march noms

a low-key, windy weekend here in south bohemia: i focused most of my time and effort on planning the epic slovenia trip in june. and have realized, dang, slovenia is AMAZING! a country half the size of switzerland with so much to offer: alps, adriatic beaches, caves, glacial rivers, countryside, karst plateaus, national parks…. i am really looking forward to it.

and with the recent acquisition of a blender last month, i tried my hand at making delicious creamy almond milk– a drink which i would buy exclusively instead of milk while living in the states but never have been able to find it here. fortunately, it is so easy to make!

MAJOR STEPS: soak 1 cup of almonds overnight. blend almonds in your fancy blender with 3 cups of water, add a touch of your favorite sweetener if you’d like. strain (i used a lil’ coffee strainer tool, above) over a jar and use the almond remnants for baked goods or oatmeal. AMAZING! so excited about this one liter jar sittin’ in my fridge right now.

had a bit of said milk in my turecká (turkish) coffee on pi day, 3.14 (friday). well, in central europe we write it 14.3. and our version of pie is strudel! pi day across cultures.

then finally…. i created a very veg & protein heavy version korean bibimbap. how do you do it? take rice seasoned with rice vinegar ….. and throw EVERYTHING YOU LIKE EVER on top. nothing was spared: i had to eat it in two sittings. alex literally grunted caveman-style while eating this. i included steamed broccoli, steamed spinach, pickled bamboo shoots, chantrelle mushrooms, garlicy stir-fried green onions, chickpeas, tuna, fried tofu, and kimchi.

i don’t know about you, but i think we need a better look.

since bibimbap can really be anything over rice, i’d say i did it right. BAM!

and some non-food related photos of the past couple of weeks! the past week has marked my first a) ice cream cone of the season (vanilkova & jablko twist!) and b) my first hangin’ out outdoors without a jacket session. spring is almost here, guys!

enjoying a sunny and fairly warm “pre-spring” day on the square last friday

i now teach in the agricultural faculty building (at the uni) every wednesday. the class used to take place in a cushy conference room, and now… it’s in a room with giant models of cow stomachs, blackboards that you have to erase with a wet sponge, and boxy wooden desks from the times of czechoslovakia. so, that’s a thing.

a view from my office (ermm.. classroom) last thursday. yep, that looks like czechland.

my kitty friend who likes to hang out outside of the BOSCH plant. we’re buds.

a drawing (commissioned by me, of course) of my student lenka’s bedroom, complete with labels (even though i didn’t ask her to do it!) i am exceedingly proud of how far she’s come in the past year.

it happens to be st. patricks day today and my afternoon class has been canceled, so i’m going to find alex and track down a pint of fresh guinness… i hear there’s a pub in town that serves it!

and if you are interested in sending a free (international) postcard to a friend personalized with your own photos, comment on this post before friday and i’ll send you the link where you can do so!