Archive | friends

another pre-baby getaway to Taormina

May 15, 2013 at 9:25 am

My friend Becca is about to have her fourth baby any day now, which is about the stage I was at the last time we went to Taormina. Both of us love the gorgeous vistas and old-world charm of this beautiful cliff-top town, and we’ve been visiting it together since we first became friends. (See photos of our first adventure to Taormina here, back when Lena was just four months old!)

With just one week left of Becca’s pregnancy, we decided to brave the hour-long drive and steep hills for a fun day with our little kiddos. There is no lovelier time to visit than on a balmy May morning! We parked along the water and rode the cable car up into the town, wandered down to the city park (Villa Communale) to eat a picnic lunch, and then stopped for granite (Italian ice) on the way back to the cable car.

I really hope we get to go to Taormina one more time together before the dear Arthur family moves late this summer. By that time Becca’s baby girl might be four months old… which would be an ironic way to finish off our adventures together after we’ve now visited with four-month-old Lena and four-month-old Gil over the years!

But that’s enough talk of people moving! I think it’s often — but not always — hardest for the ones left behind, don’t you?

5 :: in friends, Sicily, Taormina

saying goodbye, Sicilian style

May 6, 2013 at 2:34 pm

Oh, sigh… bittersweet pictures. They’re from a goodbye party for some of our very dear friends — Emily, Nathan, and their little daughter Ava — who left Sicily last week. I still can’t believe they’re gone! Emily and Ava came up to my house every single Wednesday to play and visit. This Wednesday is going to be especially glum.

They did host a fabulous goodbye party for themselves, though. The location they chose was the farm of Mariska and Emilio, an Italian and Swiss couple whose beautiful farm — Azienda Agricola Infantino — is hidden away in the rolling green hills of Sicily. Mariska and Emilio host groups for al fresco lunches and dinners, offer Italian cooking classes, and sell their delicious olive oil online.

We spent a late April afternoon there, soaking up the sun and eating pasta with half-a-dozen different sauces. The children jumped on the trampoline and played with the animals; the adults traded off child duty and otherwise sat in the shade and drank wine. If there is a good way to leave Sicily, I think our friends found it!

^ The town of Mineo is perched on the hill behind Nancy and Becca.

^ Trampoline time… for hours! The farm owners’ daughter fell in love with Lena.

^ Awesome truck, regal turkey.

^ Bethany and Emily before lunch was served outside.

^ On the right, this is how you drain a pot of pasta for 30 people!

^ Cramped photo of my lunch. I’m learning it’s very hard to take pictures with a baby in your arms!

^ Four-week-old kittens!

^ Mama spotted us humans with her baby, gathered him up by the scruff of his neck, and carried him back to his nest.

^ Gil, just chillin’ and blowing spit bubbles (his new thing).

Happy trails, dear friend! Can’t wait to see you soon in your new digs.

17 :: in agriturismo, animals, friends, Italy, Sicily

visiting Casa delle Farfalle {the Butterfly House}

April 29, 2013 at 12:45 pm

My grandparents left on Friday morning and I strongly dislike the day after friends or relatives leave. The house is quieter, the children are needier, the dishes are dirtier (and more plentiful). You know what I mean?

To avoid sitting around an “empty” house all day with my two kiddos, I joined my friends Becca and Bethany on a trip to the Casa delle Farfalle. With two minivans, three moms, seven kids, and 10 packed lunches… we were ready to discover somewhere new in Sicily!

The Casa delle Farfalle is located in the Parco Monteserra. Right outside the butterfly house is a great play area that the kids loved.

Inside are a couple of rooms with educational displays, including two whole rooms dedicated to an explanation of the Silk Road. The children were fascinated with the live silk worms and their beautiful cocoons.

Finally we went into the room to see the butterflies themselves. I have to say, I was amazed. There were sooo many butterflies and they were in such a lovely setting. Many things helped us to feel like we were in the butterflies’ natural habitat, such as a little stream full of goldfish, birds chirping and nesting just a few feet away from visitors, and beautifully maintained flowers and plants.

^^^ A butterfly boldly landing on you is magical every time.

^^^ Lena was fascinated by the fish. Can you spot her on the bridge? Thankfully she never fell in!

^^^ Lena and Daniel were fascinated by this little monarch butterfly drinking sugar water… right at their height!

^^^ An Italian visitor gently coaxes a butterfly step onto Elise’s fingers.

^^^ And there’s the whole loveable, motley crew.

If you’d like to visit, the park is located just outside the town of Viagrande. That makes it an easy 30-minute drive from Catania (or, if you’re military and coming from base, about 30 minutes from NAS 1). Directions are included on the website here; the GPS coordinates are 37.616088 and 15.090467. Admission is 5 euro for everyone over 5 years old (which made this an inexpensive excursion for our group!).

Parco Monteserra — where the Casa delle Farfalle is located — has a lot to explore in addition to the butterfly house. We enjoyed the playground with young kids, and for older children or families there are hiking trails leading to a lake and a volcanic crater. Surrounding the play area are dozens of covered picnic benches; there is even a BBQ pit if you’d like to grill your lunch. I’m going to take my whole family back soon!

9 :: in animals, friends, Sicily, travel

a birthday party at the playground

April 8, 2013 at 11:27 am

This past Saturday we celebrated Lena’s 2nd birthday with some friends at a playground on base. I opted for the free entertainment — slides and jungle gyms galore — over hosting in my own house. Definitely a simpler plan during this busy season in our lives! Everyone had a lovely time, I think, and we enjoyed celebrating with some of our friends here in Sicily.

^^^ Elliott and Josh had so much fun with all the kids on the ‘spiderweb.’ At one point Josh climbed all the way to the top and then started jumping up and down to shake the whole web and bounce the kids around. “There he is,” my friend Becca said with a sigh as she watched her husband. “Your friendly pediatrician, bringing himself business.”

Time to eat! The photo below was taken after the meal, but yummy remnants still remain of pasta salad, cut veggies, blood orange salad, zucchini muffins, Sun Chips, and PB & J sandwiches.

For Lena’s birthday cake, I used this Barefoot Contessa recipe and will definitely be making it again. I included nuts and raisins, which I knew might not be a big hit with the kids. This was Lena’s birthday cake, though, and she loves nuts and raisins, so nuts and raisins she did have!

^^^ So pleased when she realized everyone was singing Happy Birthday to her.

After all these eager beavers ate some cake, we opened presents. It was like a tornado on the picnic blanket! Every child wanted to help Lena open everything. Can you find Lena in all this craziness?

Elliott helped the kids play with Lena’s new bubble blowing set…more colorful chaos ensued.

^^^ Blowing bubbles is harder than it looks!

We had so much fun with everyone! Sadly, this might have been the last time that this group of our friends will be together, as four of the five families are moving back to the States this summer. Such is military life. Thank you, dear friends, for coming and loving on our little two-year-old!

10 :: in friends, Lena

a Sicilian tradition :: bruschetta

March 7, 2013 at 10:58 am

You know the feeling of biting into a perfect piece of bruschetta: the crunch of the toasted bread, the sweetness of the tomatoes, the spiciness of the garlic, the delicious flavor of herbs filling your mouth. I’ve attempted bruschetta and been disappointed with the result, so I was glad when Maria included a bruschetta tutorial with her pasta alla norma cooking class this week. Making perfect bruschetta might not be so hard for me now!

Here are a few pictures of the process and then the recipe is at the end of the post.

First, deseed and dice your tomatoes. Then mix them with the olive oil and herbs in a large bowl. Let sit while you prepare the bread.

Try to find a loaf of bread that looks something like this. Slice it into 1-cm pieces and place on a tray to toast in the oven.

Take a break for a picture with your cute little boy…

… and to check out your daughter, who is playing with one of the many children that were running around the house throughout our cooking class. Fun for them and fun for us!

When the bread is finished toasting, top with the tomato mixture.

Sit down at the table and enjoy with your friends! Buon appetito!

Bruschetta Recipe

Ingredients

1 kilo tomato (2 lbs)
1 loaf of bread
3 small garlic cloves (2 large)
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp dried basil (or 2 fresh basil stems)
2 tsp kosher salt
about 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

De-seed tomatoes and dice into small pieces. Mince garlic and place into tomatoes. Add oregano, basil, salt, and oil. Cover and let sit.
Put oven rack on lowest position and set to Broil. Slice bread into 1cm thickness. Place in oven and toast until warm.
Top bread slices with tomato mixture.