after breakfast we were gonna go get the pumpkin but it was pouring outside. so we played for a little while waiting for the weather to get better. it never did and we finally decided to just go there despite the rain (JAY! FUN!). so we went, got the pumpkin and walked back. dude, i SO underestimated how hard it is to carry a big-ass 8 kilo pumpkin under one arm and a basket with groceries in the other arm in the rain.. no fun. i'm telling you. but i had a 5,5 years old helper and we got home wet but all right. we carved the pumpkin - little crybaby used a spoon to get the flesh and seeds out because he "didn't like the sticky stuff on his hands.:" that kid really needs a man in the house. i mean, I totally enjoyed the sticky stuff on my hands and i'm almost 28 *gasp*. oh well, the pumpkin turned out really cute (not all that scary, to be honest) and i got 1,5 kilos of flesh out of it. unfortunately the weather here is too wet and too warm for this time of the year so i'm really no sure "curby" (that's how lukas named the pumpkin) is gonna make it until saturday ok. i took a couple pictures but i have to get the film developed first - and then you'll see. i also made two huge pumpkin-breads. and i have to say they're even better than the ones last year. unfortunately C can't have a taste again.. i thought about putting one in the freezer until december 10th and then bring it. but i really don't know how good it's still gonna be. i might just make another one before i take off. you think i can get a pumpkin or just the flesh in december?? i guess we'll see..

saturday night i had a few people over and we watched taking lives - great movie including about three "jumping up on the couch"-moments. i liked it a lot. and then yesterday nina and i went to hamburg to see "mamma mia" the musical. JEP! nina's aunt had gotten the tickets from her husbad for her birthday. unfortunately (for her) she got sick and couldn't go. so she asked nina and since ben had a soccer game and couldn't come, she asked me and we went! it was great! the bus left at 11 a.m. and we got to hamburg around 12:30. the show started at 2:30 p.m. so we had some time to stroll around the "reeperbahn and have lunch.. the show was really great. i love that music. it's kinda what i grew up on and we had a great time. driving back seemed like forever though. the bus driver had to pick up people from three different shows in the city and we had to stop at one theatre twice 'cause he had seriously forgotten a few people there - what a ... ;o) we were back in bremen at about 7:30 p.m. - tired and hungry. so we got some chinese food on the way back. i just vegetated on the couch, watched a german thriller (tatort) and "nur die liebe zählt" which i had taped earlier. then i started my new nicolas sparks book "the guardian" - yeah, i know.. but it's not like i read only stuff like that, it's just so relaxing and by the time i go to bed that's pretty much all i manage to read. the light stuff. but i read it in english - so at least there's some educating done.. ;o) i had to get up early today. i have quite a bit to do and i'm tired. but i'm looking forward to lunch and the pumpkin-bread and ceasar's salad i brought. oh, and one more thing: i miss C and i'm (obviously) counting the days until december 11th ;o). i hope you all had a nice weekend as well. i'll "check" on you later on.. off for today.

update 2004-10-26 * 10:14 a.m.

as requested ;o) - here it comes:

kimmi's pumpkin-bread:

1 kg flour
2 packages yeast ("trockenhefe")
100-120g sugar
ca. 500g cooked pumpkin-flesh.
i got about 1,5 kg flesh out of my pumpkin. put it in a pot and boil for about 20-30 minutes with some water. then drain it to get rid of the water and let it cool off. i had about 650g flesh left after the cooking - so enough for 1kg of flour..

-> mix flour, yeast and sugar, then add ca. 40g butter/margarine as flakes ("floeckchenweise"), the pumpkin and some milk. start adding only a little milk while blending with your hands (or the kitchen aid if you're lucky enough to have one ;o)) - not too much, maybe a cup or so, until the dough is a sticky mass but easy to remove from hands and bowl. make a dough-ball and leave it in the bowl. cover bowl with kitchen-towel and put at a warm spot (close to heater) where it's has to be left alone for at least 3 hours. after that time you should have at least twice as much dough.

blend again ("ordentlich durchkneten" ;o)) and then make 2-3 balls (depending on how many breads of which size you want). let the dough-balls rest for another few minutes on the oven-tray and then put in the oven for 40-50 minutes at about 180-200 °C. i always spread some egg yolk on the bread before i put it in the oven. makes it look better ;o)

now, enjoy and send me some ;o)