Patti Play Pal Lives On!

Thanks to Sandi, my emotional wounds for receiving the generic version of Patti Play Pal have been reopened! Sandi sent the attached photo of the REAL DEAL Patti Play Pal...and she ain't sporting no bubble! Thanks, Sandi (?). She even has a pretty Christmas dress on, unlike the plain old frumpy frock my generic doll wore.

Lassie, Generic Patty Play Pal and Fake Go Go Boots - Memories of Bygone Christmases

Those among us who celebrate Christmas never forget those Christmas Eves when we were so excited about the prospects that lie ahead the next morning. The sleeplessness we fought so we could get to sleep so Christmas morning would come quicker. The noises we heard that made us sure it was Santa distributing our loot. As a child I shared a room with my sister. We had louver doors and the light from our living room lamps always managed to sneak in. On most nights this was just an annoyance, but on Christmas Eve it was PAINFUL! I didn't want to peek through those slats in the doors for fear Santa would be there, notice me, and take all my toys back to the North Pole. For some reason, probably just being a curious kid, I had to fight to keep my eyes out of those slats on Christmas Eve. Because my sister is eight years older than I am she just fell asleep, most likely thinking I was just an annoying little brat, and she was probably right. She probably also got annoyed that I would wake her up before dawn to come out with me to harvest my booty of toys.

I remember two special toys I received as a child. One with joy, one not so much. Because I have always been an animal lover my stuffed ride-on Lassie dog was my favorite gift of all time. I kept that dog for so long, until it was so matted that it was time to say goodbye. The toy that brings back only memories of my mom's frugal nature was a "generic" version of Patty Play Pal. Oh, I couldn't wait to see that life-size doll under our tree - her blonde hair gleaming, her blue eyes sparkling, her perfect dress. Patty was the first ever life size dollie and I knew I just had to have her. Imagine my shock when I opened those louver doors on Christmas morning to see a replica of said Patty Play Pal! There she stood, brown curly bubble hairdo, brown eyes, and wearing a homely frock. It seems my mom was able to find this sorry excuse for Patty Play Pal at a much reduced price. OMG! I tried to like this imposter doll, but it was just too hard. She wasn't Patty! How could my mom do this to me? My mom doesn't know how disappointed I was in that doll, and I have chosen to keep this my secret (except for sharing it with all of you, of course). My mom also doesn't know how I hated the generic version of the Go Go boots she got me, instead of the gleaming white leather ones that were all the rage in my elementary school. Those off white, fake leather ones represented horrors upon horrors to me. Oh, I wore them, once. Only once because people made fun of them. In retrospect, had I not been a spineless little wienie back them, I would have worn them anyway. Isn't it funny what we chose to let hurt us when we were younger?

Christmas for Artie and I now centers around our grandchildren. Since Lindsay and Danny are way past the childlike excitement that presents bring, it is now fun again to see our grandkids' little faces light up as they open their gifts. Landon was excited about his Geo Trax zoo train, and Annie about a doll she wanted, shouting, "Oh my God! Oh my God!" Brennan was content to play with the crumbled wrapping paper. I can only hope I never purchase something that they will write about on their blogs in years to come.

Words to the Wise...Sharing Isn't Always Good

I learned a valuable lesson or two this week. First, don't do storytelling under a blanket with two sick grandkids! Why? Because you too will get sick. Last weekend Landon and Annie were both sick with coughs, colds, and eventually ear infections. Being the wonderful grandma that I am, I thought it would be fun to do our storytelling under my large Bears fleece blanket. It would take their little minds off being sick. So, Landon got the flashlight and under the blanket we went. In the midst of our stories there arose such a clatter - coughing - germs spewing into the contained atmosphere of the blanket. I guess I was so concerned about them coughing that it never occurred to me that I was inhaling some nasty bacteria. Later in this week Lindsay comes down with a sore throat, cough and ear ache. She visits her doc who informs her that she has walking pneumonia, an ear infection, AND a sinus infection. Of course I had been in close proximity to her as well, having gone there to help with the kids. I woke up on Thursday with a bit of a sore throat and a cold, but dismissed it as no big deal. Well, it got worse. Today the throat was so sore that I put in a call to my own doc, who prescribed a "very strong antibiotic" to "knock it out quickly", to quote the dear man who has been my doc for many years. I have not been on this antibiotic before - Levaquin - so I decided to read the warnings and side effects. I shouldn't have done that because now I can add stress to the side effect list! OMG! The ones that really got to me were "swollen tendons" and possible tendonitis. Great! With my recent battle with my stupid knee and all the swelling I've had due to crazed bursa tendons and hamstring issues, imagine my delight when I read all this. Oh, hook me up with this one, please! I could also experience dizziness, stomach pain, intestinal issues, and on and on. Was I better off nursing a sore throat, gargling with salt water, as my grandma and mom would have told me to do? The other thing that scared me was that I only take ONE pill a day! Ooooh, this is some powerful stuff. My doctor also told me to get Mucinex D. Is anyone else appalled by the Mucinex commercials with the little booger monsters invading your nose? That is all I could think of as I picked up the box at Target. Back off booger monsters! The Levaquin Super Hero is gonna getcha!

The Twelve Pains of Christmas

This has definitely been the least stressful Christmas season for me. Not working really has afforded me the luxury of shopping at will, wrapping whenever I feel like it. Fabulous! In the car the other day I heard this song and laughed out loud, reliving the days of extreme stress during this time of year. Hope you enjoy it.

http://www.links2love.com/lyrics-12-pains-of-christmas-song.htm

Reality Shows

"So You Think You Can Dance"? "American Idol"? You betcha! I am not a reality TV junkie, per se, but I do admit to rearranging my schedule for American Idol - much to my husband's chagrin. Where else can you sit in the comfort of your home, in your favorite easy chair, bundled under your favorite Chicago Bears fleece throw and CRITIQUE the talents (or lack thereof) of others? Last night, while Artie attended a business dinner, I indulged myself and watched "So You Think You Can Dance". It just occurred to me this morning just how amusing that is. Here I am sitting in judgment of young, buff, talented dancers. I heard myself say, "He's too stiff!", or "She missed a move!". Me, who some days cannot even WALK without thinking about each step, let alone leap into the air, move my feet so fast that you can't even see them. I even had the audacity to be a bit disgusted with their sweat. What? If I were to try any of those moves, not only would I sweat, but I would require an oxygen mask and a ride in an ambulance. Who am I kidding?

I have always loved to sing. I think I have a great voice, but apparently my kids don't agree because any time I sing aloud around either of them I am told to stop. Artie, bless his soul, indulges me my passion to sing in the car without complaining. My mom always told me that I had a great singing voice. My Uncle Guido, a professional oboe player in his day, told my parents I should have voice training. In my Italian home opera music was played frequently and I would always sing along in what I thought was my finest operatic voice - making up the words, of course, because I had NO clue what the words were. My grandparents got the biggest kick out of me. So, of course I think I have a great voice! I love the days when I am "in good voice" and can reach the high notes of Mariah Carey (sort of), the breathiness of Taylor Swift (sort of), and the sweetness of Colbie Callait (yeah, right). So, of course this qualifies me to sit in judgment of the singers on American Idol! Oh, I have plenty to say to them alright. I am addicted to this show. I love the banter between the judges. I love to see people make fools of themselves, and I love to hate some contestants. I have a love/hate affair with Simon. His comments are so brutal sometimes - but I LOVE it!

Reality TV - a lesson in vicarious living indeed.

Savoy Cabbage Recipe (PROUD ITALIAN COOK again)

This looks like a great side or main dish from the PROUD ITALIAN COOK. I am definitely going to try this one over the holidays. Enjoy...

Savoy Cabbage, Sauteed and Stuffed

This side dish of savoy cabbage is one I've been making for as long as I can remember, it's my absolute favorite way to eat cabbage. Simple, rustic, quick and easy, but the taste is phenomenal!
You start off toasting up some bread crumbs in olive oil in a small skillet, then you add in a generous amount of grated Grana Padana Parmigiano cheese, fresh parsley, salt, pepper, then set this all aside.

Meanwhile, take a larger skillet, drizzle in some olive oil, toss in minced garlic and sliced sweet onions, add in your partially precooked and sliced up savoy cabbage, keep tossing until tender and soft, then sprinkle in your toasted breadcrumb mixture, drizzle with more olive oil, and add more parsley. That's it! This goes especially well with an herb roasted pork loin.
I love the mild sweet flavor of savoy cabbage, and just look at those vitamin enriched crinkled leaves. Did you know it's considered one of the best for eating?
Not only good as a side dish, but equally delicious as a main course. I like to stuff mine Italian style and top it off with a spicy arrabiata sauce.

To remove the leaves, take the whole head, cut off the stem, turn it upside down in a pot of boiling water, cover it and cook for 10 minutes. Take the whole head out and let the steam continue cooking it until it cools down so you can touch it, then start to peel off the leaves, cutting the hard core off each one.

I decided to go healthy here and used cooked brown rice along with ground turkey that I had browned beforehand, adding in of course garlic and onion.


Fresh parsley was then added to the turkey rice mixture, along with fresh snipped basil, salt, pepper and grated Grana Padana cheese. I also spooned in in some of my arrabiata sauce to make the mixture a little juicy. Place a good size scoop on your presteamed leaves that have been cored, and place a couple cubes of fontinella cheese on top, provolone would work also. Of course you can use ground beef, white rice, or any red sauce that you like in place of what I used for this recipe.

Place your rolls in a greased casserole dish with sauce spread on bottom, place more sauce on top of your rolls, along with grated cheese and a drizzle more of olive oil. Bake covered with tin foil in a 375 degree oven until heated through.

Love and Marriage

Today we celebrated some dear friends' 40th wedding anniversary at a surprise luncheon at Ditka's in Oak Brook. Their two sons threw this celebration for them. Kathy and Dan (photo is of them in Nashville where we surprised Dan for his 60th birthday last April) were so overwhelmed that they both cried. As I see it, this celebration merits some recognition, and some reflection. Their sons should be proud of the way this all came together, and as they said in a toast to their parents, "...we are so happy that two guys could pull this off!" While it received some laughter from the guests, I think it was the sweetest comment. They weren't sure how to go about this, but each son wanted to celebrate their parents' anniversary in a way they would always remember, and they DID pull it off.

When reflecting on the longevity of their marriage I couldn't help but reflect on my own marriage, which is 36.5 years in the making. I was thinking about how quickly this time has flown and it made me sad in my happiness. Does that make sense? While I sit in the comfort of a wonderful marriage, to a wonderful guy, I think about the marriages that haven't quite been like ours. When I watched Dan look into Kathy's eyes today they were so full of love that it made me teary eyed. I just don't see that in the eyes of young marrieds today. I see it in Artie's eyes after nearly 41 years since we first became a couple. I saw it in my grandparents' eyes, and my parents' eyes. I don't see it when I look around at young couples today. That makes me sad. Is life just too fast-paced, materialistic, "all about me", that young people don't feel the deep and comforting love that Artie and I do, and that so many of our friends do?

I am so thankful for the friends we have in our lives - friends who share our values, like what we like, are fun, and so caring. We are so lucky to have people with whom to share our happiness and sadness. We have friends we can laugh with and cry with. In my lifetime it seems that I have had an abnormal amount of close friends move away. From the time I was in kindergarten (Renee Ringstead) up to the present (most recently Don and Lynn) it seems that whenever I made close friends they would move away. I have learned from this that God sends people to you when you least expect it. Yes, I have cried over those friends who have moved away, but I have laughed twice as much with those who are still part of my life. Today I laughed (and cried) with friends whom we love very much. Happy 40th Anniversary, Kathy and Dan. May your love lights continue to shine for the rest of your lives together.

Rice Krispie Biscotti

My PROUD ITALIAN COOK has presented another fun biscotti recipe - Rice Krispies Biscotti. Thought I'd share:

Bag them up, tie some pretty ribbons on, and hand them out to your favorite kid. I ended up giving all these to my granddaughter, some for her, and some for her to pass out to her posse of friends.

HERE'S THE RECIPE:
Makes 20
40 Large Marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies
3 Tb. Butter
Chocolate For Melting
Sprinkles, Nuts, or Mini Chocolate chips
In a heavy pan, melt butter, add marshmallows, stir until they melt. Take pan off the heat and stir in your Rice Krispies, make sure they're all coated. When it cools down a little and you can handle them, form 1/3 cup each into the shape of a biscotti. Cool on parchment paper. Repeat til finished.
Melt your favorite chocolate, dip, and add your sprinkles. Place back on parchment until chocolate has hardened and it's safe to store them without smudging.

Time Flies/Happy Birthday Lindsay

Thirty two years ago today I gave birth for the first time. Lindsay Renee was born at 6:10 P.M. after 13 hours of labor in the midst of what was to be the start of a two-day blizzard. Events surrounding her birth were somewhat amazing. When I was pregnant women didn't have the luxury of the high-tech ultrasound pictures that give away the gender of the baby. They did do ultrasound, but images were so distorted that we all thought we were giving birth to aliens. Somehow my mother's intuition told me that I was having a baby girl. Artie and I had decided on the name Jennifer for a girl, and Matthew for a boy. About three weeks before I gave birth I had a VIVID dream about giving birth to a dark-haired, pink-cheeked baby girl and we named her Lindsay. What is noteworthy about this is we had NEVER discussed this name. Because the dream was so vivid, and because of my Italian superstitious belief in dreams, the name was going to be Lindsay if/when our baby daughter was born. Another noteworthy item is that I KNEW I was going to have her on Dec. 7, even though I was due on the 17th. I even discussed the possibility with my OB the day before Lindsay was born, when I had what was to be my last prenatal check. She told me I had a while to go. When I woke Artie up to tell him I thought I was in labor he didn't believe me. When the start of contractions began and I called Dr. Olson, she sort of chuckled at me and gratuitously told me to go to the hospital to be checked out. Artie and I packed my bag into the car and began the drive to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. When I got there I was in the very early stages of labor. When Dr. Olson was finally called in she once again gave a little chuckle and then checked my progress. She smiled and told us that yes, we were going to have a baby that day. I think she was more surprised about this than we were.

When finally whisked to the delivery room, Christmas carols were playing on the radio. It was really quite soothing amidst the chaos that is childbirth. As Lindsay was entering the world, Dr. Olson and the nurses were singing "The Christmas Song" sung by Nat King Cole - our favorite rendition to this day. Thirty two years later when I hear, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose..." I smile at the memory of giving birth for the first time.

Everything surrounding Lindsay's birth had something to do with the number 7. She was born on 12/7/1977 She weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces, which if you add up the digits equals 7. She was born at 6:10 P.M. which again adds up to 7. She was my parents seventh grandchild. The letters in her first name add up to 7. Interesting, isn't it? The last 7 is that her birth sent us to Seventh Heaven. Happy birthday, Lindsay.

Yes, Landon, Aniella, and Brennan...there IS a Santa Claus

I love looking at Christmas through the eyes of children. There is no greater magic.

There was a period of time before our first grandchild was born that Christmas had lost some of its luster and joy. Our kids were grown and Santa hadn't been to our house for years. Our kids had long stopped believing in him. Christmas was...well, BORING! Then our first grandchild was born and all that changed. Christmas became fun again! With the subsequent births of two more grandchildren, it became even better than we could ever have imagined. We were once again able to see Christmas through the eyes of children... MAGICAL.

Last night Artie and I were part and parcel to the joy of the holiday through the eyes of several children. Artie played Santa Claus for Lindsay and John's annual Christmas party for their children, and the children of their friends. Rewind to the hour leading up to this special event. Artie began the search for the Santa suit and it was game on. We were a bit worried that the suit might not fit this year, as Artie had packed on a few extra pounds, but thankfully, it fit! After some adjustments it was time to chauffeur "Santa" to the party. While on the way we decided it would be fun to give each child a candy cane, so that meant a stop at a local Walgreens. I left "Santa" in the car and ran in. I tried to park in a discreet spot so no one would notice "Santa" sitting in the car, and chose a spot where no other cars were...however, when I came back there was a car parked right next to mine. I guiltily admit that I chuckled at the thought of that person getting out of his/her car and seeing Santa Claus in the car.

We were both worried that Landon and Aniella might recognize their grandpa under that Santa suit this year, so I made Artie do a dry run of the voice he would use. It sounded different enough not to spoil the moment. Our plan each year is for me to enter through the garage as a signal to Lindsay to gather the kids into the living room to await Santa's entrance. "Santa" in the meantime is waiting outside until an opened front door signals it is time for him to make his grand entrance. The children's eyes were glued to the door and then it happened. The doorbell rang and Santa made his way into the house, "Ho Ho Ho-ing" in his "new" voice. The children's eyes were wide as saucers and their smiles provided more light to the room. Of course I am busy shooting photos of this, honing in on Landon and Annie's reaction...and praying the ruse will work for yet another year. It did! They had NO clue that the man in red was their beloved grandpa. There was a collective sigh of relief from me, Lindsay, and John as the two each took their turn sitting on Santa's lap (for a photo, of course) and telling him what they wanted him to bring for them.

M A G I C A L !

In between taking photos I listened hard for what the kids were saying to Santa. My favorite was, "And Santa, there is one thing at the top of my list..." The little boy was so serious and my heart was melting away. Landon was a bit hesitant at first, but then sat down on Santa's lap and, smiling, began to give his list. Aniella smiled sweetly as she babbled on about wanting the Strawberry Shortcake house. Brennan simply wanted to rip Santa's beard off. Another baby took one look at Santa and began to wail. Priceless. To add to the joy of the party, the parents bring one gift for their child and it is placed into a sack for distribution by Santa. After all the gifts had been passed out it was time for Santa to make his exit. He departed through the front door while I rushed to the open the garage, in which he began to take off his Santa suit for another year. I said my goodbyes and then I left through the garage as well.

My husband is a soft-spoken and somewhat shy guy, but when he puts on that Santa suit he becomes...Santa. Again, magical.

Holiday Biscotti Recipe

Once again I received a wonderful recipe from my favorite food blog (besides Matt's Kitchen, which is on hiatus). PROUD ITALIAN COOK sent out an email for Pistachio and Fig Biscotti. I thought I'd share it with you. Happy baking!

Pistachio and Fig Biscotti
Ingredients:

1 t. of anise seeds
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. of anise extract
1 t. grated orange zest
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
4 oz. dried figs, cut into 1/4 inch dice with stems removed


1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. With your mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Add eggs, extracts, and zest, and beat until creamy and light.
4. Combine remaining ingredients together, and then add to the butter mixture.
5. Mix everything on low speed until incorporated then remove dough and divide into quarters.
6. Form into 9×1 inch logs, place on ungreased baking sheet 2 inches apart, and bake until lightly browned (25 to 30 minutes).
7. Remove from oven, and cool slightly. Using a serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into 1/2″ thick slices.
8. Arrange biscotti on their sides on a baking sheet. Return to oven, and bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Turn biscotti over, and bake for another 15 minutes more. Cool on racks.