Best Parents Ever

My parents came in town from Florida for Christmas and they usually leave the 1st two weeks in January but we asked them to stay a little longer because Corey had a business trip in Kiawah Island in South Carolina and I was going to tag along with him for a little break. My parents  of course stayed but I did feel bad as they had to stick around during the Polar Vortex twice! They are on their way back but to Florida but we already miss them. :(

I love how my Mom and Dad really like getting the kids involved in cooking.  Here they are mixing the salad.

My Mom is definitely a true Italian woman.  The 1st day that she was here she went straight to the kitchen and started cooking like crazy!  Manicotti and she handmade the shells from scratch.  Stuffed mushrooms and salad was our 1st dinner she prepared.  Then she made lunch which was Italian Sausage and grilled peppers.  Then she started making Italian Wedding soup for the following day.  She also prepped making Arancini which is my FAVORITE food ever.  It's a rice ball made with risotto rice and filled with meat sauce and mozzarella cheese coated with egg and bread crumbs and deep fried.  SOO GOOD!  She made plenty so we could freeze some so that will last about a few weeks as I could eat them all. 

The following morning she made the kids homemade donuts.  She also went at it again in the kitchen by putting together the arancini and frying it.  Then she had extra rice so she made an italian dessert called sfingi which is risotto rice with milk and sugar then coated with egg and flour and deep fried.  Then you drizzle honey and sprinkle cinammon and powdered sugar.  Then she also made my favorite dessert which is casatedi which is basically like a fried cannoli but better!  Yes, I did gain probably 8 pounds in 3 days I was with her.

The highlight of their stay was when the kids taught them how to play Go Fish.  My Dad caught on very quickly and played with them.  Then after they went to bed, Corey and I were in the office and we heard "go fish."  My parents were playing go fish with each other.  So cute!

On top of all the food they made which there was more than I had listed from above, they also swept and mopped our floors, vacuumed our carpets, my mom changed all of our sheets and towels and cleaned them, cleaned our bathrooms and did all of our laundry.  It was so nice to be able to take a break from everyday life.  My kids loved every minute of it.  They especially liked that Nonno dropped them off and picked them up from school and took O to gymnastics.  I wish they lived closer or actually with this freezing weather I wish we could've moved to Florida. :(