Italy Recap: Positano & Pompeii

I'm back with the second half recap of our recent trip to Italy. If you missed part one, you can find it here. Today I'm revisiting our time in Positano. If you recall from my last post, we ended our stay in Capri with a boat tour. From there we were dropped off at the local marina and then hopped on a ferry that took us directly to Positano. We arrived at the dock and immediately found a porter to help haul our luggage up the mountain to Casa Cosenza, a small bed and breakfast nestled snug in the cliff-side. There were approximately 200 steps to climb to get where we were staying. We soon realized that we would be climbing steps no matter where we were going, as Positano is a cliff-side village located on the Amalfi Coast.

 Our tiny room with a view.

We had a small balcony, perfect for watch the sunrise and set.

After we unloaded our things and got settled into our rooms, we were on our way to Le Sirenuse for lunch reservations. This place gets its name from the islands of the Sirens which it overlooks, and let me tell you, the view is gorgeous! We had an elegant lunch on the third-floor terrace. To be completely transparent, this probably wasn’t the best choices of places to go after traveling and trying to get settled. The boys wanted something casual and inexpensive and this was neither of those things. But I’m glad we went because the scenery was worth it.

I think we may have ordered a caprese salad at every restaurant we dined.

 I had the pasta special of the day which included lots of mushrooms!

After lunch, we did a little exploring, popping in and out of various local shops nestled in the hill. I had my heart set on getting a pair of leather sandals made and that’s just what I did. Having a small foot makes buying shoes quite challenging but having them made specifically to fit my foot was a win! I’m kicking myself (no pun intended) for not buying more. 

 Making my custom shoes.

 We stopped by the black pebble beach to catch the last rays of the day.

For dinner, we decided to walk around and find a random spot that looked good. We ended up a Collina Positano Bakery, a small cozy bakery open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, offering of variety of things including, pizza, pasta, pastries, beer, wine and coffee and more. Of course, I went for the pizza and it was delicious. 

 And for dessert, tiramisu. 

We ended the evening at an intereseting restaurant and bar located inside what use to be a cave. We just happen to stumble across the place on the way back to our rooms.

The next day we took our time getting ready and set out to find a lunch spot. You’ll notice that we decided to randomly choose places to dine per the request of the guys. And I’m glad we did because we found a great spot for sandwiches and gelato called Li Galli Bistro. 

 My sandwich was so simple yet so flavorful and fresh.

 This is the way every meal should end...

Lounging on the beach and soaking up the Italian coast was next on our radar. The weather wasn’t cooperating with us so there wasn’t much sun but it was nice to kick our feet up and relax for a bit.

We had an afternoon pick me up at one of the cafés on the beach. How cute are these cups and saucers? They were actually available for purchase but we were told that we had to come back the next day to get them. Unfortunately, we never made it back.

Our last dinner was at Bucca di Bacco. The mussels and the pesto pasta dish were both so tasty.

The bed and breakfast where we stayed offers breakfast prepared fresh and is served outside on your balcony for just 10 Euros per person.  We decided to do that on our last morning there so we could take our time packing and not be in a rush. Breakfast included fresh croissants (the size of my head), bread, orange juice, butter, marmalade, coffee, milk or tea. It was a nice send off.

We packed our things and said goodbye to our little bed and breakfast and hit the road. We left early so we could go explore Pompeii before we made our way Tuscany.

A Few Hours in Pompeii

I’m sure most of you have heard of Pompeii, but for those of you who haven’t it’s an archaeological site in southern Italy’s Campania region that was once a thriving and sophisticated Roman city. It was buried under meters of ash and pumice after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The preserved site features excavated ruins of streets and houses that visitors can freely explore. It was so cool to walk through the ruins. You could feel the history and just imagine what the streets looked like before they were destroyed. We opted to get a tour guide when we arrived, and I’m glad we did. The site is huge and overwhelming so it was really helpful to have someone point us in the right direction, especially since we had limited time. We only had just a few hours to explore before we had to head to the train station. If you’re ever visiting, I recommend planning for a few hours if you want to see most of it. I don’t think we even saw half of what there was but we thoroughly enjoyed our tour. 

Plaster casts of Pompeii victims’ bodies provide a chilling look at their last moments before being buried in ashes.

Thanksgiving Appetizers

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is in just a few days! I feel like the month of November has flown by. But I'm looking forward to spending some time with family and friends and of course enjoying all the yummy things that come along with the holiday season. I've been tasked with bringing appetizers and assembling a cheese board. Of course that means that I've spent hours scouring Pinterest for ideas. I've found some many delicious ideas, making it hard to choose. I thought I share some of my favorites that I've come across...in case you need a little inspiration. Warning, most of these recipes contain cheese, because cheese makes everything better!


Baked Ham & Cheese Roll Ups - My mouth is watering just looking at these.

White Cheddar, Toasted Almond, and Crisp Sage Cheeseball  - I think I might give this a try this year.

Roasted Sweet Potato Harissa Hummus - I love hummus and this sounded so different!

Rosemary Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles - Anything with goat cheese, sign me up!

Cheesy Bacon Twists - These would make the perfect addition to a cheese board.

Cranberry Brie Bites- Sounds like Thanksgiving to me.

Antipasto Skewers- You can't go wrong with simple skewers. 

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus- Because a little something green doesn't hurt, even if it's wrapped in bacon.

Artichoke Dip Stuffed Bread - This just seemed so warm and comforting.

Jalapeno Popper Deviled Eggs - I made these last year and they were delicious.

Apple Pie Rolls - A great option if you're looking for a little something sweet. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and these would make a great dessert as well.

Blueberry Delight aka "Frozen Dessert"- Last but not least, another sweet option for you that's a family recipe we traditionally make during the holidays.

What are you bringing to the table this year?

It's My Birthday!

Whit and I have escaped on a quick getaway this weekend to celebrate my birthday and I couldn't be more excited. Given that we just got back from Italy, we decided to go somewhere close by. So, we hit the road to Savannah, GA! I haven't visited in years, and I'm looking forward to exploring the city and seeing how it's grown.

This year's birthday celebrations are much more low key than last year, and rightfully so. Last year I celebrated the big 3-0 in Florida with some of my closest girlfriends. Here are a few pics from our trip. It really was one of the best Birthday celebrations I could have asked for. Cheers to great memories and a new year of making more!

Erno Laszlo Vitamin C Peel | A Review

I've tried several facial scrubs over the years but never any vitamin c peels. I'm not even kidding you when I say that after one use of the  Erno Laszlo Vitamin C Peel, I was hooked. I have the Erno Laszlo White Marble Dual Phase Vitamin C Peel, which consists of a two-step peel. packed with  super-nutrient vitamin C which exfoliates, brightens, and moisturizes skin.  Some of these skin treatments can be too harsh and feel as though your scrubbing your face with sandpaper, but this one doesn't at all. Don't get me wrong, it's still a scrub so you do feel the abrasion, but its not a bad feeling. The application and whole process takes just a few minutes. First, you rub your face with the peel for up to three minutes and then mix in the peel activator for another minute. Then rinse your face with warm water and val-ah! My skin has never felt so soft and smooth. And did I mention that it smells amazing?!

This is good for gently polishing your skin and fading away dark spots and discoloration. I felt like my skin has been dull lately and I really wanted something to brighten it up and get that flow back again. I can't honestly say that I felt like this product did the trick. My complexion will appeared to be silky smooth and illuminated after just one use. I can't wait to continue it on a weekly basis to get the full results. I'm typically not one to invest a whole lot of money in beauty products, but the older I get, the more important I realize it is to use things that are safe and provide results, even if that means splurging a little. I was fortune to receive this product free for testing purposes but I will be adding it to my regular skincare routine moving forward. It really is a amazing! If you're interested in reading more about it or purchasing some for yourself, you can do so here. 

Also, in the photo below, you will see little cream packets. Those were samples but I'm using them sparingly because I love it so much. It's the perfect finish for your face after the peel. The way your skin feels after is the equivalent of using paraffin wax during a spa treatment. Erno Laszlo has several other products that I'm now eyeing after using these. I would love to try the Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar, White Marble Sheet Mask, and the Firmarine Lift Face Mask. 

What are some of your favorite scrubs and peels? Have any of you ever tried any of these products? If so, what are your thoughts? 

Thai Fried Riced Cauliflower

I've been spending a little more time in the kitchen lately and it feels good! It always seems like that happens in the fall. When the weekend afternoons become too chilly to be outside, I find myself indoors, trying out new recipes. I made this recipe last night and wanted to share it with you. I was sipping my cup of coffee, watching The Kitchen on Food Network, per my usual weekend morning routine and they were making this Thai fried rice cauliflower. I immediately grabbed my computer and searched for the recipe so I could save it for later. I had purchased some cauliflower rice the other day because I had been wanting to try it, so this seemed a good opportunity. 

I tweaked the original recipe just slightly and I thought it turned out really well. I left out the Thai chile pepper mainly because I don't care for the heat and I always forget and rub my eyes when I cut peppers. It never fails. So, I just decided to avoid this altogether. I also doubled the recipe because Whit and I like to have leftovers. Oh and if you follow along on my insta stories, you will see that there was a toasted peanut incident so we were without those last night. But I bought some today to top the leftovers we are having tonight. Also, I think I think adding a fried egg to it would be really good as well.

Thai Fried Rice Cauliflower

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin slices

2 teaspoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

4 teaspoons soy sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

2 small yellow onions, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons ground ginger

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 Thai chile pepper, thinly sliced ( I omitted this)

2 12-ounce packages frozen riced cauliflower with lemon and garlic, defrosted

1/2 lime

4 scallions, green and white parts, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped toasted peanuts

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

1.     Cut chicken into thin slices and toss in a large bowl. Add cornstarch and mix together.

2.     In a separate bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce.

3.     Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the chicken stirring until cooked thoroughly, about 4 minutes. Remove to a plate.

4.     Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook for about 2 minutes.

5.     Next add the ginger, garlic and Thai chile pepper (if you so choose) and cook for another minute.

6.     Stir in the riced cauliflower and cook for another 1 minute.

7.     Stir in the oyster sauce mixture and continue to cook until the cauliflower is cooked throughout, another 1 to 2 minutes.

8.     Transfer to a serving bowl and finish with a squeeze of lime juice. Garnish with the scallions, toasted peanuts and cilantro leaves.

Recipe adapted from: The Kitchen on FoodNetwork