Deutschland im Herbst (Fall in Germany)

Overall we've adjusted to life in Germany pretty easily.  Life is different in many ways, but most of those differences have turned out to be positive.

We canceled our cell phones shortly before leaving the US, and I'll be honest, I was not looking forward to being without my phone.  I had a smart phone for the past two years, and if I'm completely honest I was really attached.  So it was absolutely shocking for me that I haven't missed my phone at all.   While I am enjoying the many benefits of not being tied to a phone, there are inconveniences, too.  One day we were wandering the streets of Frankfurt trying to find the Apple store (my laptop charger died), and I thought, "my Google maps app would be really handy in this situation".  Also, when we were traveling to Berlin, it dawned on me that we had absolutely no way to contact our friend who would be meeting us at the station if we were delayed for some reason.  But those are bridges that you cross when you have to, and on a daily basis I just don't require a phone at all.  We may have traded our cell phones for wristwatches and pocket-size notebooks, but we aren't completely without modern communication!  We use Skype a lot, especially with our families, and I also pay Skype a few dollars a month so I can call landlines and cell phones.  That part was necessary for InfinityMOM because I need to be able to call boutiques and my manufacturer on a regular basis.  Skype has really low rates for international calling, and since we use the free video option for talking with our family members we spend at most about $5/month for communication.  That is a huge savings on our former $80/month bill for two cell phones with data plans!

We are loving the food here, but there are a few "American" things I will not take for granted once we return to the US:

Jiff Peanut Butter

Godlfish Crackers

Cheddar Cheese

I realize that out of all the things I could miss these three are pretty lame.  But sometimes you don't know what you have until it's gone, or something like that.  Peanut butter is not commonly enjoyed here, and while you can get it, it's not really the same as the creamy goodness you can get back home.  I didn't even eat THAT much peanut butter before, and when I did I would usually go for the slightly healthier Trader Joe's stuff.  Maybe Jiff peanut butter reminds me of home right now, but whatever the reason I desperately want peanut butter.  Same story with the goldfish.  It's not like we bought them all the time in the US, but they're a fairly cheap and tasty snack, and I loved them when I was pregnant with Elise.  They helped a lot with my morning sickness and took the place of saltine crackers (which didn't do a thing for me).  But the cheddar cheese is what I miss most.  I love mexican food - fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, you name it!  I love that little sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese on top.  Not being able to find cheddar cheese at the grocery store - any grocery store - surprised me to say the least.  They have an insane amount of cheese here - blocks, slices, fancy cheeses from the glass case, cheap (but delicious!) pre-packaged options.  You know how you walk into the dairy department of a grocery store in the US and there is always an entire wall of shredded cheese varieties to choose from?   Shredded cheese isn't as big of a thing here, but you can buy it.  Though there are usually only 2 or 3 options, and from what I have tasted so far they're all about the same.  Which is to say, they taste good, but they're not at all right for mexican food.  It's always some variation of really mild cheese meant for topping pasta of pizza.   So with all these cheesy options there's still nothing even remotely close to what we know as cheddar cheese.

*Update* I wrote this a few days ago, but never got around to posting.  Yesterday I had the glorious experience of finding a little hunk of aged Irish cheddar at the grocery store.  The cheese was almost 3 euros, but we made beef fajitas last night topped with fresh shredded cheddar and it was so delicious.

I've had to learn a few new cooking tricks since some of my favorite recipes call for things that aren't available here.  For example, my all time favorite comfort food recipe is my mom's baked chicken and stuffing.  It's tastes like my childhood, but I haven't been able to find two key ingredients 1) anything remotely close to Pepperidge Farms stuffing mix and 2) a can of condensed soup.  So I looked up recipes for those two items and made my own.  The first batch of soup was lumpy and awful, and I had to throw it away, but the second batch came out lump-free and full of flavor.  However, a formerly "quick" dinner now takes almost 3 hours to make start-to-finish.  Still worth it.  I've also figured out how to roast a whole chicken so it tastes exactly like the rotisserie chickens you buy from the grocery store.  Rotisserie chicken is one of my most favorite things, and I love how a whole chicken produces enough meat for several dinners! Unfortunately grocery stores here don't sell them, so I've had to improvise.

I'm feeling a lot more confident on the grocery shopping front.  I can order (in German!) from the butcher counter, and so long as they don't ask me any questions besides "Is that all?" we get along just fine.  Same story at the bakery, though I tend to mispronounce things a lot more often there.  Thankfully everyone has been very gracious with my poor attempts at German.  I've also started shopping at the Aldi here in Oberursel.  It's too far to walk, but the bus stops right across the street, and I even caught a ride with a fellow mom a few days ago.  I've recently started trying to make it to Aldi once a week for fresh produce and non-perishable items (the prices are fantastic, as is the produce quality!).  While Aldi is great from a cost standpoint, they don't carry everything (just like in the US).  For the things I can't get at Aldi, and items I need to buy more frequently like milk, fresh bread, and meat, I walk to Lidl and Edeka.  This usually works out to grocery shopping about every other day, and I tend to visit each of the three stores once per week.

We're really feeling settled in our rhythm and routine here.  Elise recently switched from two naps to one, and that has freed up our mornings for walking to downtown Oberursel to visit the library, outside playtime with the other little girls who live in our building, and (of course) grocery shopping.  We love the community and culture here, and except for our families being so far away, this already feels like home.  

Four little girls playing in the leaves in the backyard of our apartment building. 

Carving a pumpkin!  With her teeth....

My friend Christina (they live above us) pushing her daughter Lotta and Elise on the "big kid" swing.

My big-girl helping to sweep the floor.