Let's take a walk...

I took no new pictures today...shocking, I know, coming from the girl who practically has her camera glued to her hand! So, I decided I would take a little stroll down memory lane and look at some pictures I have on "archive".

I love looking at pictures, old or new, especially when I missing my people. Now, lots of people would prefer to not look into the faces of the people they love when they're sad, as it just makes them sadder, but not me. My room is covered in pictures of my family and when I'm in it I feel like I'm getting a big hug. Every so often I will go through the pictures on my computer and my little USB-thingy and I'll smile, and giggle, and yes sometimes even cry...but good tears.

Today I thought I'd bring you along with me!

Are you ready?

Okay, let's go!

(Note: The pictures are in no specific order...just as I find them....)

I love this picture. It's not the greatest picture of either me or Sarah but it's just so funny! Those meatballs were so delicious.

This is my cousin Benny helping me arrange flowers on my second wedding cake. He had teased me mercilessly about making it and how it was ugly, etc. Until my Aunt told him to be nicer and from then on he was constantly there helping me. I love when mean people are told to act nicer...and they do. This picture is also just ridiculous...he's so serious. Ha! I probably scared him...I'm not the nicest person while trying to put together a late wedding cake.


The remedy for most people in "moods" is to scream into a pillow, punch the wall, or jump up and down....I wrestle. It's a proven remedy, just ask Nathalie. Anyway, here's Zach and I at the lake wrestling, and this is not sissy wrestling, we are both trying hard to get the other one. Needless to say I won this fight.
Okay I didn't actually, I had to call a truce....he's really strong!

I look at this picture anytime I'm missing the Prairies...

This next picture is my go-to picture for when I need a laugh, I don't know why I'm even putting it up here...it's kinda embarrassing. I'm not sure if it's the Build-A-Bear I'm sleeping on, or that I'm holding Nathalie's hand while I sleep (????), or that she's sitting in a rocking chair with her legs crossed reading a book.

It kinda just make me scratch my head and then giggle uncontrolably.

This picture just makes me smile.

I'm not sure when this was taken...maybe after my return from Florida? It doesn't really matter...but it reminds me of one of the things that's waiting for me when I get home from 3 months in Italy.

This is my birthday cake.

Christine made it for me and not only was it delicious but it made me feel so special! It's not everyday someone makes you a three-tiered fondant covered cake!

Well folks, that just about finishes up our walk down that lane. Of course there are dozens more pictures that I love to look at but that would make for a very long post...I will leave you with two more pictures that are more recent...

This picture was taken at Christmas, on Christmas day in fact.

Annie Rose dancing to ABBA...heehee!

And lastly, a sad one.

This picture is not beautiful, spectacular, or all that interesting, definately not one you'd hang on the wall.

But this is the last picture of took of my old kitchen. Christmas was the last time I would ever cook in it. That's sad.

Dementors, Dead Bunnies, and Deliciousness...

This week at work it's back outside for me! I'm happy whether in the kitchen or in the garden, although the day could have been a bit better if the sun had been shining and there wasn't any weird fogginess that makes me think dementors are coming (oh, Harry Potter is fiction? It isn't in Revanna's world). The morning started off a little sad because when I went to give the bunnies their food I found one dead. It's little eye just staring off into space. Now, don't worry this was neither Howard nor Stern but a new bunny. We got two new female bunnies, they're (or were) white and pretty. For a while I thought there was just one new bunny and she was just really fast at getting around...but then I realized there were two that looked exactly the same. Before I figured out that there were two I named the new "one" Jasmine, when I figured out there was a second one I just couldn't think of a name that fit, I guess I subconsciously knew she was going to last. Poor girl. The worst part was that Guiliano carried her around in an empty soil bag while showing me the work for the day. He was so nonchalant about it.

I was a little nervous about how the day would turn out...dead bunnies and dementors are not really a good start. But it turned out pretty good! Tobey and Michael made us all lunch in the Capana:

Meatballs, rice, salad, fresh bread, and these little fried spinach balls. Let's just say that before lunch my pants were on the loose side and I was wishing I had a belt...after lunch they fit just perfect.

(I realize this picture is terrible. The only person who is actually smiling is Guiliano, who was the only person who wasn't really paying attention when I said "Everyone look over here!". I think they were hungry.)

Oh, and Tobey's Apple Pie for dessert.

Wow. Yum.

Happy 'not so sunny' Sunday!

Here's the view on a 'normal' day!Isn't that crazy!

Oh, yum!

Today was a great day for eating. It started with a trip down to the favorite coffee shop for pastries and espresso. I always choose the croissants with the pastry cream filling, its more like eating dessert for breakfast and they are so delicious. Then it was supposed a trip to the market for fried, stuffed olives, but alas today is a holiday in Italy and the market was closed. This was sad because I haven't had those olives for 7 days and I am feeling a definite hankering. As Plan B we went to the Trout Festival in this cute hillside town. This was a bit of a disappointment because it was really a garage sale that had some farmed fish swimming in a pool. But, I did pick up this little round sweet bread that was drenched in boozy syrup...it was moist, squishy, so sweet, and fantastic.

So, although I got home without my fried olive balls I was happy because I knew a fridge full of Petraia treats and I was getting psyched for a scrumptious lunch!

Pecorini Polenta topped with Sauteed Spinach and Zolfini beans with Tomato. So good....

And supper was only going to be better...

A Petraia duck breast (yes, one of the ones I may have plucked!!), Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Petraia Asparagus.

The picture didn't really turn out because it was so hot and steamy, although it does have a slightly dream-like look to it...I would have no problem dreaming about succulent duck breast all night, would you?

The night ended with a brownie made by Tobey, it had carmel sauce in it and coarse salt sprinkled on top...oh me, oh my.

It has been a delicious day in Tuscany and the best part is I'm planning on getting tomorrow and doing it all again...

One of Petraia's Kitchens

Petraia has three kitchens, the main one used for service and general cooking, the pastry kitchen, and the breakfast/pasta/butchery kitchen. They are all amazing. It's not often that you find a kitchen that is both functional, esthetically appealing, and has windows!
This is a picture of the main kitchen:
It has a built in fryer and pasta water boiler, nooks and crannys for everthing, a wood burning stove and oven, and awesome 'drawer' fridges, and these are only some of it's good points!

For the past week I have been responsible for lighting and maintaing the wood stove and oven. I've been putting my Boy Scout skills to use, thats right, no wimpy Girl Guides for me, I'm way more hardcore than that.

The stove is easy and the oven is just HOT...like 550F hot. Like my arms have no arm hair left from sticking them in while retrieving the burning coals. Every day when I come home from work I smell like I've been sitting around a camp fire all day...I love it!

While everyone (Susan, Tobey, Michael, and I) are in the kitchen Olive and Hawkley are usually not too hard to find. They lie on the step outside the kitchen's back door waiting for snacks or just the occasional "Aww, Olive, you're such a sweetie!".

Come on, just look at those eyes....awww, Olive, you are such a cutie!

TGIF!!

Okay, here we go...

Yesterday was a very busy day. 17 birds to be plucked, cleaned, butchered, and packaged. Whew! But we did it! It took 12 hours but by golly it happened! Sadly, I missed out on the actual killing part, lucky for you though you don't have to see the pictures! They try and keep it very calm and so only two people are around to kill. But I was there for everything else. Tobey fashioned me a 'dress' out of a garbage bag, it was her first one of the season and it had four arm holes, but it did the job!

Guiliano and Fabio brought us the birds...

And we got to work plucking...

And plucking...

Just for a second try and imagine what I smelled all day...warm, wet, poultry poop. Nice, eh?

It took us quite a few hours just to pluck, the geese were the hardest and very frustrating. But there was some comic relief through the day, like when Tobey, who was gutting, got squirted in the face by the gallbladder, you should have seen the green liquid all over her face! I laughed so hard I almost peed myself...and then got her some paper towel. The geese really reminded us of the swan dress Bjork wore to some red carpet event:
So, we decided we'd give it a try:
The resemblance is astonishing, isn't it? Minus the blood of course.

Some of the ducks had eggs growing in them, which was sad becuase that means there won't be any ducklings, but Susan says that these embryonic eggs are a delicacy:

Aren't they strange? They kinda look like some weird tropical fruit! That's how eggs grow!!Susan used them to make pasta dough and you should have seen the pasta...it was this gorgeous rich, yellow color. While I wasn't too keen on eating the embyronic eggs as is I definately would've eaten the pasta!

It was a long but fun day! I learned alot and it's going to be fun eating some of the birds that we killed. It is so amazing to me, it's such and old fashioned thing to do...I love it!

It's been a long day for Pecos Bill...

4 geese, 4 ducks, 2 guinea hens, a whole bunch of chickens, and 12 hours later Revanna is p-o-o-p-e-d! More tomorrow but here's a quick shot of what's to come:Oh, and just so you know that garbage bag I'm wearing isn't to keep myself clean...that style is all the rage here in Italy, trust me it's all over the runways in Milan.

My new favorite snack!

Ever since I started eating lunch with the Italian's at work I always watch what they eat and then when I'm at the market next I try and find it. Mario, the stone wall builder, is always eating a bulb of fennel (finocchio, rhymes with pinocchio) at lunch. Now, I've mostly eaten fennel that's been cooked, I have had it a couple times raw but it was bland and tasteless. But I decided to give it a try here anyway. So, I bought a bulb at the market and was so impressed. It was so crunchy and satisfying, it has the most wonderful licorice-y after taste that leaves your tongue tingling.

When I was at the market last Saturday I picked up two bulbs and quickly devoured one. It's kinda like eating celery but not so watery and just all around more delicious.

I would tell you all to go out and buy a fennel bulb for your next snack attack...but sadly I don't think it would be as heavenly and scrumptious as they are here. But you can try! You never know! If you do, just cut the fronds off and if there are blemishes on the outer pieces remove them and then just cut it into piece and devour. Or you can just cut it in half and start munching...that's my perferred plan of action!

Let's Talk Truffles

"Presently, we were aware of an odour gradually coming towards us, something musky, fiery, savoury, mysterious, -- a hot drowsy smell, that lulls the senses, and yet enflames them, -- the truffles were coming.”

William Makepeace Thackeray

Hopefully by now you'll realize these truffles aren't the chocolate kind, far from it. These are the fungi that grow underground and have the most wonderful taste. I had known about truffles before going to school but while I was at school I got to have my first truffle experience. Because they are so expensive and because we were just first years we got to smell/taste white truffle oil. This is oil infused with truffle-ness. And I will admit that I wasn't a huge fan of it. It wasn't until Tracy found some white truffle oil and Superstore and began adding it to mashed potatoes everytime we had them. By March I was a fan. And so while out for pizza a week ago I got really excited when Micheal pulled out his truffle slicer and this tiny little Tuscan truffle. The smell was unbelievable. He shaved paper thin slices on to a pizza bianca (no tomato sauce, just olive oil, garlic, proscuitto, and arugala). Frack! It was so delicious!
I don't know if I can actually describe to you what truffles taste like. Some taste garlicy, some earthy. But it's strange because you just suddenly have this taste in your mouth and its like a breath of truffle air, you can taste it but can't feel it. It's strange, mysterious, and addictive.

If you are interested in given truffles a try I'd start with a bottle of truffle oil, Tracy got her's at Superstore in the Oil section, try there first or maybe a specialty store. Seriously delicious.

It's Sunday, YAY!

*Note: The part where I say I'm not huffing and puffing when it sure as heck sounds like I am, you really should have heard me earlier.

Florence

This morning I woke up and though to myself "what am I going to write about today?", I had no plans for the day and at 8:30 I was lying in bed watching Dirty Dancing. But my saturday took a suprising turn when at 9:30 Tobey knocked on my door and asked if I wanted to join her, Michael, and Michael's parents in Florence for the day. I said what any of you would say when asked if you wanted to go to Florence for the day "Uh, heck yes". So, 10 minutes later I was showered, dressed, and packed and we were on our way to the train station! As soon as we got to Florence we headed to Tobey and Michael's favorite restaurant, which was utterly delicious! I started with penne and rabbit and then had a traditional Tuscan boiled dinner that is served with an anchovy-caper sauce. I didn't take a picture as it probably would have grossed you all out...let's just say that one of the boiled items was beef tongue. I did take a picture of the 1 kg steak that Micheal ordered and ate. Michael's father ordered tripe (stomach) which I also tried and actually like, ha, I just heard my Mom gag from here! Tobey and Micheal's Mom both wore their napkins tucked into their shirts...it looked ridiculous but by the end of the meal it was apparent that it had been necessary!

For the rest of the day we just walked around Florence with Tobey as our tour guide. She's a great tour guide...especially because she was wearing a red sweater which made her very easy to follow in a crowd!

Okay, so are you ready to see what I saw in Florence? (I apologize that some of pictures are slightly blurry, I was trying to be "untouristy" by taking really quick inconspicuous photos...next time I'll embrace the touristy side of me and take pictures slowly! And some may seem a little random but it's just what I saw and what tickled me.)

After lunch was went to see the Duomo.
It is unbelieveable. Tobey and I stood there with our mouths open in a totally different world for a few minutes until we were snapped back into 2009 by a car that almost ran us over. The Basilica di Stanta Maria del Fiore (or Duomo) started being built in 1296. I was standing infront of a building that Michelangelo had passed many times in his life. Surreal.

After that it was time for a snack...an cold, refreshing, delicious snack. Tobey's favorite Gelati shop. Now this ain't any old gelati shop, this is all natural, "real" gelati. It isn't piled high into cases, which is a no-no, but in little covered containers. I had pistachio, greek yogurt, and grapefruit. I think it's safe to say I have been ruined, no ice cream will ever taste as good as the one I had here. I can't even describe it....well, let me try....orgasmic.
My mouth is watering just from looking at the picture!

The next picture is for Tracy (aww, miss ya T-Race!!), it is rows of salt, all different kinds. Whenever we're at Superstore and we walk down the spice aisle it seems we always check out the different salts. So, I though of her when I saw this:
I didn't get her any though, I'm still trying to find a way to bring back some truffles, okay, maybe a truffle. Heehee!

Then I saw a pair of lime green-snake skin-cowboy boots that I kinda wanted. They are slightly hideous but they are also lime green-snake skin-cowboy boots.
Next up, a children's clothing store. "But Revanna, you don't have an children!" you say, and I reply "Uh, yeah, you're point?". Chantelle, I thought of you while I was in here, we've spent many a shopping trip browsing through the baby clothes, and yes, in Italy like in North America girl's clothes are still much cuter than boys.

After popping in at H&M I saw "David"...but not the real one. This is the fake one where the real one use to stand before his arm was broken off in a street fight, don't worry they fixed it. I didn't get a chance to see the actual "David", but I am sure I will as this was just the first Florence trip of many.

You can kinda tell that doppelganger David is newer because he's whiter than the statue beside him.

Then I rubbed this boar's snout and made a wish...it's like rubbing Mr. Eaton's foot for good luck (that is what you do right? I just got the awfulest feeling I made it up...I do that sometimes.)

His snout is so shiny and there were tons of people just waiting to rub it!

We passed by a store selling tights and I thought it looked so funny to see all those legs lined up with different colors of stockings on. Remember, I said some of these pictures are random!
I also saw this lady made out of chocolate. I especially like the trim of colorful sprinkles!

There were many other wonderous sights I saw but didn't take pictures of, I had to save something for the next trip! It was a great day and by the end of it my cheeks hurt from smiling. I laughed so much seeing all the funny people and things, and not my cute teehee laugh (do I even have one of those) but my gafaw-har-hee-haha one....you can dress a girl up but you can't take her out. Can you blame me though? I went from Charlottetown to an even smaller town and this was my first time being (I'm not counting airports) in an actual city since Christmas!

We got back on the train and made it home by 6:30 pm...what a wonderful way to spend a Saturday! I can't wait for the next Florence adventure!

Who knew...

that this afternoon I would be in Italy driving the back roads with a Transylvanian while jamming to French techno music. Heck, I couldn't have dreamt that one up!

My Ant - Sunscreen Mascot

This is my Ant (and no, this is not a spelling error, for some reason I can't recall exactly why, but she went from being my "Auntie" to my "Aunt" and now to "Ant" and that's where it's stopped):

I love her.

She has a great laugh, it's kinda like a teehee...I am forced to laugh myself whenever I hear it.

And she is a big advocate of avoiding the sun's harmful rays and not getting sunburns.

So, when I got a sunburn like this:

(How the heck was I to think I should be sunscreening my back!!!)

Or this:

(This one was just pure dumbness.)

Or the burns on my ears, arms, and cheeks.

...I don't think of my Mom's scolding voice (does my Mom even have one of those??) and I don't just shrug it off...I picture my Ant's tsk-tsking and her shaking head. I feel like I've let her down!! In fact, I even hesistated puting pictures up as I know she checks the blog. But I did because I wanted her to know this: I learned my lesson. I now walk around lathered in SPF 60 and a hat, I look very uncool and un-Italian, but I do it 'cause I know it's better to be a dork with pale skin then to be the person with skin cancer.

People make fun of my SPF 60 sunscreen but I just think of my Ant and her smile of approval. So, kids, the lesson of the day, wear the freakin' sunscreen!!

And last but not least, thank you Ant for making me hear the sun say this everytime I got outside without sunscreen "Oooh! There's that Revanna chick, hey UV Rays, come on, lets get 'er!!

I have something exciting to tell you!

Lunch time is a bit crazy at Petraia because usually when there is more than one Italian in the room things can get loud...and at lunch there is usually 5 or 6. I don't say much during lunch, as I don't understand it alot and it would probably be hard to get a word in anyway, I just sit and watch, it's hilarious! But today there were only 3 Italians and I understood a conversation, all by myself, with no translating! Yipee! Some Italian is sticking! It was a stupid conversation about how to pronouce "Micheal" in Italian...but I understood everything that was going on! Heck, I need a pat on the back! I'm going to go study some more Italian! Ciao! I mean, Ciao-ciao-ciao! (That's more Italian, I guess it's better when you say it at least 3 times really fast.)