Welcome to Ciao Mama!

I’m Anne Marie and I am oh so happy you’ve stopped by my blog. Here you will find a collection of funny thoughts, vegetarian recipes,  DIY projects and crafts, worldly and not-so-worldly adventures along with anecdotes about becoming a marathon runner, my lifetime love affair with Wegmans and random photos of Justin Timberlake. Shirtless.

While I’m finally living out my cowgirl dreams in Austin, TX, I hail from a large, crazy & fabulous Italian family in Buffalo, NY. Therefore I revolve every occasion around food and find it downright impossible to talk without using my hands or shouting “go Bills!” at inopportune times.

Despite being able to roll a meatball before I could talk, I have been vegetarian for the past two years. And no, my 95-year-old grandma still refuses to accept the concept and not-so-discreetly sneaks meatballs on my plate every time I’m home. That said, I will undoubtedly gush about my love of whole, real foods and the incredible impact going meat-free has had on our lives. I also have big, big goals to take over my Ma’s recipe box and turn every one of her famous dishes into famous vegetarian dishes. Including those damn meatballs.

Although I am a millennial who has at least 27 panic attacks a day from misplacing my iPhone, I am a self-proclaimed old soul with what some folks (read: my husband) call a “weird” obsession with burlap, mason jars and wood crates. I’m known to spend too much time wandering the aisles of craft stores and using my one 40 percent off coupon as an excuse to buy every item for every craft I’ve ever had the slightest thought about making.

And somewhere along my almost three decades on earth (ALMOST, I said) I somehow acquired a love for running. Along with my crazy ultra-marathoning husband, we have ran ten milers, half marathons and full marathons, each with their own story to tell and bags of post-race free snacks to hoard. And yes, between not eating meat and running 26 miles by choice, my grandma (okay, and a handful of other people) thinks I need to be mentally evaluated.

You can contact me at ciaomamablog[at]gmail[dot]com.

Thank you for visiting Ciao Mama. LET’S HAVE A DANCE PARTY!