Spring is here-our weekend in photos

I get a little over excited in spring, cleaning out the house, scrubbing the shutters and washing everything that I can get my hands on! This is always followed by planting numerous herbs and plants with the hope that they survive my black thumb.

And even though these wonderful months of spring can often see the return of cold and wet days, those that offer warm sunshine and endless outdoor play are priceless.

After experiencing quite a few European winters I have learnt to appreciate even more the changing of season and there is nothing like the revitalising feeling of spring!

I love to watch them looking for insects and exploring in our garden.

Hope you also had a great weekend.

x Tracey

White week

In Northern Italy, it's very common around mid-March for the children to have a week- long break, known as  "Settimana Bianca", (or White week/Ski week).
Normally our family doesn't do much, considering none of us ski, and we don't have a house in the mountains (in our family). But this year, I was asked to go with a family to the Dolomites, specifically to Pralongo, a little village in the Longarone area.
It was beautiful, with fresh, clean air..blue sky every day..complete quiet..all in all, a very relaxing week. Not so much like work ;)
View from the bedroom window..not bad! ;)

 Little L..keeping busy..fill the bucket, empty the bucket...fill the bucket, empty the bucket..repeat 25 times..pppfffhh! Toddlers never get tired of repetitive games :)

 bubbles, bubbles..

 the neighbors...we fed them every morning..

 We made some kind of snow "creation" every day!

Some days it was about 25 C degrees in the sun..gorgeous..

So, in the end..it was a nice, relaxing work week, with a lovely family..almost like a holiday!

I might have to do it again next year! :) Sali

Chickpea and peanut butter biscuits

Here is a delicious and healthy recipe that was passed to me by Sali, we love these biscuits and they are so quick and easy to make using ingredients that most of us have got on hand in the pantry. I added chocolate chunks but I have also tried them without and they are just as yummy!

 

Ingredients

240g canned chickpeas, or 240g dried chickpeas 

165g peanut or almond butter

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Teaspoon of baking powder

Pinch of salt

100g dark chocolate crushed

1. Soak chickpeas overnight if using dried, pop them out of their skin (you can skip this if you like or are pressed for time)

2. Put all ingredients together in a blender and blend until a paste is formed, place in a bowl

3. Stir in the chocolate chunks, form into balls and place on a baking tray leaving space to spread.

4. Bake at 175 degrees for 10-15 min.

Enjoy

x Tracey 

Zero waste homes..

We all realize that we have waste leaving our homes: plastic, foil, boxes, glass bottles, food waste. But what can we do about it? So many times in the supermarket, we are forced to buy excessive amounts of packaging. It's very irritating, and super wasteful. Here is a wonderful example of a woman/family who have taken reducing their waste to a whole new level..Zero.
Zero waste home.

I give them a lot of credit, they have made big changes in their lifestyle on a daily basis. I understand not everyone can be as diligent as they are, and we all don't have access to composting bins, bulk food, etc
But, she does give lots of great ideas that can be used in our daily life. Sometimes it is just a small change of habit, other things require a mindful lifestyle change/attitude.
One other thing that she has chosen to do, is regarding wardrobe. She has a VERY limited caspsule wardrobe, that she usually buys once a season, USED. And she sticks to those pieces, for the whole season/year, and that's it. This is something I would love to be Zen enough to do..but there is a little part of my pre-cavewoman "collecting" DNA..that likes to have a wide choice of items in my wardrobe. Granted, I do buy about 85% of my things used, at the street markets here in Milan, or wherever I happen to travel to, also consignment store, church sales..But this is her idea of packing light on vacation/ having a capsule wardrobe

30 days /30 ways to wear a black shirt

Ok..she's French, beautiful and a size 2..but she is very creative, and has some great ideas.

Check out her blog..and become inspired as well! We can all do our share, and every little bit matters!
We may not all be able to become a Zero Waste Home, with a capsule recycled wardrobe, and have everything we eat  0 Km and organic, but it's something we can all aspire to, don't you think?
Sali

La Cascina-on the farm

We live about 45min from the city of Milan, and just 15min from the town of Bergamo.We are close enough to enjoy the city but out of the hectic rush.  I do often complain about living in a small( let's call it "country-ish") village and not living by the sea. But coming from Australia, I find it hard at times to be away from the sounds and smells of the ocean. Our small village definitely has its positive side which is, it is surrounded by farms! This makes for great local produce and gives the the kids a fun place to run free and get up close to the animals.

Last weekend, we went to a farm around the corner from our house. They have horses, cows and many small animals. The  kids love to go there,  and we were lucky enough to visit on a special day. Not only were they  filming a video for a country band, but also taking the kids for rides on a horse drawn carriage.

Have a great weekend

xTracey

Adopt an olive

The other day a friend and I were discussing the topic of buying more of our food locally, supporting local farmers and finding ways to give back to the land when she told me about the possibility of adopting an olive tree. Living in Italy, we have  an unlimited availability of olive oil (among other locally produced foods) and easy access to buying relatively nearby and directly from the farmers. But why not take it one step further and adopt your very own olive tree and not only help to keep ancient farming traditions alive but to know exactly where your oil is coming from and even visit and hug your very own olive tree! 

Reading the novel that was recently recommended by Sali here, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, I am taking more steps toward eating solely organic and more importantly buying from local sources. This may be just one small step, but it is the start of many, in an effort to really understand where our food comes and how it arrives onto our plates.

There are  many different people that you can adopt an olive tree from and they vary in region and price to the quantity of oil that you receive from your trees harvest.

Nudo  was set up in 2005 by Jason Gibb and Cathy Rogers,  after they bought and restored an abandoned 21 acre olive grove in Italy's Le Marche.

The Nudo Olive tree programme allows people all over the world to adopt an Italian olive tree and receive its oil made from 100% natural, high quality, locally sourced ingredients. Nudo’s olive trees grow in lovingly tended groves in the east of Italy and in Sicily. Many of the olive groves conveniently have an agriturismo on site so you can stay there too!

Nudo also offer an adopt a tea garden program from the Nudo tea gardens situated in the Darjeeling region,which lies in the most north western corner of the state of Bengal, India.

Adopt an Olive Tree in Tuscany and come to harvest with us, Montestigliano who announced its “Adopt an Olive Tree” program during the 2013 harvest. You can purchase their own piece of Tuscan heaven, an olive tree located atop the estate’s sunny slopes. The olive grove targeted for adoption 
includes trees high on the windswept hills that once produced the finest oil on the estate, but that were heavily damaged in the freeze of 1985.

In 2009, during a visit to the family groves, three (TRE) cousins of the treolive family run olive tree groves discussed how we could avoid selling our oil to the large companies who often dilute olive oil with lesser-quality oils from around the world. "We know the pride we feel when we share our olive oil with others and tell its story – our story". 

I will let you know when my first bottle arrives!

xTracey

Coupure baby art

Coupure baby art  are the creators of these beautiful and unique personalised children's artwork, perfect for every child's room. A special piece to keep forever, these make a great present for newborns and their parents.  

There are several themes/designs to choose from for both boys and girls, you select the background colour that you prefer, then add your child's name and birth date.

I chose the Lucky Ladybird design for Sole, it is a perfect addition to her room.

x Tracey

Strufoli di Carnevale

These yummy pastries are typically found in the region of Umbria, Italy during Carnevale. They resemble a sweet bread and are delicious served warm and drizzled with honey for morning tea!

                                         

Fried Carnevale pastries

3 large eggs

55g caster (super fine) sugar

Zest of 1lemon

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

60ml rum

300g all purpose organic flour, sifted

Peanut oil or canola oil, for deep frying

Warm honey, to serve

Using an electric beater, beat the eggs and sugar for 8-10 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Add the lemon zest, olive oil and rum and mix well. Add the flour and mix until well combined.

Heat the oil in a large deep saucepan or deep-fryer to 165 C (315 F). Working in batches, use 2 spoons the form balks out of the batter an gently drop them into the hot oil. The secret is to keep the 

oil at a constant temperature or the batter will brown too fast. Deep-fry until crisp and golden, then drain on paper towels. Dust with icing sugar and drizzle with warm honey to serve.

Enjoy 

x Tracey

Is what we're eating making us unhealthy?

What to eat, what not to eat..what to feed to our children. Where to buy, from who..in season or not? Organic or regular..local or from across the seas?  Being vegetarian, vegan, or nothing?
OGM, MSG, HFCS.. Healthy/Unhealthy..
We have so many choices nowadays of what to put into our bodies. How and when and where to buy it. What brands, types of food..
It is enough to make you crazy. Then to top it off, we have the Internet..which can give you hundreds of opposing sides to any argument, depending on their ulterior motives, advertising, misled information/people trying to share their knowledge or information/or personal bias.
Here's one example..
Organic..it's the best thing in the world.for our bodies, the environment, for the smaller farms that grow these foods..it's a win-win situation for everyone.
Then you read some random articles like these..and it makes you think twice about things.

An article here at livingmaxwell

Why tofu wrecks your brain

And this article on Born free USA

Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Personally, I feel  that we don't think enough of where our food sources come from.
But again..it just makes you crazy, always doubting, second-guessing, justifying things(one way or the other).
What is one to do? Anyone have some ideas? What do you think?
We'd love to hear your thoughts/opinions!
Sali

lovely little things

Don't you ever see things on the internet..lovely little things..simple but nice? Then think to yourself..why didn't I think of that idea, or why aren't I so creative..I could make that..Well, maybe I could make it, but it wouldn't come out so nice.
Palomas nest is one of those sites.
Don't you agree? Sali

The story of Arlecchino

(Pablo Picasso, Le petit pierrot aux fleurs (Portrait of the artist's son, Paulo, as Arlecchino, 1923/24)

With Carnival currently being celebrated here in Italy, my boys have been learning a children's tale about the famous character Arlecchino (Harlequin in English). Arlecchino is the most popularly known of the zanni or comic characters from the Italian Commedia dell'arte. Introduced by the successful Italian actor Tristano Martinelli in the 1580s. The original story of the Arlecchino revolves around a comic incident in the lives of its five main characters.

Today I want to share this children's version of Arlecchino, the story of a poor boy who desperately 

wants to attend the carnival party but has no costume to wear.

The story of Arlecchino.
Many, many years ago there was a boy called Arlecchino, he was very poor and lived with his mother in a humble cottage. At Arlecchino's school to celebrate carnival ,his teacher decided to organize a nice party and proposed to all the children to dress up in masks and costumes. Arlecchino's friends decided to dress up on the very last day of carnival with  clothes sewn by their mothers. Arlecchino was very sad because his mother, who was poor, could not buy the fabric to make him a costume. Arlecchino's friends see how sad he is, and decide to ask their mothers to each give a piece of left-over fabric to Arlecchino's mother so that she could also sew him a costume. 
The day of the party Arlecchino was so happy and proud of his new costume, it was the most beautiful and most original.   The end

This little tale teaches children about caring, sharing, hoping, and helping. I hope you enjoy sharing it with your children.

xTracey

Home made pizza

Here in Italy ,Sunday night is often pizza night and our house is no exception! Last weekend I decided to make our own and to get the kids to help.

I made the dough in the afternoon so that it was ready for the evening, and I used fresh tomatoes from  our local market for the tomato sauce. The kids loved rolling out the dough and opted for sausage and basil and one with prosciutto. Pizza is a great dinner to make together and super easy.

PIZZA

For the tomato sauce

(sugo di pomodoro)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1garlic clove, finely chopped

400g tinned whole tomatoes, pureed

few basil leaves, torn

Place the oil and garlic in a frying pan over medium heat and cook for 1 minute until garlic is soft. Add the tomato and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Add the torn basil, season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and set aside.

For the pizza dough

500 g plain flour

15g fresh yeast dissolved in 300 ml warm water

2 teaspoons olive oil

  

Place flour on a work surface and form into a well. Pour yeast mixture and oil in the centre of well and incorporate a little of the flour. Once the mixture has got some consistency, add 2 teaspoons of salt and work in rest of flour to form a dough. Knead for about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic (trust me it does get smooth and elastic even though it seems a sticky mess!) add a little extra flour if you need to. Cover with a bowl and rest for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 220 degrees C (425 F) divide dough in half. Working with one piece of dough at a time and keeping the other piece covered with a bowl, roll out on a slightly floured surface until 5mm thick. Place on a lightly oiled oven tray, top with some tomato sauce and bake for 15 min. remove from oven, cover with sliced sausage and mozzarella (or your choice of topping) and bake for about 4-5 minutes or until just melted. Remove from the oven, scatter with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.

Enjoy

x Tracey