Grüß Gott friends!
That’s how Bavarians greet one another, literally it means Greeting God, but they use it to say “hello” or “good morning.” Though we must have had signs on us, because everywhere we went people said “Hallo, with a silent “H”.
We are back from our whirlwind European vacation; I have so much to tell you and so little time, so I might stretch it out over a few weeks!
For those who have traveled overseas, do you have special tricks to overcome jetlag?
Here’s mine: Stay awake on the entire flight home (I watched at least 4 movies on the 10-hour 45-minute flight!) and then try and stay awake as long as possible that evening until a normal-ish bedtime. My goal our first night back was 7 pm, I made it to 7:30! I’ve tried to push that back by about 30-60 minutes each night, but I still hit a wall about 4:00-5:00 pm. I’d love to hear your tips too! Comment at the end of this post.
In today’s newsletter, I’ll give you a pictorial recap of our vacation, share 3 new mouthwatering recipes with you, and cover all the usual stuff: In Real Life, What Readers Are Saying, Books I’m Reading, Fresh Finds, and a little Encouragement for the Soul!
Use the Table of Contents below to skip to what interests you most.
New in the Kitchen!
#1 Banana Bread from Sourdough Discard
Have you been on the sourdough bandwagon? I have been and am finally getting around to sharing some of my favorite discard recipes — this Sourdough discard banana bread is a winner! Tender and moist, the sourdough discard gives it a light and delicious tang! Tested at high altitude and sea level! Not into sourdough? Try my Flour Bakery Banana Bread – rave reviews!
P.S. Let me know if you are interested in being a sea-level (or close to it) recipe tester. I have several friends who do this for me, and I would love to have some readers help, too.
#2 Lemon Lime Bars
Buttery shortbread crust, sweet-tart lemon lime filling, topped with light whipped cream — you are going to love this version of lemon-lime bars!
#3 Chai Tea Latte
Technically this one is a re-do! But it’s gotten a major overhaul, with more options for you. This recipe has been and still is a winner — originally posted in 2017 when I started the blog! So jump in and make this Chai tea latte recipe today!
June Reader Faves
Here are the top 3 recipes from the past month, I think you will love them too!
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- Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches – Takes less than 30 minutes and is always a winner! Try my Blackstone version or these Chicken Philly’s!
- Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Genuinely one of the greatest recipes I have stumbled upon here on Pinterest. I never usually leave pictures or comments but these were so delicious I needed to show support and say BRAVO 👏!” Pinterest reader
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Key Lime Pie — “This was my first time making key lime from scratch and it came out AMAZING!! The flavors are spectacular.” Pinterest reader
Rate the Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love it when you try my recipes, rate them, and share your thoughts! It really helps others and boosts the recipe’s visibility. I so appreciate you!
In Real Life
First, a quick shout-out to the Boston Celtics on their win! For those of you who haven’t been around awhile, my husband grew up in New England and was and still is a die-hard Boston sports fan! I think the games this week helped him adjust back to our time zone!
If you are just joining us, I took about 10 days off from blogging while our family vacationed all over Bavaria (southern Germany) and Austria. We had a marvelous time together, it was a good amount of time, I’ve learned through the years, we all get a little “done” with one another at about 9-10 days, so I kept our trip to 9 days, which meant we were go-go-going to see as much as we possibly could!
Our boys LOVED it, and it inspired us to see new things and climb mountains to fortresses, catacombs, and monasteries. I loved introducing them to all things German, from the beer, sausages, sauerkraut, pastries, coffees, and apfelstrudel to the people, the stunning beauty, and the amazing history in these regions.
We all fell in love with Salzburg! Even the customs officer who cleared us, lit up when we said Salzburg was on our cities to visit; he said, “Even Germans love Salzburg!!” and we found out why. Salzburg is a quaint old town that is easily navigated on foot and has SO MUCH TO SEE! I’m not even sure how to go about sharing everything with you.
We flew into Munich and hit the ground running. To stay awake, I scheduled a walking tour of Munich, which was fabulous. Our guide, Mark (an Australian) was a history buff and did an amazing job keeping us awake as we walked the historical areas of Munich. The most famous being the monstrous Mariensplatz (St. Mary’s Square) and the Glockenspiel (literally means bell play) — which we missed each time by minutes! The churches, the markets, the foods, Hofbrauhaus (the most famous beer hall in probably all of Europe). We took it all in!
We fell into bed and all slept pretty darn good, getting onto German time (there is an 8-hour time difference). We were up early the next morning. We checked out of our hotel, took the UBahn (subway) to Hauptbahnhof (Central Station), and stored our luggage in lockers.
There we grabbed the subway to Dachau Concentration Camp – while this is dark and heavy, I wanted our boys to understand the horrors that happened just 80 years ago.
I think the aspect that surprised me, was that Dachau is literally 20 minutes outside of Munich and is a beautiful small town. So this horrific place was built literally right in people’s backyards with the ashes falling on them day and night.
We did the self-guided tour and were pretty sober as we discussed the horrors that were done to the Jewish people, along with Christians, political dissidents, and more. While it is admittedly very hard to visit these places, I believe it’s so very important so we never forget and, God willing, never allow this to be repeated. May we all stand up for our fellow human beings! We are all made in God’s image.
I put together short videos showcasing our time in Munich and Dachau — it’s only two minutes. During next week’s Fresh Fridays, we’ll travel to Salzburg.
Watch the video below!
Deal of the week
I love these gold measuring spoons! I have the silver set, they are magnetic and nest and love that they have the narrow side for getting into jars. Only $8.99
What I’m Reading
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Book of Lost Names is such a great book to read while traveling Germany and Austria. It is a story about a young French woman who finds herself as the best document forger in the Resistance during WWII, getting Jewish children across the French border and into Switzerland.
- I’m just starting Finding Dorothy “This richly imagined novel tells the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the book that inspired the iconic film, through the eyes of author L. Frank Baum’s intrepid wife, Maud.” I think I’m going to like it!
What Readers Are Saying about…
Hands down the best Key Lime Pie I’ve ever had!
Patricia
An absolutely one of the fam favs from The Fresh Cooky line of wholesome eats!
Peti
Fresh Finds: Amazon Deals + More
My favorite finds of the week – check out previous weeks HERE!
- I love, love, love these gold magnetic nesting measuring spoons!
- For all your citrus squeezing needs – this is hands down my favorite juicer!
- Zesting is a breeze when you have one of these! Think lemon lime bars, lemonade bundt cake or key lime pie!
- How pretty is this reclaimed wood cookbook stand?!
- I’m a sucker for pretty baskets, this one would look so pretty holding blankets or these to hold toilet paper or magazines.
- Loving this pottery vase, simple and classic.
- How about this scalloped jute rug — LOVE!!!
- This drink dispenser would be so pretty for a backyard barbecue! Fill it with my Passion tea or this Peach Green Tea! Serve your snacks and dips in this Seagrass basket and 3 ramekins.
Summer Finds for Her
- In love with this feminine gauze tunic, it would go great with these flowy pants.
- How pretty is this eyelet top? Something about this t-shirt reminds me of fruit-striped gum, anyone else?
- Another gauze popover tunic and these darling pants (or are they really pajama bottoms you can wear in public?) are 30% off on JJill.
- I’m all about comfort, love this 2-piece oversized striped shorts and shirt set.
- Loving this long-sleeve white linen tunic.
- Top it all off with this fun sun hat and this chunky bracelet. You be styling!
See it all in my weekly finds — be sure to check it out!
Fresh Inspiration: Joy Challenge
“When our four children were young, they bought me Father’s Day presents. I’d get the standard tie or even the dreaded “soap on a rope.” To add insult to injury, they used my money to purchase the gifts.
One year, I said to them, “What I really, really would like more than anything is a handwritten note from you on how you are doing and how you feel about our relationship.” This year, my oldest child turns 40, and I still receive notes from all my children and grandchildren too.
Today, I don’t have any of the ties they gave me, and I never used the soap on a rope (I think I regifted them). But I have every single letter they’ve given me, and they bring me pure joy. My children helped me know what mattered most to them individually and how to show each of them love in unique ways.
I didn’t and don’t always get it right, but the Apostle Paul’s prayer to the Philippians inspires me to keep finding ways to show love to my family. Paul wrote, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight” (Philippians 1:9).”
I loved this idea from Randy Frazee from Proverbs 31 this week! Read the entire story here.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight …
Philippians 1:9 (NIV)
I appreciate you sticking around today. I hope you come back and rate and comment on a post if you try it!
Coming soon… Texas Roadhouse Honey Butter, Grilled Coconut Lime Chicken, and Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice.
P.S. If you missed last week’s Fresh Fridays, recipes, sales, tips, ideas, and more!
Check out my favorite things and more HERE! Plus, previous week’s finds!
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Chellie
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Finding Dorothy, I loved that book (being a huge fan of the Wizard of Oz might have something to do with it). I enjoyed the Book of Lost names as well. Happy Reading!
Loving it!! And I should have said that I got the idea for the book from you!!