The Best Way to Ask Single Women Out on a Date

The way you ask for a date with single women can make a big difference in whether she accepts or declines. Also, it’s very important that you feel confident in advance that she is going to accept your invitation to get together for a date.

Whatever you do, don’t expect a “no” answer in advance of asking her out. This can backfire on you by showing the woman your lack of confidence around women. If you expect rejection, it can create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Let me give you some examples of the wrong way of asking single women for a date. These negatively phrased questions can set you up for failure in trying to get a date:

I know you’re probably busy Friday night, but if you’re not busy would you like to go out with me?
I don’t suppose you’re free to have lunch with me on Friday are you?
You wouldn’t want to meet me for a drink Thursday after work, would you?

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DeLonghi EC701: 5 Must Know Facts about the DeLonghi EC701

Manufactured in Italy – Most people will overlook this; but when you have owned a real Italian espresso machine like I have, you learn to appreciate the Italian manufacturing process more than you appreciate your plastic coffee maker. I used to use a black and Decker coffee machine, and I would just run the coffee through it twice to get the same effect as an espresso machine. Upgrading up to the Italian EC701 espresso machine has really made me value the quality of a genuine product. And I am not alone here; DeLonghi EC701 sales are up, and so are the search engine searches.

Patented “Sempre Crema Filter” – I didn’t know what this was when I was looking into buying an espresso machine, so you probably don’t either. It’s this new idea DeLonghi came up with. It’s a special filter that allows air into the brewing process of ground espresso, which in turn gives you a thick smooth cream. From there the cream is mixed with steam and milk, which creates the froth. This special filter is exclusive to DeLonghi Espresso Machines and it really creates a rich creamy froth. Continue reading “DeLonghi EC701: 5 Must Know Facts about the DeLonghi EC701”

Go Slow in Tuscany

I was interested (and I must admit, a little surprised) to read recently that Italy is the European leader in organic farming. Living here in Tuscany, it’s clear that there is definitely a growing culture of farming and eating more organic food, but I somehow expected wealthier, seemingly more “progressive” countries (such as Germany) to rank more highly. Well, with more than one million hectares of land under organic management, and just under 45,000 organic farms in operation, Italy comes top of the list, followed by Germany and Spain (www.organic-europe.net). Tuscany alone has over 2,300 organic farms which produce mainly olive oil, but also top-notch wines, cheeses, cereals, pulses and meat.

Some of these farms, known as “agriturismi”, rent out rooms , so you can enjoy a quiet stay and see how things are grown. Many let their guests pick fruit from their orchards, so you may be able to taste varieties of pear and apple that you’d never find in local Italian supermarkets, let alone in the UK. For the more adventurous, WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) offers people the chance to stay and work on organic and biodynamic farms. In general, for half a day’s work per day, you get bed and board and you can imagine how delicious the food is! Thick cannellini bean soups with parmesan shavings, schiacciata: a flat-bread pizza baked without toppings other than salt, rosemary and green olive oil, castagnaccio: a smoky chestnut flour cake, best enjoyed with fresh sheep’s milk ricotta and honey. Yum. Continue reading “Go Slow in Tuscany”

Settebello: A Sought After Italian Experience

We pre-checked out Settebello one night after seeing it across the parking lot from our frequent coffee spot and children’s play place, Kinderland. Its dim lighting and modern rustic styling were just our taste. From the doorway, we saw a private liquor room and a burning hearth just past a bar. We took their high-quality paper menu and business card to review until we returned.

Matt, our waiter was friendly and knew his stuff. He pronounced all the Italian wording eloquently and explained the basis of the restaurant, Napoletana, a unique type of pizza I’ve never heard of before! It’s a handmade soft dough that’s cooked in a wood burning oven for 1 minute at 900 degrees. We ordered his recommendations of Romana salad ($12) and Pizza Pere E Jalapeno ($14), a “white pizza”, meaning it excludes the usual tomato sauce and other ingredients provide the “sauce”. We ordered our own choice as well; the pizza Settebello ($14) because it’s the restaurant’s namesake and because it has sausage. We sipped delicious drinks and snapped pictures of the happy hour menu as we waited. My fiance sipped a “dark and orangey” mule ($10) in its classic copper cup and I sipped a red sangria in pellet ice with an orange slice ($8). Continue reading “Settebello: A Sought After Italian Experience”

Top Secret Never Tell Neufchatel Alfredo

This alfredo sauce has it all; it’s low fat, tasty, and easily made in 20 minutes, SHUSH don’t tell. After all, it took quite a bit of thought and time for me to finally divulge the secrets you now see listed. product marketed as a healthier low-fat alternative to cream cheese. It is not identical to French Neufchâtel. American Neufchâtel is softer than cream cheese due to its higher moisture and 33% lower fat composition. Neufchâtel cheese makes a great substitute for the heavy cream normally used in alfredo sauces, your guests will never know the difference.

You’ll be making this dish often knowing that it’s guilt free. Be warned, you may be approached to divulge the components of this recipe, only you can decide to keep this secret or not.

Difficulty (Scale from 1-10): 6 Continue reading “Top Secret Never Tell Neufchatel Alfredo”

Amazing Sweet And Sour Brisket

Growing up on BBQ, there were times that I just couldn’t find a good place for brisket. In fact more and more, you can’t find it anywhere. This is when I started to just make it at home. The only problem was that I didn’t always like to fire up the smoker. One day, a good friend of mine told me about a brisket that he makes in his oven and how amazing it was. I asked what his secret was and he said it was the sweet and sour that made it so good.

Here is the recipe that he turned me onto. The secret ingredient is the cola. It has just the right amount of fizz to help break down the fat tissue and make this brisket melt into your mouth.

Recipe:

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered Continue reading “Amazing Sweet And Sour Brisket”

How to Make Authentic ‘Pasta Asciutta,’ (Italian Tomato Sauce) to Eat With Pasta

In the South of Italy, there are variations on the recipe for making the tomato sauce that goes with Pasta. Here is a recipe, given to me by my Italian Mother in Law, who comes from Messina in Sicily. The tomato sauce can be eaten on its own with spaghetti, or used as a base for many of the other Pasta dishes that are eaten by Italian families. This recipe has been passed down through the generations from daughter to daughter, (Italian men rarely cook) and is as good today as it has always been.

Step one. Take one large onion. Cover the bottom of a pan with virgin olive oil. Peel and chop the onion and place in the olive oil, adding one teaspoon of salt. Fry the onion gently until it begins to go brown, then add a cup of water and continue to boil, stirring from time to time. As the mixture in the pan reduces, add more water until the onion is colourless and almost dissolved.

Step two. While you are reducing the onion, you can either peel about fifteen medium tomatoes, or open a tin of ready peeled Italian tomatoes. The difference to me is minimal between real or tinned tomatoes, and my Mother in Law uses both, depending on the season. Peel one medium carrot, and slice a piece of braising or frying Beef into several medium cubes. Continue reading “How to Make Authentic ‘Pasta Asciutta,’ (Italian Tomato Sauce) to Eat With Pasta”

My Experience Paying a Bill in an Italian Village During the Corona Virus / COVID-19 Crisis

It was February 21 when I unknowingly relocated to the Italian countryside to hideout from the Corona Virus. At the time, this hadn’t been my plan because I was engaged in other activities. I had spoken with some friends and students about the likelihood that the Corona Virus would slowly travel across Italy. Although I had questioned whether the virus could impact Italian exportation of cheese and comestibles negatively, it was clear that I and others didn’t really believe the virus would leave much of a mark.

That same day, I heard there had been an outbreak in the Lombardy region, sixteen confirmed cases! Yet, most people thought it could be contained. There was no way that the Corona Virus would reach the Piedmont region, I thought. Most people dismissed this possibility, and many even went both to work and to school with cold and flu-like symptoms that resembled COVID-19. I was suspicious, telling myself that it must have been all in my head. Continue reading “My Experience Paying a Bill in an Italian Village During the Corona Virus / COVID-19 Crisis”

Top 9 Anti-Aging Herbs To Help You Look and Feel Younger

Did you know that the spices that you put in your food can help fight disease and slow down the natural aging process? If your like me and have a spice rack, half of the spices in the rack have hardly been used and in some cases never opened at all! After doing some research the following 9 herbs can help you look and feel younger.

Here are the top 9 Anti-Aging Herbs that we recommend:

Italian Spice – Italian Spice is a blend of powerful herbs that have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This spice can help you with problems that are triggered by inflammation (like arthritis or asthma).
Thyme – Thyme is a spice that has anti-microbial properties. In fact, many mouthwash companies add thyme to their mouthwash and antiseptic products. Thyme has powerful antioxidant properties that can neutralize free radicals.
Sage – If you suffer from arthritis, atherosclerosis, or asthma, sage is a spice that will help you. Sage is a powerful anti-inflammatory and can help give you relief from diseases that thrive off of inflammation.
Marjoram – Do you have digestive problems? Adding marjoram spice to your meals can help to stimulate digestion. If you suffer from cramping and other digestive ailment, marjoram may be able to give you some relief.
Oregano – The Oregano spice is often used to fight fungal infections. Oregano is used in many Italian dishes. I’m Italian so this is one of his favorite spices to recommend.
Apple Pie Spice – A spice blend that contains ginger. Ginger has many anti-aging properties. It is helpful in treating nausea. Not only that, ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory and is even helpful in stimulating the liver.
Jamaican Allspice – This is a spice that is used in many countries as a remedy for gas and digestive problems.
Cinnamon – Cinnamon doesn’t just taste delicious, it helps to regulate your blood sugar and has anti-cancer properties.
Tumeric – This was the #1 spice that I recommended on the top ten anti-aging herbs. It has been shown to be a powerful anti-inflammatory spice. It also helps fight nearly every type of cancer!

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The Perks of Using Fresh Pasta

One of the reasons I enrolled myself in cooking lessons is my desire to serve authentic Italian cuisine to my family. We are all lovers of anything Italian, most of all Italian food and as you may expect, our favourite is pasta. However, I found that the best chefs do not use dried or store-bought pasta. So, I went on a mission to learn how to make fresh pasta from scratch. When I was finally cooking dishes with pasta I made with my own hands, I was able to note the benefits of using it fresh instead of dried.

Here are just some of the perks I discovered in using fresh pasta:

– If you wish for more delicious and lighter pasta, then you will be able to get this from the one you made yourself. Because you can immediately cook your pasta after making it, the effect is you will have lighter pasta that can be cooked in a relatively shorter amount of time compared to the dried one.

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