Archive for the ‘P’ Category

San Faustino - Festa for Singles - February 15

Patron Saint of Singles: San Faustino

Tired of mid-February being just for couples? Singles unite for San Faustino on February 15!

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Love Thursday: Almond Blossoms & Calabrian Proverbs on Love

As has become tradition, P brought me our first almond blossom of the year last Thursday (yes, on Love Thursday and everything!):

First almond blossoms, 2009 on Flickr

And now, since I’m in a loverly mood, a few Calabrian proverbs on relationships, love, and the like:

  • A carni supra all’ossu mera.
    Meat on the bones adorns.

The book I found these in expands (my translation): “The concept of traditional feminine beauty isn’t lean and long-limbed, which came from the style of America after World War II . . . . According to the Calabrese tradition, a beautiful woman must also be robust, with roundness and feminine features well-accentuated.”

Gotta love the Calabrese!

  • Ama l’omu toi cu i vizii soi.
    Love your man with all his faults.

I think this is a good one for everyone, don’t you? If you truly choose to love someone (I’m a big believer that love is a choice), you love everything about them even if some things frustrate the hell out of you sometimes. Ahem.

  • A megghju palora esta chija chi no nesci.
    The best words are those that never leave the mouth.

This last one isn’t specified for love, but I think this can be good advice in relationships. Yes, I believe in honesty and openness, but not every thought needs expression.

What do you think about these lovely proverbs?

Happy Love Thursday everyone! 


Village Games: Part III

It’s been a while since P and I played “Dove cazzo è?” (Where the **** is it?), but last weekend’s photostroll with the dogs (while wearing my new official photostroll boots) gave me a perfect chance to round up some photos.

For past rounds of this game, see Village Games I and Village Games II.

The rules are:

(1) I roam the village taking random shots of things.

(2) P has to tell me where I’ve found them–all of them.

(3) Loser cooks dinner and cleans up afterwards.

I started with an easy one, just steps from our house:

Iron Flower on Flickr

Turned up the heat with the door of one of the village’s 13 churches:

Chiesa di San Nicola (door) on Flickr

Which P got immediately as this is the church nearest the house he grew up in.

Then some random ruins:

Fuori servizio on Flickr

P struggled a bit but described the general area, so I gave it to him. But then, the toughest one of all:

Chimney on Flickr

He had no clue that it belonged to this house:

Ridiculously cute abandoned house on Flickr

Hah! Victory was mine!

But then I remembered another photo I had and wanted to ask him about:

The mystery hook on Flickr

P solved the mystery for me as to what this was used for, so we agreed to call this third edition of Village Games a draw.

Do you know what that pointy object is/was for?

Buon weekend--any fun plans?


love thursday: happy birthday to p and to bleeding espresso

It’s finally here! P is finally entering his 30s! Woohoo!

Sorry, but sometimes being a bit older than your mate wears on you, especially when the first digit of your ages don’t match. Now, finally, after two years of being the only one whose age started with a 3, P has joined me. Happy day, happy day!

And you know what else? Bleeding Espresso turns two years old today! So here are three gorgeous hearts courtesy of aussiegall on Flickr:

One for P, one for Bleeding Espresso, and one for all of you who visit, encourage, and inspire me to keep writing, taking photos, cooking, and smiling (not necessarily in that order). Mwaaaah!

And hey it’s also Santa Barbara‘s day, which I’ve written about here at Italy Magazine.

Happy Love Thursday everyone!

*Remember to enter to win a copy of Who by Fire by Diana Spechler before 12/9!*


Recipe: Bollito di Manzo

I don’t know how you normally make stews and soups, but I’m used to chopping things up into bite-sized pieces. Not with bollito! All you need to do is peel and clean everything and put it in a pot with water for a couple hours. Seriously, can it get any easier?

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Michelle KaminskyMichelle 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

Calabria travel guide by Michelle Fabio

Recipes

 

Homemade apple butter
Green beans, potatoes, and pancetta
Glazed Apple Oatmeal Cinnamon Muffins
Pasta with snails alla calabrese
Onion, Oregano, and Thyme Focaccia
Oatmeal Banana Craisin Muffins
Prosciutto wrapped watermelon with bel paese cheese
Fried eggs with red onion and cheese
Calabrian sausage and fava beans
Ricotta Pound Cake