Ready to start exploring your Sicilian heritage? Earlybird doors are open :-)

Buongiorno!

I hope you're having a wonderful week. Today is a very special and significant day for us here at Sicilian Connections.

For many years we've been connecting with you through our blog and in our Facebook community. We've been reading the moving stories that hundreds of you have sent to us since 2004, all about your family and how important the island of Sicily is to each and every one of you.  

There's nothing that we've loved more than seeing your old photographs and hearing how your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents came over to America many many years ago, searching for a better future for their family.

Now it's finally time to reveal something that is so close to our hearts and that we have created as a way to help to connect even more to Sicily and to your ancestors who left there long ago.

Presenting, 'Sicilian Connections: Discover Your Heritage'  (watch the video below) -

We're so excited to be able to play an even bigger part in connecting you to Sicily and we have created a private, intimate space for you to share your stories and to dive even further into your Sicilian heritage. 

This two week online immersion is more than just an ancestry e-course or a group program - it's our way of thanking you for being such an important and integral part of our Sicilian Connections community. 

We are dedicated to providing you with all of the support and information that you could possibly desire to get your research started in the best possible way.

When the two weeks are over you will feel fully equipped to step into the path of your ancestors and start discovering more about their journey.....and the best thing is that we won't be closing the group after the two weeks. 

We're going to leave this space open for you to continue to access the trainings whenever needed and to share your findings with other people on the same journey as you.
 

Ready to discover more about 'Sicilian Connections: Discover Your Heritage'?

>> Click here and you'll be taken to the dedicated website and the special earlybird offer! <<

The program officially starts on the 18th March but we're giving you instant access into the private Facebook group so that you can dive into the introductory videos and we can get to know you better.

We can't wait to see you on the other side!

Have a wonderful day,

Debra Santangelo 
Sicilian Connections 
www.sicilianconnections.com

P.S. - There is a FAQ section on the program page but feel free to comment below and ask me any questions that you have around the immersion. I'm here to help!

Don't miss out on the earlybird offer!

Go to 'Sicilian Connections: Discover Your Heritage' now and start exploring your Sicilian roots!

Buon San Valentino! Here's a Sicilian Valentine's gift especially for you.

Buon San Valentino a tutti!

We want to wish you a very lovely Valentine's Day! No matter where you are in the world & no matter who you're spending your day with, here at Sicilian Connections we are all connected by our mutual love for the island of Sicily.

So, here's a short video of Sicily as our gift to you on this special day.......enjoy!
Tanti auguri! Leave a comment and let us know if you enjoyed the video.

A presto,

Debra Santangelo
www.sicilianconnections.com

How to Make Italian Hot Chocolate!

Buongiorno! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. The days are definitely getting longer and brighter here but the frost is showing up daily to remind us that we are still in the middle of winter! Over the weekend, my family and I made some delicious hot chocolate and I promised our lovely Sicilian Connections Facebook members that I would share the recipe.

You may be wondering what the difference is between a hot chocolate drink in Italy and one, for example, in the USA or UK and I can tell you that when I first tasted a 'cioccolata calda' in Sicily I fell in love with its rich consistency and indulgent taste. 

We lived in Milan for a while before we had our daughters and the winters in Northern Italy can be so cold! I remember sitting all huddled up in our favourite cafe with a steaming hot mug of this velvety drink and feeling so cosy and content. In Italian bars you can actually get a seemingly endless choice of hot chocolate flavours including coconut, pistacchio and chilli!

Here's the recipe to make this hot chocolate at home. 

Be sure to let us know how it goes!

Ingredients (to make 2 small cups of thick hot chocolate) -

1 cup of whole milk

1/2 cup of whipping cream

7 ounces of good quality cooking chocolate

1 tablespoon of sugar 

1 teaspoon of cornflour (cornstarch)

1) Heat the milk, cream and sugar over a low heat and stir until it reaches simmering point.

2) Break the chocolate into the pan and whisk until all of the chocolate melts.

3) In a separate bowl combine the cornflour with a little milk then add to the pan mixture.

4) Continue to stir for approx. 3 mins until the mixture reaches the desired thickness.

5) Pour into cups and enjoy! You can also top with whipping cream but I prefer to savour the chocolate all on its own!

Have a wonderful day, amici. 

Have you joined our Facebook group yet? If not, be sure to head over to Sicilian Connections - La Piazza and join our rapidly growing community of Sicily lovers across the world!

A presto,

Debra

Sicilian Connections

www.sicilianconnections.com

P.S. - We have a BRAND NEW Christmas Guide out packed with Sicilian recipes and festive traditions!! Go to www.sicilianconnections.com to grab your copy :-)

Homes on Sale for 1 Euro in Sambuca di Sicilia

When Leonardo Ciaccio, the mayor of Sambuca di Sicilia (a rural town in the Sicilian province of Agrigento) launched a new housing scheme he had no idea that it would have such an impact across the world.

The governor was simply hoping for an innovative way to repopulate this majestic city and he dreamed of enticing expatriated Sicilians back to their ancestral birthplace. Little did he know that the project would be picked up by the US news channel CNN and become viral across the internet!

In a recent article for an Agrigento website, Sr. Ciaccio told how he had spent the morning showing Japanese and American tourists around the enchanting Italian town. In fact the town has been receiving requests from across the globe, including Switzerland, Spain, France and Germany, and over ten homes have already been sold.

My interest in this event has been steadily growing but peaked yesterday when I received several emails asking me for my opinion on this interesting project. I've decided to write this article in order to help my loyal followers make an informed decision on the matter.

My 'Sicilian Ghost Story', a blog from many years ago, was actually based on Sambuca di Sicilia and you can read it here to get a better feel of the town and its unique past. However, don't let yourself be put off by the ghostly apparitions and spooky legends! This city has much to offer and its rich Arabic history has woven its way intrinsically into the magic of the town.

Sambuca di Sicilia is situated on a hilltop with views reaching as far as Mount Etna on a clear day. It is surrounded by breathtaking countryside and has rolling vineyards that take you all the way down through the resort of Menfi to the spectacular Mediterranean coastline. Just over an hour's drive will take you to the island's capital of Palermo which offers flights to the main airports across the world.

While this offer may seem too good to be true, I want to make you aware of the project's small print. In order to buy your home for one euro you must commit to spending at least 15,000 euro over the next 3 years on the property's restoration and also put down a deposit of 5,000 euro.

Therefore, while the purchase will definitely cost you more then one euro, it could be the perfect way to get your foot on the Italian property ladder and allow you to revisit your 'Sicilian Connections'!

I also want to point out that Sambuca di Sicilia isn't the first Sicilian town to introduce a project of its kind. Several other cities around the island have similar schemes running and I've actually put together a short document showing you the various options so that you can make an educated decision.

The contact details for the Sambuca di Sicilia scheme are also included in this directory for you together with a list of available houses!

>> Click here for your free guide! <<

I hope this post has helped you understand the situation better. Feel free to comment below with any questions you may have and be sure to click the 'follow' button to stay updated with the latest news from Sicilian Connections.

Have a wonderful day!

Debra
Sicilian Connections
www.sicilianconnections.com