L'infiorita

The L'infiorata takes place on the Sunday after Corpus Domini in June. Fresh flowers are used to design a religious theme and are simply laid in a design on the streets, not glued or affixed in any way. In Italy, we pray it isn't windy on that day.

La Ballerina

This is my neighbor's darling daughter, Sabina. She just celebrated her 11th birthday. Here she is on her way to dance class. She pouted and didn't want her picture taken, but then all of a sudden struck her pose. That's Sabi. One minute drama, the next minute smiles. The ease and speed with which she can change her demeanor is a strong indicator that she's going to be a fine actress when she grows up. I went to see her perform in Le avventure d'Alice nel paese delle meraviglie, Alice in Wonderland. She played a lobster. It was her first performance and I see many more in her future. If not on stage, anywhere she is.
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Lemon Biscotti

As a 'thank you' to my mother for having mailed her cookie sheets from California to Italy for me, I baked lemon biscotti for her. I love making biscotti. It's so much easier than regular cookie recipes. No messy, sticky teaspoons and fingers and ball forming. You make the dough, divide it in half, bake, remove and slice, and re-bake! Thus the name, biscotti, which means twice cooked in Italian.  

3 cups flour
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
Zest from 2 lemons

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Divide dough in half and roll into two logs about 12 inches long. Flatten top. Transfer logs to cookie sheets and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Let logs cool down slightly, then carefully transfer to a cutting board and cut crosswise into cookies about 1/2 inch thick. Transfer individual cookies back to cookie sheet. Bake again for about 5 minutes or until just dry. Makes about 40 biscotti. Yum!
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Cherry Tree

The cherries are here! The cherries are here! From my tree (smile).
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Best Mother Ever

I have the best mother ever, she mailed me her old cookie sheets!  I've been dying to have them because you just can't find that quality anymore. It took her two attempts at the post office but yay for me she succeeded! Bless her for not giving up the first time after what it cost her! 

She didn't tell me she made a second attempt at sending them and it was the nicest surprise to find the package waiting for me at the front door! When I picked up the package, I could feel it was the cookie sheets inside.  I threw back my head and laughed with joy. I brought the package upstairs and was delighted to find a double-sided page of photocopied recipes also included!  How sweet is that!??  It made me cry and feel so very lucky that I have the best mom in the whole world.
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Fun Sister

This is my fun sister. No, she is not just now graduating high school. Her second son is graduating high school tomorrow. And no, she doesn't normally wear glasses -- except to read and don't we all after age 40? She's just fun and being goofy. We're silly together and call each other "sissie". She's coming to visit me for three weeks at the end of August alone without her boys, one of which is her husband. I am so looking forward to her visit and have been making lists of dishes to cook for her, places to visit with her, and chick flicks to watch without anyone interrupting her!
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