Archive for May, 2009
Going Green: 4-Step DIY Home Energy Audit
One of the easiest ways to go green, cut back on the energy you use, and save money all at the same time is by performing a DIY home energy audit.
And spring just happens to be a great time to do a home energy audit, especially if you’ll be using air conditioning throughout the summer and don’t want to lose your cool air through leaks.
As someone who lives in a centuries-old house, I can assure you that following the DIY steps below can make both your energy bills more pleasing and your house temperature more comfortable year-round without spending any extra money on heating or cooling.
Indeed, the US Department of Energy recommends doing a periodic home energy audit to make sure you’re not paying for and then losing valuable energy—and shares how to do it in four easy steps:
4-Step DIY Home Energy Audit
1. Check for leaks.
Plugging up energy-sucking drafts can save you up to 30% annually, so have a look around your house to see where air might be escaping.
Any gaps along the baseboard, in the foundation, at junctures of walls and ceilings or around pipes, wires, electrical outlets, mail slots, door and windows need to be sealed.
Caulking or weather stripping will usually do the trick.
2. Check insulation.
Be sure that the insulation levels in your home are at least at the recommended minimums; this is especially important to monitor if you have an older home as recommended levels may have changed since the insulation was first installed.
3. Check lighting sources.
As 10% of your electric bill comes from lighting, you should be sure that you aren’t using higher wattage than necessary; you should consider compact fluorescent light bulbs especially for areas that are lit for hours at a time.
4. Check heating/cooling equipment.
Make sure filters are clean and in working order and that ductwork is clear of dirt streaks, which mean that air is leaking out.
Moreover, if you’ve had your unit for more than 15 years, it may be time to consider replacing it with a new, more energy efficient model.
For more detailed instructions on how to perform a do-it-yourself home energy audit and for more energy (and money!) saving tips, visit the Department of Energy’s Consumer’s Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Have you done an energy audit of your home? Will you?
Buon weekend!
La Bella Lingua by Dianne Hales
Please welcome Dianne Hales, author of the new book La Bella Lingua, which I’ve already told you about when we discussed my favorite False Friends.
Well today is La Bella Lingua‘s release date, and I have to tell you, this book is fabulous!
I got my copy two weeks ago–and flew through it in a weekend. I plan on reading it again.
For anyone who has been enchanted by the always beautiful, often frustrating Italian language and tried to grasp its basics as well as its intricacies, Dianne’s tales will not only ring true but also comfort you.
From obscure word etymologies to entertaining anecdotes, La Bella Lingua will keep you turning pages, nodding along in agreement, laughing, and even learning–I picked up quite a few new words myself.
And the writing? A sheer pleasure. Truly.
A *must* for any lover of the Italian language, this book assolutamente warrants five espresso cups out of five.
What’s that? You’d like a copy for yourself?
Well FIVE lucky Bleeding Espresso readers have a chance to do just that.
Simply leave a comment on this post at or before 11:59 p.m. (Italy time), May 19, and I’ll draw FIVE names at random as winners.
**UPDATED: For those of you in Italy who were wondering how to find a copy, you can order the book through Webster.it for €22,37 and shipping is free!
Benvenuta Dianne!
Never did I—a sensible woman of sturdy Polish peasant stock—expect to become madly, gladly, giddily besotted with the world’s most luscious language. But on a mostly mute maiden voyage to Italy in 1983, Italians had talked constantly to, at, and around me. Yearning for a few words to offer in return, I decided to study their language.
My first teacher was an intense young woman from the Abruzzi who had recently moved with her new American husband to San Francisco. She insisted that I repeat an Italian sentence that translated into “I am going into the corridor to smoke a cigarette.”
“But I don’t smoke,” I objected.
“Italians smoke,” she countered.
“Signora, questa frase è importante.”
“It’s not important to me,” I persisted. “I am never, ever going into a corridor in Italy to smoke.”
She sighed. I changed the subject and asked her what she missed most about Italy. “La piazza,” she said as wistfully as if it were the name of a loved one left behind. After a few seconds, she added, “La domenica.”
“Sundays?”
“When you go to Mamma’s.” She began to sob. Shortly thereafter she packed up and returned to Italy.
My next teacher, an aspiring actress who taught Italian to local children, displayed picture books of baby ducks and puppies. When I balked at learning ninnananne (lullabies), she handed me off to her father, who taught Italian at the local community college. Tony, a trim Neapolitan who biked over the hills to my home, would break into arias, dropping onto one knee to serenade me with “E lucevan le stelle” and “Che gelida manina.”
Soon I was a goner, inebriated with Italian’s sounds, lovesick for its phrases. My next classroom was a Sausalito bungalow festooned with so many cherubs and hearts that I thought of its voluptuous owner as la mia Valentina. A Romana (and professional chef) of indeterminate age with henna hair and a full figure Italians might describe as abbondante, she served me delectable merende (snacks) and juicy tales of long-ago lovers.
Crossing the line from tourist to scholar, I decided I was ready to study in Italy. However, the first teacher I had arranged to study with developed a leg cramp while swimming off the Amalfi coast. A Sicilian prince sailing nearby swept her onto his private yacht—and then into a castello by the sea, She never again gave lessons—or, for all I know, decamped from her royal digs. I had better luck at a private school in a Renaissance villa in Assisi, where a faculty of striking young women did indeed excuse themselves to smoke cigarettes in the corridor.
The professor who headed the school complimented my grammar but grimaced at my accent. I must have looked crestfallen, for he hastened to assure me that this was “un problemino,” a teeny tiny problem. All that I had to do, he explained, was talk with more Italians. And so I did.
Returning to Italy every year, I improved my Italian in the most tried-and-true way: by tripping over my tongue and learning from my mistakes. At Camponeschi, our favorite restaurant in Rome, the waiters giggled when they overheard me describe the wonderful view from our terrace of the roofs of Rome. Instead of the masculine tetti (roofs, pronounced tet-tee), I had used the feminine slang tette (tits, pronounced tet-tay).
The madly ambitious idea of writing a book about a language other than my own grew out of a fiction-writing group I belonged to for several years. I wrote a rather prosaic novel called Becoming Italian about the adventures of a group of students, interspersed with notes on the language. Character, plot, and dialogue didn’t much interest me; writing about Italian was the most fun I’d ever had with a word-processing program.
I found the perfect collaborator in Alessandra, a Romana who migrated to the United States years ago and who taught me Italian the way Italians learn the language—through fairy tales, comic books, epic poems, classic novels, operas, folk songs, movies, newspapers, and hours and hours of chatting (chiacchierare) in Italian. I began each session with a mantra: “Sono italiana, sono italiana, sono italiana. “I am Italian, I am Italian, I am Italian.” I must see with Italian eyes, Alessandra would remind me, hear with Italian ears, speak with Italian rhythms.
“How would you say, ‘Give me a kiss?’” Alessandra asked one day.
“Dammi un bacio,” I replied, somewhat taken aback by the query.
“No, no, no,” she chastised gently, explaining that the combination of “n” and “b” strikes an Italian ear as molto brutta, so I must run them together into an “m.”
“Dammi umbacio!” I dutifully repeated, although this phrase seemed even less likely to enter my conversations in Italy than excusing myself to smoke in the hallway.
I was wrong. One of the many Italians who coached me in their language asked for a kiss (and, yes, he said umbacio) the first time we met. When I pulled away, he added the irresistible kicker, “But I’m 87!”
In time all of Italy became my school house, and virtually all the Italians I met enthusiastic (and patient) tutors. In contrast to the French, who praise an impeccable speaker for having une langue châtiée, which literally means a punished tongue, an Italian friend gave me the highest of compliments when he said that my Italian had progressed from being involto (rolled tight, like cannelloni) to disinvolto, as loose and easy, in his words, as a lasagna noodle.
La Bella Lingua–a true opera amorosa, a labor of love—chronicles my idiosyncratic journey through (arguably, I concede) the world’s most loved and lovable language. I have cherry-picked the liveliest parts of Italian’s history and the golden eras of its literature, art, music, movies, and culture.
In its pages, you will meet the people, visit the places, read the words, behold the paintings, hear the music, taste the meals, and watch the movies that taught me the greatest of Italian secrets: how to make the soul smile.
——-
Thanks so much Dianne!
Remember to comment for a chance to win a copy of La Bella Lingua!
The Four Seasons in Calabria
A while back, NYC/Caribbean Ragazza asked about my favorite season in Calabria.
Every time I started to write a response, I kept thinking of reasons why I liked another season, so here is why I love all le quattro stagioni in Calabria (hey, they’re more than just concertos or pizza toppings!):
Primavera
What is not to love about Spring?
The days are getting longer and the sun is shining more, which means perfect conditions for long walks with the dogs (and now with the kid) and just sitting outside, reading, taking photos, and generally enjoying the fresh air.
After all the rain and wind of winter, it’s always so wonderful to get out for long stretches of time, drinking in the sunshine and enjoying the deep blues of the sky and the sea contrasted against the green grass and yellow flowers sprouting up everywhere.
I just love when Spring is springing in Calabria!
L’estate
I’ll admit that the Summer is probably my least favorite of the seasons here because it can (and does) get *so* stinking hot, but it’s still a great time to be in Calabria.
I’m not much of a beach person, but it *is* rather nice to have the option so close.
And I especially appreciate summer evenings when the stars are twinkling bright overhead and the moonlight leads the way.
And since we do live in stone, brick, and tile houses, certain rooms can provide a bit of respite from the most debilitating heat—usually the bedroom as Calabrians were smart to put them on the bottom floors.
L’autunno
I’m a Fall baby, so I’ve always loved the crisp air and changing leaves, but in Calabria, it also brings much needed and desired rain–and I happen to be a huge fan of rain.
Also, since I’ve spent the majority of my years going back to school in the Fall, right around September, I get recharged and remotivated to look back on what I had planned for the year, evaluate how far I’ve come, and decide how much I still have to do.
I also get inspired to get back into the kitchen after the scorching summer months, and that always energizes me (and my stomach) as well.
L’inverno
Some people don’t enjoy Calabria in the Winter because it seems so, well, dead as there are few tourists around compared to the rest of the year. Me?
I *love* the quiet that comes not only from the lack of people but also from the lack of construction in the village.
Can’t work on houses in the rain and wind!
And of course, since it gets dark so early, every evening has a fighting chance to be an intimate one, sitting by the fire with a glass a wine, P, the pooches, and a good movie or book.
I’m a homebody at heart, and Winter gives me the perfect excuse to indulge.
What’s your favorite season where you live and why?
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Stuffed Peppers
When I was younger, I missed out on a lot of amazing food simply because my tastebuds weren’t ready; I was always a good “tryer” though, so I was sure that I’d be ready whenever my tastebuds were.
Case in point: I tried sweet potatoes *every* year at Thanksgiving until I liked them. Now I love them!
I don’t remember exactly when I started actually liking (then loving) peppers, but I’m so happy my tastebuds finally caught up to the desire for the flavor.
Indeed, peppers continue to be one of my very favorite foods in the world, especially when included in my mom’s stuffed peppers, today’s What’s Cooking Wednesday recipe.
Note: this is *very* different from how P’s mom makes peperoni ripieni, which are quite similar to her Calabrian stuffed eggplant–meatless and fried.
To give you an idea of how local Italian cooking is:
P’s mom’s recipe is from Badolato; my mom’s recipe is essentially my great-grandmother’s, who came from Isca, the very next town over. I have also eaten stuffed peppers at another Iscatani household, and they tasted really similar to my mom’s–only they had a little surprise chunk of suppressata in the center. Try it!
So when you hear that Italian cooking is regional, think even smaller…it can differ *greatly* by town, just like the dialects!
The recipe below calls for sauce over the peppers as they bake; you can, of course, use your favorite jarred sauce or make your own by frying a clove of garlic (minced) and one small onion (chopped finely) in about two tablespoons of olive oil, adding a can of tomatoes/sauce, and adjusting for salt. It only needs to simmer for about 15 minutes as it’ll also cook in the oven.
If you’re planning on serving pasta with the peppers, use two cans/jars of tomatoes/sauce.
Stuffed Peppers
- 6 small peppers (see photos for size I used)
- 1 cup cooked rice (1/3 uncooked)
- 1 pound ground meat
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
- Fresh basil, chopped (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
1. Cook rice and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Wash peppers, cut off tops, and remove stem and seeds. If you’re using larger peppers, you can cut them in half and make double the amount of stuffed peppers by using both halves (just be sure to make more stuffing).
*Note: The parts of the pepper I didn’t use but that were still edible, I sliced up and used for potatoes, peppers, and eggs the next day.
3. Bring pot of water to a boil and drop peppers in, parboiling them for a few minutes. Remove from water, pat dry, and set aside to cool.
4. While peppers are parboiling, prepare stuffing by mixing together rice, meat, and parsley (cheese and/or basil) in a medium bowl.
5. Put some tomato sauce in a small baking dish so the bottom is lightly covered.
6. Sprinkle each pepper shell with salt and then stuff them with mixture and set in baking dish.
7. Cover peppers with rest of sauce and cover dish with foil.
8. Bake in oven for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the meat inside is cooked.
9. If you’ve made enough sauce you can serve pasta with the sauce and then the pepper as a second dish or simply serve the peppers by themselves with crusty Italian bread.
Buon appetito!
La Dolce Vita Women’s Italian Retreat
Today I have the honor of introducing you to Lenora Boyle, transformational coach and Option Method teacher. Some of the main branches of Lenora’s family tree come straight through Calabria–actually just a few towns over from me–so we had an instant connection over email.
Then I learned of Lenora’s planned Women’s Italian Retreat on the Ligurian Coast, and I just had to share the opportunity with my readers. You can follow along Lenora’s Italian journeys at her blog, Italian Retreat.
Below you’ll find a guest post by Lenora detailing her path in forming the upcoming Italian Retreat. Please read carefully and savor her wonderful words, but then act fast to sign up for the retreat—the deadline is Sunday, May 5th (although possibly later)!
Here’s Lenora:
Two years ago, I spent a month in Italy, for the first time in my life. My husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and then our children joined us to visit around 40 relatives whom we’d never met in Calabria. It was extraordinary discovering Italy and embracing dear family members after a lifetime of not knowing them. I am working on my dual citizenship and I have a dream to visit and thoroughly get to know all 20 regions of Italy. So, that is one of the reasons that this retreat was birthed.
Imagine spending 8 relaxing days in Monterosso al Mare, on the Italian Riviera enjoying the beauty of the Mediterranean, laughing with like-minded women, and focusing on manifesting your dreams and heart’s desires. Can you see yourself sitting at a sunny outdoor cafe table on the Italian Riviera, sipping wine, savoring stuffed zucchini flowers, ravioli, and focaccia or eating gelato as you look out over the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean?
You look across the table at all of us laughing. The light that is so unique to the Mediterranean soothes your soul. You just know that from this moment on, you will live la dolce vita (the sweet life), wherever you are.
You have become a mighty manifester and that feels complete.
The Italy Retreat will include 15-20 hours of workshop activities that will help you transform your life, break free from the past, and be happy beyond belief. We’ll adventure to several of the picturesque towns nearby, including all five of the Cinque Terre villages along the Mediterranean.
Enjoy the breathtaking trails, beaches and waters of the area while learning the Option Method, a skill set of questions that will support your happiness. You’ll come home with less ‘baggage’ than you brought with you.
ITALIAN RETREAT DETAILS:
DATES: September 12-20, 2009
COST: $1300 USD/ €1108 for hotel (double occupancy), 15-20 hour workshop and breakfasts (price does not include transportation, lunch or dinner)
LOCATION: Immersed in the enchanting landscape of the Ligurian coast, we’ll stay in a hotel just a short stroll to the beach.
MEALS: Enjoy delicious locally grown produce, freshly made pasta, local cheeses, and seafood. We will eat at different restaurants in several different towns for lunch and dinner, or enjoy a picnic lunch in the warm sunshine of the Mediterranean. Breakfast will be included with the cost of the hotel.
RESULTS:
- Come home with less “baggage” and be able to maintain living “the sweet life.”
- Reinvigorate your capacity to live daily the passion, vigor, verve, vitality, and vivacious spirit experienced in Italy.
- Acquire the Italian approach to life that can help make everyday more joyful.
- Understand how to use the Option Method questions to find your own answers.
Thanks for stopping by, Lenora, and buon viaggio!
Michelle Fabio is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer living in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy and savoring simplicity one sip at a time.
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