theinbetweenismine

just a girl living the expat life

Archives for November 2020

30: NaBloPoMo 2020 is done!

filed under: NaBloPoMo

Can you believe it, just like that NaBloPoMo is over again. Every year, I worry what I will be blogging about for 30 days in a row and then I run out of days before I run out of blog ideas. So, there’s that (don’t worry… I’ll just keep blogging whenever the mood strikes, just not quite daily anymore). 

I am super-happy I could motivate a few people to join me (thanks Tobia, Stefanie and Katherine) and I was also excited to find that Melisa encouraged her readers to participate in a NaBloPoMo game, where they wrote as much and as often as they could and submitted their links every week for a weekly blog posting round-up! I found some great new blogs that way!

I’ve been kinda bummed that the NaBloPoMo community has been shrinking over the last few years, but I still enjoy the writing exercise every November and I am always happy to find a few others who decide to give it a go! Makes it a little bit easier to keep up with everyone, TBH. 

Here’s my list of NaBloPoMo 2020 posts, in case you missed some and want to check them out.

1: NaBloPoMo 2020
2: 5 things you didn’t know about me
3: Halloween 2020
4: It’s not over until it’s over.
5: It’s still not over until it’s over.
6: Five Things Friday Vol. 16
7: Exhale
8: Recipe | Creamy Broccoli-Chicken Soup
9: What I read in October
10: Tuesday Topics | What’s the worst fitness advice you’ve ever received?
11: Q&A with San
12: 5th annual Secret Santa (Mug) Swap 2020
13: Five Things Friday Vol. 17
14: November Link List
15: Recipe | Warm and soothing apple cinnamon steel-cut oats
16: Five current pet peeves
17: A few current fall favorites
18: What I bought at Trader Joe’s Vol. 11
19: Currently | November
20: Five Things Friday Vol. 18
21: Letters to the Universe
22: Recipe | Fish Florentine
23: Six new products I tried and loved
24: Tuesday Topics | I am a MudLOVE Wayfinder! 
25: Holiday Card Roll Call
26: On Thanksgiving 2020
27: Five Things Friday Vol. 19
28: Our Thanksgiving
29: Recipe | Spritzgebäck (German Spritz Cookies)
30: NaBloPoMo 2020 is done!

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

29: Recipe | Spritzgebäck (German Spritz Cookies)

filed under: baking, family, food, holidays, NaBloPoMo, nostalgia

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2020

 

This post has been years in the making. Spritzgebäck is the traditional holiday cookie in my family. Everybody gets involved. My Mom prepares the dough, my Dad and the kids (first my sister and I, then my cousin, now my niece and nephew) make the cookies. My Dad used to have a manual meat mincer and cookie inset that he used for years and years, but they upgraded to an electric food grinder attachment for a stand mixer a couple of years ago (which makes it much easier). Everybody in the family brings a cookie tin that gets filled to the top with spritz cookies and in recent years, when I couldn’t go home for the holidays, my Mom always sent me some in her Christmas package. It’s always the most coveted item. 

We decided that this year, with the pandemic and unreliable postal service times and outrageous postage prices, we wouldn’t send any packages for Christmas. So, finally, after talking about it for years, I invested in a meat grinder attachment and cookie inset to make my own. I guess it was about time. 

The trick for these cookies is to chill the dough overnight, then prepare the cookies the next day by pressing it through the meat grinder into thin strips which bake into extra crispy, hard cookies. My niece and nephew can demonstrate it much better than I could because they’re experts now.

If you are “team soft cookie”, I still recommend you give these a try. Maybe they’ll change your mind. Although, you will have to invest in the equipment first… but it’s worth it, IMHO. Jon is also a fan. The cookies are crisp, but not too sweet. Just perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. Great for dunking, too. Our family traditionally makes them ‘plain’, but you can also dip on end into melted chocolate if you’re into that. 

If you try them, let me know if you enjoy them. Meanwhile, I’ll sit here with my nostalgia, nibbling on a cookie. 

Ingredients

500 g unbleached wheat flour
250 g sugar
250 g butter (unsalted) — softened
1 egg
1 pinch salt
1 pouch vanilla sugar

Beat the soft butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and eggs and keep beating. Add the rest of the ingredients and form into a ball. Wrap in aluminum foil and place in the fridge overnight. 

Bring dough to room temperature before proceeding. Add dough to your meat grinder and press through the cookie attachment and line the cookies up on a cookie sheet (you can line them up tightly as they won’t expand much, but you still might have to bake in a few batches). Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool down on a cooling rack.

Spritzgebäck (German Spritz Cookies)

  • 500 g wheat flour
  • 250 g sugar
  • 250 g butter ((unsalted))
  • 1 egg
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pouch vanilla sugar

  1. Beat the soft butter until fluffy.

  2. Add the sugar and eggs and keep beating.

  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and form into a ball. Wrap in aluminum foil and place in the fridge overnight. 

  4. Bring dough to room temperature before proceeding.

  5. Add dough to your meat grinder and press through the cookie attachment and line them up on your cookie sheet.

  6. Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

  7. Let cool down on a cooling rack.

28: Our Thanksgiving

filed under: food, holidays, NaBloPoMo, running

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2020

Our Thanksgiving this year didn’t look much different than last year’s, to be honest, despite the pandemic. As previously mentioned, Jon and I are kind of used to spending holidays without seeing family, so it’s our “normal” to make it nice just for the two of us. Funnily enough, we had tentative plans this year to actually see family for the holidays, but when the COVID-situation didn’t allow for travel (at least in our opinion, it didn’t), it wasn’t too hard to switch back to our usual plan.

I probably would have run our local Turkey Trot again this year, but since the run went virtual (like everything else), I decided to team up with Tanja for a virtual run on Thursday morning. It’s nice that you can count on a friend to go along with your plans and knowing that she was also running a turkey trot in her neck of the woods and made me feel thankful and connected. And we even did a virtual high five at the end.

After I got back, I started preparing our Thanksgiving feast, while sipping coffee and face-timing with my family in Germany. I love spending the day in the kitchen and setting a nice table, even if it’s just for the two of us.

We did stay in our lounge pants, however, in expectation of the waistband-expanding dinner.

When we initially brainstormed side dishes for our meal, we threw around some new ideas and then ended up just recreating our Thanksgiving meal from last year: Roasted TurkeyChicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, roasted green beans, and delicious apple-cornbread-stuffing. For dessert, I baked an apple cake again and made some freshly whipped cream to go along with it.

 

After dinner, we settled in for a cozy evening on the couch by the (fake) fireplace. Honestly, I was so stuffed that I couldn’t move one more inch. We talked about what we’re thankful for this year and I also got some knitting done. We both agreed that it was just the quiet and cozy Thanksgiving that we wanted.

How was your Thanksgiving? Did you make it a good day?

27: Five Things Friday Vol. 19

filed under: Friday Five, NaBloPoMo

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2020

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

In case you missed my blog post earlier this week, I am part of the MudLOVE Wayfinder team right now and I am thrilled to be able to offer you a discount code for some holiday shopping this weekend. If you’ve always wanted one of MudLOVE’s inspirational bracelets or beautiful mugs, either for yourself or for a friend, now is the time to get it. This weekend (Black Friday to Giving Tuesday), you’ll get 30% off + FREE shipping with code “SANDRAB30”. 

*  *  * 

Call me crazy, but I actually went out for my bi-weekly (grocery) shopping trip this morning. I knew that supermarkets are usually not a problem on Black Friday, but I was a little worried about my Target run. But guess what, people are either very careful with the pandemic or they have completely moved to online shopping because the store was empty at 8:30 this morning. Well, not empty, but foot traffic was very light.  I was pleasantly surprised.

*  *  * 

Who has picked out a new paper planner for 2021 already? I am currently in the ‘research’ phase for a new planner and I am taking suggestions. I am looking for a weekly planner, preferably with a spiral binding, and a simple design (not too many colors or designs on the planner pages). I’ve bounced between planners for the last few years (ever since Inkwell Press Planners went ‘disc-system’, which I am not a fan of), but I haven’t found my new favorite quite yet.  What’s your favorite planner? 

*  *  * 

I really, really miss browsing stores during the holiday season. I am not really planning to do any in-person shopping this year, as I try to stay away from stores as much as possible (Target being the only exception, because I buy grocery and household items there), but I might have to make a one-time exception and stop at World Market in the next couple of weeks. They do curbside pickup too, which might be a good option. Are you doing all your holiday shopping online this year?

*  *  * 

Oh, last but not least, I wanted to remind you to sign up for my Holiday Card Roll Call if you’re into sending holiday cards this year.

Have a great weekend!

25: On Thanksgiving 2020

filed under: holidays, NaBloPoMo, USA


Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

Every year, for Thanksgiving, we reflect on the things we’re thankful for. It’s a good time to reflect on things in any given year, but it seems particularly important in this god-awful year that we’ve been all experiencing. 

I know many people are upset that new restrictions are in place, that we’re discouraged from getting together with family and asked to spend these holidays “alone”. As someone who has spent many holidays apart from family (for many different reasons), it’s hard for me to understand that people would get upset – or even argue with their family members – over skipping ONE holiday together. 

Let’s be honest: yes, it sucks.

Now that we have that out of the way though, let’s think about this rationally: the fact is if everyone had pulled together months ago and if we had had leadership in this country that would have enforced a nationwide lockdown for a couple of weeks and implemented a pandemic strategy, Thanksgiving this year might have looked a lot different. But here we are. We can’t change missed opportunities. We can only act smart now and hopefully flatten the curve again.

There are millions of Americans who already don’t have the option to celebrate with family members anymore because they’ve been taken away from them. There are millions more concerned with paying rent and putting food on the table. There are frontline workers who’ve been doing an incredible job for the last 9 months and who are exhausted and who are bearing the brunt of this pandemic. Don’t ever forget that. If it’s not for yourself, do it for them. 

This Thanksgiving, I will not complain about the things I can’t have or do. Honestly, you guys, we have it easy. I am thankful that my family has stayed healthy, that I still have my job (that I can do safely from home), and that I have a cozy home where we can cook some good food and enjoy a bit of quiet time.

I went for a turkey trot (by myself) this morning. It was a beautiful autumn day here in California, and even though I wish I could have run with other people today (in the spirit of Thanksgiving), I enjoyed my run knowing that my friend Tanja was also running a turkey trot in her neck of the woods and it made feel thankful and connected.

It’s not all bad, guys. Look around you. Be thankful for what you have. 

I hope you can make the best of this Thanksgiving day!

25: Holiday Card Roll Call

filed under: holidays, NaBloPoMo

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2020

I don’t know about you, but holiday cards are my favorite thing and this year it feels more important than ever to reach out to family and friends and try to make this holiday season extra-special when we all can’t see each other in person. Putting something in the mail seems like one of the only things we actually can do this holiday season (except for video meetings, of course).

As part of my holiday preparations, 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. Every year for the last, oh, gazillion! 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. 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!

All you have to do is fill out this form* and, with a bit of luck (I am not placing bets on the reliability of the Postal Service this year), 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 people this year, I’d be happy to send you my address in return.

I hope you all have a lovely holiday season despite *all of that is 2020*!

*The form will accept entries until December, 6.

24: Tuesday Topics | I am a MudLOVE Wayfinder

filed under: good things, NaBloPoMo, Tuesday Topics

If you’ve been around my Instagram, you’ve seen me show off some of the bracelets that I wear (often when working out, as a form of motivational bling). 

One company that I’ve come to love over the last few years is MudLOVE.

Not only do they make beautiful inspirational clay bracelets and mugs, they also do it in the name of doing good and giving back.

I think I won my first MudLOVE bracelet in a Instagram giveaway hosted by a runner friend and couldn’t have been more thrilled to wear such a beautiful handmade item. I purchased two more of their inspirational bracelets shortly after. 

They don’t only look cool, but the company also supports an important cause: MudLOVE partners with Water for Good and every bracelet or mug purchased provides one week of clean water to someone in the Central African Republic. How freakin’ awesome is that? 

Fresh water is something that many of us take for granted (although if you live in a drought-stricken state like us here in California, you’ve gotten a taste of what water rationing feels like and let me tell you: it’s no fun). Having access to not only fresh, but clean water, is one of the most basic human needs and making sure that every person has that access should be a top priority. 

MudLOVE just launched their first ambassador program, the MudLOVE Wayfinders*. I had previously connected with MudLOVE on Instagram and they invited me to apply for one of the first 100 Wayfinder spots. Last month, I received the official email that I was accepted as one of the Wayfinders for the November 2020-March 2021 term.

I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of this ambassador program and help spread the word and support such an awesome company. I am looking forward to sharing more about them in the coming weeks with you.

There also might be a coupon code or other perks coming your way, so keep an eye out! With the holidays around the corner, their products make great gifts for friends and family!

Have you heard about MudLOVE before? What else would you like to know?

*Disclosure: I was not monetarily compensated to be an ambassador, but I did get some free merchandise.

23: Six new products I tried & loved

filed under: good things, lists!, NaBloPoMo

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2020

1. I’ve started taking collagen supplements again. I used to take Vital Proteins Collagen, then stopped and now am getting back to it. I found Great Lakes Collagen* at Trader Joe’s. It’s a reasonable price ($9.99 for 10 oz) and I researched it and it seems to have a good reputation. It is tasteless and dissolves easily in my morning coffee, so I think I’ll be getting that one for now. 

2.I enjoy a good exfoliating scrub (when I remember) and when I came across this Exfoliating Dry Brush*, I was reminded that I wanted to get one of those to use more regularly before getting in the shower. It’s the perfect size and I am enjoying it so far.

3. Someone on Instagram recommended this Ninabella®* Detangling Hair Brush. I have very fine hair that gets easily knotted and tangled up, which makes brushing very difficult, but this brush really makes a difference. There is noticeably less hair left behind in the brush, and it really detangles the hair gently without tearing out a lot of hair. Ninabella® is a German brand, but you’re lucky, it’s available to us here in the US through Amazon.

4. The last time I bought shampoo, I ordered this big a** bottle of shampoo from a brand that my hairdresser had recommended (remember the times when we went to salons? I haven’t been in ages!) and it took me forever to use it up. While I liked it, I have the type of fine hair that gets tired of the same shampoo and I need to switch it up every once in a while. I saw that the Purezero®* Shampoo was on sale at Target (the only place I shop for personal items in person right now) and since it’s a clean beauty brand without all the bad stuff, I gave it a try and really like it.

5. I also recently picked up Trader Joe’s Coconut & Shea Hair Mask*, which people have been raving about, and I can confirm: it smells really good and makes your hair smooth and soft.

6. It’s not a secret that I am a fan of Mrs. Meyer’s. We’ve been using their dish soap, laundry detergent, multi-surface cleaner, hand soap, and hand lotion for years and I always enjoy their seasonal scents, e.g. this Mrs. Meyer’s Orange Clove hand soap*.

Have you tried any new products lately? Share your winners!

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

22: Recipe | Fish Florentine

filed under: food, NaBloPoMo, recipe

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve been seeing this dish pop up a few times in the last few weeks. It’s one of our favorite recipes if we feel like we want to add more fish to our diet. It’s a dish that tastes fancy, but is super-easy to make, cooks quickly, and is still pretty light. 

I’ve adapted the recipe from the one found on skinnytaste.com. The original recipe calls for cream cheese and we decided to use a little bit more half & half and add in some vegetable broth for flavor instead.

This dish will work with any type of white, flakey fish (we have used cod, halibut, mahi-mahi, or tilapia for this dish) and since Jon and I are both spinach fans and add it to any dishes that we can, we almost doubled the amount from the original recipe. Spinach deflates so much when cooked that you won’t be sorry that you used a little bit extra. Trust me. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs (4-5 pieces) of skinless white firm fish fillet
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 red bell peppers (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
16 ounces fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup half & half 
1 cup vegetable broth
3 tbsps grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp flour mixed with 3 tbsps water
salt
fresh black pepper

In a large skillet over medium heat add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, red bell pepper, and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add spinach and let wilt.
Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. 
Add the half & half, vegetable broth, and parmesan cheese and mix well. 
In a separate skillet, heat 1 tbsps of olive oil. Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper and place in the skillet.
Cook 6-7 minutes on each side until cooked through and slightly browned.
Serve creamed spinach-pepper mixture and fish over brown rice. 
 
Enjoy!
 

Fish Florentine

  • 1 1/2 lbs white fish fillets
  • 2 tbsps olive oil
  • 2 bell pepper (chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 12 oz fresh baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup half & half
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 3 tbsps grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp flour mixed with 3 tbsps water (for thickening)
  • salt (to taste)
  • black pepper (to taste)

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, red bell pepper, and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes.

  2. Add spinach and let wilt. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. 

  3. Add the half & half, vegetable broth, and parmesan cheese and mix well. (Thicken with flour mixture, if necessary.)

  4. In a separate skillet, heat 1 tbsps of olive oil. Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper and place in the skillet.

  5. Cook 6-7 minutes on each side until cooked through and slightly browned.

  6. Serve creamed spinach-pepper mixture and fish over brown rice.  

21: Letters to the Universe

filed under: about me, NaBloPoMo

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2020

Letters to the Universe

Dear 2020 – you’ve been a real brat. I know, I know, Covid is one thing. Maybe that wasn’t your fault entirely, but you’ve been piling on big time on a lot of people that are dear to my heart, and I kinda had it with you, TBH. Can you just stop being so awful? Can we at least have the holiday season without any more bad news?  

Dear Covid – while I am at it, could you just go tf away?

Dear fellow citizens – please act responsibly during the holidays. I know, it’s hard to not see family and friends, but remember there are lots of people who sometimes – for other reasons – can’t see family or friends for the holidays (like me!) and they make it through the holidays somehow, too. Which means, so can you. Isn’t it worth it to you to bite the bullet and skip family gatherings this year, so you can see your family members for many more years to come?

Dear body – thank you for being healthy and strong and (mostly) willing to do what I ask you to. You fall asleep easily (most of the time), you haven’t given me any worrisome aches and pains, and you generally happily support my active lifestyle. I know, sometimes I am not kind and I could treat you better, but I try to not take you for granted, ever.

Dear Tr*mp –  for the love of God, concede and go away already. Don’t make this harder (and more embarrassing) than it already is. You lost. Be a man. It’s time to face the music.  

Dear holidays  – I am hoping you’ll be able to make up a tiny bit for everything that’s been hard and awful this year. Even if we’re all doing things socially distanced. Let’s make it nice. Are you ready?

Dear fellow NaBloPoMo-ers – how are you doing? We’ve made it 2/3 through the month and it looks like you’ve all been doing a great job! 

What letters would you like to put out into the universe today?