Olive Oil

OK so it's been a while since I sat down to write anything, or finish anything I started, I have no excuse, I could say I was busy, or lazy, or I had writers block, the truth is I just didn't feel like it. That being said I think I'm back on track, well at least for today........so here you go....


Being Italian I guess I am destine to love everything about Olive Oil. I do love to cook with it, but learning about it I have found some great ideas or tips for its uses, and today I share what I have learned with you.


1. Shave. Olive oil can provide a safe and natural lubricant for a close shave. Rub in an extra teaspoon after washing your body or face once finished.

2. Wood Furniture Polish. Wipe with a teaspoon of olive oil and a soft rag. Add a bit of vinegar of citrus juice to bulk up the cleaning power, and add a fresh scent.

3. Fingernails. Use a bit of olive oil to moisturize cuticles, or mix oil and water and soak your hands before a manicure.

4. Lubricate Measuring Cups and Spoons. Rub or spray olive oil on your measuring tools for easy clean-up of sticky substances like honey, grain mustard's, and sugar syrups.

5. Control hair frizz. Comb a bit of olive oil through dry hair to tame the frizz and flyway's on humid days or in the winter.

6. Free a stuck zipper. Use a cotton swab to apply olive oil to the teeth of a zipper, then gently ease the tab down.

7. Care for your kitty. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to your cat’s food to help prevent hairballs, and provide a shiny coat.

8. DIY Lip balm. Mix olive oil and melted beeswax in a 1:1 ratio, with an essential oil for fragrance, and say goodbye to dry and chapped lips.

9. Stop Snoring. Take a sip of olive oil before heading to bed. It might lubricate your throat muscles, and stop yourself, or your partner, from snoring.

10. Shine stainless steel and brass. Rub a bit of olive oil on a clean rag to prevent streaks, corrosion, and tarnish.

11. Exfoliate your face and hands. Rub your skin with olive oil, then scrub with sugar or coarse salt, and rinse.

12. As you bathe. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to your running bath water. You’ll be amazed when you towel off.

13. Remove makeup. Dab a bit under your eyes, on your cheeks and forehead, then wipe with a damp cloth.

14. Cure an earache. Very carefully, use a cotton swab to apply olive oil to the outside ear cavity to help with earaches and excess wax. (I use garlic infused olive oil and it works great, and keeps away Vampires)

15. Remove paint from your skin. Rub on olive oil onto messy hand and arms (or faces) and allow the oil to soak into the skin for five minutes, then rinse with soap and water.

16. Treat lice. Apply olive oil to your youngster’s hair, and leave on for at least 40 minutes. Shampoo twice, then apply a preventative.

17. Stop a throat tickle. Take a sip of olive oil to stop the itchy flicker that is making you cough.

18. Fix a squeaky door. Use a rag or cotton swab to apply olive oil to the top of a problematic hinge in your home or automobile. 

19. Shoe polish. Rub down your shoes with just a spray of olive oil to maintain their shine.

20. Soften your skin. Rub olive oil daily on notoriously dry areas, such as your feet or elbows, especially after a shower, shaving, or waxing.

21. Easy clean up of garden tools. Spritz some olive oil on your tools to cut down on dirt buildup. 

22. Condition leather. Rub olive oil into worn leather, such as a baseball glove, and let set for 30 minutes, then wipe away any excess.

23. As a hair tonic. Comb some olive oil through your hair for the vintage look of pomade without the build-up, or add a bit to wet hair for grungy, but clean, look.

24. Cure diaper rash. Gently wipe on olive oil to your baby’s bottom to help with the irritation of diaper rash.


There you have it, some tips, cures, and helpful hints....lets see if I can keep on track and continue writing about anything and everything.....


I know this.....In My Life sometimes its the little things in life, that make everything a little bit easier

Nutella

I don't know about you, but I love Nutella...I grew up eating it, although its only been available in the US since about 1983, I was luckily enough to have family in Italy, and every time we made a visit, we brought some home.

Never heard of it?? Well let me enlighten you a little and give those of you who have a little history lesson.

Nutella spread, in its earliest form, was created in the 1940s by Mr. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero company. At the time, there was very little chocolate because cocoa was in short supply due to World War II rationing.

So Mr. Ferrero used hazelnuts, which are plentiful in the Piedmont region of Italy (northwest), to extend the chocolate supply.

The original version of Nutella spread was called "pasta gianduja," pasta which means paste, and "gianduja" which is the name of a carnival character famous to the region, a character that can be found in the first advertisements for the product.

Pasta gianduja was actually made in loaves and wrapped in tinfoil, so it could be sliced and placed on bread for mothers to make sandwiches for their children. But many children, as you could imagine, would throw away the bread and only eat the pasta gianduja!

            

So Mr. Ferrero altered the product into a paste that came in a jar, so it could be spread on the bread. This then became known as "supercrema gianduja," because it was a spreadable version of the gianduja. "Supercrema gianduja" was eventually renamed "Nutella" in 1964, with the origin of the word being "nut" and the "ella" giving it a soft ending.

From the start, Nutella spread was well received, since it was a less expensive way for people to enjoy something that tasted so good... a kilo of chocolate at the time was 6 times the cost of a kilo of pasta gianduja. So Nutella was a product that everyone could, and did, enjoy. The product became so popular that Italian food stores started a service called "The Smearing". Children could go to their local food store with a slice of bread for a "smear" of "supercrema gianduja."

Since European families and visitors have enjoyed Nutella as a breakfast staple on bread and toast for more than 40 years, the Ferrero Company wanted to introduce this traditional Italian breakfast item to the U.S. market. 
Nutella was first imported from Italy to the U.S. over 25 years ago in 1983 and was initially distributed in the Northeastern part of the country.  The popularity of Nutella has grown steadily over the years and it is now available across the United States. In addition, Nutella is also marketed and sold all over the world.

The unique formula of Nutella hazelnut spread continues to be made from the combination of roasted hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa.  In addition, Nutella has no artificial colors or preservatives.  It can be found in grocery stores, warehouse clubs and mass merchandisers and is generally found near the peanut butter and sweet spreads section.

Thank you http://www.nutellausa.com/history.htm for the history lesson.

If you have never tried it, its worth a shot unless you don't like hazelnuts or chocolate, my favorite way to have it is on buttered (not toasted) bread. But there are lots of other things you can do with Nutella and here are a couple of my favorite recipes...

Fried Wontons

Ingredients:

Wonton Wrappers

Nutella

Bananas

Egg (for sealing wonton)

Oil for frying

Confectioners sugar

Separate wonton wrappers into individual sheets. In the center of each wrapper, place a small dollop (approximately 1 teaspoon) of Nutella and top with a slice of ripe banana. Use a pastry brush to moisten the edges of the wonton with a beaten egg mixture. Fold the wontons in half to form a triangle. Use your fingers to press the edges of the wonton firmly together to seal completely.
Preheat a deep fryer, or heat two inches of oil in a pan to approximately 350 degrees. Drop the wontons in a few at a time and cook, turning them over during the process, until they are lightly browned and cooked through, usually 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and serve warm.

Nutella Pudding Shots-for adults

Ingredients:
1 small package of Instant Chocolate Pudding
3/4 cup of Milk
1/4 cup of Vodka
1/2 cup of  Frangelico
8 oz of Extra Creamy Cool Whip thawed
Topping:
1 jar of nutella and 1 bag of toasted hazelnuts

Mix pudding and milk for a couple of minutes with an electric mixer, add alcohol, and then mix well. Fold in the Cool Whip until well blended.
Place the pudding mix into individual serving cups and cover. Freeze them.  Before serving top each with a teaspoon of nutella and sprinkle with toasted chopped hazelnuts.  Your guests are going to love these!

Nutella Crescent Rolls

Ingredients

1 pkg Pillsbury crescent rolls

Nutella

Cinnamon Sugar

Separate crescent rolls and spread with Nutella. Roll according to package directions and dust with cinnamon sugar. Bake according to package directions. Yum!

I know this....In my life there are many things I am glad are a part of it, and Nutella is one of them.



2012 A Recap

This is a time of the year where we try to make resolutions for the new year....and most of them are broken within the first month. Before I make my New Years resolution I wanted to take a look back at 2012 month by month. Some of these news items we may have forgotten about and some we may have wanted to forget about.

January 2012

On 13 January 2012 at about 9:45 pm, in calm seas and overcast weather, under command of Captain Francesco Schettion the Costa Concordia struck a rock in the Tyrrhenian Sea on the Western coast of Italy. This tore a (160 ft) gash on the port side of her hull, which almost immediately flooded parts of the engine room and caused loss of power to her propulsion and electrical systems.  Of the 3,229 passengers and 1,023 crew known to have been aboard, 30 bodies were located, and two more passengers are missing and presumed dead.

February 2012

On February 5, 2012 The NY Giants Beat Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI : In a rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl, the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots 21–17. An estimated 111.3 million people tune in to see quarterback Eli Manning lead the Giants to their second Super Bowl victory over Tom Brady and the Patriots in five years. 

March 2012

March 11, 2012 Staff Sgt. Bales, an 11-year Army veteran, was said to have walked more than a mile from his base in rural southern Afghanistan before going from house to house, firing at or stabbing unarmed civilians. Afterward, he returned to his base for an unspecified amount of time before leaving again and walking to another village, where he allegedly killed more civilians, a total of 16.

April 2012

April 18, 2012 broadcast icon Dick Clark, the longtime host of the influential "American Bandstand" died. He suffered a heart attack while at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica. He was 82.

May 2012

May 20, 2012 a magnitude 6.0 earthquake in northern Italy, 22 miles north of the city of Bologna killed at least 7 people and caused serious damage to buildings.

June 2012

June 17, 2012 Rodney King 47, found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool. King was the black motorist whose brutal on-camera clubbing by white cops led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots when the officers were acquitted.

July 2012

July 20, 2012 A lone 24-year-old masked gunman entered a Colorado movie theater playing the new Batman movie and opened fire early Friday, killing at least 12 people and wounding 50. I refuse to mention his name, his name needs to be forgotten and the names of who he killed need to be remembered.

Jonathon Blunk age 26
Alexander "AJ" Boik age 18
Jessie Childress age 29
Gordon Cowden age 51
Jessica Ghawi age 24
John Larimer age 27
Matt McQuinn age 27
Micayla Medek age 23
Veronica Moser-Sullivan age 6
Alex Sullivan age 27
Alexander Teves age 24
Rebecca Wingo age 32

Remember the victims not who killed them

August 2012

August 29, 2012 Hurricane Isaac Hits the Gulf Coast.  Exactly seven years after Katrina battered the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Isaac hits the same area. Declared a Category 1, Isaac's winds roar at 80 miles per hour and the hurricane moves slowly across the region, but it lacks the strength of Katrina. In Louisiana, more than 600,000 residents lose power, but the city of New Orleans avoids any major damage.

September 2012

September 11, 2012 Gunmen Storm U.S. Embassy in Libya. Armed gunmen storm the American consulate in Benghazi and shoot and kill U.S. ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other embassy officials.

October 2012

October 9, 2012 Taliban gun down 14-year-old girl who defied them. In Pakistan, Taliban members shoot 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai in the head and neck. The shooting occurs while Yousafzai is on her way home on a school bus filled with children. Two other girls are wounded. All three girls survive. Ehsanullah Ehsan, a Taliban spokesman, confirms that Yousafzai was the target due to her outspokenness against the Taliban and her determination to get an education.

November 2012

November 6, 2012 Barack Obama Wins Re-Election. President Obama  is re-elected, narrowly defeating Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Obama prevails in both the electoral college (303 to 206) and the popular vote (50% to 48%), buoyed largely by taking several crucial battle states, including Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, New Hampshire, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

December 2012

December 14, 2012 Gunman Kills 26 at Elementary School. The Gunman, forces his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newton, Connecticut and kills 26 people. The victims include 20 children between the ages of six and seven. Then the gunman takes his own life while still inside the school. Before going to the school, the gunman  shoots and kills his mother, Nancy, in the home they shared.

Charlotte Bacon, 2/22/06, female

Daniel Barden, 9/25/05, male

Rachel Davino, 7/17/83, female.

Olivia Engel, 7/18/06, female

Josephine Gay, 12/11/05, female

Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 04/04/06, female

Dylan Hockley, 3/8/06, male
Dawn Hochsprung, 06/28/65, female
Madeleine F. Hsu, 7/10/06, female
Catherine V. Hubbard, 6/08/06, female
Chase Kowalski, 10/31/05, male

Jesse Lewis, 6/30/06, male

James Mattioli , 3/22/06, male

Grace McDonnell, 12/04/05, female

Anne Marie Murphy, 07/25/60, female

 Emilie Parker, 5/12/06, female

Jack Pinto, 5/06/06, male

Noah Pozner, 11/20/06, male

Caroline Previdi, 9/07/06, female

Jessica Rekos, 5/10/06, female

Avielle Richman, 10/17/06, female

Lauren Rousseau, 6/1982, female (full date of birth not specified)

 Mary Sherlach, 2/11/56, female

Victoria Soto, 11/04/85, female

Benjamin Wheeler, 9/12/06, male

Allison N. Wyatt, 7/03/06, female

Remember the victims not who killed them

This year was filled with many ups and downs both personally and publically. I know that as I think of my New Years Resolutions for 2013, one that I plan on sticking to is to hug my boys every day.

I know this...In My Life I will not rush through every day without looking back. I will take time to enjoy what I have, not regret what I don't, and reflect a little more on what has happened or is happening in this world we live in.

HAPPY 2013!!!

Italian...and Loving It

Venice

A bus stops and two Italian men get on. They seat themselves, and engage in animated conversation. The lady sitting behind them ignores their conversation at first, but her attention is galvanized when she hears one of the men say the following:

''Emma come first. I come. Dennis come and Dennis come again. I come again. Two asses, they come together again. I come again and pee twice. Then I come once-a-more.''

''You foul-mouthed swine,'' retorted the lady indignantly. ''In this country we don't talk about our sex lives in public.''

''Hey, coola down lady,'' said the man. ''Imma just tella my friend howa to spella Mississippi.''

I have mentioned a couple of times that I am Italian. I am a first generation Italian American. Both my parents are from Italy and moved here in 1959. I am very proud of my parents for moving to a country not knowing how to speak the language, but learning and becoming citizens of the United States. I do not remember much about my dad (he passed away when I was six), but I do remember how proud my mom was to be an American.

Mom & Dad's wedding day

I am very proud to be an American, but I am also very proud of my heritage.

I want to become fluent in Italian, I know quite a bit since my mother always spoke it in the house (especially when any of us were in trouble), but as far as reading and writing...I stink at it. So where to begin......hand gestures, table manners, and a little bit of humor...


Hand Gestures

Connecting your index finger to your thumb on both hands and moving from the inside out means "perfetto" = perfect

Bring your hands together and place them under your cheek.

 means "Andiamo a dormire" = let's go to sleep 

Bring your hand palm side down to the side of your stomach.

 This gesture means "Ho fame" = I'm hungry

 OK now I have some basics, but I need to remember about customs especially around the table. Here are some things I picked up, and some I read about...

Table Manners

1. Food is a big part of Italian hospitality. In fact it might be the biggest part of Italian hospitality. How you react to what is placed before you at the table can make or break relationships. This is no time to be a fussy eater, so, unless you have medically verifiable food allergy you should really eat everything put before you. It will probably be amazing anyways so you can only really win with this one.

2. Bread is put on the table next to your plate.  There is no bread side plate. There is no butter or spread for the bread. The bread is used for soaking up the sauce after the pasta and/or salad. Bread is therefore not served with pizza.

3. There is more to Italian cooking than pasta and pizza. A lot more.

4. If there is no salt on the table, don’t ask for it. If there is no salt it’s because the cook has deemed the meal tasty enough. Sometimes salt is put on the table, then, add as much as you like.

5. DO NOT ASK FOR KETCHUP or TOMATO SAUCE. ever.

6. An Italian meal is often a multi course affair. This means that you have to be wise and eat appropriate sized portions for what you think you can handle. You will leave the table feeling like you need elasticized trousers regardless, the real question is HOW stretchy do those trousers need to be.  If you eat all that you can in the first course you are (literally) stuffed for the next five.

7. Generally wine and water are served with food. Sometimes carbonated drinks and fruit juices are also served, but not regularly. Hot drinks like tea and coffee are served after the meal.


8. People in Italy have been eating like this for thousands of years. The Roman Empire was built on this stuff. The international beauty Sophia Loren famously said “Everything you see, I owe to pasta.” Italians enjoy the food but also just the moment of being together. This means that even a sandwich meal can easily take 45 minutes. So, just relax, enjoy your meal and this special moment you have been invited into.

Maybe have some of this on hand

9. My Aunt said to me "that when you are gathered around the table you do not age." good reason why meals last so long, and if its true I will be moving my laundry room next to the kitchen table.

So I am on my way to being a better Italian, I have a long way to go, but I cannot wait to learn more and more, next maybe some little known facts about Italy. The more I learn, the more I like learning.

Michael & I in Cento

I know this...In My Life I will face many challenges and some will be tougher than others, but I will enjoy the ride.

Things That Might Make You Go hmmmmm

I though about being serious today and realized sometimes I hate being an adult and wish that I could go back to more care free times. Being an adult is not all fun and games but today it is as I reflect on getting old and what being an adult means.

Here is my list of things that might make you go hmmmmm
I am sure most of you can relate to 1 if not all the items on my list. 



The average ten-year-old doesn't have a clue who Bo and Luke Duke are.

You have once said, "Whatcha-ya talkin' 'bout Willis?"

Two words: parachute pants

I had gray ones

Naps are good.

The only thing in your cereal box is ... cereal.

You leave concerts and ballgames early to beat the crowd.

You WANT clothes for Christmas.

You remember when Saturday Night Live was funny.

You've bought an album on vinyl.

You remember seeing Star Wars when it first came out.

Your houseplants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them. 

Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question. 

You keep more food than beer in the fridge. 

6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed. 

You hear your favorite song in an elevator. 

You watch the Weather Channel. 

Your friends marry and divorce instead of "hook up" and "break up." 

You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14. 

You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore. 

Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up. 

You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonald's leftovers. 

Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt. 

You take naps from noon to 6 PM 

Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one. 

Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach. 

A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good stuff." 

You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time. 

"I just can't drink the way I used to" replaces "I'm never going to drink that much again." 

90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work. 

You drink at home to save money before going to a bar. 

When you find out your friends are pregnant you congratulate them, instead of asking "Oh, Shit, What Happened?"

You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you and can't find one to save your sorry old butt. 



I know this...In My Life having a little fun not being serious is what will get you through the day sometimes.

Johnny Appleseed, and Some Apples

It is that time of year when most of us like going to a local orchard to pick apples. I enjoy this family tradition of ours, but I also don't. For us it means the end of summer and the beginning of fall, and that always leads to winter, my least favorite season. My boys are getting older and I know they enjoy going apple picking, although they probably will not admit it, but they also knows it leads to apple pie, apple crisp, apple sauce, and anything else I can throw apples into. 

Our Local Orchard

I thought today would be a good day to learn about Johnny Appleseed, so here is the history lesson of the month...

Johnny Appleseed lived in the days of early America. He became a legend, and many stories were told about him. Some people do not know he was a real person. His name was John Chapman, and he was born in Leominster Massachusetts in 1774. His father, Nathaniel, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. His mother, Elizabeth, died when he was still a very young child. 

Chapman remained in Massachusetts until 1797 when, at the age of 27, he set out for the Ohio frontier. He never again lived in a settled place. He made it his life's work to plant fruit trees in the developing parts of the country. He carried sacks of apple seeds with him and planted orchards throughout the Northwest Territory.

Once his orchards were established, he would hire a local boy to look after the saplings; he would move on, returning to tend his trees and sell saplings to the newcomers. In time, he covered thousands of miles, stretching from western Pennsylvania, through central Ohio, into Indiana.

Although John Chapman was a successful businessman, he rarely spent money on himself. He was said to use a coffee sack for clothing; one winter he made his home in the trunk of hollowed out tree. But when he encountered someone in need, he was a generous benefactor. He was also reputed to be a peacemaker between Native Americans, who appreciated his rapport with the natural world, and white settlers. He shared his saplings with Indians; in turn they taught him the healing power of herbs and other plants. As he traveled, his reputation as a healer, and a sort of folk saint, grew.

During his travels, some families asked Johnny to join them for a meal.  He would never sit down until he was sure that their children had enough to eat.  His diet was as simple as his clothing.  He believed that it was wrong to kill and eat any creature for food.  He believed that the soil produced everything necessary for humans. 

There are a number of other stories about Johnny Appleseed. Once a rattlesnake attempted to bite him while he slept.  Johnny struck the creature, killing it.  This was an action he said he always regretted.

Another time, he was trapped in the wilderness during a severe snowstorm.  He found shelter in an old tree that had fallen to the ground.  In the tree, he discovered a mother bear and her cubs. He did not interfere with the animals, and left before they knew he was there.

Johnny Appleseed has sometimes been called the American Saint Francis of Assisi.  Saint Francis established a Roman Catholic group that cares for the poor and the sick. Saint Francis also is remembered for his love of animals and for honoring nature.

In 1845, John Chapman became sick and developed pneumonia during a visit to Fort Wayne.  He died in the home of a friend, William Worth.  Chapman was seventy years old.  He was buried near Fort Wayne.  The marker over his burial place reads, "He lived for others." He had spent 46 years planting trees across the country. The death of this extraordinary man was mourned by many. In the years since his death numerous honors have been given him. A postage stamp was made in his honor. A school was named for him, and an annual festival is held in Fort Wayne, Indiana as well as other cities.

I hope the boys will continue to look forward to apple picking for many more years, and when they grow older will bring their children as well. 

I don't think he needs the ladder

I know this...In My Life I will have many things that bring a smile to my face, and most involve my children, and I hope those smiles never go away.