Livin' La Vida Donya

The mini trip that lead to an international parking fine. We'll never forget that, Siena. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to the Castelo di Montegufoni, what a dream that was. If you want to see more on that leg of our trip, you can can view it here ( Travel: Tuscany, Italy ). From our Tuscan castle escapade, we started driving towards Rome, our next destination. On our way to Rome, we took a short trip to Siena. This was a 1-hour drive from Tuscany. Our drive going there was fine, it was when we entered the inner city we were introduced to the ZTL or the "Restricted Traffic Zone". We had already read about this prior to our trip so we knew what to expect. But because of our "oohhh-ing" and "aaahhh-ing" and with too many drivers in the same van, we mistakenly entered a non-resident restricted zone... just a second too late. We saw the sign, we saw the camera.... we had advanced a couple of feet.... then.... we stopped and just put the van in reverse...

What a relief this welcomed treat was. I was going nuts for carbs at one point.  I looooves carbs. Probably just as much as Oprah. Like if Jerry Maguire were a depiction of my life story, I'd say and gesture, "you complete me" to the direction of a chocolate croissant. Teary eyes and all. Thank you, Lord, for the internet! There were so many different versions of how I could make my own keto bread. That time when I was really watching my carb intake, I was able to get down to I think 138 lbs. But then.... every time I'd go to the grocery and smell the freshly baked goods, my willpower would be tested. I'd actually take the longer way round, past the other aisles, and straight to the meats, dairy, and veggies. The good thing about groceries (if you're on low-carb or keto), is that the veggies are right in front. BUT SO ARE THE CARBS. You have to go past the bread to get to the meats and then the dairy and eggs in the very back chiller section. So my r...

This was one culinary secret that exploded worldwide. I've always enjoyed a good and satisfying poke bowl. And I'm especially grateful that for some reason, these poke bowl shops have been popping up everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE. I generally prefer salmon as opposed to other seafood (fish) varieties because of the taste and because it's a good source of protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, and potassium. It fills you up real good because you can add as much greens as you want and get your water and fibre intake as well without even noticing it.  Before this became a worldwide fad, this was one secret the Hawaiians and the Japanese kept close to them. And what a great culinary secret it was! Poke is a wonderful dish that literally means "cut into pieces", made up of raw fish and all the accoutrements like rice, avocados, cucumbers, seaweed, green onions, sesame seeds, ginger, greens, and a whole lot more. This dish originated in Hawaii and in the later years, when there...