...fattening.

Replace "for Christmas" with "in Italy" and it's spot on. Spot on. 

Meh. Let me start with saying: God bless you, my 18 year old metabolism. I've abused you for so long, but this is the last time, I promise.

Second, this will be a sad excuse for a food porn blog post, slightly boring and mostly for journaling all the yummy stuff I ate with super low quality pictures, so yeah.

Lets start with Easter. Just pure heavenly descriptions. The meal started with a large plate of AMAZING lasagna (like really large). Followed by a slice of veil. Small and mostly insignificant, except that it tasted really good. You'll notice we had the whole farm gathered round for lunch. After a short intermission of carbonated water and seconds on all produced thus far, the lamb was brought out. I think a ate a whole lamb. Poor thing didn't know I was coming to dinner. Probably didn't know IT was going to dinner, but that's irrelevant, he tasted great. Lamb down the hatch next up were the potatoes and artichoke hearts. And to all my sisters wondering, no, I did not in fact eat the hearts of those innocent veggies. Forgive my sin but Francesca actually complimented me on my willingness to try everything, just not THAT. So HA. I'm not the same extreme of snotty brat I've always been ; ). Next up is the pallet cleanser! In a previous post I mentioned Sorbetto, which is basically melted sorbet, but with less of a sugary taste (though it is very sugary). I've never had good experiences drinking straight melted sorbet in the states. But mind you I will be trying it when I get home. Next I was handed a good sized bowl of some celestial cream of some celestial cow. Not being sacrilegious, if one of you gets to the celestial kingdom before me and this stuff isn't there just keep on walking, you ain't there yet. Along with this cream is a HUGE slice of a traditional Italian Easter cake. It is focaccia cake in the shape of a dove. D-e-e-elicious! And here's the best part... You dip the cake in the cream! Smokies...

This is approximately a lot smaller than the piece I was handed.

 How Italian women maintain the little twig legs they're all sportin' is beyond me. You might say "Well, Julie, they didn't Old Mcdonald's farm for lunch", but au contraire my friend; they ate more than I did!

That fortunately was the end... of lunch. I promptly went home and passed out. Only to wake up in time to eat a whole pizza by myself. Granted these pizzas when folded in half twice are the same thickness and size of a Domino's slice, BUT STILL. I was cursed with a conscience that doesn't let me throw away food a host buys for me. I don't know why they bought me a whole pizza after that lunch. I got smart the next time we ordered and requested a smaller pizza.. Every one that saw my "baby" pizza chuckled. Baby? This is still the size of a 1,000 calorie Totinos pizza!

I have eaten this whole thing multiple times

Now on to the foods I eat on a daily basis.

Breakfast 

Not very exciting

Every morning I wake up at 7:50 in time to walk the girls to school. I enjoy the weather and then return home to breakfast alone. I eat a slice of bread Francesca either makes or buys every week. She makes one loaf and then for the week She, Samuele, Letizia and I enjoy it with either amazing honey OR peanut butter. Peanut butter, Francesca had never had it before...we've already finished one jar and are half way through the second. We may be requesting some more get mailed. And Ludovica has some really crunchy version of cocoa puffs. I know very intriguing, but breakfast is the most important meal so you can't skip it no matter how boring it is in a blog.  Although one day this week I looked over  and Letizia was literally eating straight sugar and orzo powder. Needless to say after a few scuffles with Ludo that afternoon and a tantrum with a pillow on the floor she was passed out right there. (miracle for the babysitter that does not speak her language).

Lunch & Dinner 

Personally my favorite meals - unfortunately, also the most fattening

Just a few highlights

 Everything small you might find in the ocean fried with no concern for skin or shrimp legs. Yum. But ew. 

 Zuchini, something creamy and wonderful, and rice. They have a spinach concoction like this too 

 I had lobster for the first time! Definitely outs-shined by the delicious pasta accompanying it.

Tortellini and the aforementioned ragu! I'm addicted.

A few of my other favorite meals include Lasagana of course, Carbonara, an egg and bacon pasta, tuna and tomato sauce pasta, the Italian equivalent of pizza hot pockets (just as greasy I promise), prosciutto tortillas, ham and mozzarella in a tortilla, a rice, barley and some other grain concoction (definitely my favorite rice dish), strawberries with orange juice and sugar, AND panna pasta. Okay panna, it's good. Just plain panna is the American equivalent of heavy whipping cream. But they have different flavors I guess is the right word, for different dishes. The lasagna kind is my favorite, but the generic pasta dish with bacon chunks is to. die. for.


Knick Knack Snacks

They fed me mold. I have never been more insulted. Except for when they fed me raw meat. Ergh, I have learned more words in Italian in defense of my tastes buds than for anything else. Crudo means raw and stampo means mold, just for your information. Aside from these offenses I am fed VERY well. Maaaaadooonna if you haven't seen already.

I also ate a smoothie is Venice this week, eh. Italians don't like to eat anything that is cold. They refrigerate as much as necessary but no more. That didn't kill the smoothie, although it probably would have helped the flavor. I'm not a fan, but I'm sure they make enough money on their sangria and  other such things to not worry about the random American just dying for a smoothie.

Picture time

Easter I received a big chocolate egg
Post meal, pre-coma
(note: I can still fit into the black dress...or I could three weeks ago)

I think this is focaccia bread. Basically fluffy salty naan. You can get it cooked with onions, potato flour, tomatoes, olives, whatever nasty stuff you want. Plain salty is my favorite.

Hehe this is my personal favorite. Italian's morning, mid-morning, noon, afternoon, mid-afternoon, evening, and bedtime cafe breaks are all VERY important to them. Being the LDS in their midst I must decline every coffee they offer me. But that doesn't mean I have to decline a coffee cup full of whipped cream : ) I'm ashamed it wasn't my idea, but it definitely makes coffee break much more enjoyable.

When Francesca suggested I ordered this she described it as beignets dipped in chocolate, put on top of ice cream, slathered in whipped cream, and then drizzled in chocolate. Um yes please.
I actually ordered another ice cream dish, but she and I swapped bowls a few times.

Gelato, yeah, it's kind of an everyday thing with Ludo and I.
Moments before my panna (whipped cream) had toppled to the ground in a successful suicide attempt. There's a reason movies use that scene so much. It really is so crushing to watch your ice cream fall towards the ground. But that just may be my inner fat girl talking.

And last but not least, I made banana bread tonight. I would say it's my payback for them making me fat, but I'm probably going to eat half of it anyway so never mind.

In other food news we're having a "Texas BBQ" at English course next week. A Californian elder is doing the cooking, but I'm bringing the seasoning and the white chocolate cheesecake and being the token Texan so it should be a good time!

Also only two more weeks until you don't have to hear about Italy anymore!