Betsy

Fun thread! Besides adopting many of the food recommendations above, I now hang almost all my clothes outside (sheets and towels too), which saves on electricity costs and makes the laundry smell wonderful. We've even come to love the "scratchy" towels.

DHC

Eating foods that are in season.
Good coffee.
Less soda.
Smaller meals.
Fresh baguettes as often as possible (though I have a hard time finishing them before they go stale.)

Diane

alya

eSynergy

We had quite a few families move into our neighbourhood this summer and heard that another English family had moved into our street but we couldn't figure out which house.

The problem was solved last Friday, while walking the dogs I spotted a Heinz Baked Beans can in their recycling box

Bangers and Mash - luckily we have a couple of Irish pubs locally so I never need to feel deprived of good British sausages.

We also have "Ye Olde English Fish and Chip Shoppe" within 15 miles of here. The only thing they don't provide is mushy peas - so we take our own

nona1

Are you seriously saying that most people in the US still use sheets and blankets and not duvets? Wow....

Also, those people who think 'steak and eggs' and 'steak and nutella' for breakfast are British, no they aren't. Steak and nutella sounds like a nightmare and steak and eggs is a weird combo too. We don't eat steak at breakfast. Eggs and bacon, (real bacon not that US stuff) is the classic UK brekkie.

kpilling

Trying French Wines - Paris.

British Cheese - U.K.

Used my Fondue Kit for the first time.

More walking

More disgusted with huge vehicles and the gluttony that is here in the U.S.

Amanda23

Since I left my heart in Italy (where it is patiently waiting for me to return) I figured I had to bring a few Italian things back with me. Some things that have stuck are:

1) I dress up a little more (no more sweat pants in public!);

2) Caprese salad - ripe tomatoes, bocconcini cheese with basil and a little balsalmic vinegar/olive oil and I"m in heaven; and

3) Wine, wine and more wine. I literally hated wine before I went to Italy and learned to appreciate house wines in little restaurants that were better than anything I've bought at home in a store.

DiG

Heat up milk & add with coffee at same time.

Watch Euro news & travel shows.

Wear scarves more often.

Forget salad dressings: balsamic vinegar & extra virgin olive oil.

Keep a journal.

Grow basil, parsley, lemon thmye, rosemary, oregano.

Have wine with home dinners more frequently.

Make my own pastry dough.

Cook more with seasonal foods and buy from fresh markets as much as possible.

Always say 'Phasta' instead of 'pasta'.

lilminkey

The hot milk in there coffee is something I noticed.In positano Iasked for milk for my coffee the server came out with a large glass of hot milk.I am talking at least 16 ozs. of hot milk I did not want to offend her so I drank It , shortly after I remembered I am lactose intolerant the next morning I stayed close to the room and took in the view from my balcony

misscarol

Spain-quince with manchengo cheese
Germany-cranberries with camembert cheese

LoveItaly

For heavens sakes lilminkey, I have read about all your upsets in Italy.

Now I read about your ordering milk for your coffee in Italy "forgetting" that you are lactose intolerence and than drinking 16 oz of milk.

Pray tell...how could you forgot that you are unable to drink milk?

SeaUrchin

Loveitaly, lol !!

travlsolo2, actually I bought my waffle towels and a matching robe (!) in Florence. I have seen them at Marshalls off an on and in Bloomingdales last year. Good luck searching and if you find some let me know, I could use a few more.

And another thing I learned in Italy is to use a little olive oil to moisturize your skin, you can mix it with some lotion if you want to mask the smell, but I like it plain, it makes me want to bite my arm!

Betsy

Phasta?

Another new thing I did was plant arugula and cavalo nero, both of which have naturalized and are growing like crazy in the yard. As RR would say, "yum, yum, yum."

jeff49

After several trips to Europe and noticing that most places use on-demand hot water systems rather than the tank styles common in the US, I replaced my tank with an on-demand system and cut my utility bill for hot water in half.

MaureenGP

You have all made me very hungry, as well as eager to travel again!
I'm rather the opposite of many of you---we always ground our own coffee here at home, but on my first trip to England, I became addicted to tea and have never looked back. A few scones with clotted cream and jam wouldn't hurt, either...
Also, the poster who found a recipe for sticky toffee pudding---any chance you'll share that with us?
Other things I do now: Accessorize more, drink wine with meals and apertifs after dinner. In addition to the sticky toffee pudding in England, I also became very fond of goat cheese in Spain, and I do wish we had mussels here like I had in Normandy.

travlsolo2

SeaUrchin -- I'll keep looking (maybe in Chicago in December) and let you know if I find any.

SeaUrchin

travlsolo2, I googled and look what I found!!!

http://www.angelicdreamz.com/store/ygle_bath.html

AND

http://www.pointshop.com/Mall/Catalo...000013524.html

laverendrye

We were introduced to Alsatian flammekueche (tarte flambée) when we lived in Europe over 30 years ago, and have made it at home ever since. I still haven't encountered it in a restaurant outside of France and Southern Germany.

ira

>Other things I do now: ... apertifs after dinner.<

Hmmmmmmmm. I thought Europeans had aperitifs BEFORE dinner.

Jojonana

Learned how to RELAX and make an ouzo last all afternoon by chatting, people-watching, and playing backgammon.

Also got a GREAT recipe for loukoumades in the mountains of Greece. Even bought Greek honey but doesn't taste exactly the same...I'm still working on it.

Scarves? Scarves?

I also always buy a pair of shoes when in Europe. For at least 2 years, I'm the only one with that style and feel like a fashion trail-blazer!

Learned the importance of high-quality olive oil. Now use it instead of butter. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

alya

MaureenGP

Nigella Lawson has a recipe for the most amazing Sticky Toffe Pudding - It's so very easy to make and can be prepared a day in advance - well apart from the last step where you pour boilng water over the dry ingredients and then bake

It's foolproof and easy, she also has a Bitter Orange Ice cream recipe
which is just as delicious and extremely rich.

A quick search will bring up a multitude of website with these recipes.

Happy Cooking