Weekend in Würzburg

A few weeks ago we spent a weekend in Würzburg with a group of friends. It was my first time in the small city but I was pleasantly surprised by its beauty. Walking along the river on the cobblestones streets, you could feel the history behind the buildings. Around every corner is an old church and somewhere nearby is bound to be an old cafe. If you're looking for a peaceful weekend, I highly recommend visiting Würzburg. The pictures really don't do the city justice... especially since it's winter. I can only imagine how much prettier it is when spring arrives!

This bar had the coolest cellar!
You had to go through a maze of tables just to get to your seat!

What might happen if you stand on top of the wall....

Just in case you didn't understand the first sign!

The view was amazing... probably better when it's not a cloudy day!

and of course... apfelstrudel :)

Locked Love

The day has come where I can officially say we are truly committed to one another... and no, not with a ring on any particular finger (at least not yet!!) Earlier this month, we decided to put our 'love lock' on the Hohenzollernbrücke in front of the cathedral, something I've been wanting to do since we moved to Cologne one year ago. The tradition of placing locks on bridges and throwing the keys in the rivers is said to have started in Italy, but has made its way around Europe and other parts of the world. So we thought, what better way to celebrate our anniversary and our first year in this city! So, here we are with a little bit of our hearts forever linked to this city and to each other. (Technically, 'forever linked to this city' is pretty much until the city decides to remove the locks... but you get the point!)

play by play, in case anyone doesn't know what it looks like to lock a lock

(my mind isn't working at the moment but I feel like there's an actual word for that!)

our love is 'locked'!

throwing the keys in the river.... last chance photo!!

Fall in Love with Flannel

this winter, i've embraced my love for tights,
legwarmers, and above all, flannel. i must admit, it was tough for me to accept flannel in my closet. growing up on a farm, it was the only thing my dad ever wore.... flannel shirts and denim overalls. the only people who wore flannel were farmers... and back then, i avoided anything associated with farming, especially the clothes. now i have a new perspective and i've accepted the fact that flannel does not equal farmer. so. lets embrace flannel (and tights!)




jacket: Hallhuber
legwarmers: Calzedonia
tights: Accessorize
shorts: Express
cream shirt: Mango
flannel shirt: Maison Scotch
bracelet: Express

Another Year Closer to 30

wow. when did i become old? this past birthday, i find myself comparing my reality to all those dreams i had as a little girl. as a child, i thought 30 would be the end... now, it feels like the beginning. i always imagined having a happy marriage, with at least 3 kids and one on the way, a career in fashion, a little white house, with a fence and a red door and a dog... all by the age of 25! HA! i'm not sad that i'm past that age and have none of those. along the years i found what's really important. i have wonderful friends and family. i found a man i trust, who believes in me.

this year we celebrated my birthday in a quiet manner. we spent saturday in the city, shopping.... one of my favorite hobbies. we had a pre-birthday dinner dessert at Royal Cupcakes... one of the few places in Cologne that serves cupcakes... had dinner at hans im glück (my choice... i was soo hungry for a burger!) and stayed up till midnight to drink some sekt and blow out some candles... sunday was spent at an indoor water park and a home made dinner. it was perfect.

Let's backtrack a bit...

Since I obviously failed to post regular blogs in 2011 (not to mention the years before) I thought it would be nice to post some highlights from the past year.

1. I've officially been in Germany for a year... so there were a lot of 'firsts' I got to experience. My boyfriend and I moved into our first apartment together, in a new city, and for me, a new country. I love Cologne, which is more than he can say. I love our little apartment which we made our home. I love the market in front of our house, the numerous bakeries around the corner, walking to the cathedral along the Rhine and riding my bike through the city. (Although, I have to be honest, I haven't been back on my bike since my little accident.) But most of all, I love coming home to my best friend. I love our movie nights, our random weekend adventures, and our regular Sunday morning pancake breakfast.

2. Last February I began taking language classes through the Volkshochschule. It's been quite an adventure to say the least. However stressful and demanding my classes were, it was all worth it. I met so many amazing people from all over the world in these classes. We've struggled together; not just through learning a new language, but learning to live in a different country. We've cried together, we've laughed together and we grew together. And because of this, I am grateful.

3. Carnival. The Cologne carnival is a very special time of year when everyone gets dressed up and walk the streets of cologne. It begins on November 11, but is mostly celebrated in February. It is definitely a crazy time in the city. I like to think of as a colorful mixture between Halloween, Mardi Gras, and a circus.

4. In June, two of my closest friends got married (not to each other) but they managed to have their weddings a week apart so I was able to fly home and attend both. I was so blessed to be able to be a part of their special days. I loved every moment, even when the air condition wasn't working properly :) I love and miss you both! I hope you enjoy your first Christmas together as husband and wife. Congratulations to Aimee and Jared and Kristen and Dave!! (p.s. I'm so excited there's a little one on the way!)

5. In August, I good friend of mine came to visit me. I was so excited to show her the many places to visit in Germany. I really miss our daily gelato taste testing. Stacy, you're a wonderful person and anyone should be lucky to have you as a friend. I can't wait for our next vacation together!!!

6. I made my first turkey!!! It was my first Thanksgiving away from home but that's no excuse not to have Thanksgiving dinner with people I care about. I made sure to have everything from stuffing and turkey to pumpkin pie... all hand made.

7. I got to experience German Christmas markets. If you read my earlier post, you would know they're amazing! The only thing that could have made the experience any better would have been snow (instead of the crap rain we had to endure). I loved finding the best gluhwein, mostly because that involved taste testing almost every stand!

8. We've been able to make a lot of miniature vacations this year. I WILL write about it later, but I loved Belgium, our Easter weekend road trip, flying home in June, Tuscany, camping in France, and discovering Cologne.

There aren't enough words to express how thankful I am to experience so much. I am so blessed to have people who love me so much and so grateful for all the experiences I've had. To say the least, 2011 was an amazing year and I'm looking forward to an even more amazing 2012!

Happy New Year!

Lumpia

One of the things I miss the most is my mom's cooking... especially all of the Filipino food that I never learned how to make myself. This Christmas, I decided to attempt my mom's infamous Lumpias... also known as the Filipino egg roll. If you've never had my mom's egg rolls, you're missing out on the most amazing egg rolls that exist... I may be a bit biased but I firmly stand by my statement.

When I asked for the recipe, much like most of the recipe's I've asked for (excluding baked corn), I didn't get a straight answer. So, I'm going to tell you what I was told with a bit more detail... and then be nice enough to add the links to a few actual recipes that I found (but haven't tried).

Lumpia Recipe (from a Filipino-American):

Ingredients: (don't bother asking for specific amounts... it doesn't work)

egg roll wrappers

ground beef

chopped onion

minced carrot

cabbage

garlic

soy sauce

salt

oil

Directions:

lightly fry onions, garlic and carrots in a wok or large skillet

add meat, be careful not to over-cook the meat or it will be really dry

stir in cabbage, add salt and soy sauce to taste

let cool over night in the fridge (don't know why, this is what my mom does but I haven't seen it anywhere else)

carefully roll about 1 1/2 spoonfuls of meat in each wrapper, using water to seal the corner

at this point, you can freeze them or fry them in a large skillet, being careful not to burn yourself like I did

You can enjoy it as is or use a sweet and sour dip or a soy sauce dip!

Happy Eating :)

some other recipes:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/filipino-lumpia-2/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/lumpia-recipe/index.html

'tis the season

I've always loved the Christmas season, which to me has always been every day after Thanksgiving. I love the lights on the houses and trees. I love the snow men, Santa suits, and reindeer. I love the extra sparkle everywhere you go. I love seeing a child's eyes light up when they see presents underneath the tree. I love when children believe in Santa, and even more when they believe in Jesus. I love the hustle and bustle in the stores, and the search for the perfect gift for the perfect someone. I love the cookies and pies, and drinking hot chocolate while it's snowing. I love the traditions we've grown to love. But most of all, I love the togetherness.

This year, I have learned that traditions change; even when you do everything you can to keep them the same. I managed to 'Americanize' my Christmas decor in my little apartment. Which basically means, lights and other Christmas related decorations EVERYWHERE. I've listened to a radio station which plays Christmas music 24 hours a day and I watched Christmas movies on a regular basis. I tried to keep whatever traditions I could. However, it's just not the same in Germany. I'm not saying it's bad, it's simply not the same.

As Christmas crept closer and closer, I tried to keep an open mind and an open heart to new traditions. Take into consideration German Christmas Markets... they're AMAZING! Who doesn't love Glühwein, hot waffles, and hot chestnuts on a chilly winter night (pics from some Christmas markets are below)? I experienced my first Christmas dinner without ham or apple pies; although, I must admit, our dinner was pretty delicious and tiramisu isn't such a bad substitute! (dinner pictures are also below) I made my first ever batch of egg rolls, which made me miss my mom more than ever. But, I suppose if I couldn't spend Christmas with my own family, at least I got to spend it with other people I love; my boyfriend and his family.

Frohe Weihnachten!!

(Gluhwein)

(Traditional German music)

(Made in GERMANY.. not China!)

(dinner preparations)

(German Christmas Cookies)

(Santa napkin holders!)

(Hot chocolate and Advent candles)