50TH POST!!

I HAVE FINALLY REACHED 50 POSTS....



WHAT CAN I SAY REGARDING 50...THAT BY NOW I SHOULD BE At 100 POSTS, BUT I AM NOT A VERY DISCIPLINED BLOGGER.



I COULD LIST 50 FOODS I LOVE, 50 THINGS THAT MAKE ME SMILE, WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO TURN THE BIG 50, 50 BLOGS I LIKE...OR 50 FAVORITE MOVIES OR BOOKS....



WHAT I REALLY WANT TO SAY IS I AM THRILLED TO HAVE MET ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL WOMEN IN THE BLOGGING WORLD. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT ADVENTURE SO FAR. OUR KIDS HAVE FACEBOOK AND MY SPACE...WE HAVE BLOGS...ISN'T IT REALLY ALL ABOUT CONNECTING, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR AGE IS? THIS INTERNET WORLD HAS OPENED UP A WAY TO CONNECT TO PEOPLE OF LIKE MINDS AND INTERESTS ACROSS THE GLOBE....AND YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BOARD A PLANE.



I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE BLOGGING. THIS IS A PLACE WHERE WE CAN INSPIRE, SHARE AND LEARN FROM EACH OTHER; WHETHER YOU'RE IN MY OWN BACKYARD, OR HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD. I FIND IT SO INTERESTING TO READ A BLOG FROM THE LOVELY COAST OF AUSTRALIA, THE GREEN HILLS OF TUSCANY, AND THE COLORFUL AND EXOTIC MARRAKESH... AND LET'S NOT FORGET ALL THE GREAT BLOGS FROM OUR CANADIAN NEIGHBORS.!





AS ALWAYS, THANKS FOR LEAVING SUPPORTIVE, KIND AND SOMETIMES FUNNY COMMENTS!

SIX PICTURE MEME

My new friend, Tammy at Hot Flashes in the Desert, tagged me on the Six Picture Meme game, Go to your pictures folder, go to the sixth folder and choose the sixth photo and write something about it. My sixth folder had nothing in it (??), so I went to my seventh folder, which contains my photos from Spain last year, and chose the sixth picture. It is a photo of Salamanca, Spain from the window of the hotel I stayed at. My daughter Ali, who is a Spanish major, went to Spain in February, 2008 to study for a semester. I went in March to visit her for a quick 5 day trip. It is a beautiful, small city. We were there during Easter. We had the opportunity to experience the religious procession on Good Friday, where the entire town comes out to celebrate and enjoy the re-enactment of the stations of the cross. It was sooo crowded and we were getting hungry, so we went out to dinner....to an Italian restaurant! Oh well, gotta have Italian,no matter where I am. It was a great trip, and I am so happy she had the opportunity to soak up the Spanish culture.

I am not going to tag anyone, but feel free to share your 6 picture meme!

WHAT EXACTLY IS CLEAN EATING?

That's what I wanted to find out, when this magazine caught my eye on the newstand at Border's. What really intrigued me was the "New Italian Cuisine" article, and the cover recipe--Baked Penne with Asparagus and Turkey Meat Sauce.

According to the publishers, Clean Eating is consuming food in its most natural state--or as close to it as possible. Since visiting the farmer's market this past weekend, I am trying to do that more...I am using the bunch of asparagus I picked up there in this dish.

I altered this recipe, since Steve decided vegetarian is his new way of eating. I eliminated the ground turkey, and added chopped spinach and one package of baby portobello mushrooms...

Check out their website, www.cleaneatingmag.com and let me know what you think. I don't think I will get a subscription (12 issues for $21.97) , but I am always looking for new magazines with interesting recipes to try.

It's in the oven now, I'll let you know if it was a keeper or not!

P.S. It was really good! Of course my photo doesn't look the one of the cover of the magazine!

FROM FARM TO TABLE

This morning, I went to a local Farmer's Market with Panini Girl (see link). She is the first person I have actually met through blogging-she only lives a few miles from me. We have a lot in common, first and foremost, we are both Italian and from New York. She is quite the chef, check out her blog and you will find amazing recipes that she lovingly creates in her own kitchen, as well as wonderful stories and photos of her experiences in Italy last year, where she studied Italian.

In Italy, and all over Europe, there are fruit and vegetable stands everywhere. No need to go to Safeway or Vons to get fresh produce. In recent years, Farmer's Markets can be found every day of the week in towns nearby. In Leucadia, we finally got a Farmer's Market on Sunday mornings and I can walk to it. Who wouldn't want fresh organic picked fruits and vegetables "in season"? It feels good to support local farmers and other vendors, and hopefully find some inspiration for cooking something new for your family. I picked up some Swiss Chard (Janie, is that correct?).

I am going to find a simple recipe to serve it tonight with grilled fish. My husband has decided he wants to be a vegetarian, so I need some new vegetables to wow him with.

Personally, I will still eat chicken and fish. ..and an occasional steak.

An amazing film!

I love India. I have always wanted to travel to this beautiful, exotic country, with its share of spirituality, poverty and natural wonders....

There is a mystery there that intrigues me. When I heard that Slumdog Millionaire was playing in San Diego, I had to go see it. I was not disappointed. This 2 hour film takes you on a journey through India, through the eyes of a young man who is a contestant on India's version of Who Want's to be a Millionaire? I won't say anything else about the plot.

I will say that in this film I saw beautiful faces, colorful land, joy and suffering. I saw one of the true wonders of the world, the Taj Majal, up close and personal. It was a peek into a world so far away and unlike the one that I know, yet I know that someday I will get there.

In the meantime, please go see this film.

THE INFAMOUS DEL.....

It's Sunday and it's January, and its about 77 degrees....so what to do...you take a drive to Coronado, famous for its Hotel Del Coronado (you know the movie with Marilyn Monroe filmed here, "Some Like it Hot") with beautiful wide beaches. You get a pizza to go and sit on a few rocks and chow down, enjoying the warm sun and beautiful blue ocean.

You head into the Hotel, and look through all of the very expensive shops, admire the charming lobby with it's rich dark wood, grand staircase and very large chandelier (sorry no indoor pics, the flash is STILL broke).

Then you get back in your SUV head back home where the Chargers are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. The temperature there is about 22 degrees and it was snowing!

I hate to tell you, but it's just another day in paradise, even if the Chargers lose, and at this moment they are!

ITALIAN POSSIBILTIES

You know when someone does something nice for you, unexpectedly, it really makes your day. Well on Saturday, Patti, of The Liberty Post (see link) really made my day by mentioning my little blog on her big, wonderful, creative blog. I was touched and honored and it made me realize again the power of the blogging world. Sometimes it takes a stranger to see past all the No's, I cant's and I shouldn'ts to make you realize that all things are possible; you just have to believe in yourself and do it!! So this year, I am going to think of the possibilties that await me-maybe I will start a home based business making pesto or foccaccia, Italian cookies, pizza or Limoncello.

Last year at this time, I didn't have a blog, I really didn't even know that much about them, but here it is, and it has been very enjoyable. So, I am trying to be open to something new this year, even though there is a lot of fear, even at the ripe old age of 55. Tapping into something in me that ignites the passion, so that it overrides that fear.

So thank you Patti, for patting me on the back . I needed that.

NEW YEAR'S EVE SURPRISES

Yesterday, my daughter Ali, packed up her car and drove up north to San Francisco. She is starting her junior year at San Francisco State. This is not the first time she has left the nest, but it seems she has grown up a bit, and kept referring to San Francisco as her new home. She called last night and said she was looking at the lights of the Golden Gate Bridge, and was excited to be in a new city, starting a new year. She is a good kid, and I hope it is filled with new adventures and infinite possibilities.

My husband and I went to one of our favorite italian restaurants for dinner, not even a mile from our house. Who was sitting at the table across from us????? Greg Brady, as in The Brady Bunch, otherwise known as Barry Williams. We kept staring and saying to each other is that who I think it is. We were eavesdropping on their conversation and we heard the woman who was with him call him Barry. There was an adorable little boy also sitting with them. His name is Brandon. How do I know that? We came home and immediately my husband looked up his bio on the internet and he has a 5 year old son named Brandon. My husband said don't you dare stop and say Hi to him. I wouldn't think of it, but if it were George Clooney or Brad Pitt or Tom Selleck....that's another story!

Everyday is filled with surprises....unexpected moments, and possibilities.

I hope 2009 brings all of you surprises, special moments and endless possibilities.

Happy New Year!