Archive for June, 2006

Erdbeerschnee mit Schlagsahne, or rather an attempt at it

Published by kindli on June 17, 2006 in cooking. 1 Comment

This evening while Gavin was playing World of Warcraft I found my German Cookbook and a recipe for Erdbeerschnee mit Schlagsahne. I had made it once before at home and it didn’t turn out quite right, I thought it might have been because I used egg substitute, although this may have contributed to the soupy goopy mess from the first time, it wasn’t until I reread the recipe when I was typing it up that I realized the mistake: the pureed berries need to be mixed with the egg whites and sugar… not mixed separately and then added together. Oops there. Fortunately, the mixture seems to be solidifying quite nicely in the fridge and should taste wonderful on top of waffles tomorrow at breakfast.

At this point, the pureed burries should have been added to the sugar and eggwhites

Erdbeerschnee mit Schlagsahne
Strawberry snow with whipped cream

1 pint fresh ripe strawberries, washed & hulled
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
vanilla to taste

Rub washed, hulled berries through a fine sieve or puree in a blender.
Mix with the unbeaten egg white and sugar and beat vigorously until mixture forms shiny stiff peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold whipped cream into strawberry mixture and flavor with vanilla. This may be chilled or served at once.

From The German Cookbook : A Complete Guide to Mastering Authentic German Cooking — by Mimi Sheraton, page 477 (?)

Again, it has turned into a very yummy, but rather goopy mess

Adventures in Cooking, Month 2 : Pasticio

Published by kindli on June 15, 2006 in cooking. 1 Comment

This evening for dinner I made Pasticio, or rather a valiant attempt at Pasticio.

When I came into the office and explained to Gavin: “I made greek lasagna, but it lost its structural integrity and sort of collapsed onto the plate.” He perkily replied “We can order pizza.”

He hadn’t even tasted it yet.


After he tasted it he said “Is it supposed to be this hot?”
I thought he meant temperature.
He meant it was a little bland.
Tomorrow I am tempted to put tabasco in his corn flakes.

Gavin spent the rest of dinner trying to reassure me it was a good meal, despite the fact I mentioned we were going to be having it again (I saw him grimace). I had cut the recipe in half, I only assembled a quarter of it.

It was not one of my best meals, it was not one of my worst meals, it was just a structurally unsound dish that decided to loose any traces of cohesive action about half way to the plate. The green beans never made it to the table (no more Birdseye frozen green beans).

One month into the Adventure

Published by kindli on June 13, 2006 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Gavin and I have been married for a month now. A lot has happened and we are continuing to be “learned.” In the interest of helping our fellow man we would like to share what we have learned…

When assembling furniture:
- Look at the bolt/screw’s head before taking action to see what tool is needed
- If your partner says “this isn’t working” “I can’t…” it is strongly recommended that you STOP doing the dishes and come see what the problem is
- Read the directions first, they may be straightforward and they may jump from figure 5 to figure 17.

When cooking:
- Do not assume the two recipes from two separate box tops are identical just because they came from the same brand and are for the same cookie
- Sometimes cakes need drip pans
- Do not assume the eggs/yogurt/cheese/broccoli is good, double check the expiration date
- Rearranging the cooking utensils can be fun… unless you’re the other person who is looking for them

When receiving multiple packages a day from your gift registry:
- DO check every box for the inventory list and gift card
- DO thoroughly check the packaging to make sure EVERYTHING is out of the box, then check again, shake out the packaging
- DO try and go through the box together

Other little things:
- Assumptions are dangerous things to make
- Ask nicely, although sometimes it is best NOT to ask
- Gloating when you are right is not nice
- It does not matter how fairly the bed was made, the other person will end up with all the sheets and the comforter
- Changing little things around can be fun, it is especially fun when your partner doesn’t notice then has a shocked/surprised moment of revelation

Home… sweet Apartment

Published by kindli on June 12, 2006 in apartment. 1 Comment

Here are a few token pictures of the apartment, more have been posted on my Yahoo Photo Site so Gavin does not need to deal with our homepage (and so they would go up faster).


“Dining Room”… where we had our lovely Waffle Bruncheon!


“Living room” –attached to Spare Oom and “Dining Room” (amazing how that works isn’t it!) On the Left, the Nonfiction shelf (Ikea!) in approximate Library of Congress order, the table (also Ikea) with the other huge computer. On the right, the the “Office Shelf” with Gavin’s computer books, the Fiction and Sci-Fi/Fantasy in order by arthur (for more on our books see our Library at Library Thing).

Please note my mad decorating skills using Crate & Barrel Gift Wrapping ribbons, they were just too fun (and colorful) to throw out.

Pictures of Spare Oom, Kitchen, Bedroom, Office, Guest Room, and the rather risque Gladwin & Panda cohabiting can be seen at my Yahoo Photo Site.

Waffle Bruncheon

Published by kindli on June 11, 2006 in friends and waffles. 0 Comments

After church we met up with Jenny (Paul opted to get to bed at 8 am), and came back to the apartment and had waffles, two kinds of waffles: sour cream and corn meal. To accompany our waffles we had strawberries, raspberries, whipped cream (Gavin claims we never have a shortage because I love to make it!), apple sauce, and maple syrup.

We were in a festive celebratory mood so we got out our new plates, the lovely glass pitcher, our new stemware, and the new cloth napkins which match the place mats perfectly.


The table looked quite elegant and we had a good deal of fun eating waffles and passing around toppings. We compared weddings, then Jenny got to look at pictures on Gavin’s computer (we spared her –and ourselves– the 1,600+ and showed her the album and the “best of”).

Jenny and I also discussed next weekend’s plans to go to the Higgins Faire. We’re trying to get better aquatinted with Boston and have decided weekend trips to places of interest sound like fun (with or with out the husbands).

Eventually, after we find the battery charger for the camera I’m going to finish taking pictures of the apartment and post them to my yahoo photos and a few to the blog. I’ve already taken a few pictures, but the battery died, once it has charged, I’ll take pictures of the office and post them all.

update: battery charged, photos uploaded!!

the Hallowed Halls

Published by kindli on June 11, 2006 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

This morning we went to church at The Mother Church. Now, while all of you CS types cringe in jealousy, what I say will probably make you seethe with rage.

Personally, I feel the entire “experience” of going to the Mother Church is a little overrated. It is the same service read all over the world -ok, not quite the same, they welcome all the internet watchers. The soloist’s rendition of “On Eagles Wings” was one of the better ones that I’ve heard (far better than any of the soloists I’ve heard previously).

The Mother Church just seems architecturally confused, it reminded me of a an Opera House (then again, I thought the Vienna Opera House looked like the Zurich train station…), only with out the exclusive boxes for big donors, and it is more or an arc than a semicircle. It is a very lovely building, with a very nice organ, but it does not evoke in me a feeling awe. When I think of Churches, Stephansdom in Vienna springs to mind. I’m the first to confess to NOT being Catholic, but there is something about it that is awe inspiring.

Maybe it is the hundreds of years of history, or how it united the people of Austria after World War II in a massive effort to rebuild it, or the fact that underneath the amazing gothic architecture are a series of catacombs, complete with pits where plague victims were tossed in, Bishops were buried and tours are given about four times a day.

We arrived a little early so I watched people come in. Some came in reverently, in amazement at setting foot in The Mother Church, the cradle of Christian Science, the Hallowed Halls where Mary Baker Eddy walked. It was interesting to note the quotations were by Mary B.G. Eddy (most places like to leave out a husband and skip right to the last one). Some people looked like they could’ve been in MBE’s original classes, others sauntered in wearing jeans. It was quite a mix.

Last Sunday, Gavin complained about the acoustics in the Cambridge church –they didn’t bother me at all, the ones in the Mother Church nearly drove me insane. There were not readers reading, there were disembodied voices coming at me echoing around the domes. There also happened to be people in the front of the church moving their lips standing with little books.

I very much enjoyed my visit to the Mother Church, it is a very beautiful building, I just think the over all experiance is frequently hyped. Building aside, it is no different from any other Christian Science church.

In the Fourth Week of Marriage My True Love said to Me

Published by kindli on June 11, 2006 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Today, being Saturday, and the fourth week of marriage, Gavin is playing World of Warcraft, and I am reattempting to make a pineapple upside-down cake. So far, about forty-five minutes into the process no smoke has been smelled. I take this to be a good thing.

Tomorrow, we are going to church at The Mother Church (the first time I’ve set foot inside it), then we are going to have a waffle brunch with Jenny and Paul, friends from Prin and coconspirators in the Ikea run.

The weather in Boston has been rather drab, rainy, cold and miserable. Why I am wearing jeans and a sweatshirt in June is beyond me. Gavin has assured me that by July/August I’ll be in shorts and tank tops wishing it was cold again and cursing the fact we’re in a third floor apartment with no air conditioning. Some how I don’t feel any better about that.

Update on the pineapple upside-down cake it turned out perfectly… Gavin said “of course it did, you made it.” Right.

Its not the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, its the Rope Children, and they’re singing.

Published by kindli on June 6, 2006 in fun. 0 Comments

I’m really not sure which is worse, the End of Life as We Know it or a bunch of four year olds chanting “We are the preschoolers.”

As you are reading this, clearly the world did not end today. Yahoo News/APF agrees with me, instead it was a day of partying, praying, or just another day (depending on who you are).

Because the world didn’t end today that means I need to decide what to make for dinner (and follow through with making it), continue my job search, and contemplate doing some laundry.

EDIT Dinner was as follows: variation on Chicken, variation on speatzle, steamed broccoli, caesar salad; dessert: variation on brownie w/ice-cream, strawberries & whipped cream w/chocolate sauce…. we were celebrating

Apocalypse tomorrow? 666 arrives (cue dramatic music here)

Published by kindli on June 5, 2006 in fun. 0 Comments

As all of us are aware by now tomorrow is June 6, 2006 (06/06/06)… the release date for a bad movie and the hot topic of choice for online news (including, but not limited to):

Apocalypse tomorrow? 666 arrives
Dutch Evangelicals calls for pray-in against the Devil
Hell, Mich., Heats Up for 6-6-6 Party

I’m must confess, I am more concerned about people taking advantage of the day’s unique number and doing something stupid than I am about four horsemen and the end of life as we know it.

So a few questions: what is your take on this issue. Are you worried (why/why not)? IF this is the apocalypse what should we be looking forward to, will it be an all day event, or will it be the beginning of something much worse? Does it even matter that this probably isn’t really the year 2006? Will this day just be any other Tuesday where Nothing Eventful happens?

And on a lighter note…

To celebrate that this might be our last day on earth before the coming apocalypse tomorrow, I made swedish meatballs, speatzle, steamed broccoli and a caesar salad for dinner. Dessert was chocolate covered strawberries.

Even though in a few short hours the world *might* be incinerated we still enjoyed a lovely meal and a healthy dessert. How are chocolate covered strawberries and whipped cream healthy? Strawberries = fruit, whipped cream = dairy = good source of calcium.

The world will most likely not end tomorrow, that is fine too, it means Wednesday evening we can enjoy another celebratory dinner.

So what did we do this weekend?

Published by kindli on June 5, 2006 in marriage. 0 Comments

Saturday, we hung around the apartment, the weather was icky, rainy and gross, so Gavin and I sorted more pictures and finished the photo album. We will link these fun things from our website at some point this month (announcements to follow).

Sunday, we walked to church at First Church Cambridge (more on that later), then went to lunch at the place the down stairs neighbors gave Gavin a gift-card to (he watched their cat when they went on vacation).

During the course of the weekend, we watched Anatomy of a Murder and Mr. & Mrs. Smith (with commentary, I told Gavin it was a romantic comedy, he just didn’t want to believe me!)

Gavin played a good deal of World of Warcraft, I also continued my job search, and surfed the internet for exciting news and stuff to do. I played Kitten Wars, and surfed skimmed through Cats in Sinks. I miss Tommikins.

Kitten Wars is particularly fun, I tend to vote for the slightly deviant looking kitties, those on bookshelves, computers, with extended claws/fangs, those that look irritated, those that are attacking something, those that are being held and look uncomfortable, those in unusual locations (shoes), those that are soaking wet, those in yoga positions and those that look like Tommikins. I also look at the ones that have “lost” the most and try and vote for them (and kittens similar to them). And if the poor kitten is named something like “Finkel Bear” they get a sympathy vote. “Nefertiti Star” also evoked sympathy.

I also found a rather disturbing (but really really funny) Phillips ad and a great article about watching illegals cross the border with a webcam, that looks like fun. I must admit, the entrepreneurial spirit of the Germans during World Cup Season didn’t surprise me much, they get rather into soccer… but so does about 90% of the known universe.

Sunday afternoon we went to Market Basket, we are never doing that again. The lines were impressively long. From now until it is no longer possible, I will do the grocery shopping in the morning on week days.

I’ve also been looking at things to do around Boston. We got a book called Around Boston with Kids, we don’t have kids, but most of the other guides had things like bars/nightclubs that don’t interest us. Instead we have an list of fairly fun, inexpensive things to do in and around Boston. Some of the ideas are really cool, in a few weekends we’re hopefully going to go to the Higgins Armory Museum on June 17 they’re going to have a Faire that looks like it could be fun.

Next weekend we’re tentatively going to explore around Boston’s North End with some friends of ours, Jenny and Paul, our coconspirators from the Ikea trip.

More exciting updates to come: once we finish with the wedding pictures, pictures of the apartment should follow eventually.