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Photo Professor Turns Hobby into Smiles

One of the best parts of studying abroad in Italy is the food. Students enjoy grabbing a piping hot cornetto to go with their creamy cappuccino on the way to class at their favorite café almost as much as topping off the perfect Italian meal with Tiramisu. Although the world famous Italian food spoils students and their taste buds, sometimes a taste of home is a welcome variation.

Umbra’s Photography Professor Philippa Stannard has decided to take this matter in her own hands by starting up www.sweetperugia.com. Friends and family can order their loved one’s favorite goodies online at where Ms. Stannard offers an array of homemade American favorites like cookies, brownies and classic Apple Pie. She’ll even deliver directly to your students’ apartment. Apart from baking her own tasty recipes, Philippa also accepts other recipes, for a more personalized surprise. For example, during the Thanksgiving holidays families might want to contribute to their student’s Thanksgiving dinner away from home by sending Philippa a favorite family recipe of Pumpkin Pie. Of course ingredients can be limited in Italy, so the recipes must be approved ahead of time.

Philippa says that her idea to start this new venture is due to the fact that over her semesters teaching at Umbra, she has seen one too many hopeful students open their surprise birthday packages and find remnants of what used to be cookies. While these packages are received with joy and gratefulness (and sometimes great envy by fellow classmates) it seems that there could be an easier way to enjoy American classics, like a simple chocolate chip cookie. Now, thanks to Philippa, there is.

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