Cleaning of our Walls

I am convinced that our landlords are never going to hire someone to repaint the flat or touch up like they originally promised. Well they may do it, but probably not until the spring when they come to clean the windows. Therefore, after the gym I went on a mission to find the easy eraser by Mr. Clean and after visiting five different markets I found it at our local one. I just finished testing the sponge in the closet and to my surprise it actually worked. Now I was off to work on erasing the remaining marks. After an hour of scrubbing and two disintegrated sponges in the trash, I look at my work. Most of the walls are free of black marks, but I think I need to purchase another package as the kitchen needs some work. I better head back to Edeka as there was only one left and who knows if they will carry these again.

Super excited for Friday as Brad invited me to join him for lunch at the Allianz Café. Supposedly, they are offering Schnitzel and everyone is already talking about it. I am not a big fan of this German dish, but hopefully they will be offering a veggie option as well. Worst case, I will get soup or items from the vast salad bar.

Lazy Days

Brad and I had too much fun last night at James and Cheryl’s. Before going we had planned to see a movie the next morning, but decided it would be better to have a lazy Sunday. They invited Brad and I and a few others for a dinner and poker night (texas hold em to be exact). I was a little nervous as I have never really played this game before (I am more of a blackjack kind of girl), so I made Brad give me a lesson on Saturday morning. We then ran a few errands (picked up a few new pots and some groceries), came home and decided to watch Deadwood until it was time to grab drinks downstairs. After having a few cocktails at our local bar, we walked to James and Cheryl’s place. On the way, I was able to show Brad the German sports bar I walked past the day before. It looks great from the outside and appears to be equipped with numerous big screen tvs, pool tables, high top tables for dice playing and the color scheme is even orange and black, just like the bus stop!

We arrived at their apartment and after visiting with the other couples, we ordered dinner and started drinking some of James’ cocktails. He enjoys creating new ones. Dinner was over and it was time to play. Brad and I were not doing very well after a few hands and I thought ‘well, we will be out of this game quickly’. Then I just started doing extremely well and one by one the others were out. Then, it was just me and one other person and after a few more hands, I am the winner. YEAH!!! James said that I have to come to the casino with them and play poker. I am not so sure and think it was just beginners luck. We had a great time and did not get home until 2:30 AM, which is the reason why we are having a very lazy Sunday. Off to make dinner and watch some more Deadwood, I love it!

Chickpea Burgers and Ratatouille

Last night I made dinner for Brad and it was delicious; therefore I wanted to share the menu. I made ratatouille, which I used to make in San Francisco all the time, but had not done it a while. Plus all the veggies needed for the recipe were on sale (bonus) and it is one of Brad’s favorites. The chickpea burger recipe is from a shape magazine I picked up at the airport in Chicago, but would have never done so if it was not for Kristina, one of my closest friends. When we were hanging out in San Francisco over the holiday break, I picked up her copy and started to thumb through it. Then Kristina said, “oh there is a recipe in that magazine that looks really good.” And there it was, Chickpea Burgers with a ricotta sauce.

They are super easy to make and delicious. A little on the spicy side, but the sauce helps to cut it. However, I did not make their suggested ricotta sauce as we already had tzatziki dip in our refrigerator. I placed them on whole wheat buns and garnished with tomatoes, spinach and red onion slices. It was a wonderful dinner. In case anyone is interested, here is the complete recipe:

Burgers:
2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
Freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Cooking Spray

Ricotta Sauce:
½ cup part-skim ricotta
2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt

Preheat broiler to high. In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, parsley, garlic, and spices; season with pepper. Partially mash the chickpea mixture; stir in egg and 2 tablespoons panko and shape into four patties.

Spread remaining panko and on a plate and dredge patties in it. Place patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 8 to 10 inches from heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Puree ricotta and yogurt in a blender or food processor. Serve burgers on buns with onions, tomato, spinach and ricotta sauce.

I promise this recipe is super easy and could even be done after a long day of work.

Happy Cooking!

Dinner at Elia

Last night Brad took me to a little Greek place in Schwabing called Elia. James recommended it to him and it was really good. We enjoyed wine, an assorted plate of cold appetizers and for our main dishes, Brad enjoyed Souvlaki and I enjoyed the Mousaka. I am such a lucky little lady as I got to go on two dates with my husband this week and have coffee with him every morning.

It has been great trying all of these restaurants this week and it is starting to feel like we are figuring out our city. However, tonight we will be staying in and I am making dinner for my husband. Off to the gym, Tchibo (the place we buy our coffee grounds), voll-corner bio market and Rossmann for bugel leicht spray for Brad (hopefully they will have it as I have been looking all week for it).

Wir lieben dich – die Gauntletts

Lunch Date with Brad

I just got home from lunch with Brad and it was so nice to see my husband during the day. First, we rode the ubahn together this morning because every Tuesday and Thursday my gym opens at 7 AM so we have started going together. We only get to be on the train for one stop (before I get off), but we still enjoy the morning walk and ride. After the gym, I came home to get ready for my lunch date. I did not have to dress up too much as Brad was taking me to a restaurant and not the Allianz Café. We went to an Italian place called L’Osteria Pizzeria that has enormous thin crust pizzas (only offer one size) and even bigger calzones. Thank goodness Brad had been here before with work people, otherwise we probably would have ordered two pizzas or a pizza and calzone instead of splitting one. It was really yummy and I cannot wait to go back for dinner or another lunch date. Plus, I think it will be a place to take guests as there are numerous shops and bars in the area.

Afterwards, Brad went back to work and I went to Starbucks to get some green tea as well as use the restroom. I would have gone at the restaurant and in fact, I tried but was unable to tell which door was for me. The doors only had the gender symbols and I panicked. I could not remember which symbol was for female and did not want to walk into the wrong one especially because most of the people in the restaurant were either from Allianz or KPMG. When I got home though, I did google the symbols and figured out that the one with the arrow is for male and the one with the cross is for female. I will never forget this again!

Wir lieben dich – die Gauntletts

First Fußball Game

On Friday night, we went out with Andrea and Philip and ended up having a great time. They are really nice and we seem to have a lot in common. Hopefully, they liked us as well and we will have a second date. Fingers crossed.

There are two soccer (fußball) teams in Munich, Bayern and 1860. The difference between the teams is pretty much like the difference between the Mets and the Yankees. One team is filled with star power and tradition, and the other has followers that claim to be the true ‘fans’ of the sport. We figure why not jump on the bandwagon and become Bayern fans while we are here. Tickets to the Bayern games are sold out for the entire season. However, I managed to find a website similar to Stubhub in the US that allows season-ticket holders to sell unused tickets. I like the fact that the website prevents the seller from marking up the price, tickets can only be sold for face value. Ashley and I snagged a couple tickets about a week before the game.

We have never been to a European soccer game but have heard they can be pretty intense. Not knowing what to expect, we figure it is probably a good idea to have a nice lunch beforehand with a few Bavarian beers to make sure we are ready for anything. We headed to the Spaten house for lunch and a few ‘pre-game’ beers.

After lunch, we hop on the (very croweded) U-bahn to head uptown to the Stadium. It was so crowded that we had to use separate doors to get into the train, there was not room for two people in a single car. Fortunately, it was only a few stops. The people on the train were all heading to the game as they were decked out in red Bayern gear and drinking bottles of ‘helles’ while signing Bayern hymns. Someone at work told me that the beer sold at the stadium is alcohol-free. After seeing the state of people getting off the train, I can understand the need for such a policy.

It was a really cold day which made the walk from the train to the stadium seem much longer. Fortunately, there was a beer tent on the way so we could take a well needed break. We picked up our tickets outside the stadium at the Viagogo window and headed inside. We walked around the stadium a bit to look around. The stadium is pretty spectacular (you may recall that the 2006 World Cup finale was hosted in the Allianz Arena in Munich). We decided to stop at a concession stand to determine if the beers really don’t have alcohol. First of all, we weren’t able to buy anything without first putting money on an Allianz Arena card. We had to look around the stadium to find a place we could purchase a card. I guess the theory is that it is easier for the concessions stands to be cash free, but it was a little annoying. We successfully purchased a card and made it back to the concession stand. We could barely read the sign, but couldn’t find the words ‘alkoholfrei’. To this day, it is still a mystery.

The game was a good one. Bayern routed Kaiserslautern (a team from Central Germany that is not very good). The crazy fans were situated behind the goals, and admittedly, the expensive seats did seem to be filled with mostly corporate fans expecting nothing less than a championship. Plus, every time Bayern score which was five times today, they played the same song the Blackhawks use to celebrate a goal (da da da). All in all, the day was a blast.

First Training Session at BodyUpDiva

Last night I made a sesame eggplant tofu dish with brown rice for Brad and he loved it! The recipe was a lot of chopping, but definitely worth it. The only thing I would change is the amount of oil Emeril suggested for sautéing the eggplant and tofu (use less), but other than that it was pretty delicious. Brad wants me to make it again, which is always a good sign. Here is a link to the recipe: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/sesame-eggplant-with-tofu-recipe/index.html

This morning, I went to my training session and the gym is definitely living up to my expectations. I have to admit that I was dreading the training session as in the states they always offer them when you join and then try to sell you more sessions, super annoying. But it was not like that at all and I am so glad I did it because they have some intense technology. Everyone gets this memory stick, which you insert into each machine and it keeps track of your reps (no need to count in your head), tells you what machine to do next (trainer asks you a bunch of questions to figure out what you want to focus on) and you can see your progress. Another thing that I like is called easy line circuit, which is eight machines in a circle and you do each one for 45-seconds. But instead of counting in your head or watching the clock you just watch the light. It is illuminated for forty-five seconds and then off for fifteen, which you use to travel to the next machine. I love it! The only downside is that when I am on the treadmill, bike or elliptical the only two English channels are CNN or MTV. Oh well, hopefully in a few months I will be able to understand German Soap Opera, I hear they are just as fabulous as the ones in the states ;)

Tonight, Brad and I are having a super gourmet dinner (frozen pizza and caprese salad) and then finally meeting up with Eddie’s German friends, Philip and Andrea. We hope they like us.

Date Night at Château Gauntlett

I was able to join the gym yesterday and really excited for my first training session tomorrow. I was extremely impressed with the facility and looking forward to trying all the classes they have to offer. I can even get massages, facials and waxes here.

This past weekend, Brad and I were watching the cooking channel (Emeril’s new show) and both turned to each other by saying “that looks good, we should try it.” So instead of going out on our Thursday night date, we are staying in for our date. Therefore, I needed to hit the market (BioVolly and Japanese Grocery Store) and obtain all the ingredients: eggplant, green onion, red pepper flakes, garlic, tofu, sesame oil, brown rice etc. Luckily, there is nothing too strange in this recipe and was able to go to the store without writing my list in German, I am very proud of myself. Hopefully it turns out well and Brad enjoys it. More to come.

Book Club

I had book club last night and it was really nice to see all the ladies. One is pregnant (I kind of thought so) and another got married. It was a lot of excitement and great conversation. However, we did not talk about the book as much as we normally do. It may have been because we all loved it and the lady who usually disagrees with the masses was not there. Overall, it was a nice gathering and we did decide on the next book, which is: ‘The Girls of Riyadh’ by Rajaa Alsanea. However, I do have to miss the meeting as it is my last night in Munich before returning to the states and I want to spend it with my husband. However, I am still planning to read the book and will let you know how it is.

Off to join the gym –BodyUp Diva, hopefully they speak English!

Restaurant Review and Brunch with KPMGers

On Thursday night, Brad and I decided to try the Latin place down the street from our flat called: Caramba. In the process of deciding on where to go, we walked by Café Schmock, an Israeli restaurant, which was packed on a Thursday, (always a good sign) and I put the name in my phone so we could look it up at home. Well, I did and we actually figured out it is a Michelin star winner. How cool! We are definitely going to check this place out.

Anyways, our dinner was delicious and everything went pretty well. However, I felt so bad for Brad. I could tell he was very hungry, so we tried to figure out our order quickly. Wine, an appetizer and Brad went with beef and I ordered a fish dish. Our drinks came quickly, but then the appetizer took forever. It took so long that our entrées actually came beforehand. During our dinner, I said to Brad wouldn’t it be funny if the guacamole never came and we have to try to tell the waitress to take it off our bill. Fast-forward to the end of dinner and that is exactly what happened. Luckily, the waitress spoke enough English and Spanish (surprise) that we were able to straighten it out.

Today, Brad and I went to brunch with the Atchison’s at the Georgenhof. It is a traditional Bavarian restaurant and you guessed it, tons of MEAT! Brad and James had sausages, Cheryl enjoyed a meat/cheese/bread plate and I went with the Muesli and fruit. After a couple of Weiss Biers, we parted ways as the little one needed to eat and take a nap. Brad and I decided to head to an Irish pub located in the city center for some more biers. It was a little hard to find as we had to walk down a small alleyway and then the sign outside said Killians, but when we got inside it was an Australian soccer bar. The bar was packed with a ton of drunken Aussies and I thought if we stayed here it would result in a beer spilling all over me. Therefore, we walked back upstairs and regrouped. After a minute of standing outside, we noticed that people were using another door and then we both saw the sign for Killians. After a pitcher of helles (Brad decided this was the best deal) and a huge basket of fries, we headed home. The bar was cool. Everyone spoke English and the workers appeared to be having a good time…maybe I could work here! We also enjoyed listening to the native Irish man speaking German; you could still hear his accent. Off to watch a movie with Brad, good night!

The Help

Since my book club is meeting early next week, I decided to spend time reading. The book is ‘The Help’ by Katheryn Stockett and it was so good that I spent the past three days reading. I could not put it down and absolutely LOVE it! Here is a brief summary of the book:

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women--mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends--view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

I enjoyed it so much that today I went online to see if Hollywood was planning to make ‘The Help’ into a movie and to my surprise it is coming out this August. Super excited and I hope it comes to Munich!!!

Brad is taking me on a date tonight and I need to get ready…I wonder where we will go!

Back Home in Munich!

Brad and I have been back in Munich for a few days now and I must say that it is good to be home! The aroma of beer fills the air, baskets of pretzels line the streets and German couples/families walk hand-in enjoying this wonderful Sunday, Brad and I know we back in Munich. There is something about a Sunday in Munich that is different from any other place I have ever been. People seem to have a different mentality here and actually enjoy the day instead of constantly thinking about Monday and how they have to go back to work. There are no errands to be run, no prescriptions to be filled, no shopping sprees to enjoy, Sunday is day that is yours to slow down and enjoy the city in which you live. Take in one of the fabulous museums, which are free on Sundays, play a friendly game of soccer in the Englischer Garden, or walk hand-in-hand with someone you love and get lost. I think in the states we forget to take a day all to ourselves and in Munich, you have too.

Since we both have been gone for sometime (Brad two weeks and me nearly a month), our cupboards are bare and the refrigerator empty, we decided to head to Edeka for some much needed groceries and supplies. I must admit, it was a little weird to walk back into a place where you can barely read anything, but found my way pretty quickly and I was even telling Brad where products were located in the store. It is like riding a bike…once you know how, you never forget. Anyways, in an effort not to fall asleep, we unpacked our suitcases and made dinner. We then turned on a movie and shortly after that we were both sleeping on the couch…I think it was about 9 PM.

On Saturday, we were supposed to see James and Cheryl for brunch, but I unfortunately woke up feeling terrible. Therefore, in an effort to not get them sick, we decided to postpone the brunch until next week. I spent the remainder of the day on my favorite chase lounge watching movies, while Brad caught up on some work. I took it fairly easy and by Sunday, I was feeling much better. I think it was from all the flying we had done the week before.

We woke up fairly early on Sunday and decided to hang our three newly framed San Francisco Golden Gate National Parks posters in the living room. The three we picked were Muir Woods, Marin Headlines and Crissy Field. Here is where we ordered the posters in case anyone wants a piece of San Fran in their home or flat (http://store.parksconservancy.org/store/productlist.asp?cat=10&sub=10). Our place is definitely starting to feel homey and now the only thing missing is a little bit of Chicago. Maybe when I go home next, I will find a picture for our bedroom or a few postcards for our coffee table. Brad then found a website that only rates breakfast/brunch places in Munich and he found a spot that was close to our flat called Vorstadt Cafe. We got ready and headed out for Sunday brunch. To our surprise the weather was very pleasant and not too cold, which was very different from Chicago. After a nice walk, we arrived at the restaurant and quickly realized this was a total scene, similar to Circa in San Francisco and it was packed. With no reservations, we were completely out of luck…in Munich, you are unable to wait as restaurants do not force you to leave after paying the bill, which makes it difficult to go anywhere without a reservation (we are learning). We are starting to realize that reservations are a must. Luckily, we had noticed several brunch spots during our walk and quickly found a yummy place. After brunch, we took a walk and visited an art museum. It was a lovely afternoon. Off to make dinner, we are having slop (Brad’s favorite) and I hope it turns out as we do not have the best pan...oh well.

Wir vermissen dich – die Gauntletts