tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61500035017801231322008-07-20T00:26:48.950-07:00Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comBlogger350125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-79554752037888550572008-07-20T00:02:00.001-07:002008-07-20T00:24:31.227-07:00

We stayed at the Hilton Berlin. It was a great hotel in what is probably the nicest neighborhood in Berlin (think 5th Avenue in NYC). The room was nothing spectacular, but nice enough, and quite affordable as far as hotels go. I seriously loved staying there. The location was spectacular. One of the best parts was the breakfast each morning. We couldn't get enough. So many choices,

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-57843891410116248832008-07-19T23:53:00.000-07:002008-07-20T00:00:13.587-07:00

If it wasn't for this place, I don't know what I would have done in Berlin! Internet was a small fortune at our hotel (one day cost as much as one month at home). This restaurant right around the corner had FREE Internet. Needless to say they got to know me. :) (note - normally I could care less, but I actually WORKED a bit on this trip. sad, huh? poor jane. poor poor jane.) So, if

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-47422108667084892472008-07-17T08:13:00.003-07:002008-07-17T08:16:48.690-07:00

Yesterday we visited Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche. When we came out of the church we couldn’t help but notice this colorful dried fruit stand. The girl who worked there didn’t speak a lick of English, but she knew the names of the fruits and let us try all different fruits. We bought an expensive little bag of dried apples, but they were worth every euro. I can’t explain it, they were

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-53509833131712643942008-07-17T08:08:00.001-07:002008-07-17T08:13:18.540-07:00

I think the most fun food adventure so far has been browsing the local supermarket. You really get a feel for the local food at the local market, that is for sure. There were so many beautiful beans, grains, etc. I have no idea what any of them are, but they sure were fun to look at. SO MUCH MEAT in a German market, but I think that goes without saying. The mustards and jarred wursts were

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-25722971507135355952008-07-16T10:31:00.000-07:002008-07-16T10:36:28.641-07:00

Just to warn you all, I may die of dehydration in the next few days. Because I'm cheap. Seriously, drinks of ALL kinds are crazy expensive over here!!! We ordered a sprite the other day. It was in this tiny glass and cost around $4 US. I still can't believe it myself. I mean, the ASHTRAY is almost as big as the glass. Just to give some extra perspective on how tiny this $4 Sprite was.

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-21253665678230144172008-07-16T10:26:00.001-07:002008-07-16T10:30:58.613-07:00

We lunched at a small cafe on the grounds of Schloss Charlottenburg yesterday. It was lovely. Nate ordered tuna salad on a baguette. We were curious to see how it would be prepared. It was pretty much straight-up tuna, no mayo at all. Nate said it was very good. This was my lunch. It doesn't get more "simple" than that. Seriously? They weren't under-describing "wiener & baguette" on the

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-38375525921250670222008-07-16T10:21:00.000-07:002008-07-16T10:26:16.343-07:00

I thought this sign for the ladies' WC was too cute. Very fitting at Schloss Charlottenburg. Europeans have it so easy...$1.50 for gas? Okay, not really. When you convert everything to gallons and dollars it's more like $9.00 per gallon! The craziest part is the the cars really aren't that tiny here in Berlin. Run of the mill Mercedes, VW & BMW everywhere. I don't know how anyone affords

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-3945277318139553172008-07-15T11:30:00.000-07:002008-07-15T11:39:58.884-07:00

Nate and I grabbed Bratwurst for dinner last night on the street right next to the Berliner Dom (which is stunningly beautiful, by the way). IT WAS DELICIOUS. The first bite had a very strong taste of rye, which was surprising. But it was very tasty. We ordered some fries on the side, which I wouldn't normally write about. But the ketchup is worth mentioning. It had a strong taste of

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-38272924910640051432008-07-14T22:24:00.000-07:002008-07-14T22:27:30.552-07:00

I am just too excited about this so I have to share it with all of you. Check out who is the Guest Mom on Design Mom this week. I will have posts all this week. Hope to see you over there!

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-7468960007300274442008-07-14T07:03:00.000-07:002008-07-14T07:27:18.952-07:00

Nate and I made sure to get some real German food yesterday. We are in Germany, after all. We found a great restaurant called Lindenbräu. We were the only ones there speaking English, so we figured that was a good sign. We ordered the Brewery Plate Special (below), some pretzels (we've discovered Germans really love pretzels) and some goulash. I am not a fan of sauerkraut, normally. But

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-71611377582393376522008-07-14T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-14T07:02:27.803-07:00

Oh man, I am so addicted to Kettle Sea Salt & Ground Black Pepper potato chips. This trip to Europe was going to help me break the addiction. Until I stopped at the grocery store in Berlin today. Needless to say, I've relapsed.

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-55317298638475951652008-07-14T06:55:00.000-07:002008-07-14T06:58:51.347-07:00

When Nate and I lived in Boston, we always joked about how "Dunkin' Donuts is taking over the world" because there was literally a DD on EVERY corner. Then we moved to California, where you can't find DD anywhere. Well, our original suspicions have been confirmed. We've already seen TWO Dunkin' Donuts in Berlin. It's true, they ARE taking over the world. I guess California is last on the

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-21066990366418382802008-07-13T10:10:00.000-07:002008-07-13T10:19:33.766-07:00

Hello from Berlin! That’s right, I’m in Germany! After many many many hours of travel and some serious jet lag, we have successfully landed ourselves here in Berlin. Besides being unbelievably tired yesterday, the trip went without a hitch. Baby Anna was a real trooper and didn’t cry on the red eye flight, which was what I was most worried about. Our hotel is RIGHT NEXT to this famous

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-80796520156660851142008-07-10T06:07:00.000-07:002008-07-10T07:39:43.511-07:00

Hello, friends! We made it safely to NJ and our first meal here was, oh so surprisingly, pizza. And it was good! Nate, Anna and I hop on the red eye tomorrow for Berlin. Yea! Sorry posts are light this week, but once I hit Europe I will have all kinds of lovely pictures and food to share with you. Keep checking back! To keep you busy while you anxiously await my Europe reports...watch

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-2904232125355128702008-07-08T06:55:00.000-07:002008-07-08T07:09:55.646-07:00

I've been using your summer meal suggestions and have not disappointed yet! I am so glad I did that 'Call for Recipes'...you guys know what you're doing. :) We had this Asian Spinach Salad on Sunday. It really was the perfect summer dinner. A few additions: - I added fresh green bell pepper (had one from the garden) & some green onion (had it in the fridge) - I didn't have lemon pepper on

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-2520861010451481972008-07-06T23:22:00.000-07:002008-07-06T23:32:25.006-07:00

As I was making dinner tonight, I couldn't help but think how much I love bagged spinach. Pre-washed, super healthy, good hot or cold. Perhaps the perfect food? This week's menu is very short...because we are going on VACATION! East coast-bound on Wednesday, then off to BERLIN on Friday. Yup, you heard me right. Berlin for 1 week then Paris for 1 week! I can't wait! Anyway, I'm only

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-78635791256801428342008-07-05T15:06:00.000-07:002008-07-05T15:20:15.431-07:00

The zucchini 'Call for Recipes' yielded so many great recipes, I don't even know where to begin. Actually, that's not true. I know right where to begin...with the chocolate. Thanks to reader Elise for a fabulous Chocolate Zucchini Bread recipe. Love it! Very moist, just chocolaty enough, great blend of flavors. Just one question, does anyone have a good technique for squeezing water out

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-2167225583468195982008-07-04T16:59:00.001-07:002008-07-04T18:54:41.582-07:00

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-1000277840257233492008-07-03T15:02:00.000-07:002008-07-03T15:12:48.002-07:00

I'm happy to announce the random winner of the Shabby Apple giveaway is... ALICE, who said: "Oh my, the odds are not in my favor! But I would love a dress and thank you for introducing me to Shabby Apple; I'd never heard of them." Bad odds didn't get in the way this time! Congratulations, Alice! Please email info@thisweekfordinner.com to claim your prize! For the rest of you...don't forget

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-64592735658031576452008-07-03T10:00:00.000-07:002008-07-03T10:33:52.814-07:00

Time to make some guacamole, the perfect 4th of July dip! Okay, maybe more appropriate for Cinco de Mayo, but whatever. I have a few tips I'd like to share that will cut down on prep time and pump up the flavor. INGREDIENTS: - Avocado (let's base this recipe on 4 avocados) - Chunky Salsa (to taste, not too much, 1/8 - 1/4 cupish?) - Dollop of sour cream (if desired, but not too much...and,

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-61312504456796056402008-07-02T15:56:00.000-07:002008-07-02T16:06:05.408-07:00

Hi TWFD friends! A couple of months ago I mentioned that I'm now also writing for Silicon Valley Moms Blog. I'm really enjoying it and Nate made the comment that I should let you guys know when I post over there. None of it is food-related, but you may enjoy my ramblings nonetheless. If you want even more of me (who doesn't? um, that was sarcastic, btw), click here. And from now on I'll link

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-21309228471696831982008-07-02T06:59:00.000-07:002008-07-02T07:02:04.015-07:00

Don't forget to enter the Shabby Apple dress giveaway by Midnight PT tonight, Weds. July 2! Click over to this link and post a comment to get in the running...Good Luck!

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-48607574883848555812008-07-01T10:08:00.000-07:002008-07-01T10:39:20.592-07:00

Remember my friend Natalee's crazy zucchini? She seriously has zucchini coming out of her ears, which means I now have zucchini coming out of MY ears. Natalee is out of town and I'm in charge of watering her garden. Which means I get to eat as much zucchini as I want. Here's where you come into the picture...what shall I do with all this zucchini?!?! Please share your favorite zucchini

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-65595342026980929012008-06-29T19:47:00.000-07:002008-06-29T20:07:45.445-07:00

I am loving this summer so far. Now that I have a blender that works (smoothies, smoothies, smoothies!) and I have all your great summertime meal ideas, I'm set! I'm going to start trying all your ideas this week. Thank you! And if you have more summertime meal ideas, please go post them here! MONDAY: - Grilled pork loin (I think we'll cut it into chops?) - Fresh zucchini - Rice TUESDAY: -

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6150003501780123132.post-85623036054034833802008-06-28T11:04:00.001-07:002008-06-29T19:47:36.902-07:00

I've done it. I've planted a garden. If you know me, you know I have the blackest of all black thumbs. But I'm bound and determined to make this garden work. I only planted perennial flowers to keep it simple, but I did put a blueberry bush in. Yesterday I was able to pick the first handful of berries. They are delicious. Some are super sweet, others not so much. But they all taste so

Jane Maynardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949930189858143454noreply@blogger.com