Hodgepodge Wednesdays: Let's Talk Italy

 Hey, look at me finally remembering to write up a Hodgepodge Wednesday post! This week Joyce came up with some fun questions to answer.

 


1. March 15th is known as The Ides of March, the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C....have you ever been to Rome? If so what did you love most about the city? If not, is this a place you'd like to visit? 

Nope, I've never been but I wouldn't turn down a trip if someone was offering! It's not first on my Italy bucket list though.. I've always wanted to visit Venice, Portfino & Capri.

 *photos courtesy of Pixabay:




2. 'Rome wasn't built in a day.' What project/activity/improvement (of any kind) do you have going on right now to which this saying might be applied? 

Probably the scrapbooking of our Hawaii trip; I know it's already been a few months since we've been home but I'm only 1/2 way through!





 3. Let's do a little this or that with some Italian foods...

  • Caprese salad or Prosciutto with melon? 
  • Bruschetta or Antipasto? 
  • lasagna or ravioli?
  • bolognese or Carbonara?
  • Risotto or gnocchi? 
  • tiramisu~gelato~cannoli? 

Caprese salad (I don't like prosciutto or melon)

Pixabay photo

Bruschetta I guess (but I wouldn't order either of these)

Pixabay photo

 A vegetable lasagna (but not a meat one-- or else mushroom or spinach ravioli)

 

my summer squash lasagna recipe here

Carbonara but made the true Italian way with no cream or cheese! 


Risotto (we had a delicious version of this at Alec's JWU Accepted student day)

 

Ooh! I like both tiramisu and gelato nearly equally so it would depend on my mood (but I think canoli are always a let down and I don't like those). 

Our own tiramisu recipe here

We ate our fair share of gelato in Hawaii; it was so hard to pick just a flavor or two each night.

1/2 Mauka Trail (coffee & chocolate base with chocolate drizzle and macadamia nuts) 1/2 Oreo

Cookie butter

4. Of the colors red, white, and green which would I find most prevalent in your home? Which one do you think is most flattering to you in terms of your wardrobe? Have you ever had your colors done? Is that something you'd be interested in doing? 

Out of these three colors I think we have the most green in our home decor since two of our main living spaces are green.

 



I tend to own more green clothes than these other two colors also though I have been told that I look good in red. But I've never had my colors done and it's not something I think I would ever do.



5. Life would be boring without____________________? My family; they keep me quite busy and entertained.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I recently switched web browsers when Google Chrome made ad blockers incompatible with their platform and I'm kind of surprised by how much that has thrown me... but I just can not go back to having all sorts of pop ups and ads on my pages after having gotten so used to not having them.

Linking up with:

 



Comments

  1. Memphis BridgesMarch 12, 2025 at 6:22 AM

    I am with you on the food choices. Green is a good color for you! Enjoy your day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. LisaMarch 12, 2025 at 6:33 AM

    You look great in green. Also, I love the unusual shape of your door frames in your living space. I don't think I"ve ever seen that in a house. I miss scrapbooking - maybe some day I'll have time again. Your pages look great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne March 12, 2025 at 9:00 AM

      Aw, thank you so much. The plans called for arched doorways but our builder found this work around so I still had that decorative touch without but in a more economical way.

      Delete
  3. Amy ScottMarch 12, 2025 at 6:55 AM

    The food pictures are making me hungry! I am wearing all the green right now and throwing in the white, too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. HollyMarch 12, 2025 at 7:10 AM

    Capri is a true dream and I am hoping you get there! When you do, you must try something lemon and have some sandals made- those are the shining starts of that beautiful island

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne March 12, 2025 at 9:02 AM

      Well... since my husband refuses to travel outside the U.S I'm not holding my breath.

      Delete
  5. Kathrine EldridgeMarch 12, 2025 at 7:24 AM

    I love all things Italy! Caprese salad and gelato are some of my faves as well.

    https://www.kathrineeldridge.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne March 12, 2025 at 9:04 AM

      I am missing those nightly gelatos in Hawaii!

      Delete
  6. JoyceMarch 12, 2025 at 7:28 AM

    My favorite trip to Italy was to a little town called Stresa which is on Lago Maggiore. There are all sorts of little islands in the lake and every day we'd take a boat to one of them. We've been to Capri when we stayed on the Amalfi Coast (another favorite but don't go peak season as the road along the coast gets so busy) and enjoyed it. Honestly the whole country is beautiful! Your scrapbook looks so nice. What a great keepsake! So glad you joined in today!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne March 12, 2025 at 9:06 AM

      I've always thought the whole country looked so lovely!

      Delete
  7. Jennifer GoodwinMarch 12, 2025 at 7:30 AM

    I love green on you! And your food pics all look delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousMarch 12, 2025 at 7:48 AM

    I think with your love of hiking you would enjoy the region my parents are from, Abruzzo. It’s spectacular and I would love to return for a visit. Rita

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne March 12, 2025 at 9:07 AM

      I will definitely have to keep that region in mind if we ever end up going.

      Delete
  9. LyshaMarch 12, 2025 at 8:01 AM

    Such creativity in your scrapbooking pages! And what an interesting Hodgepodge this week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne March 12, 2025 at 9:09 AM

      Aw, thank you! I am loving these Hawaii pages.

      Delete
  10. Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble ChristmasMarch 12, 2025 at 9:01 AM

    Joanne,
    Red is my color ad shades of it like pink and peach....Thanks so much for stopping by!! I do know that it really is important for both spouses to be aware of finances because tomorrow is not promised to anyone....I even made sure that both of my sons know exactly where I have a book with everything they will need to know and do in the event of my own passing including phone numbers of who they will need to get in touch with....And they also know where I keep a book with all my monthly finances marked in it ......I hope you are enjoying your week...We had a bit if a warm up/ It went up to almost 70 but now we will be in the 50's today...
    Hugs,
    Deb
    Debbie-Dabble Bog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne March 12, 2025 at 9:10 AM

      Our weather has been much the same and I have been loving it! I figure I'll get out as much as I can for as long as the nice weather lasts since we usually get another cold snap/ snow storm before real spring sets in.

      Delete
  11. Andrea NineMarch 12, 2025 at 9:05 AM

    All these pics are so aesthetically beautiful. So we've done Venice but next time will for sure be Portfino and Capri. That coast looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne March 12, 2025 at 9:11 AM

      It really does! I've been eyeing some Mediterranean cruises that would allow us to see multiple places in one trip.. but so far my husband is a no go. I'm pretty determined not to give up though.

      Delete
  12. Dara @ Not In JerseyMarch 12, 2025 at 9:11 AM

    One reason I stopped scrapbooking was the amount of pictures I take vs how many scrapbook pages I'd need to make to go with them!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne March 12, 2025 at 9:13 AM

      Yes! It is so hard with more photos! LOL. I try to limit myself to just a few photos per page but it's hard.

      Delete
  13. Tamar SBMarch 12, 2025 at 9:48 AM

    I would love to go to Italy one day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne March 12, 2025 at 1:03 PM

      I have so many places I'd love to travel to that it's often hard to narrow it down!

      Delete
  14. Sandi MagleMarch 12, 2025 at 9:51 AM

    I sure would love to eat my way through Italy...great post! Sandi

    ReplyDelete
  15. Kim CarberryMarch 12, 2025 at 9:59 AM

    I would love to visit Rome and wouldn't turn down a trip there either.
    Your scrapbook pages are always brilliant and are worth all the work. They're such a wonderful way to record all the memories.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Angela WebsterMarch 12, 2025 at 10:59 AM

    I love that colour of green in your home, it looks so bright and fresh. That photo of Tiramisu looks delicious, I could gobble up a slice or three.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Tanya March 12, 2025 at 2:00 PM

    Green is a great color - on the walls and on you! I would love to visit the coast of Italy, as well as Tuscany! We have been to Rome, Venice and Florence.

    ReplyDelete
  18. WendyMarch 12, 2025 at 2:16 PM

    You look good in green and your living spaces look great too. All those food pictures are making me hungry lol.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Women Living Well After 50March 12, 2025 at 3:19 PM

    Hi Joanne, I could talk about Italy all day! My husband was born there and came to Australia when he was 4 in 1952. We have visited several times and I would love to visit again. What's not to love - the history, the language, the food, the people and yes, even the crazy, hold on to your seat driving! #Teamwwwhimsy

    ReplyDelete
  20. JenniferMarch 12, 2025 at 4:26 PM

    Oh my...all those food photos! Such yummy choices! And I like the green in your home. I like green, period:)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Jodie's Touch of StyleMarch 12, 2025 at 4:27 PM

    Rob would be appauled that you are indifferent to cannolis. But granted, they aren't all created equally. He is used to the ones from his childhood when they would go into NYC into the Italian bakery for them.
    XOXO
    Jodie

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Favorite TV Shows Growing Up in the 80's and early 90's

Image
Do you remember the TGIF lineups on Friday nights? I can remember planning sleepovers and time with friends around TV Show lineups of our favorite shows... or else trying to set the VCR to record our favorite shows if we weren't going to be home. And through the years I had SO MANY favorites! Growing pains aired in 1985 which put me around age 8 and it stayed on the air until I was 15 or so; I'm pretty sure most people in my age group watched mostly for Kirk Cameron and all his antics.  I still have a soft spot for family sit-coms!  The Facts of Life aired when I was just 2  and stayed on the air until I was 11 so I'm sure the episodes I remember so fondly were either some of the later ones and then reruns shown later on when I was old enough to watch from the beginning. I think everyone would have loved an Edna Garret in their lives.   Benson another sitcom that began airing when I was just 2 and was done by the time I was 9 (another one I must have watched mai...
Read more

Things That Make Me Laugh

Image
I loved the challenge of this week's list for our 26 lists link up.  I don't know about you but I really need to laugh more lately.  It's such a great stress reliever. 1.  Books-- I love a good funny book that makes me laugh out loud.  I haven't read one in a while but if you have any recommendations I'm all ears.  The last book I can remember making me laugh was the Un-Honeymooners. 2  The boys being silly. 3.  Watching shows like America's Funniest Videos or Family Feud. 4. My husband.  Most people don't realize it but he's actually pretty funny and often makes me laugh. 5.  Whenever my sisters/ family get together and we get to reminiscing (particularly if my Aunt Elaine is around) we end up laughing so hard at all the old family stories that we are all in tears by the end of the night.  It's fabulous. 6. Movies like Mom's Night Out, Christmas Vacation, and Grown Ups make me laugh out loud. 7.  When my ...
Read more

Share Our Lives: An Average Day in the Life.

Image
This month for Share Our lives we're looking an average day in the life. I fear this is going to be so boring! With Alec off at college, Ian off at work, and Evan off at school 2 days a week I often spending my winter day inside reading, working on the blog, just hanging around the house.  I picked Wednesday February 26th as my average day in the life since it was the day before Alec's spring break was starting and I knew the week he was home was not going to be all that average. 4:30-- I woke up and worked on blogging for an hour or so. By 6 I was dressed and downstairs and ready to go. I made a salad and cut up/washed fruit to last us at least a few days. I started the dishwasher.  6:30-- I left for the gym and listened to my audiobook on the way. 7:00- 7:45-- I worked out 8:15-- back home and I typically change into my outfit of the day. 8:30-- I emptied the dishwasher, ate breakfast and basically watched Evan do his schoolwork (at this point in the school year he's just...
Read more

The Books I Read in February& Share Your Shelf #11

Image
 Marilyn,   Jennifer,   Tanya,  and I are so happy to be hosting this monthly link up (that goes live on the first Thursday of every month) dedicated solely to books and book reviews. Through this link up I've gotten lots of great ideas on what books to read next! This time of the year it's so hard to pick which prompt to fit each of the books I'm reading into the 52 Book Challenge since so many of them fit in multiple spots! But I love the ease of it.  I read lots of great book this month but I'm starting to wonder about myself... I read at least 3 books that I can think of off the top of my head this month where the cast of characters was large and by the end I was having a hard time remembering who was who. I mean I definitely followed along with the main storyline and enjoyed them but I do feel like I was missing some of the side stories and details. Perhaps there are just some stories I should NOT be listening to. At least with the physical books I can glan...
Read more

Gratitude and Highlights Each Day in February

Image
 We had a pretty great February all things considered. I mean, I would have loved it so much more if the weather had been better but I got lots of reading done, lots of crafting, and lots of hiking on those days the weather did cooperate! 1. So thankful our grocery haul was much smaller (and cheaper) this week.  Up early and at the grocery store before the snow (not that it lasted long or gave us more than a dusting!), spent the rest of my day reading, crafting cards, and doing laundry. 6,619 steps Wrong season, I know but I had this digi-stamp just begging to be used! 2. So grateful to have lots of meatballs in the freezer for later meals-- another step in reducing processed foods.  I started my morning making a double batch of my homemade meatballs before settling in to work on really scrapbooking our Hawaii trip. I got all the pages planned out for each of us and over 4 days worth of layouts completed. 5,446 steps.  3. So thankful Ian's diploma finally arrived in ...
Read more