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Santa's Elves

Santa's Elves
On the night of the 23rd of December in Royce- Criscione land, Santa's little elves sneek into all of the little children's bedrooms while they sleep to see if they have been good or bad. If they have been good and their room is clean, then the elves will count them by touching their nose. So in the morning when they wake up, if their nose has a little soot on it, then Santa will visit, if there is nothing then they have one more day to make things right with Santa Claus. written by Teresa Royce

As you can see the Elves found us here in Ragusa! So far they have followed us to Hawaii, NYC, and now here! I love this tradition and hope my kids someday will love it too!

Sicily

Giovanni and I arrived in Sicily on Sat. the 15th and have had pretty good weather since we got here. Considering that in many other parts of the world there is snow and snow and cold! All but in those places like Hawaii where the sun is nearly ALWAYS shining... and well that was last year, oh and the year before that! This Christmas we are in Ragusa. On the 16th we celebrated our
2nd year anniversary!!! We spent 2 nights in a lovely B&B called Nacalino (see the last photo) www.nacalinoagriturismo.it, we drank fresh milk from the cows for breakfast as well as homemade orange and peach marmalade on fresh bread and pastries! It was a great begining to this much needed vacation!
During the days we have cruised around locally to check out different things... like the sea side. Beautiful, not warm enough to swim... but still relaxing and peaceful! A town called Scicli where there were NO women around... only men! I kid you not! Everywhere we walked the old men would STARE at Giovanni and I... then it hit me! I was the only female (there were some women at a funeral we passed but that was it)! Gio and his cousin Santino were joking with me that the women were not allowed out, OH, SICILIANS! so funny!

Yesterday we went to the local once a week market and found some great deals on socks and gloves, food was also a good price, but we dont have much room for things like that. We came upon these funny lemon look alikes, but they were Huge and bumpy (see photo below) the guy selling them cut one in half and let us try it.... it was about the size of a lemon inside with pretty much the same taste and the outside was soft and sweet, when you eat it together its pretty good! So we bought one! I love all the discoveries of different foods that I have never heard of! How many of you have heard of a quince? I will write more about that later! As for now we are enjoying Gio's family and all the food they make for us to eat! I am sure I have gained a little weight during the past week! yikes!

What a weekend!

This weeekend was fun for me, I am not sure Giovanni would say the same thing... since he worked for all of it! Friday was a holiday here in Milano, St. Ambrogio, our city patron saint. Giovanni was busy at work! The opening of the Scala Oprea season was on Friday and he was responsible for escorting a Canadian Minister for the evening. The Opera (this season features Wagner) started at 5pm and ended at 10:30pm!!!! Then there was the Gala Dinner after the opera, dinning on fine Italian food till around 1 am! While Gio was working my new friend Amanda and I went to a party! Amanda is also American and married to an Italian, Zeno (whom I mention previously). He works with Giovanni, it is nice to have someone to talk with while Gio is always at work, and who understands the office he works in!
A few weeks ago Gio helped a flim crew get the needed permits to film a movie here in Milan. He had been invited many times to the set to see what he helped with, but poor Gio is always busy! Friday was the last day of filming so they had rented out a club to celebrate what they had filmed and to show the highlights of the success in Milan. Amanda and I decided to go since our hubbies would be busy all night! It was fun! The movie looks exciting, The International. Starring Naomi Watts and Clive Owen. We did not see Naomi, but Clive was there, actually if you look close you will see his back behind Amanda in the picture. After a few hours of loud music we left and made it to the Gala dinner in time for dessert (and to see our husbands)! Gio and I made it home around 1:30am and in bed by 2. Gio worked all day Saturday while I ran errands and got some Christmas presents made! Sunday was a similar story, Amanda and Zeno came over. While Zeno and Giovanni worked till midnight, Amanda and I made gnocchi and christmas cookies! I should post pictures of that. The city is dressed in lights to celebrate Christmas! It is beautiful! My little camera does not do the center and the grand tree justice, though I still tried.
Tomorrow Gio leaves for New York (another quick trip), Saturday we head to Sicily for Christmas! I am very much looking forward to it!

Putting up Christmas!

The holidays are here! This week my friend Natalie came into town the begining of the week and we headed to IKEA and bought Christmas! Well, okay the Tree and all the decorations!!! not only that but all for under $30!!!

I made these stockings to add to our decor when Giovanni came home and saw them he asked if they were for La Buffana... now this is a bizarre holiday that is based on the Epiphany (Jan 6) as explained by Zeno our friend the poor farmers could not pronounce it and so they called it the LA Buffana. She is a witch that brings goodies to the good and coal to the bad. Rebekah will remember the night in Rome in a square PACKED full of people waiting for a glimpes of her! Oh how Italians love their holidays!

I need to take and post some pictures of the beauty of the city dressed up for the season! It is pretty grande! I will have more to post later!

Happy Thanksgiving twice!

For a country that does not celebrate Thanksgiving we really lucked out this year by celebrating twice! Saturday evening we were invited to Amanda and Zeno's house. Giovanni works with Zeno in the International Relations Department for the Mayor. His wife Amanda is from New Jersey and works at the American Consulate. It was a great evening with Great food and games! Amanda was great, she even had made me a birthday cake! I look forward to doing more with them in the upcoming weeks!
Sunday after church we invited the missionaries and the Parisi family over for Thanksgiving. Natalie and I split up the food and everything came out wonderfully!
Thanks to Amanda we learned a little more about the first Thanksgiving. Did you know that the first one was in 1621 one year after the arrival of the Pilgrims, they were celebrated surriving the first winter. Also 91 Indians participated in that first meal? Psalms 100 was read upon their successful arrival! Here it is! I found it very fitting.
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he tat hath made us and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

My Birthday!!!

ITs my BIRTHDAY!!! Yea!!!! Today I decided I wanted a change of something, other then my age, so I took myself out for a haircut! I cut it shorter and went a little darker.
When Gio finally got off work I met him and we went to dinner. This was the creative dessert the resturant came up with in lue of a cake: Strudel a wad of foil and fruit, i even had a candle to blow out. YUM!

I teach instutite in my ward for the young single adults and they surprised me at the of the lesson with a cake and candle! It was great, since I did not even tell them about my birthday L toR Tanzilya, Cristobal, me and Monica! (none of us are Italian). It has been a good day, and tomorrow i will be with Gio!

Giovanni works with a local Rabbi for connections with Israel and the City of Milan. We had dinner at the Rabbi's house on Friday night along with other friends of theirs. We were invited to a wedding today (Sunday). Since neither Gio or I had ever been to a Jewish wedding we were both curious and exctied to attend. The first is a picture of the end of the ceramony. After 7 blessings in Hebrew from 7 different Rabbis the couple drank some wine and broke the glass to simbolize the destruction of the King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. For them it is to remember that in a time of Joy they need to remember that there is still sorrow in the world and that they are waiting for the Messiah to come.
It is nice to expand our horizions by learning about those around us!
Here is a self shot of Gio and myself after the ceramony as well as some boys waiting their turn at the punch table. They were playing around the hotel, just like any other wedding. Some things are the same everywhere!

On Thursday this week I went and met up with my new friend Natalie Parisi, a fellow utahan who recently moved here with her husband Joe and daughter Natalie, check out their blog (link on the left). They live close to Lake Maggiore that goes up into up into Swizerland, so we took advantage of this and spent a day around the lake! It was fun! Usually the little towns are busy with tourists and other passerby's but with the cold and wind coming off the lake there was no one around... it made for some nice exporation and window shopping for us! We were thinking of taking the ferry across the lake, but once again due to low tourism our options were low on the time table and we decided to drive instead.... I think it was the warmer choice! These are a few pictures of the area! It was fun! I am sure that Natalie and I will have more adventures to write about in the next few weeks!

couscous sald with baby spinach and pistachios
course salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup couscous
2 TBS white wine vinegar
1 TBS olive oil
2 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced (opt)
2 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
Serves 2
In a small saucepan with a lid, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil; season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat; stir in couscous. Cover, and let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 5 min.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add couscous and if using scallions; toss to combine. Refridgerate couscous in one artight container, spinach and basil in another, up to overnight. Store nuts at room temp. Just before serving , toss all ingredients together.

Some of you may know I love to try new things in the kitchen. This is a really EASY recipe that I came across! I have made it ahead on those days when Gio comes home really late from work, then I don't have to worry about keeping something warm! I dont think my photo did the great taste justice!

Last week while Giovanni was in London on a buisness trip I went to visit some friends (more like my 2nd family) in Verona. This is Edda and Remo in the center of the city, we are planning a trip to USA sometime in the late spring. Remo is loosing his eye sight and has always wanted to go to America. He is a big lover of History and music, especially Jazz. They are just great, I truly feel as if they are my long lost Italian parents!
This is my sweet sister Esther. She is from Nigeria, but has lived in Italy for about 15 years! She is an amazing woman and I admire her selflessness! My trip was too short and I did not have a chance to see her 1yr old daughter Racheal, but in a few weeks Esther will be baptized and we will go back to Verona!

Together Again

After spending 3 months this summer in Utah with my family it was time to get back to my life in Milan with my hubby, Giovanni. On my first weekend back I took him for a mini tour of the city, including a tour of the castle, the top of the duomo (the main cathedral) as well as some tasty treats... panzarotti and Gelato! Yummy!

Halloween is not really celebrated here, so we did our best to be festive by carving a pumpkin!

Nov. 1st All Saints Day we drove to the Swiss temple for a quick session, before driving home, all in all it was about 8 hours round trip! It was a beautiful drive with all the country side covered in brilliant colors as the trees change for the season! I love this time of the year!

Live Jazz and Ambassadors

Rome, This is Giovanni and myself with the Ambassador of Malaysia and his assistant. It was a great night.

Were are on!

We are now bloggers!