Pine Nut Lesson

Where do pine nuts come from?

PINE CONES!

I bought this pine cone in a grocery store and translated the directions. Then I bought another one for a friend here and even mailed one to a friend in the States because I thought it was super cool!

You are supposed to wash it in warm water and then set it by a radiator where it will stay warm ...not ON the radiator because when you do that it gets too warm and the little "leaves" start popping off the bottom.

So it's been a few weeks and my little pine cone finally opened up. See the picture? When I bought it it was closed completely... but now it's open with the little "leaves" opening up and folding out. :)

When it opened I pulled a pine nut out. It was in a little pine nut shell. So CUTE! The shell opened easily because I think it had dried out... but then the pine nut inside was moldy and gross looking... oh well. I had envisioned shelling out pretty beige pine nuts, just like in the store. Nope, it was moldy and yucky... but the idea in theory was super cute and it amused me for a good three weeks. So I still liked it.

I think I'll buy another one and try it again. Maybe I got a bad cone...

:)

Frozen Corn

This Thanksgiving I want everyone to be thankful for Frozen Corn.

Frozen Corn is EXTREMELY hard / near IMPOSSIBLE to find in Hamburg.

I seriously check for it every time I go into a grocery store. It's never there! It doesn't even have an empty spot where it should be, they just don't carry it.

This seems so stupid to me. They have every other kind of vegetable frozen... except for corn.

I know my mom is thinking right now, "They must have frozen corn." :)

...and I guess they do have it... or they did. Once. ...but I've never seen it since. Paul found it once and he filled a freezer drawer with it.

If I ever find it again I will buy it ALL, and I will do so without any regard for others who also want frozen corn. You all remember the "Dorito Incident"?

At first I thought I just had not found the special frozen corn grocery store. Just like any poor ex-pat, I know the sad reality of having to go to five different stores to get: rice krispies, hot dog buns, cheddar cheese, marshmallows, and sweet potatoes. (Which isn't that odd of a shopping list...)

I hadn't put too much effort into the corn until now. Now that I am aware of how silly-hard it is to find frozen corn, it's become my habit upon entering any grocery store. Pay one euro for cart, buy 12 liters of milk, look for frozen corn... sad, but true

I have two bags of frozen corn left from when Paul hit the Corn Jackpot a few months back. So no worries, this Thanksgiving we can eat corn. Phew!

I did fill a section of my freezer with turkeys though, because I know that soon enought they will be as elusive as frozen corn is...

My Favorite Food!

I think I'm over American Fast Food...everytime I eat it I find my self emotionally disappointed... and my stomach feels too full.

However, I have a serious American cereal problem. :) I eat at least three bowls a day ...and I only eat the colorful stuff.

My favorites change... I could pick out 20 different kinds at the grocery store and be happy eating nothing else for a week. :)

Ingrid, these are Captain Crunch with ONLY BERRIES!!! If you send me an address that I can ship to I'll send you a box!!!!!!! :)