The Ten Most Common German Surnames

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Jen Thorpe

One of my grandmothers had the last name of Steinberg before she got married. Her last name didn’t even make the list of the top fifty most common German surnames. She spoke a little German, and I remember to this day several of the phrases she often used. In other words, even if your surname is not one of the top ten most common German surnames, you might still have some German heritage. All surnames have their own, specific, meanings behind the name. Sometimes, surnames refer to the way a person looks. Others are patronymic, which means they derive from … Continue reading →

1,2,3 Count With Me

Posted on October 21, 2006 by Emily Price

I have always been a huge fan of everything Sesame Street. I grew up watching the show as a child, and attribute much of my basic knowledge, including how to could to ten in Spanish, to the show. There is something about the characters on Sesame Street that was always able to quickly grab my attention, and keep it until the show was over. “1, 2, 3 Count With me” is a thirty minute movie put out by Sesame Street. The video features Elmo, Ernie, and the Count and in the movie Ernie teaches kids exactly how important it can … Continue reading →

Learn a Foreign Language on Your Computer!

Posted on October 20, 2006 by Emily Price

Before I was able to graduate from college I was required to learn a foreign language. Never one of my strong suites I struggle through several classes, eventually choosing to do a summer study abroad in France in order to immerse myself in the language and satisfy the foreign language requirement. Foreign languages can be tough to learn, and as more and more foreigners move into the US a foreign language is always a good thing to try and learn. Your computer can be a valuable tool in a quest to learn a foreign language. I always learn a little … Continue reading →

Two Delicious Bratwurst Dinners

Posted on October 2, 2006 by Libby Pelham

Still in an Oktoberfest mood, here’s two great Bratwurst dinner recipes. Grilled Bratwurst Supper For this recipe, you will need 1 1/2 pounds of uncooked bratwursts, six to eight small red potatoes, baby carrots, one red onion, fresh sliced mushrooms, garlic cloves, butter, onion soup mix, soy sauce, and ground pepper. To prep for this recipe, wash and cut your potatoes into wedges. Slice 1/2 pound of the baby carrots in half. Slice enough of the red onion to make 1/2 cup. Cut the bratwurst links into thirds. Peel and chop one garlic clove. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. … Continue reading →

Almond Poppyseed Kuchen

Posted on October 2, 2006 by Libby Pelham

There’s only a few days officially left in Oktoberfest. This yearly German festival started back in 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwwig (who later became King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen organized a horse race to celebrate their marriage. But, just because Oktoberfest is almost over doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yummy German recipes such as this one! For this recipe, you will need milk, granulated sugar, cream of wheat, unsalted butter, almond paste, eggs, honey, cinnamon, poppy seeds, all purpose flour, vanilla extract, and apricot jam or preserves. To make the dough, place 2 1/4 cups of flour … Continue reading →