I was perusing the Over the Moon website, when I came across these beautiful dirndls. The designer, Annina Pfeul, studied at NY Parson’s School of Design. She took what she learned there, and applied it to Alpine fashions. She has beautiful handmade dirndls made at the traditional mills of Austria and Germany.
With Oktoberfest starting in 1 month, I thought it would be the perfect time to share these with you!
This toile one below is my favorite!
Shop the looks below:
This weekend is the kick-off for Oktoberfest in Germany and we celebrated a weekend early!
Over the past few years we have made it a tradition to throw our own Oktoberfest. This year was our biggest party yet!
First, some quick Oktoberfest FAQ:
What exactly is Oktoberfest?
It is a celebration that has been held nearly every year since 1810 in Munich, Germany. It is a 16-day festival that runs from late September into the first weekend in October. It was started on October 12, 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on the Theresienwiese (Theresa’s Meadow). To this day, the celebrations are still held on the Theresienwiese! In Munich, an average of 6 million people visit during this festival.
Why is it called Oktoberfest when it starts in September?
The festival was moved up to enjoy the nicer weather of September.
For the table, I used placemats that my mom made some years ago and some fresh sunflowers.
For party decorations, I simply took our nutcrackers out and put them on display. I only displayed the ones in traditional Bavarian/Tirolean costume.
I also purchased a Bavarian flag banner and hung it up high to evoke the feeling of being in a German beer hall. As you can see the banner goes into the kitchen too.
The banner was a happy mistake – I thought I was buying 10 foot banner and instead accidentally purchased a 100 foot banner. Oh well, it worked out in the end!
So, what food did we serve? Well, homemade Bavarian pretzels of course! I used my pasta drying rack to display the freshly baked pretzels.
I made chocolate cupcakes decorated in the style of the German gingerbread hearts that are found all over Oktoberfest.
I would have made the hearts, but frankly, they don’t taste good. These chocolate cupcakes were super moist. I just used a chocolate cake mix.
I also had marzipan, the chocolate hazelnut by Ritter Sport, chocolate hazelnut wafers, and black forest truffles.
Guests were encouraged to wear their traditional German wear – Dirndls and Lederhosen! (blurred faces for privacy). Here is a post I wrote about what to wear to the Oktoberfest.
Bavarian Pretzels with selection of German mustards
Red Cabbage (Rotkohl) – purchased from a specialty grocery store
Bratwurst – purchased from a German speciality store
German Pumpkin Soup (recipe here)
Sauerkraut and Potatoes (a German potato salad, recipe from my Oma)
German cucumber salad (sliced cucumbers, red onion, and sour cream with a dash of ranch or dill)
European Dark Bread (a farmer’s loaf – from a local bakery) with a selection of cheese
Apple Strudel
Chocolate cupcakes
Selection of chocolates
We have used this recipe for several years but I don’t know where we originally found it from. I have copied it below.
Pretzels (Laugengeback) Lye method
480 g all purpose flour
5 g malt extract (dry or moist) [one can substitute 10 g of sugar]
40 g butter
11 g salt
1 pkg yeast
480 g water
Coarse salt for sprinkling
For Lye Dip:
1 ½ tablespoon per 2 cups water. Food grade sodium hydroxide. Always add lye to water, not water to lye
To begin,
USE SAFETY GLASSES, RUBBER GLOVES, AND LONG SLEEVED CLOTHING. THIS LYE IS DANGEROUS.
Prepare the lye bath by placing the sodium hydroxide into a stainless steel pot
Heat the lye mixture until warm. Lye reaction will heat the pot naturally.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO BREATH THE FUMES AND WORK IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA.
Set aside and start to prepare the dough
Stir the yeast into the water
Mix flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
Form a well in the flour/salt and add the sugar to the well.
Pour the yeast/water into the well and let sit for 15 minutes without stirring.
Add the softened butter to the mixture.
Use a dough hook and run the Kitchenaid for 6 minutes on setting 2.
Some additional water might be needed if all the dry ingredients are not gathering into a ball.
Remove the dough hook and let rest for 30 minutes.
Split the dough into 12 equal parts, (about 63 grams each) and roll into a ball.
Spray the counter with cooking oil and roll the dough balls into pretzel ropes of about 24-30 inches long.
Roll in two steps so the dough can rest in between stretches.
Form the dough rolls into pretzel shapes.
Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 1 hour. This will build a skin.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Remove pretzels from the refrigerator and dip into the lye bath for 20 seconds (make sure both side are covered)
Lay pretzel on the parchment lined cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking oil.
Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Score the fat part of the pretzel dough with a razor or sharp knife.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until brown.
BE CAREFUL OF SPLASHES
Place on a silicone mat that is on a baking sheet. Parchment paper should be oiled as the wet lye and dough will stick to the parchment paper.
Dab the extra lye that has accumulated on the silicone mat with a paper towel.
Any lye that is left on a non-stick cookie sheet will ruin the non-stick coating.
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Oktoberfest is just around the corner so I thought I would share our Oktoberfest party from last year that I never blogged about! Below, a vintage Bavarian hat sits on a wheeled market basket.
One of the centerpieces on one of the tables is this traditional Bavarian nutcracker! He is surrounded by a wreath I made.
Oktoberfest is held in September ( I know, confusing right?). Here’s a little history: It is a celebration that has been held nearly every year since 1810 in Munich, Germany. It is a 16-day festival that runs from late September into the first weekend in October. It was started on October 12, 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on the Theresienwiese (Theresa’s Meadow). To this day, the celebrations are still held on the Theresienwiese! In Munich, an average of 6 million people visit during this festival.
Each year I pull out a few of my Bavarian nutcrackers and use them as decorations for the party. My mom and I made the placemats.
I had printed off these little hearts a few years ago – they are a little worse for wear now. I’ll have to print off new ones next time. I simply taped strings to them, created a little heart sandwich and hung them from the chandelier.
What’s on the menu?? Do you have to ask? Pretzels of course!! These pretzels are homemade and follow a traditional German recipe complete with a lye bath. Yep, lye, and no I’m not lying. You dip your pretzels in lye to crate the beautiful color and traditional taste and outside crunch on them. A baking soda bath will do, but it’s just not the same.
Some were wonkier than others… that’s okay, they all taste the same!
What else did we have? German sauerkraut and potatoes (basically a German hot potato salad). Cucumber salad. Sausage. German red cabbage. German beer, for those that drink. And a Black Forest Cake, no, not German chocolate cake. German chocolate cake isn’t German… but Black Forest Cake is! We’ve had homemade Apple strudel too, get the recipe here.
And we had loads of marzipan, as displayed below.
You can have your own Oktoberfest party too just by having some themed food and pull out a nutcracker or too. You don’t have to wear your Lederhosen and Dirndl, unless you want to.
Danke für Ihren Besuch. Tschüss!
Have you heard about the cow festivals in the Alps? I hadn’t either… until I went to one. I had so much fun and then I went to another!
Every year at the end of Summer, the sound of bells can be heard ringing through little Alpine villages of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. What does this mean? The cow herds are descending from their Summer pastures to their Winter pastures.
The entire village joins in on the celebration and is decorated – the people wear their traditional folk dress and the cows are dressed up too! They wear special headdresses!
The farmers lead their herd down the hill. It’s really funny watching the cows… they follow one after the other in a line, most of the time.
Except when they see green grass, then the line gets broken and they try to make their way to the grassy fields. The farmers then use their sticks and wack them back into line! 
In addition to costumes, there is traditional Schuhplatteln dancing, Alphorn blowing and music.
The locals wear their traditional costumes. Love the little girl being pulled in the goat cart. Sorry I blurred their faces as I don’t know European law about faces in pictures.
Speaking of goats, there are often little goat herds in the festival too! They don’t get to wear crowns like the cows, but they all have little bells on them. This little girl below was funny – she looked behind at her goat the entire time and kept her tight on her leash… perhaps she’s been known to eat through a rope or two?
This ceremonial cattle drive is called the Almabtrieb, however in the Allgäu it is called the Viehscheid.
The cows wear traditional “Fuikl”, which are special crowns worn only for the Almabtrieb.
The farmers create the crowns them selves, often from the fir and spruce branches and wildflowers.
The cow with the biggest and prettiest crown of each herd is the Kranzrind, “The Crown Cow” and has a special job as it is the lead cow and leads the rest of the cows home. Below, in between the two people you can see the “Crown Cow” – it has the biggest bell and the biggest crown.
The loud bells around the necks of the cows are designed to protect them from “hostile demons” as they descend into the valley.
There are two types of cowbells – “Glocken” which are cast and “Schellen” which are from plate metal.
The locals really do party ’til the cows come home. Hmm… wonder if this is where the saying originates?
The festival pictures above are from two separate festivals in different years – one was in Switzerland and one was in Austria.
Source for Article information is from Bavaria.by.
Here are some websites that list the dates they occur:
Viehscheid and Almabtrieb in Bavaria
Almabtriebe and Viehscheidtermine in Bavaria, Allgäu, Tirol, Austria, and Switzerland
I do hope you enjoyed reading about the cow festivals in the Alps! We liked going to these over going to the Oktoberfest. I know many people travel to Germany for the Oktoberfest… perhaps you’ll find time to make it to one of these festivals!
Last week during our Oktoberfest party I made apple strudel for the first time! I looked far and wide for an authentic German/Austrian apfelstrudel recipe. I felt like this recipe was really authentic! It was also really pretty easy to make – because I cheated and used frozen puff pastry dough as my strudel dough. Making strudel dough from scratch is labor intensive.
Easy Traditional Apple Strudel – Printable recipe here
makes 2 loaves, serving 10-14 people
Directions:
Below are the two strudels getting ready to go into the oven!
43 minutes later…. voila! It is now a nicely golden brown in color! Smells amazing, too!
Once the strudel has cooled to when it is slightly warm, sprinkle powdered sugar on top!
I like to eat mine with ice cream!
I thought this recipe tasted exactly like the strudel I ate in Germany. Which means.. it isn’t overly sweet. If you love sweet desserts, I would recommend adding a bit more sugar to it. Traditional strudel isn’t super sweet like American apple pie. Or, you could always just sprinkle more powdered sugar on top. I think serving it with whipped cream or ice cream is essential. Also, it tastes better served warm. If your strudel cooled down to room temp, I would recommend just heating it up either in the oven or microwave.
This past weekend I had some family over and we had an Oktoberfest party – lots of great Oktoberfest party decorations here!! For the party, I set up this pretty Oktoberfest table!
Hanging from the chandelier are printouts of Lebkuchen hearts you see everywhere in Bavaria – especially during Oktoberfest time! I simply took the ones from last year and glued them to some cardboard. I then punched a hole in the center and hung them with string! You can print out your own here through my Oktoberfest 2014 table: Oktoberfest 2014 table
I found the printed plates and napkins at Cost plus. The napkin rings are vintage Erzgebirge from Germany that were found on eBay. Aren’t they cute? They are holding plates from the harvest.
For the placemats, I made my own. I couldn’t find any Bavarian looking placemats anywhere! And when I found German placemats, they were black, red, and yellow which are the colors of the German flag. Oktoberfest colors are blue and white – representing Bavaria.
Making them was pretty simple. I used a previous placemat to get the right size. Then added some flannel to the back make it thick. The fabric was a bright blue picnic table fabric!
To finish them, the white ribbon was later sewn around the edges.
A closer look at the individual table settings…
One last look! I just love the hearts hanging from the chandelier!
An Oktoberfest table… pin away!
You were invited to go to a Oktoberfest party and now you’re wondering what to wear to the Oktoberfest… well, I’ve got you covered with my guide. The Oktoberfest runs for two whole weeks, so you still have time to get your party gear on! My guide is broken down into women’s (Damen) and men’s (Herrn) fashions. Let’s start with the Damen.
Dirndl
The most obvious choice would be to wear a dirndl (the name of the type of dress below). The dirndl comes in three basic lengths: long, midi, and mini! I chose the long dress because it was cold when I was in Germany during Oktoberfest. What I do recommend avoiding though, is the super short ones that people wear as Halloween costumes. You know which ones I’m talking about. They’re too short, slutty, and tacky. Dirndls range in price from 80 dollars to 500 dollars. There is a wide variety of quality. If you choose to buy yours in Germany, there are *tons* of shops over there that sell them just for tourists. Mine cost around 200 dollars. There are also a ton of websites online that sell them. I think it is way more fun to go into a store and have a fashion show!
Blouse
The next step is choosing a blouse. As you can see, they range from sexier cleavage baring to modest warmer ones. Up to you to decide what to wear! Remember, your stomach will be covered so don’t worry about the crop top!
Tying the Knot
Now, when you tie the knot on your apron for your dirndl, the side the bow lays on determines what it says about you:
The bow to the left: you are single
The bow to the right: you are married or taken
To the middle: for children
To the back: widowed
Shoes
My biggest question when I got my dirndl was, what shoes do I wear with this?! Turns out, you can wear a variety of different shoes! You can wear cute pair of flats, pumps, mary janes, clogs, boots! Anything goes! I wore boots with mine. I think if you are going to be walking around all day, a pair of flats, clogs, or boots would be your best bet!
Accessories:
Now, to complete your look, let’s have a look at some accessories…
Hats
Some women like to wear hats with their outfits… Germany can get a bit chilly in the Fall! These two hats are the most traditional Bavarian hats to wear… they are made of boiled wool. Yes, I have one too!
Necklaces
If you choose to wear a necklace, the most common necklaces to wear with your dirndl are edelweiss necklaces and heart shaped necklaces. The heart shaped necklaces are usually patterned after the gingerbread hearts and have terms of endearment on them.
Purses
Now you need something to put your ID, phone, and lipgloss in. The most popular type of purse to wear with your dirndl is a heart-shaped purse. Again, these echo the gingerbread hearts that are seen everywhere.
Now, if you aren’t into dresses, there is also female version of lederhosen. I think they are kind of cute! I am not sure if these are cheaper than a dirndl, as leather shorts and pants can get expensive!
Below, is a picture of my cousin and I wearing our dirndl and lederhosen in Austria. As you can see, my dirndl is long. I love the pink and green! I chose the longer one because it is not warm in the Alps!
I am including these editorial photos from some high end dirndl designers to show you how pretty dirndls can be! Also, take note, the most popular way to wear your hair with a dirndl is in a braid! Click on each picture to see a larger version
Now, let’s say you are going to an Oktoberfest party here in the USA and don’t want to wear a dirndl or lederhosen, but want to have “the look”. I have found some similar outfits that you can assemble to wear to your Oktoberfest party.
You can wear a pair of bermuda shorts or khaki capris with a gingham shirt, or a peasant off the shoulder blouse with a midi skirt. Pair it with clogs or boots. If it is cold, put on a boiled wool sweater or wool cardigan. To accessorize, wear a heart shaped necklace and if you have a heart shaped purse, great!
Selections below, click to buy (affiliate link)
Menswear (Herrn)
Ok, the men wear lederhosen. It’s as simple as that. There are varying lengths: super short, then above the knee, below the knee, and pants. They come in a variety of colors – brown and black are the most common. They are often sold in sets: the set includes a gingham plaid shirt, lederhosen, suspenders, socks, and shoes. The sets are often around 150-250 Euros. I recommend buying the set… if you purchase each item individually it will end up costing more!
Green lederhosen shorts with red socks on the left, and then hikers wear short lederhosen shorts with the traditional hat.
Here is Mr. Stylish below with his boiled wool coat, lederhosen, red socks, and a scarf that the Europeans love to wear. I feel like he’s going to start singing Edelweiss to someone!
Accessories
Here is the traditional hat to wear. Often feathers and pins are tucked into the side.
Now, I know a lot of guys don’t want to wear lederhosen (like my husband). I put together a board showing you how to get “the look” without prancing around in leather pants. A gingham shirt, corduroy pants, a wool cardigan (preferably boiled wool), boots, suspenders, and the alpine hat will get you the look!
Click on the picture below to buy, contains affiliate links.
One last look at us two… a bunch of random people took our picture as we stood in front of these cows. I guess we certainly looked the part! In Germany, I *highly* suggest wearing the traditional outfit! At first I felt a little silly, but then I put it on, went to the festival, and got SO MANY compliments! The greatest part was, everyone kept talking to us in German. Granted, I can speak German pretty well, but it’s certainly not my native language.
I hope this guide helped you. Have you been to the Oktoberfest in Germany? If not, do you go to local Oktoberfests in the USA?
Picture sources other than my own (and also sources where you can buy your Oktoberfest outfits):
Bavaria Lederhosen (also sells dirndls)
Lena Hoschek
Ernst Licht
Deutsches Haus
Goessl
If I missed a credit for a picture, please let me know! I downloaded a whole bunch and forgot where I got some!
With Oktoberfest currently going on, I thought I’d try my hand at German pretzels. Now, the *authentic* German pretzel recipe calls for a dip in a bath of lye. I’m not going to risk my health with a lye bath in order to enjoy pretzels. The much safer alternative is a baking soda bath.
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| German pretzel recipe |
Authentic German Pretzel Recipe- printable recipe here
hint: I had only rolled out the dough to about 1 inch in diameter and 14-16 inches long and then folded. As you can see in the pictures, they puffed up quite a bit. I suggest making it even thinner, maybe about 1/2 inch. However, they still tasted fantastic!
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||
German pretzel recipe
|
My Favorite German Words (Meine Lieblingswörter)
In honor of Oktoberfest this month, I thought I
would put together a list of my favorite German words. These are my
favorite words for two reasons: 1.The Germans have one word that takes a whole
sentence to explain what it means. 2. The word makes more sense than our
English equivalent. And most of them are fun to say as well!
Words that come with a long explanation:
Drachenfutter – Translation: ‘dragon food’. What it
means: the gift that you bought your significant other when you’ve
done something wrong. You are literally feeding “The Dragon”.
Be sure to NOT mention the fact that the gift is drachenfutter in front
of the dragon.
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| yes, this is a REAL candybar that can be purchased! |
Kummerspeck – Translation: ‘grief bacon’. What it means: it
is the weight that you’ve gained after emotional stress eating.
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| are you an emotional overeater gaining kummerspeck? |
Torschlusspanik – Translation: ‘door close panic’. What
it means: It is that feeling you get when it occurs to you that you’re
getting older and haven’t accomplished what you meant to in your life.
Treppenwitz – Literally ‘stair joke’. What it means: It
is that witty remark you think of as soon as you leave the room or a few hours
later and you wish you could’ve thought of it earlier!
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| Wish I would’ve thought of that earlier!! |
Schadenfreude. Literally “harm joy”. What it
means: having pleasure from the misfortune of others. Why I like
it: They have a word that means you laugh at things that shouldn’t be
funny. Here’s an example: when someone falls down or runs into a door, you
laugh. Yeah, I heard you laughing when I fell. Thanks.
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| Falling is always funny |
Ohrwurm. Literally “ear worm”. What it means: a
song that gets stuck in your head. Why I like it: having a
song that’s stuck in your head would be like having a worm stuck in your ear!
Wanderlust: literally “enjoyment of hiking”. What it means:
well, it’s also an English word. The desire to travel/wander.
Backpfeifengesicht – Literally “back whistling face” What
it means: A face that begs to be slapped.
 |
| slap his face |
it means: a person that consistently corrects other peoples’ mistakes
in writing, speaking, etc. aka “a wise ass”. Why I like it: well,
I had to include a word on this list that used the “ß”, so I thought this word was perfect.
 |
| shitting cleverness |
Verbs and miscellaneous
words I wish we had:
Umsteigen literally “to change buses/cars/planes/trains” or other
modes of transportation. Why I like it: We don’t have an exact
equivalent in English. In English we have to say, we will take the yellow
line to stop 3 and then get off and switch to the red line and get off at stop 6. In German you could just say yellow line to stop 3 and umsteigen to red line and get off at stop 6.
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| umsteigen from the green to the red line here. |
Vorgestern – literally “the day before yesterday”. Why
I like it: Because they have one word to describe the day before yesterday.
Way more efficient.
Übermorgen – literally the day after tomorrow. Why I like it: Just
like vorgestern, it’s the day after tomorrow… but in one word.
Gondolieren. literally to ride a gondola. Why
I like it: In English we have to say “we took a gondola ride in
Venice.” In German, you can just say “we gondola-d in
Venice”. See? Way better.
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| we gondola=d in Venice! |
übernachten. literally to stay overnight. Why I like it: Instead
of saying “We stayed overnight in Triberg” you can say “We
overnight’d in Triberg”.
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| I’ve uebernachted at this hotel… it was nice! |
Fun Words
Leckerschmecker. Literally: “yum yum”. What it means: the
literal translation is pretty self-explanatory. They are tasty
treats. Why I like it: This is my favorite word. Say it super
fast. It’s fun!
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| goats think anything is tasty |
Krankenwagen. Literally “sick wagon”. What
it means: an ambulance. But what does ‘ambulance’ even mean? I’d
rather ride in a sick wagon than an ambulance.
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| I’d rather take a sick wagon to the hospital |
Handschuhe. Literally “Hand shoes”. What
it means: gloves! But aren’t hand shoes the perfect way to describe
what gloves really are? They’re shoes for your hand! Possibly one of the cutest
German words there is.
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| my hands have shoes |
Kindergarten Literally “Children’s Garden”. What it
means: well, it’s actually an English word too. Except we spell it
“Kindergarden”. Why I like it: you send your children to
the garden(aka school) to let them grow.
Baumschule: literally “tree school”. What
it means: nursery. It’s funny because trees go to school and
children go to the garden. I guess it’s because you train your trees to grow,
but the children grow in school.
Liebling literally “darling or favorite”. Why
I like it: because if you add an ‘s’ at the end of the word, you can
put it in front of any word if it’s your favorite. Also, it’s one of the
sweeter terms of endearment in German. Examples: Is that your
favorite handschuh? Ja, that is my lieblingshandschuh. Bonus, you get to say
another favorite word again. Example 2: WHOA they have lederhosen here? Those
are my favorite! now, with liebling: Whoa die haben lederhosen hier? Das it
mein lieblingslederhosen!
Doch: literally nevertheless, still, yet. What
it means: well, there’s not an *exact* English translation which is
one reason why this word is so good. We could use it! I can’t really explain
it, other than it’s pretty much the perfect retort to everything.
Check out this long post that explains it.
Regenschirm literally “rain shield”. What
it means: umbrella. Rain shield makes way more sense than an umbrella.
I vote we switch our words.
 |
| rain shield keeps you dry |
Schmetterling literally “something that gets
smashed”. What it means: butterfly! I think this word is
funny because Schmetterling sounds so angry (but it’s fun to say) to describe a
beautiful butterfly.
Kartoffelpuffer literally “potato puffs”. What
it means: potato pancakes. Why I like it: Because it’s fun to say! And I
loooove Kartoffelpuffer!
 |
| Mein lieblingspotato! |
Pfeffernüsse. Literally “pepper nuts”. What
it means: spice cookies. These are the little spice cookies that
are frequently seen around Christmas time.
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| I confess, I don’t like these cookies but they’re fun to say! |
Eichhörnchen literally “little oak horn”. What
it means: squirrel! This word is just fun. To think that squirrels
are little oak horns is kind of funny
 |
| i have a funny name |
Schneeeule literally ‘snowy owl’. Why I like it: there are 3 e’s in a row.
 |
| I have 3 e’s in my name |
Ausfahrt: literally ‘to drive off’. What
it means: to exit (for cars). Why I like it: because
it’s fun to say! Do you know what “entrance” is? Einfahrt! bahaha.
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| let’s ausfahrt right here |
 |
| einfahrting is forbidden |
Geschwindigkeitsbegrezung: meaning speed limit. Why
I like it: well, I don’t. Must this word
be so long?
Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitänsmütze meaning the Danube steamboat shipping company’s Captain’s
hat. Why I like it? This is one of those great German compound
words where you can keep adding things onto the word. And, there’s a set
of 3 ‘f’s in a row.
 |
| check out my hat! |
What’s your favorite German word? Leave a comment!
Linking up with these
fabulous link parties: The Scoop!, Wow us Wednesdays! What’s it Wednesdays, Creative Ways, G’day Saturdays,
Today I’m sharing with you my tablesetting I made for Oktoberfest! Oktoberfest starts on September 20 this year. Last year, I had the privilege to visit Germany during the start of the Oktoberfest. What a sight to see!
I used my Bavarian nutcrackers in the center. From left to right: an Oktoberfest salesman, a wine maker, and the Bavarian dressed up in full regalia.
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| Oktoberfest-themed table |
The Oktoberfest themed nutcracker is seen closer here. I printed off the Lebkuchenherzen (the gingerbread hearts) and placed them on top of each plate.
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| Oktoberfest themed party table setting |
If you’ve been to Germany you would’ve noticed these little gingerbread hearts everywhere:
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| lebkuchenherzen |
Now looking from the other side… another nutcracker comes into view. You will also noticed scattered around the table I have little steins.
The steins are vintage. Most people pick them up as souvenirs from their travels. I picked mine up at an estate sale. Ironically, I’ve been to all the places that are featured on the little steins… and I didn’t have to lug them back in my suitcase and paid a fraction of the price! I call that a win-win!
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| close up |
The official colors of Oktoberfest are blue and white. However, since it is also a harvest festival, I thought using orange looked good and it compliments the blue.
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| Oktoberfest themed party table setting |
One last look!
I hope you enjoyed my Oktoberfest themed table! Be sure to check out my other posts about how to throw a great Oktoberfest party.
This year the official Oktoberfest starts on September 20. It’s time to start pulling together your ideas for your Oktoberfest party! I’ve created a list to help you out!
1. Oktoberfest-themed invitations – I found these cute ones on Etsy. A cute hand-made invitation can even be a fun keepsake. Be sure to ask the creator how much of it can actually be customized to your taste.
2. Oktoberfest music – No Oktoberfest party is complete if there isn’t an oom-pah-pah band playing in the background! I listened to various albums through Amazon and found this one to be my favorite:Traditional Oktoberfest music
3. German beer – You should serve only German beer at your Oktoberfest! There are only six breweries in Munich that can produce the official Oktoberfest beer. You should buy from one of them: Hofbräu, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten, and Löwenbräu. Traditionally, it is also served in the 1 Liter glass beer stein
4. Oktoberfest-themed decor – I found these really cute printables which would be great for labeling your appetizers and food. I like these themed-printables because it adds the extra little oomph that your party might be needing. It’s also inexpensive.
5. Plates and napkins – Blue and white are the colors of Oktoberfest. This bundled plate wear is festive and fun. Or, if you want a say in the decorations, you can create your own plates and placemats for your party through Shutterfly.
6. Traditional German Food – Break out the schnitzel and sauerkraut! Here are some links to some great recipes:
7. Coasters – Where are you going to set down your cold drinks? How about on some nice coasters! Many people like to keep their coasters as souvenirs from when they visit Germany. Why don’t you make some custom coasters through Shutterfly and give them out as party favors? For something truly authentic, you could also purchase some German coasters here
8 and 9: Dirndl and Lederhosen: If you really want to get into the spirit of Oktoberfest, I recommend purchasing a dirndl or lederhosen; these are theme-appropriate outfits that will surely make you the ‘hostess with the mostess’. This blog post has some great information about how to buy a dirndl. The German Import Haus sells authentic German outfits.
Some quick Oktoberfest FAQ:
What exactly is Oktoberfest?
It is a celebration that has been held nearly every year since 1810 in Munich, Germany. It is a 16-day festival that runs from late September into the first weekend in October. It was started on October 12, 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on the Theresienwiese (Theresa’s Meadow). To this day, the celebrations are still held on the Theresienwiese! In Munich, an average of 6 million people visit during this festival.
Why is it called Oktoberfest when it starts in September?
The festival was moved up to enjoy the nicer weather of September.
For more information about the Oktoberfest, visit here.
I made some German pretzel bites. They were good. I thought, what else could I do with these? I know, add cheese. Cheese makes everything better. Then came along… Cheesy Rosemary Pretzel Bites. I only have a picture of a few because, they kept disappearing…
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| yum! |
1. Add yeast to warm water. Let settle for about 5 minutes. Then add the sugar and salt to the yeast and mix in.
2. Add the yeast, sugar, and salt mixture to the flour. Mix together. I used the dough hook on my kitchenaid and mixed for about 5 minutes on speed #2. Let dough rest for 30 minutes.
3. Cut dough into about 5-6 equal parts. Roll out on a clean surface. Don’t need to flour the surface, the dough shouldn’t stick. Then make a line in the dough and add cheese to the middle (see picture). Roll until it is about 1 inch in diameter. Cut pieces that approx 1.5-2 inches and place on a lined baking sheet.
4. Place the baking sheet with dough uncovered in the fridge for approx. 1 hour. This is key. This helps build a skin making it have that nice crust.
5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
6. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil. SLOWLY add in baking soda into the boiling water. *caution* this creates quite a bubbly reaction for a few seconds, so add a little bit at a time. Stand back. It will eventually simmer down.
7. Add the pieces of dough into the soda bath. Let it sit for about 10-20 seconds and then remove. I used a pasta server to remove it and found it to be the perfect tool.
8. Sprinkle with rosemary. Bake the pretzels for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Move to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
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| the dough rolled out |
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| open the dough, add cheese, and then close. |
All done baking!
The finished product. Cheesy Rosemary Pretzel Bites. Mmm, good! Perfect for a party!
This post was featured at:
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| Featured on 5/7/14! See the feature HERE |
I’ve linked up with:
The Scoop! at Confessions of a Plate Addict/Stone Gable, Metamorphosis Monday’s at Between Naps on the Porch, Inspire Me Tuesday at a Stroll Thru Life, Do Tell Tuesday at a Vintage Zest, Wow us Wednesdays! at Savvy Southern Style, What’s it Wednesdays at Ivy & Elephants, Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch, Oh the places I have been at the Tablescaper, Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours,
Feathered Nest Fridays at French Country Cottage, Be Inspired at Common Ground, Seasonal Sundays at the Tablescaper, Sunday Best Showcase at Twigg Studios. Be sure to check out all of these fabulous blogging parties! A big thank you to all of the wonderful hosts!
Written by Orange Blossom at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com
I had been craving a good fresh pretzel for a while. After a bit of time, I finally have an excellent authentic German pretzel recipe to share! I made pretzel bites with it as it is a little easier, but the same recipe will do for pretzels too!
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| yum!! |
Here’s the recipe: (or get the printable version here)
Ingredients
1. Add yeast to warm water. Let it settle for about 5 minutes. Then add the sugar and salt to the yeast and mix in.
2. Add the yeast, sugar, and salt mixture to the flour. Mix together. I used the dough hook on my kitchenaid and mixed for about 5 minutes on speed #2. Let dough rest for 30 minutes.
3. Cut dough into about 5-6 equal parts. Roll out on a clean surface. Don’t need to flour the surface, the dough shouldn’t stick. Roll the dough in a line until it is about 1 inch in diameter. Cut 1.5-2 inch pieces and place on a lined baking sheet.
4. Place the baking sheet uncovered in the fridge for approx. 1 hour. This is key. This helps build a skin making it have that nice crust.
5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
6. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil. SLOWLY add in baking soda into the boiling water little bits at a time. *caution* this creates quite a bubbly reaction for a few seconds so stand back and don’t get burned! It will eventually simmer down after a few seconds. Then add more. You have been warned!
7. Add the pieces of dough into the soda bath. Let it sit for about 10-20 seconds and then remove. I used a pasta server to remove it and found it to be the perfect tool.
8. Sprinkle with coarse salt (I like mine unsalted, so I didn’t). Bake the pretzels for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Move to a cooling rack. Grab some honey mustard, nacho cheese, or a slice of cheese and enjoy!
Pictures of the process:
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| the pieces freshly out of their soda bath! |
Look how nice and brown they turned out… too hot to eat!
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| nice and done! |
Now grab some honey mustard and enjoy! My Bavarian figure loves to eat pretzels!
Now for some tips, tricks, and other info regarding German pretzels.
I’ve linked up with The Scoop!, Tablescape Thursday, Wow us Wednesdays!, Open House Party, Feathered Nest Frida, Seasonal Sundays & Oh the places I have been, life of the party, the style sisters, Favorite Things Blog Hop, and What’s it Wednesdays. Be sure to check out all of these fabulous blogging parties! A big thank you to all of the wonderful hosts!
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