When we were driving Maxi to the aiport, she said “I feel so weird, I am not sure if I am happy to be going home or sad to be going home!” We met the other exchange students at the airport, and one by one they checked in, showed their passports and got their plane tickets. They were flying into Paris, then taking another plane to Stuttgart, where their relatives would pick them up and travel by car the rest of the way home. Right now it’s 7:00 a.m. and she has another 5 hours before she lands in Stuttgart!
So then its time to say goodbye, and Hannah and Maxi hug and start crying. Then I start crying. Shit, I cry at Hallmark commercials!! She gave me a hug, told me she would miss me and then off she went. She wrote us a note, not to be read until after she left. It was so sweet, and in one part she said “And to Biz, thank you for all your delicious food, especially the spaetzle, and for being my Mum while I was here.” And to Tony: “thank you for all your jokes and of course, I love you the most!” Luckily she caught on to Tony’s sense of humor really quickly!
And to Hannah: “Thank you for letting me stay in your room, driving us everywhere and picking up everyone and doing everything I wanted! I love you!” Hannah will see her again in a mere 60 days, which will probably go by just as fast as these last three weeks went!
Since I knew it was her last breakfast here, and she loves all things cinnamon, I decided to make apple cinnamon pancakes.
Apple Cinnamon Pancakes Recipe (printable version here)
Makes 14 servings (each pancake: 106 calories, 3 fat, 16.6 carbs, .7 fiber and 3.1 protein)
This recipe makes 14 pancakes, so I decided to do the stats for one pancake and you can add up how many you eat – delicious!
Ingredients
1 | cup flour |
1 | cup whole wheat flour |
1 | tablespoon brown sugar |
1 | tablespoon baking powder |
3/4 | teaspoon cinnamon |
3/4 | teaspoon nutmeg |
1 | teaspoon salt |
12 | ounces milk |
1/4 | cup water |
1 | large egg |
2 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
1/2 | cup apples |
Directions
Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another. Mix until well combined. Let batter sit a minimum of 15 minutes. Pan fry in Pam.


Tony’s plate with syrup:
Maxi actually ate hers with butter, sugar and cinnamon mixture and honey! She definitely likes things sweet! I realized I had my sugar free syrup at work, so I topped mine with 1/4 cup Vanilla yogurt.

I asked Hannah to pick up some snacks on the way home for Maxi to take on the plane. When I looked at this package, Hannah said she didn’t realize they were spicy – so they quickly became mine! 😀
I decided to make a grilled cheese lunch: 2 ounces of sourdough bread, 1 slice 2% pepper jack cheese, 2 slices deli ham and 1/2 ounce of the fiery chips – they are hot and delicious!


After I got home, I knew I needed to fit in a quick workout before dinner. My gym has new treadmills that now have individual t.v.’s and super cool programs! We belong to Cardinal Fitness – so cheap – for all 4 of us it’s only $45 a month!
You can even download your stats to a USB port! My stats (with walking warm up and cool down:
And I may have watched FoodTV while I worked out 😀
Since I still haven’t gone to the grocery store, I did stop to pick up some shrimp for dinner. I decided to do a quick shrimp and pasta dish with spinach and mozzarella cheese.



It was delicious. I was full and satisfied. Until I started to sweat. Dammit! I gave myself too much insulin!
I don’t know how many of you have ever suffered with low blood sugar, but when it’s this low, my tongue feels numb, I am sweaty, and my only thought is to get that number up, and as quickly as possible. So un-photographed snacks ensued: 10 peanut m&m’s, 1 ounce of kettle chips, and 2 ounces of Trader Joe’s sesame pretzels. All told: 467 calories, 34 carbs, 16.5 protein, 31 fat and 3.9 fiber. 🙁
Stats for Thursday:
- 44 minute walk/jog on treadmill
- average blood sugar: 76
- 1,521 calories, 183 carbs, 77 protein, 55 fat and 21 fiber
I took a picture of my grilled cheese and left my camera on the counter when we left for the airport. No worries – Hannah had hers. We were waiting for the tram to the International terminal when I took a picture of Hannah and Maxi, only to have her battery die after that – so the last picture of Hannah and Maxi!
Alright – I am off to figure out what is breakfast and lunch today – Happy Friday!! 😀
Oops! I almost forgot! I am entering my spaetzle maker post in Christina’s Friday Firsts! 😀
Awwww, I am sad for you all…I know what it was like each time we had our exchange students leave 🙁 The good thing is you all can keep in touch forever and it gives you all a reason to visit Germany….You will have a built in tour guide. We did that with our exchange student from Brazil – it was awesome to spend a month in South America 🙂
Your stats still came in great even with your blood sugar uppers 🙂
sheesh, this about made me cry! what a fun experience!
i love your pizza fridays! i think we might have to adopt that tradition!
Aww I’m so glad Maxi loved her stay at your home. I bet she came to feel like a part of the family! Heck, I’d really like to do an exchange at your house, Biz!!! Please?
The pancakes look fantastic, so does the grilled cheese and kettle chips! There’s nothing better than chips and a sandwich!
I hope you have a fantastic day!
Aw, you’re making ME tear up, too. What a great relationship you guys formed…all across the continent! Biz, from what I read, you were the MOST TERRIFIC host EVER. Seriously, the stuff you did for Maxi, that was way beyond expectations. You’re such a kind soul!!
sweet treadmills!!! i love them! i wish my gym had one of those.. but wait its a work gym and i work for the company whos motto is do more with less haha! : )
so sad to see Maxi go.. i loved having exchange students at my house- you learn SO much about the world that way!
You made me tear up! What a wonderful experience for everyone though.
Awww, bittersweet goodbye! 🙂
Those pancakes sound amazing!! Now I want some, along with that shrimp penne pasta. YUM YUM
Jenn
Wow, 33 is a very low read. When mine gets that low–I just reach for whatever will fix it and usually it’s the bad stuff. I don’t have any logic at that point–I’m pretty loopy. Sometimes I sweat but mostly I just feel light-headed and my heart races a little and I just feel mentally retarded. Maxi’s note was very sweet–I’m sure it was hard seeing her go.
33? BIZ! 🙁 Scary! Be careful! Makes me so nervous, that is low, low, low!
I cried just reading what Maxi wrote. It sounds like the past 3 weeks have been so memorable and special. I love that she loves your husband most 🙂
Have a great weekend, Biz! Off to catch up with more of your posts! I’m behind!
Awww, what a sweetheart to write those notes! At least Hannah gets to see her again soon 🙂
I thought I was the only one who watched food shows while working out 😉 Hehe. Shocking but I never get hungry while doing that, do you?
Shrimp. Yum.
Those pancakes look delicious!
Awww, Hannah and Maxi are too cute together in that picture! I cannot believe that three weeks went so quickly!
I agree w/ Erin: $45 for 4? Awesome deal! Love the pics of the girls. Just started reading your blog today, after you dropped by mine, so I don’t know all the characters yet, but the gals are cute as buttons! (I was a middle & high school teacher for 12 yrs before leaving the classroom FT. Kids are a blast!!)
Wow! You REALLY bottomed out!!!! I can’t even imagine getting THAT low. When I get to 70, I feel totally weird and out of it. And then having to eat all the empty kcals – that’s a real bummer. 🙁
DO love the Paula D… well, I’m mostly amazed at/by her! How she eats all that (southern) stuff and doesn’t drop dead is beyond me!!
thanks again for dropping by the turtles blog today! and do hope you’ll vote to send me to NYC! 🙂
robin/the turtle runner
$45 for 4??? Nice! I pay 35 for just me!! *YIKES*
Thanks for the shout out Biz!!!
J’s coworker is diabetic and he came home the other day and told me how they had to call the ambulance for her b/c she was just drenched. He was like “I don’t know if it was sweat?” and I said YEP b/c I knew from your warning sign!
I don’t know which meal looks better, the pancakes or that shrimp dish you whipped together.
Hannah is in for a great experience. I have lived in Europe twice in my life, in Paris for 8th grade, and in London for 3 years in Grad school, living abroad even for a few weeks is an invaluable experience.
Awww that is such a sweet letter! You have an amazing family… you opened up your home and your hearts to Maxi and she really loved you for it =)
what a delicious send off breakfast! LOVE the pic of Tony’s plate…looks proffessional!!
– Beth @ http://www.DiningAndDishing.com
Those pancakes look awesome!
I always watch food network as I workout. Always.
It looks like the girls really had a great time together! Is Hannah going to Germany to see Maxi?
Yep – she leaves in June for three weeks! All the kids were saying yesterday – “see you in 60 days!”
Hey, thanks for the comment today – I think you are right and I am not eating enough. After just looking at the pictures on you post for today – I’m hungry 🙂 The food looks so good.
That treadmill looks cool. I like new things.
Glad to find your site – I’ve got some looking around to do.!!
made me want to cry…
and $45 for a membership for all 4… I don;t want you to come cook for me, now I want to move in with you
Saying good bye is sometimes so hard but you have so many memories.
Your pancakes are killing me!
Awww, I would have cried to!! What a cool experience for your family!! 🙂
2 beautiful girls! Wow – that blood sugar # gave me the willys! Must be my nursing background. Quick – cake icing gel!
You know when we finally meet, between the two of us the tears will be flowing! Glad Maxi had such a good time; soon it will be Hannah’s turn (more tears from you, I’m sure!).
Re your low blood sugar – that must suck to have to ingest the “empty” calories so quickly JUST to get your numbers back up…:(
Yep – but had I not, I would have only been around 1100 calories for the day – and then you would be mad at me for not eating enough calories! 😀
aw, I would have cried too. I am totally that girl that cries at everything! Even commercials! haha glad I’m not alone.
I love the Paula Deen tv picture. hahaha.
I hate that low blood sugar feeling. I get dizzy and pass out.
Dang, Biz! You just made me tear up, I’m such a mush! I’m glad all of you had that wonderful experience and have someone else to love like family.
OMG, those pancakes look delicious!
I am sure the good-byes were tough! My daughter is a diabetic on insulin so I know what you experience!
Awww, I’m sorry you cried, but it sounds like you all had such a good experience.
Also, it’s too funny that Paula Deen was on while you were sweating your buns off at the gym!
you poor thing, i hate good-byes. i’m sure not just maxi, but any one of us who read your blog would love to come stay with you for three weeks! what a wonderful experience for all of you, one your family will never forget.
those pancakes and the shrimp dish look so delish. i so wish my kids would be open to that kind of food!
sorry about your insulin being off-kilter. i hope you felt better after having the snacks.
Those are the treadmills we have at school – and I totally watch FoodNetwork on them…surrounded by grunting college age men doing their weightlifting…
I bet Hannah is SO excited to go to Germany – she should blog while she is there! Is she taking German now?
Awww, so sweet. How lovely that your family got to experience this!