Even if you can’t make it to Munich, you can still celebrate! Plan an Oktoberfest Party at home with these Oktoberfest Theme Party Ideas!  All you need is Beer, food music and some fun Oktoberfst party supplies/ decorations to get everyone in the mood! You can go big… and rent a tent, hire a band, and tap a keg or two….…

Munich, Germany is the home of the ORIGINAL Oktoberfest. The fabulous Festival seeming takes over the city in late September , and just around that time we get these images of a Lederhosen wearing, Beer guzzling, Pretzel eating Man, with his Lusty dirndl wearing Fraulein. This image is only partially true, and doesn’t tell the whole story.  Oktoberfest is so…

I know, I know… Chocolate and Dark Beer Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream are not STRICTLY German. (Or really, traditional German at all) BUT! They are tasty. And since I used a dark Erdinger Weissbier German Beer, these delicious treats count as Denglish. The recipe comes from one I used to bake for Irish friends using Stout beer (Guinness).  I find…

While on a tour in Munich, we had a “get acquainted” lunch at the Augustiner Brewery (across from the Hofbrauhaus). On the Menu were Weißwurst, Pretzels, and Obatzda, a German beer cheese spread. It was orange. As someone who has attended plenty of gatherings with a fluorescent cheese ball, I was a little skeptical. But that first taste smeared on…

  Festival season is a great time to learn some new German Oktoberfest Recipes. Naturally, I want to be able to cook staples like Brathändl /Roast Chicken and Bavarian Kartofelsalat /potato salad (my northern German version is vastly different). But I also wanted recipes for the less well-known, and quite delicious foods that you would find at Oktoberfest… but now…

When it comes to Oktoberfest, the first thing people seem to focus on is the BEER. But you want a base for all that alcohol… so don’t forget to EAT! Besides, the festival food is delicious. There are many traditional German Oktoberfest Foods that you will find served in the various Beer Tents and on the Wiesn. Feel confused by…

Over the years, many of our local German Delis and Bakeries have shut down. But, all is not lost! You can order German Food online to enjoy at home! Almost everything you normally buy in German Grocery Store stores can be sold in these shops. I’m in the habit of cooking with certain German seasonings and sauces that I can’t…

For many German-Americans, tracing their history is not so easy. Records were lost or destroyed, and the old script can be difficult to read. While I am by no means an expert, I have found some German Genealogy Databases online that can help you find a little more about your German Ancestry. If you know of any websites or pages that…

 Looking for German Festivals in America? Events and Celebrations? Take a look at our list! There’s  something for everyone! Maifests, Sommerfests, Oktoberfests, Christkindlmarkt, Concerts, and More!! We also have a special page set aside for Christmas Markets in the United States and Canada–> German Christmas Markets  Do you know of any Events or GermaFestival that’s not on the list? Send…

  Ever wonder “Are there any German Restaurants near Me?” Readers have kindly sent me the names of their favorite German Restaurants in America, as well as German Bakeries, Delis and Online Sources. It looks like we will all be able to eat Rouladen, Bratwurst, Brötchen and Torte as we make our way across America. And now we’ve even added German…

There’s a sort of funny joke circulating about a recipe blogger who confesses to a murder in the wordy part of the post before the actual recipe, but, since no one reads this part, she gets away with it. Don’t panic. There’s nothing in this Apricot Blueberry Streusel Cake Recipe post, except a recipe. But the idea is intriguing. (Filing…

Summer is here, so it’s time for “lighter” cakes that show off summer fruits. In Germany, I’ve enjoyed the Erdbeer Biskuitrolle mostly with süße Sahne (sweetened whipped cream), some homemade Erdbeermarmelade (strawberry jam), and fresh berries rolled up inside. The vanilla cake gets its lift from eggs so that you can feel less guilty about all that cream! Fresh strawberries…

My mother cooked German soups and Eintopfe (One-pot meals) all winter. Soups transform simple ingredients into flavorful and filling meals. German Potato Soup with Smoked Sausage is the perfect example of this.  The humble potato, the Erd-Apfel, was a side dish at almost every meal. (Boiled, fried, mashed, Klöße…) We were the only ones in our neighborhood with a special…

My daughter came home from school for winter break craving Graupensuppe, German Pearl Barley Soup. I get it. When you are away from home, you crave the foods you only get at home. Soups or stews that make you feel loved inside. After visiting a few stores to find Pearl Barley (is there a shortage?), we made a big pot…

When you think of Massachusetts, the first thing that might come to mind is the rich tapestry of American history that’s woven into its cities and towns. But did you know that there’s also a strong German influence that’s left an indelible mark on its historical sites? From architecture to cuisine, German immigrants have greatly influenced the Bay State. They’ve left…

Most people don’t think about German-American history when they think about Southern California. Pennsylvania, of course, Wisconsin, naturally, but California? YES! Anaheim’s German History is a great story. The city of Anaheim began as a colony of Germans! (Yes, Anaheim, home to the House of Mouse). In 1857, 50 Germans formed an association called the Los Angeles Vineyard Company and…

A few years ago, I visited the Bremerhaven Auswandererhaus (Emigration Museum), and more recently, I visited Ellis Island, where many immigrants landed on the other side of the Atlantic. The museum houses the other half of the immigration story. I went, unsure of how much German history I would see; after all, Ellis Island acted as an immigration station for…

  1021 people, primarily women and children, perished in the General Slocum Disaster of 1904. And yet, the tragedy is mostly forgotten. Kleindeutschland (Little Deutschland) in New York City thrived through the 1800s into the turn of the century. German-Americans lived, worked, shopped, and worshipped in this thriving neighborhood. Then, on June 15, 1904, 1358 people climbed aboard the General…