Italian Cream Soda

After visiting Italy so much this summer, I've been inspired by their cooking (and their wine!). One thing I've always wanted to make at home is Italian cream sodas. I'm not a soda drinker at all, so this may seem a little weird. But the cream sodas always look so pretty and refreshing. I couldn't wait to try it out myself.

Strawberry vanilla cream soda

The basic recipe is so simple, even the Hubs could do it! All you need is a bit of sparkling water (or club soda, but I found I like the water best. Club soda has a bitter aftertaste), your favorite flavored syrups, and a splash of cream. There are all kinds of syrups to choose from, but two popular brands are Monin and Torani. 

Ingredients

The cool thing about these syrups is that you can pick from a huge variety of flavors. And, you can mix flavors to make your own yummy combinations! I've included a list at the bottom of some possible flavor combos to help inspire you. I stuck with fruity flavors because that's what I tend to like. But I'd love to hear from you about other combos, maybe involving chocolate and caramel??? 

On this night, I especially wanted to try a raspberry vanilla soda. The Kid wanted to test out pina colada. We got down to business...

I began by adding the syrup to an empty glass. I often see people adding ice first, but I think the soda mixes better if you add the ice after. Whatever floats your boat, my friends! The amount of syrup really depends on you, your taste, and the sweetness level of the syrup. 3 tablespoons is a good average. For example, The Kid's pina colada mix was much sweeter than expected, so we added a little less. Using raspberry alone was a bit tart, so we added a splash more.

You got that so far? Good.

 Next, add your sparkling water, around ¾ cup. The syrup and water will blend a little naturally, but give it a little stir too before adding your ice. Add enough ice to fill the cup, but leave a small gap at the top to add 1 tablespoon of cream.

Syrup plus sparkling water

A word about cream: I made an interesting discovery with my pal Michelle one day as I made these (for like the 10th time, they're so good!). Never, ever use the fat free junk you see in my pic. I used this because it's what the Hubs brought me home, instead of the full fat organic kind I normally like.

Boys never get the right stuff at the grocery store, do they?

Anyway. Not only is organic better, but the full fat is pretty important. The no fat does ok for some flavor combinations, but if you add it to anything acidic… the cream breaks.  You know, that chunky ooky grossness that happens when you spoil your cream? Yeah, not pleasant. So the moral of the story is, always buy the half&half with the fat!

Pouring in the cream 

Gently stir in your fatty cream (I use my straw, no sense dirtying up another utensil), then top with whipped cream if you want. Note: You should always want to top your Italian cream soda with whipped cream.

Add a cherry, strawberry, or other garnish, and you're done!

I'm curious to hear what flavor combinations you come up with, so be sure to comment below peeps. I've included some possibilities to get your brain juices flowing. And, of course, the standard recipe is below.

Until next time my friends, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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The Standard Form:

Italian Cream Soda

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of your favorite syrup, or combination of syrups (Torani or Monin are good brands)

¾ cup sparkling mineral water

1 tablespoon cream or half n half (full fat, no reduced fat)

Whipped cream, optional
Garnishes, if desired

Directions:

Add your choice of syrups to the bottom of a glass. Stir in the sparkling mineral water. Add ice to glass, stopping one inch below rim. Stir in the cream. Top with whipped cream and garnish with fresh fruit, if desired.

Flavor suggestions:

Blackberry Cucumber, Cherry Vanilla, Cherry Lime, Cranberry Lime, Cucumber Melon, Cucumber Watermelon, Guava Mango, Mango Coconut, Peach Vanilla, Pina Colada, Raspberry Lime, Raspberry Mango, Raspberry Mint, Raspberry Peach, Raspberry Pineapple, Raspberry Vanilla, Strawberry Coconut, Strawberry Kiwi, Strawberry Lemon, Strawberry Mango, Strawberry Peach, Strawberry Tangerine, Strawberry Watermelon, Tangerine Peach, Watermelon Kiwi, Watermelon Lime, Watermelon Mint

Garnish suggestions:

Whipped cream, maraschino cherries, wedges of fresh fruit, lemon and lime slices, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, coconut flakes

Explore Europe Travel: A Review

Before The Fam arrived in Germany, I planned many, many trips for us. I was so excited to show them around Europe! But planning 6 weeks of vacation can be pretty time consuming and stressful, ya know? So for the first of our trips, I chose to go through a travel company called Explore Europe Travel.

I've got to say, we didn't have the greatest experience. 

The bus trip began in Grafenwoehr. You might have seen some of my quickie posts about Pisa, Rome, and Florence… I'm a firm believer in making the best of a situation, so we enjoyed what time we had in each city. Sadly, there were major issues with the bus and travel company. 

Here is a quick run down of the problems: 

1. Upon arriving at the pick up point, disorganization caused several issues. There was no guide yet available for our bus, and no one making announcements on how to check in. We continued to ask personnel on site, and were simply told the guide for our bus would eventually arrive. The other employees did nothing to help check in or explain the process to the people on our bus. 

2. There were two tour buses for this trip. Lack of direction caused several people's luggage to be loaded onto the incorrect buses, and for those people to be seated on the wrong buses as well. This all took time to straighten out. 

3. We were told that there were maps in our informational packets, but when we looked through them there were no such maps. 

4. The drivers spent much of our initial ride attempting to figure out how to work the bus. Apparently it was new, and they did not know how to work the tv monitors, etc. The monitors did not work until our final day, on the final leg of the trip leaving Florence to Grafenwoehr. 

5. Only one roll of toilet paper was provided for the initial leg of the trip (around 12 hours). No announcements were made about stops, or about only using the bus bathroom for extreme cases. The roll of toilet paper was therefore quickly used. People then began to use tissue, which clogged the toilets. The issue was never repaired during the entire trip. By the final ride home, the sewage smell was so overwhelming that many people were gagging. 

6. Our drivers made several wrong turns on route to Pisa (all of them near the drop off point). We could clearly see the signs pointing toward the tower, but the bus continued to make wrong turns and needed to backtrack several times.

7. We arrived 2 hours late to Pisa.

8. The air conditioning on the bus did not properly function. We were given many excuses during the trip, ranging from it being a new bus to "this is how it works". The bus was so overheated that most people became dehydrated. The temperatures were upwards of 90 degrees outside. Inside the bus was like a sauna. Between the infants, elderly, and people with medical issues on our bus (I myself am diagnosed with MS, and the heat can bring on relapses), we were very lucky that no one had a medical issue. No options were offered to counteract the heat. For example, no one was offered a seat on the other bus that had working air. Although the bus was selling water, none was offered to make up for the issues with the air. No one was offered a chance to move closer to the vents at the front of the bus. Nothing was done, the problem was essentially ignored. 

9. Upon arrival in Rome, the bus was like a sauna. As the bus stopped, the drivers did not open the doors to let us off the bus. With even the blowing fans cut off, the heat was unbearable. The drivers of our bus did not open the doors until repeated yelling (about 5 minutes) from the passengers convinced them. 

10. We also arrived late to Rome, by several hours. Anyone with pre-purchased tickets for evening events missed them.

11. Again, no announcements were made as to how check in would be handled. Guests simply milled around the lobby, wondering and waiting for a key.

12. The trip included a bus tour of Rome… however, because of the heat, most people on our bus did not attend the tour (though we were told the AC issue had been "fixed", this was not so). Also, nearly half of the tour was outside and on foot, which was not as advertised. The tour stopped 3 times to take promotional photos, eating up a lot of time that should have been spent on the tour itself. Standard photos for a tour are usually taken only once. 

13. The bus ride from Rome to Florence was also sweltering, with no air once again. Again, nothing was offered to offset this issue. We arrived in Florence quite miserable, and very anxious to get off the hot bus that now smelled quite disgustingly of sewage.

14. On the final leg of the trip, from Florence to Grafenwoehr, we were told we would be able to disembark the bus for a bathroom break at the 4 hour mark. the bus stopped when it should, but the drivers kept the doors closed and would not let us off the bus. Instead, we watched from the windows as the drivers stretched their legs, used the restroom, and smoked cigarettes. The journey continued without the passengers being allowed off the bus. Just as everyone was once again falling asleep, the bus stopped and we were allowed to finally use the restroom, etc. 

15. We arrived late at our final destination as well. 

Now. I try to be as fair as possible, so I'd like to include the good points of the trip as well:

1. If the trip had been as advertised (with the air conditioned bus, tour, etc), the price was good. 

2. The hotel was as advertised, and close to the metro line. It included daily breakfast, wifi, and air conditioning. 

3. The guide on our bus was very friendly, despite the lack of training. 

4. The other customers on the bus were fun, and easy to get along with. It appeared that most were military families, so we all had something in common.

At the end of the trip, I spent quite a large amount of time contacting the company, adding my initial review to FB pages, and trying to bring these problems to the attention of the Explore Europe Travel. I found their responses to be quite rude and condescending, with a complete lack of customer service. It appeared that the company was brushing off the incident and attempting to sweep it under the rug. This infuriated me, as they had endangered the health and well-being of everyone on board bus #2. 

After some time, the owner of the company contacted me, and I could easily see the difference between her emails and those I had previously received from employees. Her tone was much more polite, and professional. We arranged a meeting between the two of us to discuss these issues. 

I was surprised to discover (only a few hours prior to the meeting) that I would not be meeting with the owner alone. Instead, I arrived alone (after an hour drive to get there), and was confronted by the owner and two of her employees. The beginning of this meeting did not go well at all. I quickly realized that the company's employees were responsible for most of the initial emails that were sent out. I found that they were actually causing the situation to be worse than it needed to be, by simply repeating excuses that had already been sent in their emails. They lacked the customer service skills that are ordinarily taught at larger companies. I believe their tour training to be good as long as no problems arise. However, they were not properly prepared to deal with any issues that came to the surface. The owner barely spoke at the beginning of this meeting, instead allowing her employees to take the lead.

Luckily, the employees finally agreed to allow the owner and I to speak privately. I found the owner to be quite personable, and easy to speak with. She seems to genuinely care about providing a good experience for her clients, and she wanted to make the changes necessary so these issues would not occur again. There were several problems with the bus company used during the trip, including the death of its owner only a few days prior to our trip. Without proper leadership, it appears that the company was floundering a bit and this contributed to the issues and lack of communication on our vacation. There were many things that could have been done differently, and I hope these changes will be implemented in the future. I have confidence that the owner of Explore Europe Travel will do her best to make these changes.

With all of that being said, it's unlikely I will book a trip with this company in the future. No reparations were offered to the people of bus #2. I don't want to risk my money or my health (especially important for me as I deal with MS) on a risky venture. If I didn't have these health issues, and the company had offered any sort of reparation (for example a discounted future tour, or a partial refund), then I may have felt differently. 

If you've had an experience with Explore Europe Travel, please feel free to post your comments below. Especially if you've taken a trip with them after this tour, let us know if you've seen any improvement. 

Until next time my friends, happy travels! 

   

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Family Vacation: 6 Hours in Florence

After Pisa and Rome, there was Florence….

I gotta say, this is one of my favorite places I've visited, even though we only spent a short time there. I have a long list of things I'd like to do in the city, so I know the Hubs and I will (hopefully) be spending a four-day weekend there at some point.

Florence is the home of Michelangelo's David. Unfortunately, the line was too long for us to see this beautiful sculpture. Next time, though! Instead, we wandered the streets, shopping and eating our way through town.

The scenery is beautiful. The Fam and I really enjoyed a few relaxing hours here, with nothing particular we had to do. Sometimes this is the best way to visit, don't you think? The next time I visit Florence, I'll take lots of notes and see everything I possible can, I promise. But this time was a laid back event that we all appreciated.

Have you visited Florence yourself? What are your recommendations on places to see and things to do?

I'll be back soon, with tales of our adventures in Paris. Until next time my friends, happy travels!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Family Vacation: Rome

I'm back, ready to continue our journey through Italy… after a couple hours in Pisa, the Fam and I continued onward to the amazing city of Rome!

Hanging out in front of the Colosseum

Rome is quite the metropolitan area, and full of so much history. We definitely could have spent more time there. Everywhere you turn is a ruin of some sort. I think the Hubs and I will go back someday and explore more, but we were happy to see the major sights on this trip. Sadly, the tour we were on wasn't good at all (review coming soon!), but we broke away and enjoyed our time anyway.

The Pantheon

Being silly, and enjoying some gelato!

I find the Italian people as a whole to be extremely friendly. People were willing to help and offer assistance more than once. Our servers at restaurants were especially entertaining. One of them even FaceTimed with us as we chatted with family back in the States!

Joking with our server at dinner

A fitting end to our fun dinner 

The one major concern in Rome is the pickpockets. At least 3 times we were warned by the police to keep extra watch on our purses, etc. I highly recommend using an anti-theft bag, or a waist wallet. Often, the metro is so crowded you will literally be nose-to-nose with other passengers. This is a prime opportunity for pickpockets to grab your stuff. My mum had an issue at one of the basilicas… a small child attempted to unlatch her bag and put his hand in. Luckily, she had an anti-theft purse and he was unable to get in. So be aware, my friends!

Inside the Colosseum

Here are my best travel tips for Rome, with the little bit of experience I now have:

1. Use the metro - Take a little time before your trip, and study the metro map. The system is fairly simple to understand, and it is inexpensive. And it will save your feet a lot of hurt! Rome is quite large, and especially hot during the summer months. Make the most of your time by getting around quickly.

2. Buy advance tickets - The lines at most of the monuments and tourist attractions are outrageous. Buy your tickets in advance if you can, especially for places like the Vatican and the Colosseum. Also, many of these attractions have free entrance on the first Sunday of the month. We visited the Colosseum this way, arriving early and entering for free as soon as they opened. You can save a bit of money this way, if you don't mind waiting in line.

Outside the vatican

3. Appropriate dress - Though Rome is quite hot in the summer, many of the sites (such as the Sistine Chapel) require a dress code for entry. Research the sites you wish to visit, and plan ahead for this. It would be awful to arrive, tickets in hand, yet be unable to visit.

4. Shop for groceries - Rome is a very expensive city to visit. If you can, I highly recommend shopping for groceries. You don't need a full-size kitchen to do this. Although we stayed at a hotel, our room had a refrigerator. We purchased bottled water, yogurt, fruit, sliced meats and cheese, and bread. We tried to eat breakfast in our room, enjoy a large meal late in the afternoon, and then snack on our other purchases at night. This can save you a lot of money!

5. No photos - There are several places where you are not allowed to take photos, including the Sistine Chapel. Circumvent these rules at your own risk. Especially inside certain areas of the Vatican, the security guards have no problem confiscating your equipment and it will likely not be returned. You've been warned.

One of many beautiful ceilings inside
the Vatican… (don't worry, I was
allowed to take pictures in this area!)

6. Gladiators do not take pictures for free - Outside the Colosseum are gladiators, ready and waiting to pose for pictures. But these are not free! Ask first how much the price will be. If you take the photo without discussion, you are then obligated to pay whatever they ask.

7. Don't take the roses - Particularly around the Spanish Steps, people try handing you roses. The minute you take it, you've bought it. Don't be fooled by their comments, like: "Oh, just for picture. Take for the picture". As you can see, The Kid wound up overloaded with roses, even though we thought we knew better!

Oops! 

The next time I visit this city, I'll add more tips. Our time there was so short, I didn't learn as much as I hoped. If you've visited other areas of Italy, expect Rome to be different. I've seen many smaller towns, so Rome was a little overwhelming at first. It's quite a bit larger than I expected, crowded, and comes with the usual large city issues. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely worth seeing, but it is best to be prepared.

Until next time my friends, happy travels!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Family Vacation: Two Hours in Pisa

Hi friends! I hope you've been keeping up on the Army Life Facebook page for the last few weeks, because you know I haven't been posting much here. Don't worry, I still love you! I've just been jetting around Europe with The Fam. My mum and kid sis are visiting from the States, and I couldn't wait to show them Europe.

We started off slow, visiting a few places nearby in Germany like the Dachau concentration camp. From there, we booked a trip with a local company to Pisa, Rome, and Florence. My review of the company will be coming later this week, but needless to say… the company was awful. I'm hoping to have a response from them soon, and then I'll have a complete review.

Despite the issues on the trip, we didn't let that get us down! I wanted to share some of the fun we had with you…

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Our bus stopped first in Pisa, home of the Leaning Tower. We only had two hours in this quaint town, so no time to hike the top of the tower. Next time, maybe! We wandered, took our photos, and snagged a quick lunch from a panini truck. On the walk back, we stumbled across the coolest little produce stand where we purchased the best grapes I've ever eaten, seriously.

Igor Mitoraj, Angels exhibition

Proof, we were there! 

Enjoying each other's company

The awesome grape stand, best I have ever
tasted. And such a cool set-up too! 

I'll be back soon with some pictures and tales from the next leg of our trip, Rome! Until then my friends, happy travels…

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Lemon Basil Pasta

Often I post pictures of food to both my personal Facebook page and the blog page (you can follow ArmyLife here). I absolutely LOVE when I get requests for the recipe before I even have a chance to share it on the blog. Since this happened yesterday (and I was tickled pink!), I'm featuring my Lemon Basil Pasta a few days ahead of schedule.

That's cool with you, right? I thought so! 

Several weeks ago, I visited Venice with my pal Becky (more coming on that over the next few weeks). Whilst there, I purchased a few bags of pasta to bring home and try out with the Hubs. Honestly, the food in Italy was some of the best I've ever eaten. I'm a huge pasta fan. As in, if I was stuck on a deserted island and could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life… it would probably be spaghetti. Or lasagna. Or lemon basil pasta!

Pasta from Venice

I used this basil pappardelle (pictured above), but you can use any kind of pasta from your pantry, seriously. I've eaten this dish with penne, spaghetti, angel hair, fettuccine… they are all good.

Here's what you need to get started:

Utilizing fresh ingredients for this recipe is super important. DO NOT substitute, ok? You'll totally regret it. Also, be sure you purchase a high quality parmesan cheese, none of this weird crap in a plastic can.

We cool? Ok.

If you want to be extra bad, add some thick-cut bacon to this recipe. I mean, after all the cream and cheese, what can a little bacon hurt anyway? I use an amazing bacon I find at our local German grocery, but you can use the center, thick-cut style if you're in the States.

Chop about 6 slices (2 slices if you're using the German kind) into 1" pieces, like so:

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until done, then drain and set aside for later.

Add your pasta (1 box of your choice, between 13 - 16 ounces) to a pot of boiling, salted water. Cook until al dente. Reserve a small amount (about ½ cup) of the pasta water before you drain it. I usually forget this step, but I almost never need the pasta water because I like extra lemon juice. But if you'd like things a bit more subtle than me, save the water.

Drain your pasta, toss in a little olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside for later.

Since I like using as few dishes as possible to cook, I add 4 tablespoons of butter to the same pot I cooked my pasta in. Melt the butter over medium heat, then add 3 minced garlic cloves to the pot. This will smell fantastic after 3-4 minutes, at which point you'll add ½ cup - ⅔ cup lemon juice. The amount of lemon juice is up to you. I personally use ⅔ cup, because I obsess over lemon. I suggest trying it with the ½ cup on your first time, then adding more if you want it. But ½ cup is usually enough for most people.

Whisk to combine, then stir in 1 cup of half-n-half. Confession time: I sometimes use a whole cup of heavy cream. Don't judge me! 

Continue whisking until your cream is warm, then stir in 2 cups of grated parmesan cheese. Use the good stuff, ok peeps? Grate it yourself! Please don't use the fake powder junk here. The taste is 100% not the same, I promise.

Trust me.

Keep whisking until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth, about 4-5 minutes. Add some salt and pepper to taste. I also add a bit of lemon zest, about a teaspoon. Tip: If you're using bacon add a bit less salt to the dish, since the bacon will add this element for you.

Top left: Step 1, melting butter
Top right: Step 2, adding garlic
Bottom left: Step 3, lemon juice addition
Bottom center: Step 4, half-n-half addition
Bottom right: Step 5, cheese addition 

If your sauce appears too thick after the cheese is melted, this is the point you can add some of the reserved pasta water. Add only a little bit at a time, whisking after each addition, unit the sauce is the consistency you desire. I have never found this to be necessary, but it's nice to have the option.

To your sauce, stir in about ¾ of the basil you cut chiffonade style during your prep (about 30 fresh leaves). Save the rest of the basil to garnish your final dish.

Chiffonade basil 

Also add the cooked bacon at this point, if you're using it. Then it's just a matter of adding your pasta to the pot, tossing it in all the lemon goodness,  and serving it up! Add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a little extra basil for garnish too.

Mmmmmmmmmmm……. so good! I'm a huge lemon fan, so this is one of my favorite dishes ever. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. As always, the standard recipe is below.

Until next time, happy cooking, my friends!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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The Standard Form:

Lemon Basil Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb. pasta of your choice

4 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ - ⅔  cup lemon juice (3-4 large lemons)

1 cup half-n-half or heavy cream

2 cups fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

6 slices thick cut bacon (optional)

1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

30 basil leaves, chiffonade

Directions:

Slice the bacon into 1” pieces, and cook in pan until done. Drain and set aside.

Cook the pasta al dente, and reserve ½ cup of the hot pasta water. Drain the pasta. Add a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking, and toss. Set pasta aside.

In the same pot you cooked the pasta in, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook 3-4 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the lemon juice and whisk to combine. Add the half-n-half to the pot. Whisk until hot, then add in the parmesan cheese. Continue whisking until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, and the lemon zest if desired.

Check the consistency of the sauce. If too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen. Stir in nearly all of the basil, reserving some for garnish. Stir in the bacon, if using. Add the pasta to the pot and toss to coat with the sauce.

Serve in a heated bowl, garnished with extra basil and parmesan cheese.

Hiatus in Venice

Today, I leave on a great adventure to Venice, Italy! I am so excited to visit this city, it's been on my bucket list for a very long time. I'm traveling with my friend Becky. We've had many adventures together, and I know we're going to enjoy this one as well.

Becky and I in Ireland, 2012

I won't be doing as many posts here on the blog while I'm gone, but I did prepare a few things for you that will post as scheduled. You can also keep up with me via my Facebook page. I'll try to post some up-to-the-moment pictures of Venice when I can. I know the bed and breakfast we're staying at has wifi available, and I'm sure we'll find a connection at local cafes as well.

I'll see you on the flip side, my friends!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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