Posted in Expat Antics: Life in Germany | 14 Comments

14 Responses to “Five minutes until the half of twelve.”

1. on 17 Mar 2006 at 3:26 pm1Lisa

   Maybe someone from overseas can mail you a box of pancake mix? I mean, if you get desparate enough for it

2. on 17 Mar 2006 at 4:28 pm2B.

   LOL Lisa… I used to think bisquick was too hard, but right about now I’d kill for it.

3. on 17 Mar 2006 at 5:03 pm3Djack

   http://www.chefs.com/Recipes/SearchResults.aspx?search=pancakes

4. on 17 Mar 2006 at 5:07 pm4B.

   Yeah, but now can you tell me the german term for ‘baking soda’ and where I can buy it? heh.

5. on 18 Mar 2006 at 12:57 am5Kim Hakkenberg

   I think you can find baking soda in a pharmacy or in little envelopes in a supermarket. It is something like ’sodium bicarbonate’. BTW I really like the layout of your blog! Kim

6. on 18 Mar 2006 at 9:23 pm6Haddock

   The Germans have a wierd way of saying the time. For instance halb neun (half nine) is infact 8:30. In England half nine is 9:30…….confusing huh!

7. on 20 Mar 2006 at 5:30 pm7Jen

   minimal has bisquick and walmarts. I have some, an unopened box, i can send you. E-mail me.

8. on 20 Mar 2006 at 5:45 pm8christina

   Baking soda is “Natron” or “Haushaltsnatron” and you can get it in bigger supermarkets, discount places usually won’t have it. The kind I buy is Kaisers - dark green envelope with white writing. I think Dr. Oetker makes it too. It will be near the salt and sugar or right in the baking section.

   The reason there’s no pancake mix here (except Bisquick) is because German pancakes are totally different - much thinner (but not like a crepe) and as big as the pan.

   This is my pancake recipe - really easy and only uses baking powder (Backpulver - small envelopes in the baking section)

   1 1/4 c. flour
   1 Tbsp baking powder
   1/2 tsp salt
   2 Tbsp sugar
   1 egg
   2 Tbsp oil
   1 1/4 cups milk

   Mix dry ingredients. Stir in egg, oil and milk and blend well. Pour into pan. Voila - pancakes!

   Saxon’s aren’t the only ones who tell time that way. My mother-in-law is always saying things like “fünf nach dreiviertel zwei” and I’m going “Whaaa??”

9. on 20 Mar 2006 at 9:20 pm9J

   There was no doubt in my mind that Cooking Goddess Christina would come to the rescue on this one.

   They say the same thing about time here, so it’s probably not just a Saxon thing.

10. on 20 Mar 2006 at 10:12 pm10skywalker

    stumbled here by accident.. anyway, if you want to have really easy pancakes (with fillings) that taste alright, go to Aldi, check the freezers and you’ll find packs with ready-made pancakes, and you can choose the filling (i think there’s blueberry and cherry and something else). anyway, they’re not the real thing, but 3 minutes in the microwave and taste alright. good luck.

11. on 20 Mar 2006 at 11:20 pm11megan

    I always find baking soda at asian markets strangely enough. If you have a big grocery store you may get lucky: I’ve seen those plastic jugs for sale here where you just add water or milk, shake, pour and cook.

12. on 21 Mar 2006 at 9:18 am12Adam

    The first time I sat down and figured out exactly how the Germans said 5:35, I was a bit stunned– “Five minutes past half an hour until six” seemed a bit much. Eventually I realized they actually say what you said–which makes much more sense.

13. on 21 Mar 2006 at 9:33 am13B.

    Thanks for all the pancake tips, I’m going to walmart this weekend… Jen, if they don’t have bisquick there I’ll for sure be emailing you. Christina, I’ll try your recipe, too. I can’t believe that after 37 years of managing to avoid cooking almost entirely, I’m now forced to do it. Sniff.

14. on 21 Mar 2006 at 3:56 pm14Tim

    Don’t worry about the way the Dresdner people tell you the time I’m from West-Germany and even I’m a little bit irritated how they do

    You will see, here are many different manners doing / saying things in one country

    But I like Dresden. It’s wonderful in spring and summer.

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