Friday, December 21, 2018

Christmas Eve - Feast of the Seven Fishes

In the traditional Italian household, Christmas Eve is the night of the seven fishes or in our house the night we place thirteen different foods on the table.  None of the foods can be meat.

www.delallo.com

The table may be set up for a sit down dinner such as the one above



Or set out as a buffet.  The above buffet boasts mostly fancy dishes but in our house the buffet was made up of Anchovy Pasta, Breaded Fried Smelts, Bacala Stew, Tuna Fish Casserole, Shrimp Cocktail, and Crab Cakes.  Much plainer dishes but always enough to serve both family and any guests who might come to the door.  It is a night to feast and rekindle family ties and friendships.

www.jumpei-mitsui.com


It was always a challenge to bread the smelts and fry them.  More recently, I found the smelts already breaded in the frozen section of Labriola's Italian Store.  Even if you don't live in Pittsburgh, you can find this store online for easy purchasing.

Anchovy Pasta


The Anchovy Pasta, was never a favorite of my children but my father-in-law loved it and until he moved to North Carolina, I continued to make it just the way Nunny showed me the first Christmas that it was my turn to host Christmas Eve.  I later replaced the Anchovy Pasta with pieces of fried fish.

Speaking of Nunny she told many tales of making eel for the feast as well as other delicacies from the sea.

www.godfish.no
www.holisticfamilia.wordpress.com
Bacala Stew startd with a piece of cod that has to be soaked in water to get the salt removed and tenderize the fish. We first tasted this dish when it was brought to the house by my son's grandmother-in-law as a donation for the Christmas Eve Feast.

My husband's family set out thirteen dishes on the table, seven of which were fish, to signify the Lord and Disciples at the Last Supper.  We have changed what we serve over the years since my husband passed but we still celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve and don't eat meat.







Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Christmas Cookies - Ricotta Cheese Cookies

Even though these are first on my love of cookies for Christmas, they make a wonderful Wedding Cookie as well.  The consistency is great and they can be dressed up with almonds, nuts, sprinkles or candied sugar in the colors of the wedding party dresses on the icing.

I first tasted these Ricotta Cookies when I was visiting my oldest stepdaughter, Lisa, a few years ago for Christmas.  Today's blog is a tribute to Lisa.   Lisa was another Nunny in the making because she loved to cook and bake.  She got her love of baking from her grandmother and was forever trying new recipes such as this one.  Her mother was also a very good baker and cook so Lisa was double blessed in the kitchen area.

Ricotta Cookies with colored sugar for Christmas
Of course, I had to have the recipe and I've made them ever since.  They have a softer consistency than the Knot Cookies.  They tend to melt in your mouth with that ever so popular cheese flavoring.

Cookies fresh from oven cooling on wire rack

I've been making these cookies now for about five years and they get better with every attempt.  It is important to let the cookies set and cool completely because they are very soft and my recipe calls for dipping the cookie in the thin icing.

Mixing the Thin icing.

Once they are dipped in the icing let the excess drip off.

Ricotta Cookie with Chocolate Icing

Then you can either dip them into a a bowl of colored sugar, sprinkle the sugar or

iced with sliced almonds
decorate with sliced almonds or

iced with candied cherries

cut pieces of candied cherries on them.

Ricotta Cookie garnished with Strawberry Slices

These cookies can be used as a dessert by adding cut strawberries onto the icing.

Lisa has joined Nunny and her Dad.  All three loved to bake but these cookies have joined the list of my favorites for Christmas.  They are a Wedding Cookie favorite as well.  As Nunny used to say, "Try them -- you'll like them."

Monday, December 3, 2018

Christmas Cookies: Pizzelles

Pizzelles are not just a Christmas Cookie.  They can be made all year round but are very popular on the wedding cookie table.  They can be made in bulk and can be colored to match the wedding colors.  I prefer the smaller pizzelle iron to make the cookies consistent in size with the other wedding cookies.

The very first cookie that I usually make for Christmas is Pizzelles to start my assortment of cookies.  I make these first because they stay fresh and crispy the longest.  It's not too soon to start those holiday cookies if you start by making several batches of pizzelles and making them in different flavors.

Once I misplaced my container of Pizzelles I made for Christmas and couldn't find it on Christmas Eve for our Feast of the Seven Fishes.  When I found the container seven months later the cookies were just as good as the day I packed them into the large Tupperware Container. which is airtight.  I always wrap a dozen pizzelles in aluminum foil before placing them in the container.

Anise Pizzelles
My daughter-in-law likes the traditional anise pizzelles

Chocolate Pizzelles
and my daughter prefers chocolate pizzelles.

I usually make both kinds the very first week that I start making cookies for Christmas or any occasion.  Of course, the first question I would get is, "Where's mine?"  So I make a sampling, just four of each for my two pizzelle lovers.

four cookie pizzelle iron
Before my husband passed on, he bought me a new pizzelle iron which makes four pizzelles at a time and the size of the cookie is smaller than regular pizzelles.  The size of the cookies is actually perfect to fit on a cookie tray with other cookies.  This iron is Teflon coated and doesn't need to be basted before using it.  There is enough oil in the cookie dough to prevent sticking.

A year ago, I taught my granddaughter how to make pizzelles and gave her my 4 pizzelle iron.  she made them for her brother's wedding that year.  When I gave her the iron, I told her it was now her job to make the pizzelles for family affairs.

two cookie pizzelle iron
I gave Nunny's original pizzelle iron to my son-in-law who makes pizzelles and sends me a dozen cookies every Christmas.  This one needed to be preheated with cooking oil so that the cookies didn't stick to the pan.  I normally used Pam and only needed to spray it once when it was warming up.

single cookie pizzelle iron for open flames
Over the years these cookies has taken on a whole new way of making them.  When I was younger, I remember my neighbor making them every Christmas with a single cookie iron over the fire on the stove.  This took time and patience.  You can still buy those but being a person who enjoys convenience, I prefer my four cookie iron.

Pizzelles made into bowls and canoli tubes

Another fun way to use pizzelles is to roll them into canoli tubes or use them for miniature ice cream sandwiches.  Some make little bowls out of them that can be filled with seasonal desserts.  In order to accomplish this you need to form them as soon as they come off the iron so that they maintain the shape you desire.

So whatever your pleasure, give this cookie a try.  If you like making your own waffles you will enjoy having these come out perfect for you.  As Nunny used to say, "Try it -- You'll like it."

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Christmas Cookies - Oatmeal Date or Fig Bars

This little bit of taste treat is another wonderful addition to the wedding cookie table even though I normally only make it for Christmas.

Christmas wouldn't be complete without a batch of my Mom's Oatmeal Date Bars.  These cookies are so easy to make but they don't make a lot of cookies.  The recipe I have makes a 9" square pan of cookies.



There is no reason you can't substitute figs for the dates.  Imagine that!  A substitute for Fig Newtons.  This has always been one of my favorite store-bought cookies.  I could eat a whole tin of Fig Newtons in a sitting.



My love of dates has long been my downfall when it comes to baking cookies.  When I was a child, I raided the dates from the pantry shelf every year.  It's interesting that I tried to get dates earlier in the year but they didn't have them on the shelf at the supermarket.  They had prunes and cranberries but not dates.  This is interesting because I love dates so much. 



If you need a larger amount of cookies for your wedding needs, my suggestion would be to double the recipe if you need a larger amount of cookies.  This would easily make a 13" x 9" pan and give you enough cookies to add to your holiday trays.

Monday, October 15, 2018

Halloween Costume Search

A few years ago when I had a halloween party to attend at work, I had to go to the shopping center for something else so I took the time to shop the local Party City store.  Man oh Man!  These people know how to put on a Halloween display.  There was everything there from skeletons to big cooking pots for candy.  The netting for doing spiderwebs was in abundance.

decorations at Party City Stores
The thing that bowled me over the most was all of the costumes and costume pieces that were displayed on two walls.  You don't just go in there and mull over what you want to be.  There are employees walking up and down the aisle giving advice and pointing you in the right direction.

online store costume ad
The costume I had planned to buy that I had seen at the online store was affordable with my senior citizen status and I hobbled up and down looking.  Not seeing it, I finally asked a young man if he knew where to find the queen costume from Snow White.  He informed me that he didn't recall seeing that one but that he mostly worked in mens' costumes and grabbed a nice young lady to help.  She also didn't think they had that costume but she grabbed another young lady to confirm that.  In the end they asked a customer service manager in that department.  This nice young lady told me they didn't have that one but I could get it online.

I already knew that but I was hoping to avoid the shipping costs.  Yes shipping is free if you spend $50 or more on your costume.  The shipping code is PC34NU just in case any of you want to get your costumes from Party City.

On my long trek out of the store (I don't lie when I say you can find Halloween from front to back of the store), I found a toga that would be the start of a nice costume and some wigs that are listed as Egyptian Queen wigs.  I found outside lights, inside lights, beware signs, monster figures and other scary items to be used on your porch.  What I didn't see but I'm sure they have was candy.

So to make a long story short, I didn't get my costume last night.  I just finished ordering it online and I will wait the 5-6 business days for it to arrive.  I'm still not sure if it will fit me, but I was assured by that nice customer service lady that I could return it to their store if it didn't fit.  Guess what!  If it doesn't fit they will then have just 1 in stock.  Ha!  Ha!

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Sunday in the 1950's and 60's

Has it been that long since we lived our lives in such a manner that God and Country were just that.  On Sunday the world relaxed and started the day in worship in whatever religion they chose.  The rest of the day was spent in quiet family life.  Boring?  It may seem that way but actually it was only boring to the energetic youth who spent their time seeking their own pleasures.

Let's be logical about it though.  The family consisted of a father, mother and whatever number of children.  Daddy worked and sometimes that work was at odd hours or even six days a week.  Mommy stayed home and tended to the home bound duties such as cleaning the house, shopping and cooking.  Yes, I said cooking.  Mothers in those days didn't have microwaves or crock pots.  They tended to the dinner with painstaking watchfulness.

Like I said the children didn't have a care in the world except to go to school, which in those days were the childrens' jobs.  Children were reminded of it daily because the family unit was just that a unit where the Dad and Mother took care to instill values into their childrens' lives.

bar hours:  Sunday closed, Mon - Sat 5 00 pm til 2


Not only did the religious community stress the need to keep the Sabbath holy so did the business community.  In the 1950's, the Blue Laws were still in effect.  There were no supermarkets that would stay open on Sundays.  In some communities, there were Mom and Pop grocery stores that opened their doors for the odd forgotten bottle of milk or loaf of bread (if Mom didn't bake her own).  Of yes, and Dad didn't spend his day watching football games on TV (there wasn't any TV) or in the local pub for the sports event.  That's right, the bars were closed on Sundays.  The only place anyone could purchase a drink on Sunday was if they belonged to a fraternal organization that opened their clubs on Sunday.

Aspinwall loop on Llawnipsa St. where trolley returned to Downtown.


Again, let's talk about those bored children.  On Sundays at our home, we ate an early dinner and my Dad would take the family out for the day.  We either went to visit my Aunt and Uncle or if we were really lucky, Dad would take us to a movie theater for the matinee.  We didn't have a car, so we traveled by buses or trolley to wherever we went.  Those were special days and we would come home tired and ready to go to bed in readiness for another week of school or fun filled days in the summer.

Chutes and Ladders gameboard


In the evening, the whole family or at least the children would play board games and interacted with each other.  A simple game of Clue or Chutes and Ladders for the smaller children was a fun way to spend an evening.

I'm not saying we were better off but we did have different values in those days.  We didn't look to be entertained.  We found our own entertainment and it normally included the family or extended family on a Sunday afternoon.

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Where is the best Fall Foliage?

In my lifetime I have seen some of the most gorgeous displays of Fall foliage that I think is available to man.  But, I'm prejudiced.  I live in Pennsylvania and I love the Pennsylvania hillsides as they turn their beautiful shades of yellows, oranges, reds and browns.  It takes the whole spectrum to make the best display of Fall foliage.



When I was a child we had a scarlet maple tree in front of our house.  Around the end of September it would turn the most beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red leaves.  It was a particularly full and well-shaped tree and people would come from miles around to take pictures of it each Fall.



Traveling the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to Fall Conventions, I have seen some really pretty displays in the middle of October along Interstate 80 as I traveled East. 


I'm sure the residents of the North Eastern Seaboard would tend to argue with me that their trees are prettier and I've seen some beautiful displays that have been filmed in movies and TV series.  I will admit that the opening scenes in the Bob Newhart Show were absolutely brilliant.


But, I'm a Pennsylvania girl and I would put our hills and dales up against any other state's treasure trove of colors for the best any time.

So if you agree or don't you can let us know in your comments.

Friday, September 21, 2018

When Is It My Turn

Not so long ago, I was sitting in my comfortable chair watching NCIS with my oldest son, Bill.  He and I would banter over what shows to watch because he didn’t like most of my favorites and I was not a devotee of Nascar.  He was tired of Pawn Stars and certainly didn’t like Murder She Wrote.  He would watch some of the Hallmark mysteries with me.  He would also tie up the DVR recording all of his favorite shows so that he could watch them while I was at work or out of the house for some reason.



Father Ken once labeled me a St. Monica person.  St. Monica is the patron saint of caregivers.  As you recall Bill was an amputee and as such could not carry things while walking on the stairs and as a result I would do his laundry and sometimes carry his meals to him.  I was his chauffeur to eye doctor visits and when he needed to go to St. Margaret's the last couple of years.

On one occasion I casually looked over at him sitting on the couch and asked, “When is it my turn?”  To this day I regret that idle remark because while he spent almost four months in hospital beds and when he was so sick and in ICU in the last days of his time on earth he would ask. Are you there Mum?”  I would answer “Yeh!  Right behind you in the corner.”  One time he uttered, “You’re the best.”  I can still hear those words when I feel the lowest and I'm missing him the most.  It's been almost seven months since his passing and I'm moving on but for no reason at all I hear "You're the best" in my mind.

My point is just be grateful for what you have and don’t long to be in someone else’s place because it will come back to haunt you.  That year, I visited funeral homes seven times for extended family and I think that is quite enough.  

Even though it is nice to be pampered once in awhile, I'M NOT READY FOR IT TO BE MY TURN.

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Potato Soup for Lunch, Ouch the Sodium Content

My eating habits are controlled mostly by my craving for certain foods or food groups.  I know this is not considered healthy or good for dieting so I took a recent craving on a grocery shopping trip to pack my lunch.  I believe that a craving is your inner being needing the nutrition in the food you crave.  I know babies will gobble down hunks of margarine and it's their bodies craving the oil content for better bowl movement.

bowl of loaded potato soup

Before I go off on a totally different tangent, let me tell you about my potato soup craving first.

I had seen an advertisement for potato soup as one of the daily specials for a local family restaurant.  I had fully intended to buy a bowl for my lunch and take it to work but my frugal side overtook my shopping trip and I went to the supermarket instead.

Once inside the supermarket I made a beeline to the soup aisle to look for a can of soup with lumps of potato and other goodies in it.  I found what I was looking for and the devil made me turn the can around to read the caloric content.   (I'm not mentioning brand names in this article because I don't want to throw the food industry into a finger pointing situation.  All I will say is that these are all popular brands.)

The soup I found was called Loaded Potato Soup and it had all the goodies in it.  It also published 980 mg of sodium per serving.  The can contained 2 servings.  Wow that's a lot.  My next choice was a can of potato soup with broccoli and cheese.  This was slightly lower and only contained 960 mg of sodium per serving.  Far below these tempting choices on a lower shelf was a selection of Light Potato Soups with various added veggies of sorts.  These boasted 690 mg. of sodium per serving.  A lot less but still too high I thought.

I abandoned my craving for potato soup and chose to go to the freezer section where a popular brand of diet meals were being offered for a sale price around the same price as the can of soup.  Only 1 serving but I thought this would be a healthier choice.  When I turned over the packages of Salisbury steak and macaroni and cheese, I was shocked to find 1190 mg. of sodium listed.  I read the other meals being offered on the sale.  All of the packages were over 1000 mg. of sodium.

Needless to say that can of soup just became more interesting and I went back to pick it up to take to work for my lunch.  I selected a can of Light Potato Soup with Broccoli and Cheese.  Of course, it was too tempting to just eat only half the contents of the can.  I ate the whole thing and enjoyed every bite so I guess my system needed the extra potassium that was in the potato soup.  At least, that's what I told myself after I ate it.

The big lesson was that just because it says diet, it doesn't mean it is low in sodium and other things that you need to watch for your health.  Happy shopping.

Thursday, September 6, 2018

Cooking Using the Basic Crepe

The recipe for crepes isn't all that different from making pancakes except you expect a crepe to be thin and you don't use baking powder.

I remember when my children were in their teens and my oldest stepdaughter, Lisa, who God called home this past Christmas, would stand in front of the old gas stove and make crepes in the small cast iron skillet until she got them right.  Lisa was born to be a Italian chef but just never got the chance to do it.

Crepes Ala Orange


Crepes have always been a signature dessert in French cuisine.  I remember that the owner of the first company I worked for was something of a Gourmet Chef.  Even though he was Jewish, he treated the employees to a Christmas Party which was a gourmet meal that he would cook himself at a famous Pittsburgh restaurant.  The dessert was a Crepe Ala Sch......  This was his own crepe filled with fruits and and orange liquor sauce that he flambeed at the table.  It was a sight to behold for an awe struck 18 year old.



The Italian side of my life was filled with crepes that were also used for desserts but they were fruit filled according to the season, rolled up with whipped cream on them.  They weren't fancy but they were always deliciously light at the end of a filling meal.



Another use of the basic crepe in the Italian household is to make ricotta stuffed specialties such as manicotti.  You can use the basic ricotta and egg mixture to fill these or you can make the filling with spinach along with the eggs.  I prefer the ones with spinach because not only do they make a better appearance they are more healthy to eat.  The crepes are laid out on a greased glass dish and then covered with a marinara sauce and grated cheese sprinkled over the top before they are put into the oven.



As I think about it, I don't see why you can't use your basic crepe as a start for your Cannoli.  After all what is a cannoli except a rolled up shell with delicious sweet fillings and powdered sugar.

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Frugal Food Shopping

Many of my friends and family spend time cutting coupons and I'm sure they save hundreds of dollars by shopping this way.  Being the person I am means that I like certain brands and certain cuts of meat.  I tend to only buy those whether on sale or not.


My biggest frugality is waiting for meat sales and the "bogo" events.  When my supermarket has what they call their "huge meat sale,"  I get beef roasts using the bogo method and only pay around $10 for 2 roasts.  I  buy a whole pieces of Pork on sale at $1.49 per pound and only pay $10 for 2 nice size roasts.  I have the butcher cut the piece in half.  Sometimes they have two Bob Evans small packages of sausage on sale for $5.  That is about $1 off on each one.

So I may not be the world's most frugal shopper but I do try to save a penny here and there when I can.


I also have a subscription to Sam's Club and I shop there about once every other month.  I like to buy my staples there and I'm saving in the long run.  My family likes tuna fish and I buy 10 cans for $7.50.  I also buy 10 cans of meat ravioli for around $7.  I love stuffing with any of my meals and I get 6 pouches in the box of those. 

I know you can save a bundle by shopping at the dollar stores (Dollar General or Family Dollar) but I buy a select number of things there.  My friend buys her cat litter there because it is a lot cheaper.

There are hundreds of stores you can shop for their specials only but then you have spent all of your savings in gasoline to get there.  So I say, read the ads that come in the mail, plan your shopping and get value for your money.

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Tom Tucker Southern Style Ginger Ale

Mural on Side of Building
I recently got a craving for an old favorite that I was introduced to as a child by a spinster teacher and her mother.  These two ladies lived across the street from me and were almost seclusive which made them the target of the neighborhood children and their pranks.  My brother and I were both outgoing children and curious for knowledge which we got when we visited this house.  To my knowledge, we were the only children that were permitted to visit there.  On these visits we were treated to a small glass of Tom Tucker Southern Style Ginger Ale which means mint ginger ale.  I have tasted other versions of mint ginger ale but they could not compare to the Tom Tucker brand in which the liquid was clear while the substitute had a green shade.

1937 bottle from Glenshaw, PA
I went to the Giant Eagle store and found that they did not have it on the shelf.  To my distress they didn't have a slot on the shelf for it either.  I didn't see anyone in the beverage aisle so I couldn't ask what had happened to it.  My assumption is that they carry it during the holidays.  Since then our local Giant Eagle has been remodeled into a Market District Store and now carries this delightfully original tasting soda for the community on a daily basis.

Tom Tucker Label
I know I had seen it at one of the stores in the area and looked at Sams Club and Walmart.  Neither store carried Tom Tucker.  When I couldn't find it at the Giant Eagle, I had an inspiration and I went to Community Market where I found three bottles on the shelf.  I bought two of them.  When I went back on the weekend I found an empty shelf.  I asked the store manager and he said that the salesman had been in that day and it would be delivered the next day.  I went back last night and joy! Joy!  There is an entire section for Tom Tucker Southern Style Ginger Ale.  Community Market has since closed the store near me but I can travel to Natrona Heights or Lower Burrell to their other stores.

I was on the Internet last night and found several places where people were asking where they could purchase this seemingly Pittsburgh only treat.  One of the places listed was a distributor in Squirrel Hill.  It is called Save-Mor Beer and Beverage and they reportedly will ship anywhere.  They have a website which I have linked for my brother and sister mint ginger ale devotees.

Stock up for the coming holidays because I know I will be.

Monday, July 30, 2018

Only God Can Make A Tree - Joyce Kilmer

To quote the poem:

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

This sycamore is majestically offering her branches to a dislocated and homeless robin family.


The tree in front of the offices was spreading roots below the foundation of the building.  It was decided that the tree must be cut down and cut down it was.  The only problem being that in the spring the robins would nest in that tree.

Hopefully the spreading leaves of the sycamore tree offered enough of an invitation to become the new home of the robins and that tree can become their new home.

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.


We are once again bounding into spring when the tree will abound with buds for the coming season and to welcome back the robins.


What a wonderful example of what Joyce Kilmer saw in God's creation of a tree.




Saturday, July 28, 2018

Gnocchi or Stuffed Shells for Dinner

Gnocchi is the Italian form of Dumplings and is normally cooked in a tomato or cheese sauce.  The tomato sauce is basic and is not used for pastas. 

There is a knack for making homemade gnocci and I've linked you to the recipe. But if you aren't that adventurous you can buy the gnocchi at the store or the Italian Store and go from there.



This gnocchi is made from ricotta cheese and the ricotta gnocchi recipe comes from my web surfing.  This recipe sounds simpler to make and only takes an hour to make. 

making crepes


Now for stuffed shells you start with your basic crepe recipe.  Once you have your crepes you stuff them with Ricotta Cheese mixed with eggs and grated cheeses.  Put a spoonful of the cheese mixture onto your crepe and roll the crepe into a shell shape.
Crepes filled with ricotta and baked
  Place the shell into a baking dish and continue until you have your baking dish full.  Cover the crepes with your basic marinara sauce.  Cover your dish with foil and bake for about an hour at 350 deg.

Again, you can be lazy and just buy the large shells at the supermarket but you still have to soften them by boiling them part way before you stuff them.