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Guest Blog: The Jazziest Tram in Rome

TramJazz Rome, Italy

TramJazz Rome, Italy

Doing tons of research about “things to do in Rome” I came across TramJazz.  This is typically only a little fun-fest known to locals.  Extensive research pays off.  TramJazz is basically what it sounds like.  It’s a “tram” that features “jazz” music accompanied by a traditional Italian 4-course meal.  There are different types of jazz music featured, but on the night I was able to attend with a friend, it was, “Wonderful World”, a tribute to Louis Armstrong.   When booking, you get a choice of sharing a table of four or sitting at a table of two.  We chose to sit at a table of four.  The TramJazz departs Piazza di Porta Maggiore at 9pm.  The tram is really a trolley car that is on a cable track.  When you arrive, they check your reservation and then show you to your table on the tram.  The tram seats 22 guests.  There are 3 servers and a 2-piece band.  Upon being seated we were greeted by our table mates. They were a cute Italian couple that didn’t speak any English!!!  Our server brought us wine and our first course.  The menu was in Italian only, and the tram had very little lighting, so seeing what we were being served was a bit of a challenge.  This was tough for me because I am a very picky eater.  The first course was a type of black licorice bread with sausage, ricotta cheese and honey.  The tram started on its journey.  It was night time so seeing the city all lit up was really nice.  The jazz musicians could only play music when the tram was stopped.  After traveling for about 20 minutes the tram came to a stop in front of the National Museum.  The jazz musicians began playing.  They played 4 to 5 songs while we were stopped.  We also were served our second course.  It was Eggplant Parmesan with tomato sauce.  We knew it had to be really good because all of the Italian people on the tram were licking their plates.  The tram was back on the move.  It took us through the “old city” and landed at The Colosseum.  We were able to get out here and take a few pictures.  The jazz music continued, as well.  We were served our next course when the tram started moving again.  This time we received Broccoli Lasagna, another homemade dish, using the freshest ingredients.  The last course was my favorite, it was Citrus Gelato! YUM!  We also were given unlimited wine the entire night!!!!  The tram was now back at Piazza di Porta Maggiore and we were off the tram and headed back to our hotel.  It was about a 3-hour ride.  The music was absolutely fantastic and definitely a fun thing to experience.  I mean, how many people can say they listened to Louis Armstrong on a Trolley through Roma?  

The price of the tour is $65.00 per person and if you want to have an authentic Italian meal with the locals, enjoy jazz and want to see Rome at night, this is the tour for you!

Ryn Jarrett opened her web business, Roman Holiday Italy Travel, in 2016.  TramJazz is one of the tours she reviewed as a recommendation for Roman Holiday Italy Travel.   Please feel free to check out her business page at www.romanholidayitalytravel.com.    

 

Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola; Tropical Rain Forest

Tropical Fruit with Coconut Ice Cream for a Tropical Rain Forest

Tropical Fruit with Coconut Ice Cream for a Tropical Rain Forest

I have never been to a Tropical Rain Forest, but if I did go, I would eat grilled fruit! Well, come to think of it, I like grilled fruit, and  I don’t have to be in a Tropical Rain Forest to enjoy it!

I hate trying to think of things to eat every week! It is a real chore, as it seems you eat the same things over and over! Well I experiment a lot now by using an APP called Yummly! I love it because you can tailor the recipes to your particular food likes or dislikes. There are over 1 million recipes to choose from with gorgeous pictures and instructions. When you find a recipe you like you can save it and automatically add the ingredients to a grocery list. The most important feature for me is allowing me to see the recipe, on my list, that I have bought the ingredients for. I used to look through all my cookbooks for particular recipes, make a list, and then get home from the grocery store and not be able to remember what ingredient was for which recipe! Sometimes I couldn’t remember which book I had found the recipe in! What a senior moment! Now, even if I do not get the ingredients on the list, the ingredients do not go away and I can save them for another week and never lose the recipe either! You can look for recipes by Ingredients, Occasions, Tastes, Diets, Allergies, Nutrition, or Cuisine, just to name a few filters. If you wear an Up band you can save the calories and information of the meal to your band! You will know how many calories you consumed with any meal!

You can add other things to the list, like toilet paper, soap, all your staples or anything else, all added to one list. I LOVE this APP!

Summer is coming so it is time to grill fruit! Since I have not done a video for awhile I thought I would share a  Grilled Watermelon Pizza recipe.

There are 25 recipes for this on Yummly! Enjoy!

Tropical Rain Forest is a green color in the Crayola Collection that was added in 1993.

This post is just one of many in the Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola Challenge! It is Day 103!

Check out some of the other 150+ challenge participants, it’s amazing what we have done with the Crayola colors!

Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola; Cerise

 

Venice Cherries

Venice Cherries

 

Banana Cherry Crepe in Venice, Italy

Banana-Cherry Crepe in Venice, Italy

Cerise is French for “cherry”. Crayola is now going French on us! I didn’t have one picture of a  French cherry! How can that be? But, I did have some pictures of Italian Cherries!

This post is just one of many in the Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola Challenge! Enjoy!

Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola; Brown

 

My Fanny Mae Fudge

My Fanny Mae Fudge

 

My Salted Caramel Brownies

My Salted Caramel Brownies

 

My Peanut Bloosoms

My Peanut Blossoms

 

There are over 50 shades of Brown. The shades of brown include auburn, burnt ember, camel, chestnut, chocolate, coffee, copper, maroon, sepia, seal brown, sandy brown and russet, just to name a few. I decided to go with chocolate for my brown color! Crayola also has a color to represent each state! Mississippi is the state for BROWN, naming it the Mississippi Mud Color. I guess I should have made a Mississippi Mud Cake! Here is the recipe! For my baking needs I go to King Arthur Flour. They sell 25 different kinds of chocolate for baking! How can you go wrong with that? Won’t you have a piece of fudge?

This post is just one of many in the Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola Challenge! Enjoy!

Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola; Blue Bell

Blue Bell Ice Cream

Blue Bell Ice Cream

 

Texas Bluebells in the Hill Country of Texas

Texas Bluebells in the Hill Country of Texas

Blue Bell Crayola Color

Blue Bell Crayola Color

Blue Bell is a recent addition to the line of Crayola colors, only being added in 1998.

I want to think it was named after Blue Bell Ice Cream.

If you have lived in the South, you know there is only one ice cream for southerners, Blue Bell.

The Brenham Creamery Company was founded around the time of the Crayola startup, 1907, in Brenham, Texas. It opened originally to purchase excess cream from local dairy farmers and sell butter to the good folks of Brenham. In 1911, the creamery began to produce small quantities of ice cream. In 1930, Brenham Creamery Company was renamed Blue Bell Creameries after the Texas Bluebell, a wildflower native to Texas, and which like ice cream, thrives during the summer. They claimed, “the milk we use is so fresh it was only grass yesterday.”  As of 2015 Blue Bell is the fourth highest selling ice cream brand in the US. I could eat Bluebell Ice Cream for 120 days! To see some of the top flavors of Blue Bell Ice Cream look here!

This post is just one of many in the Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola Challenge! Enjoy!

Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola; Banana Mania

 

Birthday Celebration!

Birthday Celebration!

 

Crayola Banana Mania

Crayola Banana Mania

Banana Mania was introduced to the Crayola collection in 1998.

Did you know that Crayola at one time offered Magic Scents Crayons?

In 1994, Crayola produced a 16-pack of crayons that released fragrances when used. By 1995, Crayola had to change some of the scents because of complaints from parents that some of the crayons smelled good enough to eat; like the Cherry, Chocolate, and Blueberry scented crayons. Eventually, crayons with food scents were retired in favor of non-food scents!

This photo was taken at my birthday week celebration at the Inn at Little Washington. It’s my birthday week! Not day, but week! The older one gets, the more one celebrates! Fabulous!

This post is just one of many in the Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola Challenge! Enjoy!

Color Your World:120 Days of Crayola; Atomic Tangerine

The Canals of Venice, Italy

The Canals of Venice, Italy

 

The Canals of Venice, Italy

The Canals of Venice, Italy

 

The Doge's Palace, Venice, Italy

The Doge’s Palace, Venice, Italy

 

Buildings Along the Main Canal, Venice, Italy

Buildings Along the Main Canal, Venice, Italy

 

The BEST PIZZA EVER!

The BEST PIZZA EVER!

 

Crayola Atomic Tangerine

Crayola Atomic Tangerine

Ultra Yellow was added to the Crayola colors in 1972. It was one of eight crayons in the new fluorescent color line. In 1990 all the fluorescent colors were re-named and Ultra Yellow became Atomic Tangerine.

Atomic Tangerine is supposed to be a fluorescent color, but there is no way to show fluorescence on a flat computer screen.

I think Venice, Italy is the most romantic city in the world.! If you want to be surrounded by beautiful color at every turn, Venice, Italy is the place for you! I fell in love with the atomic tangerine color found on every building, niche, and cranny! It can even be seen in their popular PIZZA! To see other posts about visiting Venice, just click HERE.

This post is just one of many in the Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola Challenge! Enjoy!

Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola; Asparagus

My Vegetable Garden

My Vegetable Garden

 

My Vegetable Garden

My Vegetable Garden

 

My Vegetable Garden

My Vegetable Garden

 

My Vegetable Garden

My Vegetable Garden

 

Fruits of My Labor

Fruits of My Labor

 

Fruits of My Labor

Fruits of My Labor

Asparagus is a tone of green that is named after the vegetable. Crayola created this color in 1993 as one of the 16 to be named in the Name the Color Contest.

Another name for this color is asparagus green. The first recorded use of “asparagus green” as a color name in English was in 1805.

It is also the color of a wild asparagus plant blowing in the wind of the 1949 classic film Sands of Iwo Jima.

My “Woodland Garden” is a postage-stamp sized back yard, that is fenced off from a forest of trees. My “Cottage Garden” is a strip of ground resembling the seal of an envelope. Long and very narrow. So my “garden” is a postage stamp and envelope!

One year, I decided to broaden my horizons and invest in an allotment that our neighborhood church provided. I rented my spot and set off. Mind you I didn’t know a thing about growing vegetables. I planted a lot of lettuce. Many varieties of lettuce, all planted at the same time. They came up very nicely. So did the onions, peppers, and herbs. The plants looked so beautiful, and every day I would hike up the hill to the church and cut my lettuce. And cut lettuce. And cut lettuce. The pictures represent the fruit of my labor.

I did not grow asparagus, but surely one of these nice greens should be the color of asparagus?

This post is just one of many in the Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola Challenge! Enjoy!

Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola

Colossus of Rames II 80 tons Memphis Museum Cairo Egypt March 2010 135_HDR_edit

Colossus of Rames II, 80 tons, Memphis Museum, Cairo, Egypt

 

Sphinx and Pyramid of Chephren Cairo, Egypt

Sphinx and Pyramid of Chephren Cairo, Egypt

Police on Camel at Great Pyramid of Cheops Pyramid of Chephren and Pyramid of Mycerinus, Cairo, Egypt

Police on Camel at Great Pyramid of Cheops Pyramid of Chephren and Pyramid of Mycerinus, Cairo, Egypt

Great Pyramid of Cheops, Cairo, Egypt

Great Pyramid of Cheops, Cairo, Egypt

“Almond” is a shade of brown that is 14% saturated and 94% bright.  Crayola issued this color in 1998 under the name “Almond” and is currently available in the 120 pack of crayons.  Sherwin Williams, the paint company, offers a paint called, “Intricate Ivory” which is 99% similar to “Almond.”

Personally, when I think of “Almond” I think of sand and the desert! Or a dessert! How about almond biscotti with almond colored coffee? This post is just one of many in the Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola Challenge! Enjoy!

Let the Feast Begin!

The Swan Restaurant at Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

The Swan Restaurant at Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

Today we are celebrating Thanksgiving with our family, enjoying turkey and all the trimmings! In my last post I talked about the Chapel Down Winery and the beautiful Swan Restaurant. So here is the food you might be eating if you were in the UK today. It’s the traditional Sunday roast and more! Enjoy your day!

The Swan Restaurant, Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

The Swan Restaurant, Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

There is an area for relaxing and drinking their fine sparkling wines and Curious Beers! A great place to meet up!

The Swan Restaurant, Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

The Swan Restaurant, Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

There is also the dining room area for eating the tempting meals! So many choices!!!!!

The Swan Restaurant, Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

The Swan Restaurant, Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

We chose from the gathering menu, which routinely changes during the season! Three courses with different wines served with each! First the appetizer, with wine………….

The Appetizers, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

The Appetizers, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

The Appetizers, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

The Appetizers, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

Then we ordered the Yorkshire Pudding plate because we have never eaten Yorkshire pudding! If you are expecting a crystal, fluted cup with a yummy, creamy, thick, sweet pudding, topped with real whipped cream, you will be quite surprised!  We were!!!!!!!!!! Read about Yorkshire pudding, with recipe, here. The article is quite amusing!!!!!  The mushroom looking bread in the picture is Yorkshire pudding! It is neither a traditional pudding as we know it, or from Yorkshire!!!!!! It was served with a cauliflower gratin!!!!! Yummmmmmy!

THE YORKSHIRE PUDDING!

THE YORKSHIRE PUDDING!

The main course and of course more wine……………..

The Traditional Sunday Roast, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

The Traditional Sunday Roast, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

The Pork, Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

The Pork Loin, Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

The Deserts, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

The Deserts, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

The deserts served with………… you guessed it, another glass of sparkly!

The Deserts, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

The Deserts, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

Were those bowler hats used as lighting or was I seeing things?

What are bowler hats exactly?……. I’ve had so much wine, now I am thinking about Bowler hats!!!! Definition: Known as a bob hat, billycock or bobkin, it is made of hard felt with a round crown created for the British soldier in 1849.  Now all I can think about is The Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan! Time to go home!!!! I’ve had a really good day! See you soon!

The Swan Restaurant, Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

The Swan Restaurant, Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

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