apple picking.

I have mentioned in previous posts that we are lucky to have three fruit bearing trees in our German back yard! Every summer, we enjoy cherries and plums and in the autumn, apples. The weather this year has been perfect for big, juicy apples! I thought they might be ready for eating, so we went to explore the tree. We found numerous ladybugs and tons of perfect looking apples. I thought they tasted great, if a bit tart and perfect for baking! Iris had different thoughts, and I captured the range of her experience in photographs. 

She perked up again when I asked her to draw me a hopscotch! 

a european deployment and cooking for two.

There are many opportunities Europe has to offer. One of my most celebrated conveniences is the quality of the food. There is a wondrous abundance of culture here, which provides many completely different styles of cuisine. One thing they all have in common is freshness. GMO's are banned in the EU and believe me when I tell you, you can absolutely taste the difference. Organic food here is not only affordable but even readily available in most grocery stores here in Germany. The foods we might buy only on a special occasion in America are abundant and economical (for example, a fine cheese, wine or meat.)

Since Marius deployed almost two months ago, I have had to re-learn how to prepare meals for Iris and myself. I don't use recipes or meal plans at all, as I find that much more freeing to eat what my body needs on any given day. Earlier this year, our family decided to lean into a Paleo-style diet. We now eat very little gluten, if any at all. Marius is a bit more strict with it than I am, as I can barely live without my two teaspoons of sugar in my tea in the morning, or far more importantly, cheese.

Since it's summertime and I would rather not heat up the non-air-conditioned house any more than necessary, I've ended up making the simplest healthy dishes that occur to my mind. I am currently eating about five small meals a day, most of which consist of chopped raw vegetables, fruit, meat and olives. I thought I might share some of the meals we have been eating since Marius left, and hope he isn't too envious considering his chow hall is less than appetizing!

A lunch of olive oil baked eggplant eaten with a big piece of goat cheese and a side of grapes and carrots.

An easy ginger stir fry with chicken, eggplant, carrots, edamame, and red peppers.

Iris' most requested breakfast - warm oatmeal with honey and strawberries.

A healthier way to eat cheese is on thin slices of apple!

A lunch plate of quesadilla for Iris with veggies, aged gouda, kalamata olives and caper berries to share.

Paleo pomegranate chicken salad where instead of mayo, I use a simple guacamole - mashed avocado with some salt, cilantro, scallions and  lime juice.

A lunch of sushi rice with furikake and a side of avocado.

A throw together dinner of salmon marinated in Maggi-Würze, garlic and ginger with rice and ginger spinach.

A lunch plate of salami and cheeses from Belgium and Holland.

My friend and I made this big plate of sushi. Iris and I love sushi so much, we eat it at least four times a week!

Homemade gluten-free pizza with orange bell pepper, artichokes, eggplant and kalamata olives.

a slice of Germany - Brauhaus Zils

I haven't made A Slice of Germany post in such a long time! For a while now I've been relying on Marius to take pictures with his little pocket sized camera, so I can skip the hassle of my huge camera considering I'm usually wrangling Iris most of the time anyway. Well, from now on I am not allowed out of the house without my camera - for that simply makes for NO blog posts! Unacceptable. 

This Slice of Germany Post has been in my queue for many months now. These photos were taken during the summer, while the sun still shone his face. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that Marius and I really enjoy all that beer has to offer and we consider it one of our hobbies. We search out local breweries and have even started brewing our own beer!

Bräuhaus Zils is a lovely little brewery which is quite close to us. They serve traditional German food and have at least three varieties of beer available. We haven't been back since, but this is a nice reminder to make our way there again! 

Information outside the restaurant.

The entrance.

 The special of the day.

Summer flowers.

Coloring with great attention to detail.

My love.

Yum!

We ordered a hefeweizen (wheat beer) and a dunkel (dark beer). 

Apfelschorle (apple juice with carbonation).

Experimenting.

German-style onion soup - with chicken broth, onions, cheese, herbs and country bread.

Iris loves her bratwurst!

Delicious sauerbraten (sour roast).

Oooh!

Ice cream is very serious.

The view of the patio from the back stairs. 

Dried hops tied to the railing.

Inside - the bar and beer brewing going on in the background.

a slice of Germany - Brauhaus Kloster Machern

I am getting a bit behind on my Slice of Germany posts. Perhaps I should spend more time blogging and less time devouring German food and drink? Doubtful! Anyway, several weeks ago we visited the Brauhaus Kloster Machern. We arrived a bit too late to see their museum and gift shop and also had a bit of a time taking photos in the low light, but it was a really enjoyable trip nonetheless. There was a restaurant, an ice cream shop and a small wine shop and cafe, all of which we indulged in. 

We dined on plates of sliced pork with sauce, bratwurst and homemade sauerkraut, then moved next door where Iris had an ice cream and Mama and Papa had glasses of delicious house wine. The area also had a small built-in playground which we shared with Iris before leaving. Brauhaus Kloster Machern was a lovely place to spend a relaxing evening.

A fountain outside the main restaurant.

The wine cafe.

A look inside the wine cafe.

View of the vineyard from the patio.

House wine.

An antique which we think was a pump of some kind.

Enjoying the wafer that came with her ice cream.

She loves her ice cream!

a slice of Germany - Wittlich Pig Fest

"Legend has it that Wittlich was once a walled fortress constantly under attack by invaders. One evening a guard charged with locking the gate to the besieged town couldn't find the peg to secure the fortified door. All he could find was a large carrot to wedge in the door. Later, a pig ate the carrot, the gate opened and the enemy came in. After the enemy ransacked the town, the angry townspeople herded every pig into the town's market square and roasted them. Since then, the town of Wittlich has been known as the town of the pig burners."

The Wittlich (pronounced Vittlich in German) festival goes on for four whole days. We went on Sunday and it was over 30ºC, without a breeze to be had. It would have been pure misery if not for the delicious pork sandwiches, cold local brew and excitement going on all around us. A large portion of the town center is closed down from traffic, leaving it free for carnival style rides and games, and even a stage for musical performances. All of the restaurants, cafes and ice cream parlors spread their tables and chairs into the streets and food vendors set up their wares. Most notable of course, are the pigs roasting on an open fire! We had some of the 43rd pig that was roasted that weekend.

We wandered around for about an hour after eating and drinking, but it was difficult to shop the homemade goods because it was just so hot. Iris was feeling very rambunctious and somewhat grumpy, so we didn't stay for very long. Before we left, we stopped at the toy vendor and bought Iris a couple of beautifully made wooden toys. We definitely enjoyed the experience and look forward to going again next year!