Pick Up Sticks

Carribean Cruise

Most people who know me know I am a homebody.  I've never been much of a traveler...hate plane trips.  But last week we took a Caribbean Cruise to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary.  We went to Key West, Grand Cayman and Jamaica.  We had a wonderful time.  The weather was perfect and a great escape from the dreary winter weather in PA.

My favorite picture of the week is one I took on the balcony of our stateroom with the sun rise in the background.

We loved having a balcony.  We tended to be on the side of the ship to see the sunrise.  My hubby would go upstairs and get us a cup of coffee and tea and we would watch the sunrise each morning in our PJ's.  It was heavenly!

I had never been on a cruise before.  And while it is not a vacation I would want to take on a regular basis it was a wonderful escape from our stressful jobs.  The food was fabulous and so pretty at dinner each night.  Each plate displayed so beautifully and the food was very fresh and at times unique.  They had a changing menu each night and included a "Didja" on the menu - as in didja ever want to try...  Our son had told us to try new things this week because if you didn't like it they would bring you something else.  I had sushi as an appetizer several nights - way out of my comfort zone - it was tiny bites of sushi - not the typical sushi rolls I am used to seeing.  some I liked...some not so much.  We also tried Alligator bites - which were very good.  I did not try escargot or frog legs...couldn't do it.  I had some new to me fish - Basa - which I looked up at home and found it to be a type of Vietnamese catfish - although it was different from the catfish I have eaten at home.  This was probably my favorite dinner - Martini Braised Basa Fillet with tomato, chili and fennel.  Oh my goodness!  I could eat this every night!

We did the typical cruise excursions and enjoyed the Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica the best.  It was a climb up through a waterfall.  It was fun and a little challenging as I couldn't see out of my glasses once they got wet and I needed to take them off.  People were losing their glasses left and right - I tucked mine into my bathing suit (don't ask) but then couldn't see very well.  So I struggled a little as my depth perception was off.  But it was fun and I was able to keep up despite being woefully out of shape.  A picture is below.  At times you were working against rushing water and other times in waist deep water...climbing up about 900 feet to the top of the falls.

It was a wonderful week with my parents who were celebrating their 50th anniversary.  We had a wonderful time.  It was hard to leave 80+ degree weather and fly home into a snowstorm with high winds.  It was 20 degrees when we got off the plane with a wind chill of about 5 - welcome back to reality!

Easter Goodies

Last night I came home to a rather large box on my front porch.  I knew I hadn't ordered anything so I hurried to find out what it was.  The return address belonged to my aunt.  We had talked on the phone the week before after she received my knitted memory gift.  She asked me about Easter and whether I made the traditional foods we usually had growing up for a Ukranian Easter.    I told her yes - mostly although I did not make Paska - a sweet egg rich Easter bread - or nut rolls.  She promised to look for an extra cookbook from her church - the church I grew up in.  It would have the recipes I wanted to make these traditional foods.

I thought maybe the box contained the cookbook - but it was larger and heavier than that.  I opened it up to find a beautiful loaf of Paska - the traditional round loaf with braids crossed over the top - a huge nut roll, and kielbasa - the good kind I can't find in my area.

picture from wikipedia
Ok...this isn't a picture of my Aunt's...I popped hers in the freezer until next weekend...but it looks similar to hers...although hers was more golden and perfectly round.  It is a wonderful bread filled with sweetness and eggs and raisins to break the long fast of lent.  

I love keeping up the traditions of my family.  It is funny because my husband is also Ukranian so we have the same holiday traditions.

Easter dinner at my grandparents was always wonderful - my grandparents were quiet unassuming people who loved family and tradition.  Easter dinner consisted of ham, kielbasa, beets ground with horseradish, paska, hrudka - which is a sweet bland cheese custard, butter that had been softened and shaped into a lamb, Pysanky eggs, poppyseed and nut rolls and so much more.  It was a tradition to place your Easter foods in a beautiful basket lined with embroidered linens and to take this to the church to be blessed. 

picture from learnpysanky.com  

Each food item was symbolic - for instance the paska or bread is symbolic of Christ Himself, He Who is our Bread of life. It is usually baked as a round loaf with a golden crust decorated with some symbol indicative of Christ, such as a braided cross. Sometimes a cross of dough is placed on top, and the entire loaf rimmed with a braided plait of dough giving it a crowned effect.  Sometimes the abbreviation XB is used (in Cyrillic writing - the initials for "Khrystos Voskrese!" - "Christ is Risen!").

On Easter morning after mass we would walk back to my grandparents. The meal would begin with a prayer and then my grandfather would cut one of the blessed eggs into portions - one for each person at the meal.  This ritual symbolized family unity and the hopes for a happy and prosperous year until next Easter. 

We have a speciall meal also for Christmas Eve and Christmas - again filled with Ukranian traditions.  What I love is that my children - my boys - love these traditions and have learned to make some of the traditional Ukranian foods - like pirogis and halupki (cabbage filled with meat and rice).  My grandparents didn't live long enough to see my children as adults and to see them carry on the traditions of our families - but I know they would be proud.

In Memory

Usually I knit quite a few gifts for Christmas.  This year I made a decision to concentrate on only 3 gifts - and I had some disappointed people - my niece for one.  I asked her on New Year's if she noticed there were no handknits...and she stated "But of course...."

My decision was so I could make gifts in memory of my grandmother who passed away this summer after years in a nursing home with Alzheimer's.  She was the person who taught me to knit as a child and because of this I feel like I have her with me everyday...as I knit every day.  Unfortunately she did not really know this as I only took up knitting again in the past 6 years or so.  For the past 8 years she did not know any of us...lost in her world of Alzheimer's.

I decided to knit my dad and his two sisters gifts in her memory...of their mother.  My aunts were easy as I decided to make scarves - an Irish Hiking scarf for one and a Feather and Fan for another...both in lovely blue wools...the color of my grandmother's eyes.  My dad was harder...he lives in the south and doesn't really have the need for too many handknits.  My mom talked me into a vest...one he could wear golfing on cooler days.  I found a yarn that is a wool blend that was lovely to knit with. 

We celebrated Christmas early with my parents and when he opened up his gift and read the note I enclosed - about it being in memory of his mother - he got up and ran from the room.  I knew he was teary eyed...but he surprised me by coming back into the room proudly wearing the new vest...with a huge smile on his face.  He loved it!  And it fit perfectly!

I haven't sent off the scarves yet...I just haven't made it to the post office when it was open...but hopefully my aunts will be pleased with their presents as well.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

We had a successful Christmas eve dinner...filled with the traditional foods of our Ukranian heritage.  My husband and I are both part Ukranian and we blend our own traditional foods with our own.  This included homemade pierogies.  We haven't made them homemade in about 5 years - since before my sister got sick.  Weds. we made about 5 dozen in a team effort - our son peeled the potatoes, hubby mashed them, I made to dough and rolled it and made the pierogies and hubby cooked them and cleaned up.  We always open a bottle of wine and make a huge mess in the kitchen.

Last night we ate them...so good!

This morning we were up early and exchanged presents.  Lots of laughs and fun and thoughtful presents.  Our crazy little dog loves to open presents - really!  We have to keep him away from the pile or he would open them all himself...it is too funny!

I have to assemble two gift bags to take along today - filled with wine, homemade pesto and sweet and spicy almonds.  As long as the weather holds up - they are calling for freezing rain today - we are headed to my BIL's house.  It will be a fun day filled with family and good food!  My husband's family is so much fun!

So Merry Christmas to All!

Fabulous Weekend

I had one of my most enjoyable weekends ever!  We had a houseful of people - and celebrated Christmas with my side of the family.  There was lots of fun, good food, wonderful presents, lots of snow and a house filled with family...what more can you ask for.

Sunday we woke up to a spectacular winter day - bright sunshine, cold brisk weather and a winter wonderland - the storm on Saturday left us with 10 inches of snow.  Everything was bright and clean looking.  We were supposed to drive an hour south to see our son but they had 16 inches of snow and weren't sure we could make it to their house.  They have an SUV and braved the roads and came to us instead.  So we had a houseful...including three dogs.

My parents aren't use to such chaos...especially the dogs...but they were relatively behaved...only one brief stint with the tree sliding precariously...but in the end no damage!

As the day progressed my cousin/god-daughter made it in from Vermont.  Despite seeing lots of snow along the way she found the roads clear.  Then three of my nephews rolled in...they were on the last leg of a cross country road trip...from California...in a Mustang...not sure how they all fit.  But we had a great - but short visit.  They are great kids...not really kids now...but they will always seem that way.

Back to reality

Well my much needed long thanksgiving weekend is over.  I didn't get done as much as I would have liked, but is was a fun weekend with family.  I love having Matt home from college...he's a great kid and lots of fun.  We also saw a lot of our oldest son and his wife and their two dogs.  They came back over Sunday morning and stayed part of the day.  My hubby made a huge, greasy breakfast - which I stayed away from - and then we just hung out and watched some TV and gabbed.

But by late afternoon everyone was gone and the house was soooo quiet.  I hate the quiet...I miss my boys!

Hubby and I dragged out the boxes of Christmas dishes and packed away the Fall dishes.  I washed up all the Christmas dishes and all my Christmas linens and set my table in reds and greens.  A few years ago I started keeping my table set all the time - all year long - pretty dishes, placemats, real napkins, glassware and silverware.  It always looks so pretty - I change things up a lot seasonaly and it really deters any clutter from accumulating on the table.  Right now all I need is a Christmas-y centerpiece and it will be done.

Hubby put the lights up outside and I hung my Christmas wreath on the front door.  I still have to hang the fresh pine garland on my new porch posts as well as put up garland and lights around the new french doors on the addition...but the decorating is further along than last year.  I hope to do a little each night this week and then all that is left is the tree.

This year will be just me and hubby cutting down the tree.  The past few years it was the three of us - Matt loves to find just the right tree - but this year he is just too busy at college to get back home for a day to go get the tree.  This just makes me so sad!  But hubby and I will still go out and cut one down and decorate it...we love the smell of a real tree! 

I guess families are always changing - kids grow up and move on with their lives.

Thanksgiving 2009

I have so much to be thankful for in my life...I have a wonderful, caring husband, two great sons, a DIL I adore, a fabulous loving family, good health and so much more.

We are hosting Thanksgiving today...there will be about 10 people for dinner...with our son and DIL stopping in later for dessert as well as a few others for dessert.  I love a houseful of people...and now that we added on to the house we finally have the room for it...our house is still tiny...but I love our little cottage.

We planned dinner so that most of it was done early and we could enjoy our family and friends and not spend the whole day in the kitchen.  Yesterday I made the stuffing, mashed potatoes and a sweet potato casserole.  It is misty and foggy outside.  My hubby had to put up a canopy over the patio so he could set up the smoker.  It is supposed to be sunny and 58 today...we'll see.

Now the turkey is in the oven, a turkey breast is in the smoker...and all I need to do is vacuum and touch up the bathroom.  Then it will be a shower and then I can settle in with some Christmas gift knitting until people start showing up.  The rest of the meal is easy to finish because I worked my butt off yesterday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Brining and Smoking a Turkey Breast

My husband and his brothers love to smoke...and I don't mean cigarettes!  Three of the 4 brothers...as well as our oldest son...own smokers.  This is something I never really thought I would enjoy...smoked meat...but have been pleasantly surprised with their results over the years.  The men have smoked beef roasts, ribs, sausage, brisket and chicken...at least that is what I have tried.

My husband wanted to smoke a turkey breast for Thanksgiving.  He did some research online - he reads smoking blogs like I read knitting blogs - and found a recipe. Tuesday night he gathered his ingredients and mixed up the brine and began soaking the turkey.  Luckily we now have a second fridge because this took up a lot of room.  My understanding is that brining adds flavor and keeps the turkey very moist.  The only other thing we have brined before smoking was chicken...so maybe it is a poultry thing.

Tonight he will take the turkey out of the brine, pat it dry and apply a rub to the outside.  It will then be wrapped in plastic wrap and put back into the fridge.

Thursday he will be up early to get the charcoal going in the smoker...the coals need to reach a certain temp before the meat is placed inside.  Then the rest is easy...just making sure the coals stay at the proper temp and watching the temp of the turkey...you heat it to about 5-10 degrees below what is considered "done" since it cooks a little more once removed from the smoker.

I took the afternoon off and have spent it roasting sweet potatoes...once they cool I will mix with melted butter, a little brown sugar and OJ and place in a casserole and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.  Then it will be ready for the oven tomorrow.  I love sweet potatoes...but not the sickening sweet candied kind...or ones with marshmallows...yuck!  I made this concoction last year and it is delicious!

I also made the mashed potatoes...tons...because there was a small issue last Christmas at my BIL's where he ran out of mashed potatoes before everyone had some...not happening here!

And I have started on the stuffing...almost done.  All this prep will make tomorrow a breeze...so I can enjoy some sangria!

Now I just need to straighten up and do a little cleaning...thank goodness I took the afternoon off! 

25th Anniversary

In December my hubby and I celebrated our 25^th wedding anniversary. He planned a long romantic weekend away to St. Michael’s MD. This is one place I always wanted to go because I had heard nice things about the area.

We stayed in a wonderful bed and breakfast – The Old Brick Inn – who had red roses and a bottle of wine waiting when we got there. Our room was beautiful and had a fireplace – which was greatly needed because the weekend we were there was bitter cold. The town is a historic one on the Eastern shore in Maryland. We were within walking distance of great shops, wonderful restaurants, a winery, a microbrewery and yes – a yarn shop – Frivolous Fibers.

The first day we were there it was pouring and so cold. We braved the cold and browsed the shops – finding lots of sales as it was the weekend before Christmas and most shops close down except for weekends after the holidays. We walked to the local winery and tasted some great wines…hubby did the reds and I tried the whites. We had dinner in a local pub – forgoing the fancier restaurants since we just aren’t fancy dinner people. We had a wonderful hot crab and spinach dip with dinner.

Saturday we had a wonderful breakfast at the inn and headed to a nearby town - Easton - for shopping and browsing. Again it was a freezing day – but thankfully no rain. Despite the fact that we had a huge breakfast we stopped at a local pub and enjoyed some great beer and food. I had a roasted tomato soup that was to die for. Again we found a yarn shop – not quite as nice as Frivolous Fibers. Back in St. Michael’s we stopped in the inn for an afternoon snack – coffee and tea and delicious brownies and scones. Then walked to the brewery and sampled the beer. Not the best in my opinion but we had fun. We needed to walk off all the food and drinks and walked down to the water – drooling over the beautiful old homes.

Dinner was again in a local pub – notice the trend here. There was live music and lots of local flavor…fun times.

This was a great weekend. I would recommend the area and the inn. We will definitely go back – this time during warmer weather. We won’t always get to stay at this particular inn as it was pricey – but perfect for a special celebration.

The biggest surprise of the weekend? A ring from my hubby! When we got married we were so young and poor. HA! I was still in college and hubby had a job in retail – which meant long hours and little pay. We couldn’t afford an engagement ring – something that has bothered my husband for years. Every year he would bring it up – and every year I would say – someday – when the kids are out of college. Over the years he would ask what I liked. I’m not fond of big rings – I thought maybe I wanted an anniversary ring – someday. Well he shocked me! Said some really sweet things that made us both well up. And I ended up with the perfect ring – it is not a typical anniversary ring – but it is gorgeous. I love it!

Back to Reality

Jan. 2, 2009

Well it was a rough morning getting up today and heading back to work.  After a long New Year’s Day, I struggled to get moving.  I hate to have to head off to work when my hubby has the day off – it just seems so unfair!  But he has a busy day planned.  He is heading off to Best Buy to pick up a new 42” TV which was a surprise present for our new room from my parents.  He is also installing a new faucet in the kitchen along with an under-the-sink water filter.  He is going to finish cleaning up after our party…most everything was washed and put away last night before we went to bed except two crusty crockpots which were soaking and some glassware that needs to be put away.

 

The large crusty crockpot held a family favorite – not one I’ve made before but one of my hubby’s Aunt’s recipes – Cottage Potatoes.  Actually for years she has brought it to family gatherings and I have never tasted them…they always get eaten within 15 minutes by everyone else.  My niece often makes them as well and I tasted one small bite at our family’s annual Memorial Day picnic last year.  So I decided to make them for New Year’s and doubled the recipe since they always go so fast.  Believe it or not there was one small bowl left at the end of the day – probably because our youngest son wasn’t there to eat his portion.  The recipe is an interesting mix but surprisingly good – although very fattening.

 

Aunt Barbara’s Cottage Potatoes

6-8 boiled potatoes (cubed)

1 med. onion (diced)

1/2 lb. velvetta cheese (cubed)

3 slices bread (cubed)

1/2 cup melted butter

Parsley

salt and pepper

Toss all ingredients into a greased baking dish.

Top tossed potatoes with 1 Cup milk and sprinkle corn flakes over all.

Cover and bake at 350 for 30-45 mins.

Uncover and bake 5mins or more to brown. 

We usually make this ahead of time and then put in a crockpot for family.  If the potatoes get a little dry you can always add more milk to the mixture.  They are so yummy!

 

The other crusty crockpot was my Little Dipper.  I had never used this before but saw a recipe for a Pizza Fondue/Dip that sounded interesting and was so easy.  I used 1 cup of chunky tomato sauce, 1 cup of shredded cheese (I used a mix of mozzarella, parmesan and sharp cheddar) and about 15 slices of pepperoni – diced.  You just put this in a small crockpot and let everything melt together and then serve with whatever you want to dip…the recipe said crackers, breadsticks or tortilla chips.  I sliced up a crusty baguette and people loved it...I actually made 3 or 4 batches of it through out the day – heating it up in the microwave because it was faster – and then adding it to the crockpot.  By halftime of the game we were out of baguette slices and I cut up some of the crusty rolls and people used those.  It was a hit and so super easy and adaptable to your tastes – whatever kind of sauce or cheeses you like or had on hand.

 

We have lots of fun family gatherings as my hubby’s family is large – 4 boys and 10 grandkids –also known as the “cousins” – 9 boys and 1 beautiful young lady – although the boys are quite a nice looking bunch as well.  They range in ages from 30 down to 19 – the youngest being our youngest son.  They are a great group of kids and all get along very well and are very close – which is so nice.  Now there is a mix of wives and girlfriends - and one boyfriend -  and they get along as well.  They are a protective group and look out for one another even though they are spread out across the country – from PA to OH to CA. 

 

Love being a part of this family!