{"id":4075,"date":"2012-07-18T20:15:43","date_gmt":"2012-07-18T18:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/?p=4075"},"modified":"2012-07-20T23:50:25","modified_gmt":"2012-07-20T21:50:25","slug":"july-favorites-tuscany-reeses-brownie-cake-farinata","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2012\/07\/18\/july-favorites-tuscany-reeses-brownie-cake-farinata\/","title":{"rendered":"July Favorites: Tuscany, Reese’s Brownie Cake, Farinata"},"content":{"rendered":"

I love lists and favorites, so I\u2019m going to share a few which have caught my eye now in July. Are you a <\/em><\/strong>subscriber to my newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a>? There will be a few favorites in there which aren\u2019t in this post, <\/em><\/strong>so sign up now<\/strong><\/a>! I\u2019m also on Twitter @<\/strong>rosso<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong>See past favorites<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Favorite Italy moment:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gina from Warm Pears is a wedding and portrait photographer who I\u2019ve admired for years (and still have to meet in person). She does some amazing things with light, making her pictures seem timeless and soaked in the energy of the day. The photos she took at Val d’Orcia in Tuscany<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(with her iPhone!) really put you in the feeling of summer in Tuscany. Some day I hope to second shoot a wedding with her. You\u2019ll also want to dive head first into her\u00a0Rome category<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Love this one – traveling via train through Italy is a great way to see the countryside. You don\u2019t always appreciate it, as this man evidences.<\/p>\n

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Favorite nostalgic eat:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before I moved to Texas for university, I hadn\u2019t ever heard of queso<\/em>. What a sad existence prior to that moment! I learned the delights of Velveeta + Rotel<\/em> when making it at home (I even got some in an early care package to Italy), but now I would much rather turn to a homemade version of queso<\/em> with whole ingredients like this Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce<\/a><\/strong> from Kitchen Simplicity. I\u2019d spice it up with some homemade pico de gallo mixed in.<\/p>\n

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Favorite jam(s) of the moment (the audio kind):<\/strong><\/p>\n

Up<\/strong>:\u00a0Wisin & Yandel (feat. Jennifer Lopez) – Follow the Leader<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0This is going to be a summer jam for sure – it feels like every year I have a Spanish song that\u2019s a big jam for me (check out some past posts featuring summer<\/a>\u00a0music<\/a> in Italy<\/em>). Love the Parkour in the video, too. Get it on Amazon MP3<\/a>.<\/p>\n[youtube\u00a0http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Xmap94TcDNs]\n

Down<\/strong>: Still Going “Untitled Love”<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0– a nice electro mix which keeps me focused. (Thanks to Delicious Days and her Tasty Music<\/a> posts.)\u00a0<\/em>Get it on Amazon MP3<\/a>.<\/p>\n[youtube\u00a0http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xsbN7m80rQ8]\n

Favorite thing I want just one piece to exist and not worry about leftovers being in my vicinity:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream in the same bite? Yes, please! Chocolate Vanilla Frozen Cake<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0from La Receta della Felicidad (recipe in English)<\/p>\n

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Favorite street food – farinata:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been loving farina di ceci<\/em> – chickpea\/garbanzo bean flour and I regularly make chickpea pancakes for a quick lunch. But torta di ceci<\/em>, or farinata<\/em> (as I usually see it in Piemonte) is a delicious street food made with just chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt and pepper. You should definitely stand in line to buy it when you see the huge round pans bubbling with olive oil and this simple chickpea batter. Emiko Davies gets you closer to farinata on her site<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Favorite Tutorial for the Perfect Hostess:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love a good cheese plate – in a few of my favorite restaurants I often order the goat cheese plate and I’m always delighted when they put dabs of honey, onion compote, raspberry jam, and other spreads to pair with the various cheeses (as well as nuts and dried fruits). If you can recreate this experience at home, you’ll be a lauded hostess. My tip: make the cheese plate the star of the evening rather than just an appetizer! That way your guests will really dive into each of the flavors without worrying about that steak or pasta dish they’ll have to squeeze in after. Joanna Goddard pairs with\u00a0Murray’s head cheesemonger Sydney Willcox to give you the tips for the perfect cheese plate<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Favorite motivation:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

How to Finally Quit your Job from Harvard Business Review<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s not for me – I just celebrated 2 years at my company, Automattic, and I\u2019m loving it\u2026but maybe you need that boost?\u00a0Also, keep your momentum going and read the epic post I wrote \u201cStop Sabotaging Your Own Success: A Manifesto<\/a>\u201d on my tech site, When I Have Time.<\/p>\n

Yesterday was my two-year @Automattic<\/a> versary :) Two of the best years of my life! (And we’re hiring…) automattic.com\/work-with-us<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Sara Rosso (@rosso) July 9, 2012<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Favorite Get in My Mouth Right Now:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bakers Royale and I apparently have the same dessert fantasies (did you see last month’s Snickers Cake<\/a>?<\/em>) and again, an ice cream cake sounds decadent to me for summertime. An ice cream cake that mixes two of my favorite things in the entire world….brownies and peanut butter cups? Sign me up. Now. No really, I would like a piece right now. Reese\u2019s Brownie Ice Cream Cake<\/strong><\/a> from Bakers Royale.<\/p>\n

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Favorite DIY:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Are you a fan of dry shampoo? I use a sulfate-free shampoo (which preserves the natural oils in your hair) and don’t wash my hair every day, so I think the idea of a dry shampoo for those really important days when you just need to refresh your hair without doing the whole shower-song-and-dance is essential. This DIY recipe for Dry Shampoo from ModCloth<\/a><\/strong> looks easy and fast!<\/p>\n

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What are your favorites this month? Do any of these inspire you? Let me know in the comments if you like my Favorites posts and I’ll keep doing them! :)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I love lists and favorites, so I\u2019m going to share a few which have caught my eye now in July. Are you a subscriber to my newsletter? There will be a few favorites in there which aren\u2019t in this post, so sign up now! I\u2019m also on Twitter @rosso.\u00a0See past favorites. Favorite Italy moment:\u00a0 Gina…<\/p>\n

Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[129,3,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-favorites","category-food","category-italy","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4uB1-13J","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4721,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2013\/03\/11\/march-favorites-italy-edition\/","url_meta":{"origin":4075,"position":0},"title":"March Favorites: Italy edition","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"March 11, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you friends with me on Instagram? I'm rossosara.\u00a0Are you a\u00a0subscriber to my newsletter? I\u2019m also on Twitter @rosso.\u00a0 Here's some of the favorites I've seen lately in Italy. Favorite work-turned-reward in Italy: Not only was cutting my own chocolate so cool, the cremino from Domori\u00a0was so delicious and my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Favorites"","block_context":{"text":"Favorites","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/favorites\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/sararosso.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/02\/cut-your-chocolate-cremino-from-domori-italy-february-28-2013-at-0822pm.jpg?w=350&h=200&crop=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/sararosso.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/02\/cut-your-chocolate-cremino-from-domori-italy-february-28-2013-at-0822pm.jpg?w=350&h=200&crop=1 1x, https:\/\/sararosso.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/02\/cut-your-chocolate-cremino-from-domori-italy-february-28-2013-at-0822pm.jpg?w=525&h=300&crop=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4265,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2012\/09\/27\/september-favorites-banana-bread-skillet-cake-writing-inspiration-homemade-peanut-butter\/","url_meta":{"origin":4075,"position":1},"title":"September Favorites: Banana bread skillet cake, Writing inspiration, Homemade peanut butter","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"September 27, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I love lists and favorites, so I\u2019m going to share a few which have caught my eye now in September. Are you a\u00a0subscriber to my newsletter? There will be a few favorites in there which aren\u2019t in this post, along with other content (and giveaways!),\u00a0so sign up now! I\u2019m also\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Favorites"","block_context":{"text":"Favorites","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/favorites\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/easy-homemade-mac-and-cheese-recipe.jpg?fit=610%2C408&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/easy-homemade-mac-and-cheese-recipe.jpg?fit=610%2C408&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/easy-homemade-mac-and-cheese-recipe.jpg?fit=610%2C408&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4400,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2012\/11\/29\/november-favorites-more-cookie-recipes-for-your-holiday-cookie-swap\/","url_meta":{"origin":4075,"position":2},"title":"November Favorites: More Cookie Recipes for your Holiday Cookie Swap","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"November 29, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I love lists and favorites, so I\u2019m going to share a few which have caught my eye now in November. Are you a\u00a0subscriber to my newsletter? There will be a few favorites in there which aren\u2019t in this post, along with other content (and giveaways!),\u00a0so sign up now! I\u2019m also\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Favorites"","block_context":{"text":"Favorites","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/favorites\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/l_RU194737.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3973,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2012\/06\/11\/june-favorites-food-italy-inspiration-and-more\/","url_meta":{"origin":4075,"position":3},"title":"June Favorites: Food, Italy, Inspiration and more","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"June 11, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I love lists and favorites, so I'm going to share a few which have caught my eye now in June. Are you a subscriber to my newsletter? There will be a few favorites in there which aren't in this post, so sign up now! I'm also on Twitter @rosso. Favorite\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Favorites"","block_context":{"text":"Favorites","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/favorites\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Snickers-Icebox-Cake_Bakers-Royale.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":630,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2008\/06\/06\/another-behind-the-scenes-look-in-puglia\/","url_meta":{"origin":4075,"position":4},"title":"Another behind the scenes look in Puglia","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"June 6, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"I've infiltrated one of my favorites places in Puglia to share another behind the scenes look next week. Anyone have a guess where I went? Or what's in the photo?","rel":"","context":"In "Behind the Scenes"","block_context":{"text":"Behind the Scenes","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/behind-the-scenes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Another behind the scenes look in Puglia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3002\/2554860875_ccc5dd8304.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4644,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2013\/01\/28\/january-favorites-endurance-crackers-juicing-dim-sum\/","url_meta":{"origin":4075,"position":5},"title":"January Favorites: Endurance crackers, Juicing, Dim Sum","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"January 28, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I love lists and favorites, so I\u2019m going to share a few which have caught my eye now in January. Are you a\u00a0subscriber to my newsletter? There will be a few favorites in there which aren\u2019t in this post, along with other content (and giveaways!),\u00a0so sign up now! I\u2019m also\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Favorites"","block_context":{"text":"Favorites","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/favorites\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/books11613.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/books11613.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/books11613.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4075"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4114,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4075\/revisions\/4114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}