Ciaotraveler

This may need some clearing up.   I've made Grey Goose  Milano cocktails  for company in the past and wanted to share the recipe here.  However, my research keeps coming up with a very different concoction.   The "new" recipe uses equal parts of gin, Galliano and lemon juice.   So what happened to the Grey Goose Milano Cocktail using Grey Goose vodka, blood orange juice , and a splash of Cointreau?   If anyone can clear this up please feel free to do so and contact me...

Found these great Euro linens, fabrics and items to inspire a post...

Only the freshest produce, spices, breads, meats and cheeses are available at the many open air markets in Europe. In the future, I'll post in the popular market schedules in a blog. I bought some dried peppers on a trip in 2000 and still have them for flavoring olive oil with garlic. I like to have spices mixed up before I cook so I can add to my dishes...here's one of my pasta seasoning blends...

Wine charms can be useful when having a party where guests often misplace their wine glasses.  Now there's such a variety and much more decorative.   These copper discs are crafted by Gasquetgirl at Etsy and I added my Euro photo stickers to personalize them.

Flowers in Florence

According to WSJ, "there is something about waking up in Sofia Coppola's bedroom at the Palazzo Margherita that makes one feel rather like a princess. The walls and high ceilings are painted with golden trompe l'oeil trellising and faux marble, tall doors with long white curtains open onto a terrace and a walled garden below, and the bed is enormous. It is even lovelier once the chambermaids have been through, leaving behind a haze of citrusy Acqua di Parma. Located in the lively working town of Bernalda, in Southern Italy , the palazzo is the fifth and most luxurious in a collection of hotels owned by Francis Ford Coppola . It represents a homecoming, of sorts, for the multifaceted filmmaker, whose grandfather immigrated to America from there in 1904." Bernalda is situated South of Puglia and North of Calabria on the South Eastern coast of Italy.  Sofia and her husband were married in this small, rustic town.   The article is worth a read at at  WSJ . See another

Herbs de Provence  is an earthy fresh seasoning used commonly in the south of France that can be added to many meat, fish, chicken or vegetable dishes.  Its often blended with olive oil and used as a rub prior to cooking.  This special blend of spices makes the meat pop with freshness.  Don't let the lavendar fool you...it's the perfect ingredient for an unusual but delightful taste. After you've made your favorite blend, seal it in a spice jar, small clay pot or small burlap bag and  gift it with a nice ribbon or add to a basket with beans, rice. etc.  Continue for recipe...

Ciaotraveler Short Feature I think you must know by now that I'm silly for Shabby Chic design and decorating, so when Pamela Anderson's Malibu home came on the market to rent, I had to post the photos.  The photos are from Curbed and the house is by Architect Lautner.  I remember seeing the tour some years back on TV celebrity home tours. See Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Malibu Shack