Being diagnosed with celiac whilst living in the land of beer and pretzels almost seems like a cruel joke. But as I've discovered with the ample baking I've been doing of late, being gluten-free doesn't mean giving up all the good stuff, or even the things traditionally made with gluten. While my first try with gluten-free beer was a bit of a bust (made me terribly ill), I've been a pretzel-lover long before I called Germany my home and was committed to finding a good gluten-free option. And so I set off on a taste-testing mission to find a safe version to satisfy not only my snack cravings, but my rather high food standards as well.

I will say up front that I did not include Schär pretzels, the ubiquitous brand for the gluten-free in Germany, because frankly, I think they suck and refused to buy them again solely for the purpose of this review. They belong in that category that I so often hear other celiacs refer to as "it's not horrible...", but that's not how I want to eat. I want to enjoy all my food, regardless of what it's made of. Gluten is not the answer to good food, as so many people are lead to believe with sad options like this. Amongst the first processed GF foods I tasted, these pretzels made me nearly cry with disappointment and I swore to never again feel so let-down by gluten-free foods. Thankfully, there are much better options out there.

I found an assortment of stick pretzels at a gluten-free online retailer I order from regularly and set to work over lunch one day last week. I had my husband weigh in for a second opinion, but as our dog wolfed down pretty much every one we let her try with no discerning preference, alas, there was no tie-breaker vote for the best ones. We ate them plain and dipped in our favorite lemon-coriander hummus, for different taste experiences. Good news for those with other allergies: these are all lactose-free and the first two claim to be safe from nut contamination as well.

Here is what I found...



Balviten Paluszki z solą (Salty Sticks)

These long, thin pretzels from Poland seemed most like 'regular', made-with-gluten pretzels we had tasted before. The salt was not overwhelming and because of it's super-slim shape, it was more of the light, crispy outer part than the denser, more starchy consistency of heftier pretzels. My husband declared these his favorites, but there was something a bit chewy about the insides, almost as if they were a bit past their expiration date (they weren't), that turned me off. But I'm a big texture nut, which is often times just as important to me as the taste. I'm also partial to a snack that feels a bit more substantial, not making one down the whole bag in order to feel satiated. That said, these corn-based sticks are a good option for a light pretzel that makes you wonder why you ever ate gluten in the first place.

Buy them here




3 Pauly Mais Salzstangen

These were the thickest and saltiest sticks of the bunch, with a slightly more airy consistency than the others. The light, nutty taste balanced well with the salt, but something inexplicable fell a little short for both of us on this one. On their own, they were a little lackluster, but it was as a dipping pretzel that these seemed to shine for their thickness, consistency and flavor. These seemed the most like a GF option trying to replace a gluten-filled one, rather than standing on its own as a good pretzel, regardless. While called 'corn salt-sticks', they are made from both corn and potato. With a flavorful dip, these are a solid option.

Buy them here




Seitz Glutenfrei Salzsticks

Perhaps because I was a die-hard fan of Newman's Own thick pretzel sticks in the States (pre-diagnosis, of course), these sticks with their solid crunch quickly became my favorite. They are the heartiest of the bunch, harder with a more distinct, browned outer flavor that I just love. These had the least salt of them all and the strongest flavor, which is why I thought they stood up well on their own as well as with dips. These corn and rice pretzels are now regulars on my gluten-free online orders, but for those looking for a more traditional, lighter pretzel experience, you might be happiest with the Polish brand.

Buy them here




And if you can get your hands on this fantastic hummus, that made me change my entire stance on hummus, I would highly recommend adding this to your GF pretzel, or other cracker/chip, routine. (We found it at denn's Biomarkt)

Happy snacking!

Furthering my continued research on beauty products in Germany, I'm here to tell you about what I love from the German Apotheke, or pharmacy. Pharmacies in Europe are not at all what you think of if hailing from the US of A. Sure, there are prescription drugs and pharmacists ready to answer questions and provide you with over-the-counter meds that will barely make a dent in your symptoms (oh, Sudafed, how my sinuses miss you during allergy season...), but it's the swanky (mostly French) beauty products that make the Apotheke an actual shopping destination. Brands that were mostly relegated to high-end department stores in America can be had at any corner pharmacy - and here in Germany, they literally are on almost every corner - at a much more palatable price.

But with all these amazing choices, where does one start, you might ask. Well, that's where I come in. Having a penchant for beauty products, not to mention being here for several years, I've spent some time seeking out the best. So whether you are a new expat in Europe looking to replace that face wash you loved for years or are just here on holiday and want a special little beauty treat to add to your arsenal back home, this list is for you. Of course, everyone's skin and hair needs are different, but these are the things I've found to work brilliantly for me.


Vichy Pureté Thermale Sanft schäumende Waschcreme | This creamy, moisturising face wash is super gentle and feels great going on. Even better, it lasts forever as only a teeny bit is needed for each use. I keep mine in the shower for washing my face in the steam.


La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo-Nettoyant/Reinigungsfluid | My go-to face wash, I've been using this since before I even moved to Germany. I love how gentle it is for my sensitive skin, as well as how my face doesn't feel stripped by washing with water.


Avène Lotion doucer | I began my face-washing routine in the early nineties, era of the stinging alcohol toner. Why on earth did we do that to our skin?! For that reason, I hadn't used a toner since - until I discovered this. Feeling like I needed a little extra clean and a bit more moisture after my face wash, I decided to give this a try. I've never looked back. It makes my skin feel clean (not stripped), moisturized and smelling like French perfection.


La Roche-Posay Hydraphase UV Intense Legere | I have been adamant about moisturizer with sunscreen since I was 15 years old, after losing several friends and family members to various cancers and the days when melanoma news was at its peak. The incessant teasing of my paleness in high school has turned into skin in my 30s I can be proud of, and I know I have my daily UV protection to thank. This is great stuff and the bottle lasts a decently long time. In the harsh German winters, sometimes I'll switch the heavier 'Riche' version of this to satiate my dry, irritated skin. The smell also takes me back to those weeks spent on the French Riviera in high school, and what could be better than that? (note: I used to use this one, which works great, but prefer one without parabens)


La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL LSF 50+ Anti-brilliance Gel-crème toucher sec | I call this the holy grail of sunscreen. It disappears into your skin like you never put anything on, making excuses for not putting on sun protection null and void. I keep this little tube in my bag for touch ups on my nose, ears or neck when I am out in the sun for longer than expected, as well as to protect my exposed tattoos from fading. I recommend the large tubes of Anthelios sunscreens for slathering on during summer holidays as well.


La Roche-Posay Deodorant Physiologique 24H | I happened upon this product on a trip to Paris many years ago when the airline lost my luggage and I had to replace all my toiletries. After begrudgingly shelling out for all new products at the pharmacie, I discovered that this seemingly simple deodorant was better than anything I'd even used. It didn't irritate my skin, it had no scent and best of all, it doesn't have parabens, aluminium and all the other crap in US deodorants that are terrible for you anyway. Even in Europe, amongst all the icky liquid roll-ons in the drugstore, this is a gem.


Eucerin DermatoCLEAN Augen Make-Up-Entferner | Paying a bundle for eye make-up remover seems ridiculous, but there's also nothing worse than skimping on something that leaves you to wake up with raccoon eyes from all the make-up it didn't remove the night before. This is the best stuff I've found that doesn't cost a fortune but gets the job done. An extra bonus: it's gentle on my easily-irritated eyes.


Phytojoba Masque brilliance haute hydration | With all the capricious hair decisions I've made in the last few years (red, bright blue tips, platinum blonde), my hair has taken a beating. At the recommendation of a well-known white-blonde, I ditched regular conditioner for a deep-conditioning mask. This one is fantastic, it smells great and improves my hair's straw-like texture tremendously. I use it as a regular conditioner every time I wash my hair (letting it work it's magic for as long as possible), as well as slathering it on dry hair a couple times a month and leaving it for as many hours as I can manage to be lazy around the house before washing it out. Phyto's Kératine mask is great as well.


Phytokératine Sérum réparateur longueurs et pointes | That damaged hair I was talking about? Well, it requires all the help it can get. Looking for some kind of leave-in reconstuctor, I gave this stuff a try and it has literally changed the texture and feel of my hair. All those horror stories I heard about platinum hair breaking off left and right, with slit-ends galore, just doesn't happen for me and I think owe a lot to this little bottle. I love the way it smoothes when applied to dry hair without making it greasy or weighed down. A little goes a long way.


Phytocitrus Shampooing éclat couleur | Anyone who spends a lot of time or money on hair color wants to protect it and keep it looking its best. I read good things about this shampoo from other blondes and thought it sounded like the right one for me. As with all of Phyto's products, I love that it's plant-based and the wonderful smell. It helps keep my color bright and doesn't over-lather and dry my hair out.


There are still so many products I have yet to try from the Apotheke, so I would love to hear about your experiences. What mid-range skin and hair products do you love?

It's funny how when you move to another country, you are so focused on the big stuff - visas, residence permits, communicating day-to-day in a new language - that you can forget about the little things you have to adapt until you're standing in front of a drugstore shelf, tirelessly translating the key words on the fronts of bottles until something sounds like what you are looking for. That face wash you depended on since your teens may not be available in your new home, or as I found out, your skin has changed so much in a new climate, it has a whole new set of requirements.

It can be daunting to embark a major journey for new products that will work for you, let alone in a language you are still working to master, but I've compiled a list of my favorites after nearly five years here from the German equivalents of CVS or Walgreens to help. So if you're unsure of what's worth grabbing at your local dm, Rossmann and the like, take a look at these recommendations to see if there's something that might help fill a need in your beauty line-up.


Essie nail polish

Essie polish is one of the few US treats that don't pass the high cost of importing onto its customers. Bottles of OPI are an ungodly 16€ here, while Essie remains at a reasonable 8€. Still relatively new to the drugstore scene, the color selection is not comprehensive and the displays often go unreplenished for long periods of time, but at least it's quality polish at a good price. This perfect urban grey, Chinchilly, is one of my favorites, but it's hard to go wrong with other classics like Sugar Daddy or Wicked.


Essie apricot cuticle oil

Yes, another buy from Essie, but this is my new favorite product find. It doesn't soften my cuticles as much as I would like, but it makes my nails - especially manicured - glossy and beautiful. Plus, it smells deliciously like apricots.


Neutrogena Norwedische Handcreme

A long-time staple for me in the States, I was thrilled to discover this was sold here in Germany as well. Super thick and rich, this is a must for dry German winters, though my dry skin drinks it up year-round. The regular formula's scent is quite pleasant, but I stock up on the perfume-free version to have at our bathroom sink, my bedside table and in my bag at all times.


Loreal Elnett Haarspray

This European stylist favorite had been smuggled into the US for years before some retailers started to wise up and worked out a deal to sell it to us Americans directly - at a price. Now living in the glorious European Union, where this hair magic hails from, I can get it at a fraction of what they charged to import it in the States (for some reason, it's also much cheaper in Germany than it is in France). Even better, it comes in a multitude of variations - dry hair, colored hair, extra volume, extra strong hold - so you can pick just the right one for you. If you have used it, you love it. It's everything a hairspray should be (soft, lasting hold) and nothing it's not (hard, sticky or gross).


Syoss classic hair color

For the few years that I was a redhead, I relied on Syoss hair color for frequent color refreshes and root touchups. It's super cheap and I found the color was surprisingly better than more expensive hues. When I changed things up to a darker brown, I was equally impressed by the color performance. While I now leave my new platinum locks up to the professionals, if I ever go back to the auburn or brown shades, this will be my go-to.


Alverde NATURKOSMETIK AugenBrauengel

Strangely enough, I discovered this German beauty brand product through a French fashion and beauty blogger. A huge fan of her style, not to mention any beauty recommendation that really works and doesn't break the bank, I was floored to see someone in France importing a drugstore product from Germany because it was that good. I was never a big user of eyebrow product as I always found it either streaky or crunchy or fake-looking, but this product was a game-changer. It's the perfect balance of subtle color and gentle hold that takes your brows to the next level - without looking like you tried too hard.


Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner

Admittedly, I'm not usually a fan of drugstore cosmetics, mascara aside, as I find they under-perform so drastically compared to more expensive brands. So when I picked this stuff up on a whim to replace some of my favorite dried out Bobbi Brown gel liners, I didn't have very high hopes. Boy, was I surprised. Not only is the color strong and easy to apply, but it stays on all day like its more expensive counterparts without fading or flaking.


Bi-Oil

I originally picked up this reparative oil for my legs that are overly sensitive and irritated from my shift from waxing to shaving last year, but then discovered that it works wonders on my face. Granted, my daily sunscreen routine since my teens has left me with only minor wrinkles thus far, but this stuff seems to smooth and repair what damage my facial skin has endured. I use a couple of drops around my eyes and on my forehead under my face moisturizer and at night, but my skin has shown definite improvement for the year or so that I've been using this. Better yet, it doesn't irritate my sensitive skin the way almost every anti-age product I've ever tried has.


Nivea honey & oil creme seife

Basic, creamy, superb-smelling soap. I rarely will use anything else and even my mother stocks her suitcase with these bars every time she comes to visit.


Garnier Ambre Solaire Sonnenschutz-Milch

A faithful Neutrogena sunscreen-wearer in the States, I quickly learned that Garnier was the European drugstore gold standard for sun protection. Great formulas and range of protection options, I always have a bottle of this stuff with me when I'm headed out in the sun.


How about you? Are there any German or European drugstore products you can't live without?



Stay tuned, as I will be showcasing more beauty buys I count on from the Apoteke (think high-end drugstore) and department/specialty stores...

Coming from the US, trying to create a home in Germany is hard. The whole install-your-own-kitchen (and lighting and window coverings and bathroom cabinets...) way of doing things can be a shock to an American renter's system, not to mention bank account. But it was the lack of a middle ground in home furnishings that really challenged my interior design sensibilities. It was either that ubiquitous Swedish superstore or specialty shops where light fixtures could run in the four-figures. Where were the German equivalents to retailers like West Elm and Crate and Barrel? As far as I could see, there weren't any. Or at least, any with designs worth putting in a stylish home. There's a reason so many European apartments are filled with Ikea.

Sure, after moving to Berlin, a whole world of opportunity opened up with the plethora of shops, boutiques and flea markets, but the abundance of choice, and time needed to scour said choices, can feel overwhelming. So after nearly five years of unfinished home projects, I've been eager to find a one-stop-shop to fill the remaining holes left in my interior design plans. Something modern, clean, homey. Something not Ikea. Enter Urbanara.

I happened upon its pop-up booth inside Bikini Berlin while exploring with a friend the other week and was immediately drawn to some of the light fixtures hung inside. Just what I had been looking for. A look at the price tag left me slack-jawed. This stuff was affordable. No 500€ light fixtures here. As if I needed to be further sold, the woman there told me everything was online and that my first purchase could be had at a 10% discount. I left with a brochure and visions of Tom Dixon-esque copper lights and graphic throw pillows dancing in my head. Making our home everything I had hoped it would be finally feels within reach - without sacrificing the rest of our lifestyle.

The lack of good beef. The near impossibility at finding my shoe size in an actual store. That awful German language. Sure, there are lots of things that are quite an adjustment being a Californian now settled in Germany, but there is one that tops them all: not living next to the ocean. Growing up, vacations were always at the beach. After my mother moved to the coast when I graduated high school, I spent most weekends there. Granted, I was never your stereotypical California girl. I've never surfed, I don't consider rubber flip-flops to be legitimate footwear and I can count the number of times I've been sunburned on one hand. For the most part, I remain bundled at the windy beach well into summer and never venture more than calf-deep into the water (more for fear of what's living there than of the ocean itself - if you grew up where sea lions washed up on shore, half-eaten with teeth markings of a Great White, you might feel the same). But there is something about watching the waves roll in and feeling the sand between your toes that can put one's mind at ease. Looking out at that great expanse of blue, or grey, as was often determined by the cloud cover, most problems feel insignificant. It was the place I went to think.

So after feeling supremely landlocked in the central/western part of Germany for the last four years - albeit, fantastically located for travel to other European countries - realizing Berlin was mere hours from a beach was almost reason enough to make the move. The phenomenally unseasonable weather we were having last week, coupled with my husband's forced vacation time, meant the time had come to make a break for the sea. I was just along for the ride, oblivious to where we were going (somewhere near the border with Poland, I was told...) and thinking only of the blue paradise that is the Baltic Sea, or Die Ostsee as the Germans call it, awaiting us at the end of our drive. When we showed up in the picturesque town of Ahlbeck, a resort town located on the island of Usedom, I was surprised at how charming and welcoming it was, even in the winter time. Sure, it looked as if most resorts and restaurants were closed up for the season, but the town itself was incredibly clean and well-cared for (it is Germany, after all), and we were able to find one open cafe for some drinks, snacks and some sun-soaking from inside the charming Strandkorbs (best. invention. ever.) on its patio.

Perhaps even more starved for sand and surf was our poor California-born-and-raised dog, who grew up romping on the beach and paddling around my mother's pool. While we had been to the seaside last summer in France, Bailey had not been able to indulge her aquatic sensibilities, other than at the shore of the industry-lined Rhine river in Wiesbaden, since leaving the States. We did the very un-German thing and took her out on the regular beach, regardless of the posted 'no dog' signs, as it was nearly empty and we kept her close so as not to bother anyone. When we did discover a sign pointing to a dedicated Hundestrand, we laughed at the distance noted, as it conveniently appeared to be exactly how far to the border of Poland. Well, we did take her to Poland and she romped and splashed and played and ingested enough sand with her stick-fetching to poop sand castles. The excitement on her face was worth any repercussions for German (or Polish) laws we might have been breaking. At the end of the day, we headed back to Berlin exhausted, still warmed from the seaside sun and dreaming of returning on even warmer summer days in the future.



Oh, and another highlight of our trip? A bag full of Polish groceries - including beer, candy bars and not-to-be-found-in-Germany American classics like Cheerios and Cheetos - that we discovered after doing the conversions, cost us less than 10€. Next time we head to the coast, we'll be sure to pack more grocery bags for stocking up!

The saying goes, 'when it rains, it pours'. Well, when the temperatures finally got down enough for us to get snow in Berlin, they plummeted to ridiculously cold. While we haven't gotten a ton of snow, the temperatures have been in a steady decline for over a week, bottoming out at -12°C (about 10°F) in Sunday's bright sunshine. With apartment windows frozen over with a sheet of ice, a dog eager to get out and run, and our hearts heavy with multiple hits of bad news from family back in the states, it was time for an outing in the fresh air, despite the bone-chilling temperatures.

We had been to Volkspark Schönholzer Heide in Pankow once before on a trip to Berlin last winter while exploring the neighborhood and looking for good places for Bailey to get out some of her anxiety at this new exposure to big city life. The entrance to the park is on a pretty major street, but so much of the massive, forested space is set back from any streets that it gives the impression of being a forest unto itself, rather than just another park in such a populated German city. Apprehensive about minding the 'dogs on leash' signs (ever the good, rule-following German am I), we quickly realized that once a safe distance from the street, all dog owners were unclipping the leads and letting their four-legged friends gallivant through the snow, as they were meant to do. And so Bailey, already acquainted with the snow this year - she's a little nervous every season, but once she realizes what snow is, again, she can't get enough - began her frenzied circles through the trees, chasing sticks we threw and thankfully behaving like a good Berlin dog by listening to us and being generally friendly with the other dogs.

The bitter cold that stung our cheeks and numbed my double-gloved fingers - not to mention my double-socked toes and triple-layered legs - was at least some fresh air in our lungs and a good reminder of how bright and rejuvenating life can be. So we let Bailey have her fun until the numbness turned into outright pain and we headed for home. Anxious for a little something ourselves, we dropped our exhausted pup at home to curl up in the warm apartment and headed to a warm spot in town for some coffee and a snack. After exploring some amazing, new-to-us shops in our Kiez, we went home warm, with bellies full, grateful for the day.