Audacious

SHOWING A WILLINGNESS TO TAKE SURPRISINGLY BOLD RISKS

Have you ever felt compelled to just do something, even though outwardly it didn’t look like all the pieces aligned? Yet, there was this little voice inside that kept urging you forward in a new and uncharted direction.
Not only that, there was this enthusiastic sensation and bubbling excitement that somehow you just knew you were going to discover something extraordinary!

With every year that passes, I somehow become more and more adventurous. I don’t mean this in the inexperienced way I did things in my early years.
I describe it now as, ‘If I don’t try it now, then WHEN’?

I can still hear my Babcia, (my Polish Grandmother), telling me to try everything when you are young enough to enjoy and experience it fully. Don’t wait until old age has set in, you won’t know how to do it then!

For me, this is the BEST advice I have ever received!

Let me start with the way I dress. Years ago, I don’t honestly know that I ever wore red, let alone something with as bold a pattern and print as this dress. Yet, this has undoubtedly become one of my all time favorite dresses.

I hope you are hearing this Valerie!

I can remember the first time I put it on at Chateau Bel Age. As I looked at myself in the mirror I thought this is AWESOME, but I’ll never wear it out anywhere. Then the day came, I actually did wear it to an afternoon event and together the dress and I stopped traffic!!

That was a clear and defining moment about allowing myself to open up my mind to the infinite potentialities of flowing with CHANGE. I had understood this notion academically, but I had never really experienced the tangible outcome.

And all because of this Red Dress!

Add an extremely unique shoe and well, you get the point!
AUDACIOUS!

Now, how does this translate into how we create our everyday living situations? For me, it is about learning something new and different every chance I get and surrounding myself with people who have things to teach me!

My excitement levels amp up when I am pursuing a motivating form of expression; some examples of things I’m working on right now are the art of Origami, creating a travel scrapbook of my recent trip in the forests of Toscana, and I am always striving to achieve something purely magical in my kitchen!

These types of activities keep my imagination burning brightly and afford me the opportunity to keep my creative self in focus. When all of these things are effectively brought together, it gives me a positive outlet for all the artistry and creativity that is always bubbling inside of me.

Being on Instagram and writing this Blog have proven to be such a great creative outlet for me. The friends alone that I have made have been worth the time and effort to learn how to navigate these technology platforms.
I cannot tell you how much I love having the whole WORLD at my fingertips!!

I have met some of the most inspiring and wonderful women along this path of life. I have reconnected with girlfriends from high school. I have opened up to new friends along the way and nurtured long-standing friendships that I made over 30 years ago, when I first arrived in California.
This has all happened and MORE, because of the social media way of life!

All of these amazing women, Elizabeth @antiquegoddess, Valerie @chateaubeage, JennaferGrace @jennafergracious, Marcia @hipster2365, Karen @ksdvm86, Toni @antoinetteclaypool, Michala @coutureskeletons, Drea @gold_n_garbage are smart, sexy, free thinking souls who inspire me to be more everyday.

AUDACIOUS

becomes another way of describing the love and encouragement we receive from those who surround us the closest.

And then there’s these two beauties!!

Just about the time that I need an extra little push, they are both there to encourage me, to laugh with me (and at me), and to let me know that there is no time like the present to get on with living my life without looking back.

That will be a whole future blog post at some point!

May God Bless them Both!!
(And I hope He can keep up with all of their shenanigans!)

All over Italy, it is Carnevale Season!

In the Spirit of this celebration, which allows for putting aside everyday routines, donning elaborate costumes and masks, and indulging in the consumption of decadent foods and drinks, I am sharing my favorite Carnevale dessert!

Migliaccio Napoletano

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups water
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• peel of 1 lemon
• peel of 1 orange
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 2/3 cups fine semolina
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 14 oz whole milk ricotta
• 2 Tbsp Limoncello
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• confectioners sugar, for dusting

Method:

1. Put the milk, water, butter, lemon and orange peels in a pot, bring to a boil.
2. Remove the citrus peels and slowly whisk in the semolina. Continuously whisk.
3. Cook the semolina over medium heat for 10 minutes. (Keep stirring). If you get any lumps, use a stick blender to remove them. Pull off the heat and let cool a little.
4. In the meantime, whisk the eggs with the sugar. Add the ricotta, vanilla and lemon extracts, and Limoncello. Whisk well.
5. Add the lukewarm semolina to the ricotta mixture and whisk to combine. Again, use a stick blender to remove any final lumps.
6. Pour the batter into a greased 9inch round springform pan.
7. Bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for 55-60 minutes. It will be wobbly, like a cheesecake. Do not let it brown too much. Cover with an aluminum foil shield, if necessary.
8. Let it cool to room temperature. Unmold, dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.
9. Serves 16

I believe there exists a little of the AUDACIOUS in all of us.
I wonder what does yours look like to you?

Next week I will conclude this little series of

Season of Carnevale

with one last decadent treat and few wonderful surprises, of course!