OLIVIA'S CREATIVITY DAY 2

One of my TeamCAC members has started a 10 day Creativity blog. I decided to try to participate each day. Day 2 was to find a photo or object that inspires you and to sketch it. Mine is pictured here. The photo and the sketch. This was really a lot of fun. I have not sketched in many years. Thanks Olivia!

BANANA BREAD/CAKE RECIPE

This is a recipe that has, again, been a long standing part of my family heritage.

Do not substitute to make it low fat cause it will not taste the same. Use real sweet butter.

1/2 cup real sweet butter - 1 stick

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup whole milk

1 tsp each baking powder and baking soda

3 mashed ripe bananas

nuts and chocolate chips are optional

Mix all the wet ingredients together including the bananas.

Add the dry ingredients

Add the nuts or chocolate chips or both.

Put in a loaf pan baking dish (make sure you grease your baking dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until your toothpick comes out clean.

Depending on your oven, check midway.

DELICIOUS!!!!!

COLOR IS GOOD

Yesterday I went to the doctor
for my yearly physical.
My blood pressure was high ....
My cholesterol was high ........
I'd gained some weight, and I didn't feel so hot.
My doctor said eating right doesn't have to be complicated and it would solve my physical problems.

He said: Just think in colors. Fill your plate with bright colors.
Try some greens, oranges, reds, maybe something blue, etc.

So I went right home and ate an entire bowl of

And sure enough, I felt better immediately.
I never knew eating right could be so easy !!!

TSIMMIS ANYONE???

One of the constant Passover traditions in my family was the food. It has been many years since I have tasted Tsimmis so I decided to make it this year for our Church Sedar and for the family. This dish is very labor intensive so making it is usually for a special occasion.
This labor of love begins with peeling white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Then cutting them up in pieces, no special size, whatever meets your fancy.
The meat is usually beef flanken that you can get from your butcher, mostly around the Holidays. We were not able to get it so chuck stew pieces and short ribs are a good substitute.
First you brown your meat in some oil and then put in a stew pot with a little water, salt and pepper. Stew the meat until tender adding the carrots and some brown sugar.
While you are doing that, put your potatoes in a baking pan, spread out and pour honey over them. Take some of the stewing liquid and put that in also. Cover with foil and bake at 375 until the potatoes are tender. Add the meat, carrots, and pitted prunes. Continue baking until all the ingredients just meld together.
This is a sweet dish so you would add honey and brown sugar during baking to your taste.
Jenifer, Noah and I went to the Sedar at our Church which was okay but not authentic. Actually I am glad since an authentic Sedar would be hours and hours long instead of just the 3 hours that we did. Imagine the children of years past having to sit all those hours, smelling the delicious aromas of the promised foods wafting through the air!
A typical Passover dinner for my family started with a piece of gefilte fish on lettuce. Then a small plate of chopped liver. Then a delicious bowl of homemade chicken soup with a matzo ball. THEN - if you could find the room - a delicious dinner of leg of lamb, string beans and tsimmis, always served with Manishevwitz wine and ginger ale. The children were always allowed a tiny sip. Desert was always honey cakes and macaroons.
I miss those days.

BIRTHDAYS CAN BE SPECIAL BECAUSE OF GRANDCHILDREN.

It was my birthday on January 14th 2010. I am now 64. Can you remember wishing for your 18th birthday or your 21st birthday? I can. Did I wish away all those years? I hope not.

My birthday began with Noah, my 8 year old grandson running into my room and wishing me a happy birthday. I almost forgot but he was so excited. So sweet. After he left for school, I had so many birthday wishes from my friends on Team Christian Artists and Crafters at Etsy.com. I was so thrilled that everyone remembered and my special secret sister, Jacki, from ChristieCottage.etsy.com posted a special birthday wish on her blog which brought me many birthday wishes from people I never even met online. It was great!

Later on, my darling grandson Noah, came into my room with his hands behind his back and told me to close my eyes. When I was instructed to open them, Noah was holding a gift with a huge pink bow on top. My favorite color. The gift is a 5" silver pewter angel that is inscribed "grandma" another word for love. He picked it out all by himself. How can that be topped? What a great birthday!

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

CHRISTMAS EVE 2009

What do you do on Christmas Eve? Go to Church - celebrate the reason for the season.

Maybe after Church you have family over - eat dinner or have delicious cakes and cookies for dessert.

My family goes to Queens, NY for a true Italian Christmas Eve with the 7 fishes. There are shrimp, bakalou, lobster, crab, white fishes, made in every delectable way, after which there is complete chaos opening gifts.

Me? I would prefer to stay at home and watch the movie - It's a Wonderful Life. I have watched this movie every year since I can remember. It is a movie about a guy who decides that perhaps the world would have been better off if he had never existed. Clarence, an angel, comes to show him what his world would be like without him and it seems that everyone is so much worse off without his help. He returns to his life and is eternally grateful for his family and friends and for Clarence, who finally receives his "wings" for helping this guy realize he wants to live. Every time an angel gets his wings - a bell rings.

It is just a wonderful, sappy, happy story and just gets to me every single year. Spending Christmas Eve, with Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed and the Lord. Can it get any better? Yes, it probably could - spending it with my family and the Lord - but right now this is the way it is and I am grateful.

MOMMY IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN WEST MILFORD

Last Wednesday, Jenifer, my 37 year old daughter woke up with a very high fever and sicker than she has ever been. All of a sudden, I was back to being mommy and taking care of my sick child, along with her two children, my grandsons. I made phone calls to the doctor, he prescribed an antibiotic over the phone. With all of the sickness going around, even the doctors don't want the patients coming into the office. Back in my day, as a child, the doctors used to make HOUSE CALLS. I remember our family doctor coming into the house carrying his little black doctor bag. His visits almost always brought on that dreaded shot of penicillin and a prescription. I used to have to take my capsules with applesauce.

Jenifer became the child again, needing her mommy. I made chicken soup as well as MY mother sending chicken soup. All of a sudden, what were Jenifer's chores, became mine. Had you asked me before this if I thought I was capable of all of this, I would have said no but through the grace of God, I had the strength.

Jenifer is on the mend now but not 100% so I am continuing to take care of her. I think that this is a turning point in our relationship even if she doesn't know it yet. You see, all this time, she figured she was so grown up that she didn't need mommy for nurturing, but guess what - she surely does. As long as our moms are here with us, we always need her to take our temperature and make us chicken soup in bed.

AN OLD FAMILY RECIPE FOR CHICKEN SOUP

About 3 lbs of chicken on the bone cut up with skin on.

6 large carrots

2 leeks

some pieces of turnip

some dill

a couple of pieces of celery

6 to 10 red potatos (if desired) small potatoes cut in half

water

salt & pepper

Cut the carrots and celery in chunks

the leeks,turnips and dill can be bought at the store in a package called soup greens or bought separately.

put the chicken -carrots-soup greens in pot and cover with water until there is about a couple inches over the ingredients. Bring to a simmer and let simmer until the chicken is falling off the bones.

You might have to skim the top of the water and also try to get as many bones out after the chicken has cooked. The bones give the soup a good flavor. Do not put the potatos in yet because the best thing to do is after the soup is done - put the whole pot in fridge overnight and take off the "fat" from the top in the morning. The fat rises and forms like a crust and comes off easily.

About an hour before serving put the cut up potatos in the soup and cook them until tender.

Remember to taste the soup before adding too much salt or any other flavors you desire. I happen to love my chicken soup bland and therapeutic but my step dad likes a little kick so he adds other things.

Serve and enjoy.