It's time for Flachtoberfest!

Tomorrow is the family celebration we call "Flachtoberfest."  My maiden name is Flach (pronounced flock) and Flachtoberfest seemed the right thing to do in this family of German heritage. It's basically a family reunion that we have every couple of years around the first of October at my niece's home. We have a variety of beers in kegs to choose from, a variety of German foods to munch on, some German-origin games like  Hammerschlagen and Schmear, and niece Wendy always finds the most unique prizes.  One year I won the Hammerschlagen contest (women's division) and my prize was a pair of racing Grannies.

Here they are, speeding across the dining table!

I'm the oldest one in the family now that my 97 year old Aunt Clara died a couple of years ago, so I'm designated the "Mother Flacher."  I love it!

This year I'm bringing Rouladen with gravy and Wendy's getting the spaetzle from the caterer. She'll also get smoked pork chops, various wursts, and other things from the caterer. If you don't know what Rouladen is, here's a picture of it before I covered it and put it in the oven. 

It's thinly sliced beef (I used top round and asked the butcher to cut it 1/4 inch thin and that saved me a lot of work and a lot of pounding ) that's spread with a thin layer of horseradish mustard. On it, you layer a slice of bacon, a quarter spear of dill pickle, some thinly sliced onions and some S&P. You roll that up like a burrito and skewer with a couple of toothpicks. Then they're browned and layered in the baking dish. The sauce is about half red wine and half beef broth with some bay leaves. The recipe calls for braising it on the stove top for 1 1/2 hours but I know my burners are too hot for braising and I have too many little bundles to fit in one pot, so into the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Then I'll make the gravy and it'll be ready to take to Wendy's tomorrow.

I also have to make up some Currywurst for apps.  When I was in Germany last fall, we saw currywurst advertised at the wurst (hotdog) stands. I didn't try it but I like curry and I like wursts so I think this will be good.   

I stole borrowed this picture from the internet since I haven't made my curry wurst yet. It's sliced knockwurst in a tomato curry sauce. Since I'm traveling with this dish, I'll be putting it in the crock pot and that should be good.

Just get a call that we have a house showing tomorrow while we're at Flachtoberfest. Keep your fingers crossed that the folks like the house, okay? Better finish my cleaning and get ready for it.