Some Meals And Moments At Home

  We like to wake up early enough to see the sunrise...most days. It's a lovely way to start the day, and the freshness of the air at this time never disappoints.

  Also, there is nothing like being awake to hear the donkey say 'good morning'. It never gets old.

Sunrise from the terrace.

  

  Some mornings we walk, some we stay in bed and read for awhile, with a cup of coffee. 

  I don't often make a real breakfast, but this week we had all the perfect fixings. Eggs, good bread, fantastic ricotta salata (aged ricotta), and the best melon ever.

  Oh! I can't forget the homemade fig jam from Carlo, our landlord...yum.

Maybe we should do this more often...

  Last Monday, we went to the local farmers market and I bought some fresh borlotti beans. We shucked them together, and I found a recipe that sounded tasty and easy.

These are so pretty!

  I cooked them in a pot with chopped tomatoes, onion, lots of garlic and fresh sage, a little thyme and a splash of white wine.

  After they were done, I added salt and pepper to taste.

Did I mention sage? Lots of sage, for our taste, anyway.

  I had some beautiful small potatoes from the old guy with the vegetable stand over near Panicarola, so I steamed them up and we spooned the bean stew over the potatoes.

  It was pretty darn good.

Some more of that salty aged ricotta was nice with this dish.

  I woke up to the sunlight just touching the nearby hills and olive trees.

  What beauty...

All the green and silver foliage together...it makes me smile.

Being surrounded by these old cypress trees is amazing.

The long view.

New olive growth being touched by the morning sunlight.

  We walk, we discover new hill towns, we find beautiful views to paint, we enjoy our friends in the piazza, we relax at home during nap time...and we eat.

  It's a good scene.

Love our lunch time at The Nut.

  Not sure what's on the books for today, but a morning walk is a must. It's perfectly cool outside right now...Come on Mr. J!

  Up and Out-