Cambridge

Cup of tea anyone?

After living the last 6 years in beautiful northern Germany, my husband got an offer from his company that he couldn't refuse and we decided to give it a go and move to Cambridge, England.

The last three months have been pretty stressful to say the least. We cleaned out every drawer, got rid of anything we didn't need and sold our pretty little house in Germany. Moving with kids is not easy, and moving into a smaller house than the one you had before is harder, yet. I don't know how the British deal with not having any storage space. No wonder they get culture shock when they come to the states. Nevertheless, we did it. I can proudly say we are all settled in and almost everything fit.  Cup of tea anyone?

So far England has been quite nice. The weather has been good, the people are all really friendly, and the food has been surprisingly yummy. I'm even learning how to make Indian food. As I love to experiment in the kitchen, I'm sure that eventually I will create some German-British-American-Indian crossover foods for my blog. Schnitzel Marsala sound good?

The kids have already started school and I drop them off looking adorable in their smart little uniforms every morning. Back in Germany, between teaching and taking care of family matters, I didn't have much time to do many of my own projects. I decided that when we left, I would not look for a teaching position directly, but first concentrate on a few things that I have been working on the last few years. I want to do more artwork, more illustrations, and even publish a children's book.  Cambridge is a fantastic city and it has a lot to offer. I am looking forward to all of the great things that will happen in the next year. I can't wait to get started. Wish me luck!

Easter Basket Zwiebach Frogs

I don't know about you, but my kids get way too much chocolate on holidays. They get a bunny from family, friends, and neighbors as well as from the school, Kindergarten, and the grocery store. We end up swimming in chocolate. I wish more people would offer fun, healthy alternatives. 

If you are interested in making your kids Easter baskets a little bit healthier this year, these Zwiebach animals are easy to make and a lot of fun (What is Zwiebach?).  They would also look great in an Easter nest ready to be nibbled up on Easter morning.

Making Zwiebach Frogs is a great way to combine fun with food.  These frogs are easy to make and this dough requires very little kneading making it a great activity for children. Your kids can make bunnies and chickens, too. Add vegetables or fruit for garnish or lay them out on a pretty plate filled with goodies. Enjoy!

Here’s the how to:

Easy Zwiebach Frogs

1 C warm water

1 ½ T dry yeast

2 T sugar

¼ C oil

3 C flour

1 t salt

For frogs, you will also need string cheese, raisins, and a toothpick

1. Mix warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until foamy, then add oil. Blend in flour and salt with a fork until the dough starts to stick together. Use your hands to finish the dough by kneading it a few times, not long, and then forming it into a flat ball. Put dough back in large bowl, cover, and let rise until double in size. If it is still hot where you live, put the bowl outside to make it rise faster.

2. Pull off pieces of dough and roll them in your hand to form golf ball sized balls. These balls will be the frog body. Place them on a greased cookie sheet. Then pull off smaller balls and pinch them around the body to make the legs and feet. Roll very small balls to make the eyes.

3. Now take a toothpick, and poke a hole in the eye piece of dough. Move the toothpick around a little to make the hole big enough to fit a half a raisin. Cut a raisin in half and using the toothpick again, push the raisin into the hole. Do the same for the other eye.

4. Pull off little strings of string cheese. Wrap the cheese around the large part of the body dough ball and then use the toothpick to push in the ends into the dough, so that it stays in place. This part can actually be a little tricky. You may need to wet the cheese for it to hold better.

5. Now let your frogs rise again, about 15 minutes. I have also baked some Zwiebach, which you can also see on the picture. While they are rising, you can turn your oven on to 350 degrees. You may need to push some of the balls back into place, as the rising sometimes will push the balls apart.

6. Place frogs in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly brown. Serve the frogs on homemade lily pads. Cut out green hearts out of paper. I used a plastic flower, but you could also cut flowers out of paper as well. Eat with butter and cheese, but first have your frogs jump around the table.