Nothing like a little Taco Bell in Germany!

We just finished up Easter weekend here! Easter is big here in Germany with Friday and Monday also part of the holiday, so the only day stores were open was Saturday. Had to plan ahead! Kev had his final team party on Saturday night, so he has no further obligations with the team before we leave. I didn't go to the team party, but I heard there were a lot of people there. I had a quiet dinner with the chicks since our time is winding down together. One is already gone!

Kev played a teammate in a 1 period NHL match

And won... oh, Horst and Gale must be so proud!

 Sunday, we headed over to the Scherenbergs for an afternoon of coffee and cake. They had set up a great easter hunt for us and the weather cooperated so we were able to do it outside. We had a great afternoon with them and Kev held Ida for, not the first time, but finally longer than 10 seconds! Bea and Oli took some photos, so we have them to thank for the following ones:

Precious!

Hans would have found them all if we would have let him!

the finished baskets

Getting along!

As the title says, we treated ourselves to a version of Taco Bell tonight. Eating actual Taco Bell is impossible since there are none in Germany, however, my pinterest obsession has led me to homemade crunchwrap supremes! If you haven't heard of pinterest, check it out. But only if you have a lot of free time, it can lead to a serious obsession. I digress. Back to the crunchwrap supremes!

We gave them a try tonight and were not dissapointed! If you don't have a Taco Bell nearby (which most of you do) or are looking for a way to shake up taco night, give it a try! You don't need any different ingredients, other than perhaps some nacho cheese spread.

Looks the same!

 Yum! I'll leave you with the recipe, which is totally adaptable based on your taste. Tschüss!


Homemade "Crunchwrap Supremes"

Ground Beef (we used 1/2 kilo and had left over meat)
Taco Seasoning
Soft Tortillas (bigger the better!)
Tortilla chips
Sour Cream
Nacho Cheese Sauce
Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (anything else you like on your tacos!)

I didn't use measurements for anything because everyone likes their tacos different!

Brown ground beef and mix with taco seasoning. Microwave soft tortillas for a bit to soften. Spread sour cream on the tortilla (we found it folded/stuck better with sour cream up to the edges!). Layer as follows: ground beef, nacho cheese sauce, tortilla chips, lettuce/tomato/onion. Fold edges up and fry for about 30-45 seconds on each side (I buttered my pan a little before each one). Enjoy!!!

Wrapped-up; First DEL Season

Well, it's over. The hockey season that is. Kev's team lost on Friday to end the first round of playoffs 4 games to 1. You never want to end on a loss, but the team has a lot to be happy about, having a sigificant improvement from last season's 11th place finish. As for Kev, he is happy about how his first season in the DEL went and is excited to work his bum off this summer in preparation for next season. After participating in a 4-day-drink-your-face-off "bender," it won't be too long before he is back to working out hard again! Since I participated in a bit of a bender myselft, I'm excited to start working hard on the summer bod again! Especially since I decided to run the Hamburg marathon next year (my first one!), so I want to have a great training year for that! To wrap up the season, we have the Freezer team party on Saturday, and then it won't be too long till we have to say our goodbyes. This is my first season with Kev and I've definitely formed my own bonds here, so there will be some difficult goodbyes for the both of us!

We intend to stay in Hamburg until the end of the month. That way, I can continue to work a bit longer, and we can have even more time to explore parts of Hamburg we haven't yet gone to. I have a bit more free time as well, since after my last set of lectures ended, I am finished with the German course for the year. We also have plans to drive on over to Amsterdam for a few days to cross out yet another city on our travel bucket-list.

Kev has re-attempted the bourbon and brown sugar salmon recipe and came through with some amazing results. Shannon and I left him and John to fend for themselves in the kitchen last night, and boy were we impressed! Salmon, oven-baked asparagus, and couscous cooked in a yummy chicken broth. Ok, we may have had to give them advice here and there, but they did some serious work! You all must try the salmon at home, so good!

Looks good, doesn't it!?

 

Bourbon and Brown-Sugar Salmon

2 salmon filets
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. Butter
1/4 packed brown sugar
1/4 Bourbon

Directions:
Rinse salmon fillets, pat dry, season with salt and pepper.
*Melt butter over medium heat until it foams. When the foaming has subsided, stir in brown sugar until a sauce is formed. If sauce is too thick, add more butter. Cook salmon fillets in brown sugar/butter sauce for 3-4 minutes, flip the salmon, and pour the bourbon on the salmon. Cook for another 4-6 minutes until salmon is done (time varies based on thickness). Serve and pour remaining sauce over salmon (it carmelized and was so good!).

*Recipe itself is from Esquire's Eat Like a Man Cookbook, but I had Kev slightly adapt it in the way it worked for him. He made a point to me that the butter "needs to be at a perfect temperature." I can't help but laugh a little when he says that, but whatever works for him, as long as the fire alarm stays off!

Have a great Hump Day! Tschüss!