Halloween

Halloween is only a couple of days away and I can't wait to see my little billy's all decked out in their costumes. They usually come to my house for their treats and then go thru my neighborhood trick or treating. This will be the first trick or treat night for Little Billy #4. Last year he was only a few weeks old so he didn't get to participate. This year, however, he is walking and ready to go. He is learning something new every day. My daughter called me yesterday to tell me he has learned a new word beside mama and dada. He can say Hunnnnn-Teeerrrr. I heard him say it last night as he was turning his dinner plate upside down and spilling peas everywhere. Apparently he still hasn't quite mastered the eating thing just yet.

Halloween! Halloween!

Oh what SPOOKY things I've seen.

Take a look!

These are my kids when they were little plus an Indian cousin. Oh how time flies!

These two little darlin's are my niece and nephew a few years back.

And this is Little Billy #4 last year just a few weeks old.

These goobers are my son and my niece and nephew. I can't quite figure out what my son was supposed to be. I think he was going thru his gangsta phase and decided he was too cool to dress up.

This cute little mouse is Little Billy #3 dressing up on her very first Halloween.

And these goblins are my billy daughter's crew plus Chris, her main man. (Looks like he is going thru his gangsta phase too). I crack myself up sometimes.

So to all you goblins and ghosts and freaks of the night.... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What's for dinner?

Isn't that the worst question ever! And if your Billy Head is anything like mine,

he probably is no help at all. When I ask Billy Head what he wants for dinner I get "I don't care" or " anything is fine" or better yet "something simple". This is not an answer. I want a real answer like hamburger steak and mashed potatoes or beef stew and rolls or spaghetti and meatballs with garlic toast. I know men know what they want so why is it so hard to speak up and help answer the question that haunts million of us women on a daily basis. Walking around the grocery store at 5:oo with no idea of what's for dinner is about as much fun as playing in traffic.

Sometimes I wish it was just written in stone like the ten commandments. Thou shall fix fried chicken on Monday, Pork Chops on Tuesday, Meatloaf on Wednesday, Hot Dogs on Thursday, Fish on Friday, Spaghetti on Saturday and Sunday thou shall rest and eat dinner out.

Repeat 52 times and there you have it. A yearly menu set in stone.

Life would be so simple. Boring but simple. With the invention of the worldwide web simple is a thing of the past. I can only imagine how many recipes are posted on the web and how many I have yet to see and try. Oh the choices. I don't do well with choices, the more there are the more time it takes for me to decide. See my dilemma.

Speaking of the ten commandments got me thinking, I wonder what the ladies of biblical times fixed for dinner and if they stressed over what to fix. I'm sure this is one of those questions that will generate a response from Billy Head that goes something like this..."You think too much" or his favorite..."Some of us have real jobs and do real work". Anyway, I didn't wake up thinking about biblical food but now that the thought is there I am curious.

Searching around a little it seems there are actually books written about meals from the bible. I don't think I would spend money on one but here is some free info I found.

There were staple foods consumed by the Jewish people in the Land of Israel during biblical times. They were called The Seven Species and consisted of:
Olives, Grapes, Wheat, Barley, Figs, Dates and Pomegranates. In modern days, only wheat remains a staple.

Looks like women had their work cut out for them. No internet, no Walmart, no microwaves, no kitchenaid mixers and the seven species as staples. And yes I think I was complaining at the beginning of this post. I hate to think that pomegranates would be one of my staples. What does one do with pomegranates anyway beside decorate with them?

Okay I think I have exhausted my quest for knowledge on this subject for now. So back to my original question- What is for dinner? I need an answer or I might sit here all day searching. Help!!!!

Home Alone

This past weekend Billy Head and members of his mission group attended a silent retreat in Germantown, Maryland. Yes, you heard me right. Silent and Billy Head in the same sentence. Can you imagine that? Seems a bit far fetched to me but he assures me that there is no talking from dinner time Friday night until the retreat ends on Sunday afternoon.

This is the third retreat he has attended since I've known him and each time he comes back saying it was a "powerful" experience. I'm glad he is able to take time away from the hussle and bussle of everyday life and be quiet and focused. I can tell it does wonders for him.

The only bad part of the retreat, I 'm HOME ALONE. I guess you can call me a scaredy cat. I'm okay up until about 11:30 pm and then I get antsy which makes for a long night. My trusty guard dog doesn't exactly leave me feeling confident in his attack abilities. He's only 12 lbs and his bark is surely worse than any bite he could render. And he misses Billy Head when he goes away. He keeps waiting for him to come home and barks all during the night at every noise he hears. This doesn't exactly help me relax hearing him bark knowing he hears something. I hate to see my electric bill this month, I kept every light in the house on all night. Good thing Billy Head was only gone two night otherwise I would need to get a second job to pay for electricity. What do women do who live alone or have husband's who travel a lot? I guess I'd get used to it after awhile but I sure sleep better when Billy Head is home. I used to stay by myself before Billy Head moved in and I wasn't this bad. Yes, I did sleep on the couch every night but at least I did sleep. I think I've become a "wuss" in my old age. No comment please.

If it wasn't for the night time "shaking in my boots" part, the weekend was very relaxing for me too. I didn't know how much I needed some down time until it was sprung upon me. I spent the whole day Saturday trampsing around town looking for the grandkids some winter clothes. I didn't have to look at the clock and rush because somebody was waiting on dinner or needed me to do something. Boy was that nice. Sunday was spent battling a menacing cold but I was still able to go to the grocery store and clean house and do some cooking. I made stir-fry, cheese straws and a pot of navys beans and mac and cheese. Not exactly your typical meal but I was trying to make some things to have to eat on during the week. And pay day isn't till Thursday so my grocery supply is very limited.

I'm glad to report that no boogie men got me and I'm safe and secure until the next time Billy Head decides to desert me.

Happy Monday.

Staff Appreciation Dinner

Last night we had our staff appreciation dinner for work. So one of my planning projects is complete and everything went well. Our dinner was at Bull's Restaurant and these two friendly faces were our waiters for the evening. They were a lot of fun and did a great job.

Of course the boss decided he would arrive fashionably late so we were all waiting for him to order us some grub. Appetizers I mean.

After the boss arrived and assured us we would soon eat- appetizers that is. He then told us that we could order anything on the menu that was circled. Hmmmm.....I think he better not give up his day job because a comedian he is not. (In case you haven't noticed, we have a boss with a good sense of humor and he is fun to pick on)

Our boss also thanked us all for the great work we do and presented service awards to those deserving employees.

Salads and Dinners were served and I think enjoyed by everyone. There were a few minor mistakes but I guess that is normal with a group as large as ours. Talking was at a minimum during dinner which is a good sign. But it picked up again after dinner when I mentioned giving away doorprizes.

We played a little game which involved me reading the following list of questions and everyone who answered yes raised their hand and received a ticket.

Questions:

• Do you have a $5 bill in your pocket or wallet?


• Do you have at least one piercing?


• Do you have a cell phone with you?


• Do you have on white socks?


• Do you have more than six pennies in your pocket or wallet?


• Do you have on something blue?


• Did you order steak for dinner?


• Do you have on lace up shoes?


• Do you have on a watch?


• Do you have on a belt?


• Do you have on a ring?


• Do you have gum in your pocket or purse?


• Do you have a picture of a child in your wallet?
  
• Did you wear or bring in a jacket?


• Do you have on a shirt of sweater with buttons?


• Do you have a tatto?


• Do you have a tissue or handkerchief in your pocket or purse?


• Do you have 2 state quarters in your pocket or purse?


• Do you have a business card with you?


• Are the letters in your last name minus the letters in your first name equal to a number 2 or greater?

After the tickets were distributed each person got to check out the prize table and decide which prizes they wanted to try to win.

The tickets were placed in little cans in front of the prizes and one ticket from each can was drawn to pick the winner.

We gave away a digital photo frame, $20 in lottery tickets, $40 in cash, a $25 Best Buy gift card, a yankee candle collection, Sex and the City DVD with chocolates, and an Indiana Jones DVD with peanuts.

The boss said he had to be home by 8:00 to watch Survivor so our little dinner ended early to accomodate the boss (just kidding). The end.

A very small piece of history

This is my great-grandfather, Antonio Torricelli. And we know very little about him. My cousin and I have spent numerous hours searching the web hoping to stumble across something that will give us more information. I think we know he did come to the US sometime between 1904 and 1913. There are records for 3 Antonio Torricelli's arriving in the US on the Ellis Island website. My cousin also was able to locate a social security number for one Antonio Torricelli which was obtained in New Jersey and has a recorded date of death as December 1978.

My grandmother had very little information to give us about him. She said he came to the US from Italy and she was named after his sister, Nettie Alice, who died at a young age. He met her mother when he was working on the railroad in Appomattox. They married and had her. He then left, reason is not real clear, but I think he tried to get my great-grandmother to go with him and she refused. She didn't want to leave her family in Appomattox. That is all the information we have to go on. My cousin said she thinks he was in WWI and returned from the war and possibly settled in the PA area.

I would so love to find out more about him and his family. Especially if he remarried and had more children and about his family back in Italy. My grandmother had this picture of him and I hate to think that is all she ever had of him. She was raised by her step-father. What a shame and what a piece of history we'd love to discover.

The makings of a Pappy

Billy Head is many things to many people. To my grandbabies he is "Pappy". So what exactly does it take to be a "Pappy". Well let's see....

You must be loving...






You must be able to fix things...





You must have a big shoulder...

You must be a good firebuilder...

You must give lots of hugs and kisses...

And you must be a little silly...

Pappy's are special people. Even if they are Billy Head's.

I just love little faces

Especially on a Monday... and a Tuesday too. And on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. And please don't forget Saturday and Sunday. They make me smile each and every day.

Ahhh the weekend

At long last it is Friday. YEAH!!!

I have a list a mile long of things I want to get done but something tells me it won't happen. Especially since Billy Head is Billy Head and won't do anything until the mood strikes him. So I guess I can forget having my new light fixture installed or buying and installing the new ceiling fan or cleaning out the fireplace or unclogging the sink or anything that would be classified as productive.

So that leaves....the fun stuff, vacuuming, dusting, laundry, grocery shopping and oh yeah cooking. What happened to rest and relaxation. Two days just don't a weekend make. Agree?


I think Obama and McCain should come up with a economic plan that changes the work week as we know it. I think there should be a two day work week and a 5 day weekend. Put that in place and they have my vote. And yes, I approved this message.


Anyway, I am hoping to at least do one week of my October themed planned meals. I had good intentions when I came up with my clever idea but LIFE HAPPENS and suddenly my good intended plans changed. So here is my scheduled menus for the upcoming week.



Soupy Saturday- Brunswick Stew (I wanted to try a new soup recipe but Billy Head informed me that I needed to make stew again cause it was so good last time)

Super-Bowl Sunday- spinach pizzas, bacon- wrapped jalepeno thingies, and sausage balls

Meatless Monday- veggie stir-fry

Tex-Mex Tuesday- Chili and cornbread

Worldy Wedneday- Cantonese Chicken Salad

Thirty Minute Thursday- will have to skip because we have our staff appreciation dinner tonight


Fishy Friday- Still undecided. Fish is fishy and I can't think at the moment.

Anyhoo, that's my tenative plan and it will do unless I play my woman card and change my mind. I am WOMAN hear me roar.

How to make your mother cry

Just do this!

And this...

and then there's this..

Feel my pain?

Baked Potato Casserole

I love anything that you mix together and shove in the oven. And casseroles around our house usually mean leftovers or lunch. This combines many of my favorite ingredients and is better than a plain baked tater.

Baked Potato Casserole

5 large potatoes (cooked with skins on and drained)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (save grease)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (16 oz.) container sour cream
2 bunches of chopped green onions (sautéed in bacon grease)
3/4 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Pour in casserole. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Cheese Straws

This recipe comes from a cookbook called The 100 Greatest Dishes of Louisiana Cookery. The book says that Creole ladies often entertained at home and had their own individual specialties that they served to guests. You could expect these to be served with a Sazerac Cocktail or a Mint Julip.

They are traditionally spicy so don't skimp on the cayenne. Ah, C'mon you can handle it. Try one, they are addictive.

1 stick butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

In a bowl, cream the butter with the salt and cayemme. Blend in the cheddar and Parmesan. Add the flour and baking powder and work it all together well.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into 1 by 2 inch strips and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 20 minutes or until they are crisp. Makes about 4 dozen.

Store in an airtight container.

Railroad Festival Parade 2008

Everybody loves a parade!


They just don't like waiting for it...

and waiting....

and waiting....

Okay, had enough, I'm outta here.




Sit tight. Here it comes....

and finally the best part. Grabbing lots of candy from the nice people who throw it to the crowds.

And having your older cousin Lydia around to help you collect your bounty.

And oh it tastes sooooo good.