Friends, Food, Kids, Adventures...

So my sense of timing is a bit off, i suppose. As it feels like I've already been here for two months, it makes sense that when I say, "I'll write tomorrow,"that I really mean I'll write in two days. But actually it has been more than a week, so again, I have no excuse. Sorry!



Okay... Since I have so much to write about and it has been so long since I wrote, I don't think I will go in chronological order, so this post may seem a little scatterbrained, but very interesting in any case.



The family has two helpers, Guisy and Cinzia. Cinzia comes on Mondays and does cleaning and she makes lunch for Eugenia and me. Guisy comes on Tuesdays and sometimes on Thursdays. She generally prepares vegetables to be cooked for dinner, makes other food/treats, cooks lunch for me and Tommaso, and irons the laundry. The first week I was here I made Banana Bread with Guisy. It wasn't too hard because we had the recipe in both english and italian. Oh, I forgot to mention, neither one of these women speak english. Anyway, so she would measure out the ingredients on a scale and then I would mix them together. Two interesting points... 1) the use powdered vanilla, and it comes in a small packet, which I am sure has less than 1/2 tsp in it, 2) baking soda comes the same way. In the english recipe it said to put in 1 tsp of baking soda, but Guisy assured me (in italian) that one packet (less than 1/2 tsp) would be plenty. It didn't seem to be that different in the end, but still kind of wierd. The next week, I was bored and so I decided to make some shortbread cookies. I wanted to make something more exciting, but since I didn't know how to get all the ingredients, I settled on this cookie which only has four ingredients (butter, sugar, salt, flour). When Guisy came the next day, she asked me for the recipe. Even though there were only four ingredients and six steps, it took me about an hour to translate! I don't think my translation was very good, but she said it made sense, so I guess it was okay.

I've decided that the best snack in the world is really fat, ripe cherries alternated with a bite of dark chocolate. Then again, I've said to myself almost everyday that what I am currently eating is the best snack in the whole world. It just so happens that I just ate cherries and dark chocolate. Other things I have said this about includes...all the deliciously ripe fruit they have here, pasta with fresh cold tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and olive oil, egg fritatta made with milk, cheese, and priscuttio, chocolate, gelato, chocolate gelato, crostata (the friut tart I put a picture of on my picasa web album), and the list goes on. As you can see, I love the food here. Maybe a little too much, and since I spend so much time at home, it probably is even worse.

This last sunday was Stake conference. The american family, the Fairborns, that I mentioned in my last post offered me a ride, and I was very grateful of that because the conference was an hour away in Alessandria. For some of it the stake presidency spoke, and for the rest we watched a broadcast where we heard from Niel Anderson, Elder Holland, and President Monson. I didn't understand very much of what was said because they muted the english and
had the translation playing through the speakers. The family was really nice, and on the way back we took a short detour to see the Royal Hunting Grounds. They were so huge, it was insane!!! There street leading up to the house was about 1/2 a mile long, and then there was another 1/2 mile of stables and servants quarters to pass by before we got the the building. we didn't stop, but just drove around the outside and had a look. There were carvings on the walls of dead animals and on the very tip of the cupola was either a bronze or a stuffed elk. I couldn't tell because it was so far away. It was probably bronze, but it reminded me of Joe Jonas, Jr. Taxadermy anyway. It turns out that the Faiborns are my home teachers, which is really handy. Sister Fairborn offered to do a lot of things with me (take me to the markets, museums, etc.) which I think will be really fun.

This last thursday Benedetta had a "concert." She takes kareoke singing lessons, and there were about 7 other students who performed as well. It was a real party, in an underground bar, with flashing lights, alcohol, bar nuts, and the like. It was really fun to see her perform, because I got to see a completely different side of her that I usually see. She got really into her songs and put on quite the little show.

Last weekend the family and I went to their Condo in Courmayeur. I meant to take some pictures, but when I got there, my camera had dead batteries, so you will have to wait until next month when we will go again. It was nice, and really relaxing. We left on saturday night, drove for 1.5 hours, and then just hung out until bed time. It was freezing!!! I slept with 2 pairs of pants, a sweater, and 5 blankets. The next day was nice; we went for a hike in a valley at the base of Mont Blanc. I thought it was going to be a really hard hike because I know the family is so active. We dropped off Matteo and Tommaso about 2 miles before the trailhead, Tommaso biked while Matteo ran. The rest of us drove to the beginning and started walking. It turned out that the hike was flatter than Kansas. We walked along the river Dora, and after a while the boys passed us, then passed us again on their way back. The trail was cut short because the river had flooded. After the hike we stopped at a nice restaurant and had a picnic outside. We ate cheese, bread, tomatoes, and an "apple pie" from the store. It was nothing like american apple pie, but it was still really good. It was really rainy for the rest of our time there, so we just stayed inside and played games. We came back monday afternoon.

I've made some really nice friends in my ward here. After institute two weeks ago, we all went out to eat Kebap's afterwards. I had no idea what this was, but I went anyway. It turned out to be kind of like a burrito, but the meat was shaved, not ground, and it was really, really, really, really, really hot. Probably the most spicy thing I have ever eaten. I was good, and I suffered through the heat...without a drink... and I ate most of it. I don't know that I would eat it again, maybe if I got it without the spicy sauce, we'll see.

Yesterday I had a little adventure. The kids started basketball camp, and I rode with them to the place, and then walked home. Well, I got lazy and decided to figure out the bus instead. I missed my first bus and had to back track, and then I got off too early on the second one, but I didn't get lost, which I am very proud of. It would have been an hour to walk home, so i'm glad that I figured out the bus because I had left the house without eating breakfast! I stopped at a Gelateria on my way home, and the Gelato was so good! It is kind of fun because at most gelateria's you just stand at a window on the sidewalk and order from there. You can go in if you want, but you don't have to. Behind the window is a freezer with about 15 different flavors, and you pick two, put your money in a tray, and continue on your passeggiato (little walk).

That's all for now. Love you!