ENOUGH

I have enough of buying stuff at a bakery, cafe or somewhere quite expensive and then not tasting good. That is why I want to try not to buy any of those not so good snacks for my body/expensive snacks for 15 days. I wanted to do it for a month but I guess I will be lucky if I can stick to it for 15 days!;) If it is going good than I might go for the whole month but we'll see.

It all started when I ate at the university canteen(mensa) in Hamburg for a couple of days and ending up with food that didn't taste too good. It was weird. The simplest things like spaghetti or potatoes just don't taste like that but rather like something completely different. I have no idea how they do that! So now I will only buy salads (which you can put together for yourself) at the mensa. And also try to avoid the sweet shelves as not to buy any of those overpriced sweets. 

As for going out or doing some more sightseeing I want to bring my own treats...that way I can buy a  big pack at a big grocery store, therefore save money and decide what I want and not just buying anything because you see it in a display (while shopping or so) and think it says: BUY ME!

So I hope it goes well. For today, the first day, it's going well so far. I am at university all day and ate something from the vegetable counter and the salad bar. The price was really good and it tasted much better than the food I had at the mensa recently. 

The Challenge is On!!;)

Already into typical Hamburg food

So the other day I was craving for something sweet. It was in the afternoon after uni and all I could think about was something sweet. So I went to a bakery and found those little things called "Franzbrötchen" (mostly because the guy in front of me bought some). Now, I have never even heard about those sweet somethings. No wonder, they are typical for Hamburg and I believe sold only here . Anyway, the one I bought was very very delicious and I kept thinking about Franzbrötchen ever since. So you are wondering what this is. Well, it's a small pastry with butter, sugar and cinnamon. And very tasty.

But since I am student and can't really afford to eat out every day, I thought, why not try to make them by myself. So here it goes: They were actually pretty easy to make. You only have to be patient with the dough, because the yeast in it has to grow before you can put them into the oven. 

Recipe Franzbrötchen

What you need:

250g flour, plus extra for rolling out dough

20g yeast

35g sugar

125ml lukewarm milk

35g butter

pinch of salt

For the filling:

100g butter

100g sugar

1 Tsp cinnamon

Method:

1.Put the flour in a bowl but leave the middle empty and there break up the yeast. Add sugar, salt and the milk. It is important that the milk is lukewarm for the yeast to dissolve. Add the melted butter. You can use your hands or a dough hook from a mixer to make a even dough. Cover the bowl loosely with a cloth and let rest in a warm place for up to 40 minutes or until doubled in size.

2. After the rest you should knead the dough again. The dough should be slightly shiny but not sticky.

3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and roll the pastry. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to a rectangle about 80x40 cm in size.

4. Next steps differ in some recipes. I went with the easiest way. But you can find another version here.

I added butter to it as well, but slightly melted. Add the cinnamon/sugar mix on top of the butter and start to roll the dough. Start with the long edge.

5. Cut the rolled dough into 4 cm wide pieces.

6. Press the floured handle of a wooden spoon firmly into the top of each piece, all the way down to the counter, so that the spiralled sides come out on either side of the handle. Put them onto a baking sheet and let them rest for another 10 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 200°C and bake them in the middle of the oven, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until well-browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.

So really not hard to do! Hope you try them too and if you are even more interested in Franzbrötchen you should check out Franzbrötchen (it's only in German, so use the other link at #4 for more English information).

Hamburg #2

This time I went to two Kiez, because they are so close to each other! I started from the Elbpark with the Bismarck memorial walking down to the Landungsbrücken and the old Elbtunnel. Then I went to the fish market and to the Patrizier-buildings. Great architecture around there, a lot of old buildings combined with new ones. I like that a lot, somehow it really is working together! After that I went to the Reeperbahn and was at the Elbpark again...

Bismarck

Landungsbrücken

Old Elbtunnel

Riding the car elevator

I'd like that a lot!!;)

Fish market hall

Cherry blossom

I had a fun day!!;)

Hamburg #1

Since I'm living in the nicest big city in Germany (according to Spiegel) I am going to explore it one Kiez at a time...;)

First I went to the Alster, Jungfernsteg and around...

Alsterfleet

Chronicle of Nivea

Binnenalster

St. Petri church

Love those staircases

St. Jacobi church

Centrtal station

25 @ 25

I wanted to publish this post on my 25th birthday but I had no time. Inspired by some other blogs (for example Ja-Sagerin) I decided to do a list of things I wanted to do when I am 25. I think 25 is also a special age, like turning 16(finally having an ID),18(finally able to drive a car) or 21(it's wasn't much of a change for me just something legal)... Since I wasn't blogging then I had no idea of such lists I have not done it before. So I decided to start one now and if it's going great to do that the following years!:) So on my list are 25 things I want to do at 25. On the list are all kinds of things I want to do, have to do or need to check out (do something new). 

Here's the list:

1--Travel at least 2 times outside of Germany

2--See at least on musical

3--Finish two old DIY-projects

4--See at least one concert

5--Do at least 5 DIY-project to give away

6--Watch 10 classic movies

7--Read 5 classic novels

8--Decorate something new/different than usual

9--Get a different haircut

10-Cook at least 5 meals out of "Jamies 15 Minute Meals"

11-Learn something new (language, game, craft...)

12-Finish my 2012 travel diary

13-Do something regularly (at least: once a week for a month)

14-Do something crazy

15-Redesign my blog header

16-Do a scrapbook class

17-See more (sights...) of the area (at home and in Hamburg)

18-Sell old things (at least one)

19-Sew a bag

20-Write a short story (at least five pages)

21-Do something for others (help somewhere...)

22-Try a new ride (motorcycle, quad bike...)

23-Go to a book fair

24-Get a make-up consult

25-HAVE A FUN YEAR!

I am pretty sure some of them will challenge me but I hope to have a lot of fun 

New Year's in Praha

...here are some pictures from the short trip to Prague for New Year's! It was so much fun. We saw so much, eat great food and just had a blast!!;) I have to say that the best Christmas tree I have ever seen stands in Prague. It was just a light sensation and you couldn't take your eyes off of it! Even better than the one in Strasbourg!:P I can really recommend it for a trip, it’s really worth a visit! We went to the Castle, the Golden Lane, almost every bridge in Prague we saw, all the different parts of town where fun and something interesting to see. 

#2 in Zwickau

Christmas market #2 with my mom and my grandma! This is the one we already went last year but it was closed due to a storm warning. But we had no idea, I had checked on the internet but it hasn't been published yet, so we went shopping instead. That is why we wanted (had :-P) to go again this year, to see how it really is!;) And it was really fun! We had a lot of good food and drinks and the decoration around the town was very nice! And even Santa came to say hello...!!;)

...with people this year!:-P

Christmas Market #1

...at least at home!;) I was in Jena with my parents and had a fun time on the Christmas market!;)

A nice tower concert...

More...

...Macarons! I am still in LOVE! So I couldn't walk past the bakery in Strasbourg and I had to buy some and try them. 

so many different ones

The bakery was in the back and you could watch...How cool?

If you're in Strasbourg take a look!;)

1. Strawberry

2. Pistachio

3. Vanilla 

4. something bluish with vanilla crème in it 
(starting in the lower left corner and then going clockwise)

Best was the pistachio(2) one! It tasted so rich of pistachio, it was incredible!!!

WHAT a Day

...and what a Christmas market. I don't know if words can describe this but this market blew my mind. It topped every market I have seen before (and I have to quite some Christmas markets). Everything is bigger and brighter. The variety is just out of this world and I didn't know where to look first because one street was prettier than the one before.... 

But see for yourselves:

So delicious treats everywhere

Quite a tree...

Chocolate in every flavor

Mistletoe

Lights everywhere...

Christmas market in front of the cathedral

Different Christmas decoration around town

Windowshopping

I LOVE KÄTHE!!!!