Christmas in Europe, however, doesn’t have this rule. In addition, in case you haven’t heard, Christmas in Europe is completely magical. The only thing missing tends to be snow, depending on where you are (my hometown in Montana definitely wins on the snow front!). But, Europe has Christmas markets so…maybe it still wins ;).

I’ve been lucky enough to spend several Christmases in Europe, and very spoiled to visit quite a few markets over those years. Here are a few of my favorites!

Budapest

I had to give a shout out to my former home, of course! There are markets all over the city, some catered more to tourists, and some catered more to locals.

Cologne

Cologne, and Germany in general, might be the king of Christmas markets. There are no less than seven markets scattered throughout the city, each with a different theme. My favorite was the gnome-themed market, but the one by the famous Cologne Cathedral is a must-see, too!

Bruges

Bruges is wonderful any time of year, but Christmas is especially wonderful! The market there is tiny, but the whole city really feels like a Christmas market.

Prague

I couldn’t make this list without including Prague, of course! Prague is even more fairy tale-esque at Christmas, if you can imagine. There are a few Christmas markets scattered across the city, but my favorite is the one in Old Town Square, because you just can’t beat that ambiance!

Frankfurt  

We met our friends last year in Frankfurt and I didn’t have very high hopes for some reason–but the Christmas market we went to there, in the old square, was delightful!

Nuremberg

Nuremberg might be one of Germany’s most famous, and while it isn’t my favorite, the city is pretty much taken over by Christmas and it’s so fun to visit!

Brussels

Brussels also has quite a few markets scattered over the city, but really the best part is the light show in the Grand-Place, if you ask me! And watching with a waffle in hand…even better.

This week was also the final week of the Bake Along Bake Off with Amanda! I used this chance to….make more bread. Surprise! I didn’t have a really good bread bake this year, although this week was okay, and the signature challenge for the final week was three different types of rolls.

I’m going to play the pregnancy card (again) and let you know that I only made one type of roll. I mean, I’m nine months pregnant here!

The rolls I did make, though, using this recipe, Braided Brioche Rolls, were amazing!

And absolutely, totally informal, as Mary Berry would say.

I think it was cold in our house because they didn’t rise very much–until they exploded in the oven that is!

One (out of six…) of the rolls turned out fairly neatly, and became the star of the show. Still, the rest were equally delicious!

I can’t believe it’s my last bake for this year! And that this is my second year in a row participating. Some of my best bakes over the past two years: these cream puffs, this pizza, these tiny chocolate cakes, my first spun sugar, this amazing bread, and my pumpkin cake!

The best thing about the baking challenge is getting back in the kitchen–baking is so relaxing and creative. Also, it’s been my major form of nesting–our freezer is stuffed with baked goods for after baby ;).

Here’s to more baking the rest of this year, and next year!

The post Top Christmas Markets in Europe + Bake Off Bake Along Week 10 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

Here’s more of life lately!

// An old friend and her sister threw me a wonderful baby shower! Since we’ve been living all over the place, and are living in Montana temporarily, I did not expect a baby shower at all. It was so amazing–and our little babe got totally spoiled.

We all decorated onesies and people got quite creative…

and I put on normal clothes and took off my glasses for the occasion (although I couldn’t mask the fact that I’m puffing like a marshmallow, am about the size of the moon, and always look tired nowadays).

// I’ve been hanging out with my parents’ dogs, as usual! Their little faces always cheer me up.

// I celebrated Halloween–my first in the United States for a long time!–by wearing a shirt with a pumpkin, passing out candy to cute littles, and carving a pumpkin!

// The day after Halloween, winter officially arrived with about a foot of snow! Since we didn’t get much snow these past few years in Europe, E and I are loving this weather. Although it does make driving more interesting.

// We’ve been slowly getting ready for the baby. I feel like we’ll never truly be ready, which is stressful, but part of that is because we have no idea what we’re doing. And, can you ever really be ready for such a huge life change?

Although I am thoroughly sick of being pregnant, I’m also pretty nervous about the next part. E and I are trying to soak up all the just-the-two-of-us time we can! Can any other pregnant ladies or moms out there relate to the sadness I feel saying goodbye to this just-the-two-of-us life?? Not to say I’m totally unhappy–the baby is on track and looking good still, and that makes me over the moon!

// I joined Amanda for the Bake Off Bake Along with choux buns (cream puffs in American-ese).

I made these Caramel Apple Cream Puffs (it was Halloween when I made them, so they needed to be somewhat on theme and appropriately autumnal!), and they were very delicious.

However, as it was my first foray into choux buns, I was mostly proud of the buns themselves! You just never know how these things will turn out in high altitude.

But they puffed so beautifully.

The recipe calls for this caramel sauce, and at first I was hesitant. They already were plenty sweet with just the apples and the cream filling, and I was worried the caramel sauce would make them sickly.

However, it was Halloween, and in the United States, that means sugar and decadence so eventually I ended up covering them in the caramel. It didn’t make them sickly–just more delicious, as salted caramel sauce is wont to do–but it did make them a bit harder to eat.

But that didn’t stop us from eating them up!

What’s life look like for you lately? Did you celebrate Halloween where you are? 

The post Life Lately + Bake Off Bake Along Week 9 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

This color, and this trail right by my new place, makes the transition from living abroad–and the transition to becoming a parent–a little bit easier.

One of my favorite things about autumn, too, is baking, of course! Some good recipes I’ve made lately–this spiced pumpkin bread and this carrot bread.

I was also able to participate this week with Amanda for the Bake Off Bake Along…and this week was Italian week!

The first challenge was cannoli, which I’ve always wanted to make–but not enough to buy the tools (such as a deep fryer). So, I decided to make…

pizza!

A classic Margherita pizza–with a twist. A whole wheat crust, that is. (So not so much of a twist).

I haven’t made pizza in years, and when I did, it never turned out so wonderfully.

But this pizza was pretty good!

I may have overdone the mozzarella just a bit (ya think?).

But it’s hard to complain about extra cheese. There are much worse things.

The post Montana Snapshots + Bake Off Bake Along Week 7 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

No bias here AT ALL.

I loved our wedding, and our first year of marriage, and now our second. Two years doesn’t feel very long–but we’ve packed so much into those two years, it also feels like we’ve been married decades.

I think time passes a lot slower when you move apartments and cities and countries multiple times, travel as much as possible, and start making a baby!

Since I shared some favorite memories (in photos) from our first year of marriage, I’m going to do the same this year–which makes it officially an annual tradition!

This past year also included some great bakes for the bake off! Like this one or this one. As for this weeks…read on :).

Once again, I joined Amanda in the Bake Off Bake Along for pudding week. Pudding week makes me nervous because pudding is one of those things that means something very different in the United States than it does in England. In England, it encompasses a lot more than it does in the United States–though to be truthful, I’m not sure exactly what qualifies something as a “pudding.” In the U.S., it’s…custard, basically. It often comes in little snack packs that kids take to school (or do they? When I was a kid they were all the rage, at least).

This week, the bakers made a very-British “school pudding”, molten chocolate peanut butter cakes, and a trifle that had to include jelly. I chose to make the little molten cakes!

Part of the reason is that, for fun pregnancy reasons, I’m supposed to watch my carbs–and I thought this one might be the easiest to make as a low-carb version.

I followed this recipe, but used real sugar, just less of it–mostly because I’m not sure about sugar substitutes while pregnant? Also I didn’t want to buy it so…win/win.

Why these were clearly homemade, and I have never used almond flour before so I was skeptical, they were delicious.

Maybe too much peanut butter in the middle, as they collapsed a bit?

But really, is there a such thing as too much peanut butter?

The verdict? I will be making these again, which is the first time I’ve said that this year!

The post Two Years + Bake Off Bake Along Week 5 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

As you may have read, I am currently in my hometown in Montana, which has a pretty nice fall, really. Although it has already snowed…but I don’t care because that means the weather has been nice and chill!

Still, I can’t help but reminisce about some of my favorite autumn moments during my last few years in Europe.

There was the perfectly gloomy autumn in Prague.

Wine tasting in Czech wine country.

The colors of Hallstatt, more majestic against the beauty of the Austrian Alps.

I could never forget Oktoberfest in Munich–a different type of local color to see.

The mind-blowing colors of Slovakia.

The most perfect fall ever in Slovenia, at Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj.

More wine tasting in the Brda wine region of Slovenia.

Oh, and of course…my former home of Budapest, and that castle in the park!

In honor of it fully being fall, I’m embracing the baking side of the season in this week’s Bake Off Bake Along with Amanda.

This past week was caramel week–apparently a bake-off first–and I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it. I honestly just wished for another bread week!

The challenges, however, were interesting–millionaire’s shortbread, Dutch stroopwaffels, or a caramel cake showpiece with spun sugar. Since I wanted to do something truly autumnal–and I didn’t have a waffle maker for the waffles–I decided to make an apple spice cake!

(I thought about pumpkin, but it is only September…don’t want to pumpkin myself out!)

Specifically, I made this Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Drizzle.

I am nowhere near a good enough baker to make up my own recipes–but I did tweak this one slightly. I always have to in some way, due to the high altitude. Usually I add more liquid and remove some of the sugar and baking powder. I also increase the temperature.

In addition to the above, for this recipe I doubled the spices and used a more basic vanilla buttercream.

I also experimented with some spun-sugar nests for the top, since that was a requirement for the showstopper described above. I used good old Martha Stewart to guide me.

The result…

Again, rather rustic. Apparently “rustic” is my theme this year.

But just look at that spun sugar nest! My first time ever delving into the spun-sugar world–it was actually fun and I love how it turned out.

The other best thing about this recipe is the caramel sauce. It was perfect and surprisingly easy. You can find the recipe here!

can you spy a couple of little pups??

Of course, the cake itself is also lovely–it incorporates applesauce which is such a great way to use less sugar, and also give it that coveted fall-flavor.

But really, can we just take a moment to appreciate my nest again? I’m just too proud.

Question: do you enjoy baking in the autumn? Do you feel nostalgic for past autumns? 

The post Autumn in Europe + Bake Off Bake Along Week 4 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

E comes first–in early July. For his birthday, we took an amazing road trip around Scotland. (I wrote about our itinerary here!) We celebrated E’s birthday on the Isle of Mull, trying whisky and finding as much haggis as he could stuff himself with and wandering around the beautiful island. We ended the day with the best fish of my life, back in Oban, where we were staying.

I followed E to our 30s, in mid-August. This time, we didn’t get to fulfill any bucket-list trips, yet we have been traveling non-stop, it seems, since we arrived back in America. Although we did have airline vouchers that happened to expire on my birthday, the fact that I was about 7 months pregnant made the idea of being on a plane longer than 2 hours (and even that is a stretch, let me tell you) quite horrible. So we used our vouchers to visit the cheapest destination we hadn’t been: Charleston, South Carolina.

Besides Texas and the odd layover, I have never been to the South of the United States. In fact, I have never really been to the East Coast in general.

Turns out, I loved Charleston, despite the fairly unbearable heat and humidity. It is so, so picturesque, with adorable buildings and brightly colored walls and stately trees. We also got time on the beach, with sugar sand and near-bathwater temperatures. And THE FOOD. I think the South might have some of the best food in this country. Especially for a pregnant girl who really only wants all the comfort food (and fruit).

I admit, I struggled with turning thirty. Especially as my life looks absolutely nothing like I thought it would (and really, do I want it to? Should it? Does anyone’s?). However, it seemed harsh to have a big birthday like this when I was jobless, homeless, insurance-less (thanks for that one, America), oh, and did I mention pregnant? When you add turning 30, I think that’s a lot to handle for anyone.

Now that it’s been a month since I turned thirty, I am no longer homeless or jobless–and now that I actually am thirty, I feel…strangely relieved. Like, happy that the birthday is over and I can focus on other things. Weird, I know.

One of the things I’m focusing on is, as cliche as it sounds, the things that bring me joy. And one of these things is most definitely baking!

It’s now week 3 for the Bake Off Bake Along with Amanda.

And week 3 is…bread week! Always one of my favorites. (I mean, look at this gorgeous loaf I made last year!)

Sadly, I really wasn’t too inspired by bread week this year. Tea cakes, a cottage loaf, or a bread sculpture colored with natural ingredients? None of that immediately caught my fancy.

I have no idea what a tea cake is, blame America for that one, although I had never heard of a cottage loaf either. Since none of the bread sculptures seemed to taste all that delicious–and since I’m not actually on the bake-off, I probably care more about flavor than anything else–I decided to go for the cottage loaf. I love making bread from scratch like that! If you haven’t tried kneading the old-fashioned way, you really should. I swear its therapeutic!

I used this recipe, which seems to be a slightly Americanized version of a cottage loaf–and since my current measurement tools are cups, tablespoons and all that jazz, it worked for me!

My only issue with this bread was that it was slightly too dense–and I’m still enough of a bread novice to be unclear why. I suspect it was that I needed to knead it longer–or that I didn’t bake it long enough. Or it could just be the high altitude here in Montana which is always an easy culprit to blame ;).

Again rustic, but rather pretty, no?

The post The Summer of 30 + Bake Off Bake Along Week 3 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

// Did you know your body can develop issues when you’re pregnant? Issues that everyone has to get tested for, like liver problems and diabetes (that is specific to pregnancy?). Or, if you have negative blood type, you have to get a shot so you don’t start rejecting your baby, if said baby might have positive blood type? And some of them can happen no matter how healthy you are before and during said pregnancy? CRAZY. I’ve been poked more since I got pregnant than I’ve ever been poked–and not just because I’ve had prenatal care in two countries and had a few repeat tests.

// I’m officially 30 weeks as of yesterday! Which means I could have this baby in 7 weeks…or 12 weeks. Quite a range, my friends!

back when I was 20 weeks and thought my bump was “huge.” AND was still fitting in my clothes, sob. 

// I’m proud of the fact that I’ve managed to become more minimalist these past few years, but I think I’m a marketer’s dream when it comes to baby stuff. Firstly, all the baby stuff is so cute. Secondly, I’m anxious and feeling out of my league, so everything they are trying to sell me seems like a necessity!

// I don’t know what it is about pregnancy, but so many random strangers will talk to you. Or family members will tell you things you never wanted to know, like specific details about their own child’s birth. I’ve heard so many birth stories–from random strangers and actual people in my life. One good thing about it, though, is that every story is so different–I’m usually able to forget the scary ones (like the ones that involve twelve-pound babies–of which I’ve heard multiple stories, c’mon people!) and just assume mine will also be unique. Plus, most of them have a happy ending that gets them a baby! Trying to focus on that part of the stories ;).

// Pregnancy has also made me realize how little I know my body (and how little I retained/listened in biology class).

// Let me just get mushy and say that watching E prepare to be a dad is one of the best things. He’s one of those people you just know will be an amazing father. I think he will be a more natural parent than me!

// I know pregnancy brain is a cliche, but I practically have to be supervised in the kitchen these days. I keep having to open the trash to count the eggs shells because I can’t remember how many I put in!

// Speaking of the kitchen, my baking this week for Amanda’s Bake Off Bake Along was inspired by my current pregnancy craving: Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies. I haven’t had one of these in years and I have no idea where this craving came from–but it’s a bummer, because for a while I was craving fruit mostly (except for a few days of sugarsugarsugar and that one night where all I could think about was steak). Now it seems like I’m craving comfort foods and sweet things as opposed to healthier stuff.

Since this week was “biscuit week” on the bake-off–which translates roughly to cookies in American-speak–the choices were sandwich biscuits, fortune cookies, or a giant board game made from biscuits. (Yes, a board game, complete with biscuit dice and playing pieces!)

As much as I’m hoping to challenge myself with a showstopper, I just could not justify making a board game. And since I’m not a fan of fortune cookies (except for the fortune) to begin with, the obvious choice was sandwich biscuits!

Then, enter in my current craving, and the timing is quite flawless.

I decided to make these Mini Maple Oatmeal Cream Pies, because fall is most definitely in the air here (if you follow me on Instagram you’ll see that it’s already snowed!) and I can’t resist those autumnal flavors!

Admittedly I did not think through the beauty aspect of oatmeal sandwich cookies–I think these would be called “rustic.”

Rustic, but delicious!

In a weird turn of events, my favorite part is the cookie, not the inner-frosting. So much so, I ended up only frosting about half before deciding to leave the rest plain. Who am I?

The post Pregnancy Rambles + Bake Off Bake Along Week 2 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

baby bumpin’ in Iceland

(Well, kind of. It could still be um, three months or so…)

Everyone tells me the time will fly by but to be honest, when you’re counting days and weeks like you do during pregnancy, the time does not always go quickly. A part of me feels like I’ve been pregnant for yeeeeears (and will continue to be pregnant for years). I am not one to catalog my symptoms or cravings for the internet, but I will tell you that pregnancy is a roller coaster! You feel horrible for weeks–then you feel great. Then you feel so-so, then horrible, then great, and the cycle goes on. This goes for physical and emotional feelings. It’s a wild ride!

Besides the normal (or, totally weird until someone says “Oh yeah, that’s a pregnancy symptom”) aches, pains, weird relationship with food and a hit-or-miss sleep schedule, I feel lucky that I’ve had a pretty healthy pregnancy so far. At our last check-up, our little babe was pronounced “happy, healthy–and cheeky!” which is just so incredible.

Part of the emotional roller coaster part, is, I’m sure, the fact that my life has been in upheaval the last few months–and really, since we found out about the baby in the first place! At the moment, E and I are staying with my parents in Montana. We’ve been all over America since we got back in July (after traveling all over Europe), from Montana to Washington to Texas to South Carolina. Our plan was to come back to the States, get healthcare (which we still haven’t managed to do, I mean really America?!?), and decide where we wanted to live from here.

Well, along the way, E got a fantastic job opportunity–in ANOTHER COUNTRY.

Prenatal care in three separate countries, man.

Well, after weeks of hoping, that plan fell through. Our visa was taking longer than we hoped and we decided that E will work for this new job remotely until the spring. (So stay tuned for that announcement! I don’t want to say anything until we know for sure another move is happening).

To say that I’m disappointed would be an understatement–it’s hard to be in limbo while you’re pregnant! And this new country is one I’ve always dreamed of living in–but fingers crossed, it will still happen.

Still, we’re trying to make the best of things. This means we’ll get to be close to my parents (and hopefully E’s!) when the baby comes along–and we’ll get to be here for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, which hasn’t happened in, well, ever.

Another way to for me to make the best of things?

Join up with the lovely Amanda from Rhyme & Ribbons for the yearly Bake Off Bake Along!

(If you haven’t heard of the Great British Bake Off, click here!)

Last year I made an amazing chocolate bread, a perfect pumpkin cake, a classic lemon drizzle, a Victoria sponge cake, these disastrous pastries, weird Yorkshire puddings, crazy difficult Viennese whirls, and E was a guest-baker with these lemon delights.

My first bake last year–the classic lemon drizzle–was not a huge success, although I found out later I was using the wrong kind of flour (blame it on the Hungarian translation!). The first week is traditionally cake week–this year, a fruit-based cake, chocolate mini rolls, and an illusion cake. I chose to do a fruit-based cake, to hopefully start this year off strong!

I made this sour cream blueberry cake, as kind of a last homage to summer (but only because it’s still so warm–I am more than ready for cooler temperatures, fall flavors, and my favorite season!).

It also felt appropriate to use a recipe from the BBC…since it’s the Great British Bake Off and all. Of course, I forgot the measurement system is not the same here (why, America, WHY?) and coupled with my current high altitude, and lack of kitchen scale, my cake was definitely not perfect.

In fact…I would say it’s more informal than anything else (miss you, Mary Berry!).

Still, it was fairly delicious and that’s half the battle, right?

The post Third Trimester + Bake Off Bake Along Week 1 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

I suspected Slovenia would be amazing and I was RIGHT.

E and I spent seven days hiking in the fall leaves, boating on Lake Bled, tasting wine with locals, finding unique castles, driving and exploring to our heart’s content.

It was the best way to end my favorite month. I can’t wait to share more about every destination!

Another thing that has ended recently is the Bake Off Bake Along with Amanda and Ala.

The last few weeks, between work and travel, I haven’t been able to participate as much as I hoped–but I knew I had to rally and make the final bake!

I went for the technical challenge, which is the very-British Victoria sandwich sponge cake, that I’d never heard of until the Bake Off itself.

I went for a marbled version and I was quite impressed with how it turned out, flavor-wise, even though I failed at the “sandwich” part and over baked it.

Also we only had four raspberries left, so my decorations weren’t quite up to par (and no, I don’t know how we ended up with just four, so random!).

It’s fun to look back at all of my other bakes: like my first cake, my fabulous bread, my terrible pastries, and this incredible cake that might be the best thing I’ve ever made. I’ve learned more than I expected–especially when I think back to that first cake! Rather than being put off baking for the rest of my life as I feared might be an outcome of this challenge, I’m looking forward to getting back into the kitchen and making my favorite thing–bread!

The post Autumn Break + the Last Bake! appeared first on Amy and the Great World.