We took a short break (or long weekend, depending on how you see it) from Germany last weekend in order to visit some former fellow expats in Germany. Continue reading 4 days in Birmingham
Month: March 2014
Bridge Update, End of March 2014
Big developments on the bridge this week! They’ve closed off the main archway, diverting all foot and bicycle traffic through the secondary arch leading past the entrance the UNESCO World Heritage vistors center and onto the stretch of auxiliary bridge. Scaffolding has replaced the side rails on the south stretch of the bridge. Only the middle section of the bridge and the ramp from there down to Müllerstraße, Alte Linde and the rest of the Oberer Wöhrd are available at the moment. Wonder when they’re finally going to re-open the north end (the Stadtamhof side)…it’s been inaccessible since they first started this project.
WEBMU 2014 Location Voting Open
The nominations are in and it’s time to vote! There are a quite a few more cities and regions to choose from than last year, including a couple of repeats and one far-flung locale.
What is WEBMU you ask? Why, it’s the Whiny Expat Bloggers Meet Up. Click the link for a little history on the event.
Voting will close on March 31, 2014. That’s two whole weeks to see what’s on offer, find out more about the options, engage in some campaigning and debate and cruise the blogs of potential participants. To vote, go check out this thread in the Expat Bloggers in Germany Forums. Can’t access the forums? Let us know here or on Twitter (@ExpatBloggersDE) and we will get you taken care of.
Happy voting!
India, Part 4: Epilogue
We flew to India on a package tour in January 2014. It was our first time in that country; we hope it won’t be our last. This is the epilogue of the story. Catch up via Part 1 or Part 2 or Part 3 if you need to.
Our trip through three big cities in India was fast and furious. So far we’ve blogged about the tourism destinations, but not a lot about the travel package itself, or the people we met, or life happening around us there. Continue reading India, Part 4: Epilogue
India, Part 3: Jaipur
We flew to India on a package tour in January 2014. It was our first time in that country; we hope it won’t be our last. This is Part 3 of the story. Catch up via Part 1 or Part 2 if you need to.
We arrived in Jaipur very late indeed — well past dark and too tired to do anything but snag some dinner at the hotel. The next day we got started kind of early exploring the Amber Fort. Continue reading India, Part 3: Jaipur
Avgolemono (Greek Egg & Lemon Soup)
I got this one from here and it’s harder to explain than to make. It looks a little intimidating, what with the tempering, but it is quite simple. I suggest you have someone help you with the tempering, but it is possible to do it alone if you have a stick blender w/whisk attachment and a steady hand.
2 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 c chicken broth
1 c water
3/4 c rice
salt to taste
2 c chicken, cooked and chopped (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1 t black pepper, coarse grind
1 t dill, dried (or 2 t fresh)
3 eggs
1/2 c lemon juice
In a deep soup pot, heat oil over medium-low heat. Sauté onion and garlic until tender and slightly translucent, 3-5 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and water and turn heat to medium. Bring to a gentle boil and add rice. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add salt, chicken, pepper and dill and continue simmering 5 minutes.
While the broth is simmering, in a heatproof bowl (I used a large pyrex measuring cup) beat eggs while slowly pouring in lemon juice. Taste a grain of rice; when it’s almost completely cooked, it’s time to temper the eggs. Add hot broth by the ladle (3 will probably be enough) to the eggs while whisking. Once the eggs have warmed up, take the soup pot off the heat and stir the egg mixture into the soup until completely integrated. Serve immediately.
The Cook’s Dilemma
Non-stick cookware has been getting a bad rap for several years now. We finally took the plunge and got rid of our non-stick pots (non-stick coating was peeling away on all of them). We are looking into replacing them with stainless steel pieces. So now, I have a sauce-pan shaped hole in my life. So I’m reaching out to the collective wisdom of the Internet to plot my next move:
- Do I buy a new full set of pots and pans? If so, what brands are you into? Our last experience was with Berndes and it was not good, so I’ll be steering clear of them.
- Should I buy individual pots and pans, regardless of brand, getting what most specifically serves my needs?
- Some other kitchen stuff acquisition method of which I have not thought?
As of now, I’m leaning towards the second option, but I’m interested to see what others have done. I’m especially keen to hear your opinions (positive and negative) on pieces and brands that surprised you.