In the old days, traveling to Germany meant you could pack five bags and have clothes for every eventuality (invited to a Costume Ball? covered…. hiking in the Alps? covered…. A day at the spa? got it). Today, you are far more restricted by luggage allowance and increasing costs per bag. And honestly, who wants to schlepp all that luggage??…
Author: karenanne
Black Forest Cupcakes Recipe- Black Forest Törtchen for a Crowd
I’m sure this Black Forest Cupcakes Recipe would confuse my Oma, but then she’d tuck right in. Granted, cupcakes weren’t much of a German Thing. (Maybe we could call them Black Forest Törtchen, little cakes). So, why did I make them? Black Forest Cake / Schwarzwälder Kirsch Torte is my daughter’s FAVORITE cake, and she wanted me to make it…
A Visit to the East Side Gallery Berlin
In February 1990, 118 artists from 21 countries came together to memorialize the fall of the Berlin Wall. Their incredible plan was to create a visual representation of the joy and energy felt in Germany and worldwide. When they finished in September 1318 meters of Wall were painted with a string of murals that would become the East Side Gallery.…
Hanni and Nanni – Our Favorite Twins for Over 50 Years!
Of all the nicknames I had growing up, my favorite was bestowed on me by my German family, “Leseratte” (Reading Rat). Every time I went to Germany, I spent a LOT of time reading. Why would I spend so much time with my nose in a book in GERMANY? Well, the family was in Farm Country, and people were…
Make this Fairly Easy Berliner Recipe for Karneval or Silvester
Fasching! Karneval! Even NEW YEAR! or maybe you just LOVE them, it’s a good time for Berliner! Honestly, I seldom make them, because fried foods are not really great for the waistline, and we live down the street from one of the world’s great Donut places (shout out to SloDoCo!). BUT it’s Karneval season, and Berliner, which aren’t really donuts,…
What is the Sandmaennchen? A little Man who Sent German Kids to Dream
When the Wall separating East Germany from West Germany fell, many of the icons produced by the East vanished. There is one BIG exception. The Sandmännchen. What is the Sandmaennchen? And how did he continue to thrive despite his East German origins? This little figure with a long goatee and pointed cap captured the hearts of German children with his…
Muller Fasching Verein Nordamerika- Bringing Tyrol to Milwaukee
It turns out the best time to see witches in Milwaukee is NOT at Halloween… it’s between January 6th and Ash Wednesday, during Fasching/Karneval Season. But, the witches play a supporting role in this performance, which goes back 500 years to the Alps of Austria. The 70-member strong Muller Fasching Verein of Nordamerika carries the Tyrolean tradition of chasing the…
A German Kitchen Witch Brings Good Luck to Your Kitchen!
When I was growing up, my mother always had a flying Kitchen Witch hanging in the kitchen window. And naturally, as an adult with my own kitchen, I have one too. Now, the legend says that a German Kitchen Witch will protect your food as you cook it… no more pots boiling over, no more burnt cakes…. just delicious foods that…
What is a Bollenhut? The Iconic Black Forest Hat
One of the most iconic images of Germany’s Black Forest is a fresh faced woman wearing a hat covered with red Pom Poms, a Bollenhut; but what is a Bollenhut? This stiff straw hat covered in wool Pom Poms is an integral part of the area’s Tracht. But it’s not as common as advertising and media would have us think.…