Maultaschen ― WTF IS IT??!

It looks like ravioli, it tasted like ravioli, but o'er here, they don't call it ravioli! The Germans call 'em Maultaschen, which translates to mouth and bags, lol. Though they're larger than traditional ravioli, they have the same sort of fillings. I ordered this dish at a restaurant called Stevertal. The menu described it as follows: Hausgemachte Maultaschen mit Lachs gefüllt in Basilikum-Sauce und Salatteller which basically means they were filled with salmon in a basil sauce and served with a salad. The entire meal was exquisite, but why was half a tomato chosen to be used as a dead-centre garnish?! *Smh

F*CK YEAH! IT'S 2013, B*TCHES!

Happy Belated New Year's, ya'll! New year, new beginnings! Do I have a New Year's Resolution? Heck nah! I say just live life to the fullest every single day, and get sh.t done NOW! Stop playing the waiting game and chase that dream like you're running after the last 165D bus heading south down Weston Rd. North! As for me, I cannot wait for what the future has in store this year. I plan to continue doin' my thang here teaching English, learning as much as I can as well as improving my spoken German. It really is all about making movements and living without regrets. Cheers to 2013! Make it LIVE!

1€ Waffeln ― Wochenmarkt Münster

This thing got in mah belly just 2.5 hours ago. Hit the spot like whoa! Nothing's better than a fresh waffle in hand while strolling through a market :) Trust, the Germans are serious about their waffles! Der Plätzchenbäcker has a stand at the market and though they also sell cookies and bread rolls, the fresh waffle-making area of the stand is always more abuzz with activity. A normal waffle goes for 1€, but I actually ordered a spelt waffle for 1,30€. I requested 1/2 icing sugar and 1/2 cinnamon sugar. BOMB!

Museum Heimathaus Münsterland ― Grußkarten zu Weihnachten

"Postkarten aus Deutschland und verschiedenen Ländern aus aller Welt, teilweise gelaufen, in unterschiedlichen Drucktechniken, karten vom Ende des 19. Jahrhundert bis zur Gegenwart."

RELiGIO is a really kool religious museum of sorts located not far from Münster. It's in a small town called Telgte. We visited it the other day and I found it fascinating! What's more, we were able to see the "only during Christmastime" Krippenmuseum, where artists from all over the world have their mangers (most are sculptures, but some are paintings or drawings) showcased at the museum. Sadly, most of my pics of the mangers turned out too dark. Here are some aesthetically-interesting postcards I spotted and I've decided to share instead. Still pondering what country they're from... any guesses?

Christmas Dinners: Dec. 23―26, 2012

Ya-hoo for conquering my first official Xmas in Germany! Not that it was hard to do ;) Gotta say that the traditions here are not far from what I grew up doing. One key difference is that people put up their Xmas trees much closer to Dec. 25. And a small % of people put up Xmas lights outside their homes. But yeah, similar to back home we did nothing but eat for a few days in a row.

Dec. 23 ― Roasted Duck with  Red Cabbage & Potatoes

Dec. 24  ― Steamed Trout & Potatoes

Dec. 25 ― Slow-cooked Deer with Mashed Potatoes & Savoy Cabbage

Dec. 26 ― Sausages & Salads with Homemade Bread

Unfortunately, I cannot say I took part in the creation of any of these homecooked meals. But much love and thanks to the talented chefs and amazing people in my life who prepared them! It's been awesome indeed to have eaten such varied, delicious dishes over the past few days. #trulyblessed

The last time I'd eaten duck was ages ago, so you can imagine what a treat that was to have! As well, the only fish André and I ever eat is frozen, so being fed 1 whole trout on a dinner plate was luxurious indeed. Oh, and Klaus & Cilly's deer dish?! Absolutely s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g. Firstly, I'd never tried deer before, and boy, was it surprisingly tender. Its taste and texture kinda tasted to me like a cross between liver and beef. Effing can't begin to describe to you how good the deer paired with mashed potatoes, man. And then back to basics at the end of the 4-day eating streak with Renate's typical German dinner ;)

Schoko-Werkzeuge 2012 Weihnachtsmärkte

We spotted these rather realistic-looking chocolate tools Werkzeuge and such at a few of the Xmas Markets this year, and André says he only started seeing them at the markets within the past few years, so the concept's still new-ish. I was curious to know how good they tasted, but at the same time I was fine with simply admiring them as pieces of art. The scissors and the keys tickled my fancy the most. It cost a whopping 4,00€, however, for one of the smallest pieces they had (I think that was the price of the mini car), and I refused to pay more than that. Schmeh, there's always next year!

dining table made of books

Anyone fancy a cuppa tea? Anyone at all? #Stadtbücherei #Münster #Esstisch #Bücher #August #2012

[FOTO] Greve Josef Gärtnerei — Blumenstrauß

I am by no means a flowery kinda chick. In fact, quite the opposite. But I just had to shed light on this bountiful bouquet of flowers. We bought it at some underrated flower shop in Münster last last weekend ('twas a gift for Renate). And I'll tell you why this place is so awesome! One can buy a made-to-order hand crafted bouquet such as this one for either €5 (small) or €10 (large). The one we bought was large. And some old lady makes the bouquet for you while you wait. One con is that there's always a line-up at this place, but for a quality product, it's worth it. Die Dahlien Blumen sieht faszinierend aus :0

[Fotos] Münster Frühjahrssend 2012

Flashing. Lights, lights, lights.................

The Döner Phenomenon in Deutschland

You could be in the middle of butt#$@& nowhere in Deutschland, and some random Döner joint would probably be right around the corner. You North Americans will be intrigued to know that there are more places to get Döner in this country than McDonalds locations! (it seems like that, anyway) The bottom line is, Germans cannot get enough of this fast food. It's cheap, it's tasty, and of all the places I've been to so far, it's always been decently good.



What the eff is a Döner?! Well, all I know is that in Toronto, we call 'em "Shawarma" or "Kebab." And none of the "Shawarma" or "Kebab" I've had in Toronto have ever come close to the Döner I've had in Deutschland. A Döner is usually no more than 3-4 EUR, filled with shaved meats from a rotating spit (i.e. chicken), topped with veggies such as tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage and red onions, and served in a pita-like flatbread. Some Döner joints will toast your Döner in a sandwich press thingy, resulting in a Döner that is beautifully textured and crisp on the outside. Miam miam.

Having tried a Döner in Berlin, Hamburg, Münster and in Braunschweig, I've come to believe that wherever you go in Deutschland, a decent Döner can be had. Of course, variations do exist. For example, some places offer garlic sauce or hot sauce as options. If you've never tried a Döner before, here are my 3 recommendations: 1. Make sure your Döner is toasted (preferably in a sandwich press thingy) 2. Ditch the hot sauce (if this is your first time trying it, you wanna try it in its most original form, don't you?) 3. Wash your Döner down with a bottle of Ayran (best... sheit... ever. seriously though.)

Bäckerei & Konditorei Uekötter

We quite fancied the look and feel of this paper bag, so I decided to scan it and share it with ya'll. The baker appears mentally challenged, but I'm not buggin'. To whomever the designer was at Bäckerei & Konditorei Uekötter, cheers, and thanks for all the laughs.

A Typical German Rumkugel

Many different countries make their own version of Rumkugeln (Rum Balls). For some reason, even back home in Canada, the dauntingly dark balls never quite called out to me as much as the pastries did. Oh, how I miss Maple Walnut Croissants! But anyhoo... I always had the impression Rum Balls looked super sweet and much, much too rich. Was I surprised when this Rumkugel tasted exactly like I expected? Purchased from josef, a local bakery/café in Münster, two bites of this ball was all I could handle. Sorry, I was never a huge fan of liquor-flavoured-anything. While gobbling down the rest of my Rumkugel, Mr. Significant Other informs me that Rumkugeln here in Germany are usually made from the leftover material of the respective bakery's baked goods.