Tales from Studio Mailbox

Seasonal Spices

For those of us in Germany, here's the sweetest little packet of spices I've found yet:  Staesz Pfefferkuchen Gewürze!

This is a big envelope full of smaller envelopes of the most finely ground (practically powdered) holiday spices imaginable: bitter orange, lemon, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, ginger, nutmeg and cardamon.  These are the secret weapons you need if you're going to try your hand at Lebkuchen or spice cake.

It has taken me years to enjoy the taste of chocolate mixed with cinnamon.   Now I eagerly await the arrival of my friends and neighbors Christmas goodies.

For those non-bakers out there, you could also sprinkle these babies into a pot of slowly boiling water to infuse the house with that winter smell.  Just remember to slap some flour onto your face before answering the door to give off a more authentic impression of kitchen industriousness!

Stocking Stuffer Accessories

Well just because I can't partake in "Black Friday" doesn't mean I can't post a couple of terrific Germanic ideas for your Wunschzettel. (Wish list).

First, Spiegelburg came out with the sweetest little Edelweiss hairpins. (Bestell-Nr. 50072). I pretended to buy them for my own stocking but had them in my hair within 24 hours.  I am magnetically attracted to all things alpine, most especially the resilient flower of higher altitudes.  Please Santa, do bring more! 

Secondly, Escapulario has come out with this super cool bracelet of Lebkuchen hearts mounted on wooden beads.  (Lebkuchen is gingerbread, and I'm talking about those giant heart shaped cookies sold at fair grounds). A classic icon of Deutschland, all on a stretchy band just waiting to be worn by you.

My mother-in-law snatched the one and only from a store display, and allowed me to wear it immediately.  I'm am sooo spoiled.  Everyone knows you're not supposed to buy yourself anything from November onward to ensure great gifts.  Now I'm probably gonna get a lump of coal...

Strictly Complicated

Here's one for my knitting friends!  How sweet is this little old German yarn braider?  Apparently every young girl sat with her "Stricki" in hand and made long ropes from grandma's yarn in the early days.  This must be something like latch hook or maybe those potholder weaving loom things that most American girls try their hands at one time or another...

Despite the box saying that it's "from 5 years" I struggled to understand how to get started with the basic instructions and the plastic needle.  Like whatever!  Maybe if you're a 5 year old German engineer for cripes sake...hmmm... I guess I'll have to coerce one of my Deutsche friends to demonstrate this ancient technique.  

Oooh...video footage opportunity...

If you can get it rolling, it creates a tube instead of just a simple chain but I'm not sure if you could then take the tube and wind it into concentric circles and make a rug as the box implies.   This packaging was apparently designed before "truth in advertising" was really an issue.

How cute is the graphic of the little ball of varrigated yarn with it's curly tail?  And just for good measure it's marked as a "good toy from Munich."  Well there you have it.

This Soap is Dope

I'm so sorry to do this again.  But one look at the package and it had to be mine...

First glance might make you wonder if this soap is for pirates, (is that a tea ship?) but the scent will have you thinking of grandma's kitchen.  Dralle's Gewürzseife, literally "spice soap" (I'm catching whiffs of the brown ones: cloves, ginger, cinnamon) claims to be made from an old recipie. Look at that font!  (Clearly some kind of ancient German secret formula).  The soap bar itself is very beautifully textured but I'm undecided whether I really like the product.  I can't quite get over why you'd want soap that smells like food. 

If you've enjoyed this, here are some other things I've bought based on absolutely nothing other than packaging charm:

Almdudler

(Supposedly) Bavarian Noodles

Austrian Muscle Ointment

Do I need intervention?  Or simply a new category for these little cultural treasures?

 

 

 

The Sound of Pasta

Are these noodles any good?  With packaging like this, who cares. 

But you know what's really bothering me?  Ever since Berlin, I'm getting really wierd about food.  Despite having traveled quite a bit, I've never before seen mothers begging for change with children in their laps.  So now I'm at home realizing that I buy pasta not because I would like to cook my family noodles, but because I like the packages. 

I wish I could put these noodles in a resealable container, keep the packaging and return to Berlin and give the noodles to those mommies with hungry kids.  Then I would make some art of the happy children's faces peeking through the transparent packages, with Bavarian characters dancing over their smiles.

Miracel Whip

Check out this labeling wierdness!  After nearly three years of washing out mayo jars and soaking off their labels, I just now realized this spelling strangeness...!!  This is the German version of Miracle Whip.  The German word for miracle is "Mirakel."  This word, "Miracel" is not found in either language.  For a second, I thought I had lost my marbles.  Or marbels. 

Chokella

Ok readers, what do you think the folks at Nestle's naming division were thinking when they came up with this one?

Did it not occur to anybody that the word CHOKE is in this name, which brings mothers to a bad psychological place in the cereal aisle?

The word "chocolate" in German is "schokolade."  So I'm not understanding why they dropped the "s" but kept the "k."  Oops.

These are tasty little chocolately pockets of crispiness, but I find myself chewing very deliberately before swallowing!

Celebrating Austria

Austria is a beautiful country full of beautiful people. I've enjoyed every visit I've had there, especially the spotless B&Bs with their crisp linens and fluffy-puffy pillows and comforters.  So I want to post a little something to celebrate this country that is unfortunately in shock and horror at this time.

Franzbranntwein Gel is a natural pain relieving cream made with menthol and the homeopathic remedy arnica.  It's like a more "natural" version of BENGAY.  Holzhacker brand comes in the coolest packaging, with a very Alpine-looking man displaying a bottle.  It reminds me a little bit of the old traveling salesmen and their wagons full of elixirs.  Except this one really does relieve pain and leave your skin with a pleasant tingling.  I highly recommend it.

I'll be making ATCs out of my packaging, stay tuned for the results.

Nick the Easy Rider Popcorn

Since a lot of my art is made from packaging, I pay a lot of attention to it.  And being here in Germany, I'm exposed to either brands I recognize in alternative packaging, or altogether new brands.

And here is one of those times!  I've discovered Nick the Easy Rider Popcorn-Mais and my life may never be the same.  It claims to be, "the American way of life."

What is amazing to me is whether or not this is even legal.  I'm not trying to make trouble for anybody, but is it OK to so blatantly associate your German product with an American cult movie?  Wierd.

Wierder yet are the German serving suggestions on the side of the package.  *Note to readers: anybody with access to this product needs to cut me some slack on the translation.  I don't profess to be fluent.

For breakfast:  Pour warm milk over hot popcorn, and possibly sweeten it with honey or acorn syrup.  (Don't worry, a future post will address the confusion between acorn syrup and maple syrup, but I digress).

As a dessert:  Serve hot popcorn with berry or fruit compote with milk or cream.  Another delicious taste is to mix it with melted chocolate.

With Longdrinks or Beer:  Lightly salt the hot popcorn and serve with a spicy butter sauce, for instance peanut butter sauce.  (According to the serving suggestions, peanut butter sauce is achieved by mixing one spoon of PB with two spoons of butter, melting it, and pouring it over the popped corn).

As a snack:  Hot popcorn can be served lightly salted or sprinkled with cinammon and sugar.

Hmmm. Who knew?

Nick the Easy Rider Popcorn-Mais.  For the bad-ass biking popcorn-eater in every one of us.