The Economy and Shoes!

While unemployment is up, costs for many things are down. I have little to no will power. Apparently all the online retailers know this. My inbox is stuffed full of advertising to entice me! 80% off, 75% off..SHOES! Be still my beating heart!! I have just a slight obsession with shoes. Don't most women? Wonder why? I'll tell you! Because they always fit!!! Always! Doesn't really matter if I gain that 5 pounds during the winter...my shoes will fit! When going shopping and looking fat in everything I try on..shoes will always look good..shoes can't make your ass look fat! And of course the higher the heel..the longer and thinner my legs look..then I think..hmm if I'm overweight at my flatfoot 5'0 inches tall...then the 5 inch heels would put me at an ideal weight for a 5'5" woman..right?? Well in my bizarre way of thinking it works!! Don't rain on my parade!
I've decided that for now we don't call it shopping..that seems a bit taboo..I have taken to calling it "stimulating the economy"!!
"Yes, dear, I'm going to stimulate the economy, stop at the post office, and then the dry cleaners today."
Sounds pretty good doesn't it?? I'm doing my civic duty! And I'm doing it wearing a fabulous pair of shoes...so there!!

Who doesn't love a contest! I just entered these cookies into the contest over at The Coupon Coup! Check out some fabulous cookies HERE The site Kindred Spirit Sweets has THE BEST looking cookies ever...my personal Favorite is the Ralphie in the bunny costume...Best Christmas Movie ever!!! Join the contest~ And win adorable snowmen cookies..much better than the boring frosting and sparkles that I make!


Time to start baking for Christmas!! This is my favorite Christmas cookie and always the first one I bake. My youngest son Ronny and I made these this past weekend. MMMMM So yummy!! The smell while baking reminds me of my childhood, and Christmas time. Mom and Grandma always had these on the cookie tray.

ITALIAN MEATBALL COOKIES

1 ¼ Cup Crisco

1 ½ Cups Sugar

3 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

1 tsp vanilla

5 Cups Flour

5 tsp baking powder

1 TBS each of

Cinnamon

Cloves

Allspice

Nutmeg

¾ Cup Hershey cocoa

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup raisins

Cream shortening and sugar.

Add eggs and milk and vanilla a little at a time.

Add dry ingredients and spices. Mix well.

Add nuts, chips, and raisins and mix.

Roll the dough into balls, a little smaller than a golf ball. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Cool and glaze. I just use powdered sugar, a little water and a little milk for the glaze and just dunk the cookies in the glaze and let dry on rack.

I HAVE BUT ONE HEART

As I sit here and listen to the music of my blog, I can't get over how much music has changed. Its so sad that the lyrics of today are so filled with filth, and sex, and just no good. Are there really any love songs out there today. Songs that really speak from the heart in a poetic way?

The lyrics to I HAVE BUT ONE HEART...wow. Could you imagine a man writing this song for you? They just don't write them like this anymore. This is what a love song should sound like. Not the crap that they have out there today! Gotta love Dean Martin!
>
I have but one heart, this heart I bring you,
I have but one heart to share with you,
I have but one dream that I can cling to,
You are the one dream I pray comes true.
My darling, until I saw you, I never felt this way,
And nobody else before you, ever has heard me say,
You are my one love, my life I live for you,
I have but one heart to give to you.
(musical interlude)
*Dicimo o mari, facimu l'amore,
*A curi a curi che ci passa,
*Ca u mare parla e na' carezza,
*Ma a tia la brezza, fina murir.
You are my one love, my love I live for you,
I have but one heart to give to you.

*Not Italian, not Sicilian, but Neapolitan, the free translation of which is:
Let us tell the sea that we are making love,
Heart to heart till the end of time,
Because the sea whispers and caresses us,
So does the breeze till the time we die.

I just LOVE the Italian lyrics of this song..so so pretty.

THANKSGIVING!

With all that is happening in the world we really need to bow our heads and give thanks for what we have. We need to stop wishing for what we don't have and be grateful for we do have. Be thankful that you woke up this morning in a bed. In a warm house. Be thankful that you could go make coffee. Don't complain that you had to get up and go to work. Be thankful that you have a job. Don't complain that your kids are driving you crazy. Be thankful you have healthy children. We are all so busy running around chasing the brass ring that we don't realize that most of us already have it. Its there, if you look for it. If you look at your life through the eyes of someone less forutnate you are a king. My Father always used the saying " I complained that I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet." Take this time to not only give thanks, but also to just give. Be it a dollar or a meal. Giving back is what keeps us humble, keeps us thankful and is the ultimate thing that one can do for another. Don't turn your back and pretend that you don't see. Lend a hand, lend a dollar, an ear or a shoulder. Give your time or your old coat that never gets worn. Thanksgiving isn't just about the turkey on the table. Its not all about gathering as a family to be thankful. Its about giving thanks as well as giving hope. Giving hope to someone who is less fortunate than us. Giving them something to hold onto...maybe their own brass ring.

YUMMY DINNER TONIGHT

Those of you who follow my recipes at www.happyhousewivesclub.com get a sneak preview! This will be on an upcoming menu! Sooo good, and pretty easy too! Its all about the wine people!! A little for the stew and a little for you!

SPEZZATEDDU
Sicilian Beef Stew

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2 inch cubes

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, diced

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch strips

1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch strips

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced

2 cups chianti or medium-bodied red wine

2 cups beef stock

1 cup fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Fried capers and parsley sprig for garnish

Method

Heat vegetable oil, on high, in a large stew pot. Season the beef with salt
and pepper then dredge in flour and brown in two batches. Remove beef and drain on paper towel.

Add olive oil to same pot and heat on medium-high. Sauté onions until
slightly soft, about 3 minutes. Add peppers, rosemary and garlic and continue to cook another 3 minutes. Add meat back to pot, along with tomato paste and potatoes. Stir to coat. Turn up the heat to high and add red wine. Reduce by 1/3, about 5 minutes.

Add beef stock and bring back to a boil for 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 1 hour, or until meat is fork tender. Stir in the fresh parsley. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, ladle into large bowls and garnish with the fried capers and parsley sprigs.

The fried capers give this dish its incredible flavor. But of course it may not be for everyone, so feel free to leave it out, its optional. I like to serve this with Italian bread that I've warmed in the oven, and a simple side salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar. So filling and satisfying on a cold night! Leftovers are delicious!

BUSY BUSY BUSY

Goodness where does the time go? Well it is football season here! This year the boys are in different schools so my running around time as just about doubled! But hey I'm a Mom. If anyone can be in two places at once, its a Mom!! The boys are doing fabulous with school and with football. Ricky ran a 60 yard touchdown yesterday!! WHOOO HOOOO! I am such a proud football Mom!
We have been really busy. Right before school started we took the boys to Hershey Park PA. That was a blast! Roller Coaster heaven for the boys! Then in Sept Louie and I went to the San Gennaro Feast in NYC, and last weekend we were in Atlantic City. I don't want to travel again for a few months! Its so nice to be home!
Heres some pictures of our travels!!!

MY CRAZY KIDS WERE ON THIS...MOMMY WAS SCREAMING LOUDER THAN THEY WERE, AND I WAS ONLY ON THE GROUND!

AND NYC AND THE SAN GENNARO FEAST!!!!!!!!!!

AND OUR RIDE TO ATLANTIC CITY...SOOOO PRETTY

The End of Summer, The Beginning Of School Daze

Wow..summer went by fast! I can't believe were already into August. The lazy days are fading fast. Its time to step it up and prepare for the shiny new school year!
Where to start. Goodness. The class supply lists have grown to two pages. Really is it neccesary to have all these specific colored folders, 3 different colored highlighters, index cards, specific binders with exact measurements? Give me a break...I swear the teachers are in cahoots with the stores! And backpacks...how come we never had backpacks growing up? We actually carried our books. Wow what a concept. Of course our class supply list consisted of a notebook and folder for each class. Not this school survivor kit we have to purchase now. So the back pack is a nessesity to carry it all.
Ahhhh, and then there is the new school clothes. New jeans, new shirts, new sneaks, new socks, new underwear, new haircut...I need a loan.

And if your lucky like me your children are involved in sports. This summer we had three different football camps, a wrestling camp, and lifting 3 days a week. And yes the camps cost money. A mere $100 bucks to send your kids for 2 hours a day, for 4 days. All so they can get the skills that apparently they don't possess, to be able to continue playing the sport that they have played for the last eight years. Football is my cross to bear. My boys have played since the football was bigger then them. Practice schedules are insane. 6pm-8:30 pm 5 days a week starting next week. And then when school starts they will graciously cut it down to 3 days a week.
Of course, my oldest is now at the highschool level. Good God, I though pop warner was crazy with all the hype. High School is another game all together. I swear you would think these kids played for the NFL. Too bad the schools and some of these parents don't put as much effort into the educational system. I get emails from one of the 7 committees every day. Yes there is a committee for everything. Fundraiser committee, Team Spirit Committee, Parents Committee, Committee for nothing Committee. And there are Mandatory Meetings for the parents. Mandatory? I hate being told I have to be somewhere. I'm an adult. I don't need to be told I HAVE to be there. And what if I don't go? My son can't play? Spare me. Football parents can really be nuts. I don't like getting drawn into that whole cult like craziness. Its a freaking game. Let the kids have fun. Your little Johnny is not going to get a football scholarship. Hes not going to be drafted into the NFL.
Don't get me wrong, I love watching my boys play. I'm the screaming proud mama and all, but I just can't get wrapped up in committees, commitments and weekly fund raising. I have a life outside of football! And don't get me started on the Football Dads who are living their glory days vicariously through their children. Its sad really. I've also noticed that the big Football Moms are the ones who were the cheerleaders in high school. Yeah, that wasn't me. I was cheering the football team on from the smoking lounge.
Oh well, time to get the schedule up and mark up the calendar in two different colors for each kid. Though this year I may have to get them seperate calendars. The schedules are just insane. I may have to clone myself too. Not quite sure how I'm going to be at two different places at once. How do you do it with more than two kids? Well, time to get ready for the carwash fundraiser...or is it the flipping burgers at the soccer game fundraiser...gotta go check my schedule.