nini’s marsetti casserole

10 / 2 / 13

Our newest little neighbor just turned one week old yesterday. Yay! This lucky little man came home to one adorable brother, two darling sisters and a very busy mom and dad!! In an effort to give them an extra few minutes of time, I decided that they needed a casserole. Yes – a casserole. Not some fancy gourmet meal that you have to “prepare“… a one-dish wonder that has but one requirement. Turn on the oven. Pondering the possibilities the other day, a memory popped into my head. One of my kids favorite meals when they were little… Nini’s Marsetti Casserole. Yep. That’s it.

Nini. My husband’s grandmother; my children’s great-grandmother; and one heck of a classy lady!! She had a zest for life that was absolutely contagious… Nini was, however, not exactly what you think of when you think “great grandma“… Not by a longshot. She had it all going on. The hair, the nails, the bling, the make-up… perfection. Her clothes were polished and crisp and tailored. She was educated and articulate; always up-to-speed with current events. She was a great golfer and an excellent piano player. She loved her life in Florida, but she also loved to travel. In this world of rush, rush, rush… Nini taught us the true meaning of “dining…” when we went out to dinner. More than anything, however, Nini loved her family and friends! xo Her social life would have made you dizzy! Her favorite time of the day… “Cocktail Hour”! WooHoo!! Yes – Nini taught everyone around her, by example, what it meant to live each and every day to the fullest. And she did so until the very end – October 18, 1995. At 89 years young, when her time on this earth was finally complete, she said goodbye during “cocktail hour”, decked out for a party with friends. Little did she know that there was a whole new group of friends waiting to meet her that evening.

Thanks to Nini, Heaven will never be the same… xo

Nini’s Marsetti Casserole

1 pkg (12 oz) thin spaghetti, broken into pieces & cooked

2 lbs. ground beef, browned *

1 lg. onion

½ green pepper, chopped *

1 jar (8 oz) sliced mushrooms

Minced garlic, to taste *

1 t. pepper, oregano & basil *

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 (14.5 oz) cans tomatoes

1 small can tomato paste

S&P, to taste

8 oz. Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, combine browned beef, onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic; Simmer until tender. Add in seasonings and tomatoes. Mix well; then add in cooked spaghetti and 4 oz. Parmesan cheese. Pour into a 13×9 pan and top with remaining cheese. (Note: Can be frozen before – Just be sure to thaw before baking.) Bake at 350 for about an hour.

* I’m not a green pepper fan, but I love red peppers. An easy sub! When I am making for a family with kids, I often omit peppers altogether! I have also subbed in turkey Italian sausage for the ground beef, which is yummy. Whatever floats your boat…! Over the years, I added in the garlic and increased the seasonings a bit. xo

a cup of tea

9 / 24 / 13

Do you ever get that silly, slumpy, mid-afternoon “oh my” sorta feeling; where your legs feel like thick tree stumps and your eyelids feel like heavy little rocks…? Ya… Thought so. Now for many of us, caffeine is not an option that late in the day. As for me, one cup in the wee morning hours is PLENTY. Unless, of course, I want to get a little head start on my holiday shopping. It’s amazing the great infomercial deals you can snag at 3:00 AM…

Okay, so back to the problem; my slump! Or more to the point… the solution! So I was driving home today when suddenly my car turned into Trader Joe’s parking lot. It just does that sometimes. Weird. I parked my car and obediently went inside. So many goodies there. While perusing the aisles, I spotted something intriguing. “Harvest Blend Herbal Tea. CAFFEINE FREE!” Nummers!! Snatched it up, knowing that today might be a great day to try it out – a cool cloudy day, feeling kinda draggy, in need of a little afternoon “pick-me-up”… As predicted, by mid-afternoon, I found myself staring blankly at my “to do” list and feeling a bit overwhelmed. It was just starting to sprinkle a bit outside – Yep. Perfect conditions for a cup of hot tea!! So I selected a sweet little, yellow rimmed vintage teacup from my collection and got that tea a-brewin’. The aroma was absolutely divine… and that first sip?? Wow. Orange citrus combined with sweet apple, a touch of cinnamon and ginger dancing on my tongue… Heavenly! My spirit lifted a little higher with each tiny sip. Suddenly that ~~neverending~~ long list didn’t seem quite so overwhelming. Maybe I really could do it after all! Perhaps it’s really true. Maybe a cup of tea really can solve everything… ?? Okay; maybe not everything. But it can certainly do wonders for that silly, slumpy, mid-afternoon “oh my” sorta feeling… And today, that was enough.

why do I blog?

9 / 19 / 13

Welcome to Post #100, friends!

The obvious question, at such a pivotal, historic moment; what to blog about? I pondered the possibilities. And then I pondered some more. At the end of the day, however, the answer seemed obvious. It simply must be the answer to YOUR burning question. “WHY (the heck) do you (I) blog…?”

This is a question that I am often asked by people who do not blog. Or even know what a blog really IS! According to the Merrium-Webster Dictionary; “blog” is defined as follows: “A web site on which someone writes about personal opinions, activities, and experiences”. So there it is. Pretty simple concept. But that is merely the definition. I still have not told you WHY I blog. There are several reasons. Pull up a seat, friends, and get comfortable…

Blogging is really not that different than someone who journals with pen and paper in a pretty little book that is safely tucked away in their nightstand. The only real difference, basically, is the fact that Bloggers choose to share their “journal” with the world! Or, at a minimum, anyone who will listen! Blogging is very much a creative outlet for me. A way to share, with you, my daily life experiences – my passions, joys, triumphs… and even my sorrows. Blogging keeps me present in the moment(s). MY moments… MY life… I journey through my day with a heightened sense of awareness as to what is happening all around me. Every experience has the possibility of becoming part of a blog. A beautiful sunset, an event that moved me to tears, a conversation with a ~~stranger~~ new friend in the grocery checkout lane, a mouthwatering dish at a favorite restaurant… So often I find myself pausing to take in the moment, rather than rushing right through it. Affirming gratitude in my daily life. And this is good.

In the “blogging world” there are people who blog about absolutely EVERYTHING!!! I am, apparently, what is referred to as a “lifestyle blogger“. Basically, I am random and don’t fit into any specific “categories”. Ya. OK. I’m good with that. That is who I am. My blog is “live happy“. Definition: I blog about family & food; creativity & cocktails; homemade & humor; motherhood & marriage; parties & procrastination; girlfriends & gratitude; London & laughter…

To put it simply – blogging about my life makes me happy. And having people follow my blogs, like my blog posts or comment…? Ahhhh….. Very, very happy!!! My goal is to share a little piece of my world with you, in the hopes that we will connect. And I so hope that we do.

live happy… laugh, love, dream, create

do dogs really smile…?

9 / 15 / 13

Do you think that dogs actually smile? I’m not saying “are they happy?” – I mean, do they really s m i l e…? I say Yes. Definitely. We have 2 dogs. The white dog is Tobie and the black dog is Ellie. Together, they are just referred to as “the girls“. Ya, I know. Tobie is a boy name. She is a tomboy at heart. Lifts her leg to go potty, burps after she eats… So what would you have suggested; “Princess”? Two more opposite dogs you will never meet. Their nicknames are as follows (Ellie/Tobie) Needy & Greedy; Crazy & Lazy. Ellie never stops. Wants to play fetch 24/7. This is NOT an exaggeration. Ask anyone. She never, ever, ever gets tired. Ellie is best known for body slamming into walls, often head first, kamikaze style while playing fetch. Perhaps one too many times… This has also earned her the additional nickname of “Google eyes”. Let’s just say that sometimes Ellie appears to be looking in several different directions at once. (Think “Ed”, the hyena from Lion King..) Yep – Having someone throw the ball is Ellie’s nirvana. It is DEFINITELY what makes her smile. Tobie; well…. not so much. An all day nap really suits Tobie just fine. Preferably in the warm sunshine. Unless there is food. ANY food. And by “food”, I mean anything that is on the floor… Paper clips, buttons, paper towels, screws… So what makes Tobie smile? Besides a sample of pork tenderloin (blame the hubbie; I give her apples and kale!), it would have to be her kids. Tobie LOVES having her kids home. Hands down, NOTHING makes her happier. Yep. They are definitely Tobie’s reason to smile!

As opposite as they are, they really are “best buds”. There is one common denominator that makes them BOTH grin ear to ear, equally, and that is going for a walk!! Just say the words, and they begin “the happy dance“… big grins as they hop like little bunnies and run in circles. And this happy state continues throughout the entire walk. Today was no exception. It was a beautiful, peaceful Sunday morning, and I felt quite reflective as we strolled the neighborhood… Watching their complete delight in the smallest of things… sniffing the trees (EVERY tree, in fact!), chasing a butterfly, checking out an abandoned toy in someone’s front yard, investigating what might be under a fluffy bush… It made me stop and think. I was taken back to my reflection four days ago on 9/11; my blog post “a life to live over” (Erma Bombeck). Conclusion? Wouldn’t we all be a little better off if we approached life a little more like a dog? Hmmm…. Think about that. There are literally hundreds of little things in a day that can make you smile – IF you take the time to pause and enjoy them. But do you? I think we all try; but life, and deadlines, and “to do” lists, and complications… they all get in our way, don’t they. So I guess we just need to try a little harder. Yep. Perhaps we just need to think, and smile, more like a dog…

live happy

pretty in pink weekend

9 / 13 / 13

Wow. It’s been a crazy week around here… but it’s FRIDAY (the 13th), friends, and the weekend is here!!! So whatcha got planned? More importantly, are you “planning in pink”?? Hmmm… Well, no worries. I am here. I will help. Think of this blog post as the inspiration for your “perfectly pretty in pink” weekend… regardless of what you have planned. Yes, friends. Let the pink begin…

10 perfectly pink drink recipes from an adorable blog site called “Songbirds and Buttons“.

a life to live over…

9 / 11 / 13

So we are two days into our kitchen remodel (Yes. Will definitely blog about it!!) So I’m kinda, sorta stuck at home for the most part. Let me just say that this really makes it kind of difficult to procrastinate about this cleaning, clearing and purging “cycle” that I am in. I said difficult. Not impossible.

Today I found a (huge) stack of inspirational articles that I have collected throughout the years from emails, the newspaper, friends… I found it to be pretty much like going through a box of pictures. You know… Two hours go by, and you are all emotional entangled in a trip down memory lane – Yet, remarkably, the pile is still huge.

With today being the anniversary of 9/11 – we all awakened this morning with a heightened sense of “life”. And family. And loved ones. And those we have lost… A reminder about living in the moment, because today is a gift. With that in my heart, I stumbled across a poem that came via email many, many moons ago. I cannot tell you the source, or even who sent it to me. What I can tell you, however, is that it was written by someone that I would have LOVED to meet; someone who has always made me laugh… Erma Bombeck. I felt that sharing her wisdom and insight was a beautiful way to give meaning to a most difficult day… Thank you, Erma xo

If I Had My Life to Live Over (by Erma Bombeck)

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the “GOOD” living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment realizing that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.”

There would have been more “I love you’s” and more “I’m sorry’s”

….but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute…..look at it and really see it … live it … and never give it back.

fancypants biscotti

9 / 10 / 13

Three reasons why I am lovin’ on this particular biscotti recipe… #1 Plain & simple –I LOVE biscotti; Especially with a good cuppa joe #2 This recipe is DAIRY FREE – Yay! Great news for my daughter and me (Grammatically correct… but it just doesn’t sound right!) #3 This recipe reminds me of those chocolate dipped, super hard and crunchy, biscotti that you buy at those fancypants coffee shops!!! Yep – Three really good reasons to give this recipe a whirl!! SO YUMMY, and very simple! Really!!!

I think people are put off by most biscotti recipes because they have multiple steps. So what. It really isn’t complicated, and it is so worth it when you are sitting down with a steaming hot cup of coffee and a delicious, crunchy, chocolate dipped biscotti that you made yourself!! C’mon friends – let’s do it…

Crunchy Biscotti

3 eggs

1 t. vanilla

¼ t. almond extract

2 c. flour

7/8 c. sugar

1 t. baking soda

Dash of salt

¾ c. toasted whole almonds, coarsely chopped

3 oz. semisweet or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and almond extract. In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix in egg mixture until blended. Mix in almonds; divide dough in half.

On a greased & floured baking sheet, pat out dough into two logs about 1/2” thick, 1½” wide and 12” long. Space them about 2” apart. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 50 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer logs from the baking sheet to a cooling rack for about 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees.

After cooling, place logs on a cutting board. With a serrated knife slice diagonally at a 45 degree angle into 1/2” thick slices. Lay the cut slices flat on the baking sheets and return to oven for another 20-25 minutes, or until toasted – Turning them over halfway through to dry the other side.

Place chocolate in a (dry!) microwave safe bowl and microwave on medium for approx. 2 minutes; until chocolate melts. Stir to blend out any lumpy bits, and spread over entire surface of cookies. When you’re completely done, lick any remaining chocolate off the spatula (required step) !! Let cool at room temp until set (or speed up a bit with a quick visit to the fridge!) Store in a tightly covered container. (Although they won’t last long!!)

URBAN DICTIONARY (def) “fancypants”: Sophisticated or impressive. See “posh” (very classy or sophisticated)

Oh ya. These crunchy, chocolatey biscotti are ALL THAT.. and more. And they are (GULP!) HOMEMADE… by you!! Go ahead; Impress your (oh so hard to impress) friends. And Dahling… be sure to serve your coffee in the “fancy” coffee cups.

live happy

wedded bliss

9 / 9 / 13

Had to tell a little lie the other day… but I can explain. You see, my wonderful mom-in-law and dad-in-law were celebrating 55 years of wedded bliss, so we decided to have a little surprise dinner at our house in their honor. Not a major event, just a small gathering of family to help them celebrate. In the end, I think there were almost twenty of us gathered together, and it was an evening full of laughter, love and a lot of wine!

Now everyone has their secret tips for making events, like this, successful… and I would love to know your secrets!! Here are just a couple of mine. #1 Delegate! Let everyone contribute. For those who don’t like to cook; no problem. Assign them a store bought item or wine! #2 Not everything has to be homemade! If you are a baker and love to make desserts; Go for it – But then purchase a store bought appetizer! #3 Prioritize and keep it simple! This is a big one, and totally varies from person to person!! Personally, I love the detail stuff – “themes” and table decorations, homemade tags on the dipping oil… But to take the time to dust before the party…? Ya – Probably not gonna happen. Like I said; this is an individual thing. Everyone has a different set of priorities. Maybe dusting is your #1 priority!! Just make sure that you make time to do the things that are important to you!!

We went with an Italian bistro theme… complete with a little Frank Sinatra (of course!), red & white checked paper placemats (super easy clean up!) and some Chianti wine! An Italian platter as an appetizer also made it super simple (no cooking!) – cheese, salami, Rosemary almonds, stuffed olives, crostini with goat cheese and bruschetta… Our main course consisted of home-made lasagna, meatballs, oven roasted Italian green beans, Italian salad and warm, crusty bread with homemade Italian dipping oil. (Dipping oil recipe was posted on my Facebook page; “Tasty Tuesday” Sept 3 – Click here) For dessert we served Italian gelato with homemade biscotti, which I served in assorted hand-painted martini glasses (Biscotti recipe coming… tomorrow!!) And that, friends, is my final “tip of the day” – fun and super simple… I love using martini glasses for serving dessert! I especially love that everyone’s glass was different (I did this on purpose – Not a matchy-matchy kinda gal!), but you can certainly use whatever martini glasses you have on hand!! I have a huge advantage in the fact that I paint and sell cocktail glasses, so my “inventory” is probably a bit more extensive… Ha!

So there we go. My suggestions, in a nutshell, for hosting a little gathering of your own. I realize now that I already gave you my “final tip”, but I just thought of one more… and it’s a BIGGIE, actually! Chances are good that you will not complete your “things to do before the party” list. Just sayin. However, once the party starts… let it go. Pour a glass of wine and join in the fun. Whatever didn’t get done isn’t gonna get done… so never mind. If you are having a good time at your party, so will your friends!! And at the end of the day, isn’t that all that really matters…? Bon Appetit!!

missing Herb

9 / 7 / 13

So it’s September. Wow. I guess it’s fair to say that we will be saying goodbye to summertime before long. So what will you miss as we say farewell to this most beloved of seasons? Hmmm… One of the things that really gets to me at the close of summer is saying goodbye to my summer herb garden. Makes me sad. I just love my herbs. Yep. Love to cook with them throughout the summer. The ability to walk just outside my door to snip fresh herbs for dinner… priceless! But, quite honestly, I also enjoy just having them nearby. I know; weird. But when I’m watering, I love to just run my fingers through the leaves; the intoxicating fragrance of lavender, rosemary, basil, mint… Love . And then I have a little ~~friend~~ bee, named “Buzzy”, who likes to hang out with me early in the morning. Along with “Herb” (with an “H”). He is the little (ceramic) pig who lives in the herb garden. OK – Perhaps I sound like a bit of a crazy woman at this point. Hard to argue, really…

But I will tell you who does understand. My friend, Martha. Yep – Martha Stewart. Not only has Martha come up with a delicious way to savor my summer basil well into the winter months; she has done it dairy free! Yes maam… We’re talking pesto without cheese!! And the icing on the cake? Martha says that it actually freezes better than traditional pesto with cheese! Wow, Martha! “You had me at hello…” Thanks!!

Basil Pesto

yield: Makes 1 3/4 cups

1 cup walnuts or pine nuts
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 cups (4 ounces) lightly packed fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts evenly on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until golden and fragrant, tossing once, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

2. Step 2

Meanwhile, bring 4 cups salted water to a boil; add basil, and submerge with a spoon. Immediately drain in a colander. Rinse with cold water until cool, then pat basil completely dry in paper towels.

3. Step 3

In a food processor, combine nuts, basil, and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Process until nuts are finely chopped. With machine running, pour oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until smooth. Use immediately, or freeze.

Herbs in olive oil

Not a PP (Pesto Person)? No problem – Here are some tips from “theKitchn” on freezing and preserving fresh herbs in olive oil.

eventually… maybe.

9 / 4 / 13

I’m p-r-o-c-r-a-s-t-i-n-a-t-i-n-g. Yep. Gotta clean the laundry room – Don’t wanna do it. Everyone has that space in their house that becomes the catch-all for this, that and everything. Ours is the laundry room. Now for all practical purposes, we are fortunate in the sense that we have a fairly large laundry room. Cabinet space (more room to shove “stuff”), counter space (more room to pile “stuff”) and floor space (for people to throw their shoes, dirty laundry and everyone’s I don’t know where this goes… “stuff”) It’s kinda like the unfinished part of the basement. The bigger the space, the more “goodies” you save. Blessing…? Curse…? Hmmm… We had a big family get-together last weekend, and I never quite got to the part of my “to-do” list that said “clean the laundry room“, somehow. But let’s be honest here – It had the priority status of about a -14. My solution? I closed the door and put a post-it note up that said “off limits“. Ha! That kinda thing just makes you wanna look, doesn’t it…? Some did. I just laughed. I used to be a real freak about that kind of stuff. Guess I’m kinda over it.

So I did get in there the other day. Found the floor, the counters and a few items that had recently “gone missing”. Vacuumed, sprayed. It was a great feeling, and it lasted all of about three minutes. Yep. As I stood there, basking in the (temporary) glow of a perfectly clean (looking) laundry room, – I suddenly felt a dark sense of reality wash over me. Ya – this room looked clean on the outside, but I knew the real truth. I knew what was lurking inside those cabinets. Or did I? I decided to start purging – Cleaning out, clearing out and reorganizing the cabinets. Before I knew it, the room had returned to a complete state of utter chaos. Stuff piled absolutely everywhere. And that, my friends, is the end of the story. So far. Haven’t done a thing about it. I did clean out the refrigerator yesterday, which was also in need of some real attention. I hung out with friends and family all weekend having fun – xo. I made my bed. Every day. Took the dogs for walks. Went to the dentist. Drank wine (not with the dentist). Basically everything under the sun EXCEPT clean the stupid laundry room. And that’s OK. The reality is – It’s not going anywhere. It will get done.

E-v-e-n-t-u-a-l-l-y…