Over the last months, Eva and I have tried to 'get back to the roots' with the food that we eat. No, we aren't becoming vegetarians, and we are not on any fad diet. We are simply trying to purchase less and less processed foods and make more of our own foods.
We've never really purchased a lot of processed foods in the first place. Cheese and lunchmeat: yes. Every once in a while we have instant noodles or frozen fish sticks. The rest we made. We don't really even eat that many canned foods. Especially in summer, we get fresh fruit and veggies twice a week.
In short, Eva has been baking her own bread and I use many different types of whole grains when I cook (from Quinoa to Amaranth to Spelt), including soaking my own beans and lentils instead of getting the canned versions. We stop by the mill every month or two to get our grains.
Eva is getting much better at baking bread, and we really like having full control over the ingredients. When you think about how ubiquitous bakeries are in Germany...along with how much variety and quality you can get for a very reasonable price, baking your own bread here is a bit insane. But, for the most part, it is still industrial production. Yes, the whole grain rye breads or pumpernickel are excellent, but it is still different than baking your own. We KNOW that Eva's breads have no odd ingredients.
On the other hand, baking bread is an artform, and sometimes Eva produces good breads and is getting better each time. She enjoys baking, and it brings us a great feeling going to the mill to get the grains and to bake our own bread (not to mention the smell of fresh baked bread in the house is great). The kids even help out. There is also an added benefit that the kiddoes learn what it takes to actually make bread.
The kids miss the bakery, however.
The other night, Quinn tried to console Eva and said: Mama, we can go to the bakery to buy our bread (instead of baking your own). It doesn't cost THAT much.
In a similar tale, Quinn, Emily, and I read 'The Cat in the Hat' on our new Samsung Galaxy Note Tablet. Quinn loves electronic toys as much as I do, so I'm trying to keep him under control. So, when I downloaded the app (it is an interactive book that allows me to read...but it can read to you as well), I told him that we couldn't always do this...since it cost money (was like 3 EUR).
The kids loved it, and I had a blast teaching them how to use the Tab and to reread a book from my childhood.
As Quinn was on his was to bed, he gave me a huge hug. Then he stretched out his hand, opened it, and gave me random assortment of coins. About 1.50 EUR. Why are you giving me these, Quinn, I asked.
Because he liked the book, and he knew it cost money. He wanted me to have the money so we could get another one. I kept 50 cents and tried to give him the rest (he took the money from his money jar). He told me to not worry...he had plenty in his money jar...
Friday, October 12, 2012
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Cultural Similarities and the Naivete of Children
Some things are virtually the same, regardless of the country or culture. One of those similarities between the German and US cultures that I have come to learn and love is that of 'front row pews' in churches.
Growing up, the openness of the front row pew became a sort of running joke with my parents and our church community. We tended to go to the early service, which tended to have a smaller audience in the first place. On top of this, our congregation in total wasn't particularly large...perhaps a hundred or so members. I remember times when we were the only family there. Where did we sit: more or less in the back.
Poor Father Houghton would walk from his 'pulpit' to us (near the back) when he would give his sermon. The front row was just not really an option.
Fast forward about 30 years and one continent, and the poor front row pew is just about as lonely in Germany as it was in my home town parish. There are advantages of sitting in the front row: for example, you get to take communion first, so you can take a short nap while everyone else is waiting in line.
In our church today, there was an Erntedankfest (Giving Thanks for the Harvest -> but not quite an American Thanksgiving) service for families at our church. So, when Eva told Quinn that there would be a choir and a band, he was excited.
He was in a hurry to get ready and go. Why? Well, he wanted to make sure that he got to sit in the front row so that he could see. I bit my tongue, not wanting to tell him not to hurry, since the front row is ALWAYS empty. We showed up later than we wanted...but, the front row pew was empty, and Quinn ran to the pew, getting a seat up front and center, so he could watch the band and choir.
In front of the altar, there were vegetables from the harvest, typical fall vegetables and fruit. The harvest was assembled to accent the colors of the season. There were even a few baskets and scarves to add more color. In addition, there were only two products of the harvest: bread and beer.
Not too sure one would see a bottle of beer next to the altar of an American Catholic church during a celebration of the harvest, but this may be one of those culutural differences in Germany.
Growing up, the openness of the front row pew became a sort of running joke with my parents and our church community. We tended to go to the early service, which tended to have a smaller audience in the first place. On top of this, our congregation in total wasn't particularly large...perhaps a hundred or so members. I remember times when we were the only family there. Where did we sit: more or less in the back.
Poor Father Houghton would walk from his 'pulpit' to us (near the back) when he would give his sermon. The front row was just not really an option.
Fast forward about 30 years and one continent, and the poor front row pew is just about as lonely in Germany as it was in my home town parish. There are advantages of sitting in the front row: for example, you get to take communion first, so you can take a short nap while everyone else is waiting in line.
In our church today, there was an Erntedankfest (Giving Thanks for the Harvest -> but not quite an American Thanksgiving) service for families at our church. So, when Eva told Quinn that there would be a choir and a band, he was excited.
He was in a hurry to get ready and go. Why? Well, he wanted to make sure that he got to sit in the front row so that he could see. I bit my tongue, not wanting to tell him not to hurry, since the front row is ALWAYS empty. We showed up later than we wanted...but, the front row pew was empty, and Quinn ran to the pew, getting a seat up front and center, so he could watch the band and choir.
In front of the altar, there were vegetables from the harvest, typical fall vegetables and fruit. The harvest was assembled to accent the colors of the season. There were even a few baskets and scarves to add more color. In addition, there were only two products of the harvest: bread and beer.
Not too sure one would see a bottle of beer next to the altar of an American Catholic church during a celebration of the harvest, but this may be one of those culutural differences in Germany.
Landesgartenschau Weekend
As a nice postscript to Emily's birthday, Oma and Opa came to visit over the wekend. We had super early Fall weather and headed to the Landesgartenschau (an outdoor gardening festival of sorts) in Bamberg. This has been on our list for a while, but we just never made it.
We heard that there were great playgrounds for the kids. After making it through the entrance, it became quickly evident that the place was more designed for kids than for those loving plants and flowers. The main playground was impressive, full of slides, climbing walls, and other wooden logs to climb upon and to jump from.
While it was a bit chilly, the kiddoes played a bit in the water area (building dams and moving water with pulleys), and they thankfully didn't get too wet. There was even a tent where Christian, Jewish, and Muslim services were held. Quinn liked the singing. There were plenty of places to just lay back and enjoy the weather, but the kiddoes kept us moving.
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