7 reasons the sugar ring pop sucks

Have you seen the trailer for the animated film Inside Out? I thought it was hilarious. I have referred to the “voices in my head” countless times. Haven’t you? I saw the trailer for this film just one day before boarding a flight to Philadelphia from San Francisco. My husband, Joe and son Joey and I are visiting New Jersey together for the first time in four years. I miss our life in New Jersey and reminisce frequently, and I figured it was about time to remind myself why we moved to the other side of the country. My first reminder came on the flight over.

My internal dialogue or voices in my head can be very loud and intense sometimes.…

Relationship advice from Grandma

What did your grandma tell you about the opposite sex? What about relationships and marriage? My grandma taught me a lot of things that I need to unlearn to be quite honest. Yet, there’s so many things that my parents, and grandparents taught me that I believe was so important. There’s always a deeper meaning if you care to dive deeper into their words. As humans, we continue to evolve, grow and expand, but I know one thing for sure made sense; and my husband’s grandmother told him on the phone when he spoke to her on this past mother’s day.

[Tweet “Grandma said: healthy relationships are built around the kitchen”]

For me, this has held true. Maybe it’s my connection to the Italian traditions and the emphasis on family.…

Monte Verde Pizzeria Restaurante: an Italian Gem in…Mexico?

The holiday season is near and I have fond memories of Italian dinners.  Did I forget to mention my Sicilian roots?  How could I?!  The Italian side of my family did big dinners for holidays with all of the works.  You know, the meat and potatoes but with the mid-western Italian twist.  Yes-mid-western Italians!  We had the pasta too, of course.

When I met my husband, the Italian dinners got even bigger.  I lived in South New Jersey where his huge Italian family would gather even more often, with even more food!  I became even more familiar with Italian holiday meals.  They were big and elaborate with an explosion of flavors and delicious aromas.  We have moved to the West Coast, but believe me, they’re still going strong!…