Tokyo Inspired: 2011

Halloween

Being a Swede, I never celebrated halloween when I grew up, the only time we got to dress up was at easter when we dressed up as witches, and pretended to go to "Blåkulla" a tiny island on the west coast of Sweden, where the witches go on maundy thursday to have a party. It was a bit similar to halloween, since you went to the neighbors to beg for candy, but only witches could join in, and the dress-up was just borrowing an old skirt of you mother and paint red dots on your cheeks.

Then, when the kids were little, in Italy, in February, there was carnivale, that was much more fun. They could dress up as anything they wanted, and went to the village square to throw confetti and show off their costumes, with hordes of other little princesses and action heroes. My kids now goes to an american school here in Milan, so I realize that halloween is a big deal. There will be a huge party, and everything is really spooky. I wanted to do something "halloweenish" in my Etsy shop, so I decided the hungry cats are going trick or treating. This year they are going as a ghosts. I even made special halloween spooky black cat packaging.

Hungry Cat, Halloween edition

Spooky Halloween packaging

Simba, not very impressed

My son, at Carnevale, many years ago

Sicilian Inspiration

I am back from a lovely few days in the south of Italy. I fell in love with Sicily, Catania must be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Amazing baroque architecture, wonderful food, and friendly people. There was even an angel looking down on us from the ceiling above our bed.

Goats cheese, pesto and cherry tomato lasagna

One of the great things about living in italy is the food, maybe because food is so important to Italians, the quality and selection of groceries is amazing, and so much cheaper than both Japan and Sweden. In my little street alone, I have three fruit and veg stores and two bakeries.

We had friends over today, and I made this lasagna, it was the best lasagna I ever made, so I just have to share it. Trust me, If you try this you will not be disappointed. I wish I had some leftovers but it was too good, all finished.

Ingredients for 4

150g fresh pasta lasagne sheets (If you can't find fresh pasta lasagne sheet, use the dry ones, check if it need precooking though)
200 g caprino, which is italian for fresh goats cheese. Maybe you can't find that outside Italy, but French fresh goats cheese would work as well.
5 dl of béchamel sauce. I use the ready made one they sell here, but you could use any recipe for béchamel sauce.
A few table spoons of dry white wine. (If you happen to have a bottle open, if not it is good without the wine as well)
2 table spoons pesto. (If you are ambitious, make your own from basil pine nuts and olive oil, or just use the one you buy in a jar)
200g cherry tomatoes, In italy they have a kind called Datterino, little oval tomatoes which I love, but any cherry tomato would work.
Salt
Olive oil, one or two table spoons
Grated parmesan cheese

Cut the cherry tomatoes in two and fry them for 10 minutes in the olive oil. Use a larger pot, since the rest of the ingredients will be added later. Add the béchamel sauce, the pesto, the wine and the caprino (goats cheese), stir until it is all mixed. Add salt to taste.

Smear some olive oil in a casserole, add a layer of lasagne sheets. Spread a layer of sauce on top. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese. Repeat you are out of sauce and lasagna sheet. The last layer should be sauce, sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese. Bake for half an hour or until it looks done in 200 degrees Celsius.

Biennale

As I promised, here are some photos from the Biennale di Venezia. It is so big, so we saw nowhere near all of it, I will go back and see more after the summer. This year 89 countries participated, so it takes more than a few days to see it all. Next to our house, was the Bangladesh exhibition, and they had an amazing bar in the courtyard, with live music at night and sand on the floor, that was fun too.

Kiss

The doorman is taking care of my hungry cats this weekend. I hope they behave :) I am going back to Milan tomorrow night, today I went to the Giardini part of the Venice art biennale, and tomorrow, I plan to go to the Arsenale. In Giardini, countries have their own pavillion, in Arsenale, there are artists from different countries. So far I have really enjoyed it, I will post some photos once I get back to Milan.

Friday night in Venice

I am spending the weekend in my favourite city, Venice. I took these when we walked home from dinner. So happy to be here!

Uh-Oh

Here is another fabulous collection, Thanks so much Zdrop for including one of my hungry cats!

Prada inspiration

I walked by Prada in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele the other day, and had to share this. Those quirky 60s style dresses with the dropped waist and graphic mondrian feel together with those adorable red shoes and the clutches, Amazing! Somehow Miuccia Prada always manages to renew the collection, and still keep the classic "Prada" feel. There is a Prada outlet in a small village outside Firenze, I will most definitely have to go there and see if I can find any bargains.

What do you think, do you like this 2011-2012 collection?

(photo taken with my iphone)

Another collection of cats

And I had to share this one as well, the last one in the the third row could be my Simba, love that print :)

Black and White

I love the treasuries on Etsy. Today my hungry cat pencil zip was in this nice black and white treasury. Thank you Huiyi!

Lazy Saturday

A nice and lazy Saturday Brunch at Dulcis in Fundo. I love the atmosphere here, with vintage furniture and a nice garden. It is a bit out of the way, beyond the central station, but they have free parking in the courtyard.

New friend

I tried my very hardest to resist, but in the end I ended up sharing my breakfast croissant with this guy. I promise you, no one would be able to resist those eyes. I am trying out the photo effects on my Iphone, what do you think, is it annoying with these frames and effects, or do you like them?

(This is what it looks like without the iphone effects)

Mercatone dell antiquariato

On Sunday I went to the antique market in the Naviglio. The market is every last Sunday of the month along the banks of the canal. It is one of my favorite markets in the whole world. A crazy mix of junk, expensive antiques and vintage design. I really wanted to buy that chair, but it was a bit too expensive. If it is still there next month, maybe he will bargain with me. Naviglio is lovely area, even if there is no market, full of cafes, bars and design shops.

Hilarious

I just came across this hilarious Lady Gaga hat for dogs, and it made me laugh out loud. Look at those eyes! Hope it makes you smile too :)

If your little pet insists on having one of his own, you can get one at Lenapavia, there are a few other equally hilarious costumes too. My cats would not hear of it, they are absolutely not into dressing up even if it means getting to look like lady Gaga.

Cable Car Restaurant

One of the great things with Milan are the cable cars. They have been running since the beginning of the century, and many of them are really old, with a lot of original features. There is even a Cable Car Restaurant, and I have been wanting to try it for a long time. We did it with some friends last weekend, and it was great. Such a special experience, having a nice dinner with wine while watching Milan at night pass by. The trip took a couple of hours, around in the center of Milan, and it costs 65 euro per person, regardless of what you eat. There are three set menus to choose from, Meat, Fish or Vegetarian. The food was not excellent, but it was definitely worth it for the experience. If you want to give it a try, you need to book well in advance, it is almost always full.

Museo del Novecento

I finally went to visit the new "Museo del Novocento". It opened just before christmas. I am so happy to have seen it, it was amazing!!!i There is artwork owned by the Milan city hall, previously stored in other museums. Most of it are by Italian artists, except for a couple of Picassos and others. I covers art from the early 1900 to the 80s, and it is in the very center of Milan, on Piazza Duomo. I discovered some amazing Italian artists I never new before. If you ever come to Milan, don't miss it! And you are allowed to take photos :) , so I could share these with you. (taken with my iphone, so the quality is not the best...)

Iphone case, camera case, gadget case, Italian design