Minneapolis Taste Buds

I must admit I'm a bit jealous of my boss and her husband who are vacationing in Italy-my very favorite place to visit. She writes, "I thought you’d like to know that this is the usual order for a truly Italian dinner. The surprising part is that the salad FOLLOWS the entrée! 1. Appetizers: Bruschetta and Beans and greens and onion 2. Soup dish (more like a stew actually) 3. Pasta dish 4. Pasta dish 5. Beef slices 6. Salad 7. Lemon dessert 8. Espresso . . . don’t forget the wine!" I asked her about her favorites so far. "Tonight we had a fabulous lemon chiffon type pie that was served on top of a ¼ inch yellow cake base. Very light after a heavy meal of so many courses. The prosciutto seems to be different than in the U.S., much lighter. Every place in Florence charges a cover charge of 2-3 Euro per person, even for lunch. Seems strange to me because there is no music provided. I have yet to figure out what the cover charge is supposed to cover. The waiter tells us...

Hubby and I finally tried Ristorante Luci last night. We used to live about 5 minutes away (now we're only 10 minutes away) and drive by it all the time. Turns out Thursday night was a great time to visit - they offered a Perzzo Fisso, a four course taster's dinner, that was fantastic and only $20/person if we both ordered it! It started with a large scallop with a tomato/ red pepper puree, followed by a creamy mushroom soup for me and a nice cesare salad for the husband. Next was a homemade pasta with a slice of pork (the only thing we weren't crazy about - pork was dry / pasta didn't have much flavor). The entree was salmon and risotto with aioli, and we added a tiramisu cheesecake for dessert. A great bottle of wine + a fantastic server and great cozy ambiance - we'll definitely go back for more. Online reservations for Ristorante Luci at Open Table .

Opening the mail just isn't as fun as it once was . . . bills, credit card offers that fill my shredder, newspaper ads from stores I never visit. I remember being at Iowa State and getting that little slip of paper in my mailbox every so often telling me to stop by and pick up a package-a much needed box from little Laurie. My mom always knew just what I needed - unexpected little goodies: Mac & Cheese, Rice Crispy Treats Holiday decorations for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day Basically stocking stuffers for any occasion. She even sent Mark care packages while he was in Rome for a semester. At this time of year I always think a lot about college. Good times . . . but I'd never go back! Most appreciated care package items for college students (or anyone): Stamps Quarters for Laundry Recipes (family favorites) + some of the ingredients Coffee or hot chocolate packets (& marshmallows) Lined pads of paper with magnets to stick on the fridge Chip clips Post-it Not...