{favorite meal of the trip: seafood pasta}

We arrived at 1 in the afternoon on Saturday, found our hotel, walked around, and by 4pm we had seen the whole town 5 times. We also noticed that we were at least half the age of most of the tourists on the island. It’s no wonder why no one had heard of it- I was asking the wrong age group! The rain kept us away from any summer lake activities, so we spent a lot of money on Italian leather goods and spent some quality time in cafes.

{shopping in the rain}

Fortunately, Sunday morning brought us better weather. We hopped on a boat taxi that took us to two islands on Lake Maggiore. First up was Isola Pescatori. A cute island with restaurants and tourist shops.

{cafe on Isola Pescatori}

Next up was Isola Bella. There was a fancy mansion owned by some wealthy Italian man, so we toured around and enjoyed our 1 hour of sunshine in the gardens.

{testing out our new remote control on Isola Bella}

We even met a couple of white peacocks. They were pretty cool even though they wouldn’t show us their feathers.

{one of about 10 white peacocks in the gardens}

Despite the rain, a weekend full of Italian food, gelato, shopping, and Island hopping was just what the doctor ordered.

I have to go to my morning yoga class to keep calm and stay fit.

I have to bake this fancy dessert for my Wednesday book club.

I have to go to the farmer’s market every Tuesday morning because the produce is much fresher than the grocery store.

See? Works like a charm. That dry cleaning can wait another day. Those dishes will be there when I get back.

But, for reals, the farmer’s market is a must. I don’t know what it is about the grocery stores here in Zurich, but when I buy their produce it usually goes bad within 1-2 days. So off to the Burkliplatz farmer’s market I go every Tuesday morning to pick me up some goodies.

Ever since I started going to the market back in April, I noticed that rhubarb is everywhere. Back in the states, it was seldom I would find it outside of the summer months. I have no clue why, but it is very popular here in Zurich. I’ve only used it once, but I figured I should buy a few stalks and figure out what to do with it. I guess I can fit in some recipe perusing into my busy schedule…

And this is what I found. A strawberry, rhubarb, and banana oatmeal bake full of flavor but light on the calories. This is way better than everyday oatmeal. So next time your at the market, grab some rhubarb and get chopping.

Strawberry Rhubarb Banana Oatmeal Cups

Recipe adapted from Skinnytaste

{print me!}

Fruit Filling:

• 1 small basket of strawberries, about 10, hulled and quartered
• 2 stalks of rhubarb, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 2 medium ripe bananas, sliced into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ¼ cup honey

Oat Filling:

• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp honey
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray a 6-muffin pan with cooking spray. Or you can also use a 9×9 baking pan.

Combine strawberries, rhubarb, and honey. Mix in the cornstarch.

Place 2-3 slices of banana on the bottom of each muffin mold. Pour the strawberry rhubarb mixture over the bananas. Disperse any extra banana slices on top of the strawberry mixture.

Combine the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Whisk the milk, egg, vanilla, and remaining honey in another bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the oat mixture and stir until combined. Then pour the oat filling as the final layer of your oatmeal cups. If you are adding almonds, sprinkle over each cup for a crunchy topping.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Let them set for about 5 minutes before serving.

Roughly 225 calories and 5 grams of fat for those counting!

No need to wait for a special occasion to make these- just stick them in the fridge and reheat in the morning.

They are sweet and healthy and not a bad way to start your your day.

He has a beautiful wife.

And a pretty darn cute son.

He’s danced like no ones’ watching.

And sang like no one’s listening.

And rocked a lego costume like the best of them.

He has found his true passion: running.

And coaching running.

He has faced his fears.

And witnessed the Giants win the World Series. Twice.

But what I admire most is that even when life throws him a tantrum, he manages to keep going with a smile on his face.

Conor is going to run 30 miles to celebrate his 30th birthday. And probably drink some Bud Lights after. I’d say I have the coolest brother around.

Happy Birthday Conor! Love you lots. I only wish I could be there to celebrate with you.

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And my personal favorite…

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Namaste my friends!

I was re-introduced to this drink at a “new-hire” lunch with the CEO of my former company and other fellow newbees. We sat down to our fancy meal and the CEO ordered an Arnold Palmer. Practically everyone at the table followed suit. It’s funny how that works at restaurants…even if you aren’t purposely trying to copy someone, you hear something that sounds good that you didn’t think of yourself and you immediately want it. Anyways, the Arnold Palmer was delicious and I was successful at making a first impression. Even if that impression was of my watermelon nail art toes that reminded him that I was closer in age to his twelve year old daughter than himself.

In case you don’t want to wait for an excuse to go out to lunch, you can make a batch today!

Arnold Palmer Drink

Tea:
2 1/2 cups boiling water
2 tea bags (black tea such as English Breakfast works best)

Lemonade:
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3-4 lemons)

Steep 2 tea bags into 2 ½ cups of hot water for at least 5 minutes. Once steeped to a dark brown color, discard the teabags.

To make the lemonade, put the water, sugar, and lemon juice in a small pan. Put on medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Mix the lemonade and tea together, pour over ice, and enjoy!

Maybe where you are, you can start drinking Arnold Palmer’s this week. I, on the otherhand, am hoping tomorrow’s forecast of snow doesn’t come true!

Good.

This week my iPhone didn’t have any interesting pictures to post…I guess I wasn’t as snap happy as usual. Instead of a weekly life update, I’m going to tell you about these 5 kitchen utensils that I missed dearly during our move. Though our temporary housing had a kitchen, the basic kitchen essentials didn’t live up to my standards. I know, I know, I should probably add a #firstworldproblems to that statement. That aside, I’m still going to tell you what I would add to the kitchen must-haves list.

1. A microplane grater. It’s just so much easier to grate…and how would you zest without one? It doesn’t work, I tried.

2. Measuring cups & spoons. Can’t bake without ‘em. Enough said.

3. An immersion blender. Or a regular blender. Smoothies, soups, and margaritas are necessary.

4. Good knives. These ones above are one of the 3 things on my wedding registry. I swear the fun factor of cooking increases ten fold when you use good knives. Bad knives cause frustration, not relaxation.

5. A Cast-Iron Skillet. I used to hate my skillet because it was so heavy, but I got over it and won’t go back. You can read all about the greatness here.

And there we have our Friday Fünf, kitchen supply style.

Happy weekend everyone!

Which is also why I need to start baking again. But with a healthy twist. I have a wedding dress to fit into soon and just like every other girl in my position, I want to tone up for the occasion. I can’t handle the newest Paleo or Whole30 diets, since I simply don’t have the desire or willpower. But, I have strong beliefs in the power of good ‘ole calorie counting. Then I can still have my desserts and French fries, just in moderation.

And just in the knick of time, I saw a recipe for low-fat chocolate mousse. There is actually no baking involved, but it did require my measuring spoons. The thickening agent is none other than tofu. I’m not a huge tofu fan, but I figured if it’s hidden by chocolate, I could probably handle it. I debate between having small amounts of full fat dessert, or normal amounts of lowfat dessert, but ultimately, sometimes I want more than just two bites of chocolate.

I followed this recipe, and at first I thought it was a total bust. It was way thicker than a normal “mousse” (probably since Zurich only gave me one option of extra firm tofu) and it tasted like tofu mixed with chocolate. I was sad & mad because I was really excited about this healthy, protein packed treat, but instead I got a chocolately, thick tofu. I put them in the fridge and left for a few hours, and as I was walking to the train station I was swearing off these substitute desserts for good.

But then something magical happened. I came home that night and was going to throw the chocolatey tofu away, but before I did, I had one last taste and it was delicious. Knowing that the wine I just consumed could have been masking the tofu, I asked the ultimate critic. He said it tasted like brownie batter. Then I told him it had tofu and he was mad at me for making him eat it, even though he liked it. He also gets mad at the spinach I put in smoothies even though he can’t taste it. Did I mention I live with a 31 year old with the tastebuds of a 5 year old?

Anyways, these chocolate tofu things turned delicious once the flavors had time to meld together. But, the consistency was still a problem. I decided they would taste better in bite-sized form, so I rolled them into balls, and now, I can happily present to you my Skinny Chocolate Truffles!

Had enough of my drawn out healthy dessert dilemma? Well, go make yourself these. You won’t regret it!

Skinny Chocolate Truffles

{print me!}

Ingredients

• 6 ounces tofu, drained and sliced (firm tofu for truffles, softer for mousse)
• 3 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• Extra cocoa powder for dipping

Blend the tofu in the blender until smooth.

Melt the baking chocolate and sugar in a double boiler on low heat. Once melted, pour the chocolate mixture and cocoa powder in the blender with the tofu. Pulse until fully blended.

Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls. Place the truffles into an airtight container and let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before eating (or else it will taste like tofu!).

Yields 16 truffles

Nutrition Facts: 49 Calories | 3g Fat | 5g Carbs | 2g Protein | 4g Sugar | 0g Sodium

When I got my closet back, my old clothes felt brand new and wonderful all over again. It’s true what they say; absence really does make the heart grow fonder, even when it comes to stuff. As much as I loved my new used clothes, I was even more excited to get my kitchen back. I felt a little trapped in our temporary housing without my normal kitchen supplies. My spices, measuring cups, and measuring spoons were gladly received and quickly put to good use.

The first use came in the form of Chocolate “Chunk” Cookies. They don’t sell chocolate chips here. Gifts that start with “Tollhouse” will be kindly accepted at any time. Luckily, chunks of Swiss chocolate aren’t an awful replacement.

Now this Swiss chocolate would be too good to chop up just for cookies. Nice to sweet you to, Caramel Brownie. You taste perfect all on your own.

In other good news, the April snow showers finally decided to bring us some May flowers.

But, the flowers got me distracted at the market and somehow I accidentally spent $12 on one bunch of asparagus. I don’t even really like asparagus.

Now we are just working on getting our apartment organized and I am happily testing new healthy recipes in my kitchen. Adding to the Friday Fünf, I’ll fill you in on my top fünf recipes of the week:

1. These black bean burgers.

2. Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice (but hopefully you have better tasting shrimp than Switzerland).

3. When you can’t find bread crumbs in your German grocery store, make some Corn Flake Crusted Chicken instead.

4. If you overspend on your asparagus, might as well try this Lemon Goat Cheese Asparagus recipe.

5. And if you ever make brown rice, please read this tutorial. I swear you will thank me later.

And that’s it folks!

Happy Friday!

Zürich celebrated the burning of the Böögg with a weekend festival of activities. We celebrated with a stick of meat. The time it takes the giant Snowman to burn signifies when Spring will come. The time it took Jon to eat this stick of meat signified that it’s time for barbecue season whether Spring comes or not.

Rug shopping might be the ultimate activity to make you feel like an adult. In order to butter you up before spending a boatload of money you never knew you could possibly spend on a rug, they serve you a nice cup of tea.

In attempts to make friends through meetup groups, I have been forced to indulge in some more Swiss chocolate. I made some new friends alright. Their names are Hot Chocolate, Cookie Sandwich, and Non Pareil.

And in similar news, we had a friend over for dinner which gave me an excuse to buy an Apfeltorte.

Luckily the desserts are good, because we have had some serious Mexican food withdrawals. I already ventured to the one Mexican grocery store in Zürich (which also happens to be the only place in Zürich where I can speak their language), bought  some masa harina, and we have been busy making our own tortillas and tacos ever since.

Happy Freitag Friday everyone! Yes, that means Friday Friday but who doesn’t want to get down on Friday?

Which is when I find myself in Starbucks.

photo credit

So, I walked into Starbucks for the first time in Zurich and I ordered a chai latte. At home, I would never just order a chai latte; it would be a grande, three pump, nonfat, chai latte. But, I was scared and didn’t want to sound like the picky American girl.

The second time, I got a little braver, but I tried to simplify my order so they would understand. I went up to the counter and said, “Can I have a grande chai latte, with a lower fat milk, and can you possibly make it a little less sweet than normal?” The girl behind the counter asks, “Do you want nonfat or lowfat?” I replied, “Nonfat please.” Then the girl behind the counter turns to the girl making the drinks and says, “grande, nonfat, three pump chai latte.”

Ahhh. A smile immediately formed on my face. What a relief. Starbucks is still as normal as ever.

Since then, I have been back once or twice (I’m not made of money and these Swiss Starbucks ain’t cheap) and my normal order has worked like a charm. The one thing that is different here is that my name is not common in Switzerland, so the baristas’ spelling is always interesting. At home, the spelling was usually wrong, but it was at least a version of my name. Here I have gotten “Kidney” and “Kitelin” to name a few. I found it a little funny since this type of thing hasn’t happened to me before, so I did what any social media savvy girl my age would do and posted it on Instagram.

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Let me back track one minute to preface the rest of this story.  There is this free pop culture magazine that comes out every Friday called 20 Minuten. The most popular section is called In and Out which shows you what fads are “in” this week and what is sooo “out.” I’ve heard that the Swiss live by this, especially the teenagers, and read it every week so they know what to wear and how to act. Swiss follow the rules, and I guess this In and Out section supplies the pop culture rules to live by. I’ve always been intrigued to see what it says but I can’t read it because there are no pictures, and let’s face it, my German knowledge is nichts (I even had to look that up- it means nothing I think).

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Ok, now back to the day I posted my Starbuck’s cup on Instagram. I was on the train on a rainy Friday afternoon and was checking out the 20 Minuten magazine. I scrolled through and looked at the pictures of train-wreck Lindsay Lohan and outfits to buy this Spring. It’s amazing how fast you can read a magazine when you only look at pictures. Some twenty-somethings sat down next to me, drinking their beers, and talking in English because it seemed one of their friends only spoke English. They grabbed the 20 Minuten and started reading the In and Out section out loud. My ears perked up because finally I got to know what it said! It turns out headbands are very in right now and so is some singer that I have never heard of. As it also turns out, it is sooo last week to update your social media sites with pictures of how Starbucks baristas misspelled your name on your cup. Thank goodness I am no longer a teenager, because instead of being mortified, the pure coincidence made my day.

I guess in my search for American normalcy, I am a Zurich outcast. Luckily, I already knew that.