oops....

English recipes do not work in Italy.


1.5 sticks of butter does not easily translate to grams when all you know is that 1.5 sticks = 12 tablespoons.


Tablespoons are a measure of volume.... Italians measure butter in grams... aka weight. Volume does not equal weight......


Therefore one ends up with molasses cookies that have waaaay too much butter..... Ooopsss!!!! 


Anyone want a flat, chewy, caramel-like molasses-ish cookie???

a series of rather fortunate events

I think I will continue in list form:


1. Thanksgiving Day.
Part One: Thanksgiving started out with a lovely trip to the Uffizi for Art History. We wandered around the huge and overwhelmingly beautiful rooms, each full of art by one particular artist or another. No big deal that we were surrounded by famous works of Michelangelo, Donatello and co. The funny thing was, take this piece for example. 

It's called a tondo and it depicts, obviously, mother Mary with baby Jesus (its real name is Tondo Doni). The idea of these tondos came from something called a desco da parto, otherwise known as the tray for the broth and liquids brought to a mother after she has given birth. Given that trays are only so large, I was imagining that this tondo would be roughly the same size. NOT THE CASE! It was huge! And when I say huge, I mean about 5 feet in diameter. Very big. And very gorgeous. 


Part Two: The rest of the day I spent eating lunch at the sede, sending Thanksgiving e-cards and shopping with my lovely Breana. We decided to stay out in the center the entiiiiire day because we had to be at Giovanna's around 7pm for Thanksgiving dinner, aka we walked for 6 hours....... So finally 7pm rolled around and we (very exhaustedly) arrived at Giovanna's with little gifts in tow. We bought Giovanna and Monica each some green tea and bath fizzies for relaxing and some chocolate with chili peppers to give them a little kick. 

Upon arriving I was embraced by the warm smells of Thanksgiving cooking and the lovely sound of Giovanna's husband playing his violin while Anna played viola. We sang Thanksgiving songs (yes, they exist....) and drank wine, and chatted and ate and enjoyed each other. The best part was that besides Giovanna, Monica and Pam, our old cooking teachers, all of our professors came! They were all dressed up and buzzed and very jolly and excited to be taking part in this weird American holiday. At the end of the night, our art history professor drove Breana and I home which was very much welcomed after our day of walking. 

Unfortunately, having Thanksgiving with everyone from Smith did not prove to be as anti-homesicking as one would think. When I got home, all I wanted was my mom's cranberry sauce and my dad's gravy. They were at a friends house for the night, so I promptly called them and wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving, thus making myself feel much more far away and lonely. But fortunately....


2. Friday rolled around! 
After doing some work, I met Breana and we went to Casa Buonarroti which is the museum of all things Michelangelo. Yet another fantastic experience, getting to see his wax models of now large and very famous sculptures and finally understanding the size of things such as Battaglia dei Centauri (much smaller than I imagined!! Projectors and images from Google just don't cut it!). 


After wandering around and finding some yummy pizza, we returned home. As I was standing in the kitchen, making some tea, I showed my host mamma that I had found some pre-made Ocean Spray cranberry sauce and some molasses. Lorenzo then asked her when I was cooking and she said perhaps Sunday. He then requested we please have stuffing and cranberry sauce that night because he wanted it. So therefore, I made it. We made the stuffing without mushrooms and with less garlic than usual, and I had Lorenzo as my little helper, cutting the prosciutto, toasting the bread, etc. Surprisingly enough, everything turned out rather well. The cranberry sauce that I doctored up tasted somewhat related to that which we make at home, and the stuffing was also pretty darn tasty. And! Everyone ate everything! The stuffing was gone very rapidly and everyone tried the cranberry sauce (the boys ate it without complaints or disgust, and Silvia and Enrico had seconds!) I was one proud mamma hen given that Enrico and the boys, especially Filippo, are veryyyy picky eaters! Successo! 


3. Lovely, lazy, holiday-time Saturdays
This morning I slept in a bit and then spent the day being productive. I ate lunch with my fam (incredible pasta with carrot curry sauce.... yummmm!) and then returned to studying, took a nap and got ready for.....


4. A Special Night Out on the Town

Tonight I got all dolled up, had dinner with my host family and some guests (including an adorable little girl named Marta... babysitting, hmm.... an idea...), and then hopped on the back on Enrico's motorcycle, arriving at Teatro Verdi in minutes. I went up the the ticket counter to pick up my pre-reserved ticket where I was informed that my seat had been changed. When I bought my ticket online, there were 5 seats left and I chose the best of the 5, which was in the second section on the theater, at least 3 rows back. My new seat was in the 4th row. Of the first section. With a perfect view of the orchestra. It was relatively magical. And I teared up... they played some Haydn and Jupiter from Mozart's Planets. It was a gorgeous concert, and since the orchestra was so small (6 first violins, 4 or 5 seconds, 4 violas, 4 cellos, 2 basses and very small winds, brass and percussion sections) you could hear everything and it was stunning. I will definitely be tuning in online to listen to their Christmas Eve concert and going to as much as I can when I come back in January! (Which reminds me, Enrico's gym gave him 4-one month passes to give as gifts and he is giving one to me! Pilates, yoga, pool, water aerobics, sauna, spa, hot tub, tanning, and regular gym usage allllll free for one month! A perfect way to avoid the semi-inevitable post-Christmas slump! Thanks host fam!)


Anyway, here I am back from the concert, snuggled into bed, ready for a long night's sleep and a productive day tomorrow, including cookie-baking!! 


Bacione!!

disappointed....

I swear.... there are literally NO CRANBERRIES IN THIS COUNTRY!! So much for cranberry sauce!!






Good thing the carbonara cooking downstairs smells incredible!!!

10 things that occur around the holiday season in florence that make life worth living

1. Family Gatherings.
Last night my family got together with Victoria and Chrysanthe's family because my mamma is their father's sister, aka our little sibs are cousins. Yesterday was the nonna's birthday and she came with her sister and her husband. All in all, there were 14 people at my house, eating pizza, drinking Coca Cola and beer and laughing and chatting. I sneakily tried to take some family photos and then just decided to make everyone pose! It was a night full of laughter and sweet grandmotherly moments and love. And pizza covered in sliced hot dogs. It was perfect. 

2. Beautiful Lights. 
I know I have previously mentioned this and I also promised photos, but I haven't actually seen the beautiful lights lit up yet.... well I saw them at 2pm yesterday but I don't think that has quite the same effect as seeing them at night..... Tomorrow I will take pictures! I promise! 




3. Wandering at night.
I love this city at night. During the day.... not so much, but at night, definitely. I love walking home after class in the dusk to dark period, watching parents picking up their children, wandering past the bus stops and enjoying the general happy bustle that exists after the work-day has ended. I also love having that extra 30 minutes of leisurely strolling (well, I power-walk like there's no tomorrow but still....) to think in Italian and enjoy all the Italian-ness that surrounds me.... It's very relaxing and rejuvenating.... 


4. Decorations.
Storefronts, lights, windows.... all been said before, but I still really love it! 




5. Thanksgiving Dinner with Giovanna.
Thursday night. With all 20 girls and our professors. Turkey and gravy, stuffing, salads, corn, squash, pumpkin carpaccio, cranberry sauce, corn bread, pecan pie, apple pie and pumpkin pie.... Mmmm.... Just like home! 




6. Thanksgiving Dinner with the Host Fam 
It has been decided. Sunday night I will be cooking my family's version of stuffing and some cranberry sauce along with some molasses cookies perhaps.... Silvia is getting some kind of turkey or chicken, and we are good to go! The boys probably won't like the cranberry sauce and we'll see about Silvia and Enrico! Wish me luck! 




7. Helping Older Women Cross the Street
I was walking home tonight (enjoying the peaceful darkness, of course) and as I approached a sidewalk, this most adorable older woman reached out and asked me if I would be so kind as to walk her across the street because she was scared of falling. I took her hand and we walked across very, very carefully and very slowly, all the while she was telling me how nice it was to have someone help her. Then she squeezed my hand and said, "Buona sera, signorina!" My hand was glowing with warm, fuzzy feelings for at least 10 minutes, especially because I had just come from....




8. Sitting in with a Group of Grandmothers who Pray Together Every Day. 
After my audited class at the University of Florence (Methodologies of Contemporary Art History.... very, very, very boring...), I decided to spend some time in one of my two favorite churches (that I know of so far, that is!). When I entered, there were hardly any people other than one man who was seemingly very frustrated because the priest was late for confessionals and another man who works at the church and was restocking all the candles available to light. I walked through the church looking at all the small chapels until I found one that for some reason gave me the goosebumps. There was a beautiful fresco unlike all the others. Many were dark and depicted Jesus' sacrifice or other sad Biblical stories. This one instead was the Madonna surrounded by Saints, looking up at the heavens. It was so brightly colored and there were such relaxed, content expressions on each face, that I was immediately struck by its beauty. I lit three candles at this chapel - one each for my grandparents and my uncle. It was a rare moment of strong faith which continued to get stronger as I walked behind the sacristy (completely unlit with only a few candles flickering in the eerie silence) and I realized that I heard prayers. When I walked back out past the altar, I found a group of about seven woman, all much older, praying together. I went and sat down across from them and listened with my eyes closed for about 10 minutes, although they continued easily for another 10 or 15. It was pretty incredible.... and not something I often desire, but it felt good today to be part of a group of people so full of faith....




9. Orchestral Concerts.
Last night I decided I wanted to go to an orchestral concert. It is Christmas and Christmas means music which reminded me how much I miss my viola and orchestra and classical music. Within five minutes of deciding this, I had already found one this Saturday at the Teatro Verdi in Florence. I know have a ticket and I cannot wait!! http://www.teatroverdionline.it/




10. Being Happy.
Although I have now been sick for 30 days, I am extremely happy. I am settled, I am bonding with my host family, I am less stressed, things are going well at school, the boyfriend is just lovely and it is almost Christmas! Although I am pretty excited for Thanksgiving as well! This weekend between going out with the gang and taking myself out for a night, I will just be working, commencing some Christmas shopping and cooking! Sounds like a perfect weekend to me! 


Baci a tutti! And see many of you in less than 4 weeks! AMORE! 

something I stumbled upon

In missing Vermont and fall and Thanksgiving and the prospect of snow, and in Googling images of Vermont things such as foliage, I stumbled upon this gorgeous tattoo..... uh oh! 

pancakes galore!

I just made my host fam pancakes for breakfast - a success!! 


Given that I had to make them with olive oil instead of corn or veggie oil, and I was cooking them on a gas stove, with tiny little pans, I think I did okay - they were in my top 5 batches of pancakes I would say! I heated up Vermont maple syrup for Silvia, Enrico and myself and then the boys ate Nutella and powdered sugar with theirs. Everyone looks quite satisfied, especially when I made Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes for the boys! 


Now I just have to plan my Thanksgiving meal...... 


Bacione! 

wow. fame, here I come!

If you go to Google and start typing "Sera Jane" it will automatically guess Sera Jane Goes to Firenze as the first thing.... and if you Google just plaid old "Sera Jane" my blog is halfway down the second page! Thanks guys!!!! Now I just need my dreams job and dream restaurant/bar - who's helping?

weekend thus far.

I feel the need to share with you that last night Breana and I went to this cute English pub called Kikuya (http://www.kikuyapub.it/) with some of our Italian guy-friends and a few of their girl-friends. These girls were evidently very displeased with our presence as they made many a rude comment and snide look our way. Then they decided that they wanted to play telefone.... in Italian....which naturally made Breana and I look like morons because we had no idea what they were saying because it was always some weird, long, complicated Italian phrase. Then we decided that we should get to choose one. At which point the girls panicked a little but Fiippo and Alessio said that of course we should pick one. So we did. Honkytonk Badonkadonk. Needless to say, we got them back. And then everyone started laughing and we all got over ourselves as I tried to explain in Italian what honkytonk badonkadonk means.... and then we played Jenga because for some reason it was set up on the table. Overall the night was a success, odd, but a success nonetheless.


BACIONE

UPDATE!

I was just informed today that I have an internship with the Florentine food magazine, Gola Gioconda (http://www.golagioconda.it/) helping them translate their website into English!!!!! I was daydreaming about it after and imagined myself working there after graduation as their token American who translates and writes pieces about food in the United States, and then they would let me start writing my own articles about Florence so I would get to go out and do field work and go to restaurants, and eventually I would open my own restaurant because I would have become part of the business scene in Italy..... Dreaming is great, isn't it?


P.S. Gola = throat, Gioconda = Monna Lisa

christmas is a comin'

Or rather, Natale is a comin'!

But first comes fall. Although not so much in Firenze.... There aren't a particularly large number of trees to turn beautiful colors and send their leaves twirling to the ground.... Fortunately for me, I got to go to Lucca on Friday and in Lucca there are plenty of stunning autumnal trees and even some beautifully decorated storefronts, all ready for Christmas! 


I have also learned that my Florentine family loves Christmas as much as I do. We have the Christmas tablecloth already in full use every night and at least once a day Lorenzo breaks into song. Christmas song that is!! Sometimes he sings on his own in Italian but other times he sings along to American Christmas songs such as Santa Baby and things by Bing Crosby, in English, and it is just about the cutest thing I have ever heard. 


The city of Florence is also gearing up for the holidays by stringing beautiful strings of lights all along every street, too bad they wait until a certain day much closer to Christmas to turn them all on!! 

As far as Thanksgiving goes, although I am extremely sad to not be spending it at home, Giovanna has invited all of us girls over to her house with our professors for the evening. Then either Friday, Saturday or Sunday night I am hoping that Silvia will make some delicious turkey breast and I can make my family's "Italian" stuffing and cranberry sauce that we make every year. Wish me luck!


More news coming soon!
Baci e abbracci a tutti!

a crazy, hectic week

As usual... apologies for the rareness of my blogs these days.... I really am planning on incorporating them into my schedule more frequently, but this week has been bonkers!


First of all, my parents came last Wednesday! They are renting this great little apartment along the Arno where I have been spending much time. Since they arrived, we have been going to dinner, cooking dinner, going to little museums, and checking out churches. And of course, this has been a wacky week for schoolwork and continues to be so given that next week I have two midterms and the following week two more plus a little presentation (plus the usual pages of reading and about 5-8 compositions per week..... mind you this is all in Italian so although it isn't tons of work objectively speaking, it takes much longer to do and requires much more attention.... ugh).


Sunday night we celebrated my mom's birthday just over one month late. I made pasta with a homemade zucca (squash) sauce (I cooked the squash, then sauteed onions, re-added the squash and cooked them until they were paste-like, added Italian cooking cream, lots of black pepper and ground red pepper mixed with garlic, and then tossed it with pasta), breaded chicken cutlets with lemon, and lentils served Italian-style (al dente with olive oil and salt). After dinner I made roasted chestnuts. A lovely dinner!!


Another highlight of their visit thus far was when we ate dinner with my host family on Monday. I spent the entire day worrying and becoming more and more nervous because I am generally pretty shy around my host family and I was going to have to play translator all night. When we got to my house, the table was set beautifully, the boys were on their best behavior and there was the delicious scent of homemade lasagna coming from the oven.

I am happy to report that the night was a success. We laughed all night as my mom (with some help from me) tried to talk with the boys in Italian and Enrico and Silvia did their best to use some English words. It was just about the sweetest thing I have ever seen. The boys were chatty enough and at one point ran to get a photo album from when they were about 2 until they were 4 (SO CUTE!). Toward the end of the night, the boys went to bed and Enrico decided that my parents were not going to take a taxi but instead that he would drive them home so we piled in the car (Enrico, Silvia, my parents and I) and we started toward their apartment. But then Enrico remembered how nice Fiesole (a little town on a hill overlooking Florence) is at night because you can see the whole city. So Silvia, elbowing me in the ribs, says, "Oooohhh! We could go for a little drive!" And so we drove. Up the windy, windy roads alllll the way up to Fiesole. At 11pm. Mind you, I was exhausted... and full... and within minutes very, very, very carsick. Sheesh. Regardless, it was adorable! Enrico narrated the entire drive, telling my parents all about the streets, buildings, hotels, etc. (and I was forced to rapidly translate as best I could!) It was a very wonderful evening and although I thought I might die I was so nervous, I survived and the outcome was great! (Enrico and Silvia decided that my parents are adorable and very young at heart while my parents remained ever-so content that I live with such a sweet and loving family.)


Since then I have just been swimming in work, studying, reading, writing, visit museums, having double lessons of art history... it's exhausting!!


Tomorrow my parents and I are heading to Lucca and Pisa for a little day trip! Be prepared for photos! Then I will be spending the rest of the weekend writing four more compositions, visiting a little church, and relaxing with my parents and pals over here in Italia - hopefully we will find something exciting to do because its been quiet around here lately given that everyone has swine flu! Viva la suina! (Long live the swine.... terrible joke, not funny.... it just had a nice ring to it....)


That's all for now! I promise to update at least on Sunday!!!


Baci a tutti!!

Oink!

An orchestra of coughs.

Thats what my host dad says (he is now coughing a little bit too). Last night at dinner Lorenzo, Filippo and I were all coughing and Enrico started conducting us which made us all laugh more and then in turn, cough more. I also feel the need to share that host mamma peeled me an apple last night and cut it into chunks, it was just about the cutest thing ever. They also all seemed AMAZED that it was a Fiji apple.... I guess that seems cool?

This morning I am home from school again (I came home early yesterday), as are both of the twins. They both seem better, especially Filippo. They are currently running around the house throwing things at each other so I think they're okay!

My parents are leaving Vermont today! To come here! I will be seeing them tomorrow afternoon! Bravo!

Baci!

every good day ends with a good meal

For some reason, I just can't be down in the country no matter what happens. Okay, well maybe I was down when I had bedbugs for weeks on end.... but looking back on it I already don't feel any upset. As a matter of face, after finding out today that my lil' bro Filippo does indeed have swine flu..... (which in turn means that what I have is some form of swine flu.....) I actually just smiled and laughed about it because you know what? I am in Italy. And I am having a great time. And yes, I had bedbugs for a month. Yes, I had to move to a new house. Yes, my wallet was then stolen, and yes, I now seem to have some form of swine flu...... but regardless - I am here in Florence with a FANTASTIC family and everything somehow remains pretty gosh darn incredible.

Anyway. I had a good day. Read a book in Italian, read a fable in Italian, wrote a 2 page paper in Italian. Things are lookin' up. I didn't have a fever. My bros were super cute all day. Filippo seems to be better given that he and Lorenzo were chasing each other around all day. I drank lots of tea. I cleaned my room. I got to listen to adorable Lorenzo practice Spanish in an Italian accent all afternoon. I watched the soccer game and la Fiorentina won (3-1 against Catania..... oh yeahhhh!) And then, to top it off, we had a delicious dinner!

Ravioli filled with squash or pumpkin or something of the sort (same word in Italian so I am not totally sure which it really was....), followed by bread and cheese and those amazing brussels sprouts smothered in Béchamel sauce. Perfetto!

So thank you, Florence, for torturing me but allowing me to enjoy you just the same!

Baci e abbracci as usual!