I’m starving just sitting down to write this.
Years ago, I had the luck of spending a day cooking with Alessandra making her incredible Bolognese sauce.

“This is not an Under the Tuscan Sun Experience.” (her words)

Nope. It sure wasn’t.

We gathered in her home, around her personal kitchen to learn the art of Tuscan cooking while her TV belted out Talking Heads videos in the background.

We learned about the careful sourcing of the beef we would be using. Did you know that the butcher not only lists the farm the meat comes from but also the animal?

We listened to her views on politics and the recent exoneration of Amanda Knox. Alessandra and I exchanged stories of heartbreak and hopeful healing.

She was quizzed about the ins and outs of a bidet.

And the bolognese simmered on.

The aroma filled the room and mingled with our stories.

Ale’s recipe is a frequent star on my menu at home, the delicious scent mixing with the laughter, stories and sometimes tears of my family.

Un baci,
Andi

Link to Alessandra’s cooking class.

The post You Need Some Bolognese in Your Life appeared first on Italy Travel Planner | Consultant | Once In a Lifetime Travel.

Birthdays are a big deal around our house. My kids spend about eleven months planning all of the details for their theme. We’ve had Bubble Guppies, Superheros, Rainbows, Puppies, Frozen (obviously) and even Pink Strawberry Unicorns. After years Disney and Princess inspired parties, I was taken aback when my 14 year old asked for a Pasta Making Slumber Party. Eight girls, one night and two pounds of pasta.

I love making homemade pasta and I am used to my kids helping, but I didn’t expect to have that much engagement from the girls. I figured they would probably last a quarter of the way through the process, and then lock themselves away to talk about boys. I was only partially right. They did spend the evening talking about boys, but they did it right in front of me while all of us cooked together. They did it without cell phones (I have a phone check policy at my house. When you come to play, your phone stays in my bowl upstairs) or my nagging.

They listened. They couldn’t get enough. The best part of the night was listening to them help each other, having them comment on flavors and textures, watching them work together with laughter. The meal was enjoyed family style and I couldn’t help but smile when I heard one of the girls say that making something completely from scratch was so much fun.

Just another reason I am in love with new experiences and learning that has come from my travels.

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Once in a Lifetime Travel is a passionately run company focused on mindful and fearless travel through authentic experiences and connections. We feature small, fully

guided group tours to Italy for women

. Our

Italian travel consultant

services feature focused itinerary reviews and detailed

Italy travel planning.

Go Travel, and Travel Fearless.

Andi Brown, Once in a Lifetime Travel

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The post Eight Girls, One Night and Two Pounds of Pasta appeared first on Italy Travel Planner | Consultant | Once In a Lifetime Travel.