slidergirl

Melody - I LOVE those OOFOS! Looked it up - none in my size 😢 I hit every possible store up here, looking for my trofie pasta - no luck. Even World Market (which has some interesting Italian pastas and sauces). I decided to drive down to the Valley to my Italian store. I found my trofie AND the fregola pasta that I wanted for the other week (but used the mini cavatelli instead). I'll just remake my shrimp and scallops with the brown butter and fregola another night. I also picked up a nice little bottle of basalmic - I was getting a little tired of my Trader Joe's one. Hit the pastry shop next door and bought the last 4 lemon ricotta cookies they had - couldn't resist. BUT, I did resist the urge to go 2 doors down to the hat shop!! Did make a pass at TJs and got some flavored sparkling waters, some salad stuff, some frozen veggies and Bambas. Didn't go overboard with it. The snow we got stuck to the ground - 3 days later I still have some around. Ugh. More coming Wed-Fri. At least Halloween will be dry, but cold. I'll just set up my portable campfire next to my rocking chair in the driveway to hand out the candy to the neighborhood.

Just a little note: Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy will be from Liguria Sunday night, so there could be a little bit of Genoese sights and food for you to get familiar with. On CNN - time is dependent on where you live.

Cynthia - so sorry you came down with whatever crud you encountered. Just mellow out until it goes away! Mama Kat says chicken soup, fluids, and if your throat gets sore, some cognac... For Sunday with Stanley, it's Liguria time. All the goodies from Genoa down to Cinque Terre. Focaccia, trofi with pesto, anchovies, minestrone (supposedly), more seafood, a cioppino-like dish. Everyone should be able to get into this one!

MJC - those topiaries made me think of floats in a Rose Parade on new years day! Everything has to be made from flowers and plant material.

Welcome back! i wonder if those are the old Tumi bags Delta used to give Delta One - i have a couple of those that I do use for chargers & adapters & cables. On my trip this summer, Delta One had this bag from 'Someone Somewhere'. it's an eco-socially conscious business that uses artisans in mexiso to make bags, kind of like Cotopaxi does. A nice cloth envelope bag, but no zipper. i'll have to find something to use for it now that i have 2 of them. When i flew first on Aliatalia back when they were in business, they gave out "gender-specific" amenity bags from Ferragamo. nice pink zipper bags for women. They are still in the travel closet, waiting for assignment.

sharon - it's sad to hear about your BIL's situation - good that the furniture is intact, but he's going to have to watch out for mold and mildew as things dry out everywhere. Good that no damage was done. Stanley was on at 7pm here. i was a little lazy on the dinner, so i did some grilled veggies and some shrimp. orichette would have been nice, but too many carbs for today. i wasn't very hungry, anyway. i did switch up my Aperol spritz for a Limoncello spritz. While it was good, i think the Aperol is better. it was fun to see Elizabeth Minchelli's daughter, Sophie, in the episode. I used to exchange emails with her mom in early times going to italy for food suggestions. kind of nice to see women who got me started on my food travels become 'big guns' and get their due. The snow stayed on the ground but not the roads and the sun is out. i've got to get to the pharmacy today to pick up a new med. So, ootd will be jeans, long sleeve T and a baseball hat. it's supposed to get up to 38 today, so i'll take my new fleece with me if the sun doesn't warm me up enough. it's supposed to snow Tuesday and Wednesday, so i won't be going anywhere.

i'm suffering from a case of "everyone is cruising and I'm stuck at home" syndrome!!! I like that red dress! Not my thing, but it is very nice on you. If I had to go somewhere where formal dress was required, I'd do something like that. Good bargain shopping Melody! Good to hear that our 2 traveling "sisters" have made it to their starting locations. An airport lounge has become a must for me now! Spoiled by the free food & beverages, quiet space, comfy seats, sometimes a chair massage (Air France pier M at CDG). I got all depressed last night. CNN was showing episodes of No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. Marseille and the French Alps with Eric Ripert and Lyon with Daniel Bouloud. As much as I like the shows, I get depressed at thinking about his suicide. UGH!!! Snow has arrived. The spaces between my fence pickets is over the top with snow, so probably 4-5 inches worth. Thick and heavy stuff so little trees are bent over. Happens every early season. But, a few of our local moose are out and about, nibbling on the newly-accessible branches. I'm not going anywhere today. Remember - Stanley Tucci visits Puglia tonight!

Safe travels Lois!

A good number of COVID folks have acquired GERD (aka silent heartburn), which makes you cough but you don't actually feel heartburn, While on your trip, go pick up some Prilosec (generic is omeprazole) and see if it starts to decrease the cough. It has to do with stomach acid getting up and irritating the esophasus and making you cough. I'm on prescription strength of it. It has helped a little but not knocked it out. Last night I had a full blown 5 minute session where I was almost barfing. I feel for you!

I'm so happy you enjoyed the class! I'm thinking most of these classes are very small, which makes it a great experience. I have to sign up for the portrait & editing class for November - the last chance I'll be able to really do classes since I start for Winter season on Dec 2.

lois - have a great time!! About Our place - the plates and bowls stack nicely and easily. i didn't buy the large plates since my existing Dansk stuff has the rust in it so they kind of match. The Midi size plates are fine for myself. The Demi bowls make really good pasta and salad bowls. And the 25% off sale isn't bad, either.

i've been dinged many times on CC for having these: No desire to share a table with strangers - prefer a single. No desire to "mingle" - i want to be by self to relax and refresh myself. No desire to eat in the MDR - I prefer to do vegetarian and the menu is worefully lacking in that department - how many times can you eat pasta? And a requested 'vegetarian' dinner is usually pretty boring, MUCH rather eat in the buffet where i can custom make a nice entree-size salad and different prepared vegetables. No desire to eat with the Captain - I have no need brag about that to others. No desire for towel animals or constant refreshing the cabin when I leave - not done at home or hotels so i don't need it here. Plus i'm a big believer in reusing my towels. And, yet, I enjoy a cruise now and again. just give me a cabin, in relaxing place inside and a relaxing place outdoors where I can read, listen to my tunes, and "veg out'. i also love my land trips.

Be sure to keep track of expiration dates and put in new as needed, too!

sharon - when I was married and had my house with a nice-size kitchen, i loved to cook. now, my tiny house has a minuscule kitchen 😢 I now go on cooking binges and try my best. I did give away a bunch of my kitchen goodies because I have no room to place or store. I just got tired of what I had, so I'm just updating some things so it feels a little fresh instead of 20+ years old. Went and got my 1st Shingles shot yesterday. So far no issues but a sore arm. Greg, my pharmacist, said it's usually the 2nd shot that make people sick. So, I wait 2 months for that one - maybe a Christmas present to myself! Today and tomorrow are the last days to wear a Tshirt outside for awhile - Saturday it turns down to low 50s then Sunday the 30s and snow with the rest of the week in the 40s. I'm NOT ready for this!!

Tessalon Pearls. I wish they worked for me, but they never have - tried then over the years when I've had bronchitis.

This week is puglia, i believe. Easy food options to make - orichette pasta, broccolini, broccoli rabe, more seafood, puglian focaccia. i'll have to decide and then head to the store! when liguria comes up, i've got my trofie with pesto at the ready.

Sharon - i got started on Our Place last year when I needed a new fry pan. Saw one of their ads and decided to look it up. Bought one and i really like it. I use the steamer function all the time and I can make my soups in there. Eggs for me were tough since it's a big pan so I bought their mini pan - perfect for my eggs, grilled cheese, etc. I'm enjoying the stuff.

COVID cough sucks. you'll find out why i say i need to hang a sign around my neck that says 'not covid'!! people will look at you like you are someone to avoid. The flights always amuse me when you fly west to go east! Orlando to Detroit?? Nothing orlando to New york? i've been routed SLC-LAX-europe before, so i understand. i get my hair colored on Friday! I'm like you - something I wouldn't care about if it dripped. Hey, Stanley is supposed to be in Puglia this Sunday. Easy food to find for this one - orrechette pasta, more seafood. He is getting my travel bug re-activated to go to Southern italy!

there is a sale going on.

in honor of Stanley's visit to Sardinia, i made a dish with mini cavatelli since I couldn't find fregola and didn't want to run out for israeli couscous. I seared up some scallops and pink shrimp in butter & EVOO. I added some lemon pepper to the butter from the searing and used the browned butter as the sauce. Yummy!!! After saying i felt oK after my vax, I ended up with a good size headache and an upset stomach. At least it was tolerable. i'm doing some little appliance/tableware changes. i realized my dishes were from when i moved from CA to utah in 1988!!! I was looking a Our Place online because it was having a sale. i have the perfect pan, perfect pot and just bought the mini pan. Their tableware looks very nice to me and i can mix it to match my old stuff. i picked up some midi plates,demi bowls and some glasses. A little something to perk up my dining. Our place first sent the wrong color bowls, but sent me an email that same day that they discovered the boo-boo and shipped the right ones. They also said i could keep the wrong ones and not worry about sending them back. how nice was that!! my Cuisinart toaster oven came yesterday so i have to do some re-arranging of the one counter I have to fit it. Finishing off my Aperol Spritz. i bought 2 22 oz stemless wine glasses at Crate & Barrel to be sure I have room for a proper drink 😸 It lasts me the whole show!

Lois - i like the sweater you chose! Sherri - wow - river cruise! i think you are smart to add those short sleeve Ts into the mix, especially since you are going to layer if you have to. Got my modera Bivalent vax yesterday. Word must have gotten around town that the Walmart was getting in a shipment yesterday morning - it was crowded. In and out took about 20 minutes. Poor pharmacist was bouncing between vaxes and prescription stuff. Got the vax in my left arm since it got sore from the pneumonia vax the other day - if it was going to get sore, might as well keep it in the arm. Happily, no pain, no swelling and I had no after effects 24 hours in. i'm all good and fully vaxxed now, ready to encounter my Winter Season guests! I do have to go out sometime today to pick up carrot, celery and some parmesean rind. i'm making ribolitta tonight. I got everything else, but forgot about those 3 things. oops. Brain fog. Usually i remember everything I need for it from memory. OOTD: maybe I'll switch it up and put on one of my Athleta cargo pants - my jeans need a rest and a wash, Probably a long sleeve Tshirt and then my hi tops.

Cleobella - there are soo many different styles of pizza in Italy, just like in the US and Canada (happy Thanksgiving today!). Pizza that I've had in Rome and enjoy; B onci Pizzarium. across the street from the Ciprio metro station. Known as one of the best pizzas in Rome. it is a rectangular pie and sold by weight of the size of the slice you show them. The pizza there have a wide variety of toppings (don't expect sausage & pepperoni). Always busy, always crowded. Antico Forno Roscioli. in the Campo di Fiore area. Similar to the pizza style at Pizzarium. The Roscioli family bakes the bread for most of the high-end restaurants in Rome. Emma Pizzeria. in the Campo di Fiore area. They get their flour specially mixed by the Roscioli family. Round, pizza done in wood-burning ovens. A large selection of topping combinations. It's a moderate-range dining spot, reservations needed. Has other things besides pizza. All 3 places have websites which you can look at.

Definitely! I made a grilled cheese sandwich for the dinner. used comtè cheese, balsamic carmelized mushrooms & onions and a smidge of my chili spread/sauce. just the right amount of heat! The candy is looks like a Tic Tac, but is hardshell with strong licorice in it. Have to go out in search of Fregola this week. I wish someplace around here did octopus so I could grab a piece and add it to the fregola. Alas, it'll be shrimp.

I only did a little damage. I had been thinking of getting a toaster oven/air fryer for awhile. I had it down to a cuisinart TOA-60 - small enough for my counter and decent reviews. Everywhere around here didn't have it. i knew Amazon had it and I waited to see if it was on Early Access. Bingo! 55% off, only $103. My left arm is feeling much better today. I couldn't sleep last night until the Advil kicked in. 5 hours of sleep is better than none.

Sherri - gooe to know you're feeling better. Keep an eye on your cough!!! My sign - I picked it up in 2020 from Etsy. I just have to put something over the "2020" on the sign before I put it up, The pharmacist did warn me about the pneumonia shot, so I wasn't surprised. The arm still hurts, though. i sleep on my stomach and alternate left & right arm under my head so it isn't surprising that it still hurts. I'll just pop some Advil tonight. Food for Stanley this week could be problematic. Been looking it up and don't recognize anything. Fregula sounds familiar, a tiny pasta kind of like Israeli couscous. if i can find it, maybe I'll make a regular salad with pesto and maybe shrimp...