Blog's First Thanksgiving

*knockknockknock*

Did you hear that?

*KNOCKknockKNOCK*

What is that????

Why, it's Lulu, begging me to use the photos of Thanksgiving she still has in a blog post!

Sheesh. Even my camera gives me grief.

My blog's 1st Thanksgiving - this calls for celebration!

And hors d'ouvres, of course.

We had a very small gathering, which was really really nice - made for a very fun and relaxed holiday.

They brought crostini (in my honor :), which is just good toasted bread with a topping.

They made an herbed ricotta to go with!

 It had scallions, dill, and other herby goodness. I had to remind myself not to eat to much before the main event - but it was hard!

 They also brought these amazing spiced nuts - recipe to come! I know there was orange juice and maple syrup involved. They totally had that sweet-salty-crunchy thing going on. I was very happy to see these leftover the next day.

While the master carver was at his station...

with the ever-faithful turkey lurker never far from the action...

*must. get. turkey.*

...we brought out the side dishes.

 Some holiday greenery, simply steamed.

 Mom's spoonbread.

It's basically a cornbread souffle, and tasted like....um, cornbread! I really liked it, and Mom hadn't made it for Thanksgiving before. A welcome addition!

You know that dish that is so darn good that you wait all year long for, but know better than to request it earlier in the year because then it would lose some specialness? That is my mother's sweet potatoes for me. I don't remember a single year I haven't had them and loved every buttery, brown-sugary bite. She always makes one section without nuts for my brother and I - but in the last few years, I've come around to the bourbon-praline-pecan topping too. 

It's even better than it sounds.

[There were also mashed potatoes that apparently went unphotographed. The sweet potatoes usually distract me. You understand.]

  

And finally, the bird was ready.

And so was my stomach! 

 The evening was capped off with a classic:

Pumpkin pie, made from scratch. Oh yes, I was one happy foodie.

I'm all for going all out and making crazy experimental dishes, but there is something to be said for sticking to tradition. And sweet potatoes. Man, those things are good.

I will return soon to celebrate vacation, sleep, the end of my ridiculous semester...and food, of course.

 In the spirit of this post, I wish you all happy holidays...and good digestion!

~Namaste!

Back in Action

So, Spring break broke. But it was a good one! Lots of sleep, yoga, gelato, and gorgeous Tuscan landscapes. Perfetto!

Yesterday was mostly spent cleaning - swept the whole apartment! Eventually I got a little stircrazy and had to get OUT and enjoy the lovely spring weather! Had to complete the picture with some gelato:

Straciatella al caffe (coffe chocolate chip) + tiramisu. GREAT combo.

I went to Piazza Santa Croce and sat on a bench while I read the homework that I may or may not have forgotten about...It was so nice! The weather, the musicians playing, the CUTE dogs...wonderful way to get homework done. I took the long way home and walked by a church on my street and there must have been a wedding!

RAINBOW RICE!!! Sweet!

When I got back, my roommate wasn't far behind! We decided to end Spring Break on a high note and go out to one of the many recommended restaurants nearby. We split a baby bottle of wine to go with our respective meals. I went with an appetizer + side dish, which I really like to do because the portion ends up being just right!

Crostini (toasted or grilled bread) with 3 different toppings

The one closest to the camera was a pate of sorts, not sure what animal, but sometimes I think it's best to not ask questions. Above that was a tomato-onion something or other that included raisins - I wasn't a big fan of that one, too sweet! At the top was an amazing smoked eggplant-garlic-oil thing that my roommate and I had NO problem polishing off. Mmmm, eggplant. I also ordered a side of cooked spinach - needed something to balance out the bread! I just love spinach. Especially in smoothies...it sounds weird, but you really can't taste the spinach. It just turns the smoothie green and boosts the nutritional value. I miss those Green Monsters!

Today it was back to the grind. I got a solid A on my Food & Culture mid-term, yayayayay!! I love that class. And I better keep lovin it - I have a presentation and a 10-page research paper due for it this month! Eeek.

A good breakfast was definitely necessary to start back:

Banana yogoat float!
Sliced banana + raw oats + vanilla yogurt. Hard to go wrong when using good ingredients!

I went to the market after my Food & Culture class (my music class was canceled because we are going to 2 concerts this week) and picked up some necessities. 3 apples & 3 pears for 96 cents!!! So exciting. Also, yummy fresh bread:

Pane alla soia - soy bread? I like it a lot! It has an almost sweet(?) flavor...hard to describe. Other than...yum.

I picked up lunch (at Casa del Vino, of course):

Prosciutto and pecorino. Simple. Amazing.

Seriously, this took "ham and cheese" to a whole new level. It might even be my favorite, just because it was so simple yet soooo tasty.
I ate it on the steps of the Brancacci Chapel, on the other side of the Arno.

A lunch with a view!

I actually went in the Brancacci Chapel today! (I tried to go over Spring Break but it was closed.) It was lovely. So peaceful.

Frescoes surrounded the courtyard (you can see in the picture below this one).

A little sunny courtyard inside. I sat there forever, sunbathing and listening to the birds chirping. Made for a lovely afternoon.
Though the courtyard was my favorite part, the Chapel wasn't bad either:

A pieta of sorts in the chapel entrance.

The chapel is currently being restored, so there wasn't much space to walk around. That, and Frida was PMSing and losing battery power. Hence, the subpar pics. But it was pretty!

Yes, lots of camera frustration. What really bugs me is that I get so annoyed over the fact that ever single picture I get is blurry and unrecignizable, that I forget where I am -- as in, I have to remind myself to step back and say "whoa. I'm in a centuries-old, beautifully painted chapel in Florence and I'm not even appreciating it. Put. The camera. DOWN." And I did. Damned if I'll let technology take away a what should be an enjoyable experience!

I walked home after that, enjoying the great spring weather - finally too warm for my coat!

I got hungry pretty early and whipped this baby up:

Lentils, a small onion, a couple cherry tomatoes, and a TON of spinach. I needed to use it up! Seasoned it with a little rosemary, sage, S&P and pecorino romano. A little boring I suppose, but I liked it! Especially after I added some dijon mustard for a little kick.
It's harder for me to experiment a lot with cooking here because I don't have many spices to work with - I adore trying different spice combos. It is so interesting to me how something so small can completely manipulate the flavor(s) of a dish!

I was very good last night about getting to bed. I am trying so hard to get in bed before midnight the nights before I have Italian because it makes getting up and getting through my day SO much easier. Unfortunately, very little actual sleep happened, so I'm pretty exhausted today. I came right back and took a quick nap before meeting the girl I practice Italian with, and then came home for breakfast/lunch. It's grey and chilly today (I would love to know where that spring weather went!), but I felt quite accomplished yesterday, and so I'm okay with today being a little less active. I have yoga tonight and then it's time for Ethnic Tuesday dinner with the roomies! I believe we are planning on Indian tonight - woohoo!!!

On my walk home yesterday, I had a moment where all of a sudden I thought "Whoa. I'm in Italy right now. Living here. How did this happen!!" It's odd, I adapted to life here so quickly, I suppose it didn't fully sink in. And maybe it won't totally sink in until I am able to look at it in retrospect. I don't know how exactly I got so lucky, but I do know that I am in total awe and gratitude that I did.
I've been asking myself a lot, "How do I leave this place?" I don't just mean hopping on a plane; I'm talking about leaving the lifestyle here that I've become so happily accustomed to, the sights and sounds, the food. I'm so attached, I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to walk away. But, I know I will figure it out. And I suspect I will end up with a deeper respect for the cultures of both here and my home. It's going to be interesting, to say the least.

I have a presentation (on CHOCOLATE!) due soon, so I think I will put my sleepy brain to work before yoga. A domani!

~Namaste~