Goodbye Weekend, Please Come Again

This weekend was the first semi-nice weekend since last year that it was just me, Toblerone, and the Harley Jones ButtButt. We actually took it really easy but it was nice to just be us and be at home. We’ve had a lot of visitors (which I LOVE! Gimme more!!), lots of family get together things, soccer games, and work. But this was the first weekend I actually felt relaxed and able to pull myself together enough to clean the house (which I’ve been boycotting for a few weeks.) Here’s my weekend in review!

Saturday morning I woke up and tried to make toast with my toaster that is ten sizes too small….seriously.

BUT THEN….I FINALLY got my Easter bunny package from my momma! Get this, she sent it out on March 23rd and it arrived on May 4th (Birthday to my Dad!). So I threw the toast over my shoulder and ravished through that thing eating up all the yum yums before Toblerone caught on. Then he wanted in on the chocolate chaos!

Later that day we went to what we thought would be the Farmers Market but ended up being the giant annual flea market!! Which I was in HEAVEN! I always liked flea markets because I relish in the stories of the items. Who owned them? Were they used a lot? That kind of thing. But in Germany, this is like a whole new realm! They have different old stuff and its cool! I keep making myself into a bigger nerd than I want to be!

Check out this prize!! Who remembers Alf?!?!?

So I ended up talking with this old guy and he had so many antiques and I bought from him a musical beer stein for my collection. Yes, I’m collecting but only ones that are from Germany. Then I got two decorative things for my “Cape Cod” guest room. It’s my happy place and not close to finished but it’s slowly getting there!

After the flea market it started to pour. Germany seems to be a lot like Seattle. It is ALWAYS raining in springtime. Want to punch babies! I need sunshine!!! PLEASE!!!! The hubs got me set up on the couch with blankies and my comfy pants and a tea. I wrote a blog or two and just chilled out. It was fantastic! Just what I needed.

Sunday I cleaned the entire house while Toblerone was at his soccer game. He came home with a black eye trying to hit a header and some other kids head smashed into his face. Awesome. However, now I can imagine him as Brad Pitt in the fight club and it’s sexy!

Our town’s Maibaum = May Tree

We went out to dinner to celebrate his parent’s 34th wedding anniversary and I had asparagus cream soup and a salad. Asparagus only really comes out this time of year in Germany and its a special time. So, we have to eat it up while we can. They are big on white asparagus with hollandaise sauce.

After that, we sat outside to soak up the remaining bits of the sun with some white wine while Toblerone iced his face!

Look closely into the wine…Can you find the upside down church steeple?

What did you do this weekend? Anything exciting?!

Until next time, Readers!!!! xoxoxoxoxo

German Hokkaido Pumpkin Soup, A Taste of Autumn

I’m sure you all know by now but if you don’t… I’m obsessed with PUMPKIN. If there was a pumpkin flavored gum…I’d never spit it out. I’m really way overly into it. And in Germany, that haven’t got on to the whole Pumpkin fiasco that is America. We have the Pumpkin Spice lattes, Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ravioli…etc etc. The list goes on. HOWEVER, my friends and neighbors, they do have one dish that involves the beauty of the orange ball and that is…Pumpkin Soup!

I think within the first 5 days of me moving to Germany I was able to try this and it was FANTASTIC! So…now that it’s a year later…I decided it was time to try it myself. Toblerone’s parents came over last night to drop off a few things and naturally I asked his mom how she makes the pumpkin soup and before I know it we were in the thralls of cooking at 9pm.

Most of the pictures are taken with my iPhone as she busied away doing whatever it was that she was doing. I was trying to document so I would remember for you guys of course!

What you need:

1 ‘Hokkaido’ Pumpkin

1 medium-sized onion

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 cups water

2 Tablespoons Beef Bouillon

White wine

Salt and Pepper

150 grams (about 3/4 cup) Creme Fraiche

200 grams ( about 1 cup) Whipping cream

How You Make It:

Take a sharp knife and cut off the skin completely around the pumpkin. Don’t cut too deep, just enough to get the outer layer off. Then cut the pumpkin in half, scooping out the seeds in the middle. 

Cut the pumpkin into small chunks (easier to cook and puree). Next cut the onion into small pieces as well. Then add two tablespoons of butter to a pot and heat on medium heat. Once butter starts to melt, add the onions. Let onions cook until they are starting to get golden brown.

Easy so far right?? Once the onion is golden brown add in the chunks of pumpkin and mix together. NOTE: If you want a thicker soup you can cut up a potato and cook as well. Once you puree you won’t taste the potato so much and it will thicken the soup. I thought it was perfect without.

So the madre-in-law filled up a bowl of water without measuring and poured the water into the pot as well. Then we cooked it for a good 15 more minutes. Here’s the thing, as I said…without measuring so at a glance I would say it was 2 cups to 2 1/2 cups of water. You basically want the water to cover the pumpkin pieces. This is the “soup” part of it.

Add in the beef bouillon and cover. Let cook for 15 -20 mins. Check the pumpkin. If the pumpkin is soft then it’s ready to puree.  Take the pot and place in the sink and  puree until all chunks have met their doom with the mixer.

Toblerone’s mother has a handy dandy puree machine which I want SO badly! I’ve never seen this in America but granted…I didn’t cook much when I lived there so if you have one, awesome!

Harley Jones was REALLLLLLLLY enjoying this as you can see.

Once you puree, place the soup back on the burner on low heat and start adding in the rest of the ingredients. Salt and Pepper to taste, a little more beef bouillon if you wish, and white wine. So…here’s the other fun part. Earlier I had poured his mom a glass of white wine and in the heat of the moment she grabbed her wine…took a sip and then poured it into the soup. This was about a half a cup I think. But add a little and taste it until it’s to your preference.

Next you add in the whipping cream (leaving behind a little for the finishing touch). Do not whip it or any such thing, just simply pour in and stir. Next add the creme fraiche as well. Stir and let sit so the wine can cook for about 5 – 10 minutes.

In the mean time, toast a few pieces of bread and cut into small “crouton” sizes. I had onion bread here at home so that worked out perfectly.

Pour the soup into bowls and drizzle the remaining whipping cream into the soup like so:

Add your toasted bread “croutons” and VOILA! Chow down time! Keep in mind that this is not supposed to taste like a pumpkin pie. It’s not sweet, it’s just simply, TASTY!!!!

Until next time, Readers!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

Creamy Mushroom Soup – Pin Challenge – Day #10

I have a REALLY good Pinterest find for you today, folks! It was a rainy day here in Germany plus I have a bit of a nasty cold. Put those two things together and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a soup kind of day!

(Check out my adorable pumpkin shaped bowls! LOVE LOVE LOVE!)

I’ve been eyeing this gem for a while now and just so happened to have everything I needed at the house so off I went! Got a HUGE thumbs up from Toblerone on this one. I made it with the Avocado grilled cheese (posted yesterday). Perfect pairing believe it or not!

CREAMY MUSHROOM SOUP!

The pin on Pinterest is here and the recipe from the original site is here.

Here’s what I did a little differently:

1. Since the recipe is for 2 people, I increased the milk and cream by 1/2 cup each.

2. I didn’t have nutmeg on hand so I used a very tiny pinch of cinnamon.

3. Instead of making tiny slices of mushrooms I left them somewhat larger – bigger slices.