Our life in Germany - take 1.

I don't even know where to begin, so much has happened since my last post - which was back in December of 2014. I've been neglecting my little space because of all the crazy loops and twirls life has put us through.

A quick summary of basically last year and some of this year:

• I shaved all my hair off and restarted my natural journey. (too much heat damage from straightening and coloring) I've been natural since May of 2012 - almost 3 years soon! I love my afro and I'll never mistreat it with the straightener again. Sorry, if you're confused.
• We threw some get togethers and spent most of our free time with our friends here.
• My parents flew out and my mom helped teach Sicily to walk, but her clubfoot still wasn't fixed. This in turn lead to us finding a new doctor and getting a second opinion! Hallelujah that we did - I can't even begin to type about her old doctor here. *rage*
• We've been redoing the house room by room. First it was our room, then the kitchen, the living room and now we're working on Sicily's.
• I started a Geek Girl Brunch chapter for Kaiserslautern, Germany area. I also found another officer to help out with the chapter. We launched our first brunch in Feb (as most of you know if you read my Geek Talk post) What is that? Check out Geekgirlbrunch.com or click on the badge at the side of my page. It's been fun so far! See if there is a chapter in your area!! If anyone is interested in becoming a officer of our chapter, shoot me an email.
• My life got turned upside down with my recent diagnosis of Celiacs, though, I wasn't wholly surprised considering I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and anytime I ate gluten my joints would flare to high heaven. 
• We have been saving to see.....*drum roll* JAPAN! Yeah, yeah, I know..we're in Germany, there is a lot of Europe to see. Honestly, Japan has been my dream since childhood. My dream was to become a translator and live in Japan...just ask my mom. There are only a few places I have on my bucket list to see in Europe and that's based on history that interests me. Other than that, if we go somewhere here and I love it, then that's that but I'm daydreaming about Japan these days. 

Enough summary. Want to see a sneak peak of our new home and the decor? It's not finished but once it is in about a month, I'll do a photo tour and get all the detail properly. Everyone who knows me knows I love vintage, always have...so why can't my house be my spin on modern vintage? Now, I just need a stand for my record player, and a display shelf for all my comics, action figures and manga anddddd my house would be perfect! 

Before I offer a sneak peak of my pad...I'll let you know what direction this blog is going in this year! The same direction as normal but with a few new things. I'll have giveaways as normal every couple of months, so don't worry about that. But, as most of you know, Geek Talk has been on my blog since my new design back early last year..I'll be expanding on this and letting you know what my current manga reads are, geeky products I've found that I love and want to share etc. Other new things? Well...not new, but I'm getting back to adding recipes on the blog. There has always been a section, but I've been super neglecting that after all of Sicily's clubfoot treatments so I'm back in business for those who loved my recipes and adaptions. Another thing, I'll be trying to do more of these Our Life in Germany series. 

I'm happy for all my readers who have stuck around and have been checking on the blog even when it was empty and sad. Here is to a new year and finally having life under control enough to take the reins back onto my blogging! Lets get back on this crazy ride!!!!

What has been new for all of you?! 

3 Enticing Creme Brûlées

These creme brûlées were outstanding. I can't even accurately explain how delicious these were. Please be patient as I finish writing out the recipe for these 3. First: S'mores, Second: Blackberry White Chocolate, Third: Caramel Apple.

My husband is now begging for me to make more. A special one, just for him. Spiced Pumpkin is on his mind apparently. It's heading into the direction of Fall, so I'm trying to stick to the theme of that for a while, it's my favorite time of the year anyhow. All this baking is making me think of Halloween party food ideas; ignore that, there will be a post about that closer to October. Let's get started in what you'll need.

Caramel Apple - Ingredients:

• 2 Fuji Apples, sliced thinly, if possible.
• My go to recipe for homemade caramel here or buy caramel from the store. Add very little or it will be watery! Just a light drizzle will go far.
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 2 cups Heavy Cream
• 5 Egg Yolks
• 1/2 teapsoon Vanilla Extract or use Vanilla Bean.  
• (If you use Vanilla bean, you will need to cook it in your heavy creamer longer, let it sit and then strain the pieces out. It will give it a far better burst of flavor though. Just a thought, if you can find it.)

NEEDS:

• Pastry Torch or an oven with a Broiler.
• Ramkeins
• Strainer (this is optional, I just strained it before adding to the ramekins for a smoother finish)

This makes about 4-6 servings. I did not make that many but you can save the rest in the refrigerator for up to 2 days at least. Though, making them immediately is what I'd advise.

Preheat the oven to 325° 

In a pot, you'll need to bring water to a boil. Keep it boiling.

Place the sliced apples (wrap in paper towel until fully dry) then add them to the bottom of the ramekin, drizzle with caramel and set aside. In a sauce pan, combine the sugar and brown sugar, along with the cinnamon; stir in the heavy cream. Stir constantly. You will bring this to a boil. Once it boils, you'll need to remove it from the heat, add a bit of it to the egg yolks, slowly or you will end up cooking the eggs. After adding a small amount to the eggs, pour the eggs into the sauce pan, place back on the stove, stir while adding the vanilla or vanilla bean.

Pour into the ramekins that have the apples in them.  Put ramekins into a slightly deep pan and place in oven; pour boiling water into pan, about half way up the ramekin. Make sure to not fill it too high. Let it cook in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. The creme brûlée will still be jiggly but should be holding together. Place on a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes - then after cooling, lightly wrap in foil and  place in the refrigerator. Let cool for 3 hours or overnight. (I let them cool overnight) Done? Take out, place sugar on top and use your pastry torch to brûlée the top. DO NOT TOUCH, it will be hot. Let it cool, and try not to burn it, as a burnt sugar isn't all that tasty. If made in the oven broil until sugar is a light toasted brown.


Blueberry White Chocolate - Ingredients:

• Fresh Blackberries - you can use frozen but I wouldn't recommend it.
• 4 cups Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 5 Egg Yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom Spice
• White Chocolate Chips

NEEDS:

• Pastry Torch or Broiler
• Strainer (optional, only for a smoother finish)
• Ramekins  

Boil a pot of water, and keep it boiled until the end.


Preheat oven on 325°

Wash blackberries and wrap them inside a paper towel until dry. Make sure they're dry or if will cause the creme to split and not hold together. You do not want this or the watery taste it will have. Once dry, place them in the bottom of the ramekin along with your desired amount of white chocolate chips. Set aside.

Bring the cream and vanilla extract to a boil; stir constantly. Now, add the cardamom and remove from heat. Mix up the egg yolks with the 1/2 cup sugar, whisk until slightly pale; add a little bit of the cream at a time, not too much or you will end up cooking the egg. Add everything back to pot, strain and add to ramekins, place in a slightly deep pan - add the boiling water half way up the ramekins. Cook for 25-30 minutes, creme will be a bit jiggly. Place on cooling rack for 10 minutes, once cool lightly wrap in foil and place in refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. Add sugar, torch with pastry torch or broiler. Let sugar topping cool, and enjoy!

Makes about 4-6 servings. Great for a party!


S'mores: I got my recipe and inspiration from her for this one. I did NOT add as much chocolate and tweaked a few things but mine ended up tasting a bit more like a s'mores brownie. It was still delicious and I changed quite a few things but her recipe is still amazing and worth a look at S'mores Creme Brûlée.

FOR Passion Fruit Creme Brulee:
I made this but I did not ensure it was fully dry and the creme did not settle and broke apart. Do everything the same as the blackberry, except the cardamon. Though, you can add whatever spice you'd like to kick it up a notch. Just make sure to wrap in paper towel to ensure it is full dry, and has no excess water. Cut into thin slices, place at bottom of ramekin, follow everything else, and enjoy!

I don't gamble but if I did, I would bet on us.

This week has been terribly busy, and I apologize for not blogging like I should have been. I'll be back on my game this week with a possible give-away, more food recipes, and of course outfit of the days. Very hard to balance a blog and your best friend once he's back from a 6 month deployment.

I won't sugar coat anything, it's been hard adjusting to each other again. Luckily, no real fights, just attitudes -- on my part anyway. I'm no longer use to having someone help me with everything, so handing back over the reins to someone who wants to lessen my load has me very anxious and frustrated. On the upside, that hasn't been happening as often and to have someone there who understands and doesn't try to push too hard helps. It's been a mixture of emotions but I wouldn't have it any other way, honestly. It's almost like rock wall climbing, it's hard but once you get to the top, you're filled with joy that you made it.

Marriage isn't all sunshine and rainbows, but it shouldn't be mostly cloudy either. I'm no expert, I'm learning like everyone else. I've met someone though, that I truly believe is my soulmate. That person who completes your sentences or is thinking the same thing you are. That person that wants to solve any problem that appears. That person that you wake up every morning and share a laugh over your crazy hair with, or just simply a person that values the small moments just as much as you. I'm definitely not saying we're anything alike, but in the most important ways we are, and in the best ways we're different.

The ways we've been working through our readjustment is working out together, cooking together, playing video games together, random outings -- just things that help us get back into the grove of being together again. It's not easy, but we've been managing and I'd say we've been doing amazingly.

We've gone rock wall climbing quite a bit since he's been home, and I love it, it's been years since I've done it, and it was his first time. We've been trying to stay as adventurous and be more of an outdoors/active couple. This means we have plenty plans to go on hikes, camping trips, traveling out of the country, kayaking, and much more this year and next year.

Also, we've been running every morning to an iPhone app called Zombies, Run! -- if you need a motivator to help you work out, this is it. It has zombie chases, and in-between it plays whatever music is on your phone. It's creepy, yet so fun and exciting.

If you have anything you want to do with your significant other, make plans to do them! It took him being gone to realize all the fun things we haven't done and the places we've never seen. Make goals together, achieve them and constantly work on your marriage or relationship. Brush off the petty disagreements, smile often, share a laugh, cook together, make plans, be silly, be more active, communicate when you aren't angry, and most of all enjoy the little moments. I can't say it will work for everyone, but it's made my marriage fun, exciting and lets us have more time to enjoy the world than dwell on what we don't see eye to eye on.

Hope this helps someone somewhere. Hope everyone is having an awesome sauce week! What activities have you done lately?

 This is from Jerod's Welcome Home Party! It was a success. Everyone loved the s'mores bar, along with the Lobster Mac and Cheese. It was a very nice get together, full of friends, cards against humanity, and food. I'll be posting the recipe this week. First, I've got a lot of new things to bring to this blog, so be very, very excited.