Garlic Spinach and Tomato Spaghetti

Mac called from work and said he felt he'd like to eat a "light" pasta dish

no heavy sauces .   Hmmmm, how was I doing to do that?

So I put my best, "Italian Mama in the kitchen" thinking cap on and came up with this

recipe.  Mac loved it and asked for three helpings and said,

"You need to put this in your recipe section on your blog."

Put a pot of water on to boil for your spaghetti.  When you've finished with that

heat 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil in a medium frying pan over low heat.

Add 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed.

Now Add in 1 teaspoon Lawry seasoned salt and saute, stirring frequently while the garlic

turns a golden brown.

I halved yellow and red cherry tomatos

that measured about one cup and added them in to

saute for 5 minutes.

                                                 

Next I added three handfuls of pre-washed fresh spinach and

let it saute until it looked like this.  I added fresh parsley

3 tablespoons of it and

1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, do add more pepper flakes if you like a "bite"

to your pasta.

I drained the spaghetti and put it in a big bowl and

mixed in the contents of my frying pan.

I finished it off with a large sprinke of Parmesan cheese
and a teaspoon of  Due Vittorie Balsamico vinegar from Modena.
I thought it was delish.

Mac says this recipe gets three thumbs up.
Let me know what you all think!
Enjoy.

Krabba-Nescht/ Crow's Nest German Restaurant

Our landlord took us out to dinner a few months ago to a unique

location ten minutes from our house. It has become one of our favorite places to eat.

We think that  when Herr Walter Seeger came up with  an usual idea for a

German Restaurant in Holzbronn Germany, it was genius!

Mr. Seeger's restaurant is called the Krabba-Nescht or

in English

The Crow's Nest

This restaurant not only offers delightful German food at reasonable prices

but it's interior is utterly charming.

Upon walking in to the restaurant you notice a large tree

With a crow's nest sitting amidst the branches.

This whimsical restaurant is spread over two floors

and you will find surprises around every corner 

from the light fixtures hanging from the ceilings

to the many unique places to sit

These stairs give you access to this

fun room for children

where a bed frame has been turned into a table and chairs.

You never know what you'll discover here!

There's even a footbridge connecting two of the seating areas upstairs.

As interesting as this place is, the food is a real selling point if you

love German food like Mac and I do.

We've never had anything that didn't taste great from their menu.

We like to share the baked goat's cheese with fresh bread for our starter.

Mac normally has a schnitzel or whisky steak but, on this particular

evening he chose Maultaschen which is a speciality of the area we live in here in Germany. Think large meat filled ravoli.

Since I have been dieting I chose the smoked salmon with horseradish

and cranberry sauce.

For those of you bringing children who get bored, I recommend sitting outside where you can keep an eye on them while they play on the playground.

This is a definate MUST SEE and DO if you are in Germany.

I must caution you though that the restaurant is not open all the time.

Their hours are Wednesday-Saturday 5pm-1am

Sunday 11am-11pm

You will find it located on Bannstr.1 75365 Calw-Holzbronn

If you can read German you will enjoy their website

www.krabba-nescht.de

Mac gives it three thumbs up and says to tell you,

"You won't be sorry you tried this restaurant!"

Ambiente Africa / African Restaurant Stuttgart

Mac put me in charge of our 20th anniversary meal this year. He fully expected me to choose one of my favorite restaurants. He was most surprised when I dragged him into Ambiente Africa in Stuttgart.

Mac had been saying we hadn't had any adventures recently and I knew that he missed

traveling in Africa when he was working for Cisco.

So this seemed a way to honor our marriage vows of 20 years and

give Mac the adventure he'd been missing.  Mac said, "Even after 20 years you keep surprising me!"

I take that as a compliment.

This unique little gem can be found right in the city center and offers up some unusual

culinary delights such as gazelle, crocodile and antelope.

Yes, this is sand on the floor! Nice touch to make it feel authentic.

Mac confidently ordered an appetizer called Katena Ingera or Ethopian Flat bread

which he said he had often in Ethopia. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

I chose the Antilopenrohschinken mit Kitcha.

This was a smoked antelope. The kitcha was a spiced unleven bread.

We both enjoyed the appetizers.

For our main course Mac decided on the Springbock or grilled antelope

with couscous. Mac and I thought it tasted a bit like buffalo.

Being wild and adventurous I decided to risk it all and try the

crocodile. The first bite tasted like chicken but it left a very fishy after taste.

Would I have it again?  Probably not, but I am happy to have tried it.

I think I'll get the lamb next time I go.

For dessert we decided on the fruit yogart which was lovely, light and refreshing on a hot

night in Stuttgart.

I normally don't show you the bathrooms, but these were quite

remarkable. An unexpected surprise.

It was so pretty, I could have spent a long time in there.

Our bill was delivered in a sweet little African basket.

We took one last look around at this fun little restaurant and decided to meander

back to our car.

Our attention was drawn to some jazzy music done by some very young people.

We stopped to have a drink and enjoy people watching.  We loved the older man

who was having a ball.  His wife joined him later.

We so love to people watch.

Happy Anniversary, my love!  It was so much fun

and I HOPE you feel like we had another

amazing adventure together on

our journey through

LIFE!

Nagold Garden Show/Landesgartinshau Nagold

I've blogged on Nagold a lovely little village situated in the Black Forest before.

In that blog I walked you through the old part of the city and showed you the architecture in the area.

Nagold is certainly worth another blog this year as it has is hosting a State Garden show.

Nagold has been getting ready for this show since we moved here to Germany two years ago.

Search this site for the history and walk-through the old town of Nagold.

There is something for everyone here at the Garden Show.

For the high-spirited and adventurous there is the

high ropes course

and zip lines over the show.

For the gardeners amongst us, there are lovely garden ideas ranging

from how to have the prettiest vegetable patch in your

neighborhood

to more exotic ideas.

For the kids there is mini-golf

a train ride,

paddle boating

two play-grounds

and a petting zoo. Also available were pony rides for the wee little ones.

If you are bringing young children, I recommend a blanket, a packed picnic lunch and a change a clothes as they have a lovely wadding area in the river.

There is a nice river restaurant area with healthy wraps for lunch or dinner.

We enjoyed a visit from the garden show mascot while we ate.

Some local school children have done an Indian project

complete with a teepee.

There are interesting exhibits for adults

 

you may walk and peruse at your leisure.

You never know what you are going to see.  Here is the local Zimmerman club.  They put this together inside of 5 minutes with NO NAILS or BOLTS and hopped on and had a ball.

Check out the video for a flavor of what we saw.

 Mac and I ended our day at the restaurant across from one of the stages.  We enjoyed a

tasty beverage and a wonderful jazz concert.  Do come out and spend the day while the Nagold

Garden Show lasts.  It has been going since April 7th and ends in October 2012.

Entrance for adults is 15 Euro but a family card is 35 Euro.

This weekend is the last of the rose exhibit in one of the buildings

Our favorite...."Life is not a bed of roses" but it sure smells nice!