About Me

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Full Time Mom, Wife, Work, Life - Mom to three children (adults), two are college graduates and now own their own homes, and the youngest is in college in NC; wife to Thomas; Work - one full time and multiple part time jobs; Life - whatever you can throw at me....

Monday, August 30, 2010

Nonni

Nonni ended up at the ER the other night.  I didn't know (hubby forgot to tell me) until the next day.  She has a UTI and wasn't feeling well.  She missed church for the first time in a long time.  She was better by Sunday late afternoon, but hopefully, she will be fine.

98 years old and still going strong.

HOWEVER...

I actually wrote the above post at 11:00 pm on Sunday night to post on Monday (this) morning.  We received a phone call before 6:00 am this morning that Nonni had fallen down some cellar stairs and an ambulance had been called.  She ended up at Yale Hospital.  We just got back from the hospital a little while ago and she has a broken bone in her hand, some really bad cuts and brusies, pneumonia, and pleural effusion.  She was still in the ER when we left and should be transferred to a room and have her hand set.  She was in a lot of pain and hopefully a little pain killer will do the trick to get her to relax. 

Prayers are needed if you have the ability or time.  Thank you and I'll keep you posted.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

No Zumba

I have the week off from Zumba - both classes.....I need a little break/vacation and I need to learn those new routines.

If I don't post a lot, it's because I'm listening to a lot of music and dancing a lot!!!!!

I hope you all like the new sessions!

Good bye, brother

I said good bye to my son tonight (one of his nicknames is brother).  He packed his car and went off to his senior year of college.  The car was full and he was ready to head back.  He will unpack and start his classes tomorrow.  He has the same apartment so there really wasn't much for him (or I) to do.  One trip to BJ's for food, one trip to the cold room for supplies from me, three loads of laundry and he was ready to go.

Bittersweet.  I'll miss him!

Friday, August 27, 2010

CSA Friday

Here is what I am scheduled to get today:

Half Share:


6 ears of sweet corn
onions and garlic
1 lb potatoes
1 lb tomatoes
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 lb sweet peppers
1 lb summer squash
1 bunch carrots
1 bunch kale

I made another batch of the Bean/Kale soup - OMG - you have to try it!!!  It is so easy.  (I'm getting more kale today, so I may have to make more!!) :)

I signed up for the Fall CSA - a little larger than a half share and a little smaller than a full share - five weeks for $100.00 - which is $20.00 per week on produce.  Such a deal! 

In case anyone was interested, right now for a half share, I pay 13.75 per week, (upfront $300.00) for 22 weeks.

(edited at 1:00 pm) I just picked up my share and here is what I received:  6 ears of sweet corn; 3 onions; 2 garlics; 4 potatoes; 4 tomatoes; 1 pint of grape tomatoes; 1 green bell pepper; 2 purple peppers; 2 zucchini; 2 yellow squash; 1 bunch of carrots; 1 bunch of kale and 1 small watermelon (I love extras!)

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Egg Recall

I am sure you have heard the latest on the egg recall here in the US.  It is pretty sickening and disheartening that no one has done anything about the disgrace they call Wright County Egg in Iowa.  (At least this is where they say the problem lies and I tend to believe THEM.) 

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/25/eggs.salmonella/?hpt=Sbin

Makes me love my five hens even more and.....one of my babies laid her first egg yesterday.  It was about 1/2 the size of a regular egg, but she has begun!  I think it was the Wyandotte.  The other two are scheduled to start laying today (22 weeks old).  We shall see.

PS - buy local, fresh eggs...Find a CSA...find a Farmer's Market....come visit me, I'll give you some eggs for free.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Learning to accept change

This is an important week of changes.  School, work, life, weather....it all came in one shot.  Some of it good, some of it not so good.

We will get through it, we always do.  I'm trying to embrace the change and to realize that God has a plan with this change.  We just can't see His plan yet. 

  • The first day of school went off without a hitch for my daughter. 
  • My son has done all his HR preliminaries for the new job and has received his schedule - which is actually a good one. 
  • My other son leaves this weekend for Uconn.
  • The temperature dropped 20 degrees and the humidity is still gross (especially when you run). 
  • And cancer just likes to remind us that he is still around. 

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Back to School/Work Week

My daughter heads back to school on Wednesday and my son heads back to college this weekend.  AND my oldest son just got a job.  Life is good!!!!!!  (From a mom's perspective!)

My oldest got a job in his field in psychology.  It isn't a police officer job, but it can be a stepping stone.  He will be working with 5-13 year old boys in an alternative school.  The job is a 45 minute drive, but not so bad.  He has to go to HR this week and get all his paperwork done and then he will start in two weeks.  I'm very excited for him.  I think he is excited too, but kids that age, don't tell you that!

Newport

We went to Newport RI, this past weekend.  We stayed with my sister-in-law and her family in their timeshare.  We had a great time.  The weather wasn't bad and when we needed it to stop raining, it did.  I think I really needed to get away for a couple of days and I'm so glad we did. 

Reality sets in on Mondays...back to work.  No complaints, though.  I have a few really good jobs, and I'm very lucky. 

Thank you, Inez and Dennis and Deanna for sharing your time with us. 

We hope to come again! 

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Bean and Kale Soup

Kale.....I've done a few things with it (Kale Chips, Kale greens, Kale salad).  But now I've got more Kale and I need to make something. 

So, I went on the internet and this is what I found.  But I changed it up a bit......

At least a quarter cup of olive oil - maybe a little more. 
I used four cloves of garlic (large) (CSA)
1 Large onion (CSA)
3 Cups of chopped kale (CSA)
2 -1/2 quarts of vegetable broth (I make my own - I save the water from cooked veggies and freeze it)
2 cans of beans - cannellini
Two very large, very ripe tomatoes (CSA)
2 tsps basil, parsley, garlic powder
Salt and pepper.

In a soup pot, put oil and garlic and onion.  Saute until soft.
Add Kale and continue to saute. 
Add the vegetable broth, 2 cups of beans and all the rest of the ingredients. 
Simmer for about 1/2 hour (they said 5 minutes??)
I took the rest of the beans and put them in a large mortar and pestle and smashed them into a paste added that to the soup to thicken.  The recipe says to simmer for 15 minutes more.  I let mine cook for 1-1/2 hours more. 

It was delicious!!!!!! 

One quart plus two bowls for me.
One quart to my dad.
One quart to my vegetarian niece!!!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Salsa

I had received three small jalapenos in my CSA last week.....I have never bought nor cooked a jalapeno in my life!!!!!!!

But this is what I love about my CSA - it makes me learn something new!

Salsa Recipe:

1 Green Pepper - chopped finely
3 small jalapenos - chopped finely (took out the seeds and white part inside) (CSA)
Four very ripe tomatoes (CSA)
A handful of cilantro
Juice of a whole lime
One large onion - chopped finely (CSA)
one clove garlic (this wasn't in the recipe so I only used one clove for caution) (CSA)

Chop it all up and put into a bowl. My first thought was that it was too watery, so I drained it a little - but that got rid of the lime taste, so next time I will squeeze out some of the juice from the tomatoes first.  Add some tortilla chips and my kids were happy as can be!

Friday, August 20, 2010

CSA This Week

Here is what I am scheduled to receive:

Half Share
1/2 dozen white corn
1 dozen eggs
1 pint grape tomatoes
onions and garlic
1 lb tomatoes
1/2 lb eggplant
2 large sweet variety mixed peppers
2 hot peppers
1 bunch of kale
1 melon

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Egg and Tomato Sandwiches

This is my grandmother's recipe.  It is something I love to eat.  My dad used to have to take these sandwiches to school with him (circa 1945) and he wasn't fond of them then.  But they are so delicious.  You can eat them hot, but they are so much better COLD.  When I was a little girl, my Nonni Carloni would bring egg and tomato sandwiches in a cooler to the beach for lunch.....Good, good memories!

Please note, I do not measure most of the time.  All of my recipes are either from memory or just by sight.  But these are good gauges......

I use a cast iron frying pan, but whatever kind of frying pan you want:

A little olive oil in the pan and around the sides to start.

Chop up a whole medium sized tomato (squeeze out the extra juice), you want mostly the meat of the tomato. (CSA)
Chop up about 1/2 of a medium sized onion. (CSA)

Put these both in the oil and cook them up.  Use a LOW flame/temp and let them really saute for a while.  If you have to add a little more oil, so be it.  This may take 10 minutes.

Scramble about 8-10 eggs (my own or CSA) in a separate bowl, a little bit of milk and salt and pepper.  (just like you would make scrambled eggs). 

When the tomato/onion mixture is done (very soft and sauteed), pour in the eggs and scramble them up.

When they are done, just let them sit/set.

Put in the fridge until cool or else enjoy them for breakfast lunch or dinner.  Serve on homemade white bread (if you bake it), otherwise whatever you have, but in all honesty, this does not taste as divine on whole wheat as it does on white bread.  I think that is because my Nonni served eggs and tomato sandwiches on white bread!  :)

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

A new church

As I had said in an earlier post, I needed to find another church. Mentally, I cannot continue to attend my church.  The priest most unfortunately, has an alcohol issue and I had to deal with alcoholism for way too many years, and I refuse to have to deal with it when I attend mass too.

I had to ask a few questions to the parish secretary at the new church that I wanted to attend (to make sure that I wasn't jumping from one fire to the flame). The new parish priest does not have this issue. Then I had to call my first parish and see if it is still possible to continue to teach catechism at the church (I had already committed for the upcoming school year). I know the kids and I know their families and I really want to continue to teach. And I found out that I CAN continue to teach there.

I am not a priest basher, I have worked for priests for many years (at other parishes). But they are human too, and in their humanness, they have faults. I just wish the fault wasn't in MY parish priest. The hardest part has been to tell Nonni (who has attended my church for probably 70 years) that I (we) won't be going there any longer. She wasn't too happy and I don't blame her. I told her we can go on special occasions. I feel awful about it, truly heartbroken in so many ways.  I did not make this decision lightly. I prayed on it for many months.  I have talked to the trustee, the parish workers and other priests about this.  The other priests are working with this priest and his disease.  I hope they can help him. 

I have made the leap. I am now attending the church of my grandparents. I went with them to this church many, many, many times as a child. It's beautiful inside and out and bright and vibrant and I know I can be happy there.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Chemo

Big Chemo day for my dad - his last 5-7 hour treatment is today. 

Then a new CAT Scan on Friday, the 20th to see what has happened to the cancer.

Please pray.

Monday, August 16, 2010

In Training

I've been in training for a couple of weeks for the New Haven Road Race on Labor Day (three weeks from today).  It is my favorite race!!  Good food, lots of people, great atmosphere and a great T-shirt! 

There will probably be close to 3000 5K Runners.  Last year there were 2700 runners and I came in 952 (net 26:29).  In 2008, there were over 2500 and I came in 1371 (net 28:31).  In 2007, there were 2200 runners and I came in 987 (net 27:43).  In 2006, I could not find myself...Did I run that year???  In 2005, I was 965 out of 2000 (net 26:50).  In 2004, I was 750 out of 1990 runners (net 25:34).  In 2003, I was 773 out of 1850 runners (net 26:08).  As you can tell this race just keeps getting bigger and bigger!!!!  I don't know if I'll do as good this year, but I'm working on it........

I am hoping the Zumba fitness training helps me out somehow!?

Sunday, August 15, 2010

CSA

Here is what I was scheduled to recieve in my box:

Half Share:
4 ears of sweet corn
onions and garlic
1 lb potatoes
2 large eggplant
2 1/2 lbs tomatoes
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 lb summer squashes
1 bunch kale

Here is what I got:
4 ears of sweet corn
2 onions, 1 garlic
4 red potatoes
1 large eggplant
5 large tomatoes
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 Zucchini
1 Yellow squash
1 bunch of collard green

As of right now, I still have the squash, the onions, the garlic and the potatoes.  Everything else has been used or frozen.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Rant

How does an ICE CREAM MAN NOT know that what a Chippedy Chocolaty is?????

I think they only changed the name from Chippedy Chocolaty to Candy Center Crunch about 5 years ago.....

I can't stand ignorance, even in the form of an ice cream man.........

FYI - The only ice cream I get from the ice cream man is chippedy chocolaty (for the last 47 years!)

Rant over!

Gardening

Here is what I grew this year.... I got a ton of peas, all frozen already and my second crop is planted and about 6 inches tall already.  The tomatoes are producing slowly.  The plants themselves are beautiful and I've picked three tomatoes so far, but I think that these will be heavy producers in Sept.  The lettuce is long gone, but I got more lettuce this year than I ever have before.  My squash plants are not doing well, so I had to do some q-tip pollination.  I'll let you know if it works.  My onions are good.  My beans...well you know that story!!!  There are a few string bean plants still coming up, but very few.  My herbs (pictures above) are super fantastic....the rosemary, oregano, basil and parsley really did well in their new section in the top garden.  It isn't the biggest garden, but it will do.  My raspberries were good producers and it seems that I am going to get a second picking.  The Hens found the blueberry bush - that is not good!!!!  And I found out that I have a mulberry tree.  I had been cutting it back and now I'm going to let it grow.  The pear tree had about 25-30 pears on it and now, they have all disappeared.  I'm assuming it is an animal as there are no pears on the ground???? 

Eat Pray Love

I don't get to the movies often, but this one was very good.

Thank you Lisa and Maryanne - and now off to bed - I'm exhausted!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Misc.

Next weekend, we are taking off for a weekend to Newport, RI.  I really can't wait.  I hope the weather continues to stay the way it has all summer....But even if it rains, I'll still be on vacation!!!!

This week has been crazy....Five Zumba classes, Ran three times, Worked all week, did my church job, my attorney job and my condo assoc. job........I'm done!!!

Tonight, I'll go watch Eat, Pray, Love!!!  I haven't read the book yet (which I don't like to do), but I'll read the book next weekend!  I always prefer to read the book before I see the movie!

This afternoon, I have to get my daughter from cheerleading (the carpooling begins!) and get my CSA.  The farm sent out an e-mail of what I will be getting but it always changes a little bit, so I'll let you know.  But it looks like this Sunday, I'm making Bean/Kale Soup and Eggplant Parm.

Have a great day and I'm hoping the sun comes out here!

Monday, August 9, 2010

A new week...

Got up early and did another run with Diane!  Great way to start the morning and the day!

Have a great week, everyone!

A wonderful Sunday

I started the day running a little more than 3 miles with my best friend from high school.  She lives out of state and I don't get to see her much, so it was great!  I came home, took a shower, got the turkey in the oven and made the  stuffing.  I had already peeled the potatoes the night before and placed them in milk water in the fridge.  (Can you tell the hubby wanted Thanksgiving dinner?)  I made another batch of zucchini quiche and then laid down for a 1/2 hour.  Got up and got the girls up and ready for church.  We picked up Nonni and went to church and then to my house for some laundry folding and getting dinner ready.

We had a real nice Sunday dinner and then went to my friend Cindy's house to enjoy the pool.  Nonni sat in the water and enjoyed herself and then sat in the shade as the sun was pretty strong.  I caught up with my friends and laughed a lot.  I took Nonni home at 5:00 and went to work for an hour to balance some accounts for the attorney that I work for.  Went home and met a wonderful family who wanted to see my hens and my coop as they are thinking about getting some hens for their two daughters.  Went back to Cindy's, had  a glass of wine and had a great night talking and laughing with the kids and my friends.

And the Yankees are winning so that will finish off the day nicely!!!!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

I'm feeling my age (and I admit it)

I taught two Zumba classes this morning, back to back.  My legs are killing me!!!!  And Diane wants me to do a 5K tomorrow morning.  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

I'm going to bed in 15 minutes!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

CSA Tomorrow

The CSA that I belong to usually posts (on Tuesday) what I will get in my box on Friday.  This is what I'm supposed to get:

· Half share

4 ears sweet corn
2 bunches carrots
onions and a garlic
1 lb summer squash
1 lb cucumbers
2 hot peppers
1 lb tomatoes
1 bunch kale
1 dozen eggs

I'll let you know if it changes and if I substitute the eggs......

So, here is the update of what I got:  8/6/10 at 1:00 pm:

4 ears of sweet corn
1 bunch of carrots
onion and garlic
1 zucchini
3 yellow squash
3 cucumbers
3 hot peppers
5 large tomatoes
1 bunch of kale
1 dozen eggs
Also I recd. three eggplant (white)

I love that place!!!!!!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Life in a nutshell!

I haven't been able to blog as life just keeps me busy.  I'm looking for some down time in a few weeks for a relaxing weekend in RI.  I hope it happens. 

Three more weeks until my daughter (and my son) start school again.  I can't wait....

Cheerleading has started and it is keeping Hope occupied with both coaching and cheering.  Thank Goodness because she was getting bored!  The two sons are working hard and saving some money this summer!  Hubby is working hard too. 

The chickens are doing well, the garden is doing okay.  Cancer keeps life interesting, and reading and cooking have been my refuge.  Zumba is hopping!  And work is work!  And that is my life in a nutshell.  

OH and one more thing....It's Shark Week.....(I love the Discovery Channel)