Holiday Traditions: Adventskalender

December 1st is an important day in Germany. Children get to open their first of 24 presents counting down the days until Christmas. Growing up, ours were usually filled with chocolates and candy, with the occasional pencil, eraser, or small toy. As we grew older and our parents stopped making them for us, us sisters began making them for each other, and have even made them for our parents for a change. My first year of law school in Germany, Tony made an Adventskalender for me with lots of typical American things wrapped in Barbie paper (why I have no idea). Great idea, except I had to go to customs to pick it up where they wanted to know exactly what was in each of the 24 presents. I had no idea, and didn't want to know (yet). Thankfully I had brought a friend who opened a few to show it was all harmless stuff. Anyway, the point is, Adventskalender are one of my favorite things during the holiday season, I have so many fond memories of opening presents as well as making them for family and friends. So I decided this year Noah was old enough to get his first calendar. Since he's too young for chocolates, I decided to fill it with cute little presents I would have otherwise got him for Christmas. 

I wasn't too creative this year wrapping them - it's just 24 wrapped presents (found the super cute paper bags at IKEA) on a mantle, but there are some cute ideas out there. Maybe next year I'll decide on one to stick with. Ours used to be small fabric bags on a string and I love that they were the same almost every year. It adds to the whole tradition thing. Then again, something different every year sounds fun too and I wouldn't have to settle down for anything.

I knew books were going to be an important part of Noah's Adventskalender this year. They're his favorite thing and so I'm always on the lookout for good books. We already have a few Dr. Seuss books that make for great bed time stories. We found these at Costco. The animal books are part of a series that I found at Goodwill. I paid less than a dollar each for books that are in great shape. I love a good deal and Noah loves any book with animals. Win win! Now that he has opened more than half already, he got used to the fact that not every present is a book, but I have a feeling he is still a bit sad every time it's something else. The fist time he opened a non-book present, he was not amused. Well, still happy, but just slightly disappointed. What a little (book) worm.

I found these cute little finger puppets at the Everett Children's museum. I like about toys like this that Noah has fun with them now and learns the different animals, but he'll hopefully still play with them in a few years when he puts on a finger puppet show on a cardboard box stage. I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

This frog prince is also a finger puppet (IKEA). 

So far, we have only opened one of the presents with a mouse. Noah likes to point out its nose, ears, hands, eyes, and belly. The idea here was to introduce to of the same, to see if he makes the connection. We'll see. I like that they're small and close in size to the real deal.

Flash Cards. Another good deal. I found this set for $1 at Target a while back (in the back to school section). These are great because of the real pictures of animals. Noah loves books with animals and has fun when we go through the cards talking about the different animals. Using flash cards always sounds so serious but he is such a parrot these days and loves to lay in bed and repeat every word we say. These cards are perfect for that. 

These are bells on a strap with velcro you can put around your wrists or ankles. Noah wasn't so sure about these at first but now thinks it's funny when he runs around jingling. They are a great addition to our dance parties. I got these at the Children's museum as well.

 A magic towel. Do I need to say more? Anything that makes bath time even more fun must be a winner.

A new owl hat. He wears his penguin hat every day and I thought we could mix it up a bit. I found this one at Bartell's. It's amazing what you can all find at random places if you just keep your eyes open and start shopping early enough. 

Bird was one of Noah's first words (in sign language) and he is still fascinated by them. This little delicate one might not last very long, but I think he's going to like it. We already have one just like it sitting in a plant that he points to but can't touch. I think he'll like being able to play with it.

Another owl. This one is a hand puppet. We just learned what the owl says and it's at the end of the "The Very Busy Spider" book which is one of our favorites.

Veggies in a basket. I got these from IKEA too and just love them. He hasn't opened these yet (they're the special present on the 24th) and I'm curious to see if he gets what everything is. I just think they're so adorable. 

Did you get an Adventskalender this year? What's your favorite thing you got so far? Or did you make one for someone special? What kind of things did you put in it?

Holiday Traditions: Thanksgiving

I am thankful for my family in the broadest sense. I am thankful for Noah, and that he is healthy and happy; he makes me smile even when he wakes me up at 6:30am on a Sunday morning or when I come home exhausted from a long day at work; he allows me to see the world and myself through his eyes, which can be quite amazing; he lights up the room and brings so much joy to the people around him with his positive energy. I am thankful for Tony who is an amazing parent; I am thankful that he naturally assumed his role of the co-default parent; I am thankful that I can be 100 percent me around him, I don’t have to explain myself; I am thankful that we haven’t lost our sense of togetherness during this busy year; I am thankful we make a great team and always have each other’s backs. I am thankful for Skype and Facetime so Noah gets to see all of his aunts and uncles, cousins, grandmas and grandpas on the screen every once in a while. I am thankful for our Schwesterntreff Whatsapp group; I am thankful we share happy and joyful and even sad and frustrating moments with each other; sharing small every day details, pictures, and videos has brought the four of us closer together somehow. I am thankful for my friends, for those that have been around for a while and stick around even though we rarely ever find time to get together; and I’m thankful for my new friends, especially with Noah around I am thankful for my “German Mafia friends”. I am thankful for my job that forces me to push my own boundaries, to leave my comfort zone every once in a while. And I am thankful for traditions which somehow seem to become so important over the holidays; I am thankful that I can carry on some of the traditions I grew up with and that we get the chance to create our own traditions, ones that will hopefully be sweet childhood memories for Noah one day. So I thought why not create a small holiday traditions series on this blog. Some are typical German, some very American, some have been around for as long as I can remember, some are relatively new for me. But all are dear to me and have a special place in my heart.
 

As you have probably guessed from my intro, I’ll start out with the most American holiday tradition: Thanksgiving. History and controversy aside, there are so many aspects that make Thanksgiving special for me. At its core and the way we celebrate it, it’s all about friends and family, giving thanks, and of course delicious food and wine. I’ve been celebrating Thanksgiving with the same group of friends since 2009 when I moved here (the tradition had started a couple of years before that), and we’ve been rotating between three couples. Some things always stay the same: Tony is in charge of gravy, Sara makes sweet potato pie. Everyone gets together early in the day and cooks together while enjoying snacks and wine. The core group of people is always the same, sometimes with additions. Other things change: we try new side dishes and different decorations; and it has so far never been twice at the same house (at least since I joined the group). And I enjoy watching us all grow up a bit more every year. We've bought houses, had kids, threw out the old college-days plates and silverware and traded them in for things we actually like.
 

Carrie and Joel's beautifully decorated dining room

 Thanksgiving 2012 is maybe the most special to me. It was the year we hosted at our place. We had just bought our house earlier that year, built a big table with saw horses and particle board, and I sewed my own tablecloth because I couldn’t find a pretty one that was big enough. We finally had a reason to bring out our set of fancy wine glasses, plates, and silverware we had received as wedding presents. Tony had the smoker finally figured out, and we were excited to be hosting a fancy dinner. I had only one problem I didn’t know how to solve for: how would I be able to explain why I didn’t have a drink in my hand by noon like everyone else without spilling the beans that I was about six weeks pregnant? I managed for a while (with one exception) by drinking non-alcoholic beer out of a beer stein until it was time to toast to our dear friend Elizabeth who is no longer with us with port wine. Looking back, I was totally fine with not keeping it a secret even though it was early; these were wonderful news to share, after all. I just needed an excuse and the right moment to say something. So yeah, that was a pretty special Thanksgiving. Noah played an important role in making Thanksgiving memorable the following year as well – by projectile vomiting on about everyone there! 

The ladies Thanksgiving 2013

The ladies Thanksgiving 2014

This year was our most grown up Thanksgiving yet I think. The table was decorated beautifully, the turkey was the juiciest and flavorful yet, we each impressed with our Pinterest inspired dishes, and we even did some serious Scotch tasting. 

Like I said, it's all about the food. I'll let the pictures do the talking. And yes, everything tasted just as delicious as it looks.

Mama G's deviled eggs and Joel's famous pickles.

Salmon ball a la Elizabeth.

 

Sue's baked brie. The orange peel added the perfect touch.

 

Veggie and Cauliflower tart. Super easy recipe with a serious wow effect.

A fresh salad with berries

The bird.

Green Bean Casserole and Mashed Potatoes.

Everything was homemade, including the rolls.

Cranberry Sauce.

Stuffing. Made with Bagels. So good. Not too dry, not too moist.

Here we are, enjoying our delicious Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanks again Joel and Carrie for hosting this year. Life is good indeed.

Raising an Independent Little Person

As I was researching different bed options for toddlers (more on that topic later), I stumbled across some comments and blogpost about Montessori. I was generally aware of the Montessori concept but didn’t really know how these ideas were applied on a day to day basis when raising a child. I found a lot of it resonated with me and I realized I was already doing some of these things intuitively. It’s really encouraging to me when I hear from other parents who do similar things and it gives me an opportunity to reflect on the little details in life that have such a big impact on how Noah grows up. Understanding why some of the things we already chose to do instinctively really helps me put an emphasis on those details and be more conscious about all the every-day small things we do.

As with every “method” of raising a child (and I’ve mentioned this before with regard to baby led weaning), I don’t like to follow it exactly by the books, but prefer to take the ideas and concepts I like and translate them into our own everyday life. I take what makes sense and works for us, but just because I like some of the ideas doesn’t mean I have to get rid of Sippy cups, plastic spoons, or our normal high chair (at least not yet). I’m sure there are other parenting books or methods that have a lot of the same things to offer that I believe in, and what I’m writing about here doesn’t necessarily have much to do with Montessori (I don’t know nearly enough about it to comment on that), it’s just me reflecting on the small things we do day by day hoping to raise Noah to be an independent little person.

Oktoberfest on the Olympic Peninsula

For the last five years, we’ve been going to Leavenworth for Oktoberfest every fall. I love this tradition and how it’s evolved from crazy rides in the RV to a family event that involves quality family/friends time, a beautiful drive through the cascades, good food, German beer, a stop at Kris Kringle, a two-story shop with nothing but Christmas ornaments, a walk down by the river, Lederhosen, Dirndl, and a delicious breakfast on Sunday mornings before we head back home.

We usually go on last of the three weekends of Oktoberfest which typically falls on my birthday, and I’ve loved celebrating my birthday in Leavenworth over the last few years. No need to make plans, and my friends are already with me anyway. When I realized that we had booked an apartment in Leavenworth again for this year and that I would be celebrating my 30th birthday there, I wasn’t sure I liked the idea. I love Oktoberfest and our tradition, but I thought something else, maybe a bit more fancy and grown up would have been nice this year. I wasn’t against Oktoberfest, but felt cheated out of the option of coming up with something completely new and different for my big birthday. So I complained about it for a second, then got over it, and started to get excited for our annual tradition. Tony’s sisters Traci and Annie were planning to join us and we were going to have additional German support (my friend Bettina). I knew it was going to be great.

Whole Grain Cinnamon Apple Muffins

We were in the middle of turning our last batch of apples into apple sauce, when I realized we hadn't used our apples for anything else but snacks and apple sauce. I decided I needed to create something else. I wasn't in the mood for making pie crust and as you may have noticed, I'm on a muffin trip anyway. I quickly found a recipe for apple muffins that had everything I was looking for: whole wheat flour, raw apples, no sugar (she used honey instead), yoghurt. I love when a recipe turns out exactly the way I had imagined. This one is definitely a keeper. The only thing I changed is to cut the amount for the topping in half. Plenty for my taste. Here's the link to the original recipe: http://www.texanerin.com/2014/09/100-whole-grain-cinnamon-apple-muffins.html.

Our very last apples of the season are not the prettiest, I know, with all the dents and bruises, and the occasional worm, but that made them perfect for baking.

 

 

 

I didn't take any pictures during the process this time as I usually do, but I surprised myself when I was still super organized and prepped everything before I got started. My cooking style is usually not the most organized; some might even call it messy. I don't usually mind, it's what's always worked for me and since I rarely follow a recipe and don't even know where I'm going when I start sautéing onions, it doesn't quite make sense for me. It's different with baking though, and I'm learning to appreciate the idea of mise en place. Taking pictures for this blog while I'm baking has forced me to slow things down and get everything measured and organized before mixing ingredients. It feels a lot more structured and I feel like I don't have to look at the recipe every two seconds to make sure I get it right. Plus, I'm left with a lot smaller mess after I'm all done. Win!

 

Anyway, this is how my apple muffins turned out. They tasted wonderful and only lasted a couple of days. The topping added just the perfect amount of sweetness, but you could totally leave it off completely.

 

 

Notice how I not only stole The Texanerin's recipe but also her idea for the pictures? I've been enjoying playing with my camera for this blog and it's so much easier to practice with muffins than with a one year old. The only problem is that I usually do all of this when it's already dark out so I don't get a whole lot of natural light. I've been paying so much more attention to pictures on blogs since I started writing and am using other blogger's photographs as inspiration.

 

I'm sure (or at least I hope) you notice a difference in the pictures I've included in this blog post compared to my earlier ones (this one for example). I started to explore the basics of photo editing, and by that I don't mean using the effects button on my photo app on my cell phone. I wanted to get a feel for what I can do, how difficult it is, and if I would actually use it regularly before buying expensive software. So I did some research and opted for an online version for now. I used PicMonkey and I'm impressed with how easy it was to use and how much better my pictures look after some minor (or sometimes not so minor) editing. I used to think photo editing was cheating, but let's be honest, my photography skills aren't even close to being that great that I can manage to get the perfect lighting and exposure. So I decided I would focus on the composition of the picture and let a photo editor help me bring out the best in them. And I think it's worth it.

 

 

 

 Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone! 

 

 

 

Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chunks

I hope you’re not yet sick of my many muffin recipes I’ve been sharing… because here’s another one. This recipe is hands down my favorite in my baking section. Actually, I think it’s the only one besides my very basic pie crust recipe that I’ve used multiple times and never get sick of. Usually, I try to find a new recipe or try to change up one that I’ve previously used. The ones I try typically turn out pretty good, but just aren’t amazing enough to be added to my recipe book. When in doubt, I choose adventure over the already known. In the kitchen at least. But when it comes to zucchini bread, this is the one I make.

I still had some zucchini left over from our neighbor’s garden that I needed to use up, so I made sure I had plenty of chocolate, and created a delicious loaf of zucchini bread and some mini muffins. 

 

I found the recipe on Simple Bites, you should check out her website, she has some great tips and tricks. What I like about this recipe is that it’s relatively healthy (whole wheat flour, yoghurt, not too much sugar), it's super easy to make, and the result is the most fluffy and moist (sorry Sara if you’re reading this) zucchini bread. I also love the chunks of chocolate. I know she says you can use chocolate chips but it’s just not the same. Don’t skimp on it either. Use the full 4oz (yes, one whole bar). You won’t regret it.

Here's how I made it: 

Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
    1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
    1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:
    2 eggs, room temperature
    1/3 cup canola oil (or peanut)
    3/4 cup plain yogurt
    1/3 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with a splash of vinegar)
    1 cup organic Turbinado sugar (or brown sugar, firmly packed)
    2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    2 1/2 cups finely grated zucchini
    4 oz dark chocolate, chunked

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan and a mini muffing pan with cooking spray 

2. In a bowl, sift together dry ingredients and set aside. 

 

 

3. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy; beat in yogurt, buttermilk, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Combine well. Stir in grated zucchini and chopped chocolate.

 

4. Fold flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until combined. 

5. Pour batter into the loaf pan and spoon the rest into the mini muffin cups. Bake for approximately 50 minutes. 

6. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes in the pan. Loosen the sides and remove from pan. Cool loaf completely before cutting.

 

I hope you give it a try, I would love to hear what you think.

Ball, Squirrel, Baum, Auto, Buch, Bird

Squirrel, Buch/book, Ball, Mama, Papa, Baum, bird, Auto, more/mehr, Kuh, fish, up/hop, and bitte are some of the words Noah has been using on a regular basis. Some of them are clearly German (bitte, Auto), others clearly English (squirrel), quite a few are a mix where the English and German word sound similar and he uses them both (ball, more/mehr, Kuh/cow, and his version of danke/thank you), and then there are words he signs, often accompanied by a sound that goes in the right direction (fish/Fisch (izzz), Buch/book (boo), all done/fertig, Baum/tree (ba), etc.) And he can tell you what cats, dogs, sheep, and cows say. 

Back to Bed (Sleep Training at 13 Months)

I’ll start with the exciting news: Noah has been sleeping in his own bed and sleeping through most nights for over 2 weeks now.  We have our bed back to ourselves, aren’t constantly woken up by a wiggly worm, we all (including that little worm) sleep much better, and Tony and I are proud of ourselves for making this all happen with a lot less drama, sleep deprivation, and fighting than expected. Here’s the full story. 

Plaumenmus

I just have to share another oh so simple late summer/early fall recipe with you. Just like last year, our neighbors had extra plums and we weren’t going to say no when they offered us to come over and grab some. Tony came back home not only with a bucket full of plums but also a few nice looking zucchini and some zucchini-chocolate bread. Yum! We’d been munching away on the plums for a few days, but some of them were starting to get soft and attracting fruit flies so it was time for me to do something about it. 

It's Fall in my Kitchen

Football season is here, pumpkin spice lattes are back, and it’s dark when I wake up in the morning. That can only mean one thing: fall is almost here. We've had luck with the weather and it's been nice and warm over the last few weeks, but the air is crisp in the morning, it cools down at night, and the leaves are starting to fall.

 

So while we're enjoying the last days of this summer, soaking up the last sun rays before the rainy season begins, playing at the water park as much as possible, I can’t help but be excited.

I am a Runner

Ten weeks ago, I ran my very first 5K. And I actually did pretty well. It’s not that I have never been an active person – I love hiking and walking, and tried different sports as a teenager. But I never stuck with anything and consequently was never really good at any of it. Including running. Tony and I tried to go running together years ago when we were both still in college. Years later, I remember how I felt: always a step behind, not being able to focus on my own pace, rhythm, and breathing, distracted by Tony’s pace. I couldn’t relax and that made running just impossible. So I never really gave it another serious try. I just accepted the fact that I wasn’t the running kind.

Feeding a Baby

My post about feeding a toddler was all about what Noah eats now that he is 1 year old and how I make sure he gets a healthy and balanced diet at home and at daycare. Noah is just not the picky eater type (have you seen his belly?), but I like to think that it also has something to do with the way we’ve approached feeding him from a very early age on. I did read quite a bit about what’s “normal” and what other parents do, but not all of it made sense to me and we decided to take all that overwhelming information with a grain of salt and trust our instincts instead...

Green Veggie Mini Muffins

Noah and I love mini muffins. For me, they're the perfect snack in the morning when I don't have time for breakfast, and they make a great addition to Noah's lunches as I mentioned in this post. Today, I managed to get out of the office on time and Tony took Noah on a run, which meant I had an hour to myself and decided it was time for some baking (plus, what a fantastic excuse not to vacuum!).

A Ferry Ride to Bainbridge Island

The summer in Seattle is gorgeous this year. We've had a few gray rainy days (that I actually enjoyed), but for the most part, the weather has been fantastic. 

Today, Little Kraut and I went on a beautiful ferry ride to Bainbridge island with two of my German friends. It's been fun exploring the city (again) with them and I enjoy getting away for some girl time every now and then. Noah chased us around on the deck; he was just happy running around, waving at people, and pointing out birds, it was so much fun watching him. Here he is checking out a another boat:

On the island, we took a nice walk along the water and stopped at Bainbridge Bakers for some delicious snacks and coffee/tea.

Sorry to all of you who expected a long interesting story, but I don't want to bore you with the details of the trip. We just had such a good time to day I felt like I had to share my happiness. Hope you're enjoying the summer as much as we are. Now off to an evening run...

I am no Super Mom

After my post about feeding a toddler where I listed all the fun and healthy things I like to prepare for Noah’s lunch at daycare, one of the questions I got was: how do you do all that? How do you find time to work full time, commute to work every day, go grocery shopping, prepare meals, have family time, and not be completely exhausted at the end of the day? My short answer was: One, Noah has a Super Dad and two, it is all about priorities. 

Here’s my long answer. 

The most important aspect in how I manage family and a demanding full time job is that Noah has a Super Dad. Tony spends just as much time, if not more, taking care of Noah. Our days are pretty scheduled these days and this is what it looks like usually (on days that it works): 

5am: My alarm goes off at 5am every morning and I try to leave the house at 6am. Part of the reason is that my park & ride where I leave my car to get on the bus to go to work is usually completely full at 6:30am. Plus, that way I can avoid the morning rush hour. Leaving only 15 minutes can make my commute a lot longer.

7am: On good days I get to work at 7am. I don’t always make it that early, but have plenty of late evening calls and work to do in the evenings that make up for it. Tony and Noah get up sometime between 6 and 7am, have breakfast together, and get ready for the day.

8am: Around 8am every morning, Tony drops Noah off at daycare and starts his work day

3pm: On a perfect day, I leave work at 3pm, beat traffic coming home, and pick up Noah at 4pm. On a realistic day, I don’t make it there until about 5pm. Are you shocked yet at how much time he spends at daycare every day? I know it’s a long day for him, but that is part of why it’s so important to me that we picked a place that we are 100% happy and comfortable with. He loves it there and usually wants to keep playing when I come to pick him up. Yes, he is happy to see me, but he’s also not at the point where he “needs to get out of here”. I still feel terrible when I am stuck in traffic or have to wait for the bus for an hour (!), but Noah is thriving in his new class and having fun with his friends and teachers. And to be honest, there’s just no other option that would make sense (or any of us happier for that matter).

5:30pm: When we come home, Tony is often already waiting for us and we have about 1.5 hours before dinner time. On a sunny day we just spend time outside, or we go running, or we just hang out in the middle of the living room floor, letting Noah play with his toys and climb around on us while we try not to fall asleep.

7pm: At about 7pm, we eat. We usually prepare dinner together and make something quick and easy or eat leftovers. That’s what I love about summer – there’s nothing more quick and easy and delicious than throwing some meat and veggies on the grill. It also doesn’t hurt to have a potato or pasta salad already in the fridge. Today, we had this:

7:30pm: At about 7:30pm we try to start Noah’s bedtime routine, but that doesn’t always work out. I try to stay on schedule, but I don’t force it on us when it doesn’t make sense. Usually, it just turns out to be the time when he is done eating and gets tired anyway, so it works out. I am in charge of bed time most nights but Tony jumps in quite a bit when I am just too exhausted or have to work late. Noah takes his bath, which he loves, we read a book or two in his room, and then go to our bedroom to lay down. We sing songs, or tell stories, or count toes, until Noah (and sometimes both of us) fall asleep. 

It’s usually a process of 40-60 minutes. I’ve learned that trying to speed it up just doesn’t work; patience is the key; the more I try to make him fall asleep the longer it will take.

8:30pm: I start prepping Noah’s food for the next day, which can take about 20 minutes, depending on how I feel. By the time I’ve taken a shower and got ready for bed it’s usually 9pm. Sometimes I just go to bed, and sometimes Tony and I enjoy a quiet moment on the couch downstairs and watch an episode of our favorite show.

10pm: Tony and I go to bed.

I mentioned priorities as another factor. Notice how I didn’t mention laundry, the dishwasher, grocery shopping, etc.? That’s what weekends are for these days. Don’t ever come visit us on a Friday, I promise you the house will be a mess. 

That’s how we do it. It may not be the best way, but it works for us. Thankfully we both have flexible jobs and can jump in and help each other out when needed. I really don’t know how single parents do it. So – If you think I’m a Super Mom it’s all because Tony is a Super Dad and we make a great team.