Sogni di Sicilia

A morning spent finalizing the upcoming Mexico Adventure (check, and check!), trying to book a gift certificate (wtf, Ryanair?!?) for Vincenzo and Mariella, looking at more Thailand options, and trying to find a hotel near Catania Airport with way too early in the morning shuttle service. Although the Rapisardas would take us in a heartbeat, it means leaving Biancavilla around 3:45 am. Why even go to bed! I then spent a good amount of time making my favorite Mollie Katzen (The Moosewood Cookbook (or, Bible, as fans say), The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, Still Life With Menu author) cookies. They're a chunky, chewy, satisfying oatmeal chocolate chip that tastes good enough to seem bad for you, but the recipe is pretty healthy, as far as cookies go. Soon after I took the last batch from the oven, Ettore arrived. I had set out big squares on the floor, trying to combine the idea of an escape room with the game "the floor is lava," by having him find objects in the room from my...

I didn't have time to blog, so here's a quick recap. After a lazy morning, a lunch of leftover tavola calda from Ettore's party, a quick clean up, and a trip to Lidl and Decò, I got home in time for Ettore, Agnese, and Simone to arrive upstairs before my coat came off. Elena and Mariella "reminded me" of the cenone , big dinner, tonight at Pina and Francesco's house. This is the first I heard of it. We're leaving for Catania, where they live, at 7:45 tonight. Evidently, someone from the friend group hosts a holiday kick-off dinner each year. The intersecting aisle in back of me is equally as long and full of panettone  and pandora as these in front of me. AstroTurf and potted plant arrangements pop up everywhere. LOL This would get a hard no from my Greek baking ladies. We are making gingerbread cookies! I bought kits from Lidl and, spoiler, they taste nothing like gingerbread. I think molasses doesn't exist here, but it's too late to rely on Amazo...