Italy
On my recent trip to Italy, there was one item I knew I had to take with me. These white sneakers were my travel staple. Why are white sneakers so important? Well, because they literally go with everything.
Mom guilt is a thing. Working mom guilt is also a thing. Take working mom guilt, then add extended travel to very cool domestic and international destinations to the mix. Now we have a special brand of perverse agony from guilt.
We decided to use Airbnb in Italy instead of using hotels. I initially looked at hotels because I travel a lot for work. I thought we’d stay in one of the hotel chains I usually stay at so I could add to my rewards points. However, I quickly found hotel prices were outrageous in the cities we intended to visit. Airbnb, on the other hand, was much more reasonably priced and offered a lot more space than we would find in a hotel.
It’s been over 7 months since we got back from Positano and I can’t get that place out of my mind. It is one of those places that just stays with you. The views, the people, the food. It’s hard to capture the magic of this place in words or even pictures, but I’m going to try. Here are the five things to do in Positano Italy.
Everyone told me Rome was too touristy, too hot, too dirty. These comments were a good reminder that I should not care what people think or say because they were wrong. Rome was amazing. Sure, there were tourists, there were some dirtier streets and there were days that were hot, but the good far outweighed any bad.
The Cinque Terre, an idyllic coastal region in Liguria, Italy, is renowned for its picturesque villages, stunning coastline, and rich cultural heritage. Consisting of five distinct towns—Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore—each offers its unique charm and attractions.
Have you ever heard of pasta fagioli? First, it’s Italian so it’s technically called pasta e fagioli, pronounced “pas-ta fa-jo-li” in English, and literally means ‘pasta and beans’. It’s a classic Italian soup, but depending on the variety of bean and type of pasta, it can almost be called a stew.
It’s citrus season in California. Our farmer’s market has been brimming with all different types of oranges. Originally, I tried a different recipe to create a blood orange polenta cake, but it didn’t turn out so well. The texture was off, or at least, I wasn’t a fan. Then I found this orange polenta olive oil cake and thought it sounded like a winner. Sure enough, it turned out so much better than the first one.
If you’ve followed my blog, you probably know about my southern Italian heritage. I love to share traditional, modern, and the best Italian recipes on my blog as a way for me to connect with my heritage. I’ve had the chance to visit Rome, Florence, Naples, Positano, and Milan, so I love to explore the different regions through my cooking and baking. I was supposed to travel to Venice this past summer but had to postpone that trip due to the pandemic.
Italy is more than just major tourist destination to me. My grandparents are from a small village in southern Italy, so this a story about the search for my southern Italian heritage, and the family roots I have been dying to explore.
Family traditions are important to me, especially those that celebrate my Italian heritage. Each holiday, I try to find an Italian recipe I can incorporate into my own little family’s traditions. This year, I tried my hand at a panettone bread recipe.
I’m half Italian. My grandparents immigrated to the U.S. before my dad was born. Although we are Americans first, my dad always instilled a strong Italian pride in me as a child. As an adult, I’ve consistently seek ways to connect with my Italian heritage. That’s why it’s so surprising it’s taken me nearly a year to get to the North End Boston.
Have you heard of La Befana and the feast of the Epiphany? I hadn’t until a few days ago. I’m always looking for more ways to connect to my Italian heritage. My birthday is on Three Kings Day – aka Epiphany, so I researched ideas of traditional Italian desserts and that’s how I learned about befanini cookies.
One of the things I miss most about my time in Italy is the amazing coffee and adorable cafes we frequented. There is something so charming and relaxing about the cafe culture over there. When Starbucks® invited me to try out their new Caffé Latte K-Cup® pods, I just knew I wanted to create coffee party ideas that would transport me to those Italian cafes.
