In Aosta
In Aosta for the weekend!!
Shira, Etc.
Discovery of the Month
Ok folks, questa è senza dubio la scoperta del mese!! I’ve been clueless for so long, but this week I discovered Save-a-Lot Italia! And it’s right on my way home from work. Double score. I needed raisins for the Moroccan Chicken Couscous recipe I wanted to try and was not looking forward to the big grocery store experience during grocery rush hour.
So in the desperation of the moment, I pulled into the sketchy DICO parking lot, praying for raisins. Not only did they have raisins, but they had CHEAP raisins and cheap everything! You can only imagine my excitement – I got a loaf of bread, six 2-liter bottles of sparkling water, a bag of raisins, and a pair of tweezers –all for a grand total of €4.28!! Do you understand the savings?!
The Moroccan Chicken Couscous was quick, easy and really good! It was from the Parents.com newsletter. I enjoy the Parents.com weekly newsletter, even though I’m not a parent. I tried their Banana Ginger cookies the other night too. The flavor combination intruiged me and I had a blackening banana that was starting to make friends with the neighborhood fruit flies. The cookies weren’t bad, just kind of weird; creaming method without eggs. I made half the recipe, and put milk chocolate chunks in some of the cookies. The lemon glaze was really lemony thanks to our awesome lemons from our neighbors by the sea house. But I think I’ll make banana chocolate chip muffins the next time I have rotting bananas around.
Cravings
This month I crave. I crave The Rock. I crave Golden Grahams. I crave Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I crave being around people that know me. I crave having a conversation in English.
You may be wondering how I deal with these cravings. Well, I’ve been eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich for lunch everyday this month and making some seriously old-school recipes from the Alpha Bakery Cookbook, in particular Veggie Bites (try the recipe!) and Lemon Squares. The Veggie Bites, which I made to stuzzicare (munch on) before a dinner party, were a big hit, as always. Unfortunately (depending on your point of view), the Lemon Squares didn’t go over real big and I ended up eating the entire batch myself. I don’t know what’s with Italians and their lack of appreciation for American desserts. I feel they need to get used to spices and sugar. At least the ones that live with me!
Miracle Berries & A Favorite Picture
Have you heard about miracle berries?? They look like oblong cranberries and trick your tongue into experiencing flavors in a new way. Apparently they’re all the rage in NYC. I’m dying to try one!! Check out this New York Times article for the juicy details.
This is about the only decent picture of me and the bros that’s been taken in the last ten years. There are lots of cute ones from when we were little, but now that we’re older I guess we’re not as photogenic…
He we are at the lake on the ol’ Gypsy Star (a.k.a. “You What?!”) which unfortunately hasn’t seen the water in at least two years. Big progress on the Rock this year – the new kitchen is in and all the drywalling is done. Dad built a deck last weekend, can’t wait to see it all!!
A Poem By Ben
I thought I would share with you all this poem my brother Ben wrote for me on my last birthday.
Pay particular attention to his creative sense of spelling, which I, for one, find most inspirational.
Here’s the recap incase you can’t read his handwriting:
“Your a Glimmering skunk linging in the wind.
A beautiful sponge, withering from essance
A Shimmering Gem flowing in a river of sewage.
An overessant piece of pit-hair dangling off the arm of a pre-mature, european hooker.
A blossoming wart pussing with
glamour.”
Just remember folks, poetry does not always have to be grammatically correct.
Thanks, Ben! I’ve always thought of you as a Shimmering Gem flowing in a river of sewage too. 🙂
Rain Rain Go Away
Oh my gawd. It’s been raining for 12 days straight! I can’t take it anymore. Tomorrow I’m going to have to resort to the old stand-bys: rain dances & children’s songs. Augh! Stop already!