Thanksgiving in Italy

I was about to attempt making a traditional thanksgiving meal using what I could find at the market, but knew it wasn't going to cut it, so we headed out for a nice meal.  

Here is our Chestnut Soufle with some sort of creamy cheese sauce.

Laney is eating the best homemade penne I've ever tasted.  Okay, so it's the ONLY homemade pasta I've tasted, but I can't imagine it getting better than this.

Even Cali couldn't get enough of that pasta.  

Brad's steak with cocoa.  Yes, you read right, and it was delicious!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mushroom Gnocchi

Laney and Brad shared a Chocolate lava cake (Laney's favorite part of the meal of course)...

while Cali and I devoured a Creme Brule.  Direct quote from Cali "Yummy Yummy Yummy!"

After dinner we went out for a quick walk around.  Found some more random cool old stuff right smack in the middle of much more urban spread.  Of course there was no bronze plaque describing what it was or who that random statue was of.  Like President Monson said, when you get to see something everyday, you start taking it for granted.  

We have no idea what Laney was pointing to, but thought it made a cute picture.

Baby, it's cold outside!  Brrr!!!

We had snow the other day and it stuck for a few hours.  Apparently that doesn't happen very often due to the city warming effect.  But boy does it rain.... a lot!  These California girls aren't used to being so cold outside and cooped up inside all the time.  We tough it out for the weekends to see what we came to see.  If only it didn't rain so much, or we had a car, or if the girls could walk far enough to make it to the bus (our double is great for walking, horrible for quick collapse and hop on tram).  It's worth it to be here with all the traveling, food, and even the city of Milan is fun and exciting when we do get out.

p.s. - I did attempt to make my Italian Thanksgiving dinner the next night.  Usually my make-it-up-I-don't-have-any-recipe's dinners turn out alright if I keep it simple enough.  But this meal was a little lacking, and I'm glad we went out instead for the real deal.  The grilled turkey breasts were alright, potatoes were excellent with all those fine cheeses I added, but the gravy was seriously lacking.  The only way I know how to make gravy is with those little packets. I was attempting to create a substitute using beef broth, with nothing to thicken it (bleck!)  And instead of a yummy Jello-o salad we had a regular green salad with olive oil, salt & pepper.  (no salad dressing here, which makes me wonder where Italian salad dressing came from, I sure can't find any)