Christmas Will Soon Be Here!!

Hi friends!  I know it's been a while since my last post but have had so much going on since I last posted an entry on my Blog!!  The main reason being that my mom fell ill at the begining of this year and after various tests we found out that she had cancer, she went into hospital in mid March only to never return home, after many ups and many, many downs she quietly left us on July 17th/2014 with me by her bedside 😔 It was the saddest moment of my entire life!!!   But life goes on, right?!  After mourning and feeling depressed for weeks, at times not even showing it, since I have 2 sons who were devastated by this loss, I had to naturally grieve with them but also try to keep going for them!
I have just lately started to embark in new little projects, one of which is getting some friends together from different parts of Italy to meet up for a luncheon in Rome around the Holiday season, mom would've wanted me to go on as she did many, many times in her life.

My other little projects are simply putting together my little Christmas gifts for friends and family and buying my supplies will be part of the fun of doing so, anyways have to go now and continue my daily routines, will chelck in with updates on both my luncheon preparations and xmas projects, hugs and ✌️❤️☕️ Oly!!  This is a photo of my beautiful mother Carmela, taken in her youth when she lived in Genova, Italy, love and miss her tons!!

The Holidays are Over but not Forgotten

Although the Christmas and New Year's holidays are over the memories that we've created will linger in our minds and in our hearts.  My holidays were blessed with the warmth and love of my family and friends, both near and far, cooking was also a big part of our traditional Christmas celebration, who could forget my mom's almond bark or honey sweetened Struffoli, yum.  I delighted my family with my homemade Lasagna and roast Salmon not to mention my vol au vent filled with pink cocktail sauce and prawns, our pastry chef Panettone was none the less, moist and covered with a crunchy Almond crust, yum, yum, so inviting, worth every calorie...lol :)

Just so many special moments to remember, New Year's Eve, the boys went away with their friends and hubby and I stayed home and had our soecial candle lit dinner, so romantic, I made Farfalle shaped pasta with fresh Salmon sauce and fillet of sole with creme fraiche sauce, Panettone was the crowning glory of this wonderful dinner with a bottle of bubbly of coarse, Spumante! Midnight was filled with happiness and love as we rung in the new year, goes to show you that you don't need a crowed to be cheerful and have fun!

Our time spent recieving our loved ones were moments to treasure forever and my husband's and I walks in the cold winter sunshine was a real treat too, not to mention our afternoon at the GAM (Gallery of  Modern Art in Torino) to view the Renoir painting exhibit, a real treat for both of us, we love art and this was a super exhibit!

Amongst the things we visited there were also the local Nativity Scenes sponsored by the city of Collegno, Italy is famous for the most beautiful Nativity Scenes in the world, doesn't surprise me since this is the country where they originate.  Every year my husband, Danilo and I love to take one afternoon during the Christmas break and go and visit the local Nativity Scenes, some are just plain statuettes with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus and the lot, and others are mechanical scenes, with all the charecters moving and the day that becomes night and vica versa.  These Nativity Scenes have a lot of hard work and time and effort put into them by local volanteers, they are just breathtaking! I take my hat off to these volanteers for the dedication and passion that they put into making these Scenes without earning a dime, if not the praise of their admirers.

In closing I want to say so long Christmas Holidays, you maybe gone but surely not forgotten.