Archive for the ‘contests’ Category
Sex, Lies, Handwriting, and Presidential Candidates
A few months ago, I was working on an article about graphology, or handwriting analysis, and I came across the website of Michelle Dresbold, author of Sex, Lies, and Handwriting: A Top Expert Reveals the Secrets Hidden in Your Handwriting. Dresbold is one of the country’s top experts on the subject of handwriting interpretation and analysis, and has been helping law enforcement agents solve cases for a decade.
In fact, go HERE to enter to win a free copy of Dresbold’s book!
Hurry! Contest ends October 31!
OK, I don’t know about you, but I find this sort of thing fascinating. I find it most interesting that people can’t really “fake” their handwriting consistently without their “true” handwriting revealing itself. No, graphology doesn’t predict the future, but it can reveal a person’s motivations, intellect, idealism, vanity, honesty, psychological strengths and weaknesses, and even emotional and physical health.
And all of this is nothing new. Confucius philosophized, “Handwriting can infallibly show whether it comes from a person who is noble-minded or from one who is vulgar.” Aristotle wrote, “Just as all men do not have all the same speech sounds, neither do they have all the same writing.”
So why am I bringing all this up now? Well other than to give you a chance to win a copy of Dresbold’s book, I also want to point you to some analyses that Dresbold has done on signatures that you might find interesting about now:
Interesting, no?
Have you ever had your handwriting analyzed?
Autumn in Southern Italy Means Pomegranates
Do you like pomegranates?
Do you remember the first time you struggled with the intricate webbing and seeds?
The first time the juice ran all over the place, staining everything in its path–the tablecloth, your chin, your fingers?
I don’t remember it either, but luckily every October brings another chance for me to relive it.
No matter how many pomegranates I’ve eaten, the first one of the season always takes me back to being a child, just trying to figure out how to eat the thing without making a huge mess in the process.
I still haven’t mastered it, but that’s OK. It sure is fun trying.
Please share your pomegranate tales (and recipes)!
Buon weekend!
Book Giveaway: My Cousin the Saint by Justin Catanoso
Cherrye of My Bella Vita and I teased you yesterday with an upcoming contest and today I have the details:
Book Giveaway:
1. Justin Catanoso, author of My Cousin the Saint: A Search for Faith, Family, and Miracles, will guest blog here today (below) and at Cherrye’s My Bella Vita tomorrow.
2. In order to be eligible to win a free, signed copy of Justin’s book, leave a question for Justin in the comments on one or both of his guest posts. You can leave as many questions as you like, but only one comment on each blog will count toward the contest (maximum of two entries per person).
3. Justin will pick some of your questions to be answered at his blog, JustinCatanoso.com, and we’ll let you know when to look for the answers.
4. You must leave your questions at or before 11:59 pm CEST on October 17, 2008 to be eligible for the contest. This contest is open to all readers around the world.
5. One winner will be drawn randomly from the eligible comments at Bleeding Espresso, another winner will be drawn from the eligible comments at My Bella Vita, and winners will be announced on the respective blogs October 20, 2008, marking the day of St. Gaetano’s canonization.
For those who look forward to a guest blogger on the 15th of every month, we’re featuring this month’s a little early (thanks Justin!) to make way for Blog Action Day on October 15th. You, too, can join the cause and blog against poverty. Sign up here.
And now, welcome Justin!
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It’s a genuine thrill to be hosted here on Bleeding Espresso to talk with you about my new book, My Cousin the Saint: A Search for Faith, Family, and Miracles (Morrow/HarperCollins). What could be better? This lovely site is managed with great skill and passion by a fellow Italian-American writer who lives in the same region where my Italian family is from and which is the setting of so much of my book. What I would like to share here is how this book came into being. The fact is, the idea for it wasn’t even mine!
On Oct. 20, 2005, I delivered a bittersweet commentary on National Public Radio titled “Our Cousin the Saint.” In 500 words, I tried to articulate some powerful forces that had been stirring in me for nearly two years. In late 2003, my family and I traveled to Italy and were lovingly embraced by long-lost relatives I never knew I had. One relative I learned about for the first time was Gaetano Catanoso, a contemporary of my grandfather’s, born in the same tiny Calabrian village of Chorio. Gaetano had been a priest for 60 years, and his service to the poor had been so extraordinary that he had been beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1997. At the time of our visit, he was one miracle shy of sainthood.
In 2004, back in the United States, my family found itself in desperate need of a miracle. My older brother Alan had been diagnosed with brain cancer, which took his life by Christmas of 2004. My NPR commentary aired ten months later, just three days before Gaetano’s canonization in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. In that piece, I spoke about my brother, my Italian relatives and whether our soon-to-be sainted relative had in any way answered our prayers. I had written elements of this story previously in several national magazines, including the Catholic Digest. I thought I was done with it.
But listening to my commentary in California was Randi Murray, a literary agent. She believed she heard the makings of a book and called to ask if I was interested in pursuing the story. I was flattered, and doubtful. I tried to put her off. I was busy. I have a wife and three daughters. I have two jobs–running a newspaper, teaching at a university. I had plenty of reasons to say no.
But during the canonization ceremony in St. Peter’s Square, where I was surrounded by relatives as well as pilgrims from around the world, I remembered being moved to ponder so many things I didn’t have answers to: where was my brother? What happened to my Catholic faith? Who was this saint in our family and why had I gone most of my life having no idea he ever existed? What does it mean to have someone so holy in the family tree? Does it mean anything?
That call from Randi Murray soon came to feel more like a gift, the means by which I could possibly set out in search of some answers. I put aside any notions that my now-sainted cousin was working his intercessory powers through a Jewish literary agent (even though my mother certainly believes that St. Gaetano has guided this entire project!) But I did come to believe Randi’s initial instincts that there really was a good story in all of this. HarperCollins thought so, too, and with a contract and advance in hand, I got started in the spring of 2006.
While my story sits within the context of a couple of centuries of Italian history and Catanoso family history, much of the contemporary action takes place between 2003 and early 2007. Special research and travel was required. To learn why saints are needed and how one becomes a saint, I spent several days in Rome and interviewed three vastly experienced Vatican saint makers. Then I headed deep into the toe of the boot of Italy– the region of Calabria–for nearly a month.
That’s when I slowly came to understand the life of the saint and the extraordinary way he still lives in so many of my relatives, of all ages. It was an extraordinary learning experience as my Italian relatives, who welcomed me into their hearts and homes as if I lived across the street, not across the ocean, revealed to me in so many ways the depths of their souls. Along with searching for the remnants of my own faith in Italy and America, I was also hunting for clues as to why my grandfather was among the very few Catanosos to emigrate, leaving Calabria in 1903 as a teen-ager, and ultimately making my American birth possible.
For me, a newspaper journalist for more than 25 years, this book represents the story of a lifetime. People the world over are charmed by the kind of humor and hospitality, the kind of love and simple zest for life that is purely Italian–la dolce vita. I was fully immersed in all of it, with the added benefit of being surrounded by newfound relatives. I met the recipient of a Vatican-sanctioned miracle and later interviewed her doctor. I heard miracle stories from so many Catanoso cousins. I shared long meals lovingly prepared and had in-depth conversations about their faith and our family. And tragically, I mourned with them as well, as the family patriarch died suddenly during my visit.
By the end of my month in Italy and coupled with my years of research, I knew I had a powerful story to tell–a story of faith, family and miracles.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us, Justin,
and best of luck with My Cousin the Saint!
Be sure to head over to JustinCatanoso.com for a video recounting Padre Gaetano’s “First Miracle,” and don’t forget to leave a question for Justin to be eligible for the contest!
O Foods Winners and a New Contest
Time to announce the O Foods winners, so let’s get to it, because I have another contest to tell you about as well and it has to do with this:
First of all, we ended up giving out three prizes instead of two. There were just too many good recipes to award only one fabulous blogger, so TWO fabulous bloggers were chosen (one from Sara’s round-up and one from my round-up) and each will receive a $50 gift certificate from Amazon.
Now go to Sara’s Ms Adventures in Italy and to Jenn’s The Leftover Queen to find out who won the best recipe prizes!
My job is to announced the Awareness winner, who will receive a copy of Gina DePalma’s Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen:
Susan of My Life’s Joys!
Congratulations Susan; I will be in touch!
And thanks again to everyone who participated!
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Now, turning our attention to the next contest here at Bleeding Espresso and at Cherrye’s My Bella Vita:
We’re going to be giving away two copies of Justin Catanoso’s My Cousin the Saint: A Search for Faith, Family, and Miracles. Contest details to come tomorrow along with a guest post from Justin (on Wednesday, he’ll be a guest at My Bella Vita), but for now, here is some more information on Justin and his book:
On a trip back to his grandfather’s village in Calabria, Justin learned that a relative had been a priest for 60 years and had been beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1997. Intrigued by the story and inspired to delve into his own faith or lack of it, Justin set out to discover more about the life of his grandfather as well as of his cousin, St. Gaetano, who was canonized in St. Peter’s Square in 2005.
My Cousin the Saint: A Search for Family, Faith, and Miracles tells the tale of Justin’s journey back through time, largely through la famiglia his grandfather had left behind in Calabria, and shows the true power of miracles.
For more on Justin and the book, check out JustinCatanoso.com, and for more on his cousin, Padre Gaetano, head over to Cherrye’s! And remember to come back here tomorrow for contest details and Justin’s guest post.
O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Contest Round-up: Part I
Thank you *so* much to everyone who participated in the O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Contest by donating, posting the announcement, and/or submitting fabulous recipes.
We’ve raised $415, gathered 45 fabulous O Food recipes, and hopefully reached many women with important information about ovarian cancer, particularly regarding signs and symptoms.
Remember, you can still donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, and here are another 5 ways you can contribute to ovarian cancer awareness through jewelry.
And I also want to point out Jerry’s fabulous “O” Menu over at Jerry’s Thoughts, Musings, and Rants! A full-course “O” meal, from an Orchid Martini to an Olive Oil Zucchini Cake with Lemon Crunch and an Ossobuco and more in between (and BarolO to drink). Check it out!
And now, it’s time for Part I of the round-up! Sara has Part II at Ms Adventures in Italy, and Jenn has Part III with a list of those who published announcements at The Leftover Queen.
In a slight change of plans, we’ll be announcing winners on Monday, so you’ll just have to come back then!
Remember that Sara, Jenn, and I also contributed recipes to the O Foods event:
- Pesto Garganico: Almonds, Sundried Tomatoes and Basil Pesto Recipe at Ms Adventures in Italy
- Oatmeal Carrot Date Bread at The Leftover Queen
- Oatmeal Banana Craisin Muffins at Bleeding Espresso
- Onion, Oregano and TimO Focaccia at Bleeding Espresso
Now, let’s start off with some appetizers, soups, salads, side dishes, and even some “first dishes” as we’d call them in Italy:
At Passionate About Baking, you’ll find these creative, delicious PotatO Canapes with Cheesy Topping. The topping is made of cream, cheddar and cottage cheese, and the secret ingredient–sage. Yum!
Mary of The Flavors of Abruzzo takes us to Ascoli for Olive Ascolane–olives stuffed with ground beef, prosciutto crudo, grated cheese, and tomato sauce that are then breaded and deep-fried. I know. I want them right now too.
Now to lighten things up, how about an Orange, Olive and Onion Salad from Maria at Kali Orexi? Maria combined fabulous O ingredients that are lovely on their own but make something even more special when combined; she added some lettuce, and then tossed everything together with some cider vinegar and oil. I just love the freshness of Mediterranean salads, don’t you?
You know how much I love tomatoes, and this TomatO Chutney from Siri at Siri’s Corner looks heavenly. The recipe isn’t complicated provided you can find all the required seeds, and then Siri recommends serving it with some hot rice or simply some fresh bread. Sounds great to me!
How about some soup? Proud Italian Cook has shared Onion Soup with Fontina Garlic Bread, and I have to admit, she may have finally convinced me to try making onion soup. This looks so good, and I love the addition of the fontina. So very italiana!
Now, who’s in the mood for octopus? Try this Octopus in a Stew by Núria of Spanish Recipes. I’ve never had octopus in a stew or with potatoes, but I’m pretty sure I will soon. This looks so delicious and easy that I can’t wait to try it!
In the mood for some greens? How about this Fresh Okra Stir Fry over at Yankee in a New World. I know that okra is commonly considered a “southern” food at least in the United States, but you can count me as another Yankee who loves this stuff. Has anyone ever seen okra in Italy?
Now although this Onion Gravy by Sefa Firdaus of Food is Love is meant to be served over Yorkshire Pudding, something about it makes me group it near stir-fried okra. The original recipe calls for Worcestershire sauce, but Sefa mixes it up with fish sauce. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
Although this RisottO ith Sweet Basil PestO Chicken Sausage, pestO and fresh basilicO by Palma of Palmabella’s Passions was just a bit late for the contest, I still had to share this fabulous dish with all of you. And do let me know when you’ll be making it (and set an extra place)!
VB of feed yourself submitted the fabulous Chard Stuffed with RisO ArboriO and PortobellO mushrooms. I love the idea of stuffing chard–and I especially love that you can use leftover rice for this. Mushrooms? Don’t get started on mushrooms. Yum! I will probably use some reconstituted dried porcini when I make this. And I *will* make this.
And now for two savory tarts:
The shell of this Onion Tart at Stacey Snacks is based on a Martha Stewart recipe, but Stacey adds rosemary, which I love. Inside there’s all kind of onion-y goodness and did I mention bacon? Oh yes. This one would definitely be a winner in this house. Actually I should say “will” be a winner because I’ll be making it soon.
This fabulously photographed TomatO Tart was submitted at Passionate About Baking. Yes, you’ve seen that name before on this list, and that’s because our passionate baker was busy busy busy whipping up O Foods for this event. An extra special thank you to one of my very favorite bloggers!
What’s that, you want just a sandwich?
OK, so the term “just a sandwich” doesn’t apply here. Tallmisto of Life is Still Sweet submitted this wonderful creation: a Chicken PestO MayO, Open faced sandwich with RomanO cheese. In it, you’ll find mushrooms, onions, peppers, spinach, chicken cutlets, and cheese. And there’s even more! I don’t know about you, but it looks like lunch to me.
Now for some hearty main dishes:
Elle of Feeding My Enthusiasms whipped up some Simply Delish Chicken, Onions, and Tomatoes, and it certainly does look delish–there’s a great photo of it simmering in the pan over at Elle’s place. I love these kind of “throw everything in a skillet” dinners because they’re so quick to assemble, and this one looks particularly tasty.
Diana of Creative Structures is one of Gina DePalma’s closest friends and has been one of the biggest supporters of our O Foods event. Here is Diana’s PollO con rosmarinO e vinO biancO (chicken with rosemary and white wine), and my ribs are warming just seeing that photo.
Ronell of My French Kitchen contributed this fabulous, full meal of Ostrich Strips with Broccoli Gratin and Mint Carrot Salad. I’ve never had ostrich, but I’d certainly love to try some at Ronell’s place! I highly recommend stopping by Ronell’s blog, by the way–it’s simply gorgeous.
As I told Joanne of Frutto della Passione, I had been patiently waiting for someone to submit some ossobuco–and her Ossobuco alla Milanese is just what I was hoping would appear in the O Foods inbox. I’ve never had ossobuco, and I don’t think P has either, so it will be most interesting to give this recipe a go. Thanks Joanne!
And now, finally, it’s time for dessert:
Diana from Creative Structures also contributed this gorgeous, and I’m sure delicious, Orange Pear Tart with Thyme (timO in Italian!) the very first day of the O Foods Contest. Again, I can’t thank Diana enough for her support, and if you’d like to thank her too, visit her blog as well as the Baur B & B in northern Italy.
Now if you’re feeling particularly tarty, here’s another one for you: Arlene’s Orange and Dark Chocolate Tart over at The Food of Love. I *love* the mixture of orange and chocolate flavors, and if that’s not enough to entice you, Arlene also threw in some almonds. Yum!
Fresh from a Gordon Ramsay cookbook, Happy Cook of My Kitchen Treasures contributed this decadent Orange Pannacotta with Caramelized Oranges. Although her daugther didn’t too much care for the booze in it, Happy Cook and her husband rather enjoyed it. And I’m sure I would too–look at those cute caramelized oranges!
Ivy at Kopiaste sent in a fabulous recipe from Greece for this Orange Chocolate Cheesecake. Looks fabulous, Ivy, and thanks so much for sharing your personal experience with your hysterectomy. Hopefully every woman who hears a story like yours realizes how important routine check-ups truly are.
The Food Hunter over at The Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine contributed these Oatmeal PistachiO White Chocolate Cookies. I’m pretty sure I’d eat that entire plate in one sitting. I love macademia nuts with white chocolate, and I’m sure I’d love pistachios with it even more–I *so* love pistachios.
Now last, but certainly not least, we have Judith’s Omeletta Sgonfiata over at Think on it! Unfortunately Judith’s camera is broken, but just the sound of this “souffle omelet” makes me want to whip up a puffy omelet with a pinch of hot sauce and then top it with Judith’s homemade peach preserves, as she suggests.
Judith also has this week’s La Buona Cucina Americana recipe with American Chicken and Dumplings. YUM!
Thanks so much for all these great O Food recipes!
Remember the second half of the round-up is over at Sara’s Ms Adventures in Italy, the third part at Jenn’s The Leftover Queen, and be sure to come back Monday for the announcement of the winners!
I know there are a lot (and very grateful for the wonderful response!), but don’t be overwhelmed! Simply bookmark the round-up pages (and Stumble too if you like!) so you can come back when you have a few moments here and there.
Buon weekend!
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
Recipes
