Rainy Days

A week of rain.  Everyday.  All day.  Not quite the weather I was expecting when we embarked on this journey.  

But, because of this weather I have found a few new passions.... Youtube, food blogs, baking without the right ingredients, and watching BBC's British Election coverage.... Nothing novel, or particularly impressive, but I've been having a lovely time.  I have watched days worth or cooking tutorials, funny cooking skits (the best is BBC's Posh Nosh, so funny), I've learnt how to sew a wedding dress and how to make my own Rockabilly bathing suit, my mind is so full of yummy and crafty ideas I can barely sleep at night.  As for the election coverage, after this minor setback of who wants to play Prime Minister, that will cease to be on, and my quest for new ideas will take over and lead me back to Youtube.  The food blogs are amazing, but not for the hungry, or for the weak of will: myTartlette.com and Smittenkitchen being among my favourites. 


I, fortunently, did not bring anything with us to bake (except for some measuring spoons, a conversion chart, a very Dangerous Dessert cookook, and three Barefoot Contessa cookbooks-- maybe I should have left those at home so as not to be tempted!)  A few days ago the desire for freshly baked goods overwhelmed me, and I decided to attempt to bake a cake-- buying italian items... without my dictionary... without anything to bake it in... eek.   Here's a picture:

Yum :)  It ended up being delicious, even though it was erupting out of a cup.  Yum (it ended up taking 4 hours in total since I kept on trying to figure out if I had bought baking powder or yeast-- it was baking powder, with vanilla flavouring).


After this endeavour I convinced the Mum it was high time to do some necessary shopping!  Now we have been in Florence almost 6 weeks and the shops had yet to beckon to me, until I saw in a shop window some silecone baking mitts and was sold.  I dragged her from one to the next, comparison shopping, window shopping ooohing and aaaahing, making a bit of a spectacle of myself, imaging the yummy things our minimal kitchen could create with just the right whisk and baking dish.  This went on for two days, two trips of almost 4 hours a piece.. What can I say, I love kitchen equiptment.  I blame my Mum on dragging my into Williams Sonoma everytime we went to the mall and pouring over cooking catalogs.... Turns out she at one time had a yogurt maker and a bread maker!  I'm so jealous, maybe when we get back I will replace them in her life and we can make yogurt and toast daily.  But back to the shopping-- a tart pan, three brioche shells of varying sizes (for when I figure out where the yeast is hiding and attempt some bread), the most glorious measuing cup from Bodum (mouth blown glass), the before mentioned baking mitts (a pink cow and a yellow dinosaur), and a wonderful whisk.

Since the addition of the tart shell and the whisk to my life, I have made another cake, a savory bread and butter pudding and the most delicious granola.  I am definetly not doing enough walking to justify this.


Here are some of the veggies we picked up today at the market.  The Italians wouldn't consider these photo worthy, but to me, they are more beautiful than a painting.  

My Mum was upset that the only thing I have been taking pictures of is the produce, so here are a few of us too. :)

Also, the most bizarre way of moving I have ever seen, smart, but not exactly adhering to any safety standards:

*Sorry I don't know how to flip the photos in this program and can't be bothered to go into another, save as, etc.  Just turn your head a bit, they look fine that way :)

Till the urge strikes again....  Ciao!