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,…
Author: karenanne
What is a Turnverein? How do Turners fit into American History?
Karen Lodder Feb. 3, 2021 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…
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,…
The History of Old German Cursive Alphabet and Typefaces
I remember struggling with the lowercase cursive f. Over and over, I would write f’s on the lined beige paper (you know, the kind with two solid blue lines set about an inch apart with a dotted line between them). And every time I turned it in, my teacher would reject it and send it back, “not right,” or “your…
Super Easy German Fanta Cake or Fantakuchen Recipe
You probably won’t find Fanta Cake in a fancy German Cafe, but don’t scoff at this super easy and quick-to-make Fantakuchen Recipe. When my kids were young, I loved having what I called “afterschool cake” recipes. Snack cakes that could be whipped up without too much fuss. This one bakes in under an hour (perfect when a crowd of kids…
German Soups, Stews, and Eintopfe – Perfect for Cooler Days
German food is often stereotyped as consisting mainly of large chunks of meat or sausage. But that really doesn’t tell the whole story of German Cuisine. I grew up eating German Soups, Stews, and Eintopfe. At least once a week, my mother would cook a hearty soup or Eintopf that, along with a slice of bread and butter, would fill…
Frau Perchta? Goddess or Belly-Slitter?
Deep in the Alpine region of Germany, two frightening beings bookend the Christmas Season. Krampus roams on December 5th, and Frau Perchta is associated with Berchentag, the Feast of the Epiphany, on January 6th. But Who is Frau Perchta? Or WHAT is Frau Perchta? Is she an evil hag who kills lazy women and children? Or is she a beautiful…
German Good Luck Symbols- We Could All Use a Little Luck
You see them everywhere in Germany, especially around Christmas and the New Year: Toadstool ornaments, Chimney Sweet figures, Marzipan Piggies with coins or 4 Leaf Clover in their mouths. These German good luck symbols didn’t just come out of nowhere; they all have history and legend to explain why they are lucky. Some luck charms go back to Pagan times,…