Feasting on Friday ... Frog and Toe Jams

DH and I are finally back home again after nearly two months ..

SO good to be back in our own beds and normal routine....

now if we can only get re-adjusted to our home time-zone.

 

We spent Mother's Day weekend with my mother-in-law ~

found these at a small roadside stand while driving to

my in-law's home. 

 

Just had to get them both for DMIL and DFIL!

Love the names!!

 

 

Gotta love the quirky names! 

And there were several people who walked into the place,

read the jar titles and said "Eww!!"

 

"Toe jam" in the US is a slang term for

the gunk that accumulates between the toes.

Definitely not the first thing you think of at a produce stand!!

 

In this case .. "Toe Jam" means "Tangerine, Orange, Elderberry"

~ "Frog Jam" is "Fig, raspberry, orange and ginger".

 

Do you have a quirky food specialty in your area?

Please share!!

Hope to hear from you soon ~

Holly

 

 



Bunnies ... bunnies ... who has the bunnies ?

Dh and I visited an Easter Market up in Frankfurt over the weekend.

These was a new experience for us ...

 

DH found one for his tummy  ~ I found one for our Easter Tree ~

Good day for both of us ~

Holly



saw this in a local market today ...

DH and I saw this in a local grocery today while picking up produce .... surprised me to see it.  
It's made by a German brewery and apparently is quite popular here in Europe.

So glad that Homer is NOT on the packing ... that would cheapen the appearance for me.  

We didn't buy any ... 

Would you have added this to your shopping basket?
I'd love to hear what unique items you have seen in your local shops.


Holly

 

 

spices at the market

Perfect timing ... I need to re-stock my kitchen for holiday baking!

It REALLY does exist!

Homer Simpson's legendary beer really does exist ...

a fine German brew (so I am told).

Buying figs in Belpasso

We passed this vendor on the way to work -- haven't seen him before two weeks ago.  Most local vendors set up near the top of town or on the main road coming down from the top.  Others drive through town either in the morning or evening with small (very small) trucks and loud speakers letting people know what is being offered.  This one is closer to the bottom of Belpasso.

The figs were pretty great!

KFC Russian-style

Hey!  It's KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) ... in Moscow, Russia. 

 "It's chicken tonight!"

DH and I spent most of June visiting Berlin and then taking a river cruise up the Volga from Moscow to St. Petersburg. 

DS even managed to get leave approved to join us for the entire trip.

We had a GREAT time!

Brotwort seller in Berlin

Visited Berlin (Germany) last month with DH, DS and a co-worker (who lived 11 years there .. our own personal tour guide!)  Saw this guy at a couple of the tourist spots we visited.  Carries all that he needs to sell wonderful German sausages to passers-by. 

 Yum!!

Fresh orange juice!

Freshly squeezed tarocco (related to blood oranges) juice!  Good stuff!

The first year I was stationed here before, DS was only 8 that year.  He strolled into the kitchen while I was squeezing orange juice and asked what I was doing.   I told him I was making orange juice.
Instant response ... "No you're not!. I know what orange juice looks like!!"
Took some convincing ... but he finally tried the juice .... and liked it.

Birra ?

saw this while visiting one of our favorite restaurants ...

Store shelves during trucker strike

Cold shelves in a local store ... trucker strike is having quite an effect.

Pasqua cake

Giovanni and Carmela gave DH and I this Pasqua (Easter) cake ...

it's full of almonds and candied orange peel...the tastes of Sicily.

Yum!

Candy Jars

These are on a local bakery's counter - I really like the flow of the curves.

carnivale cookie

This cookie was at a local bakery DH and I like ...

saw this one during this year's Carnivale period.

Bear Bologna!

Bear bologna found in a local super-market ....

I think it's cute!

Got some for DH to sample

KATHY K'S TOMATO -- SMILES!

Kathy sent a picture of this guy from her garden ... she just added the eyes and mouth.   I like his curly hair!

PEEKS OF MALETTO'S STRAWBERRY FEST

Top to bottom:

Overlooking the town of Maletto

Strawberry cannoli (Maletto is famous throughout Italy for its strawberries)

Looking up and down the main street (flag bearers going to the parade site)

Fresh strawberry cake (about 2-feet[0.6 meters]) across

Strawberry vendor

Freshly made gelato (even has strawberry seeds in it)

A pretty balcony I passed heading for the main festival area ...

Yup... summer is here! 

ORANGE FESTIVAL IN FRANCOFONTE

There are large orchards of Tarocco (blood) oranges south south of us. I've been told that after both the world wars, that veterans were given land and encouraged to grow oranges. The region is now famous for blood oranges -- I think they are a bit sweeter than the more common orange....though it still seems odd to pour red juice in the morning. The oranges in this picture isn't even very red ... lots are solidly red.
Poster advertising the festival...


...Cannoli filled with pistachio, orange, strawberry or white creme fillings....




....filling cannoli...


...yum... cannoli with orange filling....love Italian desserts! ...



Francofonte (Siracusa province), Land of the Best Oranges in the World ...


....little side corner of the town ...

IT'S ARTICHOKE SEASON

It's artichoke season here - vendors are everywhere selling fresh from local fields. Twenty-five artichokes for 6 euro (about $8.50 in US dollars).
I love springtime here.

SEAFOOD FEAST

A few weeks ago, a group of friends went exploring the country-side near Palermo and we stopped at this restaurant (known for its seafood) for lunch in Sferracavallo...



...just across the street from the restaurant...if we'd had a cooler, suspect that several in the group would have bought some to take home ...


...seafood salad, rice and white wine to start off the meal....



...fried sardines ....


...mussels and oysters - DH tried an oyster, I just couldn't get past the looks of the raw oyster ...



...seafood risotto and pasta vongole (with clams) - DH loved these two, but then again, he just plain loves most any seafood ....



... one of the seafood platters for the group ...


...and lemon gelato (ice cream) for dessert ... good stuff!


Watching the clouds coming in over the hillsides and the water ...