Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Happy Valentine’s Day To You!

I love Valentine’s Day! Everybody (mostly) is happy and smiley and if you’re a kid in Grammar (lol) erh I mean Elementary school, this is a fun day.  Don’t you remember how carefully and thoughtfully you looked for just the right package of Valentine’s cards to buy at Woolworth‘s or W.T. Grant‘s?  Teacher said you really have to give a card to everyone in the class.  And there was always one card in the package just for the teacher.  I LOVED THOSE 50′S VALENTINE CARDS! To my delight I found several other Vintage Valentine fanatics on Pinterest.  What a great fun trip down the nostalgia road looking at all of those clever and colorful little cards.  I  have a bunch myself  but you’re not surprised about that I’m sure.  You know it’s just another collection!

As much fun as those cute clever cards are, I really like and collect much older Valentine greetings.  Over the years, my husband has given me some and each year I love putting them out.  I started collecting them because I loved the old Victorian frilly 3-dimensional cards.  I learned along the way that Valentine cards like any other collectible have value based on the creator.  In the case of old Valentines, cards produced by Raphael Tuck & Sons of Germany are more valuable than others.  Often Tuck cards were hinged and opened up to reveal a character with moving arms and legs.  I own a couple; a big brown dancing bear and a funny-looking character whose face is a grimace of all things!

So today is a day of red roses, pink carnations, red velvet candy boxes, diamond rings, pearls and pendants, lobster and steak dinners, mushy romantic cards, candle light and cocktails…but for me I’m hoping for just another old Valentine.

Vintage Valentine in my collection

Detailed 3-D Vintage Valentine.

Tuck Valentine Card

And here are some of those cute ’50′s cards.

Amorphing objects into Valentine Cards was very popular

‘Round the World

Love the pink rollers

Happy Valentine’s Day to All! Hope your day is a sweet as a Candy Heart.

Candy Hearts

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Walking Around…The City and My Apartment

Doesn’t everyone have a wooden frog sitting on a vintage Peter Coddles game in their dining room?

Last week, it was recipes for Thanksgiving dinner dishes, this week it’s photos.

My last post was about Peter’s collection of vintage Peter Coddles games. Those 7 are just the tip of the iceberg!  Murray took those photos and while he and Peter were setting up the shots, Murray wandered around and snapped a few random pictures here and there as something caught his eye.  We have stuff, no doubt about it.  Only one photo is of a collection and I’m sure you’ll be able to pick it out (and I’ll give you a hint anyway).

A window sill in my living room. Plants, African art, carved figures, vintage lamps, sand dollars, stained glass, an antique kaleidoscope, vintage bottles and paperweights, and….

Chair monkeys-IF they had hats they could live on the bed

My own personal Dopey collection. Aren’t they cute? Peter stuck Bashful or Happy in there to keep Dopey company.

I love Alessi! This cute rabbit is a toothpick holder.

Mini Bill Ding and his clowns stand guard on a dining room window sill. Along with a several other things!

Well that was just a peek into the collective madness of the collections that reside in our New York apartment.  Here are few random photos taken by Murray as he was wandering around Bryant Park, Grand Central Terminal and vicinity.

It’s easy to shop for your pets in one of the City’s Christmas Fairs.

Grand Central Terminal Food Market-Murray’s Cheese Shop

Sephora Cosmetic Store

Grgghhhh – Animal hats for sale in Bryant Park

Christmas ornaments for sale in Bryant Park

 

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The ITALIAN – GERMAN Thanksgiving Dinners

Thanksgiving Turkey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most people think of Thanksgiving dinner as the ultimate American meal.  After all, wasn’t it first celebrated with Native Americans and the Pilgrims?  Well that’s what I was told in grammar (age-related term) school.

However, this country is a melting pot, a diverse population made up of so many different ethnicities, I wouldn’t begin to try to number them.  I grew up in an Italian family (more about the German side later).  My first husband was also from an Italian family so for the first half of my life, Thanksgiving was tweaked to keep all the paisans happy.  When we celebrated Thanksgiving with my grandparents, the cry at the table was, “When do we eat the turkey”?   I wonder how many of you had to eat your way through several courses BEFORE the turkey made it to the table?  When you walk into most homes on Thanksgiving Day, the savory odor of roasting turkey greets you, or the sweet aroma of an apple pie baking in the oven.  When you entered my grandmother’s apartment, it was the rich simmering smell of tomato sauce that assaulted your nose.  The meal started with Baccala, a dried codfish served with greens.  I think it was served like a salad.  Then we had ravioli; big fat pasta puffs filled with cheese and a bowl of meatballs and sausages on the side.  I guess at some point the turkey came out but I really don’t remember it much.  

Once I was married, the Italian Thanksgiving took on another level of ethnicity.  Now there were side dishes that only would appear on an Italian table.  The stuffing was heavily flavored with grated Parmesan cheese, parsley and garlic.  We had stuffed mushrooms and stuffed artichokes right along with candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and salad with Italian dressing!  

Then came the period in my life where I spent Thanksgiving with my Aunt Marian and my cousins in New Jersey.  Aunt Marian was married to Uncle Henny who was German and so Red Cabbage was always a side dish on Thanksgiving.  The creamed onions, turnips and candied sweets were there and because my cousins and myself were all adults, we made culinary contributions.  Peter insisted on a green vegetable and in those days, the only green vegetable he acknowledged was broccoli so I always steamed or sautéed some.  My cousin Marian liked to bring a lentil salad, cousin Janet baked pies.  I have five girl cousins, all with spouses and some with children.  Thanksgiving dinner was a BIG deal at Aunt Marian’s with about 20 people!

I’m actually half Italian and half German so I fit in wherever we went!  As for my own Thanksgiving meals, I often went for something different, whether it be various stuffings or the  year I tried brining the bird.  I’ve made seasonal soups and  lots of sides.  Earlier today I posted one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes and decided that for the count down to turkey day, I’d post a recipe a day.  I hope you enjoy them and would love it if my readers would send in comments about their favorite Thanksgiving side dish or dessert or ethnic accompaniment.  

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JULIA CHILD – Wise Words from the Magician in the Kitchen

English: American cook, author, and television personality (August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today Julia Child would have been 100 years old!  I wonder what she would have cooked for breakfast? This post is in honor of a great lady, a wondrous cook and wise woman.  I was never a fan of her food. I don’t own any of her cookbooks not even the famous Mastering the Art of French Cooking!  I like French food but I guess as a young 20 year old bride I was more concerned with mastering cooking first and learning more about Italian dishes than French.  

However, I have always admired her quick wit and sharp to the point remarks.  So in honor of that laudable characteristic of hers, I am posting some of her famous remarks.

1. “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”

2. “Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”
3. “If you’re afraid of butter, use cream.”
4. “The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appetit.”
5. “I think every woman should have a blowtorch.”
6. “Fat gives things flavor.”
7. “Maybe the cat has fallen into the stew, or the lettuce has frozen, or the cake has collapsed. Eh bien, tant pis. Usually one’s cooking is better than one thinks it is. And if the food is truly vile, then the cook must simply grit her teeth and bear it with a smile, and learn from her mistakes.”
8. “I think one of the terrible things today is that people have this deathly fear of food: fear of eggs, say, or fear of butter. Most doctors feel that you can have a little bit of everything.”
9. “I always give my bird a generous butter massage before I put it in the oven. Why? Because I think the chicken likes it — and, more important, I like to give it.”
10. “I think careful cooking is love, don’t you? The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who’s close to you is about as nice a Valentine as you can give.”
11. “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces — just good food from fresh ingredients.”
12. “Always remember: If you’re alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who’s going to know?”
13. “I just hate health food.”
14. “Learn how to cook — try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun.”

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Wowie Zowie, Look At Me!

Oh my that’s quite an arrogant headline, now isn’t it?  Well I just felt the desire to shout from the cyber rooftop that I just received an award!  The Liebster Award actually…

I’ve been nominated!

Of course it certainly helps to have wonderful friends in the blogosphere – and YES I do have a friend in the cyber world, Lora, who is an expat living in Germany with her husband.  Lora nominated my blog along with a few others.  I love and follow her blog as she explores her new home, her new life and how she is adapting day by day.  I’ve learned a lot about German customs, something I am keenly interested in as I am half-German.  But that’s only part of what Lora has done with her blog, http://liferealities.wordpress.com/ ; She loves to cook and create wonderful meals and with that love and talent, she started a group called “What sha Cooking“.  It is a group of men and women who love to cook and each month there’s a theme for your creation.  Photos are posted on the Facebook page and we all vote.

This award is along the lines of Pass it forward!  Now that I’ve received the honor, I will pass it along to some bloggers who I follow and who I think deserve some recognition for their efforts.

1. Spinny Liberal http://spinnyliberal.com/  Spinny was writing daily about local, regional and especially national politics.  She has a sharp wit, and sometimes a sharper tongue when she explores issues that light fire in the hearts of many liberals and conservatives also.  Last I knew Spinny was taken a hiatus from blogging due to some medical reasons.  However, check the website often, she is brilliant.

2. Photo Nature Blog http://photonatureblog.com/ I don’t remember how I came across this blog, probably through Freshly Pressed.  His photographs are just amazing.  He  takes photos of birds, flowers, clouds, bugs and his style reminds me of pbenjay’s own photographer, Murray Head.  Everything becomes the thing of beauty it is through his camera lens.

3. Devastating The Obvious http://josiahblacksblog.wordpress.com/ So Josiah Black a/k/a Captain Obvious is one very bright young man.  He is clever, sardonic and  I am continually amazed at his subject matter.  Actually I’m a bit in awe of his talent, not to mention envious!

4. Texana’s Kitchen  http://texanaskitchen.com/ What’s not to like here?  I’m going to quote her heading here because  it truly says it all;  Yummy recipes, Pretty pictures, Pithy commentary.  There are hundreds, nay thousands of food-related blogs.  Some are full of extraordinary time-consuming recipes and some are devoted to making thrifting with food an art form and neither of them are for me.  Probably what really endeared Texana to me was her blog on ice cream, need I say more?

5. A Detailed House http://adetailedhouse.com/ I do love design, I have been in real estate for over 40 years, I love the color pink, I have built 2 houses, decorated 4, am a certified Home Stager ergo – I love this site!  Amazingly, they’re doing it themselves for the most part.  The home is magnificent.  Go to and take a visual tour.

Well there you have it, I have passed it forward.  Congratulations to one and all, you have been nominated for a Liebster Blog Award.

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HOT CHOCOLATE on Steroids!

City Bakery (Photo credit: roboppy)

IF you have never tasted the hot chocolate from City Bakery in New York City, you have NOT yet died and gone to heaven!  Trust me….I know my chocolate.

Chocoholic from birth and still going strong, I swear there is NOTHING like City Bakery’s world famous hot chocolate.

February (and HOW did I ever forget to include this in my February blog post?) is a month long celebration of hot chocolate at City Bakery.  Every day there is another amazing, mouth-watering, sensuous, soothing (and yes artery-clogging) flavor to seduce you.  I say it’s worth skipping breakfast and lunch for one small cup of this molten chocolate.

Today’s flavor is Vietnamese Cinnamon Chocolate! I’m there this afternoon without a doubt.

Flavor of the day

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Chicken Cacciatore – I’m Cooking!!!

Slow-Cooked Chicken Cacciatore a/k/a Chicken Hunter Style

Tomorrow morning I’m taking the crock pot and gonna cook up a storm.  I need to make a couple of meals and freeze some of them.  If I don’t, I find myself coming home late and too tired to cook and that leads to ordering in or eating junk.  Either way it’s no good, one costs too much money and the other ends up being empty calories.  So tomorrow morning I’ll make the Chicken Cacciatore and give my husband a real meal and freeze the rest.

3 lbs cut up chicken (split chicken breasts and thighs)

Flour for searing

2 TBS olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

8 oz of baby bella  mushrooms sliced

2 cups diced green peppers and onions

1 cup dry red wine

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 pkg (24 oz) of seasoned tomato sauce.

Salt and pepper to taste

Dust chicken with searing flour

Heat oil on MEDIUM in large braising pan; add chicken.  Brown lightly on all sides, 8-10 minutes.  Transfer chicken to slow cooker.  Discard all but 1 TBS oil.

Add garlic, mushrooms, peppers and onions to pan.  Cook, stirring occasionally, 3-4 minutes, until vegetables soften slightly.  Add wine; cook 1-2 minutes.  Add Italian seasoning and tomato sauce; stir.  Bring to simmer and remove from heat.

Add sauce mixture carefully to slow cooker.  Cover;  cook 3-4 hours on HIGH or 6-7 hours on LOW.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  I’m going to add some red pepper flakes too.  Serve over pasta or rice.

And omg, this house is going to smell DEE-LICIOUS tomorrow!

Recipe from Wegman’s Menu Magazine Fall 2009

Chicken Hunter Style

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December 12th-Count Down To Christmas-Gifts That Give Back

“It’s better to give than receive” and if you believe in this theory and have taken it to heart, then you might be interested in this list of Christmas gifts that not only give pleasure and joy upon receipt, they also give back to a worthwhile cause.

1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

   A jar of homemade goodness. This sweet mix is packed with all of the ingredients (flour, brown sugar, chocolate chips) for baking three dozen tasty treats. Williams-Sonoma will donate a portion of the proceeds to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign to end childhood hunger through December 31, 2011.

   To buy: $16, williams-sonoma.com.

2. KLAPPAR ELEFANT    

   Soft, snuggly, and begging to be hugged. An adorable pick for the young–or young at heart–on your list. For every soft toy sold, the IKEA Foundation will donate $1 to UNICEF and Save the Children education programs through December 24, 2011.

   To buy: $15, ikea.com.

3. Mercury Owls

   If you’re looking for a decorative piece with a little extra sparkle, these mercury glass owls are a wise choice. For every purchase, West Elm will donate 50 percent of proceeds to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Available in two sizes.

   To buy: Starting at $14, westelm.com.

4. Kids’ Victorious Graphic Tee

   There won’t be any complaints about getting clothes when he unwraps this cool graphic tee, designed by Dallas Clayton, author and illustrator of the Awesome book series. Proceeds from the sales of the t–shirts go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We’d say that makes this gift pretty awesome.

   To buy: $25, jcrew.com.

5. TOM’s Campus Classics

   Cool enough to wear around campus; comfortable enough to make your weekend shoes. For every pair of kicks purchased, TOM’s sends another to a child in need. Available in 26 styles.

   To buy: $48, toms.com.

6. Kiehl’s Crème de Corps

   Even winter skin needs extra TLC. Tuck this rich hydrating cream into stockings and feel even better knowing that Kiehl’s will donate 100% of the net proceeds from this collection to the Koons Family Institute on International Law and Policy.

   To buy: $29 for 8.4 oz bottle, kiehls.com.

   

   KLAPPAR Elephant

   

   Mercury Owls

   

   To A Child In Need

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5 Signs Summer is Over and Fall is Here

It’s a sunny Sunday in October, one of those peculiar days in that time of the year when it’s warmer outside than it is in the house.  I feel like I have to open the windows to let some warm air in.  The angle of the sun is just so warming, I wish I was sitting in the back yard instead of the cold living room.  Peter is replacing some of the screens in the doors with storm glass and that for sure is a sign summer is over!

1. The Morning Glories are getting really scraggly and dying, and pots of purple, rusty red, orange and yellow mums are omnipresent on porches all over town.

2. We made our seasonal pilgrimage to Delicious Orchards, loading up on apples and cider donuts.  If this were summer, we’d be at Matt’s buying corn and tomatoes.

3. Hard as it might be to believe, I have packed away my flip-flops and even my Tevas, not sure how my feet are going to react to real shoes.

4.  Somewhere between Labor Day and Columbus Day, the urge to take the crock pot out overcomes me and I begin to think about Hearty Beef Minestrone, Chilli, and One Pot Chicken.  Slow cooked meals are a hallmark of Autumn.

5. The air conditioner units are out of the windows and put into storage, the door-draft snakes are out of storage and the lawn furniture is cleaned and ready to store for the winter.

Mum's the Word!

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Pan-Steamed Cauliflower with Barilotti

Pasta with Cauliflower

TASTY TIDBITS TUESDAY

The other night I made a really tasty pasta dish, the perfect Sunday night supper.  The recipe which came from Wegman’s and called for using a pasta called Barilotti which is a thick twisted curl of macaroni.  It’s also a little pricey so I opted to use Gemelli or Cavatelli.  This is a great vegetarian meal.

1 lb pasta such as Cavatelli or Gemelli

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 TBS basting oil

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

1 TBS chopped garlic

3 anchovy fillets

1/2 TBS crushed red pepper

1 1/2-2 lbs cauliflower, cut into 1 ” pieces (about 6 cups)

1/2 cup water

1 tsp salt

2 TBS fresh Italian parsley

Ground black pepper to taste

Use a braising pan – a heavy Dutch oven would be a good second choice

Combine panko and basting oil in small bowl.  Toast in braising pan on MEDIUM, stirring constantly, 3-4 minutes until golden brown.  Transfer to small plate to cool. Then toss with grated cheese in a small bowl.

Heat olive oil, garlic, anchovies and hot pepper on MEDIUM-LOW.  Cook, stirring 2-3 minutes, until anchovy fillets dissolve.

Raise heat to HIGH.  Add cauliflower, water and salt; stir.  Bring to simmer;  Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until water is evaporated, cauliflower is tender.  Turn off heat.

Add cooked pasta to cauliflower; stir to combine.  Add half the panko/cheese  mixture and parsley to pan.  Stir.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Garnish with remaining panko/cheese mixture.

Recipe courtesy of Wegman’s  -  Bring Home A Taste of Italy

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