Spätzle: A German Comfort Food That Connects Me to My Roots
Spätzle is one of the first foods that connected me to my German heritage. When I set out to learn how to make it, I was surprised at how simple it came together.
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Use Leftover Roast for German Frikadellen
Similar to our American hamburgers, German frikadellen are flat and pan fried. They are also a close cousin to our meatloaf because they have a variety of herbs and spices…
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American with German Heritage
More than a million Germans arrived in the United States between 1845 and 1855 [1]US History, Irish and German Immigration, and many more came after that. They were fleeing political…
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Gurkensalat – German Cucumber Salad with Dill
I grew up eating this cucumber salad with creamy dill dressing never knowing that it has a strong connection to my German heritage.
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German Red Cabbage with Apples
When I cook my Grandma’s red cabbage recipe, it always brings memories flooding back of times long forgotten. We didn’t eat it a lot – it wasn’t a favorite, in…
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Bridging Generations and Countries with Food
This post is inspired by the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by Amy Johnson Crow. The week 4 challenge is “Invite to Dinner”. Food has always been a central part of…
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Apple Jack Rumtopf in the Midwest
My mom frequently talks about rum pots that the old German women made in the summer months when she was growing up. The traditional German Rumtopf (rum pot) is a…
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Grandma Schuster’s Recipes
I initially had trouble deciding about whom to write given the week 9 52 ancestors theme, Close to Home. I live in the same area where my ancestors on all…
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Charley Jones, Born October 15th
Amy Johnson Crow at No Story Too Small gave us a new 52 Ancestors challenge for 2015. Each week, we have a different theme about which to write. It’s quite the challenge,…
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Dora Dietz was one tough cookie!
Amy Johnson Crow at No Story Too Small gave us a new 52 Ancestors challenge for 2015. Each week, we have a different theme about which to write. It’s quite the challenge,…
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St. Peters Cemetery, St. Clair County, IL
I have been fascinated with cemeteries for as long as I can remember. It feels a little morbid, but there is great history lurking among the grave markers! I’ve wandered through…
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52 Ancestors #30: From Germany to Mud Creek, Illinois
As I continue to answer the “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks” challenge set forth by Amy Johnson Crow over at “No Story Too Small”, I find myself doing more and…
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52 Ancestors #27: Sophia Arnold of Lenzburg, Illinois
Sophia Fredericka Arnold was barely 6 months old when she arrived in New York on June 19, 1843 from Hamburg, Germany. She came to America with her parents, Leonard and…
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Map of Germany
If you have Germany ancestors and need help figuring out where – on the map – they originated, this is a great resource! Personally, I can never remember where the…
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Jake and Anna Mueller Wedding Photo
My Grandma Raines’ grandparents, Jake and Anna Mueller, were married on October 29, 1895 in Ava, Illinois. This wedding photo was nestled in a box of family portraits that Grandma…
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#TBT Fritz Schuster and Family
My Grandma Raines kept all of the Schuster family photos in a box marked “trophies” on the top shelf of the linen closet. She would often get it out and show…
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52 Ancestors #10: Philip Schuster arrives in USA
Over 900,000 German men, women and children immigrated to the United States between 1845 and 1855. My 3rd great-grandfather, Philip Friederich Schuster was one of them. Philip was 13 years…
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52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #6 Marion Veronica Essler
One thing I find most frustrating about being relatively young and tracing family history is that I don’t hold much of the actual history in my own memory. Someday I…
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52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, #2: Jacob Heinrich Mueller
Jacob Heinrich Mueller is my 4th great grandfather on my mother’s side. He was born in Darmstadt, Germany in 1798 to John George Mueller and Anna Maria Rhutz (1800-1844). He immigrated to America…
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Spätzle with Onion and Mushroom Sauce
I’m continuing with my spätzle (spaetzle) adventure! After learning how this dish is typically served in Germany, I decided to mix variations and add a bit of Italian flavor. Cheesy…
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Applewurst and Kraut – an easy weeknight meal
German wurst (or wurste) can be loosely translated as sausage … and sometimes cold cuts. There are many different varieties of wursts, but only a few are readily available to…
