Our Family Christmas Tree

Hi everyone, hope you are all having a great weekend!  I'm having a nice family downtime weekend, yesterday we finally put up the tree :) Isn't it gorgeous?  I think it's super, decorated with lots of love and care by the whole family while listening to Christmas Carols, a traditional family ritual in our home!  Well got to run and get Sunday lunch started, wishing you all a super Sunday, maybe decorating your tree or whatever you're doing together.

Bling, Bling, Bling!!!!

Hi everyone, I have many interests, but one of my passions has always been, yes, that's right, bling!  I think I developed this passion at an early age, seeing that already when I was about five I used to dress up w/my mom's costume jewelry and not only, yes, her high heels were a must too, lol.  Since I can remember things that glitter and shine have always caught my eye, mind you I'm choosy, never liked the gaudy bling, it always had and has to have a certain elegance and fit in with what I'm wearing perfectly.  As a child in the late sixties I used to love to imitate my beautiful mom, I used to go in her room and put on her heels and costume jewelry, often she'd walk in and say "you mustn't wear my heels or they will ruin" then she'd laugh and say "I used to do the same with my mom's things."

As I grew my bling passion progressed, in the seventies my Saturday afternoon passtime was going to Birk's at Jackson Square in my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, with mom or a friend, but mostly mom, since we shared this blingy hobby..lol.  If you are from Canada and love bling then you will agree that back then Birk's was the place to go!  I remember there used to be a special offers table set up at the entrance with the little blue Birk's boxes lying on top and each box held a small Birk's treasure, nothing expensive mind you but so appealing to the eye, and wallet.  I think we never, ever left empty handed, we always ended buying a bling or two.  I still have many of those little treasures to this day.
In the eighties when big bling was the craze, I loved to wear huge earrings, clunky bracelets and chokers along with my big hair of course.  Back then it was all about hair and shoulder pads, so the big bling fit in perfectly, haha!
In the nineties when I married and had my children I still wore my bling but only in appropriate moments since holding my sons while they were grabbing at my necklaces was not very practical or comfertable, not to mention safe, as they always stuck things in their mouths as most babies and toddlers do.  I'd limit myself to wearing blingy jewelry to special occasions or the occasional dinner party with my husband.
The 2000's were a turning point for me as far as bling goes, my children grew older and less grabby, haha, and so hello bling again, full force that is, I had to make up for lost time blingwise!! These days I'm living in Italy and every chance I get I hit the local open air markets, believe me you can get some great deals on bling, beautiful costume jewelry with prices that vary from €1.00 to €5.00 for the cheapest but still nice bling to €10.00 to not more than €15.00 - €20.00 for the most expensive bling.  In other words a bling lovers heaven!
So as you can see my passion lives on, even after all these years, no regrets or guilts for always having bought all the bling, and my moto was, is and always will be, I Love Bling!!

Sunshine and Good Books

Hi everyone, I'm here lying on my lounger and basking in this beautiful fall sunshine, it must be Indian Summer!! Just loving every moment.  These are those moments where you grab a nice lounger, lie down, cosy up to the french window and enjoy a good book, which is what I'm doing. The book is called A Girls' Guide to Homemaking by Amy Bratley, I bought it on a whim, I saw it on the shelf at the supermarket last Friday and picked it up because I loved the cover!! I then decided, "ok, you're going in my shopping cart". I often buy books just becuase I like the cover, usually they don't let me down, haha.  I started reading it the same afternoon and believe me so far so good, it has romance, ambition, mystery, cheating boyfriend, repentment.....etc. etc.
As soon as I finish it I will give you the lowdown on if the book has a captivating storyline till the end or not, so off I go to continue with the adventures of Juliet (the main character) and her life story. Ta ta everyone,  my lounger and book are waiting for me in the warmth of the cosy Indian Summer sun.

Oven Made Prune Jam

Ciao everyone, today it's a super grey day!!! Dark and dreary, perfect for making some homemade jam, as you can see I've posted a photo of red prune jam, believe it or not this jam was made in the oven and not on the stove.  To make 3 small jars of this delicacy you will need:

1kg of ripe red pulpy prunes (cut up in small pieces)
250grms. of Demerrera sugar (also white sgr will do)
1quarter teaspoon of cinnemon
5 cloves (finely ground)

Take the prunes and wash them, dry them cut in half then take out the pits, cut the prunes in small pieces put in a bowl and stir in the 250 grms sugar.
Pour in an oven pan that is at least 6 to 8 cm deep and put in oven at 200 degrees (Better if you have a ventilated oven) for about 1 hour and a half, or when you see it gets to the right jam consistancy.  Near the end, about 10 - 15 mts before you take it out of the oven get a wooden spoon and stir, this helps to mix the jam better and have the desired consistancy.  To test that the jam is ready just put some on a small dish and let cool a few minutes, if it doesn't slide off the dish when tilting, it's ready!! :)
At this point remove from oven add the ground cloves and cinnemon, stir and pour in the jars, now put the jars upsidedown for 5 minutes or I usually prefer to leave it overnight to create a vaccum pack.

When filling the jars make sure to fill them almost to the rim, so not to leave any pockets of air.

Your jam is ready to be enjoyed already the next day.

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, My Hometown

Ciao everyone, hope you're all having a great weekend, mine is going good!! Cooking, grocery shopping, cleaning, visiting mom.  Poor thing she hasn't been well these days so I've been running some errands for her and mostly helping her out at home and keeping her company more than usual.  She deserves it, Nonna Carmen is always spoiling us, she loves her grandsons (my boys) to bits, spoils them all the time, baking for them and giving them gifts, normal nonna things :)), she's one in a million, great mom and nonna.  She has travelled the world, Argentina (where she and my dad were married and also where I was born in huhumm... 1959), we lived in Canada for 20 years,  where my brother and I grew up, Hamilton, Ontario, to be exact! she's also been to the USA many times to visit her brothers during the summer holidays, we'd go to Jersey City, NJ where my mom's brothers and their families lived,  I know, you're probably going, wow!! These guys have travelled, and you're right, but I wouldn't have had any other way!! Mine is a long story, sometimes I tell my kids and husband, I feel I've lived many lives...lol!! But I'll tell you that story another time, now I've got to run, ya it's almost that time of day, dinner time, and my son is returning from Rome today after a week's visit w/his uncles, aunts and nonna Ada (my hubbie's mom). Catch you all later and have a great weekend!! Love, 80sblingirl<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/63766806" width="500" height="281" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>

In the meantime here's a video of my Hometown, where I grew up and miss so much, enjoy!!!

What to Make for Dinner

As I lie here on my sofa I'm thinking of many things, my mind starts to wonder and wishes it were somewhere else, it's obvious that this is a "Calgon, please take me away" moment. Not that I'm not happy, it's just that the neverending mind boggling question of the day starts to consume me! but I think and think and then like magic a lightbulb pops up in my head and voilà dinner is served.  I start putting together this and that and the ingredients slowly start marching out of my fridge and pantry like little soldiers on a mission and I must say wether I follow a recipie or invent with what I've got I always seem to conjure up tasty dishes, ok ok sometimes I just can't be bothered and so thank you! to ready made frozen food or shake and bake,  they are at times life savers,  although I try to leave them as a last resort or as I like to call them "For Emergencies Food" hehe.

Hope to hear some of your thoughts on how you organise yourselves with the big "what to make for dinner" question and if you like me also have the "For Emergencies Food" always handy.  In the meantime, I think I'll have a real "Calgon take me away" moment, catch you all later, bye for now! 80s Blingirl.

It's Monday Again!

Well here we go, time to start the work week, tons to do and think of but guess I'll be fine, I always worry I won't get everything done but I always do so let's get going, up and at'em! Hope you all have a great week too.  First stop breakfast then a nice quick shower and I'm off to do my errands, in & out of my cosy home which I can't wait to come back to for lunch...lol!!