Rest In Peace

I live in NY.

Many things have happened in my lifetime here in NYC and I have some connections to the chaos here and there.

However, last night while reading my Facebook posts a friend mentioned that the guy killed was her first love, her boyfriend from back when.  It struck me for a moment or two.  I emailed her and asked if he was her boyfriend that went to prom with her (and me since we shared a limo back in the day).  She texted me back and said yes it was indeed him.  I can so picture our faces from then, in our limo and what we wore.

I expressed my sympathies and feel terrible.  I mean it is terrible when it happens to someone out there but when you have connections to someone out there it hits home.  It also hits home because I thought of his family, his brother.  I did not know his brother but I lost a brother and now I feel like I have this other connection because we are now both in this club no one wants to be in or ever thinks they would be in while this young.

So I say Rest in Peace Steve.

71 Years

71 years ago today, two young people in love married in upstate New York.  They had a fabulous love and life together.  It started when they were teenagers in Brooklyn, NY.  She a young girl and he a handsome boy, friend to her older brother.  He was always a part of her family and one summer, the summer of 1941 he went to work in one of those hotels in Upstate New York (think Dirty Dancing kind of place- the Bungalows) and she came to visit and they secretly married.  Only her parents knew and when the summer was over he moved in with her and her family.  The reason, they told others was that his mother rented his room while he was away (she did do that I am told).  So no one thought otherwise.  They then had a fall wedding where it became public and official.  They lived a very happy life together; having three children, 7 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.  They loved each other to the end.  They were married 57 years on this earth together but their love will never die.

 You see, this wonderful couple are my grandparents.  My grandmother told me their story one day, of course with many more details and facts and I truly miss her.  She influenced my love of crafting and we had a wonderful time together doing those things together.  When she passed I was given her two rings from a promise she made to made.  I was married in her gold band and even as I write this I am wearing the gold band.

Their love was like no other.  A once in a lifetime kind of love.

Happy Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa.

Slow Cooker Saturdays

Hey, sorry it's a little late but we had a talent show over here.

In any case I wanted to make my Pasta Fagioli but also wanted to try something in the ole slow cooker so I merged two recipes and a little bit of me an Ta Da, Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli.

My recipes came from Crockpot 365 and Rachel Ray - I have used the recipe from Rachel Ray a lot and it's a favorite around here but I used Stephanie's method.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 pound (about 3 slices) pancetta, chopped
• 2 (4 to 6-inch) sprigs rosemary, left intact
• 1 (4 to 6-inch) sprig thyme with several sprigs on it, left intact
• 1 large fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
• 1 cup canned tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 cup ditalini
• Grated Parmigiano or Romano, for the table (I also throw a 1/2 cup into the soup before serving)
• Crusty bread, for mopping

(Sorry I didn't get a picture)

I first cooked my pancetta.  Next time I may try to do it in the slow cooker so the flavors are always just in the cooker.

While I was cooking pancetta I threw all the ingredients into the slow cooker except for the pasta, then added the cooked pancetta.  I let it cook at low for 8 hours.  At the 6 1/2 hour mark I added the pasta and let it go for about a 1/2 hour more.  I then served it with a nice crusty bread.

Next time I may set it to cook for 10 hours so the heat is lower.  All in all it cooked for 7 hours.

It was very tasty and I will definitely do it again the slow cooker and the added bonus it made the house smell delicious all day.

Enjoy!

slow cooker saturdays

well, I did it.  I made brownies in the slow cooker.  they came out really good.  i wanted to make them and thought, why not?

they were nice and chewy and thick. the kids loved them and they went well with their ice cream.

I looked around to get a good idea/recipe.  I found one from Martha Stewart and figured if Martha says it can be done, then it can be done!  Her recipe is from scratch, of course, but I used a box mix. You can find it here. The kids loved the brownies plain, with ice cream and hot out of the pot!  Will try again after I try some other recipes!

Do you have any good slow cooker dessert recipes?

Have a Great Day!
Zizette

slow cooker saturdays

This was my first Saturday off in a while other than the winter break and I just wanted to stay home and do nothing.

I have been without an oven for some time now and I wanted to make use of my slow cooker.  I have great memories of my bubby just throwing everything she could into the Crock Pot (slow cooker) and it coming out great.  We always used to joke about it, so you know when it came time to register back in the day when we got engaged, the first item on there was a slow cooker.  I make stuff from time to time and lately have seen blogs that feature 365 days of slow cooking, slow cooker recipes and such.  I decided yesterday to try a recipe for Slow Cooker Orange Chicken from Sixsisters .  I had found other recipes and they all resembled each other but I liked their site so I went with it.

Now my kids are super picky, well, my son is and he liked it.  I serve it over white rice and it was a hit with both of them.  I am very happy and look forward to using it more.  I will also visit their site some more as the have a lot of cool stuff over there.

Credit

I have to be honest that my battery was dead on the camera and I didn't take a picture but this picture looks just like my chicken.

In any case, as I decided that since I am not home on Saturdays that would be a perfect day to slow cook because then it will be ready when I get home.  So that's it, Slow Cooker Saturdays it is.

Right now I am cooking Brownies is the slow cooker, let's see how that comes out.

Zizette

where has time gone by?

I have no idea where time has gone.

I feel like the months have just pushed into one big, long day.

This week I will re-group, re-charge and get back on track.  I hope.

Lots has been going on in my neck of the woods.

I went back to school to be a School Building Leader i.e. Principal or Director or Supervisor.  I am doing an excelerated program that started on October and will end in July.  I got to school every Saturday.  Basically it's 30 Saturdays out of my life (this week I have off), last week was the last class of our 3rd course and I have 15 left to go.  We are halfway there.  I do it in a Cohort so I am with the same people for the long haul.  I have made some really good friends that I know I will have with me for a long time and some really good professional relationships as well.  This last class in particular was VERY HARD.  The professor was new to teaching and just killed us.  But it is done and we move forward from here.

One of the friendships I made from my cohort is a wonderful friend.  We actually met during our interview and have been friends ever since.  She has bestowed upon me and my family the greatest gift

Yes, that will be the newest member of our family in  about 5-6 weeks.  His name is Ozzy (my kids named him after Ozzy Osbourne) and he is a Shih Tzu/Lhasa Apso mix.  My friend has both the mom and dad and he is one of their puppies.  We are so excited.  We will be going to see him this week.

We are excited for our new adventure with a dog.  I wonder how Lola is going to adjust, she is our mean cat.  We also got a hamster named Touchdown.  Our house is becoming a regular pet store!

So, all of this has been keeping me busy and I hope to get back on track.  Have a great day.

Zizette

family

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving.

We spent ours at the lake with hubby's family.

I just love the way the colors look in this picture

My new favorite picture of her

Happy

A picture with the grandparents

It was a nice time spent with family.  The kids got to spend time with their cousins and the weather was nice enough to be outside.

We had many things to be thankful for.

Zizette

There's No Place Like Home

I am sure you have heard about that crazy storm in the Northeast last week.

Yeah, it got me.

I was home about 20 minutes from my class and I heard a big pop and the power went OUT.

I called my mom (who lives around the corner, 3 blocks over), she had power so me and the kids went there.

Just an hour or so after we lost power

 The storm was absolutely INSANE.

A little later I saw that we would be there overnight, I went back home to collect some essentials and unload my Fridge/Freezer.

My parent's street looked like a war zone obstacle course.

School was closed for 2 whole days.  Halloween was crazy too with all the trees down.  But the kids got out there early so we could see tree branches, electric lines and whatever else may be out there.

I was without power for 7 days.  Yes, 7 days.  We went back everyday to check on things, get things we needed and feed the cat.

This was the freakiest thing ever to happen.  The trees had all their leaves and when the snow built up on them the tree limbs snapped.  Broken trees all over our town.  I live on a beautiful tree lined street as do my parents.  The big old trees on my street lost limbs but on my mom's street the smaller trees were split in half.

Just one of the houses on the block

I have a beautiful Japanese Maple on my front lawn.  I so did not want to lose the tree.  I stood out in the snow knocking the snow off it's limbs so they wouldn't snap.  When I would knock the snow off, I would see the limbs bounce back up.  I am happy to say we didn't lose it.  Only one branch fell on our whole property.  We were very lucky there.

My Japanese Maple

I am happy to finally be back home in my own bed.  We thank my mom and dad but, "there's no place like home."

{New} Cooking Experience

Well, I haven't been doing the normal kind of cooking I like to do this year because, well, my oven died in  late spring.  It kills me to replace it because it is this awful little wall oven and if it was up to me I would cut our counter and cabinet out where our cook top is an put in a freestanding range.  That would probably be very costly so it's not happening.  I guess I will have to spring for the oven soon but right now I don't have one so I made meatloaf on the grill.

Yeah, you heard me right - Meatloaf ON THE GRILL.

I looked it up to see if it was possible and it is so I took up the task and did in fact try it.  I modified a Rachael Ray Recipe a bit and followed her directions on how to cook it on the grill.  Hubby was home that day and he made his famous Mashed Potatoes and Glazed Carrots.

I assembled all the ingredients, wrapped the meatloaf as directed and cooked it up.  It came out GREAT!  My picky eater asked for seconds to which my husband replied that I will be making this meal at least once a week!

Something new to try and everyone liked it, so I guess it was a hit.  I don't have any pictures because when hubby gets involved in meal prep he sort of takes over and then my meals don't get their pictures.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Italian style panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup half and half
2 Tablespoons grated onions
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper
1 package of the meatloaf trio (beef, veal, pork) Approximately 3 lbs
Cooking Spray

What you do:

Preheat the grill to medium.  Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Stack two 2 foot long sheets of heavy duty foil. Coat the stop sheet with cooking spray.  Place meatloaf on top - shape it into a 5x8 inch loaf. Fold sides up to make a sturdy package, turn the loaf halfway and wrap again sealing the loaf in the package.

I placed the loaf in an aluminum pan just to be sure.  Cook for 35 minutes, then turn over and cook for another 25 minutes (until firm to the touch).  Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes, unwrap and let rest 5 minutes more.  Slice and serve.

Enjoy!

New {Favorite} Product

OK, many of my friends have cleaning ladies who come once a week, once every two weeks and at times even I have had a cleaning lady.  BUT to be budget conscious I have stopped having a cleaning lady.  I do it and a small part of me likes it better when I clean because I know it is done my way.

I live in an old house and it seems that it gets dusty quickly.  My pet peeves are bathrooms and the kitchen. Last week I found this unbelievable product that I love.  I am not into the latest thing just because I need to try stuff for myself.

Scrubbing Bubbles Cleaning Gel

Just hold the wand and slide the button down for gel to apply

The gel stays there even after flushing

Just apply the gel and it stays there for about a week, depending on how often you flush the toilet.  It is so cool and makes my bathroom smell so nice each and every time it is flushed.

I love the way the house smells after it is cleaned.  I like fresh scents and orange scents in the home.

Have you found any great new products that are helpful?

Zizette

Back In The Saddle

Credit

Oh my,  Sorry for taking off some time.  I did not realize what or where I have been lately.

Trying to get back into the swing of things has been a little trying.

As always I am trying to be the best mom possible, best teacher possible and as of yesterday I have added best student possible.

Yes, you read that right I am back in school.

I have gone back to Grad school for School Building Leadership and at some point I need to decide if I will go for the FULL Masters or just the certificate program.  We shall see.  I am excited.

I NEVER wanted to go into education.  I wanted Business (which I did and hated).  My friends would say teaching and I would say, "No way!"  But here I am 22 years later and I am exactly where I should have been all along.  However, my business background is what gives me the motivation to do more than just teach.  Education is such a mess.  We are teaching our children to the test, making unrealistic goals/expectations for some in special education instead of concentrating on what they really need and the people who have never been in a classroom make the rules or bash us for our jobs.  Sorry for that.  I just want to make a difference and this program will open up that arena for me.

I have been cooking some yummies and will be posting those recipes as they came out really good.  It is so cold here today I am in a soup making mood.  Let's see what I come up with.

Ta-ta for now,

Zizette

Where Were You?

Credit

Tomorrow is 9/11, a day we will not forget, a day I will not forget.

You see I know exactly where I was that day at the exact time the first plane hit the Twin Towers.  I was going through the toll at the George Washington Bridge listening to KTU radio.  The radio cut out as I passed through the toll.  I switched over to a news station, at first nothing and then it really didn't have info.  After I came through the toll you don't see much as the side of the Mountain/hill is in the way.  I recall turning my head towards the city and seeing the twin towers smoking and then a static radio saying a small plane or something hit the North Tower. It was a beautiful clear day so you could see straight downtown from the bridge.  The traffic was creeping along, almost in disbelief.  A radio reporter called into the station and they were on their way to work and live downtown.  As I was entering the helix to go down to West Side Highway, the reporter is saying, it seems to be a plane that hit and all of a sudden they scream, "OMG another plane is hitting the South Tower."

At that moment I was terrified.  My husband does not answer his phone during work.  I call my dad, who I was working for at the time and asked if he heard what was going on.  He said something hit the towers and I told him they hit both towers, planes! I also said, "this was no mistake it is F***** Terrorism!"

I came down and the police had already closed the WSH, since eventually this road brings you roght down that way.  They were re-routing through Harlem.  I rolled down my window and asked if I could go back over the bridge and he say yes.  I drove as fast as I could and as safe as I could.  Lucky for me people aren't leaving NYC at the time so I made it back home in minutes (I live right across the river in Fort Lee, NJ - The East side of my building faced the City and you could see the Twin Towers from  it).

I called my dad and he was going to leave but I said he couldn't they closed the bridge, I was probably one of last non-emergency people to be able to go over at that point.

I remember once I got to my building seeing a woman rushing to work and telling her what had happened and she was like, "I need to get to work."  I looked at her and said, "everything is closed, turn on the news."  I then walked into my building and told my doorman.  He and the other staff members tried tuning the small radio.  I got upstairs and turned on the TV, sat in disbelief and called my husband.
He did answer and said at that point they were staying there with all the people since there was some big stockholders meeting and most of the people were for out of town and had no where to go.  He was one of the managers in their Corporate Cafeteria and was handling all of the food for those meetings and the rest of their staff. They even had a child care center at his sight so many people had their kids there as well.  The good part was, it was far enough from the city so it wasn't as chaotic as it was in the city.

I sat glued to the TV, watching and crying at what happened. I didn't believe those buildings could collapse. Thinking about the unborn baby in me and what kind of world we (he) live in.  Will there be a place for me to raise my child?

As I watch now, I feel that same sadness for those who were lost and effected by this horrible tragedy.  My prayers are with everyone since we all lost a something that day.

Zizette

MIA {sorry}

I have been MIA lately.  I was spending time with my kids and my visiting nephew.  It was a glorious 3 weeks.  I so enjoyed it.  I am now getting back in the groove.  School starts tomorrow and I am very excited for the coming school year.  I am also *pondering* the thought of making another blog, but it being a teaching blog.  My thoughts are all over and I am excited for this school year but more on that later.

We had lots of fun in the past few weeks.

All he wanted to do at the Jersey Shore was  drive a Go-Kart

My Nephew caught the first fish of our stay at the lake

Sam caught the largest fish at 2 1/2 lbs, he was proud to brag he caught 8 1/2 lbs of fish in one day

Little Miss, she caught her fish with bread, Sunnies and Rock Bass for this little lady

Cousins, great summer!

Jersey Shore House

Really thought he was going to throw up here

We had an awesome summer and we are sad to see it end.  Here's to a great school year.

Ziz

A {new} love

I personally love to have a cup of coffee in the am.  I am not one of those people who feels it gets me through the day and if I have a cup at night I have never felt the ill effects of it and then be up all night.

However, many years ago, when I first got my drivers license and my parents got a brand new car (allowing me to get a car - not a new one but a 1976 Ford Grenada - Hey it was a pair of wheels) my friends and I would meet up for breakfast before school at Bob's Big Boy.

There we would have coffee.  Coffee with Sugar.  Oh boy, my friend Forest, well she loved her coffee with lots of sugar and well, I followed suit.  One day in particular was very bad.  Lots of coffee, lots of sugar and then a trip to 7-11 for some Jolt.  Do you remember Jolt?  I sure do.  That day I could not sit still.  I was jittery, jumpy and even worse, wanting MORE.  I think Forest and I would have killed Jeremy for some more Jolt.  In the end we did not get more, we did not kill Jeremy and we fell asleep early after crashing down hard.

The next day, not so much coffee and sugar.

Since then I enjoy my coffee.  Some days I drink a lot, some not so much.  So, I make a pot based on what I will be drinking and hubby does not drink coffee if it's been there too long.  So my pots in the am are not shared as I get up with the roosters and my pot is made too early.  He has been making his pot and at the end of the day I find that I am throwing full pots of coffee and always running out of coffee since we are making so much.

I made a suggestion, "Let's buy a Keurig."  A few years ago he told me, "Heck NO!"  I explained my rationale this time and he agreed (thankfully we were going to the lake where his parents have one and we have enjoyed using one for about a year now).  He was trying to figure out cost per cup (the food manager in him that is) and I did some research as well.  He agreed.

Yesterday I went and got my machine and as I type I am enjoying my first cup.  Pure Heaven.  One cup, no waste and all is well.

Oh and today I take my coffee with 2 splenda and half and half.

What do you like to drink in the morning?

Zizette

Gimme some {fried} chicken

Credit

My son is picky.

He does not have much variety in his diet.  However, lately he has been trying more things.  He has eaten ribs, chicken on the bone and steak to name a few.  Thank goodness the tides are changing.

I get being picky, both me and my husband were picky eaters and today we are so far from being picky.  My brother was as picky as my son is now.

He asked me to buy drumsticks, all of sudden.  He likes wings but they are all in sauces and he is not ready or willing to have sauce (Little Miss eats and tries everything).

I decided to make them fried chicken (drumsticks).  They came out really well.  He really enjoyed them. I have to really play around with some recipes as I like them with lots of crisp.  He wants the smaller drumsticks and wings, like the buffalo wings.  He doesn't like sauce so trying to find the smaller ones has been hard for me - unless I just don't know where to look since I have never bought them.

It was a good first try and now I made another batch and have it in the fridge for easy meals.

I got the recipe from Epicurious

Enjoy!

Zizette

• 1 3-lb. fryer
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. black pepper
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1/2 cup Pet milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. ground thyme
• 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
• 1 qt. oil for frying

Cut chicken in eight pieces. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside. Mix eggs, milk, and water. Pour mixture over chicken. Let sit for 5 minutes.

In a heavy paper bag, mix flour, paprika, ground thyme, and granulated garlic. Place chicken in bag with flour mixture. Shake until chicken is well coated.

Heat oil in a Magnalite fryer — oil should reach 350°F. Place chicken in hot oil. Fry, turning as chicken browns. Heavy parts such as breast, thighs, and legs will take 15 to 20 minutes, wings about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain chicken on paper towels.

{simple} Sundays

I am *trying* to simplify things around here.
I am *trying* to shed the crap stuff around our house.
I am *trying* to do it with the kids not harassing me to keep this or that.

Even though yesterday was Saturday I had to start somewhere but today I will do more and *try* to dedicate time on Sundays to purge and simplify.


I did manage to purge a box from the garage.  It's been there since we lived here (2 years) and if we have not touched that stuff in this time, well it's time to go.  Hubby thinks I am a hoarder, that I am not but I do tend to hold onto some things for "memories" and what I may need.  Eventually I do get rid of stuff.

BUT if he wants to talk about hoarding he should look at himself.  Do you know what he keeps?  The boxes from cell phones, The GPS we got 4 years ago, the iPod he got god knows when - you get what I mean.  It's time to get rid of all this stuff.

I want clean spaces.  Maybe when the kids are gone for the next two days I can get around to cleaning the playroom/guest room.  We shall see.

I really want to do this because every third Thursday the Bulk pick up in our town takes away everything.

What would you like to simplify?

We {want}, we {need}

Okay, I grew up with a dog.  I love dogs.  My daughter LOVES dogs and so does my son.  My parents have a dog.  We all WANT, no Need a dog.  Notice someone is missing?  Hubby.  No Dog.  No way.  He does not want a dog.  How do we fix that?

We have a cat.  A BIG cat.  A BIG, NASTY cat.  She is mine.  I love her but she doesn't love anyone, well, maybe me from time to time.  Usually only for her long enough to like me then bite me but she sleeps with me.  The kids try to love her but she wants no part of it and Hubby - he does not like her.

Blogging Kitty

We sort of made an agreement years ago.  My hubby always says he needs to have some time without a pet (I had Lola before I met him so she has always been with us).  So, I said to the kids, when Lola dies we will wait 6 months and then we will get a dog.  He doesn't agree but last week when a friend's mom was fostering a puppy and I jokingly said, "meet our new dog."  He said, "we have an agreement."  So I made sure people recognized his commitment to our agreement.

BUT

We can't wait until the cat is gone. We want a dog now.  We need a dog now. Who doesn't want a dog?

from here

I go back and forth between wanting a medium/big dog and a small dog.  I would love to have a small dog to bring with us where we go and truly be a little lap dog.  But I also love the thought of rough housing with a big ole playful dog.

How do we get dad/hubby on board?  I brought the kids to our local pet shop and they played with the puppies Maya loves all dogs and Sam decided he wants a small dog, a Yorkie.  Just like his mom.

Now to work on dad/hubby.

Zizette

New {love}

I have a few new loves.

First, I am in love with a new website that my friend invited me to: RueLaLa

It has discounts on designer duds and such.  I am not super designer shopper but I love a few brands and I am super loyal to the ones I love.  I also love some brands that I really can't afford and this site allows some of that.

Anyhoo, I have wanted a Michele watch for some time.  So expensive, they do have a cheaper line the Tahitian Jelly Line and last week they had them on sale.

I got one for me.  After I lost internet in my classroom (on my prep then lunch). The original one I wanted sold out FAST.  This is the one I got and I am so happy considering my Raymond Weil lost a diamond bezel on the one o'clock and now has to be repaired.  In any case I am happy and I got myself a little treat for working 683 this summer.

I just love it when we can treat ourselves every now and then.
Zizette

Summertime {fun}

Been real busy around here lately.

The kids are doing different things this summer, I am working at my school and we have been enjoying the sun.

Good Friends

Her first fish of the year

Enjoying the life

Cousins 

Enjoying a Mojito like mom (non-alcohol, of course)

Just a little taste of the goings on around here.  We hope you are doing the same.

Zizette

Summertime Treat

I few weeks back I had seen, I think on Pinterest, a delicious idea so I just had to try it.  I did it and my dad added a little treat to it.

It is a nice twist on the standard Caprese Salad.

1 container grape tomatoes (I used about half)
1 container bocconcini(small mozzarella balls in whey or water)
Basil leaves whole (approximately 25)
Olive oil
salt and pepper
Balsamic Glaze ( My dad had Crema de Balsamico that my brother brought back from Spain)
Toothpicks

Very easy assembly. Take the basil leaves, put one mozzarella ball, one grape tomato and spear together keeping them in the basil "boat".  When all done assembling, drizzle with Balsamic glaze, olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.  It is so nice and easy for your guests to take one and pop it in their mouths. ENJOY!