Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
New Book to Check Out!
Hey everyone! I know it's been a few months but we've been dealing with some crazy health issues here. I hope all of you are doing well. In the meantime, you need to check out this new book titled "Awakening Avery" by Laurie C. Lewis. For those of you who like romantic comedy and enjoy getting a sneak peak before you buy check out the first chapter of the book HERE!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Calabrian Olive Oil Give Away!
Reposted from My Bella Vita:
Did you know 25% of Italy’s olive oil comes from my favorite little region that is burrowed down deep at the toe of the boot? Well, it does.
It is also a staple in every Calabrian kitchen and is used in antipasto dishes, pasta plates, meat, fish and even desserts. In fact, it is a little joke around our house because most recipes don’t even list olive oil or garlic in their ingredients … because, you know, they are a given – you should know to use them.
Marcella Hazan, renowned Italian food writer and author of Marcella Cucina cookbook said, “The taste of a dish for which you need olive oil will be as good or as ordinary as the oil you use. A sublime one can lift even modest ingredients to eminent heights of flavor; a dreary oil will pull the best ingredients down to its own level. Partial clues to the quality of the olive oil you are buying are supplied by the label and the price, but ultimately, the only way to determine which one, among those available, is right for you is to taste and compare.”
And that’s where we come in.
Through the magical interwoven web of the Internet, I met Monica Kripalani, a new distributor of Calabrian olive oil whose recent trip to the mezziogiorno changed her life. After a brief tour through Calabria and into the hills of Lamezia Terme, Monica decided to open Monica’s Fine Foods to share her new-found love of Davoli Olive Oil with North America.
And that, my friends, means you.
Monica is giving away one 250ml bottle of Davoli Extra Virgin Olive Oil to one lucky Facebook Fan *and* a $50 gift certificate to a random blogger.
Interested, any? Here are the details!
To be eligible to win the free 250ml bottle of Calabrian olive oil, all you need to do is become a Facebook fan of Monica’s Fine Foods before Friday, February 26 at 5:00 PM (Pacific Time). At that point, Monica will randomly select a winner from her Facebook Fans and the winner will be announced here on My Bella Vita on Monday, March 1.
Bloggers, this part is for you …
For your chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Monica’s Fine Foods, just re-post this contest information in full on your website or blog by Friday, February 26 at 5:00 PM. Leave a comment on My Bella Vita telling us about your post, and you will automatically be entered into the drawing.
Due to distribution restrictions, Monica can only ship items in the US and Canada, so if you have a US address … you are good to go!
In bocca al lupo!
What is your favorite way to use olive oil? I think a simple pasta with aglio, olio e peperonico (garlic, olive oil and red pepper) highlights good olive oil and brings out the flavors of spicy peppers. What about you?
*Pictures by Monica of Monica’s Fine Foods
Did you know 25% of Italy’s olive oil comes from my favorite little region that is burrowed down deep at the toe of the boot? Well, it does.
It is also a staple in every Calabrian kitchen and is used in antipasto dishes, pasta plates, meat, fish and even desserts. In fact, it is a little joke around our house because most recipes don’t even list olive oil or garlic in their ingredients … because, you know, they are a given – you should know to use them.
Marcella Hazan, renowned Italian food writer and author of Marcella Cucina cookbook said, “The taste of a dish for which you need olive oil will be as good or as ordinary as the oil you use. A sublime one can lift even modest ingredients to eminent heights of flavor; a dreary oil will pull the best ingredients down to its own level. Partial clues to the quality of the olive oil you are buying are supplied by the label and the price, but ultimately, the only way to determine which one, among those available, is right for you is to taste and compare.”
And that’s where we come in.
Through the magical interwoven web of the Internet, I met Monica Kripalani, a new distributor of Calabrian olive oil whose recent trip to the mezziogiorno changed her life. After a brief tour through Calabria and into the hills of Lamezia Terme, Monica decided to open Monica’s Fine Foods to share her new-found love of Davoli Olive Oil with North America.
And that, my friends, means you.
Monica is giving away one 250ml bottle of Davoli Extra Virgin Olive Oil to one lucky Facebook Fan *and* a $50 gift certificate to a random blogger.
Interested, any? Here are the details!
To be eligible to win the free 250ml bottle of Calabrian olive oil, all you need to do is become a Facebook fan of Monica’s Fine Foods before Friday, February 26 at 5:00 PM (Pacific Time). At that point, Monica will randomly select a winner from her Facebook Fans and the winner will be announced here on My Bella Vita on Monday, March 1.
Bloggers, this part is for you …
For your chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Monica’s Fine Foods, just re-post this contest information in full on your website or blog by Friday, February 26 at 5:00 PM. Leave a comment on My Bella Vita telling us about your post, and you will automatically be entered into the drawing.
Due to distribution restrictions, Monica can only ship items in the US and Canada, so if you have a US address … you are good to go!
In bocca al lupo!
What is your favorite way to use olive oil? I think a simple pasta with aglio, olio e peperonico (garlic, olive oil and red pepper) highlights good olive oil and brings out the flavors of spicy peppers. What about you?
*Pictures by Monica of Monica’s Fine Foods
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Where I was and Where I'm going ...
So I'm going to keep this short. I fell off the face of the Earth. I was only trying to peek over the edge but somehow gravity snagged me and off I went. Took awhile to climb back to this side, though!
I've been ill on and off since September. Around mid-October I had a stint of several weeks where keeping food down just didn't happen. (It basically seemed like the pattern from September had returned and food just didn't ever settle in my stomach or when it did it refused to stay for a prolonged visit). By mid-November I had contracted some sort of Bronchitis or Pnemonia type thing. It took three different doctor visits in December for me to be put on the right combination of medications to kick out the disease. (The first idiotic doctor told me I had a 'cold' ... the second gave me meds but they were too weak to kick the infection and the cough syrup, which was RX, gave me migraines ... finally, the last doc gave me high level antibiotics, a short regiment of steroids, and a RX cough syrup I've taken in the past that works wonders for kicking a cough and helping you sleep).
I just got off the antibiotics a few days ago and am already feeling stuffy again. I blame the deluge of rain that we've had here. Everytime it rains here it causes something I'm allergic to to grow and flower in the area. I don't know which plant it is but I know it makes my head hurt like crazy. I'm hoping that as the rains let up the health will continue to improve. (Praying for this as well as crossing fingers).
On the flip side, my husband and I are working on our various New Years Resolutions. One of them has to do with our finances and our spending habits and I'm happy to say that we're doing fairly well in that area. We're not doing excessive buying. We've cut down on going out to eat (the last time we hit up Red Robin was over a month and a half ago and the same goes for The Cheesecake Factory). While I miss the good food I know this is a healthier alternative for us both. I've also kept up my regiment of not drinking caffeinated soda (this started around the time I got Pnemonia because soda dehydrates me and makes things worse and I've been able to skip drinking it for health and weight loss reasons as well). We've substituted the caffeinated stuff for Cherry Vanilla soda from the Whole Foods or Sprouts stores. It's sweetened with cane sugar and the sugar is unprocessed so it's better for your system. I go for that when I need a carbonation fix or else indulge in our newest discovery of sparkling pink lemonade. Eating at home has been better for our budget and hopefully better for our health as well. We've also committed to not buying any new electronics (though this may be modified to buy a speech-to-text program for my husband's school projects). In that area we're also doing really well.
I've turned over a new leaf, spiritual speaking. I want to more active in my spirituality and I've been rather lazy about it the last few years. Upon the suggestion of my friend Kit, I've taken up a reading regiment at 'readthescriptures.com' and have been doing a daily scripture study on my own. I've found that it really enlightens my life and makes my whole day go better when I keep up with (or ahead of) my reading. I've seen various blessings in the life of my husband because of this (including the amazing and in depth discussions we have based in principles or questions I have from my personal reading!)
I've been ill on and off since September. Around mid-October I had a stint of several weeks where keeping food down just didn't happen. (It basically seemed like the pattern from September had returned and food just didn't ever settle in my stomach or when it did it refused to stay for a prolonged visit). By mid-November I had contracted some sort of Bronchitis or Pnemonia type thing. It took three different doctor visits in December for me to be put on the right combination of medications to kick out the disease. (The first idiotic doctor told me I had a 'cold' ... the second gave me meds but they were too weak to kick the infection and the cough syrup, which was RX, gave me migraines ... finally, the last doc gave me high level antibiotics, a short regiment of steroids, and a RX cough syrup I've taken in the past that works wonders for kicking a cough and helping you sleep).
I just got off the antibiotics a few days ago and am already feeling stuffy again. I blame the deluge of rain that we've had here. Everytime it rains here it causes something I'm allergic to to grow and flower in the area. I don't know which plant it is but I know it makes my head hurt like crazy. I'm hoping that as the rains let up the health will continue to improve. (Praying for this as well as crossing fingers).
On the flip side, my husband and I are working on our various New Years Resolutions. One of them has to do with our finances and our spending habits and I'm happy to say that we're doing fairly well in that area. We're not doing excessive buying. We've cut down on going out to eat (the last time we hit up Red Robin was over a month and a half ago and the same goes for The Cheesecake Factory). While I miss the good food I know this is a healthier alternative for us both. I've also kept up my regiment of not drinking caffeinated soda (this started around the time I got Pnemonia because soda dehydrates me and makes things worse and I've been able to skip drinking it for health and weight loss reasons as well). We've substituted the caffeinated stuff for Cherry Vanilla soda from the Whole Foods or Sprouts stores. It's sweetened with cane sugar and the sugar is unprocessed so it's better for your system. I go for that when I need a carbonation fix or else indulge in our newest discovery of sparkling pink lemonade. Eating at home has been better for our budget and hopefully better for our health as well. We've also committed to not buying any new electronics (though this may be modified to buy a speech-to-text program for my husband's school projects). In that area we're also doing really well.
I've turned over a new leaf, spiritual speaking. I want to more active in my spirituality and I've been rather lazy about it the last few years. Upon the suggestion of my friend Kit, I've taken up a reading regiment at 'readthescriptures.com' and have been doing a daily scripture study on my own. I've found that it really enlightens my life and makes my whole day go better when I keep up with (or ahead of) my reading. I've seen various blessings in the life of my husband because of this (including the amazing and in depth discussions we have based in principles or questions I have from my personal reading!)
Friday, November 13, 2009
Enriching the Soul and the Mind
Well, a lot has been going on lately. I've scored an exciting new job and am hoping to make some money and pay down our bills! I've been working really hard on remaining positive of late. I'm not where I want to be yet but I'm confident that I can get there. I'm also trying very hard to 'share the light' with others around me. (In fact I had a great conversation with my dear friend Michelle tonight! She's such an inspiration to me: Mother to three (including a son with special needs), Creative and talented, Primary President to a unique Branch, and all while dealing with some physical infirmities of her own). I love her dearly and hope to emulate her strength of character.
Recently we had a chance to visit Bookman's, our local used book store. We picked up some treasured Doctor Who novels and some books in a series written by Dave Duncan. It's always enjoyable to see what amazing finds you come across as you explore this unique store.
Speaking of books, and broadening the mind, a dear friend of mine just launched the third book in her historical fiction series: Free Men and Dreamers. I'm not a die-hard fan of historical fiction but I've read the first three chapters of 'Dawn's Early Light' and have to say that I'm hooked. I can't wait to pick up my own copy and find out what happens to the characters. (If you are a lover of historical fiction, or enjoy richly crafted characters, click the link to the right of my blog and check out her book for yourselves!)
Recently we had a chance to visit Bookman's, our local used book store. We picked up some treasured Doctor Who novels and some books in a series written by Dave Duncan. It's always enjoyable to see what amazing finds you come across as you explore this unique store.
Speaking of books, and broadening the mind, a dear friend of mine just launched the third book in her historical fiction series: Free Men and Dreamers. I'm not a die-hard fan of historical fiction but I've read the first three chapters of 'Dawn's Early Light' and have to say that I'm hooked. I can't wait to pick up my own copy and find out what happens to the characters. (If you are a lover of historical fiction, or enjoy richly crafted characters, click the link to the right of my blog and check out her book for yourselves!)
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Breakfast was leftover cheese sticks. I've not had lunch yet and I'm not sure I'll eat for awhile because of the meds I'm on for my back. It's mostly important that I drink tons of water with them in my system. I do think dinner will be healthy. We've a pasta mix that contains cheese and chicken and veggies that is sounding pretty appealing right now.
Yesterday I did awesome at 'rockin' the nano' and got out about 4500 words. Fortunately I had a lot to say regarding the characters. Today is a lull day and not much has happened. Nothing has been written and no new ideas for inspiration have struck. I'm trying not to worry about it unless several days go by with no water in the creative well.
Yesterday the puppy and I went for a walk to get the mail. (It's not close by, though it's not marathon distance either). But it was a nice little jaunt, got some fresh air. Of course, when we had to pick up a package - I finally got my print: Cloak of Stars from Amy Brown - the puppy went spastic over seeing Lynn and Angela at the Main Office. I think it was cuter when she did this as a baby than now as an adult dog. People seem to be less kind about it now. We need to get some obedience lessons in, both individually and perhaps with a professional trainer, to see if we can weed out the hyper and reach a calmer dog. She's still a great companion though! She behaves for me when it's just the two of us but loses focus when there's more than one person to pay attention to. (Lil ADHD puppy!)
Yesterday I did awesome at 'rockin' the nano' and got out about 4500 words. Fortunately I had a lot to say regarding the characters. Today is a lull day and not much has happened. Nothing has been written and no new ideas for inspiration have struck. I'm trying not to worry about it unless several days go by with no water in the creative well.
Yesterday the puppy and I went for a walk to get the mail. (It's not close by, though it's not marathon distance either). But it was a nice little jaunt, got some fresh air. Of course, when we had to pick up a package - I finally got my print: Cloak of Stars from Amy Brown - the puppy went spastic over seeing Lynn and Angela at the Main Office. I think it was cuter when she did this as a baby than now as an adult dog. People seem to be less kind about it now. We need to get some obedience lessons in, both individually and perhaps with a professional trainer, to see if we can weed out the hyper and reach a calmer dog. She's still a great companion though! She behaves for me when it's just the two of us but loses focus when there's more than one person to pay attention to. (Lil ADHD puppy!)
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