New Tattoo

Lately I have been narrowing down my ideas for a new tattoo. I really, really want Ryan and I to get tattoos together. His cons are a) he'll either regret it later, or  b) he will become obsessed and end up with a whole sleeve. (The latter would be fine with me. I think sleeves are pretty hot on men.)

Originally I wanted to get a quote somewhere. I only have the one tattoo on my foot and I love it. I wish I would have had it placed more along the outside than the top, but it was my first one and honestly I was intimidated to tell the guy to change it. Fast forward three years and I ain't scared of shit. :o)-

So when I thought of all the quotes I love, it turns out that they are mostly about love. That's fine but I feel like my foot tattoo was already devoted to my marriage and I really don't want another about that. The quotes I like also would make sense when we have kids so I think I'll hold off until then and then get one. These are some that I liked though. 

 First up- Galileo. This quote is absolutely beautiful to me and it also makes sense to go along with one of my favorite books, "The Passage" by Justin Cronin. In "The Passage", citizens 100 years later after a vampire outbreak live in fear of the dark because that is when the virals attack. When the group finds a safe place they are able to see the stars and are amazed at all they have lived without seeing. However, if I'm completely honest- I'm scared to death of the dark. Freakin' terrified. I won't go down to the basement at night because I'm scared of the power going out while I'm gone; I broke my toe the first time by ramming into the bed leg running into bed in the dark (I was am scared of what's beneath the bed); I hate, hate, HATE taking the dogs out in the dark, etc, etc. So this tattoo is probably out.

 Second contender- e.e. cummings' i carry your heart. I have always found this poem breathtakingly beautiful. My favorite lines are: 
here is the deepest secret that nobody knows
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
Once again, there is a reference to the stars. Maybe I'm onto something here.

Now THIS is one of my absolute favorites. "You have been in every line I have ever read". It's from Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. This is the paragraph in its entirety. 
"You are part of my existence, part of myself. You have been in every line I have ever read...to the last hour of my life, you cannot choose but remain part of my character, part of the little good in me, part of the evil.” - Charles Dickens (Great Expectations)
This would be perfect anytime as well. I enjoy spending hours of my life reading. 

Alice in Wonderland lines. Definitely not my style and I'm not a huge AIW fan, but the quote is fantastic. 

One of my other absolute favorite ideas for a new tattoo involves watercolor. I would love to have some color in my next tattoo. I probably would end up choosing my favorite flowers to be included. A lot of these remind me of Monet and he was my favorite artist to study during my World Art electives I took in college. 

In no particular order:

 Tulips and peonies are my favorite flowers :o)

 I like this scatter print but it's bit out there for me.

 Simple bouquet.

 This looks more like crayon. But I like how I could have a quote as well.

 Beautiful. More realistic than the others but it looks so real. The colors are amazing.

 This reminds me of a Kate Spade wedding!

 Simple, fresh cut hydrangeas.

 More abstract but reminds me of my favorite tank ever.

 Love these colors.

So that's what's been on my mind lately. My friends Alisha and Ski are getting tattoos together before the new year and I cannot wait to see theirs!

Ultimate Wish List

Just because I'm not Oprah doesn't mean I don't have an ultimate gift wish list. But let's be serious- these would all be for me, not my studio audience. Although, it would be sweet to give a trip to Australia, flown in by John Travolta!

Without further ado...my ultimate wish list for 2012 :o) feel free to contact me for my address if you just so happen to feel like buying me something for sharing yummy desserts with the world!

Tiffany's Garden Flower Ring

I am in love with this ring. I first noticed it about two years ago while browsing the Tiffany & Co. store at Ross Park mall. There are also earrings that match, but I never take out my studs. My grandma has a ring quite similar to this. I love the purple and rose gold together.


Louis Vuitton Mahina Selene PM 

My LV is one of my favorite gifts I've ever bought myself. Yes, that's right. It was something I had wanted for years and finally decided that you can never go wrong with a handbag that's been in style for over 100 years. I bought my LV galleria PM over two years ago and have used it pretty much every single day since. At first I only used it for special occasions, but honestly, if you're going to spend a crazy amount of money on a handbag, you should probably use it as much as possible. I told Ryan it would be a good investment down the road and our daughter will be super lucky her mom is so cool. (I actually said it will be vintage for our kids and he got that scared look in his eye he always gets when I mention "baby")

So on my ultimate wish list is this beauty. The Mahina Selene PM. I am obsessed. The price is astronomical but hey- good things don't come cheap. 

An iPad

An iPad, preferably white and engraved on the back. This is actually an ultimate wish gift because Ryan is 100% against Apple products. ("We're a Droid family!") Ugh. So I really want actually a tablet because I hate being upstairs in the office/man cave when I could be downstairs online shopping while watching Dancing with the Stars. Is that so much to ask for!?

Jimmy Choo Dylan Biker Boot

"She's fabulous, but she's evil." -Mean Girls

These are fab-oo-lous. Gah! I am speechless over these. I can only imagine how amazing they would be. 

Any Le Creuset Cookware/Bakeware

I love Le Creuset bakeware. I pretty much want everything on their site. But this dish would be great for casseroles and cobblers. And I'd get this for Ryan because I think a salt block is actually high on his wish list.

This bedroom set

Ethan Allen bed with Anthropologie Georgina Bedding. I have loved this bedding since it came out last year and I check at least once a week to see if it's on sale yet...it never is. Eh. I may just have to break down and buy it eventually. Let's see it just one more time, just because. 

Yep. I love it.

An Italian Vacation

 

 I'll admit- I'm a bit concerned about what we're going to do when we actually take our much delayed honeymoon. Ryan wants to go to Alaska and I want to take a European vacation and especially Italy. When we were in Germany, my extended family was soooo fantastic to us, and I would love to go back and spend some time traveling with them as well. Since we have waited at least 3+ years when we finally go somewhere, I'm sure we will go all out when we finally do celebrate :o)

OPI's entire Skyfall collection

Oh my goodness. I love every single color in this collection. Being a Bond fanatic, this would be a great gift. Our first date was also to see Casino Royale! Man with the Golden Gun has flakes of 24 karat gold in it and is sold separately than with the normal 12 pack collection.

Pottery Barn Chandelier

I'm not sure where I would even put this, but I love it! I want to get new lightning for our entrance way, and this is entirely too fancy, but I still think it's gorgeous. 

For the dogs 

Because they are a huge part of my life. They make these also over at a place near Seven Springs. This would be awesome because they provide shelter. I would have it open though and fenced in around it so the dogs could use the yard.

If the dogs needs a new home, so do we. There is property out where we live that Ryan and I are interested in purchasing. If that would ever happen we would build our dream home. Ryan wants something with a wrap around porch that would face the sunset and I want a kitchen big enough to hold 30 people. Here are some that I love.

I especially prefer the first one. But neither of those have porches. 

 This kitchen with the exposed beams and brick. I don't even know what I'd bake first in here.

 Heaven.

Eerily similar to my parents' house.

So I will leave you with this. Because this picture is almost identical to what it looks like now as the sun is setting on another glorious fall day, and because these are just all materialist things I would enjoy receiving. Because at the end of the day it is better to give than receive and that is why I left the house for last. It is something Ryan and I discuss often and we are beginning to shape and plan our future. A home we built ourselves would be the ultimate gift because we could live many happy years together with our future family.

What is on your ultimate wish list?

Ryan's 27th birthday

First off, Happy Birthday to my dear husband. I owe you a million for all you do for me. I'm so happy and thankful to be the one to celebrate all your birthdays with you :o)

I owe everyone an apology! I am an absolutely awful blogger and I don't update nearly as often as I'd like to. But, I do feel like I have a semi, half- ass excuse. This new job makes me work insane hours and I'm normally exhausted by the time I crash into bed at the end of the day. Ryan's work schedule doesn't help either. 

Updates :o)

So, I enjoy my job. It's clearly not my DREAM job, but let's face it- who is actually doing what they want to do for the next 50 years? (Oh, you do Heidi Klum! Sorry, I forgot you follow me!) I work at least 3 early shifts a week (515am-115pm) which means I get up at 410. Yikes. I am not exactly what you'd call a morning person. Actually, if you talk to me before 7 am and I haven't had a cup of coffee and read USAToday I'll probably smack you. So when I get a lot of compliments from 80 year olds at the Wellness Center saying they just love how perky I am at 530 am and think I look fabulous for having just rolled out of bed, it really makes me nervous because I'm either super good at being super fake or it is true and you do get glaucoma when you hit 75 and can't see a damn thing. 

After I leave work at 115pm I come home and take a two hour nap. Best part of my day hands down. I love, love, LOVE taking naps. Nittany takes a nap with me, Luna sleeps on the floor, and Coala guards the house out in the living room. It's perfect. So I get up around 4 and take the dogs out for a bit to run around and then do some dinner prep. Run 30 minutes on the treadmill then finish dinner, wake Ryan up (if on midnight, if he's on day I just wait for him to get home at 6, if he's on afternoon we don't see each other for a week straight), and we see each other for a max of 30 minutes during dinner and clean up. Then I drive to my parents' house with the dogs and go for a 2 mile walk. Come home, throw a load of laundry in or vacuum and then....begin Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. Yes, I've become a Shreadhead. This video is not for the faint of heart. I was grunting, panting, sweating, swearing, and crying the first night I did it. The next day I could barely pull my pants up because I couldn't squat and my arms were burning. Seriously. After wanting to murder Jillian I take a shower, read for approximately 7 minutes and pass out by 945 pm. I have no life.

So today I finished Day 4. Still Level 1. It is recommended to do each level (there are 3) for 10 days each but since I never follow any directions I'm going to do each level for 7 days each. There are mixed reviews online for the results people have gotten, but I think you get out of something what you put into it. A lot of people say they didn't get any decent results with Slim in Six, but I lost 18 pounds and 2 pants sizes in 6 weeks with it. I also gave it my all and I'm giving 100% with the 30 Day Shred as well. So I have pretty high expectations.

Last night we celebrated Ryan's 27th birthday. Wow. 27. That sounds old. And then I get scared because that will be me in about 73 days. I honestly don't know where the time goes. I do know that 27 will be a great year for us and when my 27th birthday rolls around I will probably start thinking about 13 things I want to accomplish in 2013. One of them I know is to complete a 13.1 mile marathon. I'll probably walk about 8 miles of it so I'm pretty sure that's do-able. 

Anyways- I asked Ryan what he wanted for his birthday and the only thing he asked for was a chocolate cake. Easy peasy. I was like,  "Ok, like the kind in the pan with chocolate icing?" And he goes, "No, an extremely dark, dark, dark, black out chocolate cake." Hmmmm. Sounds simple enough. So I began researching recipes about 2 weeks ago to get some ideas of what I'd maybe even mix together and came across a 7 layer decadence. After reading the reviews, suggestions and whatnot, I decided I didn't have the time or patience to create that cake yet. I think I could probably handle it...but I knew I was working on Ryan's birthday and you have to make it all in one day and it would just be impossible. My friend Alisha sent me the recipe for a copycat Cheesecake Factory Black Out Cake. It looked much simpler and sounded pretty yummy.

I ended up baking the cake layers on Thursday night because I wanted them to definitely be cool for icing on Friday. All I can say is thank goodness the recipe said that the cake batter would be thin because it was incredibly runny before being placed in the oven. The batter puffed up nicely and my two 9'' round cake pans had a dark chocolate goodness in them. When I tried to flip the first layer out it was an epic fail. Half the cake came out and half stayed in the pan and I almost freaked out. I was able to let it cool more in the pan and use a spatula to get the rest out and piece it back together. I was a bit ahead of the game on the second pan and hit the bottom of it with a meat tenderizer for about 30 seconds before lifting it. It came out about 98% in one piece. 

   
I let those puppies cool overnight uncovered and then wrapped foil over them the next morning before I went to work. When I came home I immediately made the chocolate ganache and placed it in the fridge for two hours while I napped. It didn't stiffen up as much as I wanted so I dumped it into my stand mixer bowl and beat in about 3 cups of confectioners' sugar. I am SO happy I chose to do this. I think the regular chocolate ganache as icing would have been overkill. I placed the bottom layer on my cake plate, placed some whipped chocolate ganache on it, layered some regular chocolate ganache on top of that (I reserved about 1 cup from being whipped) then placed the second layer on top. 

I did a crumb layer all over the sides and top. Then I piped two rows on the top outside layer and pressed sugared toasted almonds into the side and top of the cake. Ta-da!

This cake pretty much put us all into a sugar coma. I only ate the smallest sliver because I'm sure there's about 13,000 calories in each bite. Ryan couldn't eat his entire piece either. Needless to say, we have about half a cake left in the fridge to be eaten slowly but surely over the next week. :o)

Peanut Butter & Nutella Cookies

I have a slight obsession with peanut butter. Growing up, my pap always made me these sandwiches that I still love today. Ready for this? We called it the "bread, butter, peanut butter, cheese whiz and sugar" sandwich. Because that's exactly what we had on a slice of bread, in that order, and it's served (haha) open-faced. Muy delicioso. If you've never had this sandwich, (and let's be honest here, pretty much no has has because my pap was the greatest and he created it and just shared it with my sister and me) then you have noooo idea what you're missing. I made Ryan taste it and he almost threw up so maybe it's an acquired taste for sophisticated taste buds. :o)

My grandma also bought Nutella for us when we were little. So when the big Nutella craze came around about a year ago and people completely lost their minds over how damn good it is, I sat back and was like, How has no one ever ate this before? It's like crack on a spoon. In Germany they make a nougat cream that is so much better than Nutella even. It's creamier and chocolatier and I'll stop right now because I am desperately craving some. 

I've recently been eating peanut butter and Nutella on whole wheat toast. Definitely try this. Peanut butter on whole wheat and a glass a milk is my go to breakfast (at like 11AM, who are these people who can eat at 5:30 in the morning?!) and I started adding Nutella to it. The Nutella adds some calories but it's also really good so I think the good outweighs the bad here. I've even had Nutella and peanut butter on pancakes. Can't go wrong with that, either.

I came across a recipe for...wait for it...Peanut Butter and Nutella Cookies. Shut the front door! Why did I never think of this?? I am kicking myself for depriving myself of this chewy goodness for so long. But now that I know how to make these and have made some improvements, I'm ready to share the recipe with everyone. Ryan said they were just okay and then he had eight of them so I'm not so sure he's a good guinea pig. Try them out and let me know what you think!

Peanut Butter and Nutella Cookies (adapted from une Gamine dans la Cuisine)

makes approximately 45 (it probably makes 60...I ate 3 cups of batter)

1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temperature

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy – I used creamy)

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 2/3 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

heaping 2/3 cup Nutella

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla together until smooth. 

Combine flour, baking soda and salt and add to butter mixture. 

Add Nutella in dollops over the top of the dough.  Use a butter knife to swirl the Nutella through the dough.  Do not over mix. 

Chill the dough in fridge for 15 minutes before spooning onto cookie sheet to firm the Nutella. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Bake until slightly brown at edges. 

Let cool a few minutes on cookie sheet before transferring.

 

Some helpful hints...the original recipe calls for 1/3 cup Nutella...add more. You don't get enough Nutella flavor in 1/3 cup. Just eyeball it. And bake for 10 minutes. I think next time I'll sprinkle some sugar on top as they come out or maybe even mix up some Butterfingers into the batter.

Back to Work!

I finally have some wonderful news that I can share with everyone! After 9 long months of searching and searching and giving up and searching some more, I've accepted a position I was really, really hoping I would be offered! I will be working full-time at the front desk for a wellness center close to where we live. I sent an application for this position about a month ago, and then had a first round, then a second round interview two weeks ago and hadn't heard anything! Two days ago I got a phone call asking for another reference because one of mine was on sabbatical. Today I heard from one of my references saying she was contacted, and then later I was called and offered the position! It is all pending a physical I need to take on Monday, but I am not worried a bit about that :o) I have to complete 25 hours of training right away and then I will know more details. I just wanted to share this news with the world! I am so happy right now, and it is such a good feeling after waiting for so long. I am glad nothing else worked out because out of all the positions I've interviewed for and applied for, this is the one I think will make the biggest impact on my life. I changed my whole life around and it will be thrilling knowing I am helping others reach their healthiest lifestyles!

Stuffed Peppers

Without a doubt, stuffed peppers are one of the favorite meals in our home. They're delicious and pretty simple to make. The prep work is a bit tedious and I hate waiting for rice to cook, but you will love this recipe. Ryan made stuffed peppers with just the sausage and rice and I ended up adding the scallions, chives and cream cheese, and we both agree it gives it something it was lacking. I made these ones with red peppers because they were on sale at our farmer's market, but normally I think they taste best with orange. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Stuffed Peppers

2 orange peppers

3-4 scallions, chopped

1/8-1/4 cup chives, chopped

3/4 pound sweet sausage

5 oz. bag Vigo yellow rice

6 oz. cream cheese

shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil.

Cook the rice according to the package directions and brown the sausage. 

This is the best rice I've found!

Wash and cut peppers in half, removing the seeds and then place on a grill press. Allow the peppers to grill while the rice is cooking and sausage is browning.

Chop the scallions and chives and let cream cheese soften.

 

Drain the oil from the sausage and combine with the cooked rice. Add the cream cheese, scallions and chives. Mix together.

 

Place peppers cut side up on the foil lined cookie sheet. Stuff each pepper with the sausage and rice mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top if desired.

 

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Makes 4-6 stuffed half peppers.

Creamy Garlic Pasta

One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is garlic. I seriously am in love with garlic in everything. It's strange, but for awhile garlic would really mess up my stomach. I couldn't eat any alfredo or even the breadsticks from the Olive Garden would have me bent over ready to cry from the stomach cramps garlic gave me. But I thank God every single day that I no longer have that problem, because I go through about a bulb and a half a week easily while making dinners. It's great in everything. Yep, I hope vampires aren't real and if they are that I never become one. 

For quite awhile I've been trying to make a really garlicky pasta. I've probably tried about 5 different ways of doing this and it never turns out right. Ryan and I will take a bite and then look at each other, and I'll go to the freezer to defrost a bag of spaghetti sauce to dump on whatever I've tried to create. They just haven't had that good, rich, garlic taste that I desperately want to be able to make at home. I came across a recipe for a garlic pasta on Pinterest and figured I'd give it a shot. I am so glad I did. It had a really bold, strong garlic taste and I loved it. I was texting my friend Carrie as I was making it and she was saying how her husband loves garlic and she needed the recipe if it turned out okay. Well, here it is Carrie! I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did. This will now be on rotation in our home :o)

Creamy Garlic Pasta (Serves 3-4)

(adapted from The Cheese Pusher)

2 tbsp olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced (it called originally for 4...you knew I was doing more)
2 tbsp butter
pinch salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock (Giant Eagle Organic is really good. Only 20 cal. per cup!)
½ lb farfalle pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (buy the expensive one, it's worth it)
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped chives

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. 

Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. 

Mix in the butter until melted. 

Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil. 

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook until almost all of the chicken stock has cooked off. I didn't know this would happen, but you will end up with no chicken stock left. Do not drain.

Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and chives. Serve immediately.

I sprinkled some crumbled bacon on top. If you don't serve this immediately, the cheese starts to harden again and it's not as good. Ryan and I decided that next time I'll get a mixture of mushrooms to add and some grilled shrimp to add on top. But, it was really good even without the improvements I want to make. I can't wait to have it again!  

Zucchini Bread with Salted Caramel Frosting

I hate summer. Even as a kid I hated it. I hate the heat, humidity, bugs, sweating....I could go on and on. And since I didn't grow up with a pool, going to the pool isn't something I really care to do at all. I am perfectly happy sitting in my air-conditioned 67 degrees cool house, sipping iced coffee and doing non-summer things. Baking. Cooking. Reading. Shopping. The usual things I enjoy. And most people are like, "Oh, I just love working out in the summer outside!" I hate those people. They either can tolerate the heat or they're full of shit. I prefer working out indoors, preferably in an air-conditioned environment. Since this is pretty much the hottest summer I can remember in a long time, I also have no tan. Ryan thinks it's ridiculous because the last two years when I worked as a nanny, I spent pretty much every day at the pool with the kids (which I hated. I spend all that money on highlights and then the sun and chlorine strip my hair. No thanks.) I also figured since I spend a small fortune on anti-aging products, it doesn't make sense to slather amino peptides on my face each night and wear moisturizers with at least 15 SPF then bake my face in the sun. So I've been avoiding it like the plague. 

Fortunately, that gives me lots of time to do stuff inside I really enjoy doing. Like making Salted Caramel Frosting and icing yummy things with it licking it off my fingers and eating it by the spoonful. Fortunately for you, my dear friends, I'm going to post the recipe! I'm not gonna lie. This stuff is amazing. If you make it, it will be gone. It was so tempting just not to eat the caramel by itself.

One of the few, few, few things I like about summer is the bountiful zucchini. I have zucchini coming out my ears. And I LOVE it. We have been eating zucchini about 43 different ways in the past three weeks. One of my favorite ways is just straight sauteed with some garlic. Ryan and I also love zucchini bread, and I made two loaves of it the other day. I had some salted caramel frosting left over from a cake and slapped some on top. Oh baby. I now need to make more zucchini bread and frosting. If you make this, be prepared to need to make about a batch a week. It's a bit time consuming but so worth it. Enjoy!

Salted Caramel

(adapted from Life on Blackberry Farm)

1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons corn syrup (light Karo worked great)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine the sugar, water, and the corn syrup in a large saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
 

Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
 

After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
 

*Do not stir from this point on, but instead swirl the liquid around the pan so that the caramel doesn’t burn.* (This is the tricky part. Use an oven mitt to hold the handle of one side of the saucepan)
 

Continue to cook until the caramel turns an amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds. It honestly took forever. I was wondering if I was doing something wrong. Just keep swirling. It will get there.
 

Pour 1/2 cup heavy cream into the mixture. The mixture will bubble up significantly and is very hot.
 

Stir the mixture.Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until combined.

There's your salted caramel. Let it cool and it is amazing, especially over ice cream.

Salted Caramel Frosting

Set aside 1 cup of the salted caramel. 

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachement, combine 2 sticks of butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese (both softened). 

Beat until creamy. Add 3-4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar. Do this slowly and without the mixer running or you will have a mess. Add just a bit at a time. 

Once combined, add the 1 cup of salted caramel. 

Add more confectioner's sugar to get the right consistency. I feel like I had to add A LOT of powdered sugar. Next time I will let my salted caramel cool more, but I couldn't wait!

It was about 97 when I made this frosting last week, and I used it to make a 4 layer chocolate cake. The humidity and heat killed my icing and it wouldn't stay stiff, so I didn't take any pictures. However, I did snap a shot of the icing on zucchini bread that I was eating for breakfast a few mornings ago!

Trip to Germany

 First, an apology to everyone who reads my blog. Just as I thought I would seriously get my butt back into blogging on a semi-regular basis, my mom and I had to make an emergency trip to Germany. My grandma was visiting her relatives with my uncle and his family, when she collapsed at the airport. She ended up spending 10 days in the hospital in Frankfurt with a pulmonary embolism. It was then discovered she had blood clots in her legs and she wasn't cleared to fly home with the rest of the family. Since I have yet to find a job and my mom only works one day a week, her and I flew over on June 23 and returned home on July 1. Here are a few photos from our trip! Because of my grandma's condition, we were unable to do any traveling and sight-seeing, but we stayed with the most amazing family members (Hi Guenther and Christel!) and had a wonderful time.

Friedberg Castle

Strausel & Lilli. I was obsessed.

Part of the Budegen Castle. Beautiful.

haha, this was our car! a lime green Ford Fiesta. I was surprised- this little pea had green giant pep on the autobahn.