Sunday 11 February 2018

Packing for Italy

Paula Stanghetta from MP Tours has asked me to do a post on packing for Italy, so here goes!!!!  First of all, I have been to Italy 5 times, 2 with Paula.  I am going again in May to Puglia, Italy also with Paula!!  As you can tell I love Italy, and I also love the personalized tours with MP Tours. I love the people, the food. the scenery and of course the wine!!!  When planning a trip the first thing I check out is the weather forecast so that I can pack accordingly!!!  On my last trip to Italy (Sicily) the temperature ranged from moderate in Palermo, very cool in Mt. Etna to hot in Taormina, as the pictures below will show.  I try to pack everything for my trip in a suitcase light enough that I can
handle myself. I also pack in my carryon (along with what I am wearing) enough items to last me at least 2-3 days in case my luggage is delayed (Italy is known for delayed luggage).  I pack all of my clothes in packing cubes (I have  small, medium and large sizes)  I roll everything tightly to maximize space and minimize wrinkles.  You can also use large size freezer bags for this purpose and they come in handy, to store dirty items. Most importantly is your choice of footwear, with a lot of uneven pathways and cobble stones, sturdy rubber soled shoes are a must.  I prefer a couple of pairs of walking sandals and a pair of covered shoes like campers for rainy and cool days. Also pack a rain poncho and warm wrap ( I like to pack a cashmere poncho that also serves as a blanket on the plane). Lastly if you colour coordinate your clothing you can mix and match to create several outfits with a minimum of pieces.  I always choose a basic black dress with several tops as well as a tunic and pants that can I can interchange.  Travelling is amazing and by packing the right clothes that are comfortable as well as stylish, adds to your experience!!!




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Monday 5 February 2018

Low Carb Cheese and Egg White Crisps

These easy to make cheese and egg white crisps are a perfect low carb snack with a glass of wine!!!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees......mix together 1 cup of shredded cheese with 2 egg whites.  I used a mini  non stick muffin pan.....place a teaspoon of cheese mixture for each crisp...spread out to form a thin layer.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the crisps are golden.  Enjoy!!!!!!


Mustard Crusted Salmon paired with Cave Springs Chardonnay

As part of the cool climate chardonnay collection of recipes I decided to try Chefs Steve & Jaqueline Del Col"s mustard crusted sal...