Today, I learned how a search engine works. I also found out what shape raindrops take when they fall. No, I didn’t read a book or do a Google search; I watched “Die Sendung mit der Maus”! What is Die Sendung mit der Maus? For 50 years, this award-winning German TV program on WDR entertained and educated German kids ! And…
Author: karenanne
Cute Animal House Slippers from Germany
We wear slippers and house shoes all the time in our house. I like to have warm feet, and I hate dragging dirt from the garden or street into our home. Since we seem to be home all the time, I like a slipper that holds up well, AND looks cute. Fortunately, GermanSlippers has a fun selection of SUPER CUTE…
What is a Volksmarsch? Walking for Fun, Friendship and Fitness
Germans love to walk. A short walk to aid digestion, or walking instead of driving to the local market to pick something up, and of course, a Sonntagsspaziergang (Sunday Walk) was a weekly thing, generally through a botanical garden or local scenic area. Germans also love to be organized. That’s why it comes as no surprise to me that Germans…
Pfirsichschnitten- Peach Streusel Cake Squares
The other day, I was flipping through a German cookbook, and a recipe fell out. Pfirsichschnitten. It was my handwriting, and I can remember clearly copying it from a recipe I found in my Oma’s recipe drawer onto the grid paper from her tablet. This deceptively simple cake has always been a favorite. It’s the kind of cake to enjoy…
Karneval Berliner – How to Make Berliner
Why are Berliner / Pfannekuchen / Krapfen made during Karneval Season? Karneval is a time of exuberance before Lent’s austerity. Believers are supposed to give up tasty things like fried foods for those 40 days before Easter. So, be sure to eat all the Berliner you can BEFORE midnight on Karneval Dienstag! (Shrove Tuesday). Berliners are filled with tasty fillings…
A Visit to the Nuremberg Toy Museum- Spielzeugmuseum Nuremberg
Nuremberg has been a hub of toy making since the Middle Ages, so it makes sense that the Nuremberg Spielzeugmuseum is considered one of the best Toy Museums in the world. HUNDREDS of toy makers had their workshops along the cobblestoned streets and ways. Not only that, Nuremberg is the home of the first mass-produced toys and the first Tin…
Oma’s German Red Cabbage Recipe- Skip the Jar, Make it Yourself!
My daughter came out of her room and said, “The house smells like Christmas; how long have I been studying?” It’s true; although red cabbage is easy to make and works as a great side dish for many different meats, I mainly make it for the holidays. My German red cabbage recipe is my mother’s red cabbage recipe. This year,…
What is a Turnverein? How do Turners fit into American History?
When I told my mother that my latest research was a deep dive into the Turner Movement, she said, “OH! Vater Jahn! Your Opa did gymnastics with the Turners!” Freiderich Ludwig Jahn essentially invented gymnastics in Germany around 75 years before my grandfather was born, and he’s still spoken of with reverence by many because of his teachings- democratic reform,…
Glanzbilder – Scrap Pictures to Collect, Trade and Decorate
Ernst Freihoff may not be a familiar name to many, but to many girls who grew up in or spent time in Germany in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, his company’s Glanzbilder was an essential part of childhood. What are Glanzbilder? You may know them as Scrapbilder, Poesiebilder, Albumbilder, Rosenbilder, or even Oblaten. These colorful sets of pictures were printed…
Grünkohlsuppe Recipe from an American Kitchen- German Kale Soup
In Northern Germany, Grünkohl or Kale often comes to the table in winter. (I was eating Kale WAY before Kale was cool). People will even make a Grünkohlfahrt (giggle), a strenuous hike followed by a traditional meal of Kale. My mother’s kitchen was German, which meant WE ate a lot of Kale, too. But I grew up in Southern California,…