3 1/2 lbs. and is about 40" in diameter.  It is made of plastic and can easily be assembled or broken down for storage.  I bought mine at a local Asian supermarket, they are also available online.  Well, gotta go and exercise some more ...  Let us know what you do to get in shape!

My Precious Mother

24 years ago- My Mother and I

My Precious Mother
Mom You've given me so much,
Love from your heart
and the warmth of your touch.
The gift of life and you're a friend to me.
We have a very Special Bond
which only comes from God...
I'm sure you agree.
As a child I would say Mommy I Love You,
Now you're my Mother so dear
I love you even more
with each and every new year.
If I could had chosen,
I would have picked no other.
Than for you...to be my lifelong friend
and Precious Mother.
Author Unknown 

Elephant on My Mind

From Mama Talks 

 

When I was a little girl I loved to visit my Oma (grandmother in German). Her carefully placed accent pieces found a new use as my toys. My favorites were two small, hand-carved ebony elephants. They were just the right size for my small hands, and they had inlaid eyes and tiny ivory tusks. One of them was missing a tusk, but it still was perfect in my eyes. I had these elephants walk all over Oma’s furniture – pretending I was accompanying them on exciting adventures -- climbing steep mountains (the backrests of sofa and armchairs), or crossing the savannah (Oma’s parlor) in search of food. They often came to rest at the edge of the jungle, feeding on the leaves of Oma’s plants. 

 

As I grew older, I had it settled in my mind that after Grandmother’s passing, I would inherit those elephants as a treasured memento of my beloved Oma and my childhood. Unfortunately Oma developed Alzheimer’s dementia during her final years, and nobody knows what happened to the elephants. I felt really silly that even years later, I would still think about those elephants and how much it would have meant to me to have them. 

Well, I did go on some exciting adventures though – climbed a few mountains and also crossed some savannahs in the American Southwest! One day, when browsing a small antique store in Central Texas, my heart skipped a beat -- there it was: a small carved ebony elephant. When I picked it up, I noticed that one of its ivory tusks was broken off. To me it was a sign – this was even better than if it had been in perfect shape. Of course I bought it – and now it has a special place on my dresser. It still makes me smile every time I look at it …

Do you have any treasured mementos that occupy a special place in your home?

Schnitzel Time

This is definitely one of my FAVORITE German meals—Jager Schnitzel! The dish is translated as “Hunter” Schnitzel and is served in yummy brown gravy with mushrooms.  The variations can change if you decide to use white wine cream sauce and onions. My mother went back to Frieberg a few months ago, where she picked up a few packages of schnitzel season mix. You can find Maggi’s Jager Sahne Schnitzel Mix at most international food stores.   
It’s super easy to make and delicious to eat! Try it for youself!
 
* 1 lb boneless pork or 1 lb veal cutlet
*salt and peppter
*1 lb of mushrooms
*1 cup of sweet cream/milk
*oil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Clean your fresh mushrooms. Put oil in a frying pan and saute your mushrooms.

After they are nice and soft, add 1 cup of sweet cream or milk.  Then, add 1 pouch of the seasoning mix. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once the sauce begins to thicken remove from heat.

Make sure your pork/veal cutlets are thin. You can hammer them out to make sure they are thin enough.  Place the meat in a roasting pan and pour the sauce over the meat.  

Bake for 30-40 minutes and wunderbar-- you have Jager Schnitzel! 
For side dishes--I recommend Spaetzle or German Potatoes.  

Homemade German Salad

From Mama Talks:

With warmer weather on the way, I decided to share a basic German recipe for Vinegar-Oil dressing:

Combine 2 TBS oil (vegetable, olive, whatever you like) with 2 TBS vinegar; add a pinch of salt, a little sugar (about 1/3 tsp). Blend well, using a whisk or a fork. I prefer using German vinegar because of its higher acidity -- and because my family likes it sour! If you prefer a more mellow flavor, use 3 TBS oil with 1 – 2 TBS vinegar.

This dressing works well in a tossed leafy salad, or - with chopped onions and a little black pepper it’s great in a tomato salad. It’s also very good over sliced cucumbers with a little fresh or dried dill weed added. 

One of my family’s favorites is an egg-tomato salad. You need about 4 medium tomatoes, 5 – 6 hard-boiled eggs. Slice eggs and tomatoes and layer in bowl, starting with a layer of tomatoes, followed by a layer of eggs, some chopped onions and fresh or dried parsley flakes. Repeat; finish with a layer of tomatoes. For the marinade you will need about ½ cup of oil, ½ cup of vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Mix well, and pour over salad; marinade should just “touch” top layer. You want this salad to marinate in the dressing for at least an hour, longer is better. 

You might need to test which ratio of oil and vinegar works for you, but I’m sure you will love this versatile dressing. Let me know what salad combinations you are using it!

Easy Paper Craft Animals

From Mama Talks

This is a fun and easy craft project that you can either do by yourself or involve the kiddos! The little animals can be used as table decorations for parties, to decorate gifts, or whatever else you might think of … I used simple construction paper to show the process, but any kind of sturdy paper is fine. You will also need scissors and glue. If you work with your kids, you probably also need a ruler to help outline the simple shapes.

The shapes of the animals are broken down into simple geometrical shapes as you can see in this picture. For the duck and the bunny you glue the rectangle sides together, for the mouse and the cat you form a cone. Then you add ears, tails, wings, whatever is needed!

As you can see on the picture, my original shapes are not totally straight, which is O.K. as I generally make adjustments after I glue them.

Hope you like these little critters! With a little imagination you can create all kind of different animals. Depending on what kind of paper or material you use you can actually make them quite fancy! Have fun and let me know what kind of animal creations you came up with!

Little Things Make a Difference

 

From Mama Talks:

A few years back I changed my style of clothing to a quite conservative style.  Long skirts, muted, darker colors and proper suits seemed to be the right thing for this mother of 3 growing daughters.  – Until a good friend of mine decided to set me straight.  This is what she told me:

“You are trying to dress your age, but it just doesn’t work for you.  You need to wear what is right for you, not what you think a woman your age should wear!” 

Well, I followed her advice and been having fun with my clothes (my daughters make sure I don't get carried away)! Here are some simple tips to making your outfits pop!

1.       Chose Bright Solid Colors- Pink is naturally my color but look for those shades that go best with your complexion!

2.       Be Bold- The zebra-stripe bag definitely stands out but it really "makes" the outfit. Have fun by adding one "outstanding" item!

3.       Choose Well-Fitting Clothes- Know your correct size, don't wear anything too big or too small or you'll attract the wrong kind of attention ... You want to feel comfortable in your clothes - life is challenging enough!

4.        Accessories- Little details make all the difference. The thin black belt cinches the waist giving the outfit shape. Also the little pink flower on the purse really makes it pop! In case you didn’t guess it—the flower is a ponytail holder/pin-on!

5.       Heels- I really like wearing heels – I know they’re not the most sensible footwear, but you have to admit that they really are the finishing touch for my little outfit!  If you want to stand out—put on the heels!

What tips do you have for making your wardrobe POP?

Poesiealbum – Little Book of Friendships

From Mama's Corner:

A long time ago, when I was a little girl in Germany, long before PCs, facebook and youtube, the cool way to have a memento from your friends was to have them write in your Poesiealbum.  These little booklets looked very much like diaries, some did actually have the little locks and keys. 

Your friends and classmates would take the little book with the blank pages home. The next day they returned it .  On the left page they either pasted a special picture (you could buy those at the store), or they drew something.  On the right page they wrote a little verse or some poetry in their best handwriting.  Then they signed and dated it. These little books were very popular, mostly for girls, from the 3^rd to maybe the 6^th grade.

One of the favorite verses was this (remember, in German it actually rhymed):

Roses, tulips, carnations, // all flowers will fade.// Only one will not fade,// and it is called Forget-me-not.

In case you are not familiar with Forget-me-nots: they are small light-blue flowers, you can see some in the picture of the flower basket.  As a special touch, my friend also drew the little wreath of Forget-me-nots to make the written page extra pretty.

It is so important to remember all the great people we have in our lives. What are some of the ways you keep wonderful memories alive and share your love with friends and family?