Vacation - Part I: Interlaken, Switzerland

Hello there! I'm back and I'll write here the best moments of my delicious trip!
We arrived in Germany (Zwingelhausen), then we took a car and drove all the way to Switzerland (Interlaken). From there, the destination was Italy (Milan and the Lakes). On the way back to Germany (this time Edingen and Heidelberg), also by car, we could not not stop in France and we were lucky to choose a very charming small town (Colmar) which is worth another visit! Four countries in 15 days. Oh My! So many restaurants and places we visited...

Let's start with Interlaken, Switzerland. Certainly one of the highlights of the trip. As the name implies, is a region between lakes, with huge mountains covered with snow, busy ski resorts, delicious food, cold weather and very charming! Everyone should visit the Alps!

Wandering around Interlaken ...

An amazing stroll is the Jungfraujoch. The highest point that tram can get. A ride to the top is wonderful: an infinity of mountains, trees and houses covered with snow, we passed by ski resorts and, up there, with 3F, we were blown away (literally and metaphorically) with the breathtaking landscapes!

Also in Jungfraujoch, a nice stroll inside a castle made of ice!

Typical dinner: Raclette (simply a plate full of melted Swiss cheese!)

A proudly exposed collection of cow bells...

Speaking of cows, the milk is delicious! Especially warmed and with Swiss chocolate!
Cultural moment: rumor has it that Swiss and Dutch cows produce the best milk because they have plenty of space to walk and eat freely. So that's is the reason they have the best reputation of chocolate, milk and yogurt! (I was already a huge fan of Swiss chocolates, and after tasting the milk and yogurt I can say it is a well-deserved fame!)

Another exhilarating experience: sledding in Grindelwald.

That's what I call a White Xmas!!

My first and successful experience with the sled!

Goat on its doorstep ...

More wanderings around the city ...

I knew I would love Switzerland and I was not wrong. Everything is organized, quiet, charming, with good food and, of course, lots of snow and cold weather! And, in the luggage, tons of Swiss chocolate!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Dear readers, we are heading toward the end of another year and I want to use this last post to do a - very briefly - recap and thank you!
My posts have not been as steady and they used to be, but this is happening for several good reasons: new achievements, projects, travels, discoveries, friends, routine and celebrations. That's good, right? Of course I had my moments of sadness and disappointment, but nothing that compares to the joys of my life!

I'll come back next year with lots of new things to share with you. Thank you for being along with me on this ride and being part of my life.

Closing this post with a picture of me, but not because I'm narcissist (as you can see, this is not my best shot, not even the best angle ...), but to show you how I try to live most of my days and how life, despite all the bad things that surround us, should be lived: LOL! I do recommend!

I wish you all a 2013 filled with peace, health and joy! xoxo

My Favorites: Lemonade Restaurant

Here is a great tip for those who, like me, as hubby says, "love to eat strange food with different colors": Lemonade.

One of the most amazing places to eat healthy and delicious salads! The restaurant is very casual yet chic with unusual ingredients and combinations, such as quinoa, spaghetti squash, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, white beans, couscous, wheat and many others. They also have sandwiches, hot dishes, desserts and, of course, lemonade (traditional, cucumber and mint, watermelon and rosemary, blueberry etc.).

Perfect food for your everyday lunch. One of my favorites for sure!

In love: Table Lamp The Land of Nod

I'm looking for some table lamps for my house and I fell in love with this one from The Land of Nod!

On the website, the table lamp is under the kids decor session, but depending on the style of your home, I think it can fit in any room. I love the colors! And the fact that the wire stays inside the glass gives it an extra charm!

Thanksgiving 2012

Very different from Thanksgiving 2011 that was just my hubby and me, this year I had 10 people (and two little people!) over to celebrate this amazing date!

Preparations began on the previous week doing the decor (and a great excuse to chat with friends, eat and drink!)

Each one was responsible for one or more dishes and I got the turkey.
I did the same process of brining and preparing the turkey. I also made cranberry sauce (this one was better than last year: I got a recipe with Porto wine!) and farofa (a Brazilian version of stuffing)
The menu included: caramelized root vegetables, mashed potatoes, rice with almonds, arugula salad with beets, goat cheese and hazelnuts.

As starters, we had a better version of my baked brie (with peach jam!), prosciutto, salami, fresh-baked breads and burrata.

Nobody cared much for dessert but we had fruits, ice cream, pie and I made a mint brownie that was very good!

We also gave special attention to drinks and prepared several cocktails, and sparkling wine which is a must in all my celebrations!

They were delicious hours surrounded by people we care. While away - geographically - from our families, we have friends we can count on. And because of that and all the other good things that happen everyday in our lives that hubby and I couldn't pass on this date, celebrate and give thanks!

The HAPPY movie

Yesterday I watched a really touching and interesting documentary called HAPPY (available on Netflix).

It presents the results of several studies on happiness and what people want / need to be happy. And four points caught my attention:
1 - of all the cases, people who have very simple lives and less money are the happiest.
2 - from the moment you have enough money for your basic needs, no matter if you earn $ 1 million or $ 10 million that it doesn't make you a happier person.
3 - everyday things are the ones that make you happy. Taking different routes to work, including something that you really enjoy doing (exercising, dancing, volunteering ...) brings more happiness.
4 - a community thinking makes you happier. Feeling like you're part of something bigger and that one act of yours can change the life of another person brings great pleasure.

Fortunately, I can say that I'm already practicing some of the points above for quite some time. I'm still far from what I'd like to be, but I'll get there! Others, I still need to work on and you bet I will (accepting that we need to improve is a first step, right?). Anyway, the documentary has a nice message which can actually be applied in our daily lives if we're open to it. Loved it!

This week's DELIGHT: Orange (or Passion Fruit) Sauce

With the holidays coming, nothing better than a quick recipe that can help you spice up your bird (be it turkey, chicken, turfey) and even your every day dish: Orange Sauce (in my case, Passion Fruit Sauce!)

My mother in law gave me this recipe after my hubby has tried at her house and loved it! I tested it and it really is a delicious sauce!
Since we had leftover, on the next day I made a sweet-savory brown rice: I added the passion fruit sauce directly into the water I cooked the brown rice with corn, grated carrot and shredded chicken.

The picture is not very good, but the rice... mmm... yummy!