“Lappetito Vien Mangiando…” The Appetite Comes While You Are Eating Bring your appetite! The long awaited day for sharing details of our ten course rustic Italian dinner is finally here! I apologize in advance for the HUGE number of photos I’ll be sharing…but I believe these pictures ARE worth a thousand words. Especially on a […]
Decorating For A Ten Course Dinner – Planning Is Key
Decorating for any event has always been important to me, and I learned many years ago to start that process early. It ALWAYS takes much longer to complete that labor of love than you might imagine. My decorating bug started by watching Mom prepare for company. She would pull out all the stops when setting […]
Dal Contadino Trattoria – Inspiration For A Ten Course Meal
It turns out one amazing dish from an authentic Italian trattoria was my inspiration for a ten course Italian meal! Peepaw and I love to visit some of our Snowbird neighborhood restaurants on what we call “Wine Wednesdays.” I tasted a fantastic dish at Dal Contadino Trattoria, one of our favorite eateries located only a […]
Our Perfect Dinner Venue – Kalona Makers Market
What an amazing venue. My foodie friend Jim and I are a perfect match in the kitchen, and his kitchen is a chef’s dream. But when we hatched a plan to cook a ten course rustic Italian dinner…Jim had an idea. And it turned out to be a GREAT one. Touring The Venue Jim asked […]
Cilino’s – A True Taste Of Italy In Small Town Iowa
Cilino’s. The restaurant name was the first clue. We had stumbled upon a real Italian restaurant on the main street of tiny Wellman, Iowa. IMPORTANT INFO: At the time of this posting Cilino’s in Wellman is CLOSED on Mondays and Tuesdays! Be sure to check their Facebook page for any further updates. Let Me Set […]
Harvest Those Grapes! It’s WINEMAKING TIME!
Some year I hope to make a visit to Oregon during the harvest season. Watching some of our favorite winemakers in action is on my Bucket List for sure! In the past we have always visited the McMinnville, Oregon area during the summer. The grapes are ripening and the impending harvest is still just a […]
The Reality Of Life In Havana
The Reality of Life in Cuba… Reality? There seems to be no middle class in Cuba. You are rich…or you are poor. Our walking tour of Havana (read about it HERE) ended with a bus ride along the beautiful Malecon. (That’s the wide esplanade and seawall you see in so many Havana photos.) The buildings […]
American Cars In Cuba…The Amazing Story
Vintage American cars. Mention Cuba and those old cars are probably one of the first images that come to mind. It seems like every article written about Havana or Cuba ALWAYS shows vintage American cars. So we weren’t surprised to see a near-parade of them cruising past our ship as soon as we docked in […]
Old Colonial “Habana” – A Beautifully Sad City
“Habana”…500 Years In The Making The best way to see the 500 year old city of “Old Habana” (as the locals call it) is on foot. That is if you’ve got stamina. Be ready to manage the uneven cobblestone streets and crowds of vendors and locals and tourists. So a walking tour is exactly what […]
Spanish Ship In Havana – Ninety Years After First Visit!
A Spanish sailing ship? In Cuba? We had no idea what a special event was unfolding in the Havana harbor…right before our eyes. And our ears! The Juan Sebastian de Elcano Tall Ship The Juan Sebastian de Elcano tall ship fired artillery salvoes as it entered the harbor. And suddenly cannonfire erupted from the ancient […]