Fantastic Double Chocolate (Pretty Healthy) Banana Muffins
3 ripe bananas (nice and mushy and sweet... ohhh yeeaahh)
1 egg
1/3 c. coconut oil OR applesauce (I didn't have applesauce in the house, so coconut oil worked great!)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract or one of each
1 c. of "dry ingredients" (I have been experimenting with this and changing it every time I make them. I think my favorite is 1/2 c. almond meal/flour and 1/2 c. white flour - but it's also great if you replace one of those with oat bran or any kind of nut flour/meal. I used ground up hazelnuts once. 1/2 c. hazelnuts right into the blender. Boom. So any combination of those ingredients to make up 1c. will work)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 c. Hersey's cocoa powder (either regular or dark would work)
1/2 c. - 3/4 c. chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate chips bc I prefer dark chocolate and I like that they are less sweet, and apparently more healthy, but who knows?!)
SECRET INGREDIENT: 1 tbs high quality (thick) balsamic vinegar - I used Espresso flavored B.V. that I bought at a specialty store and I really think it made ALLL the difference. I feel like if you can't find the good stuff, you should probably skip it. Buuut great BV is awesome in a ton of stuff - salad dressings, on grilled chicken, on roasted veggies, so don't feel like you'd have to buy a bottle just for this recipe. It'll be worth the purchase!
UPDATE: If you do not have the thick high quality balsamic vinegar that I described above (as I didn't in one instance and was forced to experiment), try 1 tbs of instant coffee grinds (or 2 tbs prepared espresso) and 1 tbs of regular balsamic vinegar. Truth be told, it's not as good, but it's a fair substitute in terms if taste and consistency!
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
In a mixer (or use hand-mixer), I always put the bananas in first and then let the mixer keep going on low while I throw the other stuff in so that they can soften (egg, applesauce/oil, vanilla, coffee grinds/espresso, balsamic vinegar). Mix in brown sugar until combined and the bananas are broken up pretty well. There may still be some chunks and that's okay, but you want to get it as smooth as you can, that's why I just let it keep running as I add stuff in.
Then I throw in the salt, baking soda, baking powder. Let it mix.
Turn off the mixer for a second and add the "dry ingredients" in, be it oat bran/flour/almond meal, whatever you choose. (It's too messy to try and pour them in while the beater is revolving.) Turn back on and mix well.
Turn off again. Add in the cocoa powder. Restart mixer and incorporate thoroughly. And finally, in go the chocolate chips. Do a happy dance since you know that adding those chocolate chips in just made this recipe 15x more awesome. Stir until combined. The consitencey should be loose like a batter, not tight like a dough. If it's too tight, add in liquid. A little HOT water always does the trick. Just add a little at a time though. And if it's too loose, more dry ingredients. You get the drill.
Use an ice cream scoop or a spoon or whatever to fill a greased cupcake tin until your heart's desire. You can use cupcake liners too, but I never do.
Pop them in (ideally on the middle rack) for 18-22 minutes depending on the size of the muffins you make and the temperature of your oven. If you make mini muffins, the cooking time may even be less so set the timer for 12 and then increase in increments of 2 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. You do not want to overcook them so watch them closely. When I use a regular size cupcake tin and fill them all the way, I usually set my timer for 20 minutes and then have to put the timer on twice more at four minute increments, or so. The main thing is that you want to make sure not to overcook/dry them out. That would be no fun. And when you insert a toothpick into the center, a little goo at the end of the toothpick is okay, but a lot of goo or a soaking, sloppy toothpick is no bueno.
Overall, for this recipe, my best advice is to use this as a guideline and play with it as you continue to make your batches. I keep adding things and taking them out, depending on what I have available in my house, and EVERY TIME they come out amazing. If you like nuts, add nuts! If you like coconut, add coconut! Peanut butter? Yeah, you get the gist. Just be sure to kind of keep the measurements and ratios the same in terms of wet ingredients vs. dry ingredients. Or as close to the same as possible.
Wait until they are cool enough and pull them out of the tin and set on a flat surface. And voila! Yummy treats for day or night. If I'm being a real bad girl, I love them with a little cream cheese on them, but usually, au natural with a glass of cold milk is the way to go.
Bon appetit!
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Recipe for AMAZING Aussie Bite Dupes!
A few months ago I went to Costco and they were featuring an oatmealish, energy snack called "Aussie Bites". I'm pretty sure I looped around the aisle like six times to keep sneaking samples. The wonky, sideways glances I was getting from the Cosco worker was well worth it... and a little deserved. Anyway, they were amazing but 1) I don't live near a Costco, 2) They mentioned that only certain Costcos carry them, and 3) I wanted to see if I could make a healthier version and know exactly what I was putting in them. So I found a few recipes online, tinkered with them a bit, and devised my own. And I must say, they are pretty damn awesome.
I feel confident that I (maybe with some help from you guys!) could tinker with them to make them even more healthy. I'm thinking of replacing the flour with oat bran and replacing the butter with more coconut oil perhaps? I think those are the least healthy components of the recipe, but I'm working on some solutions. In the meantime, these are still pretty healthy and are incredibly satisfying. Eat them for breakfast with your coffee or crumble them into some yogurt - YEEHAW! So so great. Enjoy and let me know how it goes!
Magical Aussie Bite Dupes
Ingredients:
1 c wheat or white flour
1 c almond flour
1 c chopped dates
1/2 c flax seed
2/3 c brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbs hot water
1/2 c shredded coconut
1 stick butter
1/2 c coconut oil
1 tsp baking soda
2 c oats
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixer affixed with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, coconut oil, and brown sugar. Once creamed, add egg.
3. In a food processor, chop up dates until they are pretty darn chopped. The food processor may hit a point where all the dates kinda clump up and stop chopping. That should be chopped enough. Then add dates to mixer and mix.
4. Add flax seeds, coconut, and baking soda. Mix well.
5. Now start adding the dry ingredients in slowly (about a half cup at a time), starting with the flour (almond and white/wheat), then add in the oats. Add in the hot water as needed while you mix in the dry ingredients to keep it moving. The mixture shouldn't be too wet or too dry.
6. Spray a cupcake pan with cooking spray. Use a cookie scooper to fill cupcake pan (one scoop per space).
7. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Take out of the oven and transfer to cooling rack.
Recipe usually yields 24-36 muffins (depending on scoop size).
I feel confident that I (maybe with some help from you guys!) could tinker with them to make them even more healthy. I'm thinking of replacing the flour with oat bran and replacing the butter with more coconut oil perhaps? I think those are the least healthy components of the recipe, but I'm working on some solutions. In the meantime, these are still pretty healthy and are incredibly satisfying. Eat them for breakfast with your coffee or crumble them into some yogurt - YEEHAW! So so great. Enjoy and let me know how it goes!
Magical Aussie Bite Dupes
Ingredients:
1 c wheat or white flour
1 c almond flour
1 c chopped dates
1/2 c flax seed
2/3 c brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbs hot water
1/2 c shredded coconut
1 stick butter
1/2 c coconut oil
1 tsp baking soda
2 c oats
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixer affixed with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, coconut oil, and brown sugar. Once creamed, add egg.
3. In a food processor, chop up dates until they are pretty darn chopped. The food processor may hit a point where all the dates kinda clump up and stop chopping. That should be chopped enough. Then add dates to mixer and mix.
4. Add flax seeds, coconut, and baking soda. Mix well.
5. Now start adding the dry ingredients in slowly (about a half cup at a time), starting with the flour (almond and white/wheat), then add in the oats. Add in the hot water as needed while you mix in the dry ingredients to keep it moving. The mixture shouldn't be too wet or too dry.
6. Spray a cupcake pan with cooking spray. Use a cookie scooper to fill cupcake pan (one scoop per space).
7. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Take out of the oven and transfer to cooling rack.
Recipe usually yields 24-36 muffins (depending on scoop size).
Friday, April 29, 2016
Recipe for the Best Roasted Beet Salad EVER!
No seriously, this is the greatest salad you'll ever eat. I made a ton of it and then ate it for almost two weeks straight. Healthy. Refreshing. Downright magical. Try out my crazy creation and let me know what you think!
Roasted Beet and Sautéed Fennel Citrus Salad
Ingredients:
Three large beets
2 mangos (I used jarred ones that I bought at Costco and just used 3-4 strips. I know that sounds weird, but it sure beats peeling mangoes!)
1 can of pineapple chunks (in juice) or fresh pineapple, whichever you prefer
2 bulbs of fennel
1/2 c. slivered almonds
Juice of 2 Meyer lemons or an orange
Juice of 2 limes
1 orange
Chile flakes
Fresh mint
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt (I use Himalayan Sea Salt because it is full of awesome minerals and is nice and salty!)
Pepper
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel beets with a vegetable peeler, cut into chunks, coat in EVOO, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Take out of over and let cool to room temperature. Place in a large bowl.
3. Peel mangos, chop into cubes, and add to bowl.
4. Drain pineapple (save juice for another day) and add to bowl. (If you use fresh pineapple, it is one more level of awesome if you grill the pineapple before cutting it up and adding it in.)
5. Grab the fennel, slice off the fronds (leafy bits), and the green stalks. Cut the bulb in half and then slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Coat the bottom of a sauté pan with EVOO and sauté fennel until golden brown. Add just a pinch of salt to help with the browning process. I like mine SUPER brown - nice and caramelized, but cook it how you like. Once it's cooked to your liking, remove from heat, and let cool to warm/room temperature. Throw in the bowl.
6. Toast the slivered almonds just to bring out the flavors. Just be sure not to burn them. Once toasted, throw them in the bowl.
7. Peel orange, cut into chunks, add to the bowl.
8. Add in the juice of the Meyer lemons and the limes.
9. Add a sprinkle of chile flakes for a kick of heat. If you don't like heat, don't add this in. It'll still be delicious.
10. Chop up fresh mint and add to the bowl.
11. Mix contents of the bowl together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
12. Eat until your heart's content! Serve it at room temperature or serve it cold. It's delish either way!
Some possible add ins:
If you want it to be a bit more hearty or fibrous, you can always add in some
cooked brown or wild rice.
And if you are looking for a bit more protein, it would be great with some grilled
chicken or roasted pork.
Also, feel free to halve this recipe - it makes a ton!
Roasted Beet and Sautéed Fennel Citrus Salad
Ingredients:
Three large beets
2 mangos (I used jarred ones that I bought at Costco and just used 3-4 strips. I know that sounds weird, but it sure beats peeling mangoes!)
1 can of pineapple chunks (in juice) or fresh pineapple, whichever you prefer
2 bulbs of fennel
1/2 c. slivered almonds
Juice of 2 Meyer lemons or an orange
Juice of 2 limes
1 orange
Chile flakes
Fresh mint
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt (I use Himalayan Sea Salt because it is full of awesome minerals and is nice and salty!)
Pepper
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel beets with a vegetable peeler, cut into chunks, coat in EVOO, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Take out of over and let cool to room temperature. Place in a large bowl.
3. Peel mangos, chop into cubes, and add to bowl.
4. Drain pineapple (save juice for another day) and add to bowl. (If you use fresh pineapple, it is one more level of awesome if you grill the pineapple before cutting it up and adding it in.)
5. Grab the fennel, slice off the fronds (leafy bits), and the green stalks. Cut the bulb in half and then slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Coat the bottom of a sauté pan with EVOO and sauté fennel until golden brown. Add just a pinch of salt to help with the browning process. I like mine SUPER brown - nice and caramelized, but cook it how you like. Once it's cooked to your liking, remove from heat, and let cool to warm/room temperature. Throw in the bowl.
6. Toast the slivered almonds just to bring out the flavors. Just be sure not to burn them. Once toasted, throw them in the bowl.
7. Peel orange, cut into chunks, add to the bowl.
8. Add in the juice of the Meyer lemons and the limes.
9. Add a sprinkle of chile flakes for a kick of heat. If you don't like heat, don't add this in. It'll still be delicious.
10. Chop up fresh mint and add to the bowl.
11. Mix contents of the bowl together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
12. Eat until your heart's content! Serve it at room temperature or serve it cold. It's delish either way!
Some possible add ins:
If you want it to be a bit more hearty or fibrous, you can always add in some
cooked brown or wild rice.
And if you are looking for a bit more protein, it would be great with some grilled
chicken or roasted pork.
Also, feel free to halve this recipe - it makes a ton!
Thursday, October 22, 2015
The Mods Take Munchen - Day 5
Saturday, Oct 3
Today was rough. Beyond rough. I will need to sleep about a week in order to recover from the wild fiesta that was last night. But I survived. (Barely, but I did.) And in a few weeks, when I am telling stories about my wild time in Munich, I'll be grateful I didn't sleep. Dana was right - I can sleep when I get home. (And that I will, my friends. That. I. Will.)
Anyway, today was not only rough because I was hungover as shit, but there were 8 zillion people walking around the streets, as it was the last weekend of the festival, and it was almost 80 degrees, which seems beautiful, but is not ideal weather to be fighting crowds and lugging around 100 pounds of luggage. I tried to go to the Oktoberfest site but actually began to have a panic attack. AHHH! Too many people. Too much stimulation. Too much. I saw things that no human should ever see - I saw a young woman who looked like her spine had been removed. She couldn't stand up, even with her friends holding her up. One of the guys threw her over his shoulder to reveal her thonged behind, her dirndl up over her back. And as they tried to make it to the exit, she proceeded to vomit down his back. WTF!?! I was like, NO this is too much! I fled (as quickly as I could through a crowd that moved like molassas) to do a little more shopping and then back to the Sheraton to get by bags and head to the train station.
I won't bore you with the details, but I will just say that I don't understand why getting to and from any airport to the center of any city has to be so hellish. Navigating a train station where NO ONE spoke English and I had to buy my ticket (that was never even checked/collected) from a kiosk that only read in German, was seriously so stressful. I didn't even know if I was on the right train. I had to go alllllll the way to the airport, just to catch a shuttle to take me a half hour BACK towards the city in order to get to my "airport" hotel. Airport hotel, my ass. Anyway, I said I wouldn't bore you, but clearly, I am a little traumatized and am not yet over it.
Veeeeeerrry long story short, my hotel was beautiful and comfortable and awesome after a long day of travel. I had an amazing and very authentic last Munich meal (hooray for delicious Wiener schnitzel. I think I'll miss you most.) I went back to my room to settle into some solid and well earned Netflix time and some room service dessert. Because tomorrow, I go home, so I better whoop it up while I can.
Today was rough. Beyond rough. I will need to sleep about a week in order to recover from the wild fiesta that was last night. But I survived. (Barely, but I did.) And in a few weeks, when I am telling stories about my wild time in Munich, I'll be grateful I didn't sleep. Dana was right - I can sleep when I get home. (And that I will, my friends. That. I. Will.)
Anyway, today was not only rough because I was hungover as shit, but there were 8 zillion people walking around the streets, as it was the last weekend of the festival, and it was almost 80 degrees, which seems beautiful, but is not ideal weather to be fighting crowds and lugging around 100 pounds of luggage. I tried to go to the Oktoberfest site but actually began to have a panic attack. AHHH! Too many people. Too much stimulation. Too much. I saw things that no human should ever see - I saw a young woman who looked like her spine had been removed. She couldn't stand up, even with her friends holding her up. One of the guys threw her over his shoulder to reveal her thonged behind, her dirndl up over her back. And as they tried to make it to the exit, she proceeded to vomit down his back. WTF!?! I was like, NO this is too much! I fled (as quickly as I could through a crowd that moved like molassas) to do a little more shopping and then back to the Sheraton to get by bags and head to the train station.
I won't bore you with the details, but I will just say that I don't understand why getting to and from any airport to the center of any city has to be so hellish. Navigating a train station where NO ONE spoke English and I had to buy my ticket (that was never even checked/collected) from a kiosk that only read in German, was seriously so stressful. I didn't even know if I was on the right train. I had to go alllllll the way to the airport, just to catch a shuttle to take me a half hour BACK towards the city in order to get to my "airport" hotel. Airport hotel, my ass. Anyway, I said I wouldn't bore you, but clearly, I am a little traumatized and am not yet over it.
Veeeeeerrry long story short, my hotel was beautiful and comfortable and awesome after a long day of travel. I had an amazing and very authentic last Munich meal (hooray for delicious Wiener schnitzel. I think I'll miss you most.) I went back to my room to settle into some solid and well earned Netflix time and some room service dessert. Because tomorrow, I go home, so I better whoop it up while I can.
 |
| God bless you! |
 |
| All 8 zillion people heading into the festival. I attempted to go in for 3 seconds and immediately made a U-turn. Hello panic attack. |
 |
| Abort! Abort! |
 |
| Hotel restaurant dinner. |
 |
| Yum, yum, and yum. One last schnitzel (but no more beer... EVER!) |
 |
| Chocolate souffle and Sense8. Perfect end to a (nearly) perfect trip. |
Friday, October 9, 2015
The Mods Take Munchen - Day 4
Friday, Oct 2
Just when you think it can't get any crazier, it does. It actually does. I was pretty convinced that after a serious, full day of drinking, that I would never drink again. Lo and behold, I was wrong. (Thank you, Dana.)
Thankfully we were all on board with a LATE wakeup -(EVERYTHING HUUUUURTS!) We rolled as slow as any person could roll out of bed, to head to Marionplatz for some brunch, sightseeing and shopping. We found the cutest little christmas shop with the cutest staff ever. I wanted to give them all of my money just because they were so kind! We bought souvenirs, chocolate, and chestnuts and grabbed a cab back to hotel for a nap! (Sleep is goooood!)
After a necessary battery recharge, we put our dirndls back on (and let me be perfectly honest, they REEKED of stale beer and funky fresh grossness! but that's what Febreeze is for!) and headed back to Oktoberfest!
We went over to enjoy the festival's food and activities since yesterday we spent the day only in the tent. But seeing as it was a Friday night of the last weekend of Oktoberfest, it was insanely packed! We with six of us (Liza, Dana, Bianca, Gary, Brendan, and me) but since it was SO crowded it was nearly impossible to get into a tent. Liza, Bianca, and Gary decided to leave, leaving it actually a little easier to wiggle our way in. So after a little wait, we finally were permitted in, but without a table to sit at, we just milled around the tent and found ourselves a little corner and it ended up being a perfect spot. Thursday was great because our whole group was there, but Friday was BANANAS! It was so crowded and the music was amazing and everyone was singing. It was a lot more rowdy than the Thursday crowd, and that's really saying something! I told Dana before we went into the tent, "I'll go, but I am not drinking." And guess what, like the devil on my shoulder, Dana said, "Just have one. It's your last night in Munich! It's our last night at Oktoberfest! C'MON!" And so we drank.
So we left around 11:00 and, while Brendan tapped out, Dana and I went back to Augsteiner Brauhaus for dinner (but the kitchen was closed by the time we got there! NOOOO!) and we sat at a table with three American guys named Casey, Jared, and Dan. We ended up getting along so well and having a couple of drinks with them, that we all decided to hang together for the night.
After speaking with our friend Liz who was hanging at her hotel bar, we all walked down to the Marriott bar to grab a few drinks with Liz and John.
Then... things got crazy. Let's just preface this by saying that Dana was schedule to leave for the airport at 6am. Yeah. We rolled in after a night of dance clubbing at Pasha and Gecko (what up T-Swift!) at 5:30AM, just in time to throw Dana's shit in her suitcase and shove her in the airport van.
I, however, crawled back to bed and didn't see daylight until about noon. Now THAT was one crazy night. Whew.
Just when you think it can't get any crazier, it does. It actually does. I was pretty convinced that after a serious, full day of drinking, that I would never drink again. Lo and behold, I was wrong. (Thank you, Dana.)
Thankfully we were all on board with a LATE wakeup -(EVERYTHING HUUUUURTS!) We rolled as slow as any person could roll out of bed, to head to Marionplatz for some brunch, sightseeing and shopping. We found the cutest little christmas shop with the cutest staff ever. I wanted to give them all of my money just because they were so kind! We bought souvenirs, chocolate, and chestnuts and grabbed a cab back to hotel for a nap! (Sleep is goooood!)
 |
| Brunch at the open air market. Everything look simultaneously AMAZING AND GROSS - thank you hangover. |
 |
| Me and Dana in Marionplatz! Sunny and beautiful! |
After a necessary battery recharge, we put our dirndls back on (and let me be perfectly honest, they REEKED of stale beer and funky fresh grossness! but that's what Febreeze is for!) and headed back to Oktoberfest!
 |
| The view from our hotel room. Seriously, we could throw a rock and hit the Oktoberfest festival! |
 |
| My favorite picture of the trip! God I love her. My cousin is the BEST, most awesome party animal, travel buddy, gal pal that I know! |
We went over to enjoy the festival's food and activities since yesterday we spent the day only in the tent. But seeing as it was a Friday night of the last weekend of Oktoberfest, it was insanely packed! We with six of us (Liza, Dana, Bianca, Gary, Brendan, and me) but since it was SO crowded it was nearly impossible to get into a tent. Liza, Bianca, and Gary decided to leave, leaving it actually a little easier to wiggle our way in. So after a little wait, we finally were permitted in, but without a table to sit at, we just milled around the tent and found ourselves a little corner and it ended up being a perfect spot. Thursday was great because our whole group was there, but Friday was BANANAS! It was so crowded and the music was amazing and everyone was singing. It was a lot more rowdy than the Thursday crowd, and that's really saying something! I told Dana before we went into the tent, "I'll go, but I am not drinking." And guess what, like the devil on my shoulder, Dana said, "Just have one. It's your last night in Munich! It's our last night at Oktoberfest! C'MON!" And so we drank.
So we left around 11:00 and, while Brendan tapped out, Dana and I went back to Augsteiner Brauhaus for dinner (but the kitchen was closed by the time we got there! NOOOO!) and we sat at a table with three American guys named Casey, Jared, and Dan. We ended up getting along so well and having a couple of drinks with them, that we all decided to hang together for the night.
After speaking with our friend Liz who was hanging at her hotel bar, we all walked down to the Marriott bar to grab a few drinks with Liz and John.
Then... things got crazy. Let's just preface this by saying that Dana was schedule to leave for the airport at 6am. Yeah. We rolled in after a night of dance clubbing at Pasha and Gecko (what up T-Swift!) at 5:30AM, just in time to throw Dana's shit in her suitcase and shove her in the airport van.
I, however, crawled back to bed and didn't see daylight until about noon. Now THAT was one crazy night. Whew.
The Mods Take Munchen - Day 3
Thursday, Oct 1
Hangovers are the worst. Especially when the only thing on the docket for the day is drinking your face off for like 12 hours. Yup, we arrived to the tent at 10:30am and left around 11pm. It was straight up insane. We first sat upstairs where our two tables were reserved. Our lovely waiter, Thomas, took good care of us bringing us all of our beer and food like some sort of beautiful angel. (He probably saw the pile of money we put in the middle of the table for tips!)Btw, those steins are SO heavy! My record was five and I was pretty impressed with that, but some of these guys were holding 7, 8, even 10, stacking them upon one another. It was like a circus trick! Our seating was from 10-2:30 and then another seating/wave of people would be arriving at 4:00. Thomas was awesome enough to hook us up with his friend Max who was waiting tables on the floor near the band. Max, for a small bribe, kicked out two entire tables (back to back) of drunkards to make room for our group of 16 people! YAY MAX! The rest of the night was spent standing on tables drinking and dancing and chanting in true German fashion! At some point we lost our friend John (more on that later) then wehad J.P. fall and split his eye brow open and he was bleeding from the face for a ridicuous amount of time. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, but all you need to know was that we were in that tent drinking from 10am-11pm and then went out to another bar. WTF? I don't think I'm cut out for this!
    |
| Beers and tip money! Shit is gettin' real. |
 |
| Prost! |
 |
| Just one blurry mess of a photo to show you what it looks like from inside the belly of the beast! |
 |
| Preppin' my party trick! (Those two on the end are full of water, so I wasn't cheating! It's just hard to convince people to hand over their full beers if there is a fair chance that you're going to drop'em all.) |
 |
| Like a pro! |
 |
| Some true Oktoberfest craziness! |
 |
| Totally sober. ;) |
Finally, after a sold 13 hours of drinking we left the tent and went to Augusteiner Brauhaus for schnitzel and cheese and you guessed it, more beer! Ugh, I'm pretty sure I have more beer in my system than I do blood. That can't be good.
The Mods Take Munchen - Day 2
Wednesday, September 30, 2015:
I packed up my belongings nice and early and grabbed a cab to the Sheraton in Munich Central to meet up with Jenny and Ryan by 9am. After much deliberation, I decided to join Jenny and Ryan for a tour of Dachau's concentration camp. I have taught my classes about the Holocaust ever since I started teaching a decade ago through both The Diary of Anne Frank and Night by Ellie Wiesel. I wanted to go to experience the history, but I also knew that it would be emotionally very difficult to be in such a hallowed place. I went back and forth and finally decided that I would go.
We walked the 10 minute walk to Munich's central train station to meet our tour guide, Gordon, an Irish ex-pat. We grabbed a small breakfast while he gathered the group together and hopped on a train to head 40 minutes outside of the city.
All I can say is that it was a haunting and captivating experience. Gordon did a magnificent job of balancing the horror of it with the celebratory spirit of the survivors. He articulated so well a beautiful balance between the sadness and devastation and the celebration of the bravery of all of those who lost their lives and all who survived. He knew so much that I literally could have listened to him talk forever. I have a few pictures below, but it was hard to photograph. I felt like it was disrespectful. So I took some for the purpose of remembrance, but I certainly didn't want it to feel like I was snapping pictures at Disney World.
We headed to another bar and sat with some guys from Manchester, UK and almost got kicked out for singing the MU song too loudly (Oh, crazy rowdy brits, how I love thee!). We finished up there and went to meet the crew at the Hofbrauhaus for beer and dinner. I ordered speitzel and it was AMAZINGLY magical - cheezy noodle mush - a wild delight. Then after sufficient partying there, we went to another bar - and this is where it gets hazy. Long story short, partied a little to hard knowing that all I was going to be doing the next day was drinking again ALLL DAY LONG. I was definitely gonna feel it in the morning.
I packed up my belongings nice and early and grabbed a cab to the Sheraton in Munich Central to meet up with Jenny and Ryan by 9am. After much deliberation, I decided to join Jenny and Ryan for a tour of Dachau's concentration camp. I have taught my classes about the Holocaust ever since I started teaching a decade ago through both The Diary of Anne Frank and Night by Ellie Wiesel. I wanted to go to experience the history, but I also knew that it would be emotionally very difficult to be in such a hallowed place. I went back and forth and finally decided that I would go.
We walked the 10 minute walk to Munich's central train station to meet our tour guide, Gordon, an Irish ex-pat. We grabbed a small breakfast while he gathered the group together and hopped on a train to head 40 minutes outside of the city.
All I can say is that it was a haunting and captivating experience. Gordon did a magnificent job of balancing the horror of it with the celebratory spirit of the survivors. He articulated so well a beautiful balance between the sadness and devastation and the celebration of the bravery of all of those who lost their lives and all who survived. He knew so much that I literally could have listened to him talk forever. I have a few pictures below, but it was hard to photograph. I felt like it was disrespectful. So I took some for the purpose of remembrance, but I certainly didn't want it to feel like I was snapping pictures at Disney World.
 |
| It says, "Never Again" in five different languages. |
 |
| The barracks had been torn down in the 60s, but they frame out where they once stood to demonstrate their size and magnitude. |
 |
| The original crematorium is still standing at Dachau. It is beyond horrifying. |
 |
| "To honor the dead, and to warn the living." |
After what turned out to be, one of the most moving experiences that I could remember, we headed back to the city center and went back to the hotel to relax a little bit before we were to meet up with the rest of the crew and head to dinner. In the meantime, LJ MADE IT! (LJ is my cousin, who was on the fence about coming pretty much up until THE DAY he left. What a trooper. He literally flew in for less than 40 hours and then went home!)
 |
| First official cousin 'Prost!" in the hotel bar before going to dinner! |
 |
| Testing my strength. This is only two steins, and I was convinced that was ALL I COULD HOLD. Well, you'll see, I guess all the beer I drank made me stronger because I manage 5 later in the trip! |
We headed to another bar and sat with some guys from Manchester, UK and almost got kicked out for singing the MU song too loudly (Oh, crazy rowdy brits, how I love thee!). We finished up there and went to meet the crew at the Hofbrauhaus for beer and dinner. I ordered speitzel and it was AMAZINGLY magical - cheezy noodle mush - a wild delight. Then after sufficient partying there, we went to another bar - and this is where it gets hazy. Long story short, partied a little to hard knowing that all I was going to be doing the next day was drinking again ALLL DAY LONG. I was definitely gonna feel it in the morning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)