This is the end...

My time in Berlin is coming to a close. I am drawing closer to the 50 week mark and my Wednesday morning flight is sooner and sooner. Bank account closed, couch sold, and appointment to un-register with the city made for Monday. School already seems like a life time ago and Lydia is long gone. My remaining friends are setting off for summer vacations or planning their own homeward treks. I've taken everything but my calendar and stick-on poppies off my walls. It is the end, this will even be my last blog post.

Or is it? Last week, my Uncle Michael called me for the last time on my Berlin phone. I repeated this sentiment to him. He thinks it is just the beginning. That I am changed in ways I cannot hope to understand right now and this is the beginning of my post-Berlin existence. I know I am changed. But as the changing has happened here, I'll only be able to appreciate that change when I return to my former comfort zone.

And as sad as I am to leave my life here, it feels right. I am ready to go home again. Back to sunshine and warm sun on your skin. Back to fog and orange trees. Back to family and friends. Back home. It may just have been two weeks short of a year, but it feels like I set out a lifetime ago.

Wrapping Up

My 50 weeks in Berlin is beginning to draw to a close, classes have come to an end, almost all my grades are in order, and friends are rapidly leaving. I have a powerful urge to take everything off my walls, clean out my closet, and pack my bags. But, I still have about two weeks and such preemptive measures could induce some sadness. So, I am holding off on the walls but beginning to think what I really need to bring back. The list seems to be much smaller than I had thought, I think I may even end up bringing back less than I initially had. This appeals to me, I wish I could just return with a carry on of books.

The wrapping up really began this week. I finished my last week of German university. With bells, I might add. I've gotten three of my grades back so far- good news there. But yesterday was my dear friend Lydia's last day in Berlin. Lydia that I have seen almost everyday for nine months (but for a brief break in Winter). Lydia that has become one of my best friends, and Lydia that I have shared Berlin with. With her departure, I can't help but be sad. So much of Berlin is marked by the experiences I have shared with her here and the places we have discovered together; I can imagine it without her friendship, but I don't want to. It;s fitting they call for rain this weekend.

So for now, it is back to oatmeal for me and I am left with the thought that in two weeks I'll be packing my bags and saying goodbye to Berlin, for at least a while.

Garam Masala Oatmeal?

This almost worked. Garam Masala oatmeal sounded like a winner, and it very nearly was. I have a large bag of garam masala- that magical all spice mixture of Indian cuisine- and am constantly looking for more avenues in which I can use my spice. As my mind's bend has been of late directed towards oatmeal, it is only natural that I would eventually combine the two. This morning was the moment of truth, I mixed the oats and water and then went to add the garam masala. Then, disaster struck. The garam masala got away from me, an avalanche spilled into the sauce pan and I could only spoon so much extra out of the precious oats. I knew there was too much garam masala in, but thought it could still be okay. I cooked to the normal consistency, hoping for deliciousness, but when the moment of truth arrived and I took a bite, it was too much. I couldn't eat it. I had to throw the bowl out and start again. At that point I was getting quite hungry and went for my favorite applesauce oatmeal combo. Maybe I'll give garam masala oatmeal another go tomorrow.

Savory Oatmeal Redux:Tomato Oatmeal

Before I was forced to return to the delicious combination of applesauce and oatmeal, I had a sudden epiphany. Oatmeal with Italian seasonings? Why couldn't it work? Let me lay the field with what my tomato oatmeal included. First I measured out the half cup oats and full cup water and cut them in my sauce pan. With the stove on medium heat, I mixed in a tablespoon tomato paste, a pinch of basil, a dash of garlic, and some salt. It took a bit longer to reach the proper, sticky, oatmeal consistency than normal- but the result? Fairly delicious. I even added a little bit of shredded goat cheese and it tasted even better.

I think it is fair to say that you can treat oatmeal like a blank slate, adding which ever flavor combinations you can think of. I'm not sure where I want to go next, maybe into an exciting world of Asian flavors? I have soy sauce, wasabi, sriracha, etc. Let's see what I can come up with. I invite all suggestions.

Chocolate Chili Oatmeal

This morning saw the trial of a Lydia recommended oatmeal combo- chocolate chili oatmeal. It was fairly delicious. Once more, I cooked up my normal portion of oats, while they were still on the stove and not entirely congealed- I mixed in maybe 1/2 Tablespoon of cocoa powder. Then two dashes of chili powder. In the bowl they went and my taste buds were in for an adventure! The cocoa powder was unsweetened, and it really could have used some sugar and I probably could have put in more chili powder, but it was pretty nice the way it turned out.

The general combination of chocolate and chili has become popular over the last few years, it is quite a traditional Aztec way to enjoy chocolate. I believe Lydia came to the taste sensation through my mutual love of things spicy and chocolate. A nice addition could even be to add some sriracha. What is sriracha not good on?

Unless inspiration or advice strikes, it looks like tomorrow will be back to applesauce oatmeal- so people, give me some suggestions!

Applesauce Oatmeal

This morning saw the return of one of my favorite oatmeal combos- applesauce and oatmeal. I still have about 1/3 of a jar of super healthy no-sugar-or-anything-sweet-added applesauce (bought on sale for 45cents!) in the fridge and this morning saw the 1/3 reduced a bit. I simply cooked up my oats as per usual, and while they were coming to a simmer placed a heaping tablespoon of applesauce at the bottom of my breakfast bowl, and mixed in generous amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. When the oats were sticky and done I poured them over the delicious additives and stirred them up. Result? Deliciously healthy oatmeal.

The existence of applesauce in my fridge is a byproduct of my great love for applesauce. My love affair with applesauce is something rather recent. For years I never ate the stuff, then one summer at my Uncle Skipper's old place in North Eastern Washington state, I had a life changing experience. My Uncle Skipper fed me homemade apple sauce. Things have never been the same since. It was a changing moment in my life. I'm still not exactly sure what he put in it, but it was out of this world. After that magical experience, applesauce was briefly forgotten and I concentrated on other things. I rediscovered applesauce a few years later as a magnificent substitute for sugar, eggs, butter, and many other unsavory and unhealthy ingredients used in baking. Applesauce became my secret weapon when making banana bread, but otherwise it was relegated to occasional use, languishing mostly forgotten in my fridge. Then this year, in search of something healthy and sweet to eat, I rediscovered applesauce. It was my savior when the wisdom teeth came out and has been a staple of my fridge ever since. And now the world knows- it makes for a mean bowl of oatmeal.

Oatmeal and Mango Chutney?

This morning, on my quest to:

A) Find new and exciting ways to eat oatmeal and

B) Use the things in my pantry/fridge and

C) Not go grocery shopping,

I ventured into yet another taste sensation with my combination of oatmeal and mango chutney. After cooking my 1/2 cup oats and 1 cup water to the proper consistency, I took about a tablespoon of mango chutney purchased some time ago from an Asian shop and put in the bottom of my bowl. Then I poured the oatmeal over, mixed it well, and added a few squirts of lime juice. I wasn't sure what to expect, but as the spoon reached my mouth, I was pleasantly surprised! It is different, naturally, but it works! And there is totally enough chutney in the jar to last me 3-4 more bowls of oatmeal. This is a happy find.

Any other oatmeal ideas out there?