LA TROTA RESTAURANT, NEAR SYRACUSA

On an ITT trip down to Noto to see the flower murals (unfortunately my camera died right after lunch) -- Don can remember his parents going there when he was in Sicily as a kid; Chris and I took an ITT trip to Noto the last year we were here (while Don was in Maryland) and now Don and I are finally getting to go .... Don sleeping in the back of the bus -- rough work week .......the entrance to La Trota Restaurant (the Trout Restaurant)...
... our guide, Alfina (both now and when Don and I were first stationed here )...
...a fish ponds the trout swim in outside the restaurant before they are used ...
...Don checking out the trout...
...the back of the restaurant ... the top level is even with the parking lot ...
..."Hi geese!" ....
... Don wandering around before lunch ...
.... funky looking eyes .....
.... one of the geese pulled at Don's pants ... guess he was too close ....
.... inside the restaurant ... it's actually a cavern ...
... Don's fish themed antipasta ....
... my meat themed antipasta .....
... my pork chop, sausage and potatoes ....
..... Don's fresh trout with garlic ......
.... ice cream with coffee sauce for dessert .....

... another view of the interior ... on one side of the room is a huge set of wine racks going from floor to ceiling and opposite the front door there is a huge fish tank with more trout swimming around .... the front wall is floor to ceiling windows over looking the fish ponds, geese pens, a small lake and all the grass ....
... good lunch, now it's off to Noto to check out the flower murals .....drats ... wish my camera hadn't died .... oh well, such is life...

UMMMM .... ROAST CHICKEN!

This is the marquee for a local take-away food store serving typical Sicilian items --- can be anywhere from three or four dishes to 15 or 20 ... you tell the clerk which items you want and how much (usually sold by weight).

We usually get Giarrosto which is the local name for rotissary chicken. Lots of places sell it - quite reasonable - generally it comes stuffed with potatoes (either wedges or fries), olives and for some reason, the last few we have gotten have included an Italian hot dog (no idea why that is stuffed in there).

Good stuff!

JALAPENO CORNBREAD

This was a bit too moist for me - but the flavour was fantastic! I like fluffy cornbread. Noted what changes I will make next time -- haven't tried them yet, so not sure if these will get the results I want ....

JALAPENO CORNBREAD

1-1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal
1 cup self-rising flour
2 TB. sugar
2 teas. salt
1/2 teas. baking soda
1 can creamed corn (used a 16-oz can; but the bread turned out overly moist for me)
2 to 4 jalepeno peppers, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup oil (may cut this down to 3/4 cup next time)
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Combine cornmeal thru baking soda. Add the rest and mix well. Pour half the batter into greased 13x9-inch pan, top with half the cheese. Pour in the rest of the batter and top with the rest of the cheese. Bake at 400-degress for 45-minutes.

APPLE CRUNCH COFFEE CAKE

Made this a few days ago .... was still moist this morning when we finished it off!

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
2 teas. baking powder
1/2 teas. baking soda
1/4 teas. salt
1 teas. cinnamon
1-3/4 cup buttermilk (or milk with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar)
2 to 3 apples, cored, peeled and sliced

Beat together butter, shortening and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, beat well and set aside.
Stir together flour, baking powder and soda, salt and cinnamon; add to butter mixture alternating with buttermilk.
Spread about half the batter in a greased 13x9-inch pan; top with apple slices.
Spread remaining batter over apples, sprinkle with topping.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until knife tests clean.


Topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
6 Tablespoon butter

Stir together everything except butter. Cut butter in 3with a pastry blender or a pair of knives until crumbly.

CRANBERRY SWIRL COFFEECAKE

It rained most of today ... tried out some new recipes .... this is a KEEPER! Nice and most and easy to put together.

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teas. baking powder
1 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. salt
8-oz container sour cream
1 teas. almond extract
1/2 teas. vanilla extract
16-oz can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/2 chopped nuts (opt)

Cream sugar and margarine together, add eggs and set aside. Mix together flour, baking soda & powder and salt in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to margarine mixture alternating with sour cream. Add extracts - mix well. Pour half of batter into greased tube pan, add half of cranberry sauce and swirl with knife (like making marble cake). Top with the rest of the batter and top with other half of the cranberry sauce and squirl the top layer of cranberry sauce into the top layer of batter. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, cool for 5 minutes, remove to rack and drizzle with topping.

Topping:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teas. almond extract
1 to 3 tablespoons warm water

Combine sugar and extract; add water 1 tablespoon at a time until drizzling consistancy.

CARMELA'S TURTLES ARE OUT!

Carmela, our landlady, has moved her turtles out into the flowerbox. During the winter or when it is cold, the turtles live inside Carmela and Giovanni's home. Giovanni was putting together a wood frame for the flowerbed since the turtles can climb on the curved terracotta roof tile (roof, walls for the turtle house) and escape.

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL, CASSIBLE, SYRACUSA

Don and I went down to Cassible to see the Strawberry Festival held at the horse track just outside of town .... it wasn't what we expected .... only a couple of farmers selling strawberries ... mostly it was food vendors and services (solar panels, wood burning ovens, and the like). We were there around noon-time, there was a puppet show that evening that could have been interesting ... but it was too long to wait.


Strawberry beer tent .....
... fresh coconut for the kids (kids around here love to eat wedges of coconut ... most events will have at least one vendor selling coconut -- as you see here, it is kept damp in a water fountain) ......... a sign I liked for a small cheese farmer ... happy cows, sheep and goats ...

... the two cases of strawberries we bought ... one for us and one for our landlords ...

APPLE GINGERBREAD COBBLER

Tried a new recipe tonight - Heavenly! Definitely will be added to the holiday menu.

14-oz pkg gingerbread cake mix, divided
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I used walnuts)
2 21-oz cans apple pie filling
Garnish: vanilla ice cream

Mix together 2 cups of the gingerbread mix and water until smooth - set bowl aside.
Mix together the rest of the gingerbread mix with the brown sugar; cut in 1/4 cup butter until the mixture is crumbly. Add nuts and set this bowl aside. Combine pie filling and other 1/4 cup of butter in saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the filling is heated. Pour filling into a lightly greased 13x9 pan (original recipe called for a 11x7 - but I don't have one of those - cobbler was thinner than it would have been otherwise, but still tasted good); spread filling out evenly. Top with the first gingerbread mixture over the filling; top with the nut mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until set.

Serve with ice cream.

Next time I'll probably put it in a casserole dish so it isn't spread out so much.

SPRINGTIME SUGAR COOKIES

Perfect for springtime! I have added nasturiums to salads since they are slightly peppery tasting ... have never heard of decorating sugar cookies with pansies. Here is the link for more details how to do it ... seems simple and fun!

http://www.rightathome.com/Food/Recipes/Pages/PansyFlowerCookies.aspx

Frugal Upstate: A Great Green Giveaway

Frugal Upstate: A Great Green Giveaway

Sometimes we save...sometimes we spend ..... DH and I are trying to be mindful of how we use what we have ... right now Frugal Upstate is collecting frugal, green ideas for a giveaway ... go check out the ideas, leave one yourself and enter the giveaway.... what do you have to lose?

SPRING IS BLOOMING!

Two days ago, we had a big snowstorm on Mt Etna ---
on the plains of Catania the wildflowers are out!


Dahlias I planted in one of my three windowboxes on the party balcony ... still need flowers for the other two windowboxes ... want to find something colorful!

OVERNIGHT BUTTERMILK-RAISIN PANCAKES

Tried something new for Easter breakfast ... and it is a KEEPER!

2 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 TB sugar
1 teas. baking powder
1 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. cinnamon
1/2 teas. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup raisins (used sweetened dried cranberries, nearly 3/4 cup by the end)

Mix together oats and buttermilk in bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
In large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and salt.
Add oats, eggs, butter and raisins; stir until moistened -- don't overmix.
Let batter stand for 20 minutes before cooking.
When ready to cook, add more buttermilk if too thick (I used another 1/2 cup).
Heat a lightly greased skillet over medium heat.
Make pancakes (I use a soup ladle), flip pancakes when bubbles cover the top.

RAMACCA ARTICHOKE FEST - PALM SUNDAY

Don and I went over to Ramacca to experience the artichoke festival held Palm Sunday weekend. Ramacca is famous in Italy for it's artichokes.









Yum...good artichokes!

CANDY EASTER EGGS SICILIAN STYLE

On Easter Sunday, children and adults alike look forward to opening the brightly
wrapped chocolate Easter eggs that friends and relatives give them on Easter. The more the better! Of course all eggs (except the tiniest) contain a surprise that range from toys (some are small like Hot Wheels or the Happy Meal toys) to larger ones like Big Wheel toddler riding toys to walkman radios to silver charms or gold dipped jewelry (depending on the price and brand). The left over chocolate from the eggs is usually frozen or melted to make sweets. There are many versions of Colomba Pasquale such as chocolate, etc. in colorful boxes that are appreciated as gifts. Such fun!

Giant chocolate egg by Carrafour -- wonder what's in the hollow of this one? (Yes, it is a real candy egg)Don with some of the smaller eggs ....
Eggs -- eggs and more eggs ---