Moving and Trip to England

GW move in a couple of weeks!!!! Omg so stressful. Taking care of the last of everything is so stressful. My stomach is knots, my phone is constantly ringing and my home is steadily emptying. However the emptier my home becomes the messier it seems to get. I don't  get it. Ooh nevermind, I have kids.

We are so ready to see our family stateside. Last weekend we went to England. To visit my sin and nephew before we go. So happy to do that. I miss my brother so much.  And it was wonderful to spend time with my nephew. Next up is planning our trip to America along with all the other things we have to get done here! Hotels in America are so expensive! We are a family of five and I don't want to put anyone out especially during the week so the hotel plan is the best. We will hopefully figure something out. Anyone have any hotel recs? 

England was a wonderful trip. The sun shone the entire time, the weather was amazing. A welcome break from the dreary weather we had here in Germany. Parts if our city became so flooded due to the rain. It was ridiculous. Made me happier to be so far away! In England, I cooked for my brother and wasn't so concerned about being a tourist but making England a home away from home. It felt so amazing. I loved it. We shopped, ate, talked and relaxed. We did go to Cambridge and it's a gorgeous town. I feel so honored and blessed to have seen so many different places and now I am addicted. The kids loved England so much. We want to go to be more city before we leave in a couple weeks, but we are not sure where yet. Somewhere CHEAP preferably and close. 

From trip to sainsburys

Taken by the nephew

Well wish us luck with the move! Will reveal location with an Instagram pic when we get there. 

Mama's Christmas 2011 via Instagram and Camera +

For those of you who do not follow on instagram or twitter and those who ignore me on either.  A little of my Christmas via my iPhone. Instagram is my favorite app, and I share a lot and the folk I follow inspire me tremendously. Hope you enjoy!!

Pre Christmas
1st day of Christmas Chewy Sugar cookies from www.cooksillustrated.com

So good they were gone in less than 2 days....

Mincemeat mixed up- I shredded the apple this year also added some of the syrup from my homemade candied clementine peels.


Rich Brioche Ingredients


My little man the Tony Montana of flour. Seriously the leftover flour after I kneaded the dough he went to town on...sigh


Made delicious Buttered Pecan Scones from Dessert for Two. Helped my husband get in the mood to wrap some pressies...he really enjoys wrapping presents.


Some truffle prep (before i covered them in chocolate) for How Sweet It Is's Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles. Soooo good. I used cocoa crispies as well as rice krispies in the dough. They were gone in an hour. Sigh



We did a lot of crafts and spruced up our living room this month. To reward my family, I made Joy the Baker's Red Velvet Christmas Cupcakes. Really good, so good I only got one!! Thank you family ;)


Random bath time 'take a picture of me mommy' flick.


Some of the interesting 'snowmen' from one of our craft night. We are proud anyway and display them...in the main bathroom, but still...people will see them.


Homemade Potato Thyme Rolls ready for the oven!


Cranberry anxiously waiting to be turned into cranberry sauce!


On to the goose aka Bertha Mae!

The toasted star anise, szechuan peppers, cinnamon stick, cloves, and fennel ready to be turned in a powder in the coffee grinder (i don't use it to grind coffee just spices!)


The goose all massaged with orange, lemon, lime zest, and my 5 spice powder! Inspired by Gordon Ramsey! Must work on my scoring technique, though!


I then stuffed the bird with a pricked apple, foie gras, rosemary, sage, orange, and of course seasoned with salt.


Put in the fridge, then sat at room temp about 30 minutes before roasting the next day


More prep
With my homemade brioche loaves, I made savory bread pudding with brioche, bacon and leeks!


First time ever making collard greens because they're usually ALWAYS out at the commissary! Not this year and I put my foot in them!


Oh Christmas tree


My Santa Man enjoying mince pie and a spiked mug of homemade eggnog!


Our living room featuring another craft!


As close to a white Christmas as we were getting this year...


Faking on Christmas Eve...can't fool santa!


LOVE my footed pajamas! Bought these from Walmart back in November and they actually fit my tall self!!! Santa likes them a lot ;)


Hamhocks and Collards....mmmmmmmmm. I put way more collards in, by the way, this is half way through.


Bertha Mae! If you enjoy the dark meat on an poultry, you will enjoy goose. So damn good and the fat that drips out is amazing. It's a gift that keeps on giving!!! More people need to get on the goose train ;)


Crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside goose fat roasted potatoes! We will make this again with the saved goose. If you don't have goose fat, use crisco. What makes goose awesome is that it has an insanely high smoke point so no disgusting fumes and it gets REALLY hot.


Dinner!


Spiced Goose w/ honey
Goose Fat Roasted Potatoes
Collard Greens and Hamhocks
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole (i had a photo of the process the iphone literally died I had to run to the repair dude's house. Luckily he fixed it for me quickly!)
Savory Bread Pudding with Brioche, Leeks, and Bacon
Orange Cranberry Sauce
Potato Thyme Rolls

I also made A chocolate mousse pie, but we were too full to eat it. Still waiting for us in the fridge! I also took a lot of photos with my camera and a even more video. Look for a video from me after the new year!!

Thank you all for reading! I really hope you all are having a grand holiday!!!! 

Love Sommer and Family


spent most of the day in our jammies! well my daughter in the play dress we got her for Christmas.


from my own camera- Me and my son. He's with his family again for Christmas :(