Germany agAin

It has been over a month since I blogged. There is a reason for that. I visited my family in Germany and took my computer thinking that I would find time to write and blog. I was wrong, I never turned on the computer. Being with my family was more important. The sun didn’t set until 10:00 pm and those long evenings were spent visiting with each other. There were the family problems, the political situation, and so much more to talk about. Here is an update on my brother’s Ukrainian women. Last year my brother hosted a grandmother, mother, and 14 year old daughter. The girl is going to school, the mother is working in a factory nearby and the grandmother returned to Kharkiv to her apartment and dacha. There is some damage to the dacha but her apartment is still standing. The mother and daughter are now speaking some German and studying German at night. They do not know how long they will have to stay. They are adjusting. Both of them would like nothing more than to return home. I understand why the mother is keeping her daughter safe in Germany. They prepared a meal of borscht and dumplings for the entire family. Let’s wish them the best.

While in the village my girlfriend took me on a little outing to the historical town of Hann Münden. Here the rivers Fulda and Werra meet to form the Weser, one of the larger rivers in Germany. The town is famous for its half-timbered houses, some over 600 years old. I spent time here as a young girl visiting distant cousins and I have some fond memories.

After a few days in the village staying at the tiny house I visited my niece and her family in Lüneburg

This is the kitchen I grew up in and now my girlfriend lives there.

my village

I spent some time with my grand niece. She is going to a wonderful day care. Her father brings her with a bicycle which has an attached wagon. She loves the ride. One day when my niece and I picked her up we stopped at an Italian ice cream cafe and had a treat. Almost all ice cream cafes in Germany are operated by Italian families and you get the best cappuccinos and homemade ice cream and gelato. Occasionally they will sell a German cake. 

Taking a walk with my grand niece

After a few days in Lüneburg my niece’s family and I rented an apartment on the Eastern Sea near Wismar. My grand niece was happy to play in the sand all day. One day we visited Wismar and got a great tour from my niece’s former professor.

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Another day we visited a castle that is now used as an art gallery. My niece had done some of her work there as a student. It is a beautiful place with a nice garden cafe nearby.

After our relaxing stay at the beach it was time to return to Lüneburg and I returned to the village. One day I  visited an old friend in Kassel. On another day my girlfriend Monika  and I visited her daughter‘s new family and home. It was here that I had the best herring meal on the trip. We went to a linen factory that makes the most beautiful linen. I bought way too much and had trouble getting it all on the train. 
Talking about German trains. Don’t count on them being on time. Twice my train was canceled and I had to wait at the station for an hour. My girlfriend Monika and I were going to visit Leipzig for a weekend but there was the possibility of a strike by the Bahn. We canceled our trip.  So much for  German punctuality.

I had some good and some not so good food while visiting Germany. It was asparagus season and I had the most wonderful salad and soup with my niece’s in-laws. They had an asparagus pizza and it was quite good. My niece  had never been a cook before she became a mom. She made delicious spinach and bread dumplings in a creamy tomato sauce in a thermo mix. This machine is currently the rave in Germany. 

Arugula salad with shrimp and white asparagus.

Asparagus Pizza

Spinach Bread Dumplings

White asparagus salad with chicken grilled breast.

My last meal was at the Pauliner Restaurant at the Frankfurt airport. I had the white asparagus salad with a grilled chicken breast. It was the perfect meal to say goodbye to Germany.
After returning to Santa Cruz I was glad to be back cooking in my kitchen. I made a German rhubarb sheet cake that was ok but not good enough to put on my blog.

Here are some of my recipes for the month of July. Click on the photos for the recipes. You will find more recipes if you type whatever you are looking for into the search bottom of my blog which is located above my photo.

This is a traditional German Strawberry Cake.

These ahi tacos with a tropical salsa are the perfect summer dish.

Preserve the taste of summer with fresh fruit soaked in rum. An old German tradition.

I have prepared this seafood pasta dish many times and it is always a winner.