Twenty years after I immigrated from Germany to the United States, my ties to my native country are still strong. From the red and black currants I grow in my garden, to the bread, cakes and pastries I bake, there is a taste of Germany, a little bit of German customs and traditions in my life every day.
That’s why I am happy, with my German food blog, Spoonfuls of Germany, to be part of The German-American Friendship Year (Deutschlandjahr USA). The campaign officially kicks off on October 3, 2018, and runs for an entire year.
On Spoonfuls of Germany I explore Germany through its food from the American vantage point. Based on the concept that many foods and dishes have a fascinating story behind them, the blog provides a personal window into Germany’s history, society, culture, politics, arts, and more.
During Deutschlandjahr, the blog will focus on German food culture in the United States, tracing its German origins, how it evolved, and profiling the people behind the food.
In late July, my friend Lise gave me a large bag of wild blueberries that she and her boyfriend had picked. Picking wild blueberries, which taste unlike any of the cultivated varieties, is backbreaking and tedious. In exchange for the wild blueberries, I gave Lise a couple of jars of my homemade elderflower jelly.
There are very few people over the age of five and under retirement age who don’t own a smartphone. I am one of them, and my husband is too. Nowadays there are increasingly instances when I must out myself that I only own a flip phone, for example when I am told at a store that instead of getting a hole punched in the frequent buyer paper card, I can just log my purchases with the app on my phone. I get funny looks, and often feel compelled to explain why I don’t have a smartphone. 
It’s intriguing how the scent of certain foods can transport you back in time and space. For me, oranges have that power, both the blossoms and the fruit. They bring back vivid memories of the little time I got to spend with my 