Out With The Old.....

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve.  Traditionally a night of festivities, of celebrating the end of one year and anticipating the arrival of another.  A new year.  And for me (and I'm sure most of you) it's a time for reflection and pause.  A time to think about things that occurred in the year about to leave us.  A time to promise you'll do better in the coming year.  That is where those 'made with good intentions' New Year's Resolutions kick in.  I think they are promises we make ourselves to change.  Whether it be changing our diet, our bad habits, or even simply changing a routine...we ALL promise ourselves what we like to think as POSITIVE change will enrich our lives and allow us to begin the new year with ambition, with hope, and with happiness and peace within.

In my younger years, there was NO WAY I'd let a New Year arrive without staying awake to celebrate that 'ball' dropping.  And then I would hear fireworks.  I'd go to sleep and waken in the sunlight the next morning fairly certain that monumental things would occur this brand new year.

2011 for me was a year filled with change.  Change that I did not instigate, but change that caused my family's life to be altered.  This change also gave me time to do something I had not done in MANY years.  The change was the ending of my job.  I actually had the summer 'off'.  I was able to enjoy the summer - the planting in my garden, the ability to sit in the sun with a good book or glass of wine; the ability to take my dogs for walks at times they would normally have been alone.  It took me about a month to get used to being at home.  But you know something, once I got the 'hang' of it, I LOVED IT!  I baked, cooked, cleaned, renovated things in the house, went on vacation to New England (see earlier post) and found a place that my soul told me was where I belonged.  I realized what I wanted to do with my life.  We have decided that we need to 'go for it' and try to make that a reality. 

This new year hopefully will see that life I am longing for...come to fruition.  I have done a lot of things in my life that I'm ashamed of; things that I can't imagine I did in looking back on them.  I have two great sons that I am so very proud of, and a husband who supports whatever it is I decide to do.  I am blessed with wonderful friends; and some of them longtime age-old friends (not OLD in age, but friends who have been with me since my childhood and early adult years).  Those kind of friends are with you forever.  If you don't have someone in your life like that, you have no idea what you are missing. 

So, as we wind down 2011 and gear up for 2012, I wish for all of you good health, peace within, happiness and self-fulfillment in whatever it is you strive for that makes your life complete.  Never live your life for others totally and always find time to discover YOU.  You will find the greatest joy in looking out for yourself.  Only when you are happy with yourself can you be happy with others.  I had to learn that the hard way.  I guess I'm a slow learner.  I read this quote the other day and it hit home for me:  "You must make a CHOICE to take a CHANCE or your life will never CHANGE."  So true, my friends.  So true.  Think about it.

Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas!

This morning it is already 61 degrees outside.  Last night it was suitable tee-shirt and shorts (and Rainbows) weather.  Hardly conducive to singing Christmas carols and looking at holiday lights.  Right?  Well, unless you live in a tropical, always-warm locale when palm trees outweigh Christmas trees during the holiday season....

Today I have to finish up my stocking stuffer shopping and get the kids their Christmas 'bling'.  And I will have one last baking session before tomorrow night, when it's The Feast of the Seven Fishes.  Grease all the way, my friends!

For those of you unfamiliar with this 'fishy' tradition, check out this site:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Seven_Fishes

Hey, it's an Italian thing.

Santa visited the nursing home yesterday.  We had a lot of fun.  Had to go in the afternoon while the 'old' kids were still awake.  usually after dinner, they turn in for the night, even if it's only 6 pm!  Being 'senior' children, they are so entitled.  Here, Santa is wishing my mom a "Merry Christmas".  She thought he was her brother, Jimmy.  Then she thought I WAS her brother, Jimmy.  Oh mom....

Here's wishing you and yours the merriest of Christmases, and the most wonderful New Year anyone could have.  Please share in enjoying our Christmas with us:

 Here's our main Great Room tree - filled with collectible ornaments from our travels all over the place.

 This is 'the kitchen tree'.  It is decorated with food and drink ornaments, including mini wine bottles and corks.  The star at the top is a "Carolina Snowflake" from the Gift Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway - handmade.  Check 'em out:  www.brsbaket.com

 Our Colonial Christmas Dining Room complete with hurricane shades, fruit, berries and grapevine as the centerpiece.  Very Colonial/New England.  I like that.  (notice the Wine Santa in the corner?)

Notice, no fire....FIRST OF ALL, way too hot.  Second, Santa would burn his butt coming down the chimney.  Don't want to hurt Santa, do we?

So, from my family to you and yours, Buon Natale, Feliz Navidad, Buona Festa, Merry Christmas!!!

Jeannette, Paul, Jonathan, Keith, Daisy, Stormy and Buster Pompi!!!!

Giving Back

Today I did something that I have never ever done before.  I volunteered to give manicures at the nursing home where my mom is.  Now, before I started going to nail salons and only having my nails in either a neutral or French manicure, I did my own manicures and as a result, had MANY bottles of different colored polish.  So, I loaded the polishes, some remover, and some "aromatherapy' hand lotion and headed to see them!

I got there about 2:00, and left at almost 5:00.  During that time, I did a dozen manicures - all different.  I evan gave a manicure to a male resident.  He would not let me polish his nails, and I showed him ALL different colors.  He was just not a good sport.  So, I filed his nails, and massaged his hands with aromatherapy lotion and he loved it.  So many of the other little ladies loved having their nails done.  Most got polish, some did not, and they ALL got the hand massages.  They were SOOO sweet.  One little lady asked me how long I had been doing nails.  My response,, 'About an hour'.  She didn't get it.

So, I was about ready to leave, and this one little lady rolled in and asked "do you have any openings this afternoon?".  Oh. My. Gosh.  She thought she was at a nail salon.    I told her, yes, I had an opening just for her.  She got the bamboo colored polish.  They all were chattering away, none of it making any sense (at least I don't think it did) and we talked about Pearl Harbor Day.  I asked them if they remembered it and what they were doing then.  One lady said she had just gotten married.  One said she was still in high school.  It was then I realized that ALL THESE people were once children; teenagers; young adults.  They had lives. families, laughter, JOBS, and a story.  I might decide to sit down one of these days with each of them and let them tell me their stories.  I'm sure they would have some very interesting tales to tell...

All in all, I had the most wonderfully fulfilling afternoon.  Did I get my house cleaned?  Nope.  Did I do any Christmas shopping?  No.  Did I get any decorations up?  no.   But I did something even better.  I turned a dozen or better "extremely" senior citizens into painted ladies!  Ladies with good looking manicures.  And I got more out of the visit than they did.  I got this warm, wonderful feeling in my heart and soul.  I gave something back.  And took much more away.

See you in two weeks, ladies!  And remember, Santa will be arriving on the 22nd.  Buon Natale!!!!

Highway to Hartsville

Today was full of adventure.  First of all, Chris and his team showed up bright and early to put the grout in the backsplash tiles he installed for me yesterday - in both bathrooms and the kitchen.  They look great!  I was going to Sam's to meet Michelle Bachmann when she got there on the Columbia leg of her book signing tour.  I never made it. 

Paul got home at 12:10, and we were out the door by 12:30 and on our way to Hartsville to spend the afternoon with our friends Joyce and Miakel.  We were supposed to go this morning for the parade, but as Paul had to work, we didn't make it.  As it turns out, it's a good thing.  If we had gone, the tile STILL wouldn't be finished.  After nearly 6 months' renovation time, I don't think I could've waited another day.

Anyway, we got to Hartsville at 2:00, and promptly headed downtown.  There's this cool 'junk' store called Mandevilla and I love to plunder in it.  Bought myself a beautiful wrought iron candle sconce for $4.00!  Across the street from Mandevilla is a place called The Vacuum Center.  It is full of refinished furniture.  Walked thru there, but didn't see a thing.  After a few other stops, Joyce told us we were going to have seafood at Shiloh Fish House.  It was near a little town called Patrick.  It felt like we were out in the middle of NOWHERE!  Homes all had their colored Christmas lights in the windows, on the roofs, in the bushes, the trees, and the mailboxes.  Very festive. 

The dinner we had was phenomenal!  I had oysters, shrimp, scallops, flounder and fries.  No calories in any of that, I'm sure.

We left right after dinner at 7 pm, and rolled into the driveway promptly at 8.  As I write this, I am watching halftime at the Clemson-Va. Tech game on ESPN.

Happy trails, everyone.  Until next time......

Ciao - buona notte....a presto!

Giving Thanks

This year I have many things to be thankful for.  First being that NOBODY spilled anything on my tablecloth!  Others...are too many to list.  Suffice it to say that though at times I feel anxious, stressed, and downright worried about the future, just knowing that I have so many things I currently have, including a home, loving family and friends, my health and the joy in life make me realize I am truly, truly blessed.

Hope your Thanksgiving was equally as happy.  Peace, love and blessings to you all!

Turkey Day

Today I began preparing my Thanksgiving menu. Well, I sort of already knew what I planned to have, but I sat down this morning with a cup of coffee and pen and pad and wrote down each thing I plan to cook; and made sure I had all the ingredients. I will never forget one holiday many years ago that I did not have any celery and my mother swore the turkey 'wouldn't be fit to eat'. Well, fit or not, we ate it. God forbid!

Anyway, we are having turkey (unbrined, but seasoned under the skin) with meat stuffing (yep, stuffing - which means inside the bird; dressing is the same food but cooked separately in a pan), rice & giblet gravy, Italian broccoli with garlic and lemon (this stuff will make you want to slap someone; if you wanted to do that anyway, you have a legit excuse), steamed green beans with almonds, pan sauteed' brussel sprouts; ginger glazed baby carrots; sweet potato souffle (sort of) with maple syrup infused right into the whipped baked potatoes, along with creamy butter & miniature marshmallows, then baked in a casserole dish; fresh cranberry-orange relish (and the canned jellied variety, my mother in law's special recipe!!), potato rolls, and my desserts that I spent most of today making. They are (in no particular order): creamy chocolate pie, gingerbread, maple pumpkin pie, and spiced almond wafers. There will (naturally) be fruit salad of some type, prosecco, white & red wine, water, iced tea, and coffee!

Later in the afternoon, we have a couple coming over for Thanksgiving cocktails. So, more prosecco, wine and beer will be served, along with Italian Antipasti items (you know, cheeses, salame, proscuitto, cheeses, olives, etc.).

I would like to hear what everyone else has planned. Turkey is not my favorite thing, but once a year I can handle it. This is why my food preparations are taking 3 days; I want to be able to do something on Thanksgiving besides COOK, EAT, and CLEAN UP!!

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Given that this year has been a rough one, we've made it virtually unscathed. I hope that continues. My mom will be here too - and at age 96, I'm truly thankful for that above all else.

So, tell me - what's on your menu for Turkey Day?

Baking Biscotti

I'm still learning from my culinary catering class. This morning's class was all about learning how to plan events and select a theme and match the food to the chosen theme. Piece of cake, right?

Speaking of cake - well, sort of .... yesterday I decided to try out a new recipe I found. Cherry Almond biscotti! I've baked many a biscotti in all flavors, but never cherry. So why not try something new? Yep, a new recipe. I gather everything I think I will need - the standard eggs, flour, butter, all the usual stuff. Now, according to the ingredients, I needed amaretto - which I had none of. So, off I went to the local red dot store (you know what those are, right? Maybe in some areas they are package stores, or just plain LIQUOR STORES). I bought the amaretto in a big 750 ML bottle, then two stocking-stuffer tiny bottles to be consumed at yet another time, then had to stop for dried cherries, which I could not find in the first store (that's GROCERY, not liquor). After TWO more stops, we finally found them. It took me several hours to make this, as biscotti (which means twice-baked in Italian) has to be baked twice. Duh.

There was much mixing, blending, chopping, reconstituting, and finally baking done. With parchment paper, and later without. Without baking racks, but at the end WITH. My oven was fired up all afternoon long.

They look great - and I have not yet tasted them, but biscotti lovers would be proud. This Southern Girl can hang with the Italian mama-mias anytime and bake with the best of 'em! What do you think?

Here they are - if there WAS espresso in that cup, they'd be dunked but this was just for effect and photographic purposes (and the biscotti jar is just for fun - they ususally do not hold flowers, in case you're wondering, but I still had beautiful mums and some sugar maple leaves that were begging to be part of a fall arrangement...and one lone rose)!!

Mangia!!

They Are Finished!!!

OK, at long last - renovations are all finished.....except for backsplashes that we have yet to decide on. Check out the before-and-after pictures and let me know what you think. Also, I'd like to hear from you on what YOU would put in for a backsplash. The choices are seemingly endless....which is why we have such a hard time deciding.

This is the kitchen BEFORE:

And this is the kitchen AFTER:

This is the Hallway Bathroom AFTER (it had white laminate before):

This is the Master Bath BEFORE and AFTER: (it, too, had white laminate)

This is my favorite part - my shampoo GROTTO! Everyone should have one of these....

Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was my mom's birthday. Her 96th birthday, to be exact! Bertie was born in 1915 and was a child of the Great Depression. If you recall, I told the tale of the buttons and bread ties...and the apple juice & tissues.

So, in honor of her 96th birthday I did what I do best. I baked. I baked two dozen cupcakes - with almond flavoring in the batter, and almond-vanilla in the buttercream frosting I topped them with. The buttercream was tinted a coppery bronze color in honor of the season (my favorite - FALL) and topped with sprinkles depicting leaves in all their splendor in autumn. My friend Linda came over and we packed the cupcakes into a carrier, got her gifts together (she loves fleece so I bought new fleece, socks, and GUM) and off we went.

We got to the nursing home shortly after lunch. They were all aware it was PARTY TIME, so one by one they were rolled into the 'dayroom' for the party. We had to remove the cupcake liners (one lady tried to eat it) for them, and we cut them in half so the ones that were able to, could pick them up to eat them. My mom had to be fed. I guess at 96 that's allowed. Anyway, Linda fed mom, and I went around to dispense cupcakes to all the guests. Just before I could grab a napkin for one guest's cupcake, one of the OTHER guests took the whole stack of napkins, folded them, and stuck them under her sweater. Yep - a klepto!! The rest of the partygoers had to use regular paper towels for their treats.

In the midst of all this partying, suddenly the fire alarms started going off! Lights flashing, horns and sirens blaring, and the doors suddenly all closed.....closing us in the Day room with the party ladies. My mom got very upset - wanted me to make it stop and told me she needed to 'get the hell out of there'. I covered her ears with my hands and promised I'd take care of her and I wouldn't let anything hurt her. Another lady covered her head with a towel - the same towel she had her 'baby doll' wrapped up in. It was so sad. Then, there were a few that were seemingly unaware of anything happening at all. They just kept right on eating.

So, after about 10 minutes, which felt like an hour, the alarms finally stopped going off, and the doors opened. We all went out into the interior garden, where mom opened her gifts. Some of her fellow party goers were there too. Most of them were still shaken by the excitement.

All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon. The best part was that I got to celebrate one more birthday with mom - and make it special for her...and for me. At 96, I'm not sure how many more there will be - but each and every one will be a wonderful thing to be able to still share.

Thank you, mom, for all you have done for me...you took care of me when I couldn't take care of myself, and now it's my turn to take care of you. You were my parent, now I am yours. The full circle of life, I suppose.

I love you, Mama. Happy, Happy Birthday!!!!

Spinach Dip in Sourdough Bread Bowl

Check out my first 'homework' assignment for my catering class.

If you can't tell what this is, it's a sourdough bread bowl filled with spinach/artichoke/cream cheese dip, and surrounded by red and yellow pepper strips, zucchini sticks,, and chunks of crusty buttered garlic homemade bread bites. It is garnished with parsley straight out of the garden, and a rose created from a tomato peel.

It was very tasty, if I say so myself. And yes, I know it made a lot for just us, but I had the time and really wanted to get this first assignment out of the way.

So, what do you think? Is there hope for me in the catering world???

Stay tuned for my next 'creation'....in the next day or so.

Until then.

Bathrooms and Biscotti

Don't let the title of this post fool you. These two things are in TOTALLY separate rooms in the house. Whilst the bathroom was being outfitted with the brand new supposedly CLEAR shower doors, I was in mia cucina creating cranberry-almond biscotti AND Italian cookies; the latter resembles a shortbread cookie - it has almond, lemon and orange flavoring, is a twisted pencil thin cookie with an egg wash & sesame seeds on top. It cooks fast - and has a glossy finish thanks to the eggwash. These delicacies were prepared for the Italian Festival, which is tomorrow. They were packaged in clear 'baggies' which were then tied with red, green and white tiny ribbon, which also held a 'tag' announcing what the contents were. These will be sold at the Italian Fresh Market tomorrow. It was hard to bake all that without eating any. I guess if I want some, I'll have to buy them.

Now, back to the bathroom shower doors; you are all aware of how long this renovation has taken, right? A renovation that we didn't plan on. One we didn't budget for. One we didn't think would take most of the summer to complete. Today we had all hoped that the end was in sight. The shower door was delivered yesterday; the installers came by this morning to put it together. As yours truly was in the cucina, creating gastronomic delights, I was unaware of what the installers found when they opened the package. My beautiful new Tuscan Bronze-finish shower door was the WRONG ONE. The clear glass I wanted was not there. Instead, the doors had this etched finish. Both doors had vertical stripes over the entire finish. They were very BUSY looking. I was so disappointed. The workers were disappointed - I think mainly because they knew they'd be installing a replacement as soon as it could be gotten and delivered. I tried to like it - I mean, it's not like it was UGLY or anything; it's just that it's not the one I had my heart set on. I wanted CLEAR. I like being able to see out when in the shower; or in the tub. I have a clear shower curtain too. Maybe I have 'Psycho' phobias or something. Anyway, the doors are up; they slide beautifully; and they are etched. And awaiting their replacement. One of these days.

The renovations continue.....STILL.

But, until they do:

Il Festival italiano è domani. Vieni a giocare con noi.

(The Italian Festival is tomorrow. Come play with us.)

Ciao, a presto, mia amici. Chi vuole un bicchiere di vino rosso?

Let There Be Light

Remember the renovations that are still continuing?

Late this afternoon, Jim came by to install the shower light .... a new recessed, waterproof fixture. Problem is, he couldn't install it from DOWNSTAIRS in the shower. Someone had to go up in the attic, scurry across the rafters - carefully so as not to step on the ceiling and FALL THRU to the downstairs - and find the electrical box for this particular light. Well, guess who got the honors? Yep, me.

I am crouched in the attic, wearing my slipper-clogs, advancing precariously from joist to joist, scooping insulation out of the way using an piece of cardboard, looking for the light.

I found it. Then Jim asks, what does it look like - is it attached to the side or the bottom? My reply - I don't know; I didn't bring a flashlight. Oh. No flashlight. Here comes Paul. We pass on the same floor joist - HE has the flashlight. So, I'm sitting at the top of the attic stairs, reading old Christmas cards; Paul is bent over the light box - with the flashlight - attempting to dislodge it without being electrocuted - the electricity is still on. Jim, the contractor, is standing at the bottom of the steps, drinking a cup of coffee....and not just ANY coffee. He is drinking a cup of white chocolate macadamia nut coffee.

After I finally shut off ALL the electricity in the house, we manage to install the new light fixture. Now we need a light bulb for it. Oh, and a new switch. The one that controls this newly installed fixture is broken. Now the light is on, and we can't shut it off. We have to remove the bulb to turn it off.

Jim leaves, Paul has to change as he has insulation in his pants. Ants in his pants. HAHAHAHAHA

I'm going to make dinner. And pour a glass of wine. Perhaps two.

Tomorrow, we might get the shower door.

And the renovations continue......

tomorrow is another day.

Escape to New York City!

OK, so enough about the renovations....they are STILL underway. At this point, I don't feel like they will ever be finished. I'm sure they will, and today they are tiling the bathroom. At least that's what I hope. I still feel like I'm living in a warehouse.

So, in the midst of all this unrest and construction going on here at home, I escaped. Big time. To New York City! NEW YORK CITY! My girlfriend had asked me to go with her to her cousin's wedding. Well, being the nice Southern girl that I am, and how I hated to say no (remember, I am unemployed and it's not like my calendar was FULL or anything), so I told her I'd go. No clue that the wedding was anyplace other than good ole SC. When she told me New York, I was beyond thrilled! New York City - the land of the rich and fabulous. The land of the WTC being reborn out of the ashes, like a Phoenix. So, to be sure we had everything we needed for our trip, we packed. And packed. And unpacked. And repacked. Then we packed some more. Instead of a huge suitcase, it felt more like we were carrying trunks. Trunks packed to the gills. Trunks packed with things we mostly did not even wear. But we had them.

This Southern girl has been to New England many, many times. Remember, my husband is an EYE-Talian Yankee from Massachusetts. I love it up there. That's no secret to anyone. All I had ever seen of NYC was what I could see from the George Washington Bridge as we were driving thru the Bronx headed to the Nawth. We landed at Newark and the view of the city that I was greeted with was spectacular. Almost as breathtaking as seeing the Golden Gate Bridge upon landing in San Francisco many years ago.

We collected our trunks and waited for the car to pick us up. In the meantime, we collected propaganda. I love propaganda. I mean we collected brochures about EVERY LITTLE THING that could be seen, visited, or done in the city. More to put in those trunks. Then our driver arrived - holding a sign with my name on it so we'd know he was there for us. He loaded our trunks and off we went - headed to the hotel, which by the way, was lovely. We stayed at the Hyatt on the Hudson, Jersey City. I highly recommend it. The view of Manhattan from there is unparalleled.

When we arrived at the hotel, the room was not ready, so they held our trunks for us. We got the claims ticket, made a quick 'potty' break and a quick mirror check to be sure we still looked great - (I mean, we're in New York City and we did NOT want to look like tourists), and off we went. Exploring. We've only been in town 30 minutes and we're already prowling around. We found the water taxi, bought our tickets, boarded, and I had a ticket taker call me Scarlett O'Hara. Welcome to the South, boys! We cruised across the Hudson River,and docked at the Financial District. We had some version of a map in our hands, and we started walking. Our first stop was the WTC site. We did not have tickets to go 'down' into the memorial, but we took as many photos as we could of what we COULD see. Then we went into the Museum. They had artifacts (if you can call them that) on display and of course, the usual coffee cups, tshirts and calendars. Capitalizing on tragedy. Sad. And it was working. People were in lines 5-6 deep making MAJOR purchases. We bought post cards. We quickly decided our next stop had to be Little Italy. After consulting our map, we knew we could not walk that far. We hailed our first taxi. That was pretty easy, because they were virtually on EVERY corner. We got in, told him where we wanted to go and off we went. This man was driving like the devil himself was chasing us. I mean he drove unlike I've ever seen anyone drive, except the cab drivers in Rome. He squeezed the car in places I really didn't think it would fit. But it fit. He got us to Little Italy in what I think was 'record' time. We got out, started walking and saw lots of Italian momentos - most of them being offered by Chinese people. What in the hell? Oh, that's right - China Town and Little Italy are butted up right next to each other. In fact, both names are on the street signage. What's going on, people? Italy and China are nowhere close on the map. Someone needs to brush up on their geography.

We decided we were hungry and found this place that just oozed Italian charm. The restaurant was called Ristorante Da Gennaro and we had the best meal. I had pasta with olive oil and garlic, and AM had Chicken Francaise with a side of pesto penne. Yum. Of course, I had chianti. She had a beer. Then we had espresso and profiteroles with hazelnut chocolate drizzle on top. Having filled our stomachs, we were on the go again.....this time we just went across the street and plopped down in ANOTHER restaurant where we ordered Prosecco (Italian champagne) - one glass each....with a strawberry floating in it. Wonderful. We toasted New York, and her cousin's impending nuptials, and we toasted ourselves. We toasted to the fact that we were such saavy New Yorkers....even this Southern girl. After we polished off our Proseccos, we quickly checked our map - you see, we had a LIST of must-sees, must-visits, and must-do's. Our next must-see had to be the Empire State Building. Sunset was rapidly aproaching and we knew that the view from the top was the best. We did what we did best - hail a cab! Another mad dash thru the street and we arrived at our next stop. We bought our tickets and stood in line to ride the elevator to the top. That elevator must've had the devil chasing IT too. We flew to the top in a record 30 seconds. When the doors opened, I was greeted with a view of New York City that would take your breath away. We took many photos, and sunset from that vantage point was indescribable.

Once we left there, we decided we'd had enough for the day. Our feet were throbbing and we still had MILES to go. Oh, and it was time to EAT again! We got another cab back to the dock, where we boarded the water taxi yet again. We were getting pretty good at this! We got back to the hotel, where we ordered a salad in the VU lounge. And a VU it was. A view to die for. We couldn't walk another step, but had the waitress bring our salads to us while we sat there by the panoramic view of the city....feet propped up. By this time all of Manhattan was lit up just like twinkling stars. And all for our viewing pleasure. We managed to crawl to the elevator and upstairs to our rooms where we collapsed into bed, talking in the darkness and giggling like teenage girls. Tomorrow - more fun!

The next day, we had the wedding to attend. We were fabulously dressed, went downstairs where we all were taken to the church in cars, and the bride rode in a vintage Rolls Royce. The wedding was in midtown Manhattan and the ride took about an hour. The ceremony was beautiful - Roman Catholic Italian wedding, complete with Mass. Then it's back to the hotel for the reception, which was absolutely fabulous. The wedding cake was baked by Carlo's Bake Shop. (http://www.carlosbakery.com/) Now, I don't know if you are aware of who that is, but it's the Cake Boss (on TLC). It was red velvet and absolutely delicious.

As is typical of Italian weddings, the reception with the fabulous cocktail hour and dinner/dancing lasted way into the night. We left at 11:30 and headed back to our room. Tomorrow was another long day of sightseeing for us.

We woke early - got dressed, and off we went. Our first stop was Lady Liberty. We boarded a train, got off and walked about a mile to reach the Station we needed to board the ferry from, and bought our tickets. The lines were LONG. I mean, REALLY long. Keep in mind that it's Saturday. The wait just to board the boat was 2 hours. We decided not to see her up close. We just didn't have that much time too spend there. Too much too do and too little time to do it in...plus it's Saturday and we had all the tourists to deal with. We boarded the water taxi and headed back across to Manhattan. Next stop, uptown! We outdid ourselves today. We saw: Rockefeller Center (where they were assembling the ice rink), Park Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, St. Patrick's Cathedral (where a wedding was underway), Madison Square Garden, Trump Towers, every store you could imagine (Prada, Van Cleef & Arpels, Gucci, Harry Winston Jewelers, Salvatore Ferragamo (shoes), FAO Schwartz, The Plaza Hotel, and Central Park,which was full of many types of people. This was the weekend of John Lennon's birthday, so his music was everywhere. Check out THIS Lady Liberty!!

We walked from Central Park back to Times Square, which to me, had a circus atmosphere. Saw the 'ball' which drops every New Year's Eve. I can't imagine how packed with people that would be, because this day we were there it was chaotic. This Southern girl needs to find some trees and open space! Back to Little Italy we go.

I had contacted an old friend from over 20 years ago who, to my surprise, was meeting us for dinner. We were looking forward to it. We bought some pastries, Italian cookies and bread and ended up at a restaurant called Angelo's. Had a fabulous meal, and we three ladies walked back to the restaurant where we had the prosecco - Caffe' Napoli. My friend had two of her buddies join us, and we sat there until the wee hours of the morning....talking, sipping Prosecco, and laughing. (and resting our feet) When we realized the time, we knew we had a HAUL to get back. They called a cab for us, paid for it and put us in (and got in with us) and took us to the Path Station. They put us on the direct train back to our Path Station near our Hotel. We were back in about an hour. By this time it was nearly 2 am. These girls did quite well in The Big Apple!

Next morning, we packed our bags, had breakfast int he restaurant and we waited for our car to come get us. We got to the airport in record time, had uneventful flights and arrived back home in time for din-din on Sunday night. All in all, a fun-filled, wonderful LONG weekend in New York City!

Oh, and by the way, the renovations continue.....

New York City

As the title of this post hints at....I have just returned from a LONG weekend in New York City with my friend, Annemarie. She had to attend her cousin's wedding and asked if I'd go with her. What? Are you kidding? Of course I'll go with you. I mean, it's not like I have a job, or anything important that I'm needed here for...unless it's applying for jobs that I know I won't get. I have to do that to keep the unemployment checks rolling in.

Anyway, New York.....we flew in on Thursday afternoon and by that night we had checked in at our hotel (we were staying at the Hyatt on the Hudson in Jersey City), gone back out, got a water taxi and hauled ass across the Hudson to Manhattan, baby! In about 4 short hours, we managed to check out the WTC site, the Marina, Battery Park, and do some window shopping in Little Italy, then off to the Empire State Building. We purchased our overpriced admission ticket to the Observatory on the 86th floor, where we got the most breathtaking views of New York and vicinity. It was about 5 pm or so, and the sun was just beginning to go down - it was a bright beautiful day and sunset was just amazing. A soft orange orb slowly disappearing from the horizon. As it disappeared, the buildings all began to twinkle like stars in the heavens. I swear I could see for 100 miles. Perhaps not, but that's what it felt like to me. We stayed up there taking in the scenery, until we realized we were STARVING. Time to eat! At the same time, we looked at each other and just knew where we HAD to eat. Our stroll thru Little Italy earlier when we were on our pilgrimage to see the Empire State Building determined where we decided to have dinner. We found this amazing little place, Da Gennaro, on Mulberry Street when passing thru the first time. We high-tailed it right back over to Little Italy, plopped down at a sidewalk table, and hailed the water in our best rusty Italian. Total immersion in Italian culture is the way to go. Chianti doesn't hurt, either. I had pasta with garlic & olive oil, and Annemarie had Chicken Francaise. Oh, and a side of penne with pesto. And dessert. Always dessert. We had profiteroles, filled with creamy sweet ricotta, and topped with chocolate hazelnut spread. Delicioso!

After dinner, what did we do? Most people would head back to the hotel and relax. Not us! Nooooo, no. WE WALKED ACROSS THE STREET to another restaurant, sat BACK down and ordered a prosecco....with a strawberry floating in the glass. We toasted to ourselves and patted each other on the back at our prowess and our ability to maneuver our way around in NEW YORK CITY. (not ever having been there before, I was more than pleased with my excellent sense of direction). We sat a good long while in THIS restaurant, just watching people and talking about what all we planned to do for the rest of the trip...starting with the wedding the next day.

When we were ready to go back to our hotel, here's how it laid out.....

Got up - hailed a cab. He drove us to where we thought we needed to be. Well, we were wrong. It was the WRONG port. We still had to walk about 8 blocks past the Manhattan Sailing Club to the Financial District pier, where we caught the water taxi BACK across the river to the Paulus Hook Terminal, where we walked another block back to the hotel. Let me tell you my piggies were SO tired by the time I got the boots off. Time for sleep now.

Next post I'll tell you all about the wedding and our next excursion, which included Ellis Island, Lady Liberty, Park Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, Central Park and all points in between. We are some traveling fools....in boots.

Demolition Begins....

Bright and early this morning, my doorbell rang. It was Rick, the demolition guy that works for our contractor. Finally! He came in, proceeded to cover our bedroom furniture with plastic (just like our parents had all over the furniture all the time - NOT just for construction purposes), and taped resin paper on the floor starting at the front door. He brought in the hammers, mallets, buckets, and SAFETY GOGGLES!

Now I am in the kitchen, lolly-gagging around in my house clogs and sipping my New England Coffee - (just the best coffee ever - try it for youself in one of their seasonal flavors) www.newenglandcoffee.com in my Vermont moose mug, when the hammering commences. I look up to see my prints that are hanging on the kitchen wall....bouncing off the wall with each strike of the mallet. Those pictures were taken down immediately before they could FALL down!

He has been hammering away for about 45 minutes and he has nearly all the tile off the shower wall. I took a 'before' picture, and tonight will take a 'in progress' picture and HOPEFULLY be able to post 'after' pix.

No napping in this house today - unless you're deaf!!

Water, Water Nowhere

As you know, our home 'renovations' all started because the ice maker water line leaked onto the hardwood floors. Between then (mid-June) and now, we've had the floors in the kitchen torn out and replaced with tile, the dishwasher has been torn out and we're waiting for the new one to be installed with help from Chris, the tile guy. We have the shower in the master bath partially torn out because THAT water was seeping under the floors (in the kitchen, no less). So we can't use the shower. We are waiting for the contractor to come - he was supposed to be here last Monday, changed it to today, then upped it to this COMING Monday. We'll have a full house - the contractor and tile people in the bathroom starting Monday and the countertop folks installing the granite counters in the kitchen and baths starting on Tuesday. A full house IF THEY SHOW UP.

Anyway, we have been using our guest bath which has a tub/shower combination. Well, wouldn't you know it - the ONLY shower we have in the house....IS NOT WORKING! That handle in the middle of the hot/cold knobs (you know, the one that switches it from tub to shower) DOES NOT WORK. Now Paul gets it to work - he has to turn the center knob to 'tub', then turn on the water, then turn it off, then turn the center knob to 'shower', then turn the water back ON again. It's ridiculous. He hasn't had to kick it yet, but I feel that coming next! Most of the time I can't get it to work and think that pretty soon unless we get this water mess all taken care of that we'll be bathing in a pan of warm water heated on the kitchen stove (which is still functional, thank goodness). It seems every place we should have water coming out of ... there is none. Oh, and did I mention that because the dishwasher is not yet installed, I AM HAVING TO WASH ALL THE DISHES. ALL OF THEM! ALL THE TIME. And can't use the garbage disposal, so I'm having to scrape the food trash into the garbage. What a pain. And because the icemaker broke right after it caused the water on the floor and we didn't replace it because I didn't want the expense ($98), we are using ice trays. I hate ice trays. Funny, I didn't want to spend the $98 but we have spent thousands on repairs that are not yet finished; repairs that have been ongoing since June. That $98 is just a drop in the bucket. What else is new????

As long as I have ice cubes for my gin & tonic at happy hour time, life is good. And I'm ordering that ice maker pretty soon....

Culinary Delights - Mushroom Flatbread Pizza

OK, I promised you mushroom flatbread pizza and here it is! It was much more complicated and time-consuming than simply making pizza, but let me tell you it was WORTH IT!

This flatbread had baby portabella mushrooms, garlic and olive oil with herbs (basil, oregano and Italian parsley, all finely chopped or julienned), caramelized onions (one and a half large onions), and goat cheese.

Here's how it's done:

bake the flatbread - sort of like pizza dough without any toppings and VERY thin. Almost like a wafer. Bake until nice & golden (about 15 minutes), the remove it from the oven. Brush the crust with herb infused olive oil and chopped garlic, then load it up with baby bella mushrooms (or you can use reconstituted wild porcini mushrooms if you like), the caramelized onion and top with generous dollops (sprinkles) of goat cheese (which is a very wet cheese, unlike feta).

Pop it back in the oven and let it bake at 375 degrees until the cheese appears no longer solid, or close to bubbling. Watch to see the crust does not burn. I baked this one on a pizza stone - it took a little longer than usual because the stone has to heat up. If you preheat the stone along with the oven, it saves time. Try it. It's wonderful!!! My descendent of a Roman God husband seemed to like it. Hey, he brought me three large bouquets of flowers home today. I must be doing SOMETHING right!!!

Stay tuned for more culinary delights....mangia!!

Cooking - Southern Italian style!

Today, on what I assumed was the Autumnal Equinox (it's apparently the 23rd this year), I have decided to make mushroom flatbread for dinner.  And salad.  A beautiful salad containing mixed greens, radiccio (a bitter red lettuce, sort of), dried Ocean Spray cranberries straight from the bog, chick peas (cannellini), and walnuts, drizzed with a cranberry balsamic reduction.  Now I have to still purchase those mushrooms and an onion.  Obviously I have not grocery shopped for these items.  I will visit the local ALDI, or get my very own personal descendent of Roman Gods to bring them home for me. 

Speaking of that Roman God, he is known to surprise me with all sorts of 'little' things.  He brings home flowers for no reason, creates wonderful wine and cheese appetizer spreads, and we have actually sat on the floor and 'picnicked' in the house.  We play bocce in the backyard (tree roots and all) and we antique shop together.  Sometimes we walk, hand in hand, saying nothing at all.  You see, my Roman God had a rough life in his previous marriage.  He was married not by choice, but by circumstance - to someone he despised.  He stayed put because of kids - the first was the reason for the marriage (she was pregnant - the age old way to 'trap' a man when you can't get one any other way HAHA) - kids that now have no manners and are rude and sarcastic with no regard for anyone but themselves; kids that have turned out to be a true disappointment to him.  His daughter actually went on this tirade in front of the entire family AT A FUNERAL!  A funeral they showed up for but clearly used it as a 'stopping point' for a little family vacation, complete with his ex-wife.  He on more than one occasion has said that if he knew they'd turn out the way they did, he'd have left in the beginning.  But, he did what his father told him to do - face the music.  This is another post in itself - another time.  Anyway, where was I?  Oh yea, right - SO, now that life is behind him, and he has finally begun to live.  And boy, do we!  We cook together in the kitchen; we create recipes, we belong to our local SOI (Sons of Italy) Chapter.  We have three four-legged, furry children that adore us.  They are:  Buster, Stormy and Daisy (Buster, Tempestoso, and Margherita in Italian).  We have a grand life.  Now if we could just get these home renovations done....

I'll let you know how the flatbread turns out.  Ciao! 

It's Summer in South Carolina, and it's hotter than hell outside

As a newly non-employed-outside-the-home baby boomer, I have a hard time sitting still.  It's just not in my nature, guys.  I am a doer.  I have always been a doer.   So, whilst I was sitting on the veranda at daybreak, my Vermont (we're going there on Monday - more about that later) Moose coffee cup in hand,   I was surveying the shrubs that flanked the porch.  Two on either ends are nandina - you know what those are, right?  Well, I had pruned them before and it occurred to me they looked like two broccoli spears standing upright.  Not at all the image I wanted to convey in my Southern brick (which pretends to be a New England saltbox dwelling) house.  I called my husband to get his thoughts on what I was about to do - which is to CUT THOSE SUCKERS down.  Of course, being the good husband he is, he said 'do it'.  (remember, I'm the doer).  So I did it.  I got the pruners, the keyhole saw, my trusty garden gloves, and I commenced hacking away.  Now They are gone, but stubble remains - for hubby to take out when he comes home with his 'descendents of Roman God' muscles (did I tell you he's Italian?  He's EYETALIAN!!)

He's gotten pretty used to my starting things and he finishes them.  That's why I'm the brains of the operation.  HE is the brawn!  I should have taken pictures before and after, but was too eager.  From now on, I will post what I write about so you can see what I'm doing.  A diary, if you will.

Home Renovations and Sad Realizations

We have ordered the granite for both our kitchen AND bathroom countertops.  Check out this marvelous company we got them through:  Stone Interiors http://www.stoneinteriors.com/

They are being cut to size as I write this.  Next week our shower is being torn out and reconstructed with beautiful travertile tile on the walls, and travertine mosaic on the floor.  We have a glass shower wall being installed with Tuscan Bronze Faucets, etc. 

Once all this is done, we'll have to repaint and repair the walls for any damage that will have been done as the result of this soon to be beeyoutiful renovation.  Any suggestions on color?

Every day I search for jobs.  I apply for jobs.  I get turned down for jobs.  Day after day.  Most of the companies I apply to never even respond.  It's more than disheartening.  It's difficult for this baby boomer to come to the realization that I am too old for employers to need me.  It's also difficult to not be needed ANYWHERE.  I thought this would be the happiest time in my life - kids are gone and now it's time for me.  I was wrong.

SO, I signed up for a catering class online through Midlands Tech.  Don't know if I'll ever use it, but it can't hurt to have it to go along with the floral design and cake design courses I have already taken.  Never know when that B&B will present itself.  And it keeps me busy and keeps my mind off what I can't do anything about. 

I can dream, can't I?

Cooking in the New Kitchen

OK, so we have the 'new' kitchen put back together - sort of.  We needed to get a new dishwasher and have it installed like NOW because when the 3 tiles in front of it are 'cemented' down, the dishwasher is in place FOREVER.  Would you believe we found one - at a GREAT discounted rate.  Now I am all about savings.  Especially when it's a high dollar purchase (i.e., DISHWASHER).  So tomorrow we will attempt to pull out the old one and put this new one in.  The old one is washing dishes right now.  Dishes we used when we had this mouth-watering grilled chuck roast.  Grilled, you say?  Yep....grilled.  Took the roast, pierced it and inserted slivers of fresh garlic.  Rubbed it with salt and pepper and sprinkled a smattering of Montreal Steak Seasoning.  We put that puppy on the grill, and roasted it - slowly - for about 45 minutes.  On the side burner, we threw a handful of mushrooms, some garlic salt, pepper, a half stick of unsalted butter and a splash of merlot.  They simmered while the roast grilled.  Oh My Gosh was it good.  Add steamed fresh green beans with wedges of russet potatoes on top (steamed with bacon grease in the water)....and you have a meal fit for a KING (or a QUEEN).  My friend brought dessert - a dump cake with peaches and apples - with this awesome cake we had steaming mugs of chocolate cappuccino coffee.  Not bad for a weeknight, eh?

The New Kitchen

Remember I told you about us having to get the kitchen floor redone?  Well, today they came and put down the tile.  Right now in our great room (which is not so great when filled with belongings that clearly belong in ANOTHER ROOM) has the following extra items in it:

China Cabinet - without china.  The china is in boxes on top of the bed in the guest room.  Table, six chairs, bookcase filled with cookbooks, bar cart with wine glasses and carafes, boxes with muffin tins, cookie sheets and loaf pans that had to come out of the cabinets; the trash can, and THE REFRIGERATOR.  Yep, the fridge is plugged in and sitting beside the fireplace.  Where's the stove, you ask?  Oh, it's just inside the front door - sitting in the foyer with the handtruck still stuck under it. 

Everything in the house is covered with a fine dust - from either the tile being cut, the backer board being installed, and/or the thin set being applied to the entire floor.  Oh My God - even rooms that have nothing going on in them are filthy.  Looks like I'll have to start at the ceiling and clean from the top down.

Once my kitchen is finished, I'll post before-and-after pictures so you can see the end result and let us know if it was worth all the effort.  I'm thinking it is.

During all of this, I have been watching either CNN and/or Weather Channel. My beloved Vermont has been totally devastated.  Beautiful covered bridges washed right off their abutments and downstream.  Will Vermont be able to return to normal?  I sincerely hope so.  My heart goes out to all Vermonters,  When I see destruction like that, I'm truly thankful for only renovation grime.

Around the House

I haven't posted anything in a while - since we got back from that trip to New England, where we didn't find any cooler temperatures.  Reason being:

Home Renovations!  Not by choice.  The icemaker line broke - flooded the kitchen with water.  The water buckled the hardwood floor.  The insurance company told us to 'put fans on to dry out the wood'.  OK.  We put fans on.  The floor swelled up like a sponge.  I don't think the fans did what they were supposed to do. 

Now the insurance company enters the picture.  They decide the floors have to come up.  OK, fine.  We removed some of the wood - and boy was what we saw NASTY.  Wet, mildew, mold, yuck.  We decide no more wood.  We pick out tile. 

Now the entire floor comes up - and more news.....there's another spot that is not caused by the errant icemaker line.  THIS one is because of the shower drain pan on the OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL.  Now we have to rip out the shower/tiles and everything associated with it.

I have decided, since I am a fanatic of HGTV/DIY, that we need an updated bath.  Glass shower doors, take out the wall, new tiles, the works! 

Did someone forget to tell me my maiden name was Rockefeller? 

I hope that one of these days soon I can actually get back in my kitchen to cook...and bake.  I'll post photos as soon as I download/upload/whatever you call it load them.  Geez - what started out as fun has really turned into a drag.  Wish I were a patient person, but I'm not.  My husband says - hey, we have to wait.  We do what they tell us to do.  Wish I was that way.  Nope, it might take me forever to decide something, but once I decide, I want it RIGHT NOW.  sigh

Happy End of Summer!

New England - Hot Fun in the Summertime

Paul and I were SO excited about heading back to New England.  Why?  Well, milder temperatures, cool breezes (ocean breezes at the Cape), beautiful scenery, dear friends and family.  Not necessarily in that order.   Sigh....in a Norman Rockwell painting, maybe.

What we GOT were temperatures hotter than hell - it was as hot in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut as it was in South Carolina.  Oh. My. Gosh.  It was hot, hot, hot.  Even in Vermont.  I mean, come on - the land of covered bridges and breathtaking scenery.  We saw kids jumping into the river from the openings in one of the covered bridges (The Scott Bridge in Townshend Vermont).  We have photos - you will not believe it.  They also had a rope swing so that they could swing outward from the banks and let go - SPLASH! - right into the river.  Not me.

Anyway, we looked at property - both residential and business.  We found this amazing house for sale in Western Massachusetts.  It used to be a one-room schoolhouse and now it's this 10 room magnificent home that sits at the top of this mountain (I guess it's a mountain) with views you just would not believe.  You have to see it.  It has New England colonial charm, fireplaces, antique doors and windows with strap hinges (you do know what those are, right?)  a chauffeur's quarters behind the detached carriage house - WITH A FIREPLACE! 

Could this be the B&B I've looked for all these years?  Oh yea, it could.  Maybe this Southern girl is ready to go back North for good.....at least until the snow starts.  Then what?

This Southern Girl is headed Nawth!

Today this Southern belle and the Northern husband get packing - we are headed NORTH!  To New England.  Should be an interesting ride in the car - with me driving as far as DC (in the daylight) and then he will drive the reset of the way (in the darkness) with me assistant-driving from the front passenger seat.  Now you ask, why don't you sleep?  SLEEP?  One of the last times we drove to New England we hydro-planed across two lanes of traffice IN FRONT OF A SEMI and spun around and slid backwards into a ditch!  On the first day of autumn, I might add.  Autumn - my favorite season of the year - by far.  So, no sleep for me.  I will have to help him watch the road.  Maybe I should have one of those little kid steering wheels I can suction to the dash so I can help steer the car, too!  I promise lots of pix of our travels...including my beloved covered bridges.  We just don't have those in the South.  Check out this site and you'll see what I mean, my friends:    vermont vacation   Aah, Vermont - so beautiful, it's just this side of heaven. 

In the Beginning....

I was born in South Carolina in the mid 1950's.  My father passed away when I was very young, and I was raised by my mother.  My ADOPTIVE mother.  So, you see, I was sort of like a human pound puppy.  My mother (mama) was a strong woman - she could make a sailor blush, and was considered mean spirited, some might say.  She had a hard life - lived through the depression and all that went with it.  Because of this poor childhood she had, my mother taught me many valuable things......like how to save all the old buttons one could possibly ever want....I have buttons that I don't even have the clothes for any more!  (you never know when you might need a button).  She also kept all the bread ties after the bread was gone.  There were different colored wire ties for different days of the week and she knew ALL the colors.  If I brought home the wrong colored tie on a loaf of bread, it was back to the store I went.  God forbid the bread was a day old.  I never did know which color was which.  Or rather how SHE knew.  Now they just stamp the dates on the bread.  Jeez, why didn't they do that back then?  Let's see, where was I?  Oh yes, the frugality of being raised by someone from the "Great Depression".    She and my Aunt Mary (her sister, in Savannah) both had the same idiosynchrosies about things.  Aunt Mary hoarded apple juice, toilet paper and soap.  I never could figure out WHY those particular things.  Perhaps they didn't have them 'back then'.      I try not to hoard things, but I have to tell you - right now I have enough toilet paper, paper towels, paper napkins, bars of soap, bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and even q-tips to open a small sundry store.  We will never run out of toilet paper - I know this is a comfort to those of you who visit on a regular basis! 

While I save virtually EVERYTHING, my husband saves nothing.  Nothing!  Even things he SHOULD save.  So the way I see it, we balance each other.  Between the two of us, we have an acceptable amount of 'stuff'.  He and I met each other in midlife.  I already had a home, so did he.  When we combined the two, we acquired SOOO much stuff that we have no room for it all.  I either need a bigger house, or to get rid of some things.  As the child of Depression - Era hoarders, we know that won't happen.  I'm keeping my stuff....just in case.  Even all the buttons.

This is where our story begins.