Bramasole - yearning for the sun

Saturday.
I was setting a table dedicated to all the women in my life: Mom, Oma, Granny (my mum in law), Mamma (grandmother in law), and Mary, a woman whose grace and Christian life has left many impressions on me.
Tears were flowing, as I was missing them all. Feeling quite alone. Yearning for some sun. Bramasole.

A knock on the door, I could see our mail carrier standing there with two package. One from a recent ebay purchase (dare you to guess what that was!) and another box from the north east. I quickly opened the ebay box to inspect the contents, put those aside and tore into this box. Do you see the rays of sunshine just staring me back in the face? Isn't the packaging just luscious?

I opened and read the note first. What an incredible treasure this note is. Thank you Linda. Your note spoke to my heart!

In the first package was a wonderful book. I had hoped to start it this weekend, but somehow, all things "me" are on the back-burner for a while longer and that didn't happen. So I will start stealing a few minutes here and there, just for me!

Look at all the lovelies in this box! I knew about the book and the Bramasole olive oil, but the rest was a complete surprise.. oh yeah, the book reading didn't happen because I was reading the cookbook! I had won a blog giveaway from my friend Linda at More Fun, Less Laundry. Thank you sooooo very much. I'm ecstatic. You lifted my spirits and I am delighted with the goodies.

Yummy!!! I had to taste. You can check out Frances Mayes HERE.

I am already scheming about which dishes to use first on these lovely checked placemats and yellow napkins. The color does remind me of the sun. Forever these shall be linked: Linda - the yellow linens - Bramasole (which means yearning for the sun)!

And then I lost myself in the cookbook. OOH the pictures are so nice and the recipes... well you will just have to read them yourselves. Deliriously enticing.

Now the question is.. do i start with this recipe....

Or this? I love love garlic soup and am still trying to recreate a soup I had in Orange County sitting with some friends, enjoying a wonderful meal after a long, hard day of work. This could be the first recipe I make, it sounds very similar to the one I had. So much Bramasole on one day.... Thank you tons Linda! Be sure to check our her blog, her posts are definitely a ray of sunshine!