THANK YOU ALL so much who COMMENTED and or EMAILED me with IDEAS, about MY FUTURE and what you would like to SEE HERE ON MY BLOG!
YOU ALL MADE ME SMILE………..
I need to smile MORE so I THANK YOU!
I have been in THE GARDEN pruning but THE RAIN has not allowed me to finish………..NOT COMPLAINING just saying…………..
I start to panic if it is not done by FEBRUARY.I still have time…….I just dislike pruning off THAT new growth!
BUT I DO!
WE have a few oak trees that surround us.
That DEAD branch above my head reminds me of a LIGHTENING STREAK!
THAT is THE KITCHEN.
Should I plant that URN or LEAVE IT BE?
I know the answer but am curious as to what YOU would DO!
YOGA THEODORE
SOUND ASLEEP.
He spends MOST nights OUT on the prowl then ends up sleeping by DAY!
PLEASE MOM NO LIGHT!
CATHERINE, he LOVES your CASHMERE !
YOU MY LOVELY READERS MAY ENJOY TOO!
IT COMES FROM ENGLAND!
SO I named this POST ITALIAN SECRETS……..as I wanted to share some of the HINTS THE ITALIAN has passed on to me over the last 32 years.
ONE.
ALWAYS put ROCK SALT in your pasta water when you boil it!Not one tablespoon or TWO a palm amount.
You can taste the pasta while it cooks and add MORE if need be.You cannot take the salt away so start with the palm covered and go from there.
I will show you a photo or TWO!
YES!
JUST TRUST ME!
TWO.
HAVE EVERY ONE AT THE TABLE when YOU serve the pasta!Pasta isNOT meant to be served lukewarm or cold!I never ate a PASTA SALAD whilst I lived in ITALY!
THREE.
Dress the pasta with olive oil or BUTTER.Before you apply the sauce.The right words are not forming but certain sauces will take Butter and others Olive oil.I do not know how to tell you which will take which, but PESTO takes Olive Oil.RAGU takes BUTTER.
FOUR.
NEVER PUT CHEESE ON FISH PASTA!
NEVER!!!
THAT IS A NO NO.
FIVE.
In ITALY if the cook wants the PARMESAN on the pasta he will offer otherwise,it is considered RUDE to add PARMESAN cheese to your PASTA!The CHEESE has a strong FLAVOR what you are doing in fact is covering up the taste of the PASTA SAUCE!
SIX.
NEVER GO OUTSIDE WITH WET HAIR!Italian fact you will get a COLD.
!!!Alternative Fact?!!!
SEVEN.
NO CAPPUCCINO’s after 11 AM!Milk is for morning use only!
(I do not follow this rule because my TUMMY needs the MILK!)
EIGHT.
NO BREAD WITH PASTA!
EVER!
Theory here…….bread is a filler.DO not eat bread with PASTA or you will not be able to finish your Second course if you load up on BREAD!That is a waste of FOOD and the CHEFS TIME!Bread is to be offered if you cooked for 4 and two more show up to FEAST!!!
WE AMERICANS TEND TO FILL UP ON BREAD.
DON’T WE?
Speaking of BREAD.
NINE.
ITALIANS doNOT Butter Bread!
It is used to clean the plate at the end of a MEAL.
Any left over juices swimming around in the plate will get a GOOD SWIPE with a small piece of BREAD!
TEN.
OLIVE OIL and VINEGAR on the table with the BREAD for dipping.
THAT’S A NEGATIVE TOO!
I think that is ENOUGH TIPS for TODAY!
I might turn YOU ALL INTO ITALIANS!
THEN THE WORLD WOULD BE A HAPPY PLACE!
NOT a BAD IDEA!
Let me share a story about traveling with my two small SONS.I was headed to ITALY without THE ITALIAN.I think we had two seats for three of us because NICHOLAS was small…….well,he was over 10 pounds at BIRTH so NEVER SMALL!
I had TWO LADIES from SAN FRANCISCO sitting in front of us.They both LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND ROLLED THEIR EYES.
AS if this would be a HORRENDOUS TRIP!
Two small kids.
Of course that made me even MORE NERVOUS!
SINGLE PARENT
13 hour flight.
You get my DRIFT!
Then on the RETURN FLIGHT out of ROME!
I had TWO ROMAN BUSINESS MEN in SUITS.
ARGUING over who would HOLD THE BABY!!!!
They couldn’t have been MORE GRACIOUS and HELPFUL to a MOM traveling SOLO!
On that TRIP I realized what AMERICA was missing!
THAT was a LONG TIME AGO.
WE were TOO BUSY .
WE as a society had forgotten the MOST important things
IN LIFE.
Children & Aging Parents.
But lets save that TOPIC for another DAY!
VALENTINES DAY
is upon us….
WILL YOU WEAR RED?
This is our garage.
YES,
HIS PRESENTATION Is ALWAYS THE BEST!!
This is where I park my CAR and he has a string with a DOG DONUT hanging so I do not BUMP HIS CABINETS!
On our ANNIVERSARY last year this is what I DROVE INTO.
I didNOT have TO TEACH HIM this trade of ROMANCE.
HE was BORN with it!
I know HE is RARE.
VERY RARE this ITALIAN who MY MOTHER PICKED FOR ME!
To those of you with young SONS………
TEACH THEM THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE!
IT IS A WONDERFUL LIFE
when thought and CARE go into a GIFT of LOVE.
I can honestly say it is
MAGICAL!
XOXO
PS.MY SONS enjoyed the 13 hour airplane trip without a SHOUT or BOO HOO!
SO, my guess is those TWO WOMEN did TOO!!!!!
135 Comments
Leave your reply.