Archives for July 2016

July Favorites

July 30, 2016 filed under: monthly favorites

1. I think I first came across Momentum Jewelry Motivational Wraps on Instagram and I just love the look and the customizable messages. The wrap fabric is really soft and doesn’t chafe if you wear it while working out.

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2. It’s that time of the year aka summer where I really like a good smoothie. I am using this easy-to-follow formula to make my smoothies. I printed it out and taped it to the inside of my cabinet door, so that I always have it available.

3. One thing that regular running has shown me is that my feet are definitely prone to getting hot and puffy and that good moisture-wicking running socks are really important for my blister-susceptible toes. I really like the Balega running socks, because they seem to keep my feet (mostly) happy.

4. I’ve been raving about their day and night cream before, but I also really like Andalou’s Fruit Enzyme Mask. It came as an “extra” with one of night cream purchases I made a while ago and I really like it. It leaves your skin super-soft and I would definitely consider buying it on its own.

5. I said before that I am German and I don’t like beer, but I make one exception in the summer: Radler (Kölsch + Sprite). So refreshing. And since I can get German Kölsch at the local beer garden, it’s a real treat.

6. The Anti-gravity chair + backyard lounging is my favorite right now. Being able to sit on our deck in the evenings is one of the best summer to-dos I can think of.

What was one of your favorite things in July?

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What I bought at Trader Joe’s – Vol. 2

July 28, 2016 filed under: food, review, shopping, traderjoes

I am back with another installment of “What I bought at Trader Joe’s”. My weekly grocery run usually leads me to 3-4 different stores, but I’d say that I do the bulk of my shopping at TJ’s.
Some items I could also get at the regular supermarket, but comparing prices does make sense.
I am always a bit mind-boggled if the exact same (brand!) item – like my first recommended item below – is sold at such different prices at different stores. How is that possible?

So, here are some of my TJ’s recommendations for this month.

Kerrygold Grass-fed butter (8 oz – $3.19) ★★★★★ // dairy section

We don’t eat a whole lot of butter, but if we do, I swear by Kerrygold. Trader Joe’s has the lowest price on this 8 oz package (although prices have gone up, it used to be below $3), but it’s definitely worth the price. I usually buy the unsalted version (because salted butter is not really a thing in Europe, unless you make herb butter for a BBQ, and I don’t like a salty taste when I have bread with jam or cheese).

Trader Joe’s Costa Rican Tarrazu Medium Roast Coffee (13 oz – $6.99) ★★★★★ // pantry section

If we don’t splurge on Stumptown coffee, Tarrazu is our go-to alternative. At $6.99, it’s pretty affordable and the taste is great. I realized (with horror) that is not part of Trader Joe’s extensive “fair trade options”, which I also tend to buy to switch things up every once in a while.

Trader Joe’s Social Snackers (16 oz $2.69) ★★★★★ // shelf above freezer section

Stop buying the fancy Ritz crackers and switch to TJ’s social snackers, because these crackers are so much better! They’re crisp and oddly, less sweet?! I haven’t compared ingredients lists (maybe I should), but if I can taste such a distinct difference, I must be on to something.

Trader Joe’s Hot Italian Sausage (1 lb – $4.49) ★★★★★ // meat section

We love spaghetti with meatballs, but without the meatballs. Ha. We use these hot Italian sausages instead. They give the dish a little spicy kick. We cut them up in little pieces, cook them and then add them to the pasta sauce. Delicious!

Trader Joe’s Crumbled Goat Cheese (6 oz – $2.49) ★★★★★ // cheese section

Are you as big of a goat cheese fan as I am? I just love the creaminess and it never hurts to have a little bit of crumbled goat cheese in your fridge. It’s delicious on salads, with crackers or on a slice of bread. I love that this cheese is affordable and comes in a resealable container with a lid.

What did you pick up at Trader Joe’s this month?

* I am not affiliated with Trader Joe’s, nor have they endorsed, sponsored or paid for my reviews. I am just sharing my love for the store and its products, which bascially means free advertisement for them. Ha. All opinions are my own.

Currently | July

July 20, 2016 filed under: currently

wearing my new @momentumjewelry Motivate Wrap™ that I bought recently with a gift certificate that I received for my birthday. It just seemed fitting to get one with my word for the year ‘(just) breathe’ engraved.

loving my runs at the park. I’ve thought about branching out a bit (and maybe finding some new running paths around town), but it is really nice and convenient to just lace up your shoes and walk out the door and have the park right around the corner. I feel safe there running by myself and don’t have to worry about running on the streets with traffic or something.

drinking Radler with Cologne Früh Kölsch at the local Biergarten. The beer garden is such a nice place to hang out on a warm summer night.

enjoying our backyard. It’s so nice to finally have a quiet, private place to sit outside in the evenings. Hopefully, the plants that I bought to repel mosquitos and other insects will do their job. I might still have to use some “Off”, because I am a mosquito magnet (sadly).

eating all the watermelon. So delicious and refreshing.

celebrating a few more Red Sox wins! Yay!

breathing a sigh of relief that my Mom’s kidney surgery went well and that she’s on the path to recovery. She’s been in the hospital for just over a week and will go and stay at a rehabilitation center for three more weeks starting tomorrow (all covered by the health insurance. That’s German health care for you.)

feeling a little overwhelmed by everything I have to “get done” in the next three weeks (including work-related deadlines, work travel, and my first half-marathon *eek*).

reading Joyland by Stephen King for the #PostalBookclub

looking forward to my work trip to Colorado at the beginning of August. I am really excited about the workshop that I will be attending, but I also haven’t been to Colorado and am hoping to get to do a little bit of sight-seeing.

watching the RNC (because I just can’t look away). What an epic shit-storm. That’s all.

What are you eating? Watching? Feeling?

Recipe: Twisted overnight spelt-rye rolls

July 18, 2016 filed under: Germany, recipe

Tanja’s blog is a constant source of cooking inspiration and I have tried yet another one of her bread recipes, this time one for overnight spelt-rye rolls. Ever since I returned from my trip to Germany, the land of bread, – oh, just over three month ago – I’ve been missing the fresh rolls for breakfast. Ha, who am I kidding? I am ALWAYS missing German rolls and bread. So, this was the perfect recipe to try upon my return a couple of months ago and I am finally sharing the recipe.

I slightly changed the ingredient list, but they were super-easy to prepare and so tasty!

Twisted overnight spelt-rye rolls

Author: San

Prep time: 90 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 1 hour 45 mins

Serves: 8

Delicious fresh rolls for the weekend!

Ingredients

350g (12 oz) spelt flour
200g (7.5 oz) rye flour
10g (0.35 oz) salt
5g (0.18 oz) active dry-yeast
25g (o.9 oz) liquid honey
400g (14oz) lukewarm water

Instructions

The night before, mix the flour, salt and dry-yeast in a bowl. Add honey and water (I mix them together beforehand) and knead for 2 minutes on low, then 6 minutes on medium speed (I use my KitchenAid with kneading hook) until smooth. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit for an hour at room temperature. Briefly knead again and then cover and put in the fridge over night.
The next morning, let the dough warm up at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes. Dust your countertop with flour and then carefully place the dough on the flour and loosely roll the dough into a 16-inch strand. Then divide into 8 pieces and slightly twist each piece.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and let the 8 rolls rise again for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 480°F and place a small bowl with water on the bottom.
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the rolls for 10 minutes. Then open the oven door to let built-up steam escape. Spray the rolls with a little bit of water and then bake for another 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.

Take out and let cool on an oven rack. Then enjoy when still slightly warm (although they’ll also keep well for a couple of days)! I love it with jam or gouda cheese.

July Link Love

July 15, 2016 filed under: link love

10 things NOT to do when you train for a half-marathon. O-kay!

I made this mushroom paella a couple of weeks ago and it was delicious!!

Overweight people judge distances to be further than they really are. “[…] psychologists call [this] the “action-specific theory of perception”: Basically, people perceive their environments relative to their ability to act in it. So you judge distances relative to your ability to cross them.” This is super-interesting!

6 foods to eat instead of a multivitamin – I just had this discussion with my friend Silke that multivitamins and other supplements should not really be taken unless you have a diagnosed deficiency. Eat healthy instead.

My new blog friend Tara wrote about lessons learned from dancing and she’s so spot on. I want to take this even further and say that any sport can teach kids so many valuable social and life skills and that P.E. should take on a much more important role as part of a child’s education! (This clearly is a topic for a separate post and I have passionate feelings about it what with a Dad who was a P.E. teacher in high school and my own degree in Physical Education.)

Stop apologizing for being a slow runner. I’ve been told by people that I am fast (haha!), but in comparison to people who run an 8-minute mile, I feel so slow. It’s all relative, guys. You can only compete with your own self from yesterday.

Signs you’re financially stable. I think there is also a lot of “peace of mind” behind those signs. The more of those apply to you, the less worried you should be about your future.

Apologies are actions. Everyone needs to read this. I am one of those people who apologizes for everyone and everything, but a) I don’t have to apologize for something that wasn’t my fault and b) if I do have to apologize for something, the change in behavior must follow (otherwise apologies are just empty words without meaning.)

I need a grill ASAP and make these steak kebobs with chimichurri.