In which Easter is a stroll and a Zuckerbombe.

Previously, in Hamburg's northern realm:

Though the air was still smoky from the smouldering remains of bonfires, Easter Sunday came about with bright sunshine and good feelings for all. How appropriate then for a walk in FeelGoodVillage on the northern edge of the city. See, the non-translated name is Wohldorf, with "Dorf" meaning "village" and "wohl" basically meaning to feel good, at ease, etc. (Well, technically in this case it's part of a reflexive verb, so you have to "feel [yourself] at ease"... Oh, you don't care? We'll just get on with the pictures then.) The adventure started and ended with a stroll through the Wohldorfer woods -- not quite in leaf, but thinking about it.

The muffled forest footsteps and wheel spinnings of bicyclists were quite literally overshadowed by airplanes coming in to land at the nearby airport, the massive zooming not well-suited to the softness of the afternoon.

The breezes were kept to a minimum, leaving the water free to mirror the tree stripes above.

(Which also look pretty snazzy in black and white.)

(The Texan cowboy boots are still a-kickin'.)

The village itself is quite idyllic and fachwerky. Many people were out and about with the whole family -- dogs, horses, and cuuuuute little ponies included. I am convinced that the majority of them eventually went home to cake and hot-beverage-of-choice with family, though I would also bet that their spread didn't look nearly as pacman-y as ours.
 

A few days later, Jules and I got carried away decorating happy-go-springy sugar cookies, though listened to Sweeney Todd while doing so to keep the good feelings from getting too excessive.

One of us had trouble keeping our paws out of the butterflies. I wonder who it was...

These cookie cutters have a special feature in that a strategically placed gap lets you hang the tasty Keksies on your teacup.

The springtime Bäckerei got a little ridiculous a couple days later with these melt-a-Rolo-on-a-pretzel-insert-peanut-m&ms-and-top-with-toasted-coconut bird's nests, occasioned by a birthday partay.

Too much? A little much. But whatever.

In which there are cookies, explosions, and a dusting of snow.

Time to squeeze in a mini Hamburg photo-dump between my daily divisions of work, theater, and sleep. With nine+ shows down and two to go, we've made it to the Frankenstein Endspurt, and oh my, it has been exhausting and utterly delightful. Check out the University Players' website for production photos (or if you're in Hamburg, go see it already!). Hanging out with hungry actors every night (plus the holidays before) has somehow led to extreme quantities of baked goods, primarily COOKIES COOKIES COOKIES! Few of which survived long enough to be photographed.

 

 

 

A new Baumhaus record: 7 types of cookie dough in the freezer, plus cookies, homemade pizza crusts and pumpkin butter... Bring on the apocalypse.

Took this picture on an xmas stroll in the Stadtpark, glowing in all its green, non-wintery glory. It did actually snow in the night of Christmas Eve (or was it 1st Christmas?), but was gone by dawn.

Here are some HafenCity scenes taken on a weekend stroll. It was quite literally freezing in the golden afternoon, but ah, sometimes you've got to risk the frostbite for a good dose of fresh air. Due to my Thanksgiving away, I was one of the few people in the office over the holidays and needed refreshing moments like this to keep the ole spirits up.

Due to the fact that so many potential fellow revellers were out of town or working night shifts, I brought in the New Year sitting cross-legged on my stove, banana mug cake in hand and telephoning with friends and family still in 2014, all while watching a magnificent fireworks display over the city, both far away and very, very near.

Winter really has been trying to make an impression the last few weeks, but the short snows we have from time to time are generally gone by the next day. There are also quite sporadic in their falling. With an inch or so in one area and nothing a few streets later. It snowed quite prettily in the night and looks quite quaint, though it probably won't stick. Bottom line -- hey Boston, wanna share?

Last weekend Jules and I celebrated 1 year in the Baumhaus with creamy mugs of spicy hot chocolate. It has turned out to be a wonderful home, though it does have its share of mysteries. Aaand by mysteries, I clearly mean fungus, like J's overachieving megashroom that tried to push the cover off of its little box, or more recently the mold cozied up in our walls. Won't get started on that here, though, as it wouldn't help anyone and might ruin your teatime and mine.

Instead, here's another view from the ole kitchen window, this time exhibiting the great German tradition of Treppenfegen. When a man turns thirty and is not yet married (regardless of whether or not there is a romantic interest), he may be required to sweep some prominent steps in the city, usually at the Rathaus or a church. In this case, the gentleman in question was made to sweep up many hundreds of bottle caps outside the post office at its busiest time (see that line coming out the door?), while his compadres stood around drinking beer, casually walking through the pile whenever he made any progress. Wearing a hot pink wig and hat, naturally. 

 

And we'll stick in this fun picture at the end here, as a tribute to good times in the Baumhaus.

 

To be realistic, there probably won't be any new posts anytime soon. I'm flying back to New Mexico the day after tomorrow, the morning after our show closes. Certainly wasn't planning on another USA trip so soon after the last two, but I want to be with my family to celebrate the life of an amazing woman.   

Bake Date: Sweet Potatoat Chips

Which, of course, is an abbrev. for Sweet Potato Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. And which, of course, is a mouthful, particularly when your mouth is already full.
 

 
A fair bit of thought was put into how I wanted to spend my last daylit hours of the year, but I ended lazing about my apartment listening to old episodes of This American Life in lieu of something more exciting, such as anything taking place outside my apartment. That would involve braving the many, many exploding somethings that have been threatening to burn down the block for the past two days. In this part of the globe, it's only legal to sell and set off fireworks to/in/at the general masses in the last three days of the year. Now that the sun has gone down, I can see the colorful fireworkings flash in the windows and reflect in the mirror without having to leave my bed, each of them followed by a KRACHHHH or a SQUWEEEEEEEEEE or a -- ha, that was a dud. Katy Perry would be proud. The self-confidence is combustive and reeks of beer and smoke and burning sulfur.  
 
But that's outside, remember. Inside is cozy and twinkling and sweatpantsed and smells of freshly baked Kekse. À propos:
 
What you need:

• 1 1/2 cups mashed baked sweet potato (1 healthy potato)
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves/allspice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter/substitute
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract/1 packet Vanillezucker
• 1+ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips/chunks/hack
• 1 cup walnuts, if you're looking for surprise crunch

Oventemp: 375°F (190°C)((463.15°K))

Makes: 2 sheets of giant cookies, approx. 3 dozen

Musik: Classic tunes from hang-outage in your childhood kitchen. (PP&M, obviously.)

Bake your sweet potato ahead of time. (You could steam it, but I think that steams out the flavor too much.) It'll probably take just over an hour, depending on your preferred potato-baking temperature. (I'll be the first to admit that I have very little experience in this realm.) Once out and mashable, squash (ha) its orange, steaming innards in a bowl with the honey or a bit of brown sugar and let cool.
 
Medium vessel: Whisk together flours, oats, spices, chemicals. No flinging powder all over the kitchen.
 
Large vessel: Cream together butter and sugars. Introduce sweet potato, egg, applesauce, and vanilla. Smoothen.

Mix the dry into the wet until just combined, then fold in chocolate and/or nuts. Drop 1 to 2 tablespoons of yumslop per cookie in a creative but ergonomic design onto a baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment paper. Bake for approx. 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before moving to cooling rack, as your babies will be soft and delicate. Then consume.

Only three more hours of 2012. Let the firework dodging commence!

I wish all a good slide into the new year.