What is Ostalgie? Ostalgie or Ostalgia, words that combines the German words for East and Nostalgia, describe a feeling of longing or desire for bits and pieces of the now wiped-away DDR (GDR). Now, while very few people can look you square in the face and say how wonderful the East German government was, or how fantastic it felt to…
Category: German Products I Love
Products that remind me of “home”
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…
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…
Traditions from Germany- Traditional German Christmas Decorations
Scrolling through the Traditions from Germany website is a bit like wandering through an authentic German Christmas market from the comfort of your own home. The charming wood and glass ornaments, handcrafted Pyramids, chubby Smokers, and even brightly lit Herrnhutter Sterne, bring joy and smiles to people who display them during the holiday season. You could say that Sheri and Jochen…
Great Gifts for People Who Miss Germany
This is the time of year I get a lot of emails and messages looking for gift ideas. They go something like this: “My husband is German, and misses home”, “My daughter was an exchange student in Heidelberg, and I want to get her something to remind her,” “My wife’s Oma passed away, so the packages aren’t coming anymore”. We…
Brotzeit- The delicious Bavarian Snack and Meal
In Bavaria, as in the rest of Germany, food is essential. You need fuel to put in a hard day’s work. And it would help if you had something to soak up the alcohol in the beer (which is legally bread in Germany, but that’s another story). Grabbing a slice of toast on your way out the door will not…
What to do with Red Currants! Recipes and Growing Tips
Years ago, I was in Germany with my kids, staying with my Aunt and Uncle. At the time, my youngest was only four and was absolutely enchanted by my Tante’s kitchen garden. She was especially enamored with the Red Currants, Johannisbeeren. Every day, she went to the kitchen to ask for “her” little clear plastic bowl, and she’d go into…
East Frisian Tea and the Ostfriesentee Ceremony
While my American friends grew up drinking milk or water with their dinner, we drank tea. Germans drink a lot of tea, Black Tea, Hagebutte (Rose Hip), Chamomile, and Fenchel (fennel). But NO Germans drink as much tea as the Ostfriesen or East Frisians. It’s hard to imagine, but they consume an average of 300 liters of East Frisian Tea…
German Shop 24 Product Reviews- German Shopping Online
Recently Germanshop24 approached me, and asked if I would like to do regular reviews of some of their products. Since I do much of my German Shopping online… and already order many of my favorite items from them… I am MORE than happy to share German Shop 24 Product Reviews. GermanShop24 carries HUNDREDS of items… from food to cleaning…
German Baumkuchen- How it’s made and where to Buy One
Baumkuchen? Tree Cake? That can’t be right! What is German Baumkuchen? This special cake didn’t get its name from the ingredients; the name came from the resemblance to the rings in a tree when you cut into it. And once you bite into this soft and flavorful cake, you will understand why everyone who tries it loves this “König der…