She's Crafty (Weekend Arts)

As this year is my first away from family for the holidays, I haven't exactly been in the "spirit" of things. Christmas markets and school festivities, staff parties and even watching "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" (the original, not the Jim Carry version) have kept me busy enough but there was something missing. It's the lack of turkey and tourtiere, the last minute preparations, the anticipation of a blizzard or gathering around the tube to watch the game. It's the late nights, the poker games, the young cousins being allowed to drink and knowing that you are surrounded by people who love you so unconditionally that they forgive you for getting them the same present every year.
For the past couple of years I have made presents ( "you don't gnome me" and "that's the tooth") but I couldn't ship bags and t-shirts to everyone with the outrageous cost of postage here so, to keep everyone close to my heart (cheese alert) I decided to make my own holiday cards this year. This is also the first time I've even sent out cards, so to those that I missed, I apologize. I set up shop in the living room and carved out potatoes, traced stencils and mixed colours. It was a great weekend and it was fun to custom make them for everyone so far away. I think they turned out allllright, in the future I might consider using this technique to make wrapping paper or t-shirts.

A few tips and tricks that I learned while making potato stamps:

1) use a small paring knife to carve the potatoes, i used an exacto knife, which was a bit tricky to manipulate. Of course, simple shapes are easier to carve. When drawing your design on the potato, large wax or coloured pencils worked best.

2)Acrylic paint works fine, but it was more practical to paint on the colour i wanted rather than to dip the potato directly into the paint. the third and fourth stampings are always lovlier than the first ones.

3) The potatoes can be used for up to a week (maybe more) after being carved out, just wipe clean and store in a plastic bag in the fridge (NOTE these do not make tasty mashed potatoes!)

December, now so much more than Kristimas

I know that lately I have resorted to photoblogging( is that a word? it is now. let's call it phobloing for short) but it's really an easy way for me to keep my 3 readers up to speed on my fast paced life here.

Up here we have Molly lighting a homemade menorah (yes those are pipes) at Hanukkah dinner. One of the benefits of hosting the dinner is that you get to bask in the smell of oil for the entire week. Mmm latkes.


Of course, there was lots of baking to be done and sweets to eat. Surrounding Bron's sacrilicious Christmukkah cake are my peanut butter cups that I had to make in large muffin tin instead of a small one ( this proved to be a bit much, so i chopped 'em into quarters)

Here's how you do it: (Brit, you might want to omit the deadly peanuts on this one, if you make it for Charles)

Melt 4 oz white chocolate with 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter ( i use a double boiler but it can easily be done in the microwave)

in a separate bowl melt 12 oz bittersweet chocolate (chopped)

in a lined mini muffin pan, evenly divide the chocolate mixtures, using a spoon to layer between the chocolate and the peanut butter.

Sprinkle with chopped peanuts

Place muffin tin in freezer for 15 minutes and bring to room temperature to serve

can be stored for up to 2 weeks in fridge.


In tune with the annual Christmas markets around Germany, our school put on it's own Winter Bazaar, the children made things (above lanterns and cards) that the parents purchased at very reasonable prices!

Turkey and Mulled Wine, Holiday favourites in Germany

Friends, as you know I loves me a get-together so naturally as I make a few more friend here in Berlin, get-togethers are a happening. Luckily for me, I have met some people who like to take day trips, celebrate American holidays and find any excuse to share a pie. Here are a few snap shots from the past few months.

Above is a gathering at Katie's house in Charlottenburg (West Berlin) for Thanksgiving. Russ, the keen looking fellow in the back, brought bacon wrapped sausages to make his first Yanksgiving extra special. He was too busy posing for the picture to realise how serious this meal is and that you better dig in or forget getting any white meat.

At 8am we hopped on a train and headed to Dresden for the day to check out their famous Christmas Markets. These are popular throughout Germany during Advent ( December) and they are much more than just regular markets with fake snow on the stalls (although there is plenty of that too). The best part, aside from dried fruit dolls, is Glühwein (hot mulled wine) that comes in every flavour imaginable, including Apfel,, as seen above.Want more photos? I've added more on picassa (just click on the Dresden at Christmas album on the right hand side of the page)

Galariffic

This past November, Luke and I were invited to a Gala at the Ritz Carlton that was put on by another International school here in Berlin. We were each the plus one of a friend from the school, and cashed in on some free champagne and a delicious spread. We are practically Michaele and Tariq Salahi!

Above are some girls (Katie, my date, Bron, to whom these photos belong and Anne, who made that fab hair piece) that I've been lucky to get to know these past few months in Berlin. You might recognize them from such events as "Brunch" and "Sunday's in the Park" and will be coming soon in "Thanksgiving".