 1998 - The year that my better half separated from the military and entered civilian life. We packed up our house, our 4 and 1 year old - and the dog - and moved across the country to rural Pennsylvania.👶🏻🐶 We were in a rental house for a short time before we found our little house in Level Green. And when I say "little" - understand that I mean that this bungalow was the very definition of little.😅 A charming 50 year old Cape Cod with old plaster walls and a stone and brick exterior that was so ridiculously adorable we were able to overlook all of its flaws. 🏡 This house had outdated wiring, plumbing, wallpaper and broken septic lines but it had one major thing going for it - location. No, we didn't have the best lot in town or the most privacy - but, our little cape cod was located directly across from an ice cream shop.🍦 And for our 2 kids under the age of 4 - there is no better place to live than within walking distance to an ice cream shop. 🤣  Obviously, our family frequented this little ice cream shop that was just steps from our driveway. And fortunately for me, at the time, my kids weren't old enough to walk across the street without supervision so I had some level of control over the number of times that we indulged in the frozen treat every week. #itwasstillalot 😂 The ice cream proved to be a great motivator to get my kids to do their chores and not hit each other with baseball bats - most days. One summer afternoon, both kids were being uncharacteristically agreeable and kind to each other - so of course I assumed it was because I was a rock star of a mom and that we all deserved an ice cream reward. So after lunch, we walked across the street and treated ourselves to a scoop of the finest ice cream in the store. That summer, I worked a part time job in the evenings so when my better half got home from work, we ate a quick dinner, I headed out the door to teach a couple of Gymboree classes and passed the parenting baton to my hubby for the evening. The kids loved having time with daddy.  I'm not sure if all parents have this moment, but I can tell you the day that I realized that my children were both genius and shrewd. It was that fateful afternoon that I had taken them for ice cream as a reward for good behavior. Like tiny masterminds, these young children learned the type of behavior that earned them a reward and then repeated the same exemplary behavior for dad that same evening - after I had left for work. 😅 Of course, dad saw fit to reward their good behavior with ice cream - just as I had done earlier in the day. The funniest part is that neither one of my kids muttered a word to dad about having ice cream twice in one day. 😂 My sweet, innocent 1 and 4 year olds sat in the ice cream shop - for the second time in one day - never saying a word about having been there just hours before. It wasn't until I had gotten home that evening, when both kids were tucked into their beds with bellies full of ice cream, that my husband and I realized that without knowing - we had BOTH taken them for ice cream that day. 😅 #parentsoftheyear
I'm pretty sure that I gained about 10 pounds in those few years that we lived in that little house across from the ice cream shop. It was a blessing and a curse for sure. 😅 It could have also been attributed to the fact that this was also the place where I discovered my joy for berry pies. Thanks to a local raspberry farm, I fell in love with fresh berry pies. 🥧 I was hopeless. I had access to some of the most delicious berry pies that I had ever tasted and I was living just steps away from an ice cream shop with some of the best vanilla ice cream around. 😬 Honestly, it was worth all of the extra walking that I had to do to burn those calories though. Those were some pretty delicious years.  Triple Berry Pie 2 unbaked pie crusts (homemade or store bought) 2/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 4 cups frozen berries, thawed 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 egg 1 Tablespoon water 1 Tablespoon coarse sugar
 Wrap pie in foil and bake 20 minutes at 375. Remove foil and bake another 20-30 minutes.  The summer berries are perfect right now - I can think of no better time to enjoy one of these amazing triple berry pies. Enjoy!
Ciao!
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 Last month we travelled to Jersey City with some friends for a wedding. We had a few hours to kill before the main event and we decided we would do a little sight seeing in the Big Apple. Leave it to me to squeeze in a walk through Times Square, Broadway, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State building and Bryant park - all before noon. (Vacationing with me is anything but relaxing. 😅) When you only have an afternoon to take in all the sights of New York City - you have to move fast. 🤣🤣👟
It just so happened that we stumbled on the most amazing little restaurant in all of Little Italy. We chose it based solely on the darling little trattoria set up on the edge of the bustling street. We had no idea that the experience that we were about to embark upon would be an unforgettable memory.  The owner/hostess/waitress/sommelier/manager, which we later discovered was named Carmella, curtly instructed us where to sit, promptly handed each of us a menu and snapped at a waiter who quickly poured a glass of water for each of us. After several minutes, Carmella returned to our table and instead of taking our orders, she unapologetically assigned a meal to each one of us. In most cases, it wasn't the dish that we would have chosen but quite honestly, she spoke with such authority that we were afraid to question her choices. 🤣 When Carmella left our table, we had absolutely no idea what food was going to appear in front of us but we felt confident that it was going to be delicious. 🍝 Our assumptions were correct. The had the amazing eggplant parmesan dish and as if that wasn't enough, I also devoured a slice of someone else's pizza. 🍕🤣 I'm not sure I have the words to adequately describe the meal but let's just say - Carmella knew exactly what she was doing - right down to the 2 bottles of wine that she chose to accompany our lunch. 😅 Roasted eggplant is my go-to an any Italian restaurant. I love the flavor of the silky vegetable and I'm always trying to incorporate new ways to make it at home. This Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Eggplant recipe is really amazing. The sweetness of the tomatoes, the earthyness of the eggplant and the bright fresh basil really go so well together. I'm not as bold as Carmella but if I were to recommend a pasta dish for eggplant lovers - it might just be this one. 😉  Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Eggplant 1 pound pasta 1 1/4 teaspoons salt 1/3 cup olive oil 1 1/2 pounds eggplant, peeled and shredded 6 garlic cloves, sliced thin 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 3/4 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped 3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
 Add pasta and toss to coat.  Serve with parmesan cheese.
Ciao!  Sitting still doesn't come naturally to me. To be honest, there are times when it feels like downright torture.😅 But after an incredibly busy May - I'm feeling the need to welcome in this beautiful new month by spending some time being still. Forcing myself to be quiet and still and reflecting on my gratitude. At the risk of sounding like Marie Kondo, I asked myself to identify the things in my life that were bringing me joy.😅 And asking the equally important question, which of these were not making me happy? And what changes can I make to eliminate the things that are keeping me from being happy?  I would describe myself as a generally happy person but it's always productive to do a little "mental health house keeping" every so often. Periodic check ins with myself to see where I am, what's causing me anxiety and making a list of the things in my life that bring me joy is always helpful. Is it a surprise to anyone that I have a bunch of foods on my list of things that make me happy? 😂🍫🥧🥖 I guess that just confirms that I'm a foodie at heart. 🤣 Really anything with sugar, starch, seafood, pasta or cheese could be added to my list of "happy" foods. 😂 It should come as no surprise then that a simple spaghetti dinner with fresh clams in a white wine sauce and fresh parsley from the garden makes this girl very happy. Making this delicious meal in under 20 minutes - also makes me happy. Win-win.  Spaghetti with Clams 12 ounces spaghetti 1 Tablespoons salt 3 Tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, smashed 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 cup white wine 3 pounds littleneck clams 1/2 cup fresh parsley lemon wedges
 Add the pasta, clams and accumulated clam juices. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add reserved pasta water as needed. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.  Serve with lemon wedges.
Ciao! |
