Sweet September

The winner of my very first giveaway, a Coffee Indulgence, is.....

Just_Megs!

Congrats! Send your address to me at kendra143j (@) yahoo (.) com.

Thank you so much to all of you who entered the first giveaway! You made my day! =)

Now on to the next giveaway!

Can you tell that I like chocolate, baking, desserts in general? Well, I do. Love them in fact. The best part is that I only need a bite or two to be satisfied. This helps keep me from packing on the pounds from my calorific love.

One of the greatest things about living here in Europe is the chocolate. Belgians and Germans are in fact, known for their chocolates. I've been lucky enough to sample sweets from several countries already and I want to pass that sweetness along to you. The prize includes chocolates from Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands!

J and I absolutely LOVE Milka. It's very popular here in Germany and we were first told about it by our German movers. We have a piece (or two or three...!) almost every night after dinner. The one with hazelnuts is out favorite.

Gummy Bears are hugely popular here, so much so, that they even have stores that sell nothing but gummy bears and gummy candy! At our hotel in Stuttgart, instead of getting a chocolate or a mint on your pillow, you got a travel size bag of gummy bears!

Toblerone has been a long time favorite of ours and now it is so easy and less expensive to get.

Kinder brand treats are another very popular treat here in Germany. Everyone loves them and they are super cute.

A distinct difference between German sweets, and even some European sweets in general, is that while they are sweet, they aren't sweet like what we as Americans are used to. It's less sugary sweet and more naturally sweet, but still as satisfying and great tasting. I actually like it more than the artifical, calorie and fat heavy American sweets. And I love to eat it cold. Freezing cold! We stash all of our chocolates in the freezer. Does anyone else do this?

Entering is super easy this time....Just be a follwer of my blog and leave me a comment telling me what your favorite sweet treat is. That's it, easy-peasy! Everything pictured here is included. The giveaway will end on Sunday, September 19th at midnight. I'm heading out to another wine fest this weekend (our third in as many weeks!) and I'm hoping I find some more treats to add to this, so if you win, there may be more sweet surprises in store!

Stuttgart, Germany

We recently attended out very first wine festival. We drove the 2.5 hrs to Stuttgart for the Weindorf. We had a blast & would highly recommend this festival and this town.

We stayed at the Hotel Pension Am Heusteig. This was the least expensive hotel that we've stayed in since coming to Europe and it's one of our favorites. We were so surprised at the really reasonable nightly rate here. The location is central in the town and near everything. We were able to park our car on Friday afternoon in a parking garage one block from the hotel and walk everywhere the entire weekend. Breakfast and WiFi were free. The only negative was the fact that we were on the 4th floor with no elevator. Oh well, it was good exercise right?

We went sight-seeing our first day. They have a shopping district that leads to the center of the city where the main historic building are.

Inside the Old Castle

The New Castle

Where Parliament is now held

One of the old gorgeous churches/clock towers

The Theatre and lake

Skyline

We went to the wine fest both afternoons/nights that we were there. There were a ton of booths/tents set up offering local Swabbian cuisine and drinks. They didn't offer many reds, but we found a few that we liked. We were able to try the wines before buying them which was great, but it also made it easier to get tipsy! The local food was delicious! We ate and drank way too much, but had a great time and didn't care!

I fell in love with this drink! It's 1/2 the local grape juice, 1/2 sparkling water. Delicious and refreshing!

Local cuisine

The cheese noodles (top left) were delicious!

These little guys are called Mini Berliners- basically a doughnut hole with jam inside. So good!

We had a fantastic weekend, but it wouldn't be a trip with K&J if there wasn't an adventure involved. After we checked out of our hotel on Sunday, we walked the block back to the parking garage where we had parked Friday afternoon....only to be greeted by locked gates and a closed parking garage!!! Apparently the garage is only open M-F and is closed on the weekends. We never would have thought a parking garage would be closed on the weekend! There was a sign posted stating that they were closed on the weekends (in German of course), but we couldn't see it from where we pulled in. Argh!

A variety of solutions ran through our heads: staying another night and leaving in the morning, getting a ride back with a friend, etc., but in the end, J suggested that we talk to the bartender at the restaurant that was connected to the garage to see if he had any suggestions. When J explained what had happened the bartender told him that it happens all the time (probably to Americans =), and he actually had a key to the garage! I can't tell you how grateful we were at that moment! We were able to get our car out and be on our merry way back home.

The best part of the story? Since they are closed on the weekends, we were only charged for Friday afternoon/evening, making it the cheapest parking spot in town! We will definitely be parking there again! hahaha!

Recipe of the Week

I made this week's recipe a few weeks ago for a small dinner party we had. Everyone loved it and J & I ate the leftovers for several days. It tastes like a candy bar! The bottom layer was more like a brownie than a cake. So, so, yummy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mallow Bars

Courtesy of: Kraft

Ingredients:

1 pkg. devil's food cake mix

1 stick of butter, melted

2/3 c. cold milk, divided

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter

7 oz. Marshmallow Creme

1/2 c. peanuts

6 squares of Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1. Heat oven to 350º.

2. Mix dry cake mix, butter, & 1/3 c. milk until blended. Press two thirds of this mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13x9 inch pan.

3. Bake 12-14 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool 3 mins.

4. Mix peanut butter and remaining milk until well blended (this takes a little time). Spread onto crust.

5. Top with spoonfuls of marshmallow creme and remaining cake mixture. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate. Press gently into cake mixture.

6. Bake 18 mins or until center is just set. Cool before cutting into bars.

7. Enjoy!

I promise I will start taking photos of these creations and posting them along with the recipes. I know I will make these again, so Ill take a picture of them then!

Be careful what you say....

....Because it might come back and bite you in the ass.

How many of you use Sk*pe? I'm betting most of you, especially if you are military or somehow connected to the military. We use it all the time. We talk to friends and family back home, we bought Sk*pe credit and use it to call various places back home, and we use it to communicate with each other when one of us is away. Seriously, living abroad has been made easier and bearable by using the free program. We love it.

BUT....

Recently an "incident" occurred that may or may not be because of our Sk*pe usage. Im using the * because I we arent 100% sure this is connected. One night last week we video chatted with J's parents. During the conversation, they relayed his grandparents phone number to us so we could give them a call. After we were through speaking with them, we used our credit and called J's grandparents back in the States. We hadn't chatted with them since moving to Germany so it was time for a call. We spoke to them for no longer than 15 minutes and hung up.

Two mornings later, I received two emails from his family asking if we were ok, briefly describing what happened, and urging us to call them asap. I was so confused, so I called his parents. J had already left for work for the day. His parents proceeded to tell me the following crazy, horrible story:

The morning after we spoke to his grandparents, they received a call from someone stating that they had their grandson, were holding him hostage, and demanded $5,000 be wired to them immediately or they would hurt him. They didn't use any names, but J's grandmother thought she recognized his voice and so she said his name. They took that and ran with it saying, "Yes, it is J..." They had someone else pretending to be the grandson crying on the phone asking them to send the money quick. The story was that he had flown to the Dominican Republic, rented a car, and then drove to Haiti. Along the way, he picked up some hitchhikers. While there he was caught with a car full of drugs and was now being held hostage. The story is so far-fetched and so unlikely if you know us, but J's grandparents didn't immediately realize it. I wouldn't expect them to at their age and with their very limited knowledge about our daily lives.

Unfortunately, they believed them and were actually going to wire the money. Thankfully some other family member plus some very smart Western Union people figured out that this was a major scam. Some evil, f*cking douchebags were trying to prey on the elderly and swindle money from them. It breaks my heart that there are people out there like this who take advantage of kind hearted people. It paints such a negative, cynical picture in my mind and I lose a little faith in people each time something like this happens. And I'm a "glass is half full" kind of gal. I have seen this happen only on TV, like in an episode of CSI, but I've never heard of it actually happening to someone.

J's grandparents are old and his grandmother is medically fragile, so this really took a toll on them. I can't imagine the pure terror and panic they must have felt. She was so shaken up, she had to be admitted to the hospital that night with hypertension, anxiety and an irregular heart beat. Thankfully, she only stayed one night and is doing much better.

The moral of the story is this: watch what you say over the internet. Nothing is secure and it's easy to forget that. Try not to talk about exact locations, telephone numbers, travel plans, etc. because you never know who may be listening it. We aren't sure if this is due to our Sk*pe conversation. If it's not, then it's a HUGE coincidence that this happened 12 hrs after we spoke to them.

Be safe everyone and Happy Sunday!

I've Been Tagged...

MRM from Preppy Girl Meets World tagged me on this. I do belie

ve this is the first blog "tag" I've ever had so of course I had to play along! =)

Don't forget to enter my very first giveaway and thank you so much to those of you who already have!

1. If you could have any superpower what would you have? Why?

This one's easy- teleportation. I really hate to fly. Turbulence scares the beejeezus out of me, so I would be forever grateful if I could just snap my fingers and be at our destination.

2. Who is your style icon?

How bad is this- I don't really have one. I have my own style- a mix of classic, vintage, simple & funky. My mom has great style so she's definitely been an influence, but there isn't a specific celebrity that has had a style impact on me. And to be honest, I don't really follow fashion and could care less if what Im wearing is last season or cutting edge. I wear what I wear because I like it. Interestingly enough, I absolutely love Project Runway!

3. What is your favorite quote?

I have so many! Here are a few:

*Keep company with those who make you better.

*The way we view the world, creates the world we see.

*What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

4. What is the best compliment you've ever received?

My husband has given me more sincere, meaningful compliments than I could ever keep up with.

5. What playlist/cd is your CD player/iPod right now?

I love what I call "relaxing" music. John Mayer, John Legend, Jack Johnson, Bob Marley, Duffy and a mix of a hundred more. I need something new in the mix though. Any suggestions?

6. Are you a night owl or a morning person?

Morning person, no doubt! Just not super early. =) I enjoy the daytime hours and the sun. I definitely couldn't be a vampire- my bedtime's around 11pm!

7. Do you prefer dogs or cats?

Definitely dogs! I own the cutest, rottenest, sweetest little baby girl minpin ever named Reese. Can you tell how much I love her? =) I always had dogs growing up and have never owned a cat. I like them, I just don't want one. J has always had cats and tries to change my mind about owning one. When we move back to the States, we'll see.

8. What is the meaning behind your blog name?

No secret here- I love wine! J and I actually came up with it together on our honeymoon last year. He said Uncork and I said Unwined, as in you come home from a long day at work and all you want to do is have a glass of wine and well, unwind. Lots of people mistakenly call it Uncorked and Unwined. =)

So Im supposed to tag 8 other people....

ACUs and ABCs

Adventures in Italia

Army of Two

Lovely in Pink

My Camo Colored Life

Stetsons, Spurs, and Stilettos

Sugar Bee's Hive

the annoyed army wife

So I guess this means you're IT! =)

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in #11

It's time for the Friday Fill-in again! I swear the days are flying by! It's already September, yay! Thanks to Wife of a Sailor for hosting.

1. What is a weird/funny superstition that you have? (from A{muse}ing Mommy on a Pink Park Bench) My mother is the most superstitious person I know and I have adopted a couple of hers- spilled salt must be thrown over my left shoulder to ward off bad luck and if I have a bad dream, I cant talk about it until after breakfast or it might come true! haha, I know it's ridiculous, but even so, I cant help myself from doing them.
2. What are your hopes and dreams for the years AFTER the military? After all, we aren't in it forever! (from Stetsons, Spurs and Stilettos) Settled in our dream house near the beach, 2-3 kids, me working as an APN/instructor and J doing something he loves. There are so many variables between here and there that it's difficult for me to think in specifics. I just know that I want to be settled somewhere, knowing that I dont have to move every 2-4 yrs. I like the feeling of being established. Oh, and of course we will still be traveling the world in our spare time! =)
3. Since [this] month is National Apple Month (no really!), I'd probably ask: What is your yummiest apple recipe? (from NH Girl Displaced) I actually don't eat raw apples; they make me sick. I do however love cooked apples, so good old fashioned apple pie is my favorite! I am looking forward to spiced apple cider now that fall is here.
4. How long have you gone as a military spouse without talking to your husband/wife during service? (from A Navy Princess and Her Little Sailors) Hmm....while he was deployed, I would say 4-5 days. We've been lucky enough to have decent internet connections and phone service.
5. I occasionally watch When I was 17... on MTV. So, what was something that was significant about your 17th year of life? (fromAshley Amazing) We don't have MTV, so I have no idea what this show is! When I was 17 I: broke up with my high school boyfriend, graduated high school, moved into my very first apartment and started college. It was a very busy year!

Has anyone checked out the new stats feature on blogger? Natalia at Army of Two directed me to it. Very interesting stuff!

We will be checking out a couple of wine festivals this weekend, so I should have some good posts on wine next week!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

New Feature & Birthday Month!

Happy September!!!

This is my most favorite month of the year! It's my birth month, fall begins, football starts up & pumpkin spice lattes are available at Starbucks. Yes, fall is my favorite season. I love cool weather, the changing of the leaves, the decor (pumpkins are so cute!), and the holidays. In honor of my birth month, I will be hosting my very first giveaways! Nothing special, just a couple of fun things that I've picked up since moving to Germany.

Since there are 30 days in September and three prizes, each giveaway will last for 10 days. The first giveaway starts today and runs until September 9th at midnight West Coast time. Here's how to enter:

1. Leave a comment for each entry

2. Follow my blog- 1 entry

3. Follow me on Twitter (@kmack143)- 1 entry

4. Tweet about this giveaway - 1 entry

5. Blog about this giveaway- 1 entry

And that's it. Four chances to win. Nothing too complicated. Be sure to leave one comment for each entry so I can plug it into the random number jig-a-ma-roo. If you tweet or blog about it, be sure to leave the link or your twitter name in the comment so I can check it out. Now onto the prize!...

This one is Kaffe (coffee) themed. Yum! I'm not sure how many of you out there are coffee fans. If you aren't then maybe you know someone who is that might like this. You'll get a coffee cup and saucer, espresso bon-bons, a wooden plate, and a coffee scented candle, all from Stuttgart, Germany; chocolate covered coffee beans from the Wawi chocolate factory in Pirmasens, Germany; and hot chocolate scented lotion and bath gel. It all looks and smells so delectable!

As for the new feature, Becca from The Finish Line left a comment suggesting that I start a Beer or Wine of the week. She's living vicariously since she pregnant. I thought this was a great idea! Thank you for the suggestion Becca and I will be starting this new weekly feature next week so stay tuned!