Another Season Down

While most leagues in the United States are still playing, the 2012-2013 hockey season has officially come to an end for us (and most of Europe).  Kevin's team, the Broncos, played really well throughout the season, finishing at the top of the standings.  Unfortunately, they lost in the Finals so the season didn't exactly end the way we would have wanted. 

Most of our North American friends here have headed home already, with the last of them leaving tomorrow.  On one hand, I am jealous; on the other hand, I'm glad we still have another month here.  I'm definitely looking forward to getting home so everyone can meet Alessia.  I also cannot wait for my breast pump, a bouncer, a swing, and a car seat that actually passes safety standards.  Of course, I am looking forward to all the amazing American food...Chipotle, hot dogs on the grill, Marzetti Ranch Dressing, and hot wings.  And I'm counting down the days until I get to go to Target. 

We are excited to get home for an amazing baby shower that my cousin, Steph, has planned for us.  She's been working on it for months and I know it is going to be the best.thing.ever!  And what's more exciting than coming home to a new niece or nephew?  Kevin's sister, Melany, and her husband, Brett, are expecting their third child right around the time we get home.  Maybe our first stop will be the hospital to meet the new little peanut.   

I'm not looking forward to the flight home.  We are going to be "those people."  The people no one wants to sit next to because they have a newborn.  The people who have a million bags.  The people who take 30 minutes to get everything together so they can walk through security.  I'm having nightmares about our travel day already. 

Our living situation is also something I dread.  Like most hockey players and couples, we live with our parents in the summer.  While we are beyond thankful that our parents allow us to do this, it sucks to lose your privacy and space.  Plus, we are throwing a baby into the mix and that is definitely going to make things ten times harder.  Kevin and I are just getting to a place where we have a routine with Alessia and are used to the way the other does things.  I don't want to mess that up.  Our living situation is also going to require us to travel back and forth.  Nine hours in a car from Pittsburgh to Springfield will be a real treat.  Kevin and I have already made the executive decision that we will be driving overnight.

The end of the season also brings the off-season...the time where we must make tough decisions about where we will be and what we will be doing next season.  For me, the off-season is the hard part.  Traveling and living somewhere new and unknown is easy for me.  Deciding where that is going to be is tricky.  And, again, this is going to be a lot harder now that we have a little person to think about.  I know Kevin and I will make the decision that we feel is best for our family, but getting to that decision is always tough.  One thing is for certain, there is never an easy answer. 

Surfing the Net

When I get up in the morning, I like to make my normal rounds on the internet....Facebook, Hotmail, Pinterest, Blogger.  Then, depending on the day (or time of year), I have other sites I need to visit.  If Kevin's brother played the night before then I have to check his score.  If it is a Sunday, then I have to check out Target's ad.  If it's football season, then I have to find out who won the night before and then do my fantasy football lineup. 

One of the strange things I like to do when I'm bored is go shopping at my favorite stores.  I go to the Express or GAP site and see what I like.  I fill up my cart, but never buy anything.  It is especially fun to do after the holidays when all the sales are going on. 

Sometimes, I get Kevin in on my craziness.  Since Kevin has been over here for over 5 months now, he is really starting to crave American food and restaurants.  I'm still content with pizza and pasta, but I've only been here for 3 months.  Obviously, I could go for some Chipotle, but that is a given regardless of where I am living. We like to go to our favorite restaurants' websites and look at the menu.  Then we decide what we would get if we were there right now.

Our Parental Pledge

Kevin had two days off Tuesday and Wednesday so we headed up to Germany to check out the Christmas Markets.  We were in the car for about 8 hours in that 36 hour period.  For us, this is definitely not a big deal, but add in the fact that we have no radio and it can get a little boring (even despite the fact that I'm a BIG talker).  Kevin and I talked a lot about the pregnancy and parenting and I came up with the idea of making a list of things we want to do and do not want to do as parents.  I think it will be interesting to see how many of the things we actually stick to. 

1.  There will be no family bed.  Kevin doesn't even like to share his space in the bed with me.
2.  We will not fight our kids on what they want to wear for the day (unless it is harmful).  If someone wants to dress up like Superman or a princess for the day, then so be it. 
3.  Treats are good for kids, but not the ones that contain food coloring.  I don't have a problem with cookies, ice cream, and cake unless they are covered in Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 6, etc.  This is one thing I definitely feel strongly about and Kevin backs me 100%.  For someone who once lived off Starburst, Jolly Ranchers, and Twizzlers, I know giving up dye wasn't easy for Kevin (but we have found alternatives).
4.  All pacifiers will be destroyed when our children are 1 years old.  We're hoping our kids don't want them...fingers crossed.
5.  Our kids will learn a foreign language at a young age.  If foreign language isn't offered at their schools, then we'll hire a tutor. 
6.  Our kids will not have the biggest and best things.  A 5 year old doesn't need an iPad and a 10 year old doesn't need the newest gaming console.
7.  The kids will be in sports.  We don't care which ones, but the kids need to be active.   
8.  We are not going to vaccinate.  I started researching vaccinations last year when we started discussing having children.  Since then, I've come across a plethora of valuable information and have shared it all with Kevin.  We've discussed the pros and cons of vaccinating and have decided we do not want to do it.  We know this will be a battle with pediatricians and schools, but we are willing to fight.

Clean Eating

Italy was not good to my waistline.  While we ate more homemade meals and used natural ingredients, I ate more carbs in the six months I was there than I had in years.  Even with working out 4-5 times a week, I managed to gain 7 pounds.  And these days the pounds don't fall off like they use to when I was 20 years old.

Since getting back to the States about a month ago, I have really tried to clean up my act.  Granted, I have indulged in a few of my American favorites, but overall I've been following a low carb, all-natural diet.  I'm back to my organic foods and really trying to cut down on my sweet intake.  And starting tomorrow, I'm going to try my hand at eating only food you can grow or that come from animals (sorry to all the vegetarians out there).    

Tonight, my parents and I hit up our local Farmer's Market.  It's small, but they have everything you need and a little of the stuff you don't need.  We got a bag of peaches, a basket of tomatoes, a head of cabbage, some zucchini, and organic ground beef.  And since I'm being honest here, we also got a Texas cake and lemon-raspberry coffee cake.  I am going to try my hardest to stay away from the sweets and let my dad take care of those though. 

From now on, I'm going to try to make a weekly trip to the Farmer's Market.  I love the idea of buying local goods and helping out the farmers in our community.  

Home

In less than 12 hours we will be heading to the airport.  It is hard to believe that the time has come for us to go home.  We are both super-excited to see our friends, families, and dogs.  But there are a few other things we cannot wait to get home for.

1. Food- We already know that our first stop in Pittsburgh will be to Chipolte.  I can already taste the pork tacos.  I'm going to eat all three of them and a whole bag of chips and guacamole...and I'm not going to feel bad about it at all.  Kevin and I have been talking about "American food" for months now.  He can't wait for ribs, chicken wings, steak, and sandwich shops.  I just want cottage cheese (the kind here is disgusting), pulled pork, hot dogs, and hummus.  I'm giving myself until June 1 to indulge in all my favorites and then I'll clean up my act for the summer.  I do have a bridesmaid's dress I have to fit into.

2. Internet- I cannot wait to have the internet at all times, uninterrupted.  Our internet connection in Vipiteno was the only thing that almost made me lose my shit this year. 

3. Phone calls- For 6 months no one has called my cell phone except for Kevin and Debbie.  And Debbie's been gone for a month now so my phone's probably only rang twice in that time.  I cannot wait to get home so I can text and call people whenever I want.  Be prepared friends, there are some long conversations in my future.

4. Clothes- I just want my clothes.  Kevin says I'm crazy, but I'm serious.  I hate wearing the same thing constantly.  Rotating the same 20 things for the last 6 months has taken a toll on me.  If I had it my way, I would just throw out everything I've worn this year and start fresh because that is how much I hate my clothes here.

5. TV- The fact that I will be able to turn on the TV and understand what people are saying excites me beyond belief.  The only English channels we get in Vipiteno are BBC and CNN.  And I can watch the music stations because most the songs are in English.  Granted, we have the Slingbox, but when our internet is out, we can't watch it.   
 

Food Coma

Kevin received a gift card from one of his goalie's parents at the end of the season.  Things have been so crazy with visitors and traveling that we never had time to use it until today.  We figured we go to lunch, head into town to run some last minute errands, and then come home and do some packing.  Well, we ended up eating and then heading straight home for a nap. 

The gift card stated that it was good for "two complete lunches with beverages and wine".  I usually don't drink wine at lunch, but if it's free, I'm not going to object.  Then again, I don't usually eat a 5-course meal for lunch either. 

When we arrived at the restaurant/hotel, we showed them the gift card and it took two people to figure out what it was for (since it was written in English).  They gave us our menu, which was all in German, and told us we could have anything we wanted.  Kevin and I were a bit puzzled, but we got right to our menus and started making decisions.  Kevin was going to go with the filet and I was going to have Spätzle (small spinach gnocchi in a cheese sauce). 

Then a new waiter (who spoke English) came over and turned our world upside down.  He asked us if we had any questions about the menu or what anything was.  Kevin asked the waiter how the gift card worked.  Were we supposed to have a first course and second course (like traditional Italian/German meals)?  Or just anything we wanted?  The waiter answered "Naturally, you should have your pasta dish and then your meat dish."  So, we did the natural thing and ordered two meals instead of one.

First, they brought out our 1/2 bottle of red wine and 1L of water.  We also got rolls and some weird butter put on our table. 

We didn't know this was butter until we tasted it.

Then, we had the soup and salad bar.  Kevin opted for nothing but a meat salad and potato salad...2 helpings of both.  I had a salad and potato salad.  But neither of us could do the soup.  We wanted to save room for everything else.  

The potato salad was amazing!

Kevin's second helping of meat salad and potato salad.  I told him not to do it. 

For the pasta dish, Kevin had the Tris (3 different types of pasta) and I had the Spätzle.  It was delicious, but both of us were already full.  I couldn't even finish mine because I was already miserable.

How is a girl supposed to eat this and a whole other plate of food?

Tris...the ravioli was delicious.

Next came the meat course.  I'm not a big meat person.  I usually stick to chicken, but decided to think out of the box and got a steak today.  It was smothered in onions and gravy and came with a rice pilaf.  Kevin got the ox filet with potato pancakes and mixed vegetables.  We both enjoyed our dishes, but about half way through we were in shambles.  I was at the point where I thought if I put anything else in my body, it was all going to come back up.  Kevin was a trooper and finished off his filet and even took a few bites of mine.

Kevin's ox filet

Yes, there is a steak under all those onions and gravy.

When our waiter came to our table and asked if we wanted dessert or coffee, all I could muster up was a "no".  Kevin went for it though and had a piece of cake.  I didn't get a picture of it because my brain quit working after all the food.

After Kevin finished off his cake, I had to get out of the restaurant.  I needed fresh air and a walk.  Luckily, we made it home before our food coma set in.  But once I opened the door to our apartment, I headed straight to the bedroom, changed into my sweatpants, and hit the bed.  We ended up sleeping for a good hour and had to skip right over dinner after our 8,000 calorie lunch.  
  

 

Update

I know I’ve been MIA for about two weeks, but we had one of Kevin’s friends in town and we were out and about.  We did a lot of traveling and saw some new places, but it’s nice to be home now. 

Brian got here on April 10.  He flew into Venice and we went there to meet him.  It just so happened that we also had family friends in Venice at that time so we all got together for a day of sightseeing.  We did a tour of the Jewish Ghetto (something we’ve never done), checked out St. Mark’s Basilica, walked around the markets, had pizza, and drank Spritz.  We thought about trying Bellinis at Harry’s Bar, the home of the first Bellini, until we saw the price.  £16.50 (about $22) for a 6-ounce Bellini!  That price made us all get out of our seats quickly and hit the streets for the next best thing…gelato.  

Pizza break with Emma, John, Cathy, Brian, and Kevin

That night we made our way to Verona where Brian, Kevin, and I were staying over.  It was already late so we checked into our hotel and then went straight to dinner.  After a bottle of wine and a few beers, we were exhausted so we called it a night.  We woke up the next morning to rain.  I’m not talking about a light sprinkle either.  This was a downpour.  After a few hours of walking around in the rain, checking out the Roman Theater, and rubbing Juliet’s boob, we decided it was time to head back to Vipiteno.

 Kevin got a quick boob rub in for good luck.

After a day spent in Innsbruck and a day in Vipiteno, we made our way to Florence.  We decided to drive since we were only staying two nights and it made more sense money wise.  We don’t have a GPS so we figured Google Map directions would work just as well, but we ended up getting lost a few times.  It took about an hour longer than it should have to get to our hotel.  We were actually parked illegal in a place we weren’t even supposed to be driving and started running around asking people if they knew where our hotel was.  Turns out, it was about 40 meters from where we were parked and the parking garage was just around the corner. 

Our first afternoon and night in Florence was rainy.  We had drinks, then dinner, then more drinks, and then called it a night.  The next day, we had scheduled a ½ day trip to Pisa and were bummed when we woke up to rain.  But as we started driving away from Florence, everything cleared up.  We got a guided tour of the main square in Pisa and then had a few hours to ourselves.  We spent most of this time holding up the Leaning Tower and snapping stupid pictures.

Piazza del Duomo, Pisa

 I'm just holding up the Leaning Tower for a bit.

That afternoon we had a few more hours of no rain in Florence and took advantage of it.  We checked out the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, and walked around until dinnertime.  For dinner, we checked out a cute little place that had a pasta sampler.  It was served family style so you could just take what you want.  Everything was delicious, including the three bottles of Chianti that we took down.

The Piazza del Duomo in Florence

 The Ponte Vecchio

We finally woke up to a clear sky on our last day in Florence.  We walked the 460 steps (give or take a few) to the top of the Duomo, where the view was breathtaking.  Then, we headed over to the pizzeria where the cast of the Jersey Shore worked (please don’t judge).  In started to rain a little so we decided we should probably just head home.  Luckily, since I was in charge of the directions, we made it out of Florence and home without getting lost once.  It should be noted that I was with two directionally challenged men.  

The Last Judgement (on the left) is painted on the ceiling of the Duomo.  

 

Kevin and I at the top of the Duomo.

  Yep, we ate where the Jersey Shore cast worked.

After two days to recuperate in Vipiteno, we made our way to Munich.  Our first stop was Dachau Memorial Site, which I would highly recommend to everyone.  It was depressing, yet educational and some of the stuff that happened there is unbelievable. 

 The gate prisoners passed through when entering Dachau.  The inscription means "Work Brings Freedom."

Once we made it to Munich, we walked around the Marienplatz area and then heading to the Hofbräuhaus for dinner and a big beer.  One turned to two and then two turned to three.  And by the time we left there, we had each consumed three liters of beer.  Well, maybe not me…I was having trouble drinking the third one so I kept pouring it in the boys’ beers when they weren’t paying attention.  On our way home, we got so lost because somehow the map had gotten torn and the important part was nowhere to be found.

 The Marienplatz

 Round one of beers at the Hofbräuhaus.

That next morning was rough for everyone, but we wanted to get an early start because Kevin and I were heading out that afternoon to come back to Vipiteno.  We checked out the Viktualienmarkt, where I had a big pickle and a coffee and Kevin had a foot long sausage on a 6-inch bun for breakfast.  After doing some shopping and checking everything out, we headed to lunch where we all had a Wiener Schnitzels that were bigger than our heads.  Needless to say, none of us finished it.  Kevin and I said our goodbyes to Brian (since he was staying to fly out the next day) and we headed back to Vipiteno.

 I might have found the cure to hangovers.

 You can't visit Germany without getting a Wiener Schnitzel. 

Yesterday morning Kevin left for Asiago.  He will be there for the next 8 days working as the goalie coach for the Italian National Team.  It is a huge honor especially for a first year coach and I’m so excited for him.  I’m here in Vipiteno and have decided to spend my time alone getting back on a schedule.  I need to hit the gym hard and get back to eating like a normal human being.  Once Kevin gets back we’ll have a little less than 3 weeks here and we’re hoping to get to a few more places before returning back to the States.   

Pinterest Recipes Reviewed- Round 3

I've been busy in the kitchen again trying out new Pinterest recipes. Check out what I've been whipping up in the Reiter household.

Recipe 1: Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

I threw this amazing dish together at the last minute. I hadn't planned on anything for dinner because Kevin wasn't supposed to be home and then there was a change of plans. I had everything I needed on hand with a few exceptions. I didn't have a can of beans to add, but even if I did, I probably wouldn't have added them since Kevin isn't a big fan. In place of the Mexican cheese blend, I used both cheddar and mozzarella. I omitted the cumin and the cilantro...cilantro does not exist in Italy. Anyways, the Cheesy Enchilada Casserole was delicious and easy to make. I will definitely make it again!

Recipe 2: Caprese Grilled Cheese

Kevin thinks a meal isn't complete unless there is meat. With Lent, he has had to give up his precious meat for one day a week, but I have to say, he has done an amazing job with it. I honestly never thought he would have lasted this long.

I've been trying to shake things up with meals, especially lunches and dinners so he doesn't get bored. I found this recipe on Pinterest a few months ago and thought Lent was the perfect time to try it. I made it according to the recipe minus the garlic, which I didn't really see a point in including. The sandwich was great and even my carnivorous husband enjoyed it.

Recipe 3: Chicken and Dumplings

I've only ever had my mom's chicken and dumplings and I love those. I was really hoping mine came close to her's, but I think they were actually better. I was really craving chicken and dumplings and I looked for days for a recipe that would be easy and flavorful and came across this one and was not disappointed.

For the recipe, it calls for homemade chicken broth, but I used store bought and I also used 3 large chicken breasts (I cooked them right before) in place of a whole chicken. I left out the potatoes in order to cut down on the carbs and instead, just added more celery and carrots. As for the spices, I couldn't find fresh thyme so I used dried and I also left out the tarragon in the dumplings. I honestly have to say that I was shocked at how good my chicken and dumplings turned out. I was really expecting to mess up something, but I aced it.

This is definitely true after having my visitors here. I took ten days off of working out and did nothing but eat and drink alcohol that entire time. My body hates me right now, but it was worth it.

Italy vs. USA

It seems like everyday I find another difference between Italy and the US. I don't go looking for them; I usually just stumble upon them. This past Saturday, Kevin and I were walking around the town center and stopped in Kevin's favorite butcher. We weren't buying anything; we were just looking around, checking out what people were buying, and eating the free samples. When we were leaving, an older woman (in her 60's) was walking out in front of us. She walked over to her bike, placed her purchase in her basket, and then hopped on. But what made this all shocking was the fact that she was wearing a dress, tights, and 3-inch heels. I can say that is something that is not a regular occurrence in the States.

Here, people always look presentable. In the States, people are slobs (me included). We wear sweatpants to the grocery store and put ball caps on over our unwashed hair. Last year in Fort Wayne, I had no problem getting up, grabbing my keys, and going grocery shopping in the same thing I wore to bed. Here, I feel like I would be stoned if I went to pick up a loaf of bread in that get-up. Tennis shoes are also nonexistent in Italy, except at the gym. People don't wear them out and about in their daily lives. If you see someone out in their ASICS, there is a good chance that they are from North America. I love that in Italy, everyone is dressed to impress.

Italy and the US also differ in their lunch breaks. Here in Italy, people leave work, go home, have a HUGE meal with their family, and then take a nap. In the States, you are lucky if you even get an hour to find something to eat, use the bathroom, and get back to work. When Kevin has a work lunch, I know he will be gone for at least two hours. It is also no big deal if you have a wine or beer with your lunch, even if you are going back to work. In the States, you would be fired if you came back from lunch with alcohol on your breath...no questions asked.

In our town of 6,000 there is not a fast food place in sight. The nearest McDonald's in located in Innsbruck. Their idea of fast food is going to the grocery store and having the deli make you a sandwich or grabbing a panini at a cafe.

Another difference is the coffee. In the States, if you are in need of a pick-me-up, you hit your local Starbucks and get a coffee the size of your head. Here, the coffee (even the bigger ones) are small. And I have yet to see a place that has take-away coffee.

You should have gotten the big one.
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Let's Talk Baby Carrots

Maybe you would rather we not talk about baby carrots, but I recently came across some information the other day that has put me off of baby carrots for life and I had to share it.

Long story short, a farmer was sick of wasting carrots because they were not the perfect size and shape so he invented the baby carrot. He cut the carrots into two separate pieces and then peeled them to make them all look uniform. All of this because consumers don't like to buy 'ugly' carrots!

Can carrots really be ugly?
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Then things went one step further and a new kind of carrot was born, the Imperator. This carrot is bred to grow longer and ripen faster. Then it is peeled and cut into three separate pieces. This process results in the baby carrots being sweeter.

The interesting thing about baby carrots is that they only have 70% of the beta carotene of a normal carrot. In fact, baby carrots hold little nutritional value. And it turns out, for all you frugal people out there, that baby carrots are, on average, more expensive than regular carrots.

At an away game last week, a few wives and I started talking about baby carrots (weird, I know) and we all agreed that we prefer the taste of 'regular' carrots more. Since there are no baby carrots here, we have all been buying 'regular' carrots this year and will continue to do so once we get back to the States.

So, next time you go to the store, treat yourself to a 'regular' carrot (preferably organic or locally grown). You, too, may decide that they are the perfect carrot for you.

The Bigger, The Better!
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And if you want to do some additional reading on baby carrots, check out these articles.
Wisebread
Squidoo
GirlieGirlArmy
CarrotMuseum

Lent

The Lenten season officially starts today and that means it's time for all the crazy Catholics to figure out what they want to give up until Easter. Every year I rack my brain to try to figure out what it's going to be and this year is no different. Kevin said I should give up cussing, but that just made me cuss more. I know it isn't very ladylike, but I like to do it and sometimes I just can't help it. So instead I ran through a list of things I love and indulge in (that are foods) and this is what I came up with: soda, coffee, pizza, chips, chocolate, and cheese.

Soda wouldn't be a hard one for me to give up, but Kevin just got me Sprite Zero the other day in Bolzano and I really want to 'indulge' in it. I haven't had a Sprite all year. As for coffee, I just don't think I can do it. I'm in Europe; people drink coffee all day long here, with every meal. Giving up my latte macchiato or cappuccino would be like giving up on my European experience.

I've never really been a fan of sweets. Back home, I might have a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup or a Snickers occasionally, but nothing extreme. Here, things have changed and in a bad way. After I eat dinner, I feel like I have to have something sweet. Maybe it's a piece of chocolate or it could be an ice cream bar covered in chocolate. Then, I also am obsessed with chocolate croissants. Every week Kevin and I go to one of the bakeries and get a treat and I'll give you a wild guess on what I usually get.

Oreo Milka Bars are amazing!
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Cheese and pizza are two of my favorite things. Right now, I probably have 8 different kinds of cheeses in my refrigerator. As for pizza, let's be practical here...there is no way that I could give it up. I live in Italy and eat pizza numerous times a week. In fact, I'm going to eat it for dinner tonight.

I love potato chips! I typically have them at least once a day. I know they aren't good for me, but that doesn't stop me. They are my weakness and I don't want to ever give them up.

Out of all of my indulgences, I have to pick something so I'm going to be giving up potato chips. I hate to do it especially since I have a drawer full of chips that are already tempting me and it's only day one. But Easter will be here before I know it and I can celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus with a bag of Paprika chips.

This is what our chip drawer looks like on a regular basis.

Pinterest Recipes Reviewed- Round 2

I love Pinterest and I can't seem to get enough. My recipe boards definitely have the most pins, but I love to cook and have all the time in the world to do it so it's perfect. Some recipes I can't make right now since we don't have the same ingredient here in Italy as we do in the States. Plus, I am lacking in my cooking appliances (I would kill for a hand or a standing mixer right now). But I've still been busy in the kitchen. Check out my latest dishes.

Recipe 1: Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Lasagna isn't an easy dish to make, but it is so convenient because you can prepare it ahead of time and there are usually leftovers (at least there are with only two people). I've made this lasagna twice since pinning it and I can't wait to make it again. I'm sure this dish would be perfect if you followed the recipe exactly, but I did modify it a little.

First, I substituted a small eggplant for the yellow squash. I also used 8 oz of ricotta and 8 oz of cottage cheese for the filling to help me watch my waistline. In regards to the spices, I used fresh basil in place of dried and didn't add the nutmeg because I could find it here. The recipe says you can use any sauce and I opted for homemade.

Recipe 2: Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Actually my cake was just Blueberry Breakfast Cake since I have no idea if they have buttermilk here and didn't care enough to find out. I just used regular milk in its place. I made this cake when we had guests visiting and I would say it was a hit because it didn't even last 2 days. Kevin never even got a piece, but don't worry, because I have all the ingredients to make another one tomorrow.

Recipe 3: French Onion Soup

For the last four years I have been using the same recipe for French Onion Soup. It was good, but not great. Since I started using Pinterest I have tried two new recipes. The one I made a few months ago was okay, but nothing to blog about. Today I found a new recipe by Tyler Florence and decided to give it a try for dinner tonight. I must say, it is delicious and my favorite French Onion Soup recipe so far. I've already had a bowl (without the bread and cheese) because I can't wait until Kevin gets home.

I read a couple of reviews before I started so I tweaked it according to what they said. First I used 6 onions (4 yellow and 2 red) instead of only 4. I also used half chicken broth and half beef broth because that is what I had on hand. When caramelizing the onions, I found that it took about 40 minutes (not 25) and the red wine took about 15 minutes (not 5 to evaporate). I haven't tried it with cheese yet, but the recipe calls for Gruyere. It don't have any Gruyere and again, I don't know if we even have it in Italy so I'll be using Emmental (Swiss) cheese.

Sorry about the small picture, but this is the only one there is on the website.

In the last week!

Last week, the coaches decided to take a look at the scheduling because some of them were working weeks straight without a day off. In honesty, I can probably count on both my hands the number of days that Kevin has had off since I arrived two months ago. And that includes his time off for Christmas, New Year's, and two hockey breaks (for the pro team).

This past week they decided to give Kevin two days off and we wanted to take full advantage of our time. On Tuesday, we decided to head to Innsbruck to do some shopping to get ready for our guests coming this week. Our first stop was IKEA and as we were pulling in, I pointed out a guy that looked a lot like one of our roommates a few years ago. Well, Kevin didn't agree with me, but he did think the guy's friend looked familiar. After we parked the car, we started walking towards IKEA and the two guys. The one guy called out Kevin's name and as we moved closer, Kevin realized that he played hockey with the guy six years ago in Phoenix. Apparently, the guy is playing hockey in the second league in Italy (about 2 hours from us) and was in Innsbruck for a few days hanging out. How random is that? Seriously, what are the chances that we would be in Innsbruck, at the IKEA, at the exact same time (when neither of us live there)? It's nuts!

Moving on...our shopping day was a success. We got tons of good smelling candles for the apartment and this is a big deal because they are hard to come by in Italy. I got two dresses; one, I am planning on wearing for my cousin's rehearsal dinner in June so I don't have to worry about that anymore. And we loaded up on taco and fajita seasoning, which you can't find in our town.

Kevin's other day off was Sunday (yesterday) and we spent that on the ski slopes. We woke up bright and early, got bundled up, and drove the whole two minutes to the gondola that would take us up the mountain. Instead of ski school, we opted for a private lesson for me from Stefano. Luckily, I had met him a few times previously because he is friends with some of the guys on the hockey team and a bonus is he speaks English pretty well.

My lesson got started on the exercise track and I managed to stay on my feet the whole time. I also warned Stefano during this time that a lot of cuss words would be flying out of my mouth so he shouldn't be shocked. After about 20 minutes, he thought we were ready to conquer the blue course (I did not agree) and we hopped on the lift. We chatted as we were up there and it never occurred to me until we were almost to the course that I had no idea how the hell to get off the lift. Do I jump? Do I fall? Oh no...apparently, I have to ski. But I don't know how to do that...that's why I'm taking a lesson! Well, it was pretty disastrous. Stefano gave me a 1-2-3 count, I stood up, and started sliding forward and down, but couldn't stop. But don't worry, I was caught before I fell.

We continued down the blue course with a couple breaks in between. Three and four-year-old kids flew past me and made me even more embarrassed than I already was. About half way down, I couldn't feel my legs anymore so I told Stefano my legs were like jello, which he didn't understand. My right leg had atrophy, my left leg wouldn't do what I wanted it to do, and my brain was on overload. Luckily, we made it to the bottom of the course (it only took us 45 minutes) and Stefano gave my report to Kevin. Apparently, I did a great job (yeah right, you liar), but I need more lessons (thanks Captain Obvious). At that point, I was done skiing and wanted to sit for a bit. Kevin and I grabbed a coffee and then I let him ski for a while longer before we headed home. All-in-all, it was fun, but hard work. But I look forward to getting back out there once my legs feel normal again.

Pizza, Gelato, & Spritz

We didn't celebrate Christmas the traditional way, but we still had an amazing time! We took off for Venice on December 24 at 8:00am and made it all the way there without getting lost once (we do not have a GPS). Instead of driving into Venice, we parked in the Mestre and took the train in. We were nervous about whether or not the water buses were going to be running on Christmas Day and couldn't find information anywhere so we opted for the train since we knew for a fact it was running. And at €1.20 a person, you can't beat the price!

Like I stated in my earlier post, we had no plan once we got there so we decided to walk to our hotel instead of taking a water bus. We knew it was a bit far, but we wanted to stop along the way and take pictures. We didn't have a map and just followed the signed to San Marco (where our hotel was located) and it took about an hour (with stopping at the Rialto Bridge). Once we checked in, we dropped our bags and went back out.

Our first order of business was to find the pizza place we ate at the first time we were here. The slices are huge, cheap, and thick crust (so sick of thin crust pizza)! It took me no time and we were there. Alleluia...it was as good as I remembered. And because pizza wasn't enough, we each grabbed a scoop of gelato.

The place was right next to our hotel...dangerous!

Kevin enjoying his Frutti di Bosco (fruit of the forest) gelato in the rain.

It started to rain pretty hard so we decided to take a break at the hotel for an hour. We let our feet have a breather and watched some BBC (Kevin watched it through his eyelids). Since it had gotten a bit colder, we put on our layers and headed back out. Our first stop was St. Mark's Square because I wanted some pictures at night, but since I am still learning the specific of my fancy new camera, they didn't turn out too great. I was able to get a few good ones at the Rialto Bridge though. I guess I better start studying for my next trip to Venice in March so I can get the shots I want.

St. Mark's Square

Rialto Bridge

After my unsuccessful attempt at taking some nighttime pictures, we decided to grab something to eat. We ended up walking around for an hour looking at menus, playing the game where neither of us want to make a decision. And it isn't like there are a lot of choices. We finally decided to drink our dinner. As we were walking by a bar by our hotel (checking out the food options), a friendly Ukrainian man told us to come in for a drink and we did. Kevin had a Spritz and I had some type of strawberry/champagne drink. And along with complimentary snacks, American Football was playing! We ended up staying for 3 drinks and met two other couples from Dallas.

Thank you for the suggestions, Mr. Ukraine.

No matter where we are, I can always find American Football.

As much as we wanted to stay all night, we knew we were in for a long night so we ordered a sandwich and headed towards St. Mark's Basilica. At about 9:30pm, the people started coming in herds so we hopped in line. Luckily, it wasn't too cold and we only had to wait until 11:00 for the doors to open. We found a seat, but I would say about 1,000 other people had to stand. Luckily for us, the mass booklet was written in four languages (including English) so even though we had no idea what anyone was saying, we could follow along. Mass was beautiful, but long. About an hour in, people started leaving (which I think is so rude) and those who didn't leave, were drifting in and out of sleep. The ones who stuck it out with us, ended up getting out of St. Mark's Basilica at about 1:45am. It was totally worth it though!

On Christmas Day, we woke up exhausted, but ready to get back out and explore the city. The weather was gorgeous...clear skies, sun shining. We actually had to take off our coats because it was so warm. And despite being Christmas Day, the streets were packed with lots of people and cameras. For the most part, we just walked around until we made our way back towards the train station. We decided to have a slice of pizza and a scoop of gelato to celebrate Jesus' birthday and then we were off.

Buon Natale!

Ciao Venice! We'll see you soon!

Pinterest Recipes Reviewed

I've been putting my Pinterest recipes to the test in order to get away from pizza and pasta. So far, I haven't been let down. Check out what I've been preparing in the kitchen.

Recipe 1: Hasselback Potatoes

I love, love, love potatoes! They are one of my favorite foods. The Hassleback, or Swedish Baked Potato, was an excellent change-up from our usual. They are simple to prepare and I enjoyed mine with a little bit of sour cream (or panna agra, as we like to call it here).

Recipe 2: Nutella Cookies

Since it is hard finding baking items here, I need recipes that are simple and don't ask for much. The Nutella Cookie recipe only has four ingredients and doesn't require a mixer. I followed it exactly as the recipe said except I had to add about a tablespoon of water to the mixture because it was a little crumbly. The final product was delicious!

Recipe 3: Eggplant Bruschetta

The eggplants here are huge and quite cheap. I've been using them quite a bit on sandwiches, in pasta, in salads, and as main courses. I paired the eggplant bruschetta with a penne in a creamy mushroom sauce. I thought it was great, but Kevin said I sliced the eggplant too thick. So, I guess the only change I would make to this recipe is slice the eggplant thinner (and that is only to please the husband).

Eat, Sleep, and Be Merry!

I've been in Italy for a little over 48 hours now and most of those hours have been spent either eating or sleeping. I am horrible when it comes to jet lag; it takes me weeks to recover from a long flight. And it doesn't help that I never sleep on planes because I am too busy watching movies. I'm pretty sure the large German man sitting next to me was less than impressed with me laughing out loud and crying. But I paid for the seat so I can do what I want, right?

I definitely feel less guilt over the sleeping part than the eating part. A 6 hour nap is perfectly acceptable when you miss a night's sleep. As for the 11 hours of sleep that same night (5 hours later), I can do that any given night so it isn't that impressive. I thought I was all caught up until Kevin left for the rink again yesterday and it was lights out for me. Unfortunately, I paid for it because I didn't get to bed until 5:00am and as I'm typing this, my eyes are barely open. I WILL stay awake though; I need to get on some type of schedule.

On to the food, it was pasta the first night and pizza the second. The pasta was just a little something I threw together at the house. Usually, I refuse to eat pasta sauce out of a jar or a can, but in Italy, I decided to make an exception. It was actually really good. The pizza was great, but then again, I think most pizza is great. Kevin and I shared so I got to try two different kinds. We had one with prosciutto, mushrooms, olives, and artichokes and the other one had salami and hot peppers on it. A-MA-ZING! I've also been introduced to krapfens. They are delicious, but I'm going to have to limit my intake so I don't come home 30 pounds heavier. Let me give you an idea of what my waistline is up against...