Italy Trip

My husband very kindly booked a trip for me to go to Italy for a weekend of cooking classes. The trip is ran by a company that operates Italian "restaurants" in the overseas commissaries called Gourmet Italia. Larry Pisoni , the owner of the company, is born and raised Italian and is married to wonderful woman, Carol who is from the DC area. They have been doing these cooking classes all over Italy for the last 20 years with a focus on the Mediterranean Cuisine.

Our class was pretty large and full of American Military and Govt Contractors from all over Europe. Everyone was very nice and they made the trip even better. Our weekend took place in the Asiago area of Italy and we stayed at a wonderful hotel. My travel companion flaked at the last minute so I got a big room all to myself.

The view from my balcony.

The cooking classes were more like demonstrations with some hands on. I was very happy that Marco (our chef) taught us how to make gnocchi and risotto. I have attempted risotto once but wasn't sure if it was done properly. Marco used red wine to make the risotto and it was fantastic!

Every meal involved a lot of food! Lunch was three courses (the third being desert) and dinner was usually four or five courses. I have never eaten so much in such a short span of time! At least I can claim pregnancy for the tummy I developed.

Our class also went to an Asiago cheese factory. As a known cheese lover it was like going to heaven!

This is the ageing/storage room that had to be almost three stories tall.

Overall it was a wonderful trip and a great experience. I am very happy Mike made me go on this trip and hope to be forced to take more trips in the future!

This will take you to all the photos I took over the course of the trip.

Italy Cooking Trip

Overpacker...

I have always been an over packer when it comes to trips. One must always have choices especially when you don't know what to expect from the weather. The problem with being an over packer these days are all the carry on requirements and having to pay extra to check baggage. In Europe you can get super cheap flights on the budget airlines but their rules and fees regarding luggage are crazy. It's all part of the way to squeeze every pence from your pocket. You have to pay a fee if you wait to check in at the airport, checked baggage fee, no free snacks or drinks, and they even want to have pay toilets on the plane (hasn't happened yet but I am sure it will soon!)

How does an over packer pack for a 4 day trip in a small carry-on? A carry-on that I'm not even sure will meet the tiny requirements of 21.7 inches * 15.7 inches * 7.9 inches. My bag is packed with:

1 pair jeans

2 knit dresses

1 pair pj's

4 tops

3 camis

1 bathing suit

5 pair undies

1 book

1 DSLR camera

1 FLIP

toiletries

purse and contents

And hopefully snacks!

I just hope this thing weighs less than 20lbs!

Getting Old...

You know you are getting old when your niece graduates from high school! OK, so I was only in 6Th grade when she was born but it still makes me feel old!

My niece has grown into a beautiful, intelligent and well rounded young lady. I truly feel she has a very bright future in front of her as long as she stays true to what she wants in life. It's not easy trying to plan your future and make the right choices. I know a few of my choices weren't in my original plan!

I wish I was able to be with you today Kelsea. Know that I love you and I am so very proud of the person you are and the person I know you will be. Stay true to your heart and follow your own dream. The most important thing to remember is that no matter what, we love you and will always be in your corner cheering you on and supporting you 150%. Forget the bad, stay in the present, and keep looking to the future.

Another Chapter Begins

Shortly after Liam turned 1 yrs old, and people started asking the inevitable question, Mike stated he didn't want to have more kiddos. . It took me by surprise to be honest. Mike stated he wanted Liam to be able to do whatever he wanted, wanted us to be able to travel easily as a family and financially it made since. After a while I got used to the idea. Liam and I have always done a lot of traveling and it's easy to take a toddler on a plane when you only have one.

With every move and new stage, the baby items were sold or given away. When preparing for our move to England, I asked Mike one more time if he was sure we were done. "Yes!" The last of the items were sold. The only item we have from Liam's infancy are some "keeper" clothes, crib, bedding and mobile. It's sad to part with cute stuff you child enjoyed so, but they are being enjoyed by others. My friend Brooke sent me a picture of Cece playing with the kitchen we gave them and it made my day!

Shortly after arriving in England, Mike started his mission to get a Land Rover Discovery. My boys and their need for 4wheel toys! Don't get me wrong they are nice and I enjoyed test driving one but they are HUGE! Even though they are UK cars they are monsters in comparison to other cars and parking spots! My comment was that a Discovery is a family car and we would need more than 1 child to justify it's purchase. Who would have thought that a few days later, my hubby would tell me he had changed his mind. "If you would like to have another baby I am cool with the idea." WHAT, WHAT, WHAT?! Three years of stead fast NO and then all of a sudden he has a change of heart? Was it because he had just turned 40? There were many discussions that followed to get to the root of the matter. I realised he was serious.

A few months later and we are 10 weeks pregnant. Liam is excited and will make a fantastic Big Brother.




I have already started the hunt for good baby deals. So far I have picked up a highchair, bouncy seat, new infant seat, and Mike got a diaper bag. All for under $200! It helps being in a military community where people are moving all the time!

This will be an interesting journey.