Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Reflections from a Grandma



Dear Favorite Place,                                                                                                                            Oh, how I've missed you!  You've been a great friend over the years and I owe you an apology.  My original intent for writing this blog has always been to compile my recipes and gather the recipes of my ancestors, put them in one place for eternity for generations to come.  One of the main reasons for not updating my posts is because I've been taking care of my new grand baby, Ryann.  She is truly my heart and her smile makes my heart dance!  I can hardly wait to teach her what I know from the culinary world.  I especially want her to know about my grandmothers, their recipes and the special relationship I had with them.

One grandmother was French through and through, very prim and proper, but knew how to have fun.  She loved her sweets and I spent as much time as I could watching her whip up her rice krispy squares, fried chicken, and lemon chiffon pie, etc.  I don't have any recipes of hers that were saved, unfortunately.  From what my mom  has said, she was a very good cook but Grandpa was only interested in his meat and potatoes, not a fancy French inspired meal!

My other grandmother, Emma, a single widow for many years would come over for most birthdays and bring her specialty dishes from her Czech heritage.  Lentils, peach dumplings, red cabbage and at Christmas time she'd make a large bowl of her eggnog!  Her sauerkraut was the best!  I have a few Czech cookbooks and a handwritten recipe for red cabbage that I received from Grandma..

If I can be of this caliber of a grandmother for Ryann she will hopefully have many wonderful memories and my job will be done!  I have almost perfected some recipes from my husband's Italian heritage.  Years ago I would never have even tried to make Italian because my mother-in-law made the best. After a few trips to Italy I learned some tricks and gained more interest for Italian cooking.  Now, I believe, I can hold my own in that arena.

Today my son was reminiscing about some of the meals I would make when he was a young boy.  Evidently he was fond of my chicken broccoli casserole and rice pilaf.   He showed an interest in cooking when he was 3.  We'd move a chair close to the stove (but not too close) so he could watch and help me stir the scrambled eggs.  He now owns a deli and ice cream shops where he comes up with some unique and interesting flavors like rosemary chocolate chip, chocolate curry, thai tea, blueberry pancake and the list goes on and on!  

I gaze at my beautiful grand daughter as she approaches 12 months old and wonder what she will be like.  No matter what, she'll have generations of culinary talent behind her and I secretly hope she'll appreciate her varied heritage and the family of her past.  She is a beautiful spirit!



Friday, September 1, 2017

Back on the Trail......



So, I'm back on the trail, some days literally.  I haven't posted anything since early February!  I had good intentions to write but, that's how far my thought process went.  Distractions (just plain LIFE) were many.  In the beginning of 2017 we were inundated with a record snow pack.  We kept busy snowshoeing the peaks around us.  We also eagerly watched and waited for our grand baby.  Hubby went "under the knife" to repair a rotator cuff injury.  He's still recuperating to this day!

We made a mad dash to the Mendocino Coast for some much needed R &R.  Of course, we took our traveling gray cat.  She's the best...  We walked the headlands, ate great seafood, scoured the beach, took lots of pictures, rested, drank more wine, etc. Good for the soul time!

Our grand daughter arrived before her due date.  I'm sure she was eager to meet her new mommy and daddy.  I can't say enough about the love I felt seeing her for the first time.  I can't wait to teach her some family recipes and spend grandma time with her.  I had a wonderful relationship with my grandma while growing up and I hope I can impact little Ryann Ava like my grandma did for me.

Summer is almost over...technically it's Fall, but could someone notify the person in charge of the weather.  Turn the thermostat down or something!  So, in anxious anticipation of Fall I'll leave you with some of my favorite recipes.

Zucchini Bread

Mushroom Tagliatelle

Apple Crisp

Spicy Chicken Posole Soup

Enjoy!!!

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Make Reno Sweeter with IceCycle Creamery




Yes, you've heard it here....a dream come true...ice cream for life!  What's it all about?  This is a new business start up in Reno, Nevada.  The owners are near and dear to me...my son and daughter have decided to make the leap into the world of ice cream, although not just any ice cream.  I've provided their link and kickstarter campaign (to raise funds) on the right.  Press PLAY and watch the video and if you're compelled to do so because they have the know-how and entrepreneurial spirit, not to mention a great product, click on the big K in the left top corner!

You'll see their operation this Summer at food truck events, private parties or tastings, and anywhere they are summoned to.  You can hire them for your own ice cream social!  Some of their many flavors include Chocolate Curry, Sweet potato casserole, spumoni, cucumber lime sherbet, chocolate salted lavender and one of my favorites, goat cheese chocolate mint chip!  Yummy!  The picture above is Peach Cobbler, delicious!

To find out more, visit the website:

IceCycle Creamery Handmade Ice Cream

Kickstarter Campaign:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/117744364/icecycle-handmade-ice-cream-bike

Be a huge part of Reno history and support this start up!

Honey Sesame flavor

Dairy-free coconut Thai Tea flavor

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Being Wined and Dined



I rarely go for over a week not writing something.  The usual suspect would be that I'm travelling to my bucket list places.  But, lately I've spent time with family, cooking and being wined and dined.

A week or so ago my sister surprised my mom for her 84th (!!) birthday.  Chris became my official meatball tester as a pot of sauce simmered away on the stove top.  She excelled at this job!  Then the feast of pasta and chocolate cake.  I think I got the "secret to the sauce" finally down!

Then, we were invited over to my son and his beautiful bride's home (newly remodeled) for a feast of barbecued ribs, mashed roasted cauliflower and grilled veggies, followed by a special flavor from Jingleheimer-Schmidt's reserve ice cream, Earl Grey .  Yum...I  love ice cream, but especially my son's.
Appetizers...avocado tomato bruschetta with balsamic glaze

Earl Grey ice cream

I'm not much for St. Patrick Day festivities, even though I am Irish.  I don't look good in green and I don't really care for corned beef.  But, I wanted the luck of the Irish to ooze into my being, so I partook in an annual St Patrick day dinner my mom and dad religiously have.  I really had to inspect my closet for a smidgen of green clothing.  (It was tough)  They put on a spread that any lucky leprechaun would be proud of.   I missed having the Irish coffee though, because this girl was driving and the police were out in droves!  I'll take a rain check on that!

All in all it's been a nice couple of weeks spending time with friends and family.  The weather is getting bearable and seasonably warm...flowers are starting to bloom, birds are singing and life is good...

Friday, January 17, 2014

2013 - A Year in Review - Part Two


The last six months of 2013 were joyous, tumultuous, with dreams coming true and dreams that turned into nightmares.  Let me explain.   As July approached my life was picture perfect.  We finished our remodel on time (just in time), celebrated our 39th anniversary and prepared for the upcoming wedding of my only son to his lovely wife, Leilani.  Some time was spent making batches and batches of assorted biscotti for the morning of the wedding
.
biscotti making day

The couple who plays together, stays together!

The wedding and after party finished up and the newlyweds went on their honeymoon without a hitch.  The weather in these parts is always scorching around my birthday so off to Lake Tahoe we went, although not as frequently as we should.  It's so close!  

My Love and Lake Tahoe

With so much pain and tragedy in the world I was feeling blessed that my life was beautiful and serene, never realizing that a train was fast approaching head-on.  The last week in July my brother decided to leave this world and for those left behind, our world turned sideways.  I think about you every day, Dave....R.I.P.  Life as we now know it continues to be "interesting".

August and September were a blur.  If I hadn't taken so many pictures, I probably wouldn't be able to recall what I did during that time.  We spent time with family, took my parents to the rib cook off, was able to see Steely Dan in concert and my hubby's brother came up to play with his band "Soul to Soul", a Stevie Ray Vaughn tribute band.  He rocked it!

Steely Dan - great show!

"Stevie Ray"  rockin it

During this time we welcomed a little bundle of cuteness to the family.  CJ, brother of Nacho!

CJ.......pretty cute!

Then we celebrated a birthday in Paris!  How does hubby get so lucky?  Yes, our trip to France was a lifetime dream of mine, but I only got a "taste" and need to return!

Paris...Notre Dame

French girl on the river Seine across from Notre Dame

November, of course, was Thanksgiving.  Grandma's pumpkin pie, grandpa's stuffing and gratitude for the blessings we continue to receive.

December brought Christmas, and a surprise visit from my sister.  I wish she lived closer...  Grandma DeMarzo finally received a pacemaker and her health is improving!  So, things are looking up and life is truly like a box of chocolates!  You don't know what you're gonna get!   2013 will go into the history books as one of the best and one of the worst!  Ahhh  life.....  I wonder what's in store for 2014!!

Sunday, January 12, 2014

2013 - A Year In Review - Part One


This is a tough one!  For me, 2013 was filled with joy, sorrow, trials and tribulations.  Hmmm..sounds like LIFE!  Fortunately, I'm the one who can pick and choose what I can write in this post, accentuate the positive, eliminate (skip over or diminish) some happenings that went on during the last year.  Here is just "the tip of the iceberg".


Ouch....that had to hurt!
Perhaps, this should have been an omen of things to come.  A screw!    This was implanted into my mother's foot/ankle to stabilize a problem after enduring several surgeries to correct it, this was her souvenir.  She appears to be doing better but favors that foot.


soup

lamb curry

February, because of the frigid Winter,  was spent mostly concocting more hearty dishes like soups and stews.  This is primarily a Food Blog so I need to mention food in a few paragraphs!  The main attraction was, however, my son as the host of Lake Tahoe TV!  Great job...a natural performer!  He stepped in from his behind the scenes position, that was Director, Producer, set design, etc, etc.


Mr. Lake Tahoe TV

In March we celebrated my mother's 83rd birthday!  We are blessed to have both of my parents here, and relatively healthy at that!  And in April, my dad turned 84....hooray!


83 candles!

French onion soup for grandma's birthday

Our house guest in February and April....Lulu

Along with much better Spring weather May started the BUSY season.  Tending to flowers, planting in my yard and my parents yard (the wedding reception site), a fun trip to Sacramento with future daughter-in-law for a wedding dress fitting,  A birthday celebration, Mother's day, and welcoming my brother as he moved back from a short stint in Montana.  Another fun time was digging up the septic tank lid....what??  Yes, you read that right, but no, it wasn't something we'd want to do again anytime soon!  Okay, that month made me tired!


Beautiful almost daughter-in-law...she said yes to the dress!

My May flowers never let me down

A wildflower walk in the forest
Digging up a large portion of our yard for septic tank.

June was equally a whirlwind.  Getting closer to the wedding day we planted more flowers, went to the Rodeo, planted sod in parent's backyard for reception, and decided to go forward with a family room/extra bathroom/guest bedroom remodel/makeover.  I guess I've been watching too much HGTV, huh?


Planting sod for the wedding reception

Part Two of my 2013 Year in Review will be in the near future!  It gets better and worse!  Stay tuned....


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

"Best in the West" Rib Cookoff Outing


Traditionally since 1989, the Nugget Casino in Sparks, Nevada has held the Best in the West rib cook off.  It started with a handful of Casino properties and its customers warming ribs with sterno.  Over the years we've frequented this event and gotten our dose of pork, parking spaces allowing.  I admit there were those years when we'd drive over and circle the parking lots like a vulture hoping to find just one narrow parking space, only to give up and drive back home settling for a plan B dinner.

This year we took my parents for an outing and we also got lucky finding a parking space.  I guess the early bird does get the worm parking space.  This event now hosts approximately 500,00 people over the course of a few days serving about 100 tons of pork ribs!!  Barbecue establishments (24 this year) from all over the US compete for the best ribs.

Unfortunately, I didn't do the research because the ribs we chose didn't win anything, except, maybe, the "shortest line".  That should have been our first and only clue!  Oh well, there's always next year.  I was able to try a "new food" experience, compliments to my dad who made a beeline to the fried pickle stand.  I've never been a pickle aficionado, but the pickles got my curiosity and I'll usually try anything once, except hissing cockroaches!  I have to say I was pleasantly surprised, but it's not something I could have as a steady diet!  I don't do deep-fried very well! 

Here's some pictures of our Labor Day outing.


Grandpa savoring those deep fried pickles

One of 24 competitors

Grandma enjoying her ribs....watch out for the pig!

Two guys and a pickle!

Monday, August 5, 2013

A Rollercoaster in July


I can't begin to tell you how many mornings since my last post, that I wanted to write what's on my mind and soul.  The month of July 2013 will forever be etched in my mind as one of the happiest and one of the most sorrowful.  On the 13th, my wonderful son married his amazing bride and for days we were swept up in a flurry of activity, preparing for the morning of the wedding.  I cherished every moment of it.

They went on their honeymoon and we followed their trek via facebook, while on the home front  we put our house back in order.  A week after they returned, my new daughter (in-law) made a special dinner for us which included many Korean dishes from her roots.  Delicious...I love tasting new food from around the world.  Life seemed so normal and hopeful as we basked in each other's good fortune and love.

A beautiful meal prepared by my daughter-in-law


Little did we know that the forces of evil would arrive via a phone call a few hours later in the middle of the night, early Monday morning.  I don't remember my mother's exact words, but the pain in them was indescribable.  I admit, at first I thought something had happened to my dad, then she barely got the words out that my brother had shot himself.  All I could do was repeat the words, "Oh my God" and "WHY"!

One of my favorite sayings is: "God does not give us more than we can handle"....This past week has been a test.  I've experience a gamut of emotions, some I don't ever care to have again.  Then there are times when I feel God's presence and I know He's taking care of all our friends and family.  I'm sorry to write such a morbid blog entry but I hope you can understand that, for me, it's part of a cleansing and healing  process.  I know happier days are ahead and it will take some time.  Please say a prayer, especially for my parents, and hug your loved ones.....because you never know.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Nine Batches of Biscotti and a Wedding






These past two weeks have come and gone, like a whirlwind.  My son, Jeremy,  married the "love of his life", Leilani in a gorgeous mountain setting during an early morning ceremony.  It was followed by a sumptuous brunch, mimosa's and all.  Then that evening the party continued with music and dancing!  And yes, we wanted to be a part of it all!


One of my "jobs" as the mother of the groom was to make enough biscotti for about 100+ attendees.  So, I set up shop (my kitchen) and proceeded to make 4 batches the first day, 4 batches the next and one more for good measure on the last baking day, totaling between 360-400.    I baked chocolate ginger, chocolate chocolate chip espresso, traditional anise, blueberry chocolate chip and lastly, my favorite, white chocolate macadamia biscotti!

biscotti assembly line

At the beginning of wedding week, hubby and I celebrated our 39th anniversary at one of the best Italian restaurants in Reno. Yum....more about that in a future "review" post.  No recipes today....still in rest and relaxation mode.  To be continued......

  

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Year in Review - 2012 Part Two

Here is the second installment of my year in review for 2012.  I take MANY pictures, but sometimes all those special events don't get captured as they should.  This compilation is a small snippet of what went on in my world month by month.  Enjoy....I did.

July is always a busy month with anniversaries, birthdays and other events.  This year was no different!  I admit I was a little green with envy when I saw my son and Leilani off for a trip back home to Kauai, but also thankful and excited for them to experience such a beautiful island together with Leilani's family.


 We celebrated a "big" birthday in Half Moon Bay.  Hey..it's not Kauai but we had a great time relaxing, walking/hiking the cliffs above the beach and eating some fabulous seafood.


 In August we celebrated my son's 35th birthday.  Congratulations!!  How can that be?  I don't think I'm past my 40's!!


 August is also a great month to work play in my garden as I start to see the fruits of my labor after watering, weeding and chasing the critters away!

September brought a new addition to the family and I think my finicky  aunt kitty approves.  They are the best of friends and new partners in crime when they aren't looking this cute!


We took a brief but spectacular hiking trip to Yosemite's Tuolomne Meadows.  I spent a lot of time here in my youth so it made it that much better sharing it with my hubby.


Another fun day was spent with my almost daughter-in-law at a cooking class.  Frankly, we could both teach the class...she's an excellent cook....but, I just enjoyed the time with her.  Thanks, Leilani, for the invite.


October literally blew by as we celebrated hubby's birthday with his Italian rum cake and homemade lasagna!  And, my other love celebrated her 8th (?) birthday.



November brought Thanksgiving, of course, and I'm thankful for all family, friends, and the goodness that surrounds them.  The Christmas tree went up early this year...and she helped!


I was not happy or thankful about the past election this year and I don't want to sweep it under the rug.  It was ugly (and still is) and I wish someone else was flying around in that jet!


My cat displays my feelings best...a picture tells a thousand words!


 December rains gave us "the flood that never happened", thank God.


"Travel is good for the soul" - Wendy.   We flew off to Playa del Carmen before Christmas, wish I was there!


But, home we went for Christmas...time to spend with family.