Some people write blog entries all the time--it seems easy. I find it easy only when something special occurs to me--such as when traveling, reminiscing or a Casey thought erupts. So.....sometimes recipes fit the bill of keeping the blog breathing. Plus, I like easy fixings but want it to be tasty. So..here's one I have made several times and it definitely is in the easy category. We like it.
SPAGHETTI WITH FRESH TOMATO SALSA
Use only fresh, red, tasty tomatoes!!! I use smaller ones from Costco in non-tomato season--they are almost always good. You want good flavor.
4 large ripe tomatoes (or equivalent of 4) The more the better. Don't skimp on these.
1 garlic clove finely chopped
4 tablespoons chopped fresh, herbs such as basil, marjoram, oregano, or parsley (any combo)
2/3 cups EVO
1 lb dried spaghetti
salt and ground pepper
shrimp (optional--my addition)
1. Skin the tomatoes by placing them in hot water for 1 minute. Transfer to cold water. Peel skins.
Place on paper towels. Cut tomatoes in half and squeeze out seeds. Chop into bite size pieces.
2. Put EVO, herbs, garlic, tomatoes, spices in a bowl. cover and set aside to absorb flavors for maybe 30 minutes.
3. Cook spaghetti in salted water. 2-3 minutes before pasta is cooked, throw in as many shrimp as you want.
4. Drain pasta (and shrimp) and mix with sauce. Toss and cover for 2-3 minutes to mix tastes. Toss again and serve.
Enjoy--we do. (forgot picture, of course.)
Modified from The Complete Book of Pasta edited by Jeni Wright Hermes House
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Missing Italy
Just decided it was time to write something and had no idea what until the fingers, with their own volition, inserted a title. And...I realize that it is right. I do miss Italy right now. It has been over a year since being there with another 4½ months ahead of us--too long.
Lately, I have been corresponding with a woman who is planning her family's own "year in Italy", triggering memories and nostalgia for me. It seems as if it were just yesterday that we were going through the trials of dealing with the infamous Italian embassy, getting our FBI clearance, translating documents, finding a place to live--and most importantly, determining what was best for Casey's schooling. Many of you followed those early days with us. Can you believe that it was 6 years ago when we began the journey and 4½ years since we arrived at our home in Greve in Chianti? It seems so just yesterday.
Casey was 8 years old--in retrospect such a little boy. I didn't realize then how small he was and the expectation we were putting on him.
What was it like entering a classroom where everyone jabbered and he understood not a word? Sitting there 8 hours a day, wondering what was happening around him. It is amazing that there were only two or three nights when he went to bed with tears--encouraging us to stay but letting him go "home." My heart still hurts for him when I think of those times. But....I knew that if we, he, could get through the beginning, the end would be good.
And, it was. Before long, he held his own with the new language, laughed with the other children, enjoyed going to school, and even earned good grades. Children came over to play; birthday party invitations arrived; karate sessions were anticipated; the piazza was his. The rhythm of life was established and life was good. Saturday at the cinema was an event; the gelateria ladies smiled and knew him. He even enjoyed the museums of Florence.
When the day came to leave, the pain was greater than those early nights of crying. His soul hurt as he said goodbye to the best friend he has ever known.
It was hard for Ken and I, too, as we took in the beautiful, quintessential Tuscan hills and landscapes that had been ours for a year. Leaving was painful.
We have been back for several weeks each year except for this last summer. We went to Kenya instead. I don't regret that, how could I? Lions in trees, trumpeting elephants, zebras and giraffes and wildebeests and cheetahs? You just don't see these in Tuscany. But, underneath that, we did miss our Tuscan home.
I wonder what it will be like when he and his friend meet after a two year absence. Will their bonding unite them again immediately or will it take a while. Casey doesn't think so. They say they are closer than brother and sister, girlfriend/boyfriend.
So, what do I miss? Long, leisurely drives discovering secret roads, hidden chapels, roadside shrines. Quiet lunches at out of the way places; shopping at the COOP; favorite restaurants, Bruno's hugs; the bus to Firenze; friends; the piazza; Sara; Signora Franca; the gelateria; so much, too much.
The thing is though--it will all be there waiting. Things don't change too fast in the Chianti. Panzano will be up the hill; the drive to Figline will be the same curves and small hamlets; my friend will be home in Chiocchio. All will be well.
I can't wait!
Lately, I have been corresponding with a woman who is planning her family's own "year in Italy", triggering memories and nostalgia for me. It seems as if it were just yesterday that we were going through the trials of dealing with the infamous Italian embassy, getting our FBI clearance, translating documents, finding a place to live--and most importantly, determining what was best for Casey's schooling. Many of you followed those early days with us. Can you believe that it was 6 years ago when we began the journey and 4½ years since we arrived at our home in Greve in Chianti? It seems so just yesterday.
Casey was 8 years old--in retrospect such a little boy. I didn't realize then how small he was and the expectation we were putting on him.
What was it like entering a classroom where everyone jabbered and he understood not a word? Sitting there 8 hours a day, wondering what was happening around him. It is amazing that there were only two or three nights when he went to bed with tears--encouraging us to stay but letting him go "home." My heart still hurts for him when I think of those times. But....I knew that if we, he, could get through the beginning, the end would be good.
And, it was. Before long, he held his own with the new language, laughed with the other children, enjoyed going to school, and even earned good grades. Children came over to play; birthday party invitations arrived; karate sessions were anticipated; the piazza was his. The rhythm of life was established and life was good. Saturday at the cinema was an event; the gelateria ladies smiled and knew him. He even enjoyed the museums of Florence.
When the day came to leave, the pain was greater than those early nights of crying. His soul hurt as he said goodbye to the best friend he has ever known.
Home at the Top of the Stairs
Casey is no longer a little boy. He is taller than me now--by a smidge.
Mr. GQ
When we are in Tuscany next summer, he will become a teenager--his 3rd birthday there. With all our travels, he has had more birthdays in Italy than here in San Diego.I wonder what it will be like when he and his friend meet after a two year absence. Will their bonding unite them again immediately or will it take a while. Casey doesn't think so. They say they are closer than brother and sister, girlfriend/boyfriend.
So, what do I miss? Long, leisurely drives discovering secret roads, hidden chapels, roadside shrines. Quiet lunches at out of the way places; shopping at the COOP; favorite restaurants, Bruno's hugs; the bus to Firenze; friends; the piazza; Sara; Signora Franca; the gelateria; so much, too much.
The thing is though--it will all be there waiting. Things don't change too fast in the Chianti. Panzano will be up the hill; the drive to Figline will be the same curves and small hamlets; my friend will be home in Chiocchio. All will be well.
I can't wait!
A Different View of Greve in Chianti
Monday, January 24, 2011
To My Boy
He is growing up and so it is time to write and tell him what he means to me and my hopes for him. Someday, decades from now, if the internet is around and if blogs from 2011 are retrievable, I would like him to read this and remember and perhaps show his kids and maybe grandkids what we were.
Casey, child, you are special--there is a reason that all who meet you feel it. There is an elusive something that emanates from you, calling attention to a life that has purpose and meaning beyond self. I often wonder what that will be and if I will see it in my lifetime. I would like that.
Your smile charms one and all. Your sharing of hugs, kisses and hand-holding as you approach teen age years opens a window into the man who will love and treasure the woman he chooses as a life mate. Never lose this guilelessness of freely sharing self with those you love. Pass it on to your children and grandchildren--of whom I hope there are many.
God gave you a great mind--curious, creative, insightful. Don't waste this on triviality. Find meaning in what you do; don't settle for a paycheck or place your values on what wealth brings. God has a reason and purpose for you. Listen and learn what that is. It may be directly serving him or it may be in the marketplace or realms of science or in areas of which we have not yet dreamed. Whatever it is, give it your all and find satisfaction in fulfilling your destiny.
From the time you were little, I have told you about the great gift God gave us when he tied that blue bow, asking us to love, cherish and nurture the little boy. Many times I have thanked Him for the honor he gave us and the challenge he provided for the years we had thought would have a different direction. And..what a challenge it is sometimes to corral the energy, stubbornness, self-will that defines you. There are times I ask why he didn't give us a malleable, quiet, easy boy or why he chose us. The answer, of course, is that the whole package is important to the plan he has for you. We are the human partners needed to do his work. And...of course...he knew we would love you beyond reason.
When you were in kindergarten and again in second grade, you noticed little boys who were shy and hesitant to join the group; you reached out and made friends with each of these boys. We watched as each grew in confidence and self-understanding of personal value and acceptance. I pray that this childhood trait dwells in you and that you will always see the needy person and respond with humble compassion.
Prayer has been an important part of your years. I remember the second grade Sunday school teacher who told us that you were "a real prayer warrior." What a thrill that was to hear of in our boy, so young. For many years, every day before your leaving for school, we have prayed together, asking that He lead you and guide you that day. We know that he has heard as you have leaped some difficult hurdles along the way. I pray that you always pray.
For a child so young, you have traveled to far away places--Europe, Africa, South America and, of course, many of the states. Soon you will experience Egypt and Jordan--places you have wanted to go. I am certain that this is by God's design. He has powerful reasons for building within you an awareness and appreciation of cultures so different from yours. My prayer is that you will discover these reasons and follow their paths--that you will go where God leads you in life.
Now you are in middle school--the years that I believe are crucial growing up years. Wending your way through these years is fraught with the danger and temptations to make bad decisions. These are the years before you have an identity, before you have dealt with who you are, before you truly believe that you have a future. You live in the now--almost completely. The nebulous concept of future escapes the 12 year old mind. Truthfully, it puzzles me why God makes such vulnerable years so difficult, but he does. My hope lies in the truths you have been raised by and in your own developing faith in God's son.
I believe in you, Casey, and anticipate the coming years, watching as you mature and find your way and the identity that is not yet yours. Your "you" will be built on who you are now, your decisions in the coming years, the friends you make and your continuing growth in developing and understanding your faith.
I am so proud of you now and that pride will continue for all the years we have. After that.....I am convinced that God provides windows to see those that we love the most and that we can continue to cheer them on toward great and meaningful endeavors that not only enrich themselves but those they meet and minister to. I will follow you all of your years.
Love, Gramma-mom
Casey, child, you are special--there is a reason that all who meet you feel it. There is an elusive something that emanates from you, calling attention to a life that has purpose and meaning beyond self. I often wonder what that will be and if I will see it in my lifetime. I would like that.
Your smile charms one and all. Your sharing of hugs, kisses and hand-holding as you approach teen age years opens a window into the man who will love and treasure the woman he chooses as a life mate. Never lose this guilelessness of freely sharing self with those you love. Pass it on to your children and grandchildren--of whom I hope there are many.
God gave you a great mind--curious, creative, insightful. Don't waste this on triviality. Find meaning in what you do; don't settle for a paycheck or place your values on what wealth brings. God has a reason and purpose for you. Listen and learn what that is. It may be directly serving him or it may be in the marketplace or realms of science or in areas of which we have not yet dreamed. Whatever it is, give it your all and find satisfaction in fulfilling your destiny.
From the time you were little, I have told you about the great gift God gave us when he tied that blue bow, asking us to love, cherish and nurture the little boy. Many times I have thanked Him for the honor he gave us and the challenge he provided for the years we had thought would have a different direction. And..what a challenge it is sometimes to corral the energy, stubbornness, self-will that defines you. There are times I ask why he didn't give us a malleable, quiet, easy boy or why he chose us. The answer, of course, is that the whole package is important to the plan he has for you. We are the human partners needed to do his work. And...of course...he knew we would love you beyond reason.
When you were in kindergarten and again in second grade, you noticed little boys who were shy and hesitant to join the group; you reached out and made friends with each of these boys. We watched as each grew in confidence and self-understanding of personal value and acceptance. I pray that this childhood trait dwells in you and that you will always see the needy person and respond with humble compassion.
Prayer has been an important part of your years. I remember the second grade Sunday school teacher who told us that you were "a real prayer warrior." What a thrill that was to hear of in our boy, so young. For many years, every day before your leaving for school, we have prayed together, asking that He lead you and guide you that day. We know that he has heard as you have leaped some difficult hurdles along the way. I pray that you always pray.
For a child so young, you have traveled to far away places--Europe, Africa, South America and, of course, many of the states. Soon you will experience Egypt and Jordan--places you have wanted to go. I am certain that this is by God's design. He has powerful reasons for building within you an awareness and appreciation of cultures so different from yours. My prayer is that you will discover these reasons and follow their paths--that you will go where God leads you in life.
Now you are in middle school--the years that I believe are crucial growing up years. Wending your way through these years is fraught with the danger and temptations to make bad decisions. These are the years before you have an identity, before you have dealt with who you are, before you truly believe that you have a future. You live in the now--almost completely. The nebulous concept of future escapes the 12 year old mind. Truthfully, it puzzles me why God makes such vulnerable years so difficult, but he does. My hope lies in the truths you have been raised by and in your own developing faith in God's son.
I believe in you, Casey, and anticipate the coming years, watching as you mature and find your way and the identity that is not yet yours. Your "you" will be built on who you are now, your decisions in the coming years, the friends you make and your continuing growth in developing and understanding your faith.
I am so proud of you now and that pride will continue for all the years we have. After that.....I am convinced that God provides windows to see those that we love the most and that we can continue to cheer them on toward great and meaningful endeavors that not only enrich themselves but those they meet and minister to. I will follow you all of your years.
Love, Gramma-mom
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Spiced Pork Tenderloin with....
Yes, you're right...I'm still filling time until I have something substantive (or at least fun) to write. Of course, I could spend some time on the verbosity of Sarah but why bother? The encouraging angle is that the more she says, the more she loses.
So--I have been intending for a while to share a hit recipe at our house--hit meaning that within these four walls all three of us like something. Who says there aren't miracles? I have this one marked: "v v good" which translates to very, very wonderful.
1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet (I don't have cast iron so just use a regular skillet.) Combine first 5 ingredients; sprinkle spice mixture over pork. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes each side or until desired doneness. Remove pork from pan; keep warm.
2. Melt butter in pan. Add apple slices, shallots, salt and sauté for 4 minutes or until apple starts to brown. Add apple cider to pan and cook for 2 minutes or until apple is crisp-tender. Stir in thyme leaves. Serve apple mixture with the pork.
The great thing about this recipe is that the meat is tender and moist- and that it is totally delicious. Oh--it is fast and easy, too.
So--I have been intending for a while to share a hit recipe at our house--hit meaning that within these four walls all three of us like something. Who says there aren't miracles? I have this one marked: "v v good" which translates to very, very wonderful.
Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into12 pieces
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups thinly sliced unpeeled Braeburn or Gala apples
1/3 thinly sliced shallots
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ cup apple cider (last time I used sparkling cider)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
I actually remembered to take a picture.
2. Melt butter in pan. Add apple slices, shallots, salt and sauté for 4 minutes or until apple starts to brown. Add apple cider to pan and cook for 2 minutes or until apple is crisp-tender. Stir in thyme leaves. Serve apple mixture with the pork.
The great thing about this recipe is that the meat is tender and moist- and that it is totally delicious. Oh--it is fast and easy, too.
Monday, January 10, 2011
To Break the Silence
OK--haven't posted for a while but do want to stay alive--for those of you who check in once in a while. I am working on a post "to" Casey but that'll come sometime in the future--it's a rather difficult one. Hopefully, there will be a few between then and now.
Anyway--a friend posted this on FB today and I liked it--kind of fun. So, to break the silence...
Bet you watch it more than once--maybe.
Anyway--a friend posted this on FB today and I liked it--kind of fun. So, to break the silence...
Bet you watch it more than once--maybe.
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