tomato pomegranate salad

i put this salad together

for a fall brunch

using what i had on hand

starting with the beautiful yellow tomato

adding ingredients for contrast

in

flavor, color and texture

creates a delicious and beautiful salad

tomato pomegranate salad

heirloom (or other flavorful tomato)

fresh chevre or fresh ricotta

pomegranate seeds

toasted and coarsely chopped pistachio nuts

chopped chives

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

arrange the tomato wedges--cut into one bite pieces, on platter.  drop chevre or ricotta evenly over the tomatoes.  sprinkle pomegranate seeds, chives and pistachio nuts.  the idea is that each bite will have a bit of each element, but not an overwhelming amount of each.  so be mindful of the proportion.  add a bit of sea salt and black pepper to taste and lightly drizzle a "finishing" olive oil on top

serve room temperature. if you prepare in advance, allow to come to room temperature before serving

greenhouse

to be honest

i mistakenly posted this photo

but now that i did

this is our new greenhouse

dressed for a luncheon we are hosting tomorrow

we are still laying the stone

and have yet to lay sod

but

i love it so much!

reunion

these are the spires

of the church

which sits

on the campus of my alma mater

this weekend past

i attended my 25th reunion

it is hard to believe

that many days have expired

and yet

it seemed as if only minutes ticked

as we were able to pick up where we had last left

we laughed until we cried

poured through photos and stories and wine

good wine

now that we can afford to

and

know the difference

as we sat around a small table

in those hours that are really not meant for those our age

we debated

everything

from

tartar sauce and french fries

to

the legacy we will leave

the spouse of a good friend

a stranger just days before

stopped us all with the sincerest of compliment

"around this table" she said "are some high quality people"

i couldn't agree more

honey harvest

a piece of comb

reserved

by us

for us

hungarian goulash

the first signs of autumn

has meandered on to our ranch

cool evenings

transitioning to near frosty nights

just the kind of weather

that gets me back into the mood

for hearty stews

and

slow cooked meats

hungarian goulash

(printable recipe)

2 1/2 lbs stew meat (beef or venison)-- cut into cubes {at least 1"}

1/2 cup (about) all purpose flour for dredging

olive oil

1 large onion--cut in half then thinly sliced in have moons

10-12 crimini mushrooms--sliced

4 cloves of garlic--smashed and kept whole or near whole

1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp hot paprika

1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds

14 ounce diced tomatoes-with juice

1/2 cup water

2 cups beef broth

salt and pepper to taste (about 1 tsp of each)

1/3 cup sour cream

 1 Tbs lemon juice

 1/4 cup chopped parsley

heat oil in bottom of a dutch oven (just enough to coat the bottom).  dredge the meat cubes in flour and shake of excess.  toss into the hot oil and sear meat on all sides.  do not crowd the pan, work in batches if necessary.  once the meat is seared add it back to the pan with juices (if working in batches) and add onion, mushrooms and garlic.  add a bit more olive oil if needed. allow to cook down for a few minutes. add the sweet paprika, smoked paprika, hot paprika and caraway seeds and give it a good stir, so the spices are evenly distributed.  this will also toast the spices a bit. add the tomatoes and water and use a wooden spoon to scrape all the bits off the bottom of the pan.  add beef broth and cover.  place in a 350 preheated oven and allow to cook for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender. 

remove from oven and add lemon juice.  add salt and pepper to taste.  allow to sit for a few minutes, then taste again for salt.  stir in sour cream and parsley (check one more time for salt). serve over buttered wide-noodles or dumplings

V is for Vicarious

Scout and Indiana Jones at cheer practice

adventures in goat milk

we have goats

dairy goats

darling sweet girls

that will provide us with lots of milk

in the years to come

but for now

they are still growing

little doelings

while we wait

i have been practicing my recipes

with 

goat milk from a local dairy

today

i am trying out my cream separator for the first time

goat's milk is naturally homogenized

which means the cream does not automatically rise to the top

you have to spin it out

this is how you do it

i ran a half-gallon of fresh goat milk through

yielding about 1/2 cup of heavy cream

in order to get the best results

the milk needs to be warm as it goes through the separator

what to do with all that delicious warm frothy milk?

make delicious coffee drinks 

of course

honestly

fresh goat milk is delicious

it has a mild and sweet taste

virtually indistinguishable 

from

fresh cow's milk

delicious

best of all

it can be used to make

this

homemade yogurt

creme fraiche

ricotta

feta

Simple Roasted Banana Peppers {in the savory kitchen}

sometimes

my garden overproduces

at 

the most opportune time

recently guests came up to the ranch for a visit

at an hour

which isn't quite lunch

while being

too early for dinner

the time of day where one begins to feel peckish

what to do?

what to do?

i went a bit spanish

using 

the abundance of banana peppers

to 

create a delicious and simple

addition to afternoon tapas

roasted banana peppers

as many banana peppers and other fresh (smallish) peppers you can gather

olive oil

sea salt

sherry vinegar

preheat oven to 400F.  place peppers in large shallow pan.  lightly coat in olive oil.  roast until the peppers begin to blister and soften. remove from oven and immediately splash with sherry vinegar. sprinkle with sea salt.

serve warm or room temperature

simple

delicious

browned butter berry bars {in the sweet kitchen}

this weekend past

we took a long drive

with no real agenda

except to explore

as we drove north

i began to obsess

a cookbook was given to me about a year ago

called

big sur bakery

while getting lost in its pages

i fell in love with the place

and began imagining each bite

while big sur is coastal

and

 we were on an inland route

a little jot west, wasn't too far off course

{it wasn't like we had anywhere to be}

so

an hour, and ten white knuckles later

we arrived in big sur

unfortunately

the bakery was hosting a wedding

which meant

it was closed

double dip dang-nabbit ugh

instead

we stopped at a half bad restaurant

for nourishment

not enjoyment

planning our return

and

when we got home

promptly made these

which are a variation of the brown butter rhubarb bars

from

the big sur bakery cookbook

using

berries we picked that morning

brown butter berry bars

(adapted from the big sur bakery cookbook)

 jam

2 cups blackberries and mulberries {or berries of your choice}

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup sugar

place all ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan.  cook on low heat until it begins to bubble and thicken.  watch closely and cook until it is thick and jammy. set aside to cool

crust

1 cup unsalted butter--melted

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 cups flour{whole wheat or all-purpose}

whisk together the flour, powdered sugar and salt.  stir in butter.  press into a 9"x 13" pan.  bake in a 375^ oven until it just begins to brown(15-18 minutes).  remove from oven and allow to cool.

brown butter filling

3 large eggs

 1 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

grated zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup + 2 Tbs unsalted butter

3/4 cup + 2 Tbs flour {whole wheat or all purpose}

1 teaspoon vanilla

place the butter in a saucepan and cook on low heat until it becomes brown and nutty, careful not to burn.  whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour and vanilla.  carefully stir in the browned butter.

to assemble

spread about half of the browned butter mixture on the prepared crust.  dollop about 3/4 of the jam on top.  spread the remaining browned butter filling and then dollop the remaining jam.  bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges just begin to turn brown.  do not overbake, (allowing the filling to souffle). allow to cool before cutting into bars. 

delicious room temperature or directly from refrigerator.

eggplant! {in the garden}

our garden got a bit of a late start

and is just starting to throw off

eggplant

i've gathered some recipes

that are both 

beautiful

and

delicious

ratatouille

(recipe here)

eggplant parmesan

(recipe here)

eggplant involtini

(recipe here)

eggplant verde

(recipe here)

...and now a question (or two) for you....

do you have eggplant in your garden?

what is your favorite way to enjoy it?

tomatoes!

in the dog days of summer

gardens overflow with tomatoes

i find myself

with 

stores of the fruit

and

preservation on my mind

here are a few 

ways to preserve  the bounty

to enjoy

when days are not so long

Sun Dried Tomatoes

(recipe here)

Tomato Chutney

(recipe here)

Tomato Vodka

this is really simple.  peel tomatoes and cram into a jar, use a skewer to secure tomatoes if they start to float to the top.  fill the jar with vodka and store in the refrigerator for at least 5 days.  i make several jars because i like to use the tomatoes and the vodka for pasta alla vodka sauce. leftover vodka is really great for a bloody mary pick me up.

huckleberry ice cream

huckleberries are hard to come by

competing with bears after a long hilly hike

just ain't my thing

luckily

those whom are 

"into it"

are willing to share

with one little caveat

my dealer

is 1200 miles away

traveling for a case of berries

now that is

my thing

huckleberries are a bit like blueberries

with more punch of flavor

sweet with a tinge of sour

no pucker

just enough to 

wet your whistle

this gorgeous purple berry

 cuts rich vanilla ice cream

perfectly

Huckleberry Ice Cream

(vanilla base recipe adapted from David Lebovitz)

vanilla custard

1 cup whole milk

generous pinch kosher salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups heavy cream

7 large egg yolks

4 tsp good vanilla extract

huckleberry swirl

1 1/2 cups huckleberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbs lemon juice

heat whole milk with 1/2 cup of sugar, and kosher salt.  meanwhile whisk egg yolks with remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.  once milk comes to a simmer, slowly pour into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.  quickly rinse the milk saucepan to remove any dried or burnt milk.  transfer warm egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook on low heat, constantly stirring with a spatula.  watch carefully, as to not overcook the eggs.  cook and stir just until the mixture coats the spatula (consistency of a light crepe batter).  remove from heat and run through a sieve into a clean bowl.  stir in heavy cream and vanilla.  place entire bowl into another bowl filled with ice and cool water.  stir until it is cooled to room temperature.  pour mixture into a covered container and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

make huckleberry swirl

in a small saucepan, place berries, sugar and lemon juice. cook until the berries throw off juice and all of the sugar has melted, then cook for about 10 minutes more..keep the heat low, you don't want to burn the sugars.  mash the berries slightly (you will want some whole, some mashed).  allow to cool and refrigerate until ready to freeze the ice cream.

when ready to freeze

place vanilla base into the bowl of your freezer.  freeze according to manufacturer's directions.  when your ice cream is finished...remove into your freezer container.  as you scoop into your freezer container, layer with your huckleberry swirl.  this will allow you to have a true swirl.  if you put the huckleberry swirl into the mixer, it will completely mix in.  continue to layer adding as much huckleberries and juice as you wish.

Happy 4th

blueberry-rhubarb margarita jam

weekly

i drive past a blueberry farm

most days

wishing for the season

some days

mourning the end of summer

the day the

open sign pops up

on our little stretch of highway

i stop in

continuing my routine

each week

until blueberries are no more

i hoard

more berries than our small family can eat, out of hand

but not more than we can eat, prepared

i love to pair sweet blueberries with rhubarb from our garden

for this delicious

not too sweet

jam

 blueberry rhubarb margarita jam

3 pints blueberries

8 oz rhubarb--chopped

2 cups granulated sugar

juice of 10 key limes

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ginger

juice of 1/2 grapefruit (plus/minus)

1 oz tequila (can add up to 2 oz)

dump blueberries rhubarb, sugar, key lime juice, salt and ginger into your jam pot.  Cook on med-low heat, stirring occasionally, until you have a nice jam consistency (about 25-30 minutes).  taste for sweetness.  add at least 1/4 grapefruit juice to both adjust sweetness and for flavor.  cook for 5 more minutes and check again for sweetness. add more grapefruit if desired. pour in tequila and cook at least 5 minutes more.

test jam for firmness on a frozen plate. **i like my jam to be a bit runny.  you do not need pectin for this jam to firm up.  you can cook it to come out firmer, but be careful not to caramelize it.

place in sterilized jars and refrigerate or if you are a seasoned canner, process for longer storage.

strawberry crumb cake

strawberries are ripe, ripe, ripe

in my neck of the woods

every farm stand along my tuesday evening route

touts the sweetest and freshest

organic berries

i can't resist

particularly because i make a really great strawberry-rhubarb jam

that disappears faster than anything else in the pantry

i grab loads of the juicy red fruit

whenever i find it

which now

is a lot

being as we spend most days at the ranch now

finding ourselves at days end

counting idle minutes on one hand

it feels less guilty to indulge in a bit of sweet

at day's close

when i have a moment

i bake a cake

like this one

a simple twist on a classic crumb cake

using the sweet ripe fruit of the season

in its crumb

strawberry crumb cake

cake

1 1/4 cup cake flour (sifted, then measured)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature--cut into cubes)

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup buttermilk

4 tsp of your favorite strawberry (or strawberry-rhubarb) jam

place the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.  quickly give it a few turns to incorporate everything together.  add the butter. *the butter should be softened, but not warm and creamy.  you want it to mix into the flour mixture making more of a clumpy sand consistency, then a creamed.  mix the ingredients until the butter is finely incorporated into the flour mixture.  meanwhile, combine the buttermilk and vanilla.  add the whole egg and the egg yolk to the flour mixture and mix until incorporated.  use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to ensure there are no dry spots.  with the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk/vanilla mixture and mix until just incorporated. do not over mix  pour into a 8x8 buttered square cake pan.  strategically plop the 4 tsp of jam (you can add a bit more if you like) in the batter.  run the back of a butter knife through the cake batter to swirl the jam through evenly.  set aside while you prepare the crumble.

crumble

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 cups all purpose flour

10 Tbs unsalted butter--fairly cold--cut into 1/2" pieces

1 cup fresh ripe strawberries--cut into 1/4" dice

mix together the sugar, salt and flour by hand in a large bowl.  drop in butter and either work in by hand, or use pastry knives/fork/blender to make fairly large crumble.  tip in the strawberries and work in by hand, using a bit of a firm hand, to get them mixed up well in the flour mixture.  don't squeeze and knead, you do not want to warm the butter, but allow the strawberries to fully incorporate into the crumb.  gently pile on top of the cake. *some of the crumbs will sink into the cake as it bakes, which is why i make SO MUCH CRUMB! 

bake in a 375F oven for about 35-45 minutes.  Check after 30 minutes and keep an eye on it.  the cake is moist, so it can tolerate a bit of over baking, but don't forget to keep an eye on it.  check  by using a toothpick or wooden skewer to see if it is done baking. allow to cool completely before eating

elementary

just a quickie

tonight is the season finale of a show called elementary

i happen to love the show

but that is not why i am writing to you

i am writing to tell you

that there will be some footage of bees on this episode

and

those bees are ours

someone from the show saw footage of our bees

that my husband shot

(they are posted on you-tube)

and

asked if they could use it for the show

pretty cool,

right?

just thought you would like to know

we are pretty excited about it!

florence--day three {travelogue}

day three is usually when jet lag hits

at least for me

after so many years of it being a pattern

it is probably now a learned response

or

i allow myself to succumb to it

because it is something you can say to people

and

 they won't judge

which is how

we found ourselves

giving 

rip van winkle

a run for his money

after a long sleep

a long walk seemed in order

we cruised the streets of florence

until it seemed a respectable time to look for lunch

i was craving roasted chicken and potatoes

we found it on the menu of a place that looked really nice

except they were playing sade

i can't stand sade

really

i can't

no specific reason

just can't tolerate her music

reminds me too much of jazz, i think

i like a hook

sade doesn't give you a hook

so i refused to go in

instead

i convinced myself that another place would be just as good

i was wrong

not even photo worthy

although

 mike liked his

he got some sort of pasta

i ordered chicken with roasted potatoes

and was served

seriously, seriously, seriously

overcooked anorexic chicken thigh-slash-leg

and 

french fries

i poked at it

i

ate the salad i had ordered

thinking

more room for gelato

which was good thinking

because it actually did leave

more room for gelato

but let me get ahead of myself here

don't despair

i had a bad meal in italy

no biggie

i made up for it at dinner

and then some

we ate at a fun place

when i say fun

i mean...bring your sense of fun

because if you bring your

"that would never go in america" attitude

you.

will.

 hate.

 this place

and 

they will hate you

so don't go

but

 if you still insist on going

don't tell them i told you to

because

i happen to like these people

and

 i would like to think they like us

you must make a reservation at Il Latini

a restaurant that looks small

but it isn't

you make a reservation

then you queue up

like so

then the crowd starts building

and 

everyone starts thinking that their reservation is the most important

they open the door

and

 it becomes a bit of a fiasco

they start calling out numbers

not names

but numbers

due

cinque

due

tre

everyone starts pushing and throwing up their hands saying

we are due

we are cinque

but mostly 

they start yelling

i have a reservation

rest assured

everyone has a reservation

and

 everyone gets in

and all is forgotten

when

the food starts arriving

first the antipasto

then you make choices

soup or pasta

oh you want pasta?

do you want

ravioli

gnocchi

pappardelle

or

spaghetti

hubs chose ravioli

i had soup

but the people next to us had soup and pasta

they had no idea what was next

oh

did i mention that at this place

they open a bottle of wine

you pay for what you drink

drink the whole bottle 10 euros

drink only half

5 euros

drink less

pay less

i love this system

 ooh la la

the main course

roasted meats

you want

chicken, rabbit, steak, lamb, pork, veal?
all of them

some of them

one of them

none of them

you decide

and of course

the side dishes

this is what our table looked like

you should know

we cleaned our plates

but declined dessert

which was a good idea

because they brought out 

a plate loaded with cantucci

(biscotti)

and

glasses of vin santo

just as we thought it was all over

they brought us a glass of moscato

you know

as you do

if you don't know the drill

you think

ahhh

they get you drunk

so you aren't freaked out by the bill

because

come on

this kind of meal

doesn't come cheap

unless you are at il latini

because they have

reasonable 

in spades

pisa-lucca---day 2 {travelogue}

saturday in florence

is like saturday in any city

locals pouring into town to do their weekend shopping

tourists milling about in large groups

staring upwards

just an all around

crowded situation

which is why

we got out of town

pisa and lucca the destination

turns out
it wasn't such a bad idea
the weather had turned runny
just as we took our seats on the excursion bus
rain began pouring down
(that really isn't its name...i don't know what the name was, except that it was one of those total tourist deals...which turn out to be a pretty good thing, actually)

i never think i am a fan of the organized tourist train/bus/walk
but i nearly always give them a try
i am hardly disappointed
except when it  includes food
which is a big bad bust
most of the time

those, i avoid
because
as you know
i am all about the food

speaking of which
we had steak and eggs for breakfast
but there are no photos
because i forgot
and by the time i remembered
it didn't look so appetizing
just trust me
leftover bistecca fiorentina
with a couple of fried eggs
and hunk of bread
is money

in Pisa
we did a tour of the church
which is beautiful
but dark
which is why i don't have any good photos
because in churches
you can't wear a hat
and
you can't use a flash

the real draw in Pisa
is the tower
a leaning tower
i love all the great photos that people fashion
holding the tower up
grimacing under the supposed weight
they never cease to humor me
but you rarely see this maneuver

someone kicking the darn thing over
but it is funny
right?
that is my husband
who enjoys a good laugh as much as i
we hooted over this one for hours

time for lunch
but in a tourist town
where restaurants actually name themselves
restaurant tourista
getting a good meal is a bit dubious
but we found one
just outside the main tourist area
called
trattoria bruno

(no identity crisis here)

the pasta outstanding
truly
hubs had

penne with rabbit and boar sauce
and i enjoyed

pasta with porcini mushrooms
the pasta was handmade
and so thin
you could almost see yourself through the sheets

simple yet delicious

from Pisa
we got back on the bus and headed to Lucca
a medieval city
that is usually quite lovely
but on a rainy saturday
with many of the venues closed for the afternoon
there was little to see

after getting a bit drenched in the rain
we stopped for a hot chocolate
which in this part of italy
is more like
warm chocolate pudding
than chocolate water
you decide if it sounds better or not

e poi
(which means and then
not the poi you eat in hawaii
which is not italian by any means
despite having the same name)

we visited a winery just outside of lucca
where
it turns out
they make the house wine
for one of my favorite places in New York City
Sant. Ambroeus
when i was getting married
my dress came from vera wang
and before my first appointment
and subsequently
my fittings
i would go have
coffee and a little something
at
sant ambroeus
 so when the proprietor of this winery in lucca
off-handedly mentioned the restaurant
i perked up with
on madison avenue!?!
she and i had a bonding moment
it is her brother's place
and all the "house wine" comes from here

 it is pretty good
a tasty drinkable wine
i was set to buy quite a bit
but then my new friend
(the owner)
gave me the name of their american distributor
so i wouldn't have to pay for shipping
which now means
i'll probably buy a whole case
ahh
those italians
so crafty!

after the wine and the food and the travel by bus
we were pretty wiped out
without plans for dinner

we grabbed a quick porchetta sandwich
and called it a night
actually
a night and half a day
since jet lag reared its ugly head
and we slept
about 12 hours
waking up just in time
to search out lunch....

Firenze--day one {travelogue}

i should really keep a food journal

not in the way that you think

i don't want it to scold myself

but to

extol the pleasures of each and every bite

lovely lines filled with prose

explanations of the blissful moment

that fork meets mouth

i would show it to my internist

as i step on the scale

so he might be so wrapped in envy

he'd forget to scold

fat chance

literally

today was our first full day in italy

we rented an apartment

both for economy and luxury

i like to fill a fridge

beverages

fresh fruit

yogurt

and other simple provisions

so each meal isn't eaten out

and

we can enjoy lazy mornings reading the local paper

or catching up on email

those gorgeous hotel breakfasts served in europe are mostly lost on me

i like to ease into my day

and an apartment in the heart of the city 

affords me that luxury

and

as luck would have it

for longer stays the cost savings can be quite extraordinary

we dropped in to the local market last evening and stocked the fridge

this morning, i popped down to our local bakery and fruit stand to pick up a couple of things for breakfast

i made a pot of coffee

set up breakfast on the veranda

and enjoyed our

beautiful view of the duomo

these incredible fragoline

(wild strawberries from sicily)

are tiny and pure white on the inside

and are sweet as they are small

with pure strawberry flavor

we are drying a few on the counter

so we can bring them back home to plant

hopefully they will germinate

post breakfast we walked, and walked, and walked some more

this town is crowded

people everywhere

i was in school here in the 1980s and for the last decade or so

i've tried to make it back every year

each time

there are larger crowds

the secret is definitely out

but

i do still feel the charm of a city i loved in my youth

speaking of the secret being out

we had lunch at one of my favorite spots

it used to be a sleepy little place

in a lesser known square on the oltroarno

partly by my own fault (telling anyone who would listen)

partly because of it hitting the guidebook circuit

it has become very, very popular

surprisingly

the prices remain low

and 

the quality high

osteria santo spirito

is a true gem

with simple yet delicious food

i always get the gnocchi tartufo

(small portion--still enough to share)

with a small salad

gnocchi

salad

the restaurant shared with me the ingredients for the gnocchi..but not the recipe.  i have successfully duplicated the sauce  both with pasta and potatoes. i may be persuaded to share!

mike went with the rabbit cacciatore

which was equally delicious

on our way back to the apartment

we stopped in at the gallileo museum

it is a relatively small space

filled with the most amazing instruments

used in applied sciences

like this early thermometer

which beautifully marries

form and function

it also houses

gallileo's mummified finger

if you are looking for a draw for your teenage son

or 

fully grown husband

the day progressed with more walking

an afternoon relax

and

this

ginormous steak

bistecca fiorentina

it is over 2lbs of dry aged beef

fired grilled

3 inches thick

medium rare on the exterior

and 

blood rare inside

juicy and tender

a must try

while just about everyone serves a version of this steak in florence

not everyone does it well

if you find a bargain

it may just taste like a bargain

it is a treat

so treat yourself

skimp tomorrow

we enjoyed ours at

buca mario

an old establishment

with cloth napkins

and attentive service

they are lovely

and the food is delicious

pair with a nice barolo

and

dig in

*be nice while you are there, and they may give you a restaurant apron...just like the one they gave me!

tomorrow we are off on a day trip to pisa and lucca

historic sights and olive oil

what more is there in life?

besides

meals

lots more meals

and i will share them all with you

but if you run into my doctor

just mention you heard i was doing a lot of walking

oh

and drinking lots of water

that's a good distraction

civediamo!