Birnen, Bohnen, Speck

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I'm back! I just spent a splendid 17 days at home living my American life and I'm trying to get back into the swing of my German life. Maybe someday I can find a way to combine them into one life (my life?) but for now I'm happy to share. More on that later.

Today I headed out to lunch with two colleagues. We went to the supermarket, as usual, and I was really unsure of what I wanted to eat -- this is a common occurrence. About 30 seconds after entering the store, both colleagues suddenly got really excited and reached for some of the prepared meals. The next thing you know, one was delicately shoved into my hands.

Pears, beans, and bacon?

Sure, OK.

Apparently it is a northern German dish which is seasonal and this was the first spotting of the year -- hence the excitement. They were a little unsure they were forcing this upon me but I assured them that I'm always up for trying new things and I secretly love when someone makes a food decision for me. [Growing up we always had two options for dinner: take it or leave it. I usually took it.]

Plus, I had always wanted to try something from this particular prepared food section of Edeka, but nothing had really ever appealed to me.

The verdict? It was delicious! It was warm and filled me up - all for €4,49. The green beans were mixed with a sauce of sorts and the pears are a special type of cooking pear. The bacon wasn't really the bacon that comes to mind for an American, but I can't find a better word. Plus, there was an added bonus of potatoes.

I love learning more about northern Germany, since most of what I know comes from my southern roots.