The last night before flying back to Italy after our three month stay in California we enjoyed a family dinner with Jeff’s parents. Family dinners are a favorite pastime on both sides of the family, both mine and Jeff’s. We love gathering around the table over a delicious meal and talking the evening away. My father in law came up with a new recipe to try and us girls got busy in the kitchen to bring it to life.
Grilled artichokes is a family favorite, even the pickiest of my nieces and nephews love the prickly thistle when it’s steamed, marinated and grilled. I can never take the drive to our coastline in Monterey without stopping in Castro Valley for some artichokes. They even have Italy beat in their pricing. Most of the year you can find 10 artichokes for a dollar at the Castro Valley roadside stands. I love the bargain as much as I love eating them!
I love waking up in the cool of the morning before the heat of the summer bares down, sapping me of precious energy. I brew a cup of coffee and step out of my front door while still in my pajamas. My front door leads into my moms beautiful back yard that is more like a garden oasis with little cobblestone pathways meandering around fruit trees and koi ponds. In the morning at first light everything is fresh and dewy and beckons me to stroll along the garden, inspecting every rose and cascading petunia. I nip off the spent flower heads by snapping it off between my thumb and forefinger.
