Comforts of home

It's funny what we miss from the U.S. while living abroad, and funny what we take for granted in our daily lives when we are there.  Not that life isn't complete without them, but when you really want Mexican food and can't find jalepenos or black beans or corn tortillas, you learn to substitute, but also get a little wistful.

I learned from my first round of living in Deutschland that there are some essentials that would be hard/impossible to find and difficult to live without, so if they were within reasonable size, I brought them with me.

Measuring cups and spoons. The metric system probably makes sense to most countries except the U.S., but it's so annoying! (Kidding). So, because I don't feel like converting cups to grams every time I cook or bake, it was easier just to bring a set of my cups. 

Then there's my friend Joy:

Yes, she's a beast, but if you can only bring ONE cookbook, this is the one to bring. This is actually Joy's second time in Germany- she served me so well the first time that she made the cut again. Plus, there are some convenient U.S.-to-metric tables in the back that come in handy. Warning: one should not try to convert to metric and halve a recipe in the same step while sleep deprived and distracted by a toddler and infant. Just saying.

The only problem with an American cookbook in Germany is the angst I feel when I come across an ingredient that I can't find easily. Brown sugar. Molasses. Chocolate chips. Canned pumpkin. Jalepenos. Chili powder (that tastes like something)....which then sends me into a tailspin of nostalgia for everything else that has nothing to do with poor Joy: Cheerios, tortilla chips, hoppy beer, strong coffee, peanut butter, mac n'cheese, spicy black bean burgers, sweet potato fries, normal sized pillows, Arm & Hammer toothpaste, half & half for my coffee, Vermont sharp cheddar cheese, graham crackers, Curious George on WGBH at 7am and 4pm, being able to go to CVS and self-medicate, big refrigerators, gas stoves, smoking bans, margaritas, pecans, iced coffee. To name a few.

Like I said, life can certainly go on without these things, and for everything I've just named, I can think of things I like about Germany that we can't get in the U.S. However, when Erik returned from his recent trip the U.S., this was a happy sight:

As time goes on, my cravings become fewer . . . but the Peet's coffee and Titan IPA were magical.