Mad Cooking Skills

Sorry for the infrequent blogging, but now that classes have begun I have decidedly less to talk about. I assume that you all would rather not read a play by play of my class lectures.

All in all it has been a fairly decent week. I decided that it was high time that I eat some fresh fruits and veggies. So far, my diet has been pretty heavy on the carbs. My dear roommate, Erica, suggested that I go to the open air market. I took her up on her suggestion and was quite delighted. The market was super cute. It was a bunch of stands with fresh tomatoes, onions, beans, and various other fruits and veggies. There was also a fish stand, a cheese stand, and a meat stand. I did, however, stay away from those. I heard my brother in my head ranting about food safety and temperature violations. Hence, I stuck to the veggies. I got a large assortment and commenced adding them to my pastas (zucchini and mushrooms, yum!).

Also, my mother finally responded to my email (so slow on the uptake, gosh mom) with her recipe for special cucumbers. The recipe called for cider vinegar, which is very hard to find in Italy. So I trekked to the local international store (with delicacies like peanut butter and campbell's soup) and emerged victorious! I then scampered back to the apartment to make my cucumbers. It was a bit challenging with the conversions, but I made do, and I dare say that my cucumbers turned out better than my mom's.

I also branched out and made tuna salad this week. That too, was quite the adventure as I was not entirely sure that I was buying tuna. Turns out I was right, and tonna does mean tuna. Sadly, it was packed with lots of oils of some kind. I will try another brand next time. I used some of the bell peppers and onions that I got at the market with a dash of paprika and mixed it all up. Put it on some bread, throw it on the stovetop, and you have a hot sandwich of delicious tuna goodness. I am turning into the quite the little chef, if I do say so myself.

So, I know you probably don't want to hear about all of my classes, but indulge me for a moment. I LOVE PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW!!!!!! It is by far my favorite class. We get to talk about high profile international law classes, debate international issues, and generally read about awesomeness. I can not wait for the debates to happen and to write my twelve page paper. So excited!!!!!

My other exciting adventure was trying to find an adapter. I wandered all over Trasteverre (my neighborhood) before finally finding one. The minute I walked through the door the man had me pegged for what I needed and handed it right over. Apparently I have "American college student studying abroad" stamped on my forehead. Oh well. Saved me from speaking my broken Italian.

That is pretty much my week in a nutshell. If I have forgotten anything I will add an addendum. For now I am off to bed. I have an early morning tomorrow because I am off to spend the weekend in Florence. What a sad, sad life I lead : )

Shoutouts to my newest readers, Uncle Mike and Aunt Kreise. Glad to hear that you are reading about your favorite niece's European adventures. If I go to France I will be sure to send you a postcard, I know that is your favorite country, Uncle Mike...