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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Christmas time is here

Merry Christmas!
Patriotic Christmas tree - The Tipsy Terrier blog
The Christmas tree at my parents house is a patriotic tree with ornaments from the White House and other red, white and blue baubles.
We gathered at my parents house last night for our annual Christmas Eve traditions.

Santa and I - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Santa even paid us a visit
Christmas carols as we wait to open presents - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Christmas carols sung by Kirk and Mladen
Christmas presents - The Tipsy Terrier blog
We said that we were going to tone it down this year...
Time to open presents! - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Presents!
Christmas morning at our house.
Santa visited all of us - The Tipsy Terrier blog
We were good this year!
Santa filled all of our stockings to the brim and then some.

Merry Christmas from the Tipsy Terriers - The Tipsy Terrier blog

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!


Cheers,

Amy and the Tipsy Terriers

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Linderhof Palace - Castles of King Ludwig II in Bavaria

 King Ludwig II Rococo palace in the Bavaria mountains - Linderhoff

Visiting King Ludwigs Castles - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Linderhof Palace is the only building project that King Ludwig II saw to completion.  His life was cut short mysteriously when he was found dead, floating in a lake at 40 years old.  "Mad" King Ludwig most likely was not mad but quite eccentric.

Visiting King Ludwigs Castles - The Tipsy Terrier blog

Linderhof is located near the Ettal Abbey in the mountains of Bavaria.  The main house is open year round but the gardens and park buildings are open Spring through early fall.  Consult their website for exact dates and times.

We drove from Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Linderhoff, along the Romantic Road, in about 3 hours.  It is a very scenic drive and many places to stop off at if you wanted to make a day of it.  Our plan was to visit the palace, tour the gardens and a few of the out buildings before heading to Schwangau to stay the night.  Schwangau is less than a mile from the famous Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau (where Ludwig was born.)  We stayed at Landhotel Guglhupf and loved it!  We had a huge room and were able to unpack  and breathe.  The breakfast was delicious with home baked pastries - way beyond your usual European fare.  There is not a restaurant on-site but there is one a few blocks away for dinner.


Visiting King Ludwigs Castles - The Tipsy Terrier blog
 Ludwig Considered himself the "Moon King" a romantic shadow of the Sun King Louis XIV.  Many aspects of Linderhof will remind you of Versailles, but a much more compact version.
Visiting King Ludwigs Castles - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Salon - Photo Credit




Visiting King Ludwigs Castles - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Moorish House - Photo Credit


Visiting King Ludwigs Castles - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Interior of Moorish House - Photo Credit
Visiting King Ludwigs Castles - The Tipsy Terrier blog




Visiting King Ludwigs Castles - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Grotto - Photo Credit
King Ludwig was infatuated with Richard Wagner, the composer.  Ludwig designed this grotto, with Capri underwater lights, so he could see private performances of operas while sitting in his clam shell raft.  There are a lot of rumors about their relationship...

Visiting King Ludwigs Castles - The Tipsy Terrier blogVisiting King Ludwigs Castles - The Tipsy Terrier blogVisiting King Ludwigs Castles - The Tipsy Terrier blog


Maximilian II, Ludwig's father's, hunting lodge needed to be moved to finish the final build out of Linderhof.  The lodge was relocated on the property and still can be visited today.
 Visiting King Ludwigs Castles - The Tipsy Terrier blog

Visiting King Ludwigs Castles - The Tipsy Terrier blog


Other posts about our trip to Germany:

Have you visited any of Ludwig's Castles?  Which one is your favorite?
 
P.S. See Brittany at the Rococo Roamer for her post with aerial shots taken by her husband in a helicopter with a fresh dusting of snow!

Cheers,

Amy

Linking up with:

Friday, December 6, 2013

Gift ideas for the Wire Fox Terrier lover


Christmas with Wire Fox Terriers - Presents for the Wire Fox Terrier lover The Tipsy Terrier Blog
Christmas shopping is upon us...and I am way behind.

As I was unpacking our decorations I came across a cute book that reminds me of Belle, our female Wire Fox Terrier.  Olive, The Other Reindeer looks like a Wire Fox Terrier but she might be a Jack Russell, either way she is super cute.
Detective LaRue is a series of books about Ike, a Wire Fox Terrier, and his many adventures.

Then there is the most famous of all Wire Fox Terriers, Asta!  Asta is the star of the Thin Man series and steals the show.

The TinTin Movie

Before the new Tin Tin and Snowy movie there was the original
The original comics by Herge, a Belgian comic strip artist.


Snowy!

We have also made up some gear with our pub logo on it The Tipsy Terrier Pub.
Cafe Press shop for The Tipsy Terrier Pub
The Tipsy Terrier Pub sign - The Tipsy Terrier Pub blog
Make Custom Gifts at CafePress

Cheers,

Amy

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Rothenburg o.d.T: The jewel of the Romantic Road in Germany

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  Rothenburg, Germany is a magical walled city that is home to the largest year round Christmas shop in Germany, Kathe Wohlfahrt. The shop is open year round  and is modeled after the annual Christmas market in the town square.  I would love to go back to Germany during December to enjoy a holiday market filled with gingerbread, mulled wine and booths of Christmas goodies.
Shopping in Rothenburg, Germany - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Here is Rothenburg decked out for the holidays with a fresh dusting of snow!  To plan a trip in December to Bavaria consult this site for a list of all the markets and outdoor activities.
Photo Credit
Rothenburg is on the Romantic Road, see map below, that starts in Wurzburg and ends at Neuschwanstein.  When I first visited Rothenburg in 1999, after my semester abroad in England with my family, we ended up at the wrong Rothenburg wondering where the walled city was...luckily we were only 45 minutes away.  So it is important to type the full name of Rothenburg ob der Tauber into your GPS. 

Photo Credit
For this trip we arrived by car from Heidleberg.  We decided to rent a car for a few days while we explored Bavaria since many of the castles that we planned to visit were not close to train stations.  It is still possible to visit these locations with public transportation but more planning is required.

We stayed at Goldener Hirsch Gastehaus, our room was across the street from the main hotel in the blue building in the photo below.  Breakfast is included, wifi is 1 euro and parking is 6 euro a day adjacent to the hotel.  Make sure to find a hotel that has a lot close to your actual room or you will be hauling your bag over cobble stone streets for blocks. We chose this hotel because it was with in the walls of the city, it is a few blocks from the town square and it is reasonably priced. 

Where to stay in Rothenbrg o.b.T, Germany - The Tipsy Terrier blog
 This intersection is quite picturesque and can be found on artwork sold throughout Bavaria.


We arrived in town on the afternoon on the last Wednesday in September.  I was expecting to see a a ton of tourists but they must of been in Munich for Oktoberfest (don't worry we go there too!)  There were a few buses of people but not overwhelming. We went shopping at Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop to buy ornaments, smokers and to see the museum on the second floor. 
Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop in Rothenburg - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Rothenburg o.b.T at dusk - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Rothenburg o.b.T at sunset - The Tipsy Terrier blog

After dinner at a quaint restaurant, off the main square, of delicious Bavarian fare (read meat, potatoes and beer!) we stopped into a cafe to have a schneeballen and a latte.  Schneeballen, snow ball, is a pastry made out of strips of dough folded around into a ball, deep fried and then coated with powdered sugar, chocolate or other flavored toppings and it originated in Rothenburg over 300 years ago.  I prefer the simpler ones compared to the ones we bought here.

A typical pastry of Rothenburg - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Right after breakfast we set out to walk the historic wall surrounding the city.  Rothenburg is a very well preserved walled (fortified) medieval town that has been featured in many movies including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a few Harry Potter films and inspired Walt Disney for the animated film Pinocchio - Geppetto's village.
Rothenburg - The Tipsy Terrier blog

Rothenburg - The Tipsy Terrier blog
There is an elevator (2 euro) that will take you to the top of Town Hall so you can get a birds eye view of the town.
Rothenburg Germany - The Tipsy Terrier blog

Cedric the Gnome in Rothenburg, Germany - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Cedric enjoyed tagging along for this adventure

Jessica@The Independent Travel Cats has written a very informative blog about the top seven things to do as well as history and other pertinent details when visiting Rothenburg o.b.T

Our other stops in Germany: Cologne, The Rhine River by ferry and train, Burg Rheinfels - traveling the Rhine, Marksburg Castle, Burg Eltz, Heidleberg 

Have you been to a Christmas market or plan to visit one this season?

Cheers,

Amy

Linking up with:



Sunday, December 1, 2013

Weekend musings

Wire Fox Terriers at The Tipsy Terrier pub

In between Thanksgiving feasts and getting our Christmas tree I did a photo shoot with our two Wire Fox Terriers. The goal was to get a  photo worthy of our Christmas card and out of 80 plus shots none of them made the cut.  I did get some cute pics of Cooper and Belle, The Tipsy Terriers, with their new Martha Stewart collars.

Belle a Wire Fox Terrier - The Tipsy Terrier blog

Cooper the Wire Fox Terrier - The Tipsy Terrier blog
Cooper is very good at the sit and stay commands.

Wire Fox Terriers at The Tipsy Terrier Pub
Belle Wire Fox Terrier at The Tipsy Terrier Pub

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend with family and friends!

p.s. this is my first time making gifs - I might have gotten carried away!

Cheers,

Amy

Are your dogs, or pets, on your holiday card?

Friday, November 29, 2013

Wood Fired Pizza Oven

How to build a Forno, wood fired brick oven


Al forno is a term that described cuisine in Italy which has the tradition of using wood-burning ovens and open-flame grills.  The brick oven has become a kind of symbol for "al forno" with its arched oven door and a wooden board upon which the food was put in and taken out.

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog
One of the oldest evidence of a forno is in Pompeii, Italy.
How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog
Our forno in use during the annual All Hallows Eve Party.  Kirk is usually the baker but I was giving him a break.
My husband and I built our own forno in our back yard from scratch with a ton of help from my father-in law Ernie Ruffo, a retired stone mason, in 2009.  There are kits available where each piece is made out of unglazed ceramic that are then assembled at home.  A stand and an enclosure is still needed even when using a kit.

The base of our oven is 5'6" x 4'6" x 3' and is made out of concrete blocks, on a concrete foundation and is faced with river rock and clinker bricks.  There is an opening to store/age wood before burning.  We trim our fruit trees and use the clippings as kindling.  Only fruit, nut, or hard wood can be used in the oven - they get the hottest and do not have sap, etc.  This chart shows each species of wood and how it burns.  An oven could also be incorporated with an outdoor kitchen too. 

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog
The completed oven
We chose to make our oven in the shape of a volcano as a reference to Mt. Vesuvius near Pompeii; where the oldest pizza oven was found. The bottom of the oven is 3' in diameter and is made out of fire brick and fire resistant mortar.

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

On top of the concrete block walls we placed a 2" deep steel pan that a friend of ours made to our specifications.  We wanted about a 6" overhang from the face of the brick and stone on the base.  Kirk created a template out of plywood for the 3' base and cut fire brick accordingly.  We decided that we also wanted fire brick on the floor of the opening to the oven.  This picture shows the void for the floor of the opening.

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

Next, we created the shape of the oven out of sand and covered it with a thin layer of stucco to form a shell that we could build to.

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

After the stucco was dry we started to dry stack the bricks.

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

Refractory mortar, or fire mud, needs to be used at all the joints at this layer.  We choose the light yellow for the floor of the oven. 

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

We used pieces of hardened mortar as spacers to create the angled walls.

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog


All of the voids between the bricks need to be filled with fire resistant mortar, aka refractory mortar. After the voids are filled the entire exterior needs a coat of refractory mortar.  We also chose to apply mortar to the inside of the opening to the oven. 

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

At this point the bricks are supporting themselves so the sand and mortar shell can be removed.  Then a woven ceramic blanket is added to cover the entire exterior.  This blanket can insulate up to 2300 F which is key because the oven will get over 1000 F easily.

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

Then cover the blanket with a wire mesh.  This will hold the blanket in place and give a base for the stucco to adhere to.  For this layer of stucco, perlite needs to be included in the stucco mix as an insulator.  Perlite can be bought at your local hardware store.

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

Let the scratch coat cure before adding additional layers of stucco.  You do not want pockets of moisture that could expand and crack your oven when you fire up the oven.  The brown coat, or second coat, of stucco is where you can fine tune the shape of the oven.

How to build your own forno - brick pizza ove The Tipsy Terrier blog


Here you can see that we almost have the peak formed.  While Kirk finished the stucco on the outside, I filled any joints that were missing mortar.

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

Now let the entire oven cure for a few weeks depending on your climate.

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

We decided it was time to fire up the oven even though the exterior mosaic was not complete!  We were ready for some wood fired pizza.

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog

How to build your own forno - brick pizza oven The Tipsy Terrier blog
The complete mosaic of dark grey smooth stones and lava rocks.

Things to remember
  • Make sure that the opening of the oven is large enough for your pizza peel.  We buy ours from the local restaurant supply, but you can also purchase online.
  • Use gloves that are rated over 500 F and that cover your forearms.  The oven gets really hot and you do not want to burn your hands or hair on your arms.
  • Purchase a laser thermometer that goes to at least 1000 F.  The laser will help you find the best place to bake your pizza. 

We referenced "Your Brick Oven" Building it & Baking in it by Russel Jeavons while we were building our oven.  A newer edition is available on Amazon

I will be sharing recipes and cooking methods with the forno in future posts.

Have you built your own wood fired oven?  Would you attempt to?  Any questions about our method?

Cheers,

Amy