Archives for November 2019

30: This was NaBloPoMo 2019

November 30, 2019 filed under: NaBloPoMo

Another NaBloPoMo comes to an end. While I would never ever want to always blog daily, November has kind of become a good once-a-year exercise in brain-storming, organizing and writing posts for 30 days in a row. It kinda feels like I have a system down.

It was exciting to see more people joining NaBloPoMo again this year, not least because Asha exclaimed that “Blogs are back” and invited people to join her. I met some new people and found some new blogs to read, which is always fun!

Here’s my list of NaBloPoMo posts, in case you missed some and want to check them out.

1: NaBloPoMo 2019
2: Five things you might not know about me
3: Recipe | German Chicken Fricassee over brown rice
4: What I read in October
5: Tuesday Topics: How do you budget for races?
6: My parents’ birthday bash
7: Real Life | Spending Summary 2019 – Q3
8: Five Things Friday
9: Little everyday luxuries
10: Recipe | Greek Gyro Salad
11: Q & A with San
12: Tuesday Topics | How do you warm up before a run?
13: Five current pet peeves
14: The 4th annual Secret Santa Mug Swap 2019
15: Five Things Friday
16: November Link Love
17: Recipe | Apple Cake
18: Letters to the Universe
19: Our duplex (one year later)
20: Currently | November
21: What I bought at Trader Joe’s Vol. 10
22: Five Things Friday
23: Ventura Love
24: Recipe | Light Spinach Pappardelle Alfredo
25: Holiday Card Roll Call
26: More German idioms, hooray!
27: Who I am (at the moment)
28: Thankful
29: Monthly Favorites | November
30: This was NaBloPoMo 2019

Thanks for sticking around this month, and as always, thanks for reading and commenting.

Oh, and don’t forget to sign up for my holiday card exchange if you haven’t already!!

I did NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. #nablopomo2019

29: Monthly Favorites | November

November 29, 2019 filed under: monthly favorites, NaBloPoMo

1. I got this Cinnamon Apple Cider candle* at Target. I had bought a similar one there last year and I just love that smell. It’s a perfect scent for fall.

2. I am enjoying a trial subscription of the New Yorker*. There was an ad for a three month trial for $6, including an awesome canvas tote bag. Who wouldn’t jump on that offer?

3. I had been on the hunt for some new ankle boots (chelsea-style) for the colder season and hadn’t been successful at the stores (I am a bit picky with shoe-styles). I usually don’t order shoes online (unless I have previously tried them on somewhere), but I found these* online and loved the style. I thought that for the price, I’d risk ordering them without trying them on for size and fit. It wasn’t obvious from the ordering page that these were going to be sent from… China. Ugh. I was a bit wary if I had made a huge mistake, BUT they arrived and they look awesome and they fit great. I am thrilled. I can’t tell for sure if they’re genuine leather (as advertised), but if they’re not, they definitely don’t look obviously fake and I don’t regret the purchase.

4. Homemade whipped cream. You guys, it’s so easy and quick, you don’t want to buy the bottled stuff anymore. I promise. All you need is a handmixer, a sleeve of vanilla sugar, and 5 minutes of your time and you’ll have the most delicious whipped cream you can imagine.

5. It’s cold outside and I am back on my Peppermint tea* kick.

6. My hairdresser recommended the Joico Shampoo + Conditioner* for my fine hair to boost volume and prevent breakage. So far, I like it, although it has a somewhat strong, but not unpleasant smell.

7. Branching out again, trying Silk Oat Yeah Oatmilk* and am pleasantly surprised by its creaminess. What’s your favorite plant-based milk (and why)?

What was one of your favorite things this month?

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2019

* #notanad, This is not a sponsored post. I have not been compensated by the brand or anyone else for linking the websites.

28: Thankful

November 28, 2019 filed under: good things, holidays, NaBloPoMo

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

My friend Stephany posted three sets of prompts for a series of gratitude posts and I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon, because it’s Thanksgiving and a good time to reflect on gratitude. I picked 10 of the 30 original prompts to share with you guys today.

1) I’m most thankful for my ability to empathize. A lot of people have told me that they feel comfortable talking to me about various things, because they know I’ll take them seriously but also offer honest advice.

2) In this moment, the thing I love most about my family is how close we are. I am very close with my parents and with my sister and her family and on days like today, I miss them extra-hard, but I also really value having such a good relationship with them, because I know that others are not so lucky and I can’t take this for granted.

3) Something that made me smile today was seeing all the people come out for the local turkey trot. The Sacramento Run to Feed the Hungry Run is the largest turkey trot in the country. I decided last minute to run today (honestly, we were just hit with the first winter storm here in California and it looked like it was going to be gnarly outside. Thankfully, the storm mostly moved through yesterday and while it was cold this morning, it was dry when the run started.) and I am so glad I did. First of all, the run goes right through my neighborhood, so there was really NO excuse not to run. It’s also for a good cause and what better day to give to others than on Thanksgiving!

4) One of the memories I’m most grateful for is Christmas Eves with my family. The holidays have always been a special time for our family where everybody makes sure to gather and spend time together. I miss that. I haven’t been home for Christmas in a few years, but every year that I can’t be physically there, I reminisce about all the good times we have had in the past.

5) Even after a rough day, the things I’m most grateful for at work are a group of great coworkers, a four-day work schedule, flexible hours and some really fun projects. I know, I’ve been complaining a bit lately about my work situation and low workload, but at the end of the day, I have been at this place for almost 15 years, because I love the work that we do.

6) In this moment, the things I love most about my friends are their support, kindness, and loyalty. You know what they say: there are friends for a reason, friends for a season, and friends for a lifetime. I have quite a few friendships that go back decades at this point and these friends have passed the test of time and will, no doubt, be around for a lifetime. Even if I don’t see these friends very often, I always know they’re just a phone call away and we can always pick up where we left off.

7) I love going online to connect with others. Most of my family and friends are not local, so the ability to talk to them through the smartphone in my hand is one of the greatest gifts! I remember when I first moved to the US in 2001. I didn’t have a cell phone or a laptop and had to go on campus to check my email and schedule phone calls at the local pay phone around the corner to talk to family and friends. We’ve come a long way since then and I don’t know if I would be able to live so far away from everyone, if we didn’t have the technology that we take for granted now.

8) When I look around my home, I’m grateful that I feel safe and that I love coming home to this space. I still sometimes lament the fact that I miss the kitchen from our house, but overall, we’re really happy in our new place (we’ve lived here for a year now) and in our new neighborhood.

9) When I look around the world, I’m grateful for the people who try to make a difference. It’s not always easy to know what to do to help in certain situations and I often feel small in my efforts, but I also believe that if everybody does one little thing, we can move mountains together.

10) I’m grateful that I’m learning to let things go. I tend to hang on to things and people and it’s hard for me to accept that sometimes things come to an end. I am getting much better, however, to work through these feelings and get closure in order to move on.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I hope you have lots of things to be thankful for today.

27: Who I am (at the moment)

November 27, 2019 filed under: about me, NaBloPoMo, Who I am

I have, again, dropped the ball on the ‘who I am (at the moment)’ posts, but today is a good day to change that, don’t you agree? So here’s a little glimpse into my brain these days…

I am …

… cautiously excited about my work situation, as I will start working on a new project soon. It’s a project that is more aligned with my skills and interests in comparison to what I have been working on for the past few months, so I am very motivated to get started.

… so happy that it finally rained. California really needed it (and will hopefully get more).

… tired of feeling like I have no time for anything when I know that this is really not true. But the feeling of having gotten stuff done has very little to do with actual accomplishments, but with perception; and my perception stupidly tells me that more often than not my weekends run out before my (want-)to-do-list is accomplished.

… still running regularly (who’s turkey trotting tomorrow?) but I haven’t stuck to a training plan since my last half marathon in July and so I’ve been winging it in regards to distance and effort in the last few months. But, I am still showing up, however ‘unorganized’ it might be right now, and that’s what matters.

… incredibly upset about some very sad news that I received from a friend. I wish there was anything I could do to make things better.

… starting to get excited about the holidays. As in previous years, it felt like the holiday season snuck up on me and I realized this week that there are only 5 weeks left in 2019. That’s crazy to me, but let’s just focus on this busy, but exciting time of the year and enjoy the heck out of it. Are you with me?

… a little bummed that I won’t be going home for Christmas. I should be kind of used to it now, as I haven’t been home for Christmas in 5 years, and I really shouldn’t complain, as I went to Germany not once, but twice this year, but it’s still doesn’t change the fact that it will be forever hard to not see my family for the holidays.

… looking forward to the long Thanksgiving weekend, where I plan to equal parts relax, but also kick my my Christmas organizing into high gear. I actually enjoy the process and hope that it will help me get into the holiday spirit.

Who are you at the moment?

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2019

26: More German Idioms, hooray!

November 26, 2019 filed under: NaBloPoMo, Things you wouldn't know

People have told me in the past that they love these posts, so I’ll make an effort to keep it going (until I run out of fun German idioms, I guess). Enjoy! And make sure you check out the other round-ups of idioms here, here, here, here, and here, here, and here.

I’ve always enjoyed learning English idioms and also really enjoy teaching German idioms to my non-native German-speaking husband. He’s successfully dropped one or the other German idiom in conversation with me in the past and it’s always a bit of a fist-pump-kinda-moment. Hehe.

Hätte, hätte, Fahrradkette. (Woulda, woulda, bicycle chain.) Well, that obviously only works in German, haha, because it rhymes. The English equivalent (rhyme) is “Shoulda, coulda, woulda”.

Du bist ein Scherzkeks. (You’re a joke cookie.) Definitely one I use often when Jon’s trying to be particularly funny. It means you’re a jokster.

Jemandem Kopfzerbrechen bereiten. (To cause someone’s head breaking.) This is pretty self-explanatory, am I right? It means that you’re causing someone worry or that you’re puzzling someone with your behavior.

Etwas ins Leben rufen. (To call something into life.) To initiate something.

Es ist kein Hexenwerk. (It is no witchcraft.) It’s not rocket science.

Gute Karten haben. (To have good cards.) This is similar to the English idiom ‘to be dealt a good hand’, but it can also mean that you have a good chance at something.

Du hast eine schreckliche Fahne. (You have a horrible flag.) This is useful to let someone know that they shouldn’t get too close because they have awful alcoholic breath.

Ich bin fuchsteufelswild. (I am foxdevilswild). One of the awesome German compound words. Don’t you love them. This means that you’re crazy mad about something.

Teach me an idiom! Or ask me for the translation of an English idiom into German!

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2019

25: Holiday Card Roll Call

November 25, 2019 filed under: holidays, NaBloPoMo

Believe it or not, it’s almost December. I know, some of you have already put up their trees (I’ve seen it on IG, don’t lie to me!) and Christmas decorations and I’ll be getting on that soon.
I’ve been trying to get into preparation mode for the holidays and that also means that it is time for my annual Holiday Card Roll Call. If you have been a long time reader of my blog, you already know what this is all about.

In case you are a relatively new reader around these parts, let me give you the quick run down. Every year for the last – oh, gazillion – few years, I have exchanged Holiday Cards with some of my readers. Every year, I ask for your addresses, so I can send you a little note in the mail for the holidays. It’s just a little gesture to give back to each and every one of you lovely people that have been reading (or just started reading) my blog!

I don’t know about you, but holiday cards from around the country (and the world!) are my favorite. I think a personal note is one of the nicest things to do to let people know that you care about them and what better time of the year to put something in the mail than during the holiday season?

It’s really pretty simple; all you have to do is fill out out this form* and, with a bit of luck, you’ll find a holiday card from me in the mail in the next few weeks.

If you have received cards from me in previous years, I’d really appreciate it if you filled out the form again, so I can keep better track of any address changes. If you are also in the business of sending cards to lovely people once a year, I’d be happy to send you my address in return, because I love getting cards as well. (Who doesn’t?)

I hope you all have a lovely holiday season!

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2019

Sign-up form open until December, 5.

24: Recipe | Light Spinach Pappardelle Alfredo

November 24, 2019 filed under: NaBloPoMo, recipe

If you’re looking for a quick, easy and filling weeknight dinner, I have something for you.

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of carbs arounds here. Don’t come at me with your “carbs are bad for you”-lecture, because I don’t subscribe to it. Carbs are life and I will not stop eating them. And come on, they’re just really tasty, too. This is a great dinner that you can whip up in about 20 minutes and that’s a win in my book. For weeknights, I need quick and easy.

Pappardelle are a nice change from the usual spaghetti or penne pasta variety. Even though they’re made from the same dough, the texture is completely different.

16 oz pappardelle
1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic
2 tbsps flour
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup milk
3/4 cup parmesan cheese (the refrigerated kind!)
1/4 tsp salt
freshly cracked pepper to taste

Boil water in a large pot, season generously with salt and cook pappardelle according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and let simmer until fragrant.
Make a roux by stirring in flour. Quickly stir in the vegetable broth and use whisk to remove any lumps.
Then add the milk. Stir and let simmer until it starts to thicken (about 5-10 minutes).
Turn heat to medium-low and add the parmesan cheese and salt.
Remove from heat and let thicken. Stir in the spinach and let wilt.

Toss pappardelle with Alfredo sauce and top with extra parmesan cheese and freshly cracked pepper.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Light Spinach Pappardelle Alfredo

Ingredients

16 oz Pappardelle
1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic
2 tbsps flour
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup milk
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
10 oz fresh baby spinach

Instructions

Boil water in a large pot, season generously with salt and cook pappardelle according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and let simmer until fragrant.
Make a roux by stirring in flour. Quickly stir in the vegetable broth and use whisk to remove any lumps.
Then add the milk. Stir and let simmer until it starts to thicken (about 5-10 minutes).
Turn heat to medium-low and add the parmesan cheese and salt.
Remove from heat and let thicken. Stir in the spinach and let wilt.
Toss pappardelle with Alfredo sauce and top with extra parmesan cheese and freshly cracked pepper.

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2019

23: Some Ventura Love

November 23, 2019 filed under: NaBloPoMo, travel, USA

Last weekend, Jon and I went down to Southern California to spend some time with Jons family. Jon grew up in Ventura, which – if you’re not familiar – is a beach town between LA and Santa Barbara.

We briefly even lived there when we transitioned from LA back to Sacramento and even though it was a short time, I really have good memories of our apartment and the time we had there.

I miss being close to the beach. I would usually consider myself a mountain person (if asked, because I grew up skiing in the Alps), but there is something about the beach that I also love. Can one be a mountain and beach person at the same time? I’d vote YES.

Let me share some impressions from our weekend. The sunsets were amazing!

Saturday morning, I went running along the beach. I had been looking forward to this for weeks, to be honest, and it was just the perfect way to start the day. It was warm and sunny at 8 a.m. already and there were so many other runners and bikers out, not to forget all the surfers at Surfer’s Point.

In the afternoon, we went up to the “Serra Cross“, a hilltop overlook above Ventura. Many people were there for the sunset!

Sunday morning, I took the opportunity for another walk on the beach and on the Ventura Pier! I knew we couldn’t leave without having put my feet in the sand for a little bit. It was unusually warm last weekend (90F/30C), but the Pacific, as usual, was pretty cold and it was just tad windy.

Our visit to Ventura wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to the “Busy Bee Café”, a 50’s diner right on Main Street. I remember when Jon first took me there many, many years ago! It was nice to be back!

This was just a short weekend trip and therefore a very small glimpse of Ventura. I hope we’ll go back soon and I can share more!

Have you been to – or heard of – Ventura?

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2019

22: Five Things Friday

November 22, 2019 filed under: Friday Five, NaBloPoMo

Five Things Friday: just five things I’m thinking about or things that made my week, or things that I otherwise feel like sharing.

Here’s a reminder to sign up for the 4th annual Secret Santa Mug Swap 2019, if you’re interested to spread a little holiday cheer during the holiday season. I’ve been hosting this swap for the last four years. If you want to read a little more about it, click here. Registration is open until Sunday, 11/24!

* * *

Does your Health Insurance have an “incentives program”? We are with Blue Cross Blue Shields and they offer Online Health Coach Challenges (e.g. recording your exercise or “mood days”) and then they send a monetary reward to your “My BlueⓇWellness Card” that you can use for medical expenses (pharmacy or OTC items). I just finished another challenge and have earned $130 in rewards this year. Every little bit counts!

* * *

I ran by the beach last weekend and oh man, do I miss living closer to the beach. There’s just something about looking out over the water and smelling the salty air when you exercise.

* * *

As I mentioned on Wednesday, Christmas is only 5 weeks away. Can you believe it? I definitely start working on my to-do list. I’ve done some work on it “in my head”, but I need to get organized and get things on paper. Do your exchange gifts for Christmas? I love giving gifts (doesn’t have to be anything big or expensive at all) as a token of appreciation, love, and friendship.

* * *

Talking about Christmas, who’s sending Christmas Cards this year? If you’re still into the old fashioned snail mail Christmas Cards and you’ve been around here for a while, you know I do my annual Christmas Card Roll Call around this time. Come back next week to sign up, if you want to get a Christmas Card in the mail this year. Or, let’s exchange addresses, if you’re also into sending cards this holiday season!

TGIF!

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2019

21: What I bought at Trader Joe’s Vol. 10

November 21, 2019 filed under: food, NaBloPoMo, traderjoes

It can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I last shared some of my favorite items that I’ve bought at Trader Joe’s. We do most of our shopping at Trader Joe’s and even like their produce (maybe that’s because we’re in California and a lot of produce comes from more local sources), and I always find new items to add to my ‘favorites’-list.

I also recently visited an Aldi (which is owned by the same family that owns Trader Joe’s) on a trip to SoCal and I am sad to say that we still don’t have an Aldi here in Northern California (I can’t believe how long I’ve been talking about this!). I really hope they’ll finally open a store here some time soon, but until then, I am happy to keep tooting the horn for Trader Joe’s.

Mini Croissants* (11.9 oz) $3.99 // freezer section

Do yourself a favor and keep one of these bags in the freezer. They’re so quick and easy to make. They don’t have to be defrosted over night, you can just throw them in the oven and they’re so buttery, flaky, and tasty!

Cauliflower Gnocchi* (12 oz) $2.69 // freezer section

I am so in love with these gnocchis! I usually just pan-fry them (instead of boiling them, because they can get a bit soggy) and they have such nice texture and flavor. And, it’s an extra serving of vegetables, come to think of it!

Greeting Cards* ($0.99) // entrance area

Trader Joe’s still has the cutest cards. I usually stop there on the way into the store to pick up a couple of cards for my “stack” at home. And at $0.99 a pop, they’re really affordable.

Crumbly Gorgonzola* (per lb) $6 // refrigerated cheese section

I forget why we picked up this gorgonzola milk and goat cheese (I think we used it in a pasta dish) and it was so, so good. Gorgonzola has such an intense taste. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but I really like it.

Ground Pork* (per lb) $5.99 (I think) // meat section

Ground pork used to be hard to find here in the States, so I was very pleasantly surprised to see ground pork at Trader Joe’s! I dare you to make your next spaghetti bolognese with half ground beef and half ground pork and tell me if you taste a difference! (Using half and half ground meat is very common in Germany, and for a reason.)

What have you bought at Trader Joe’s recently?

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2019

* 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 basically means free advertisement for them. Ha. All opinions are my own.