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Duo Komarimbar
Here’s one especially for the neighbours (quoted from the band below) Tonight we popped to our local bar. When I say local bar, I mean one of the three bars on our street corner. This time we tried the bar we haven’t yet stepped foot in and it’s a good thing we did, as it’s my favourite pub to date. Let me set the scene: candles instead of lights, every chair is different and every table too. Various benches and mats are dotted around… typical bar in Berlin then (hehe)… We had heard there was some African live music and anyone who knows me knows my heart is in Africa…
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Reichstag Building
Thank you sirs for the right to vote Bet you didn’t know I had a voice in my throat Now let’s see should I vote for “A” or “B” As Germany goes to the polls, we went to the Reichstag Building, the place where it all happens. You can go into the dome for free with prior registration – the link to do this is at the bottom of this post. You choose a day and time and give your personal details. In true German style it was very straightforward and well-planned. Security is similar at the airport, but here it is done with a friendly smile. Then before you…
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Happy Birthday Cheesecake
Happy birthday to you… Today our lovely friends from home arrived and yesterday was Kayleigh’s birthday. Perfect timing to make my favourite cake in the world. I got the recipe from my German aunt and although it didn’t go perfectly, it tasted amazing. You will need: The base: 150g biscuits 60g butter 1 egg white The cheese mixture: 8 gelatin leaves 1 lemon (juice) 2 packets vanilla sugar ½l Dickmilch/ Buttermilk (or 3 pots yoghurt) 150g sugar ½l double cream (whipped) 1 can peaches (optional) The Topping: ¼l fruit juice 6 gelatin leaves 26cms cake form Start by melting the butter in a sauce pan over a very low heat.…
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The magical (and musical) fruit
We have just got back after a little trip to England to see our lovely friends, Lizzy and Chris, get married. During the trip, after an absence of approximately 6 weeks, we stuffed ourselves full of England’s finest foods – namely Fry-Ups, Roast Dinners and Curries. We were reminded of one glorious food item that used to be regular staple in our diets back home… Baked beans! Since moving abroad, we found ourselves Beanless-in-Berlin™ but things are about to change after an eagle-eyed Vanessa spotted this glorious thing sitting on the lower shelves of our local supermarket: I know now that no matter what life in Germany has to…
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Serviettentechnik
Atishoo atishoo, we all fall down. I bet you have never even noticed that most serviettes have three layers. If you peel one by one off really carefully, you will discover what is needed for Serviettentechnik. This delicate top layer can be attached to pretty much anything you want to decorate. From turning a broken flowerpot into a beautiful candle holder to furnishing a cupboard or table, this takes barely any time at all. It is also unique and incredibly cheap, especially if you pick up serviettes from restaurants for free. Plus, it is a lovely way of reminding yourself of all the lovely places you went to and received…
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Neukölln Market
This little piggy went to market When we were in Berlin at the beginning of the year to scout out our apartment, we saw posters showing information about a market literally five minutes walk from our house. We have been so busy over the weekends that we hadn’t managed to get there yet, but finally last Sunday we did. It is a flea-market, everything is super cheap and super tacky. I could have sold all the bags full of stuff I brought to the charity shops before moving to Berlin at this market. Most of the goods on sale was second-hand stuff you just don’t really need. However, between the…
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Guest Blog: Steph visits the Community Garden
As an Eco Warrior and Friends of the Earth campaigner, I have heard that Berlin is one of the most environmentally friendly cities in Europe. Indeed this appears to be true and as a resident of Manchester in the UK, I hope that it will also follow suit. After all, Manchester does twin itself with Berlin so it better get a move on! I was lucky enough to visit a community garden in Stadtteilgarten Schillerkiez on the grounds of the old Templehof Airport, which was no less than stunning. Flowers, fruits and veg were growing from a number of quirky pots, raised beds and even old shoes! You could venture…
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Choosing a choir
Sing / Sing a song / Sing out loud, sing out strong / Sing of good things, not bad / Sing of happy, not sad / Sing / Sing a song You can’t beat a free concert and one that lets you drink beer inside a church is always going to be a must-see. Running from 6pm until after 1am, 26 choirs from all over Berlin showcased fifteen minutes each from their repertoire on Friday night. Threatened with closure, it was the ninth “Long night of the choirs” event hosted by the Reformationskirche Moabit church, to make money for the church. It is now an established evening of choral music,…
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FAME!
Fame! I’m gonna live forever… We did it! We got into the paper! And it even advertised our website! I never would have imagined my two grandmothers meeting up in Germany, let alone starring together in the local paper. I’m chuffed! Here it is and I have translated it below. Hildesheimer Allgemeine Zeitung, Friday 6th September 2013: Check out who is looking Adlum. Now the “Guckhaus” in Adlum Village has received international recognition. A group of Japanese and English people were guests of Mr Klaus-Peter Kreyssig, a member of the local housing association. He gave them a tour of the scenic spots in the village with a population of 600…
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Tomato Chutney
You say tomato… I’m still amazed that I have not made chutney before. I had my first ever curry aged just two weeks old (one of my father’s proudest moments). Curry is my absolute favourite food. And nothing goes better with poppadoms than a load of mango chutney. So when we managed to get over 1kg of tomatoes for less than £1, we thought it would be rude not to make something with it. And this is what we did: You will need: 1kg tomatoes 500g red onions 3 garlic cloves 1 red chilli 250g brown sugar 140ml balsamic vinegar Chop everything as small as you can and place it…