All Things Fall

It is here! The crispness in the air. The trees changing to colors or yellow, orange, and a bright red. Time to bring out the boots, scarves, and sweaters girls! Fall is upon us and with that comes some of our favorite things.

I walked into Trader Joe's two weeks ago and they have a whole section dedicated to pumpkin-flavored everything! My favorites includ canned organic pumpkin and pumpkin butter. You can add pumpkin to just about anything! Oh and if you only drink almond or soy milk...do I have a surprise for you! The So Delicious brand of coconut milk has a Pumpkin Spice flavored milk. I found it at Whole Foods, but I am sure other stores carry it. 

You can also find a wide variety of squash at the market at this time of the year. Spaghetti Squash is all the rave and a healthy alternative to pasta dishes. You can get super creative with spaghetti squash and it is very easy to cook. I never liked butternut squash until I tried a new recipe today. Take a look at it below.

Roasted Butternut Squash 

So I cheat and purchased the butternut squash that is pre cut and pre washed from Trader Joe's. The bag is small but only cost a buck 99! 

Preheat oven to 400. In a small bowl combine butternut squash, 1 tbsp olive oil (I recommend pumpkin seed infused olive oil...which I discovered at the ABQ Olive Oil Company in Albuquerque, NM, it gives it a deliciously delicate nutty flavor!), and fresh ground pepper and salt to taste. Spread squash on a cookie sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes. 

You can enjoy this squash alone, as a side dish, or add to a salad with some dried cranberries! 

More fall favorites ready to come...don't forget to drink up those pumpkin spice lattes! 

A Taste of Prague

Prague is just a beautiful city full of Gothic architecture and medieval charm. We were only in Prague for two nights and thus only had one full day to experience the city. We took a 6 hour group tour of Prague; which I highly recommend if you travel to Prague. It will save you time and avoid chaos. There can be hundreds of people crammed into Old Square and the Charles Bridge on any given day. The tour allowed us to see all the highlights of Prague, enjoy a relaxing boat ride, and a three-course meal at a local restaurant. My mom had also seen an episode of Anthony Bourdain in Prague, where he tried a fried cheese sandwich, and so of course we wanted to try as well. 

Goulash with potato dumplings (which are different from English dumplings, Paula Dean southern dumplings, and German dumplings). The spices in the goulash gravy are just wonderful! 

My favorite beer from the whole trip!

Czech beer is fantastic and so smooth! They also say the water in Prague is the best in the world! So tap water is safe and free!

The fried cheese sandwich with mayonnaise. I was not impressed (insert picture of McKayla Maroney from the London Olympic Games here). Maybe we chose the wrong food vendor off the street but it real just tasted like a mozzarella stick stuffed in too much bread. 

Just a picture of the famous landmark clock from Prague. It was built as an astronomical clock and you can see the zodiac figures and symbols as well.

A Taste of Deutschland

I cannot even fully describe how wonderful the foods here in Germany are. From authentic German dishes to a Turkish lunch to fresh Brötchen. I wish to to share some of the wonderful foods I experienced on my first trip to Europe.

German Foods in Leipzig, Germany

Red Currants...a.k.a. Johannesburg berries are a tart, yet delicate berry that can be found in most places in Europe. This is my mom's favorite fruit and can be bought reasonably in Germany.

Traditional German dish made by an East German grandma :) Delicious!!!

Rabbit, dair roht-kohl (red cabbage), kartoffelklöße (potato dumplings), der blumenkohl (cauliflower) 

Ok! I know this is not a German dessert, but my sister and I have been wanting to try a macaroon for many years. We did some research and found the first macaroon bakery in Berlin (opened in early 2012)-> Makröchen Manufaktor. These delectable treats have a slight crunch on the outside with a soft creamy filling. I tried the rose flavored (pink) and Johannes berry (blue); while my sister tried the rose and caramel (gold).

Breakfast: tea with sugar crystals and toast with salmon and cucumber with baked cheese. If I remember correctly it was named toast au gratin on the menu.

Soljanka- a traditional Russian and Ukrainian soup. This soup was delicious! It has beef, onions, carrots, leafy greens, sour cream, and has a great sour flavor. If you like hot and sour Chinese soup you will love this one!

Frische Kräppelchen (fried dough with powdered sugar) This is a dessert of Leipzig.

Berlin has a great Turkish area as my mother suggested we try the döner. It is similar to gyro meat but is chicken instead of lamb. I tried a döner wrap filled with meat, fried potatoes, fried onions and zucchini as well as salad greens and a creamy garlic sauce. The wrap was so yummy! I recommend trying food from a Turkish döner vendor when in Germany!

Now is the best dish to get in Germany....wait for it...Currywurst!!! I think die currywurst was best when sliced and drenched in the curry sauce. It is also best served with potatoes and sour cream on the side.

Ok now comes the fun part...BIER!!! Prost!

Although the beer in Germany was great...I have to say the beer in Prague was my favorite, but the cuisine of Prague will be in a following post. Now in Germany tap water is not consumed. I am not a fan of water "with gas" as many Germans explained. I made sure to request still water when ordering at a restaurant or food stand. Surprisingly, beer was in some cases cheaper or about the same price as water. So what would any good tourist do? Order beer! 

Berliner Weiße (Berlin sour beer with a syrup) They ask if you want red or green. This I find amusing because back home in New Mexico, our state questions is red or green? As in would you like red or green chile on your dish? The red drink was my favorite and has a raspberry flavor. The green, who's flavor is unknown to me, was good as well.

Pilsner 

Get Immersed in the Culture

Even though the majority of the European Union countries speak English, I wanted to get the most out of this trip by testing out my German language skills. I have only taken formal language courses in parlez-vous francois and para espanol. As you can tell...
I am not fluent in either of those languages. I have found some apps for German and Czech. Let us see how well I can communicate after studying from these apps on the flight! 

So...I am the tail-end of my first trip to central Europe. The smaller towns in Germany had less English speaking folk. Once in a larger city, you can expect the people in tourist areas and younger people to know English. The elderly Germans were less likely to know English. Our step-dad did most of the talking for us because he knows German. These are the words I frequently used:

Guten Tag or Hallo     Hello

Danke                        Thank You

Bitte                           Please

Ein                             One

Zwei.                         Two

Bier                            Beer

Know when it came to our two days in Prague we decided a paid day tour was in our best interest. The Czech language is very fast and I had no idea how to read any signs. Fortunately, the receptionists at our hotel had great English as did many places we ordered food or bought souvenirs. The currency is also interesting here (koruna). For example a .3L beer cost 49 Kč; which is $2.55. It was just different to see basic items listed with large numbers in regards to price! The currency is real pretty in the Czech Republic. I love the medieval figures on the coins. I know it sounds silly, but it reminds me of symbols in Hogwarts from Harry Potter. 😊

Travel Light, Travel Smart

So I am beyond excited for my trip to Europe tomorrow! So excited, that it is 4 am in New Mexico and I cannot sleep, therefore I decided to write on my blog (which I apologize for no recent posts...life of a grad student). I have spent numerous hours pouring over blogs and Pinterest how-to's for traveling and packing to Europe. I found many great tips and also created some of my own with the help of my Mom.

The Carry-On

Most of the blogs I read suggested only packing a carry-on ( for 2 weeks in Europe??? No way! Not for me). My step-dad is an avid traveler for work and said he prefers checking bags on international flights, but we should air on the side of caution and pack an extra set of clothes in our carry-on just in case.

Glasses

Tissues

Passport

Wallet

Hair brush

Makeup bag-just the basics

PT Board Exam Prep Cards

Mary Kay facial wipes

Wen Lavender spray mist-to refresh your hair & body after long flights

Contacts

Lavender lip balm

L'Occitane hand cream

Mary Kay mini mascara

Mary Kay lip gloss

Maybelline lipstick

Mary Kay facial moisturizer 

Deodorant

Eye mask

Ear plugs

Hair tie

Hand sanitizer

Toothpaste & toothbrush

I also made sure to pack an extra pair of socks, undies, tee, yoga pants, and cardigan to stay comfy on the long flight. 

We were also very fortunate the purchase day passes to American Airlines Admiral's Club in the DFW and London Heathrow airports. If you have a long layover and/or traveling internationally it is definitely worth the expense. I mean who doesn't like complimentary beverages, snacks, comfy chairs, and wifi! We were thankful to also have access to showers in the club in London, after the all night flight across the pond.

DWF 

London Heathrow

I will post more on the blog about our trip to Prague and Germany! Auf Weidersehen!

My Summer Reading List

I LOVE my Kindle. Now that the didactic work of PT school is running down I have more time for "fun" reading. Although, I should be working on my manuscript for my Case Study, a good read is what I look forward to most about summer. Whether it is reading while tanning at the pool, curling up on a couch during an afternoon rain shower, or while on a road trip or flight on summer vacation; summer is the best for catching up on some good books. I have had friends recommend these summer reads to me.

Summer Reading List 2013

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

The Lost World by Michael Crichton

Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man by Steve Harvey

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

Chocolate for Two by Maria Murnane (p.s. the author is a DG!)Summer Reading List 20

Lo Siento

My apologies...it has been some time since I have posted on the blog. I have been so busy starting my new clinical rotation and taking my last online class for PT school. Many exciting things have happened since I was last on the blog. First off, I am very much enjoying learning about neurological patients on my clinical rotation. Secondly, my boyfriend bought a Harely (as much as motorcycles worry me-he really enjoy his new bike and it is fun to to go with him on a ride!) Thirdly, I got to visit my boyfriend's family in San Antonio for Independence Day. There is nothing better than food, fun, good company, and Texas! I knew this was going to be the summer of love and adventures!