Thursday, December 12, 2013

November in Germany


Hope you don't mind my catching up a bit on last month before I get to the happenings of December. One day before Thanksgiving, we woke up to this scene. The snow had melted by early afternoon, but that's just fine, as we know we'll be getting more soon enough!


It was definitely time for warm drinks in a little corner of our favorite coffee shop in town. We stopped by a couple of weeks ago.



After our drinks, the owner, Guido, decanted some olive oil, walnut oil, and apricot vinegar for us. We love that he gets the finest oils and vinegars in his shop, displays them beautifully in glass, then makes recommendations and allows tastings before you make your choices and have them bottled. I used some of the walnut oil in the celery-date-walnut salad I've made for the past five or six Thanksgivings.


The following Friday, Husband and I drove to a fancy mall in Luxembourg City to visit a Cora Hypermarché (large, very overwhelming grocery store). Our main purpose for driving an hour each way for groceries? Husband is mad this year for moules (mussels), and after recently figuring out how to prepare and cook them ourselves, we've had them several times. The next time we had mussels, we were fortunately able to buy them locally. Above is our third effort, Thai Red Curry Mussels. So good.


Note the gray skies. When the weather was dry enough, the Boy shot baskets at a kindergarten playground. He's getting so strong.


On chillier evenings, we got the wood stove fired up. I do love it, even when it's not really cold enough in the house to get it going! Our home, built in the 1990s (not 1890s), isn't drafty at all. 

Oddly, I didn't get a single photo on Thanksgiving this year. 


Oh, wait--Husband did. Here's the ham he smoked, which was fantastic. Ever since we bought this Brinkman smoker over the summer, he's been a smokin' fool. It was the first time in ages that we haven't hosted on Thanksgiving, but we and another family still managed to eat ourselves silly in the home of some good friends a few villages over.

Coming up: oh, yes: it's time for German Christmas markets!

6 comments:

Unknown said...

It all looks so cozy, and that ham looks really good! We will be envying you as you enjoy your Christmas markets!

BavarianSojourn said...

Did I tell you I am inviting myself for the weekend?? Mussels and Ham?!?!?

Hausfrau said...

Hey, come on over--we'd have a great excuse to make more!

Ariana, you come too, and we'll hit some of those Christmas markets! :)

Helena said...

It all looks delightful - the fire really is so inviting and warm!

Anonymous said...

Thank you. Love this post. Missed it last time!

Hausfrau said...

Thanks, Helena and Carmen E. D.!

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