From the Edge of the Envelope: New Adventures with Dinner

So in just two days I will reach the point where I have lived in Germany for 4 months.... I know it seems longer but really just a mere mind searing 4 months. Now a month ago I had the vocabulary of a two year old in German, which is aprapoe as the twins turned two. I would give myself 2 1/2 now as the last few weeks my vocabulary has soared. I am understanding a lot more of what people are saying to me, and while I may still answer them in gestures and broken German at least I am actually understanding what is being said so I can attempt some answer. I can almost completely order at the Bakery in German. Although there is a girl who works there who will answer me in English with a smile she must be about 19. I can ask her the names of things though and she has increased my bakery vocabulary greatly. One thing I have yet to learn and every-time I go to a market I smack my forehead for not learning is " How much does this cost?" I am able to read far more than I can speak and by reading something I am getting about 1/4 of the gist of whatever I am reading instead of total confusion.

Why am I telling you all of this...... glad you asked. I have been bold shopping more and more out in the world and I have in the last week.... Thank you very much hunted and searched for new things on german websites. Not to give myself to much credit I have a translation widgit on my mac dashboard to help. ( I know could you have imagined me a year ago uttering that phrase:) It started with the legend of a Real near my house.... Real ( say REE -AL) is a German version of a super Wal-Mart. Don't get to excited for me I said a close German version still nothing like what a Wal-Mart is. They have a wonderful and large Grocery store however as close to an American grocery store as I will get for years.

Ok so side story here one of T's teacher's just came back from the states and before we started a conference with other of his teachers we were talking about her trip home she mentioned how she went to grocery store after grocery store in awe her family thought she was nuts for going so often just to browse... how sad is this 4 grown women pump her for information like kids on how big the aisles were how many varieties of things did she see did she eat this or that and oh did they have this or that .... I mean seriously over groceries.....

Ok back to Real so through the Mom network at the bus stop I finally got a lead on the Real near us ( the other one is 20 miles away) and I found out there actually is an indoor swimming pool with slides etc for the kids near the Real...another good tip especially because in the next 2 weeks the kids are off 4 days. I found out the name and hit the web I hunted the Real site and the Fildarado site and found the address for both places and took of with the GPS...... YES ladies and Gentlemen I sought them out found out info in German only using the translator for tough words and found them !!!!!

So really it about Real now... beautiful produce and meats etc. I have to tell you though beef is almost non existant... the German's in my region live for Pork I mean picture Buba going on about shrimp and that is the million and one dishes for pork here. I can find Lamb however and that brings us to the real story tonight. I have a fabulous recipe for Gyros, the kids and Sam love them and yes the sauce too. I can't get lamb on base so I have to get it out in the world. Which is fine but let me tell you I may cook meat ( I am a vegetarian) But I so prefer it in packages and not hanging in pieces at the butcher. Needless to say I have had some adjusting and what really gets me going is when they hand me this bloody piece of meat very fresh.....very fresh.... wrapped in paper..... wow. Yes, I am ok but it is adjustment. so I am at Real looking for lamb to make Gyros this week and next when we have company. Now they call lamb Lamn in German so it isn't to hard for me to find it. However, I am in the frozen food section of Real and what do I see but a box of meat with the word Gyro on it !!!! Oh I practically danced in the aisle way. Ok this should have been my first clue because the German's call Gyros Don Kebabs ( I could be miss spelling it sorry) But at the time I am so ecstatic I don't have to touch dripping fresh meat and it is less expensive than what I had been finding I am in ecstatic coma in the store. Plus all the German's in the aisle are really staring at me hugging this wonderful box of frozen meat. Even H who was there was staring at me funny. I put 4 boxes in the cart very pleased with myself. Then I found Tzatziki Salat and was even more thrilled I wouldn't have to make it from scratch and it would probably be more authentic........

So remember last week when things went awry just about when I was feeling good........

Tonight all excited I crack open one of those boxes and cook the meat ....... now as I am cooking the meat I look at the box and only now do I see the title right under the word Gyros........

I see Schweinefleisch..... I think mmmmm this is very odd why would this be on the box Schweinefleisch is pork in German........ yes so I go to the computer and type in the sentence under Gyros....... I got the literal translation of the fine print so to speak...... Pork cut in the style of Gyro meat. yes I bought pork instead of lamb 4 boxes of frozen pork instead of the lamb my family loves........ oh and it gets better the Tzatziki-Salat I bought ( thinking it was just German for Tzatziki..... was actually Vienna sauerkraut with herbs and cucumber........ Oh yes so my poor family had pork Gyros with Viennese sauerkraut......... I guess a German style Gyro..... not an authentic Don kebab..... or a true Gyro......