Julie and Julia reprise

Watching Julie and Julia again with Kristen over lunch.  That is why I even thought of blogging but I failed the first time and moderately succeeded this time.  At least I posted more than once!

So this morning, Kristen asks me "how do you say 'thank you' in French" because it was gone from her head...  Like the title of my blog implies, many many words flew through my brain but did "merci" come to mind?  Oh no!  

Loving the first scene of Julia (Meryl Streep) trying to flip her eggs!  "You can always put it together - if you're alone in the kitchen, who's to know!"  So true!  Thank goodness!

So today, we'll go to the store to get some fresh veggies and fruit and other necessary items.  On my list to make:  strawberry shortcake, lemon cookies (to surprise Mike when he gets home from Paris) and who knows what for dinner!

The start to the weekend is fantastic starting out with this movie.  Bon appetit!

P.S.  Loving watching chick flicks with Kristen while she's home!  It's the best!

When they don't understand what you're saying...

We went to the airport on May 10th to pick up Kristen and got there early so we could have breakfast.  I wanted a cappuccino BUT Mike said caffe... I said cappuccino and then the receipt said both and I took both and drank them, because you can't ever have too much caffeine first thing in the morning!  I REALLY wanted to be awake when Kristen walked through the doors from Customs!

Awesome Tomato Soup recipe!!!

Hallie's Tomato Soup

1 - 32oz can diced tomatoes (or 16oz crushed and 16oz diced)

1 - 9oz can chicken broth (or pour from a box)

2T sugar

1 sm. chopped onion

2T butter

2 cup cream

pinch of baking soda

Melt butter and add onions and sugar and saute until soft and translucent.  Then add the rest of the ingredients (except for the cream) and simmer until it is evenly heated.  Then stir in the cream and let it warm thoroughly through.  Serve!

(Kristen and I adapted Hallie Mykrantz's recipe through making it many times and sometimes doing it without the recipe so we've forgotten the baking soda and maybe used more tomatoes or less broth and it comes out just fine.  It's a very cook friendly recipe and very forgiving!)

Mondays

Good morning Monday!  It's been a quiet morning so far.  I started the day with a shower and, even though our bathroom isn't my idea of wonderful, it did feel great!  I came downstairs and fed my "zoo" (Chris will laugh!) complete with giving Muffin her medicine and protecting Kitty's uneaten food from the marauding dogs...  A big cup of hot mint tea for me with a chocolate chip roll is my breakfast.  I forgot to mention that I came down to find Michael asleep on the couch.  He has had first Butch, then Muffin, then Muffin and Butch snuggling in with him.  I think he's lucky!  I'm getting a chance to blog, upload recent pictures and watch some morning TV (Hoda and Kathie Lee & The View... maybe).  Then we're on to getting in gear for our school day.  Two lessons again each day which will bring us to another set of tests.  I'm not sure how much I can do in the car on Wednesday since we have another trip to Naples for doctor visits and shopping (at the big American Commissary - yay!).  It's hard for me to decide just what to buy that is really needed and better to buy there with dollars vs. shopping in town here with euros.  The exchange rate makes it more expensive but some things are just better when bought locally and fresh.

The quiet was broken by neighborhood dogs barking.  Both of ours responded and woke up Michael!  I guess it's time to take them out for a run around the yard or two.  Happy week to all!!!

Morning Bliss! Cappuccino!

What could be better than Italian coffee with Torani vanilla syrup and frothed milk?  Yum!

Saturday wanderings

On the way to Lido dei Pini (Pines)

A quiet day at the beach

One lone fisherman

Small waves

Larger waves

A man cleaning the beach

A good day for snails (like the ones we had on Valentine's Day)

I told Mike they'd have to visit a lot of railings though for the amount they served just at our table...

A sign outside a shop - which one jumps out at you?  Hot Dog!  Made us laugh!

Driving in downtown Nettuno on the way to the supermarket...

Gino's hair salon (a great place despite the graffiti)

The underground parking at the supermarket was full due to the rain (we parked just outside)

I'm still contemplating what sort of small car would be best...

Our Town & Country van is a bear to drive downtown not to mention parking...

The school across from the cemetery where Michael would go if he attended the local Italian school.

I'm hoping it is a lot better inside than out.  Homeschooling it is!

I'm loving my new camera.  I'm starting to use the manual settings and having fun taking better pictures than ever before.  Plus, the chance to share them on Facebook and this blog is fantastic.  I'm looking forward to better weather so that I can go outside more (other than watching the dogs go to the bathroom... :P) and take pictures of the beautiful world around this part of Italy.  Plus more pictures of Butch, Muffin and Kitty - our willing photo subjects.  Then I'll be experienced enough to take some great photos when we go on home leave!  That time is rapidly approaching - July 8!

Meet Butch!

I haven't made any posts this week because, as you can see, we have a new baby in our family. His name is Butch and he is 3 months old. While at the vet clinic with Kitty, we met this wonderful man and woman who turned out to speak English. Of course they did, they're British! So we got to talking and they told us about the litter of puppies that they had from the dear stray dog they had rescued from the streets. Baloola is a smallish gray curly haired dog who is very friendly and affectionate. So were her puppies! We looked at the pics they had posted on the board and thought all of them were extremely cute. There was a tan one, a brown one with green eyes, a black one, a white one with black mask around his eyes and Butch (it was certain Baloola was a very popular girl indeed!).  Weeks actually went by and we talked about it (me, more than Mike) and, finally, last Friday, I made the call that would eventually bring this dear little guy into our lives and hearts. He is the sweetest puppy and gets along well with Muffin and Kitty which is a very good thing since they are the bosses of our lives (or so it seems sometimes). He loves all of us but can tell that Michael is "his boy" and follows him around and sleeps in his room at night. Puppy love has struck for sure!