Catching Up

Today the Sun is shinning but it is still cold.  New York and Long Island are in for a wintry mix again on Tuesday and Wednesday of this coming week. Boy what a winter we have been having ! I saw a sign recently that said, " Whoever is praying for snow, STOP! "  I thought that was cute. I on the other hand I love the winter and the snow. But for the sake of my family and friends, I will now stop praying for snow. It is a bit too much.  

Just thought that you may want to hear about what I have been up to here in Long Island. Some of my family and friends already had the pleasure of hearing about my endeavors, but maybe some of you haven't, so I will fill you all in on what is truly an exciting process. 

I made a family cookbook for my nieces for Christmas ( which took about 3 years or more to create) and I have a friend who is an author. She saw a copy of it and she got a publisher to look at it. Long story short, they are interested in publishing it. So I am working on trying to create and embellish family stories, photos and collect more recipes from my family. Some of the recipes are from my Mom, Grandmother's and my Great Grandmother. Quite a few recipes in my collection presented a challenge for me since often it was difficult to envision some of these dishes that I never had the pleasure of watching my Great Grandmother (Sofia) prepare. But we can imagine another place and another time when all she wanted to do was serve her family a very healthy and enjoyable meal as well.

The recipes contained in this book originate not only from North America, but also from Italy. My goal of this book was to present a broad spectrum of dishes of every kind whether it be soup, pasta’s or desserts from our family recipes and traditions which can be passed down from generation to generation. I always say, “ Where you came from is who you are. ”
So, it has been a fun experience so far, but a lot of work and research. I have also included in the book some useful information as to how to set a table properly, how to entertain, as well as information on oils, spices, pastas, types of meat, pantry items and tools for baking/cooking etc. You get the idea.

So come take this exciting journey with me and I hope that you enjoy this collection of stories and recipes from my heart. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and support my efforts. If you have any suggestions, comments, old photos or recipes from my family, please feel free to email me (angellite13@optimum.net) I will  keep you updated as I continue this project.

Memories of Snow

  
Today is Wednesday and Long Island is in for more snow. I am sorry that I haven’t posted sooner, but I have had the proverbial winter cold. This winter’s season seems to be extremely cold and snowy for the Northeast. Many of the storm systems are hugging the coast more than other years. The area’s northwest of Long Island like Westchester, and places even further north, most of the time seems to get several inches of snow more than Central Long Island. But this year it is proving that we are receiving more than they are at times. I remember when I was a child and as I grew up we always had a lot of snow in the winter. Sometimes schools were closed and my brothers and I would go outside in the yard to build snowmen which always seemed to end in a snowball fight. My Dad used to take us on a hill, near the golf course in Queens, where we could go sled riding. He would take the sled that was his when he was a child and we would all pile in the car with boots, gloves, hats, and scarves. The anticipation of sliding down the hill took our minds off the car ride there. Now, this hill was in the neighborhood which we called “Suicide Hill”. All of our friends and their families would go and enjoy the cold snowy days together. Then we would come back home and my Mom had hot chocolate or a hot mug of soup waiting for us to warm our cold insides. I always enjoyed coming back in the house as the aroma of the chocolate would be all throughout the house. Our cheeks were rosy, our gloves were soaked and stuck with snow. But as we peeled off the winter cold from our outside activities I would not give it up for the world. Memories are made even in the coldest snowy days.
　
　

Welcome to my Blog...

First of all, thanks so much for stopping by to read Family Plus Food Equals Love.

You'll find plenty of family stories, recipes shared, and also a bit about crocheting and crafts.  Family, food and love ties it all together so nicely, that you can't have one without the other.  Sometimes I'll post about my life growing up in an Italian family but mostly you'll find recipes, and my favorite crocheting and crafting that I truly enjoy.

I hope you come back often and please feel free to share your comments and thoughts on things you might like to see here!