Lea Saves Supper & My Show N' Tell of New Shoes!

This is a great recipe our oldest daughter ....

~Lea....
(Photo by our youngest daughter Rebecca)

...Made for us the other night. It was delicious, and a bit different too. The sauce is more of a light sauce with chicken broth and fresh tomatoes. Wonderful! Bella!

I welcomed the light sauce, if it's not my Grandma's recipe it's not pasta gravy so the light done right is music to my tastebuds. Yes indeedie as we say in the South.

Lea really does her research, this recipe is from October '08 issue of Southern Living.

Cheese Ravioli With Spicy Tomato Sauce
Lea omitted the crushed red pepper.

I hope you enjoy the unique and different ingredient for the raviolis.... Why they are done in won ton wrappers! Imagine that! : )


Show N' Tell


You know me, I like Show N' Tell, so this is my Show N' Tell this week for you ladies...


Have you been looking for a low heel feminine shoe? With a bit of a heel, neat 1930s look? And comfortable too? I think I found a really nice shoe and boy am I glad. I wore these in the black out with hubby for date-night with no hosiery and I could not believe my feet survived.

If you know me very well, not many do. But if you know me well, very well. You would know it is normal for me to dance, waltzing and twirling, spinning in my ballet moves from years past out of a department store as my husband picks me up at the door in the car in the night hours, moon overhead... Yes I do things like that. : ) These shoes are waltz-worthy I do believe. They remind me of Capezio dance shoes.


The pretty little heel is 1 1/4 " high, that is as high as I go these days. I had a back injury last December and one good thing about it is that I have cleared most all of my higher shoes. I have found that the lower shaped heels and ballerina flats are just as pretty and make me feel so feminine. And just for the record, I am a youthful 49. I'm certainly no fuddy-duddy but I also like sweet-feminine-pretty. I enjoy celebrating my femininity! : )



I can now relate to a sweet young Doctor of Math who was courting my oldest daughter several years ago. (No, it didn't work out for them but he was a nice guy anyhow) ; )

We can learn from others right?

One lesson I learned from this precious young man was that he hated to see women in high heels. He was convinced some female-hating designer came up with high heels.

He and I were confidants' of sorts, and he was so cute, he would tell me:

Mrs. Italiana, I don't understand why women want to wear high heels! Women have such pretty feet and when they put those things on, their feet are up like this!

(He would then put his hand, wrist up at a high angle finger tips pointed down on the table and would make his hand hop around like a vertical geisha girl foot) *chuckle*

Ya know? He was right.

Professor "C", you were right dear one. Yes, I learn from others, some times a day late and a dollar short but I learn.

And ya know? I'm so glad to see my daughters have sense on this issue. : ) Women's feet really do look so much prettier and dainty in a lower or flat pretty shoe.

I found the above pretty shoes at CowardShoe.com. They are called "Fran". If you sign up for the Coward Shoe emails you will eventually notice they sometimes offer free shipping plus sale offers, and that is a Godsend. Another company that has old fashioned pretty retro shoes if you look carefully is Amerimark. I also have the black patent "Ann". I haven't worn them yet, but they are awesome, retro plus. : ) Love this style of shoe with the long ankle length skirts and tights for a unique look of Victoriana. Their shipping is reasonable. Their clearances are really a bargain if you wait for a free shipping day. (Sign up for their emails).

Have a good and Godly week! Be nice to others, let's keep a clean heart no matter what others may spitefully or deceitfully do. We don't have to be push-overs and I know it's hard sometimes, trust me.... I do believe I've seen it all lately, but what a sweet release when we can keep our eyes on our Father and let Him take care of it as we keep our dignity and place in the Lord.

~Amelia

P.S. On a more serious note and offering some new blog entries, may I suggest my other page, Vision For a Godly Home.Blogspot.com May our very lives be a Peaceful Protest.

Crispy Fish & Paint Chips

Hello All,

It's been a while since I've updated, we are simply on overload these days building our home in the country.

I thought about you all the other night when our oldest 27 year old daughter Lea...

~Lea

...made the following wonderful fish recipe for supper:

Crispy Fish

Lea: Here's the recipe! Modifications: made less breading than it called for to scale, coated with egg, double breaded, and sprayed top with canola oil/vegetable oil spray & oven fried in olive oil @ 400.

You will notice the recipe has potato flakes to bread the fish, this makes it scrumptious. My father used to use potato flakes to bread shrimp in his restaurant, crowds from over an hour away would frequent my parent's restaurant. ...And that's another blog... ; ) (It was once written in a major newspaper that the eclectic establishment should have been put under glass and into the Smithsonian)

EDIT 5.19.11 I shared this recipe today on Life With Mom on the fantastic Fish Recipe Swap!


Take care now, and please say a prayer, we are definitely lighting the candle at both ends these days with the construction of our home. I have not even checked my dashboard as of late. I know I'm missing some wowee blogs....and I hate that. I'll be back in swing when things normalize a bit. Normalize? *chuckle*

As our dear vet says:

"Y'all should do a show, it would be better than anything on T.V."

On certain days I think he may be right!

You would probably be quite amused indeed... Hubs, Four daughters, four doglets, kitty, and I and all the little details of life. Life is an adventure, sometimes quiet and sometimes loud. Sometimes perplexing, but always knowing we can trust the Father. He is cool like that. He loves me and He loves you.

I say, live out loud whether quiet or loud. Be you.

God loves YOU. He created you to be who you are. Enjoy that and celebrate it in Him. Let's be found blameless.

Please know I'm doing okay in the midst of paint samples, sheetrock dust, and what seems at times to be a big-fat mess! Not to mention Hubs and I, toe to toe with the salesman at the home improvement store as we dare buy the cheaper no-commission unfinished cabinets. ; ) Actually it looks as though we have made a new friend in him and I think that is great. Yes indeedie.

May God be glorified. Christ's Love to all, ~Amelia

P.S. You may also enjoy 'Just Give Me Jesus' and an old 50s Billy Graham sermon just as relevant for today at my other blog, VisionForaGodlyHome.blogspot.com

Just give me Jesus...

1980 Our Wedding & Italian Wedding Ring Cookie Recipe

We celebrated our 30 year wedding anniversary recently. Here are a couple of photos from the event 30 years ago. I often joke that the entire Italian populace of the city was at the wedding, after all, I'm related to one half of the Italian population in the city and Hubs is related to the other half! : )

This was a time and place when we attended a liturgical church, much tradition and a beautiful place indeed.


That was then, this is now. : ) Voila!

Today we have four daughters ages 27 to 16. We have homeschooled now going into our 21st year. God is good.

Thumbprints of our four precious daughters...


Did I ever tell you about the day my Aunt Margaret called my Grandma? My mother relays that the beige phone rings there in my Grandma's simple house...ring-a-ding-a-ding-a...ring-a-ding-a-ding-a....

My Grandma: Hello (New Orleans accent mixed with Southern Bellishness)

Aunt Margaret: Oh Josie, my heart is black...my heart is black...

Grandma: What's-a-matter Margaret?

Aunt Margaret: It's Michael...He's leaving the priesthood....My heart is black...

You all can imagine how the conversation went...Like something from a movie. Poor, poor Aunt Margaret. Michael was one of she and Uncle Johnny's sons. He was leaving the priesthood to marry a nun he had met realizing God's plan. Before you get any ideas and start imagining things, ; ) please know he left with honor and the marriage was with honor. He is a wonderful and warm speaker these days and professional counselor...Neat man.

My Aunt Margaret was my Grandpa's sister, and she was a sweetheart. She and Uncle Johnny had a great little grocery store, now a yuppie grocery and delicatessen in a museum district. My Grandpa was a sweetie as well, a quiet soul, once an opera singer in New York as a young man. Do you know how my grandpa was discovered? As a very young man, he was hanging his clothes to dry on the clothes line outside of the building window there in New York, singing up a storm and a lady from the opera house heard him singing! That started his career singing in opera houses in New York as a young man. His mother later came here from Italy and called him to her new resident in another state and bless his heart, his singing career was put on hold indefinitely. He later did what he also loved...he became a professional fisherman and shrimper on the waterfront... Every now and then my precious shy grandpa would belt a song out, and it was glorious indeed. The Great Caruso on the Bay! (He and Mario Lanzo really did resemble each other as younger men) Yes indeed, just ask my mom.

When I think of my Italian heritage I sometimes think of the elaborate wedding showers the Italian women would give. One of the offerings they would delicately and artfully make with their loving hands were Italian Wedding Ring Cookies. I remember these type of cookies for the first time as a very, very little girl standing around a table adorned with a lovely lace tablecloth in the night hour at a most elegant but homey shower, these little cookies were the most beautiful pastel colors imaginable...I remember looking up at the young ladies standing around the table in their 60s dresses, high heel pumps and flip hair dos. What a classic memory. It is something that should be in a book or magazine.

You know what I keep on my formal table? My grandma's lace tablecloth she never used, poor Grandma, she saved everything for one day when she would have what she called a pretty house. I use that tablecloth now, and it is a sweet and precious daily reminder of my grandma.

I bring to you today a wedding cookie recipe from my mother in law's files:


Italian Wedding Ring Cookies

1 cup shortening
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
7 cups flour
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat eggs and vanilla together. Cut flour, shortening and sugar together as you do pie crust, then add to egg mixture. Let rest 1 hour. Roll dough to shape of pencil, shape into small wedding rings by twisting around your little finger and cut. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. When done, drop into icing to coat and then put on wax paper to dry.

Icing:
1 box powdered sugar
1/4 milk
1 to 2 drops food coloring
lemon juice, if desired

Mix sugar with milk to form a medium consistency to coat cookies. Add small amount of food coloring. We always use assorted colors -blue, pink, yellow and green.


These cookies are "little pretties" for the table...It's not a real Italian Wedding Shower without them! : )

I hope you all are having a sweet week in Christ. It's all about Christ and Christ alone. It's a personal relationship with Christ that counts, not head knowledge. May we be Jesus with skin on to others. : ) Please feel free to visit my Vision For a Godly Home.blogspot for recent must-hear messages such as "What Love is This?" by Dave Hunt

Reminiscing Through Recipes

Hello everyone, I've been awol...I know. We are building a home in the country to move to. Yes, I can hear those birds sing now....We won't talk much about the six foot snake I almost stepped on. (I did a left-face that would have made even Gomer Pyle envious.) I have named the fella, Humphrey. Humphrey is not poisonous so we let him slither on over to the next partial of land...We are contracting this home ourselves, my hub just loves doing this type of thing so it keeps us quite busy.

This evening our four daughters and I did Father's Day with hubby after a light day of just fun shopping, a venue at Home Goods for a few practicals including one impractical....a whimsical serving bowl with a pretty color design and a bird painted in it...the girls just loved it, it was on clearance, a small price to pay to bring such smiles to the girls' faces and some newness for our diner table. : ) Our trek also included a stop at World Mart looking for a cute comfy chair for dd24 for her upcoming room in our new house in the country. It was fun, just getting out a bit, I did find two rather comfortable pair of sandals as well at Ross...yay for comfort. I had gone into Ross because you see I have been reading "Sidetracked Home Executives" and I'm on my way to de-cluttering and getting on the ball with some things.

The book, "Sidetracked Home Executives" is hilarious by the way! I bought a used older 1981 version after reading the reviews that the only difference in the newer version is they mention the card system on computer as well as card box. Phooey with that, I'll keep my card system...The book is so funny and I can relate to a lot of it...I literally LOL'd. So. To make a long story short, I de-cluttered a black patent clutch bag from the 80s, and then retrieved it back again out of my huge garbage bag full of purses not being used and awaiting the Purple Heart truck picker uppers. Why you may ask? You see my normal more up to date (resale shop find) black patent clutch that is an almost constant companion on date night with with the long strap has broketh....The cost of a new bag is expensive so I told my dd24 that I would de-clutter permanently the 80s bag but only when I have replaced it with a reasonable black patent one. I am shocked to see prices of $25. and more for a little black bag for Pete's sake. So if you haven't already guessed, that 80s black patent bag will keep it's place for now on my closet shelf in case of a dressy occasion.

Speaking of the card system...When we got back in from our fun spree, we were wondering what dessert would dd27 make for DH for our little Father's Day meal? I found my handy dandy card file from years ago....Years ago. Actually it was stuck on the 7th day of May 21 years ago, the time my sweet step daddy passed away. Yes, it was a major disruption and huge heartbreak in life. I miss him greatly. He was a talented sculptor with humility and mercy plus. A poor artist but rich in character, an Italian from the Bronx. I loved him and so did my girls...That will be another blog. : ) He was awarded the Purple Heart and sculpted Dr. Denton Cooley's family monument, a modern human heart, the same one but smaller scale of the large one in front of the Medical Center. As I write this, I suddenly see how ironic it is....my poor stepdad suddenly died of a heart attack...he barely made it onto the stretcher and to the hospital. My mother remembers seeing his head slowly turn to the side under the hospital marquee lights as he lay on the stretcher under those bright lights. My mother went home alone in a taxi with his clothes draped over her arms...

But today is Father's day for my hubs...A great guy...A godly guy. Neither of us are perfect and we don't always see eye to eye on every little thing but when it comes down to it....We are most times like Scout and Jem in To Kill a Mockingbird...And of course we pray together and have some great date nights and can still make each other laugh as well. : ) He is my protector and encourager. In fact, speaking of the sidetracked home executives? One day last year I was in tears at the state of affairs in our room, it was a mess to behold in the way of laundry baskets and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. It was one of those days. I remember looking down at his loafers as he stood by me as I sat crying and he just simply matter of factly and kindly said..."Don't worry it will get done..." His home had a part time maid and nanny....manicures and all that goes with that. I don't do manicures and I've always enjoyed raising our own children, it's a blessing and privilege. : ) And that meant going without a car for a time, nothing was worth taking me away from our children. It's a privilege to help make our home a place of stability and peace, family dinner on the table for us to enjoy and look forward to in the evenings is one of our favorite times! I'm so thankful Hubs has been a good father and husband as well as a godly support to me. It means a great deal to me that he appreciates these sweet things and is a down to earth guy, he appreciates my creative side and I, his. It definitely helps keep things in proper perspective.

Okay, back to that desert.

I was looking through my card file for a peach cobbler recipe my old friend Kathy had given me years ago, I'll be a monkey's uncle if I could not find it. I did find my old friend, Teresa's roll recipe which we put to work for us tonight...I also found Barbara Bush's chocolate chip cookie recipe too! Those are good!

But no peach cobbler recipe....Phooey.

Then it donned on me. Aha! My old friend Sandra, the friend that had 5 boys....yes. I had her Swedish Pineapple cake recipe passed down through her family!

I found it feebly written on an old envelope sharing it's place of honor with an old 20 year old grocery list of "stamps, ear drops, baby-tylenol, cotton balls..." along with purple crayon writing that said "Call Laura at home"...It was crudely punched in my Betty Crocker cookbook halfhazardly on one of the rings...Is that not a hoot? But ya know? At least I knew exactly where to find it! it is right next to the piece of paper also hastily punched in that book with my MIL's chicken & rice recipe....yes indeedie I say. (At least I know where they are at!) ; )

Thought I'd share the recipe with you all. You may want to make one of these for your Father's Day celebration!



Sandra's Family Swedish Pineapple Cake Recipe

Mixing by hand:

2 c. sugar (dd27 used half)
20 oz. can crushed pineapple
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 c. nuts

Ungreased 13 x 9 pan.

350 degree 30 minutes


Icing:
1 8oz. cream cheese
1 stick butter melted
3/4 c. sugar melted
1/2 c. nuts if desired

Pour icing mixture on cake in pan after cake is baked (we cooled it a bit first)




I'm not sure what happened to Sandra...She was part of a core of women from the church we attended years ago, we would share maternity clothes, give each other intimate little baby showers in our living rooms and it was a real sweet time. Yes, a real sweet time.

Mom's needing encouragement? Please feel free to visit my other blog too: Vision For a Godly Home

Hope everyone is having a good and godly weekend! If I seem to be awol say a prayer that everything is going smoothly. : )

Blessings to all! And to all a good night! ~Amelia

Three Patriotic Movie Greats Honoring Our Vets

Wowee movies we saw today...Amazing. Inspiring. True stories....Movies of Excellence. The Best.


God is My Co-Pilot (1945)
The trailer doesn't touch the virtue, poignancy and excitement of this movie but thought you might like to see it. A true story as you will see.

Talked with my 80 year old dad today, he saw this when he was young and remembered it.


Another movie great, one of my all time faves, we are talking wowza. The true story of the famous Doolittle Raids. Stars galore.
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. (1944)

I found the book written by one of the pilots who lost his leg played by Van Johnson in an antique store, the letters of missionaries are in the book who had ministered to him when he underwent the horrible tragedy. Amazing.

And guess what friends, it is showing in all parts on youtube at present.
Here is Part I to get you started:




One more, this is pure greatness. Christ glorifying.
Sergeant York (1941)

Another true story of one of our marvelous brave vets.

Familiarize your children and youth with these heroes, these are the real deals. Sergeant York's conversion to Christ is amazing...It's all here in the movie. A Farm boy turn hero. His simple life is beautiful. You may notice the clips on youtube of the real Sergeant York. Very interesting history.


Any of you who remotely know me at all, will know I absolutely must post this pic of my mom and dad in honor of our vets, my dad and mom are now 80 years old. My dad would want to tell all of you to please honor our fallen vets who gave their all. My dad is of German background, my mother, Italian.

It was amazing hearing Glenn Beck yesterday speak of how the Italians, Germans and Japanese who were American citizens were treated during WWII. I've heard the stories before but it never ceases to shock me what happened and could happen.

My dad tells me just today of my Italian grandpa being fired from the shipyard during WWII. My dad tells me you could have never found a better American than my precious Italian grandfather.


May we honor what is truly honorable once again in this country. May those of us who know what is right and good with a healthy fear and love of God band together and pray lifting our great country up in prayers. May we live it in our homes first and foremost. Some may say we will never be Ozzie and Harriet again, no that is not true. As for me and my home we will serve the Lord, we will be that family with old fashioned values keeping Christ first. Please don't buy into the culture.

~Amelia

P.S. If you are a stay at home mom needing encouragement, take a listen here. Enjoy. Be blessed.

Must See Video Footage

This is something to see, it's on the Tennessee flood. The video speaks for itself. Let's pray for these people, if you've ever been flooded you know the agony and emotional trauma.

Our home was flooded more than once, I remember vividly boating out with my baby in my arms, three little girls and Hubs as he tried to guide the leaky little boat, trying so very, very hard to reflect on our God as I tried to admire the reflection of the huge country oak trees in the water.

I remember laying across my bed in black rubber boots as the muddy water swirled around the dust ruffle of my bed and noticing a white paper square floating in the dirty water, I picked it up. It was my baby's ultrasound photo. ....I remember well.

For direct link to see: full screen

With Love from Italy & Mr. Smith

Ciao!

I thought perhaps you all might truly enjoy my Italian Green Bean recipe. Around this part of the country, the Italian ladies would make this for many Sunday dinners, gatherings, etc.

It's easy to do and not exactly an heirloom recipe so I feel free to give it out here, hope you enjoy it. My Aunt Margaret and my grandma had a way of making dishes extra wonderful. Aunt Margaret was my grandpa's sweet sister by the way.

The secret ingredient my grandma and Aunt Margaret used? Cheese. Not mozzarella cheese mind you. My family was never big on mozzarella. One of my funniest memories was my quiet little Italian grandpa at a pizza restaurant laughing and laughing as he stretched the mozzarella cheese a foot up in the air and calling it "rubber" laughing all the while. It was a hilarious sight I must say ; ) Romano and Parmesan, the hard cheeses were the prize ingredients in our family and of course the Ricotta that Cousin Phillip made. ; )



Italian Green Beans

Either use cooked fresh green beans or plain frozen green beans running hot water over the frozen til thawed.
Place green beans in casserole dish and toss with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, romano or parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Toss well. Bake at around 400 turning every now and then until evenly browned.

Make it with love and care that's the important part. Enjoy the good eats and feel the love. : )

I brought this to Ms. Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday. What a nice gathering!




At present I'm watching Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
I hope you will enjoy this trailer...




A movie GREAT by Frank Capra.

Capra films usually carry a definite message about the basic goodness of human nature and show the value of unselfishness and hard work. His wholesome, feel-good themes have led some to term his style Capra-corn, but those who hold his vision in high regard prefer the term 'Capraesque'.

Frank Capra was from the same town, Bisacquino, where my grandfather immigrated from in 1915, he and Capra actually resembled each other. Frank Capra remained a conservative Republican throughout his life.



If it's one thing that makes me sad...It's when people give me a half smile when they hear of old movie favorites as if they are thinking the old classics to be saccharin. Dear me. Oh that our world would BE what they might foolishly consider saccharin.


I hope you all are having a luverly week. Yes indeedie...

*Live* *Love* *Laugh* *Pray Hard*

Let's hold our country up in prayers. Let's be a "Mr. Smith" ~Amelia


Freel free to check in on my Vision For a Godly Home for an awfully sweet retro video by Red Skelton, a sweet wake up call.