Little Italy 25

[Rosa]

Greetings, Ciao , Welcome , Benvenuto

The dc are expecting snow and will be disappointed if it doesn't! Probably the only milanesi who are looking forward to a bit of snow!

How do you make a wreath, do you use those sponge things?

A wire coat hanger pulled out into a circle then lots of pine tied in then you start adding holly , and bows and whatever else you like. Thing is they only had big pine not the small pine which is easier to bend and fills out better. YOu can get a sponge ring and stuff it but since my SIL said it looks like one for i morti I have never tried it !!! I have lots of lovely holly but after I get pricked about 4 times I tend to sware loudly and use less...then the rest I do an arrangement for the table or something.

Sounds beautiful! Rosa, you always impress me

Still snowing here, at least 10 cm already I think. It is bloody gorgeous! (until it gets all grey and mushy)

Wehad a bit , lots on the mainland but then it rained ...hard since about 8 ish. Minirosa at home she has mild tummy ache...but she was up early . Its mega mild so at the mo not too worried.

No ladies, I can't do it again. Now I've to wait the results of my exams in February and if the marks are decent I might not have to re-sit the exam (it's not possible to re-do the assignments, only the exam). If that happens, all my summer plans for a job or a fieldwork in Orkney will be twarthed ;(

It was such a blow to my self-esteem and self-confidence that I've spent the last 3 days in depression.... My husband just came upstairs saying that if I keep being depressed he'll sell me on ebay LOL

Rosa, great ideas for wreaths... I was lazy this year, I just bought one
We had snow too 2 nights ago but became an ice layer in few hours!! This morning we bought 10 kilos of salt to spread it on the long path through the garden because we don't want to risk to break our legs before Christmas!!

Merlin keeping my fingers crossed for your results, hope you don't need to change your plans.

Rosa, I hope the mini rosas are both fine and no bugs.

Entering the busiest week ever, still lots of presents missing (my mum's for instance) and it is too cold! I am however proud to say that I got myself a new pair of glasses!

YAY!! Best gifts are the ones we buy for ourselves

Anyway, I don't know if it was for cheering me up or just because it's Christmas but my husband bought me an Ipad as a Xmas gift and it arrived today!! I'm still too shocked...

Ouch Franca, I think the week before Christmas is the most terrible one of the year... I hope you'll find the missing presents soon!!
Concerning my exams, I need to be very patient... no news for nearly 2 months....If I don't collapse earlier due to anxiety....

We already bought all the presents in the 1st and 2nd week of December so we're ready to go... maybe...

merlin 2 months crikey nothing like helping your nerves...Mine would be in shreds! I think that I have finished all of ours apart from ordering a flower/ plant for MIL....don't think she is buying for us this year. Yesterday I was on the mainland and the shops were not that bad to be honest.
You know the yule logs/ Tronchetti things. Over here they have a white cream in them ...I want to know what it is but I can't find out as all the books give a mousse kind of thing. Its not cream as its a bit harder , its not butter cream as its not as heavy, its not sicky sweet ..Any ideas? The Uk ones are a whisked sponge . The Italian a slightly different version which is ok.
Well today SIL wanted to go to the mainland but to wander round the shops - not centri commerciale I have too much to do.....might have got me more in the mood , am still struggling.

Rosa, if that's the same Tronchetti covered with chocolate that my grannie and mum used to make at Xmas decades ago, that should be whipped cream (a lot whipped) or cream patissiere.... they might have tried a chantilly cream too, although it has the same consistency as a mousse....

I don't know what they 'became' recently... the mousse would be unlikely because it can't become really solid in any case.... let me see if I can find a recipe for you (don't have the original one either because it was a pain in the a**e to make a Tronchetto).

P.S. My nerves are already in shreds....

Rosa, found three recipes, all of them use crema pasticcera (the same as creme patissiere)....

www.cucinarefacile.com/ricetta.asp?Id=13279
ricette.giallozafferano.it/Tronchetto-di-Natale-Buche-de-Noel.html
www.ricettedellanonna.net/tronchetto-di-natale/

If you want to use crema pasticcera, don't use the recipe they give you, I'll post one here if you want..... If you need help let me know...
In one of the recipes they use a 'ganache', but they put milk in it... well don't, because it becomes too liquid. 'Ganaches' are made using double cream.

Oh wow, Ipads are great Merlin, what a great present!

No idea re those logs, never tasted one before, but they sound yummie.

It is sunny here today after days of grey and fog. Another busy day ahead for me, still running around for presents and I also need to go to decathlon to buy thermal underwear for the dc.

Thanks for those. I think I am going to do a variation on a few of them and then fingers crossed that it works out. If the worst comes to the worst will buy a pannetone !
I Pad how lovely ..... I am hoping for a new Kenwood. I have hinted showed him which one I want . Have stressed I do not want a Bimby or a Kenwood that cooks as teh bowl is too small , plus I don't think I would use the cooing bit. Think is DH has still got a bad back and they are bloody heavy and won't fit in our shopping carello he doesn't have the ummph to think about ordering it on line so maybe I am hoping too much . Might have to do some more baking when he is here and the noise of my 40 yr old one drives him nuts!!!
Another quick question but am off to google as well - Can you freeze Radicchio or does it go like lettuce ??? I have been given a huge bag full I love the stuff but not for 5 days in a row.

ciao! Not sure I would freeze radicchio. But if you put it in a paper bag it shoukd last for at least 4/5 days in the fridge.

Ciao a tutti, excuse me for bursting in, but I have an Italian homework question... DD2's teacher corrected her 'non vedo l'ora' to 'non posso aspettare.' I would never say that, would you all? Grazie mille! Spero che tutti vado bene!

I would use non vede l'ora tipo. Non vede l'ora di andare al concerto or per natale o da vedere mia amica. Ma non posso piu aspettare I would use tipo... Non posso piu aspettare in fila. Non posso piu aspettare per Sara di telefonare. So it depends in what context it is used I think. Just had apizza out with the pallestra so am winding down...

Grazie mille, Rosa, so DD saying 'non vedo l'ora di andare in vacanza' is right then? Eek I hate correcting teachers!

Def non vedo l'ora di andare in vacanza. Cia Annunziata, how are you my lovely?

I have another bloody cold. See, it is the lack of sunshine, imho.

Oh Franca what a pain.. Do your Vitamin C overload again and see if it works. No sun here either its damp and the fog is rolling in again....i was starting to get on track for Christmas and then I found out that I totally missed out on the Nutcracker ballet.... Mum when she was here saw a poster but couldn't recall where. i thought possibly Padova as I diddn't see any other posters. I find out that it is on at La Fenice tonight for 3 nights the only tickets left are for friday and are?150. I am spitting as its my favourite ballet and it makes me feel Christmassy and I so wanted dd to see it. So thats set back number 2 one more to go then and thats my 3. Cannot justify spending ?300 Euro. I will be calling the ticket office to see if they have any returns ( do they have them over here like Uk theatres????)on the cheaper seats however on Friday.....

Rosa, re the Nutcracker: if you go on the guardian website they are showing it until the 26th performed by the royal ballet!

here!!!

Grazie mille- end of term mistake I suppose! Stanno tutti bene, franca, grazzi. Di ti- to bambini sunnu entusiasti di Babbo Natali? Hot lemonade is my cold cure, spero che sta meglio pronto!

Yes, my bambini are looking forward to christmas, though they are at that stage where they have realised there is no Father Christmas, but still want to believe there is!

I would have used 'non vedo l'ora' too... annoying teachers!!

Well... for me it's time to wish all of you Merry Christmas because I'm leaving on sunday morning very soon!!

So hope all of you spend a wonderful Christmas with your families!!

And drink wine :P

P.S: I got accepted at the summer placement!! Hope I don't have to re-sit the exam at all!!

Merlin thats great news I am very pleased for you...Have a wonderful Christmas and hope that the roads are ok.
Well schools finished now and so we have opened the big tin of xmas biscuits from the British Corner shop and I have a mulled wine mix for sometime. Plus lots of other goodies. The magic is still here and I would love to hope for another year at least. Up early as I haven't finished the frolla / icing biscuits for our lunch today ( we have a big lunch with cugini and bimbi ). I made the log and put whipped cream in the middle and then my ganache would't thicken probably as thenchocolate wasnn't high quality so I bunged in icing sugar and whisked it up . Then with teh excess I added brandy and made truffles...should be interesting.