We elves love all of the handmade goodies on Etsy so much that we feature one unique item from them here on the blog every single day during the holiday season. From felt ornaments to knitted goods to ceramics and more, Etsy has gifts for basically every person on your list, as well as loads of holiday decor items to make your home nice and festive. If you’ve never purchased anything from Etsy, now’s your chance because if you spend $50 or more on your first purchase, you’ll get $10 towards your next one. This offer ends next Monday, 12 December, so click here to peruse the crafty wares.
After reminiscing about my and Raymond’s Italian foodie adventure, I have pasta and pizza on the brain, so featuring this adorable felt pizza ornament seems more than appropriate! Handmade in northern Italy, this kawaii ornament is a cheery slice for your Christmas tree.
Over the past couple of years, Raymond and I have visited Rome and Venice, Italy. On both of these wonderful trips, one of things we enjoyed most was the food. Italian cuisine is one of my favourites, and Raymond is quite partial to it as well. As vegetarians, we both love all of the food options we have when in Italy.
Well, at the beginning of this year, Raymond and I had a hankering for pasta, pizza, and the like, so we travelled down to Italy for a few days to nosh and relax. We walked quite a bit each day, which was good since we ate a lot, too!
Warning: You might want to grab a snack because if you aren’t already hungry, you sure will be by the time you finish reading this post 😉
On our foodie excursion, we spent most of our time in Venice. As soon as we arrived in this ancient city, Raymond and I popped into a pizzeria where we shared a pizza topped with spinach and egg.
Raymond about to dig into pizza con spinaci e uovo
While walking around the town, we kept seeing these giant cookies in bakery windows, so we grabbed one to nibble on back at the hotel. It turns out these cookies are called pan dei dogi, and they are unique to Venice. They come in different flavours [ours was pistachio] and are topped with almonds or hazelnuts.
With our pan dei dogi al pistacchio
There are no roads or cars in Venice; therefore, everyone gets around either by walking or via vaporetto, which is a waterbus. So the following day Raymond and I took a vaporetto along the Grand Canal to our next delicious destination.
Enjoying the ride along the Grand Canal
Hidden down a side street, Friedland offers pasta and other dishes in take-out containers. Don’t let the unassuming appearance fool you—Friedland’s handmade pasta is extremely tasty and served piping hot.
Walking into the tiny space occupied by Friedland
The yummy pasta al pomodoro from Friedland was only €3.99—a steal!
Raymond and I then walked around, just exploring. We figured we needed some exercise since we were planning on eating a large meal later. And we may have stopped at GROM for gelato, but we were too busy enjoying our ice cream and forgot to take a photo.
Later on when dinnertime rolled around, we hopped on a vaporetto to visit another restaurant.
Peering out the vaporetto window
For dinner, we ventured to Spaghetteria-Pizzeria 6342 A Le Tole. We had seen this restaurant on a previous day and promised ourselves we would return because they had gorgeous fresh pasta on display in the front window. Raymond and I are so glad we made sure to go back because the food was incredible!
Maccheroni al pomodoro at 6342 A Le Tole
We must’ve been going through a pomodoro phase since we had it twice in one day, but it’s just so good. After cleaning our plates, Raymond and I could not figure out what dessert to order because they all sounded mouthwatering. But why decide when you can just split 2 different desserts, right?
Since we were in Venice during Carnival, not only did we get to see all of the amazing masks and costumes, we also were able to try a dish that is only served during this time of year: frittelle di Carnevale. These donuts come with a variety of fillings, but ours were filled with custard cream and came with warm chocolate to dip them in. Delizioso!
Raymond eyeing the frittelle di Carnevale
The other dessert we shared was—of course—tiramisù. Despite not liking coffee, I LOVE tiramisù. Raymond had never tried it before, but he’s definitely a fan now.
6342 A Le Tole’s tiramisù
After a few tasty days in Venice, we travelled farther south to Rome. We were craving pasta, and we knew our first meal in Italy’s capital had to be cacio e pepe. This Roman specialty is a very simple dish of spaghetti, Pecorino Romano cheese, and black pepper.
Raymond says, “Mmm…”
If you are ever in Rome, don’t walk—RUN—to Pinsere. This award-winning pizzeria serves the classics as well as some unique flavour combinations. For our final meal in Italy, Raymond and I shared a gorgonzola, walnut, pear, and honey pizza, and we agreed that it was one of the best [if not THE best] pizzas we’ve ever had in our lives. The delectable crust and balance of flavours took this pizza to a whole other level of yumminess.
This pizza was a thing of beauty
Raymond and I had so much fun eating our way around Italy. We may have to take more food-centric trips in the future. And I should’ve heeded my own warning and gotten a snack because writing this post has certainly made me hungry! I think I’ll wander on over to the Kitchen and see what Mrs. Claus is baking.
Where else do you think Raymond went this year? Stay tuned to find out! 😀
As I mentioned when writing about REI and Subaru’s partnership to support the ASPCA, my basset hound is my best friend. With their long ears and droopy faces, bassets are just the cutest! So I immediately fell in love with this adorable ceramic basset hound ornament. Available with red & white or tri-colour markings, you can purchase whichever handmade ornament best matches your dog’s colouring.
If you’re a long-time Trans-Siberian Orchestra fan, you may already know about their 2016 winter tour. And those of you who are familiar with their music—but have yet to see them in concert—you’re in for a treat! Between now and the end of the year, TSO will be performing dozens of shows across the United States. Titled The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, these concerts will feature some of TSO’s greatest hits, clips of The Ghosts of Christmas Eve TV special, and a live narrator.
Eeee! After watching the preview above, I really want to go! 🙂 My favorite part is the very end when the choir sings “Christmas Canon.” (Click here to view a full video of that song.) The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is performing from Jacksonville to Seattle and many places in between. To see if they will be performing in your city and to purchase tickets, visit the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s website. When you purchase your ticket online, you’ll also get a digital copy of TSO’s new album!
