Archive for the ‘uniquely italian’ Category
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!
Some Fun with a First Meme
I saw this fun “first” meme over at the Facebook page of Anna l’Americana of Only in Maine.
I promised to steal it, so here it is.
Feel free to fill out your own and post it wherever you like, even in the comments here…if you’d just like to pick out your favorite firsts from the list and share, please do!
1. Who was your FIRST prom date?
My first and only prom date was named Brian, and he recently threatened to post photos on Facebook. Despite that, I still think he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever known.
2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?
Occasionally.
3. What was your FIRST alcoholic drink?
Probably peach schnapps with my mom on some New Year’s Eve during my teens.
4. What was your FIRST job?
Waitress at a drive-in (no roller skates or movies involved). Best skill learned: how to make the swirly tops on a soft ice cream cone.
5. What was your FIRST car?
Never had one as I don’t drive, but if I get one, I’ll let you know.
6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?
No texts. Hardly ever any texts. I rather hate texts.
7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?
Not a person, but a kid. Pasqualina.
8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?
Mrs. Casari. Loved her, and loved going back to see her when my nephew was starting school.
9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?
Raleigh-Durham, NC from Harrisburg, PA on my 18th birthday (back to Duke after Fall Break).
10. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk?
A fun gal named Heather, and sadly, we haven’t been in touch for about 10 years.
11. Where was your FIRST sleep over?
Heather’s. Her house had mirrors that covered most of the living room walls so we always played Bloody Mary and scared the bejeebers out of ourselves. Fun times!
12. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?
P, but it was quite limited. He’s not a morning person.
13. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time?
My cousin Debbie’s as a flower girl/junior bridesmaid. I remember big glasses and a big hat. No, you will not be seeing photographic evidence.
14. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?
Put on my sheepskin boots!
15. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?
Aw geez, probably something at the Bloomsburg Fair.
16. FIRST tattoo?
I’ll keep you posted.
17. FIRST piercing?
My ears when I was probably 12 or 13 years old. Piercing Pagoda baby!
18. FIRST foreign country you visited?
Italia.
19. FIRST movie you remember seeing?
ET, twice with my feet sticking to the floors of the old Victoria Theatre (no longer there) in Shamokin, PA.
20. When was your FIRST detention?
Boh.
21. What was the FIRST state you lived in?
Pennsylvania—the second state of the union, incidentally.
22. Who was your FIRST roommate?
Kristin at Duke, and yes, we’re still in touch.
23. If you had one wish. What would it be?
That I’d have the power to teleport myself here, there, everywhere. P.S. I don’t know what these last three have to do with firsts, but I’ll still play.
24. What is something you would learn if you had the chance?
To play the guitar.
25. Who do you think will be the next person to post this?
You! Consider that a dare.
False Friends/Falsi Amici in Italian
I was recently introduced to a fabulous new site about the Italian language called La Bella Lingua by Dianne Hales.
Dianne has a book by the same name coming out in May, and you will see her here at Bleeding Espresso closer to that time, but for now, Dianne has inspired me to share one of my favorite/least favorite parts of the Italian language:
False Friends/Falsi Amici
What are false friends in Italian?
Also called “false cognates,” these are Italian words that sound a lot like English words but *so* do not correspond in meaning.
If you’re just starting to learn Italian, this is a great list to simply commit to memory. It is by no means exhaustive, but these are some that have always stuck in my mind:
Italian False Friends/Falsi Amici in Italiano
Attualmente: currently NOT actually (in realtà)
Camera: room NOT camera (la macchina fotografica)
Cocomero: watermelon NOT cucumber (cetriolo)
Comprensivo: understanding NOT comprehensive (completo)
Confetti: sugared almond NOT confetti (coriandoli)
Confrontare: to compare NOT to confront
Crudo: raw NOT crude (volgare)
Educato: polite NOT educated (istruito or colto)
Educazione: good manners NOT education (istruzione)
Eventuale: any NOT eventual (finale)
Fabbrica: factory NOT fabric (tessuto)
Fastidio: annoying NOT fastidious (pignolo)
Fattoria: farm NOT factory (fabbrica)
Firma: signature NOT firm, as in company (azienda) or firm, as in a mattress (rigido)
Gentile: nice NOT gentle (dolce or leggero)
Intendere: to understand NOT to intend
Libreria: bookstore NOT library (biblioteca)
Magazzino: warehouse NOT magazine (rivista)
Morbido: soft NOT morbid (morboso)
Noioso: boring NOT noisy (rumoroso)
Parente: relative NOT parent (genitore, madre, padre)
Patente: license NOT patent (richiesta di brevetto)
Peperoni: peppers NOT pepperoni, the spicy sausage (salame piccante)
Preservativo: condom NOT preservative (conservante)
Pretendere: to expect NOT to pretend (fare finta)
Rumore: sound NOT rumor (voce)
Sensibile: sensitive NOT sensible (ragionevole)
Simpatico: nice NOT sympathetic (comprensivo)
Stravagante: eccentric NOT extravagant (sprecone)
Have you made any false friend mistakes?
Do you have more to add to the list? Please share!
Calabria Pride: Noi Ci Mettiamo Il Cuore
I just couldn’t resist sharing this *gorgeous* video promoting the Region of Calabria featuring one of our favorite sons, Gennaro Gatuso:
Gah! I *love* this video!
Don’t you just love the distinctly Calabrese feel to Gennaro’s words…simu o no Calabrisi? Are we Calabrians or not?!
For non-Italian speakers, the last line before the video montage is “Calabria has everything,” and then the closing line, which so perfectly describes my bella Calabria:
We put our hearts into it.
Viva la Calabria!
So, when are *you* coming to visit us here in the toe of the boot?
Snap, Crackle, Pop Italian Style: Chiacchiere for Carnevale
Munching on chiacchiere for Carnevale is one of my almost-springtime traditions here in Calabria. In case you’re not sure what they are:
Chiacchiere: The traditional pastry for Carnevale.
Known by a ridiculous number of names throughout Italy such as Cenci (rags/tatters), Bugie (lies), Guanti (gloves), Nastri delle suore (nuns’ ribbons), Fritelle, Crostoli, Frappe, and often called Lovers’ Knots in English, these fried, powdered-sugar-dusted treats are just what the dottore ordered after a long, hard winter.
Maybe not so heart smart, but hey, that’s why they’re a treat, right?
Here in my corner of Calabria, they’re called “Chiacchiere,” which I like to think of as “chit chat” — these definitely make noises as you crunch into them (and you probably make some noises too as you shift wildly to avoid sprinkling your entire self with powdered sugar in the meantime).
A kind of Italian “snap crackle pop,” kinda sorta.
Some recipes call for rum, whiskey, brandy, grappa, anise, or the like, and many are tied in knots, but the ones I’ve seen around here are just strips, so those are the instructions below.
P’s mom doesn’t make these, so I borrowed this recipe from my dear friend Mary Amabile Palmer’s Cucina di Calabria: Treasured Recipes and Family Traditions from Southern Italy (a cookbook that I cannot recommend highly enough):
Recipe for Chiacchiere for Carnevale
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, well beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 1 to 2 teaspoons milk
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Powdered sugar for dusting
1. In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
3. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest and mix well.
4. Place mixture on lightly floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, and elastic. If dough is hard, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of milk.
5. Form dough into ball, place in greased bowl, turn to coat, and then cover with towel and let stand for 10 minutes.
6. Roll out into sheets, 1/8 thick. (I’ve seen other recipes that recommend folding the dough over and doing this a few times, but you can use your judgment.)
7. Cut dough into 3 by 5 inch strips. Put a small slit in the center of each strip and twist slightly.
8. Deep fry strips of dough for 1 to 3 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain.
9. When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
I don’t think I have to tell you that I think these are great with espresso, do I?
Buon appetito e Buon Carnevale!
Have you had these fried treats? What do you call them?
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.
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