This blog is quiet, but I'm not!

I'm absolutely terrible at blogging, and have proved it to myself yet again. So much time online, and yet somehow almost none of it gets here!  I'm hardly a social butterfly, but social media eats up a lot of time.  What would it be like if I actually was gregarious! 

So...  you can find me on Pinterist, my most recent obsession.  Or Dreamstime, where I post my photographs for sale.  Or Facebook of course!  My Flickr photostream is not as active as it used to be, but that is where the best travel shots do get posted. 

I will drop by here from time to time, since this is sort of "home" on the web. 

Old kitchen resources, and new finds

Over the holidays, I've used some old resources and found a couple new ones, so I thought I'd share them here! 
1.  Microwave potato chips! These are wonderfully crunchy and quick.  All I have in the house is Yukon Gold potatos, so I used those.  I used my cheese slicer to get uniform thickness on the slices, but it might be just a bit too thick.  Very little salt required, and it takes 3 minutes 35 seconds in my Gold Star cheap microwave.  I foresee many batches.  Be very sure you use parchment paper!
2. Italian Slow Cooker cookbook  I've got this on my Kindle Fire (which is great for cookbooks!).  Made a great Beef in Barolo, so good the first time, and the leftovers were also wonderful. 
3.  Italian Classics I've had the paper version of this book for years, and it is my go-to cookbook for authentic, Italian-pleasing recipes.  I made the Bolonese Sauce again...  I always use the pork country-style ribs instead of the beef. 
4. AllRecipes.com Before this holiday season I never spent much time on this site.  But wow, what a resource!  I especially love the Ingredient Search, which comes in handy when I have run out of eggs,  or milk, or want to finish up that last little dab of gorgonzola.

I hope that you all had a wonderful time with your family and friends. We had a fun cruise with my brother and his family (review here ) and a nice quiet time over Christmas and New Years at home.

The Parrot of Memory

the parrot of memory, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.

This little parrot lives on my kitchen window sill. Every time I see him, he reminds me of my grandmother. She had him in a plant as well, although I can't remember if it was in a kitchen window or one of the cactus plants. I love the way the afternoon light makes him glow with memory.

desert elephant - namibia 2002

desert elephant - namibia 2002, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.

On an all-day game drive in the Skeleton Coast Park, Namibia...  we saw quite a few elephants in a sandy river bottom.  There was a family group of about 6-7 individuals, but most of them kept farther away. We were so close, could hear the elephant crunching the grass.  Spent at least 15 minutes (although it felt MUCH longer) parked about 50 feet away from him.  Eventually he became a bit agitated and did a little mock-charge but our guide assured us that we were fine...  and of course we were. Seeing the famous desert elephants of the Namib desert was one of my life's ambitions.  The game drive had lots of other moments (giraffe, eagle, gemsbok, jackals, impala) but this was easily the most remarkable. 

Goat in Himba camp - Namibia 2002

himba goat, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.

This little kid was curled up under a pile of firewood gathered at a Himba village near the Skeleton Coast. The sun was so hot, and the landscape so desolate. Hard to believe that the Himba make their living herding cattle!

Taken during my visit to Namibia in September 2002.

Renaissance time in Italy, for women who want it!

Cook, eat, speak (and pray to stay)!!

A fellow blogger is offering what sounds like an awesome opportunity to spend 10 days hanging out with fellow women, learning the language, and reconnecting with yourself.  The price is right too, so check it out!