My Weekend in Pictures

After last weekend's crazy (/awesome) Disneyland adventure, I only had one simple goal for this one: bake a pie. Yup, that simple. And really, the only reason I even wanted to do that was because Micha randomly told me on Thursday night, "I wouldn't mind if you made a pie this weekend." When you live with a boy who doesn't like sweets, you jump at any opportunity you can get to bake something new and not have to eat it alone!

First, of course, there was Friday night hockey, where the full moon totally stole the show.

And I realize that I just showed you a picture of trash cans, but on Saturday, I looked out the window and was pleasantly surprised to see that our courtyard has at long last been fully revamped! New enclosure for the trash (which equals more bike space on the side) and lots of newly planted plants and flowers. I didn't know the goofy construction guys I chat with every morning had it in them to make this little square of space so much prettier (you should have seen what a hot mess it was before). 

Since fall made its inexorable debut last week, I figured an apple pie would be the best way to ring in the new season (I used this recipe from the Kitchn). I still have a long way to go in perfecting my pie-making technique (not least of which would include getting a new, smaller glass pie tin) but despite the soggy, uncooked bottom, it was still mighty delicious (I think freshly ground cinnamon totally helped, but I really should use more next time).

Side note: when I started making this, I actually realized halfway through that I somehow had no cinnamon. I have been living without cinnamon for probably two years now and only just realized. That's weird, right? I think that's weird for a baking (especially of the Christmas cookies variety) lover, but we also have had jars of Nutella go bad on us three years in a row cuz we didn't eat it in time, so perhaps weirdness just abounds here.

I was conveniently able to bring the pie over to Micha's momma's house for the dreaded Kaffee und Kuchen hour; which sweetened the deal to the point that we weren't even dreading our most despised German tradition. Ironically enough, this was the day his momma chose to put a bowl of Hackepeter out on the table, too. Just in case.

We finished off the night with martinis and gin-tonics at home while watching a ridiculous Dan Akroyd/Chevy Chase movie from the '90s (ever heard of Nothing But Trouble? It's completely insane. Words wouldn't do it justice. And also features a very young and adorable Demi Moore.). We had planned to go to a movie (either this one or this one), but couldn't make up our minds and then our new 1.75 liter of Bombay Sapphire (from the New Hampshire liquor store) was calling our names and well, so it goes. (Kai's remark on the outcome of our evening when we told him: "well that sounds good, too. But if you're still spending your Saturdays alone with your bottles of gin in 10 years, I may start to worry." :)

On Sunday, we headed back to the O2 World (this time, sadly, for a loss) with a planned stop at Ikea ahead of time (to return the two frames I bought and then managed to break less than a week later - I don't really expect a refund, but what the heck am I supposed to do with them at home?). I say planned because it was planned by me, which means it of course didn't pan out. I may have mixed up the weekends in which Ikea was open on Sunday. Oopsie poodles! (Like anyone's surprised.) But getting out of the house earlier had the advantage of getting us into the sunshine before the game, so you can't complain about that.

And just as suddenly, it's Monday again... But at least we've got Wednesday off this week for German Reunification Day - wahoo! - so really, it's kind of almost like Thursday today... right?

And how was your weekend?