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katwoman64
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 662 Location: roma, italy
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 2:35 pm Post subject: |
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Aaaahhh,
what a great place this one to have a nice get together!!!
Yesterday it was sunny but cold here, 2°C.
What do you say of some mediterranean addition to this beach?
The white light, the quiet of the siesta hours, close to one of those walls whitered by the scorching sun. Between the plum trees and the bushes, listen to the hoots of the crows, the whispers of the leaves.
Observe, there are lines of ants that break and cross on top of minuscule hills on the creaked soil. Looking between the fronds of palm leaves, eating dry olives and sharing a glass of chilled white wine, shards of sea.
And walking in the blinding sun, with feet kissed by the cool salt water, look, the see is all blue, and calm. The heart shouts of joy. And all is quiet...
Thanks girls for this walk on Fantasy Island , and...
WELCOME ! Nice to meet you, my new londoner friend. We are all very pleased of a new good sport to add to this bunch! And...
Tony, we are concocting all the heat we can: hope youll feel some of it!
From Italy with Love
Mimma _________________ “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world”
Sadako Sasaki |
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mangosteen
Joined: 07 Dec 2009 Posts: 30 Location: London, UK
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Kat,
Thanks for the warm welcome!! I'm glad you've joined us on the island
I like your Mediterranean additions...please bring some gelato with you
Mary - I burn easily...so I will join you in the shade for a while
Hope everyone is well!!
xo, Mol |
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suellen
Joined: 22 Aug 2009 Posts: 68 Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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Mol, Mary, Mimma,
I will need a chaise in the shade as well. Tony there too - that would be fantastic!
But don't forget the fresh fruit, pineapple, mangos, papayas, coconut drinks - you can't get really good fresh fruit in winter when your in the Northern Hemisphere right? So it has to be part of the fantasy too...Oh and some Jamaican food too...ok that's a bit much... _________________ suellen |
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mary
Joined: 23 Oct 2008 Posts: 251 Location: Ireland
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 6:13 am Post subject: |
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Hi everyone
Helga and Mol thank you for transporting us to this tropical island. It's great being able to escape, a marvellous idea.
In Ireland it's grey clouds with rain looming at any moment. At least no more snow and ice, temperatures have risen. At one point we briefly reached a record (for us) -10 degrees. That felt cold so I don't think I could endure the -30 Tony has to work in.
Happy to see more fellow fans arriving-
Mimma your Mediterranean influence is much appreciated, I can definately feel your prescence.
Suellen the fresh fruit sounds healthy and refreshing. Hope your up to the grocery shopping as I'm feeling too comfortable and quite lazy here under my palm tree. I wont be of much use far too relaxed, enjoying a drink or two with the ultra talented Tony. Carry on Tony you were telling me about that time you.......
Warm and sunny wishes...mary.
PS - somebody, anybody bring sun lotion. It's hot here the old skins burning and I'm beginning to resemble cooked lobster. |
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Safran
Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 1322 Location: Austria
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 1:19 pm Post subject: |
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Dear Mary and girls and .......
A relaxing massage would be wonderful now - or would you prefer to swim in the tropical warm sea before ?
I´ve got the suncream for you Mary, our bright skinned Irish friend.
Like Tony,who is not used the cold, you really have to be very careful here - though we are in the shadow of palmleave-umbrellas and blooming tropical trees always.
I am looking forward the fish BB on the beach this evening ........ with candlelight and music......a soft breeze, fresh fruits, some drinks and maybe dancing later.
Oh, my kind masseuse is calling, sorry .............see you later !
Helga |
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katwoman64
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 662 Location: roma, italy
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:39 am Post subject: |
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Hi girls
Welcome again, Mol.
Here in Rome it's around 10°C, but springtime is coming full force. A lot of people outside on balconies and gardens, the days are longer and longer.
Listen, the lulling sound of crashing waves, the hushed crack of a burnt leaf, do you feel the sleepiness of the midday hours? Look, a cloud, and a hawk tall in the sky!
I am born in Sicily, so, very close to Africa.
What do you hope, my friends, what do you promise yourself? We are here together, after a long fantasy journey, here, where the storms are loud and scent of jasmine. I am here at last, not young, not old. I wait, I stare at this suspended image. Now I don't know, I don't remember what I was doing: you're all in my thoughts, wonderfully alive, relaxed, chatting and laughing. The waves keep crashing, the country varyis, a dog barks somewhere, the moon is starting to rise, nothing shakes, nothing, from our adventurous dream.
I love the light, so white, so incredible, and the tropical plants. It was a habit, for centuries, that the sailors brought home pieces of the plants they found around the world. Palms, poincianas, jacarandas, frangipani... All those scents... But I am careful with the heat.
During summer we usually breakfast with granita (I wrote the recipe of that of strawberries in a thread, but the more usual are coffee or lemon) and a brioche or, like in Palermo, a brioche full of gelato (icecream)because at eight in the morning the temperatures soar to 42°C and it can get to 45°C at midday. This explains why Iam so wary of alcol: too hot.
What do you think of a nice caprese for lunch? It's very simple: slices of tomatoes alternated to slices of mozzarella cheese (can you put your hands on one, yes?), a pinch of salt, a drop of olive oil and two leaves of basil. A cold beer (remember that italian beer is quite light)? And pitchers an pitchers full of orange and lemon juyce. We even drink lemon juyce with water, sugar and a pinch of salt (the grandad of gatorade) to prevent dehydratation.
Or a great salad made with all: lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion and strips of bell peppers. Salt, oil and, for the tough ones, chilli pepper. It is antibacteric and antifermentative, so that food doesn't make your tummy big.
For the fair skinned: do you have your sunglasses on? Good girls. And a large straw hat? Who can get me one of those wonderful half cone chinese hats? I look for them from ages. And a simple white oversize cotton t-shirt? In addition to the lotion, the best way to keep your skin protected is this. I am very dark, even so, I use it all.
You know what I hate? Where your skin is burnt, you develop a lot of moles. If it is just a sprinkle it's still ok, but to me, your beautyful porcelain skin, unmarred, is way, way better. I see a lot of women that stay in the sun like lizards. Have you ever seen their decolletes, after few years of this mistreatment? They have WRINKLES there, for God's sake! Listen to me: suntan is overrated.
Ok girls, if you are good tomorrow we wll have spaghetti with vongole (shells). In the meantime, eat as many orange vegetables as you can: rice with pumpkin, oranges, carrots. Summer will be on us in no time.
Big Kiss
Mimma the DreamerKat _________________ “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world”
Sadako Sasaki |
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katwoman64
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 662 Location: roma, italy
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:12 am Post subject: |
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Well, in the meantime...
Here, tear into this steaming ciabatta hot from the oven, dip it into olive oil and balsamic vinegar, oh help, lick the drips off your fingers... and thank Tony being here...
Otherwise, nothing would have get me close to an oven in this heat!
Ha, who am I trying to kid?
I simply love cooking for family and friends, big messy noisy lunches and dinners.
Wow, it's funny this growing bunch of mismatched lounge chair!
Kiss
Mimma
P.S.: Who knows how Tony is faring in that godforsaken place? _________________ “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world”
Sadako Sasaki |
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mangosteen
Joined: 07 Dec 2009 Posts: 30 Location: London, UK
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 8:39 am Post subject: |
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Kat!!
You're killing me with all these food descriptions!! (salivating smiley face)
I will definitely have to try your strawberry granita recipe...as soon as they are back in season. I am so over the winter produce right now. I can't wait until Spring. The young artichokes, asparagus, fresh fava beans, strawberries, cherries....ohh the cherries!! I really miss cherry picking.
Mol |
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katwoman64
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 662 Location: roma, italy
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Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 8:14 am Post subject: |
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Hi Mol,
waiting for cherries and strawberries, try to prepare some with lemon or coffee.
The syrup is the same (1 liter and 1/4 of water per 500 gr of sugar boiled together) and then add lemon juyce to your taste OR three four expressos. Don't worry if it feels too sugary when it is liquid. The feel of sugar deminishes when it is frozen: I swear on my honour that it is the right proportion.
The lemon granita is very good for children, if you have some, and it helps if for some reason (a flu or something like that) they don't have appetite. It stimulates the brain as anything that's icy and puts sugar and fresh vitamins in them.
The coffee one is soooo good with whipped cream AND a warm brioche....
Ok, seen that you all were so good, as promised let's write down the recipe of
SPAGHETTI WITH VONGOLE.
Vongole is a type of shell that lives in the sand, close to the beach. Its shell is grey. I don't know if they live in oceanic waters, so I don't know if they are available in your respective Countries. But in that case you can substitute them with - boiled octopus cut in pieces and raw shrimps and other types of shells, all together.
I have my pot of salt water at a rolling boil. I throw inside vermicelli (they are spaghetti a tiny wee bit bigger, so they stay "al dente" (with their heart softened, but still chewy) better. They have to cook for about ten minutes, so in the meantime I put a pan on the stove, a big burner, throw few spoonful of olive oil to heat and put a clove of garlic slightly cracked to fry (this so that in the end you can remove it). When it is a pale golden (NEVER burn garlic: the dish will stink!) I add a couple of chilly peppers roughly cut, immediately followed by the vongole and cover it. Eight minutes, no more, and I close the fire. Now is the moment to dry the vermicelli keeping apart a small quantity of the salt water. I put half of the shells (or of the aforementioned mix) in a dish. Throw the vermicelli into the pan with the shells and sautè it on the big burner for a minute, adding water if it dries. It has to be slippery creamy. Then I put the vermicelly in the dishes and garnish them with the rest of the shells on top. A sprinkle of finely cut parsley and that's it.
Hope someone of you opened a good bottle and versed into the glasses...
ENJOY!!!
Big Kiss
Mimma
P.S.: I am sure you're all confident around a stove, most of all if you have family, seen that you had to look aftyer it three times a day for years! ![rambo](images/smiles/icon_rambo.gif) _________________ “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world”
Sadako Sasaki |
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Safran
Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 1322 Location: Austria
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 2:29 am Post subject: |
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Dear kat
Hmmmmmm excellent - "Spagettini alla Vongole" very al dente -- exactly my
taste !
(The more we want to loose weight - the more we talk about recipes - haha)
Helga ;) |
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katwoman64
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 662 Location: roma, italy
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:56 am Post subject: |
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Helga Dear,
Im dieting (let's be more precise: starving to death) seriously, but, have I mentioned you the black leather pants I made burst last week ? I changed the zip and wore them today. If I breathe too hard they will burst again, but I feel I am a little step ahead.
Meanwhile I prepare an ipercaloric diet for hub, the eternally underweight ...
Yesterday at dinner he had gnocchi with a ragu prepared with tomato, meat balls and sausages. The second was those sausages and a raw fennel with pinzimonio AND ending the whole thing chocolate mousse (family recipe) with dry biscuits.
I went to bed with ONE meatball in my tummy... small.........
By the way, there is a dietician in the forum, and I am sure that if I would advice something fattening she would intervene to stop me.
Spaghetti with vongole is healthy and with a low fat containts. Lots of proteins and a relatively fair share of carbohydrates.
Enjoy while you can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kiss
Mimma the StarvingKat _________________ “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world”
Sadako Sasaki |
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katwoman64
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 662 Location: roma, italy
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:11 am Post subject: |
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Clap hands...
Girls, you still here?
... Lying on a cuschiony spread of sandy grass and listening to the rhythmic wash of waves we look up at the tropical sunshine struggling through darkening clouds to bounce off jagged ledges…
… the feel of the wave crashing, staring at the circling froth were a rock disappeared, and - aahhh - plunging into the wet cool. We clean the filigree of clinging hair from our faces while the wave sucks back… a breath, a small shudder before water sweeps up and the world becomes a muted, cold-rush blur. Fully submerged, I hold my breath and then I heave clear of the churning pool, then trudge out of the tide range. Strolling on warm, powder-soft white sand, collecting shells, I happen upon a tree fallen across the beach. I sit there a moment, as a late afternoon breeze rustles through the palm fronds, while seagulls squawk overhead. Uh, there’s Tony. The sinking sun falls behind his head, bathing his form in a golden-rose halo. I squeeze my eyes shut. And yet his presence, this scene, everything about this time here with him seems surreal. Make believe.
Am I too over the top? Well, we all needed a breath. Right now. And I am "in the mood"... Yes, even sober!
... Seagulls wheel and squawk above while time wraps around all of us like a promise-filled cocoon...
Bye,
Mimma the DreamerKat _________________ “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world”
Sadako Sasaki |
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katwoman64
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 662 Location: roma, italy
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:55 am Post subject: |
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... And just like this,
the magic is in full swing again, drifting over us like tingling confetti.
The kiss of the sun works its spell and we dissolve, better, melt into the dream completely...
The DreamerKat _________________ “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world”
Sadako Sasaki |
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Safran
Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 1322 Location: Austria
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:20 am Post subject: |
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Wonderful tropical-island-dreams !!! - STOP - no, keep on dreaming Kat ! |
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katwoman64
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 662 Location: roma, italy
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:38 am Post subject: |
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Helga dear,
have I partly lifted the fog? Look at the birds in the sky, at the tiny soldier crabs scurrying over the sand…
Let's fight against the odds with fantasy-made arms...
M _________________ “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world”
Sadako Sasaki |
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