Winter Walking: It's About Time; My Niece Inspires Me; Lighthouse Hill, Here I Come!

The Staten Island Lighthouse, Lighthouse  Hill

I didn't make any New Year resolutions this year with good reason: I rarely keep them.

Recently I learned that my niece started a blog. It's a personal, daily journal as she makes some career and life changes. But what impressed me tremendously is her commitment to walking during these cold winter days.

I live in a lovely area of Staten Island called Lighthouse Hill. It's a haven for walkers young and old yet I've never joined their ranks. My niece who lives on Long Island, is walking on a boardwalk alongside the Atlantic Ocean...it's got to be cold! Kudos to her but why am I such a walking wimp?

I've always loved the expression (of Chinese origin I believe) that the longest journey begins with one step. I've used that thought over and over again in my life and it's always been a motivator but using it to make a commitment to exercise has always been elusive. I do love to walk but excuses usually trump the best of intentions. I'm vowing to do something about it.

I decided to call my pedestrian pilgrimage 'winter walks' and as usual when I'm doing something new I google it. There are 17,000 plus entries called 'winter walks'. Apparently it's not a very unique idea! But in all cases, walkers engaging in cold weather outings find that the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.

So here I go, starting tomorrow morning, armed with my trusty Canon and a lots of layered clothing (did the weatherman really say a 10 degree wind chill?).  I'm going to engage my legs in a journey of my own, photographing my beautiful snow-filled neighborhood along the way. This won't be a modern day Walden's Pond but if I lose a few inches I'll consider it a success.

Thanks Miss J.

A Hearty Winter Soup And A Sideorder of Popovers

Continuing my winter soup obsession, today I tried a recipe from Martha Stewart Living magazine from January of last year. Of course I changed it up a bit and I must say it made a delicious, satisfying meal which we just finished.

It was an easy soup to make, many of the ingredients are in most pantries but I did substitute a couple of things mostly because I didn't have time for a trip to the grocery store.

The soup is accompanied by popovers. Popovers are light rolls, hollow if made correctly and are, by most accounts,  an Americanized version of Yorkshire Pudding a 17th century English offering. The recipes are quite similar but in Yorkshire Pudding, the fat from beef is added to the mixture resulting in a truly decadent muffin. In both, the muffin pops over the pan, hence the name.

Williams-Sonoma popover pan @ 21.00

I used ordinary muffin tins (worked just fine)  though the recipe called for a popovers tin...i checked on the Williams Sonoma website and of course there really is an actual popover pan, much deeper than an ordinary muffin pan. It  costs about $20. and makes 6 popovers at a time. 

Here are the recipes. Tomorrow we're in for another day of snow here in New York. This weekend might be a good time to give this soup a try. 

Hearty Winter Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 finely chopped chives
3 celery stalks cut thin on the diagonal
3 carrots also cut on the diagonal
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
Salt and pepper contest
1 box vegetable stock
I large can of chicken broth
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes cubed
One small onion finely chopped
I can chick peas, drained and washed
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill

Directions

• Heat olive oil enlarge pot adding garlic, celery, chives, onion and carrots plus one tablespoon of salt.
• Add beef and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
• Add potatoes and cook on low until vegetables are tender.
• Stir in chickpeas, lemon juice and dill.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Note: I had some leftover beef and chicken which I added to the soup.

Popovers
2 and a half cups of whole milk
2 and a half cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 large eggs whisked.
Unsalted butter for pans

Directions

• Preheat over to 425 degrees
• Mix flour, milk and salt.
• Whisk in eggs for a lumpy textured batter
• Heat popovers pan (or ordinary muffin pan) in the oven for 5 minutes.
• Brush cups generously with melted butter
• Fill three-quarters full and bake for 20 minutes until slightly golden.
• Let stand for 5 minutes and serve warm with butter.

Homemade Pizza: Can An Irish Girl Get It Right? Revealing My Secret Ingredient

My pizza with bacon topping.

Living in Staten Island where there's a great pizzeria on practically every corner can be intimidating for those of us who like to make their own, and, er, that'd be me. I am am American first of course, but of Irish extraction and along with husband whom is half Irish, half Italian we've eaten enough pizza in our lifetime to know good from bad.

I started making my own pizza as a quick, easy and inexpensive dinner and also to keep a vow I made a couple of years ago to order less take-out.

Pizza dough is a pretty common item in Italian delis and most supermarkets but I think pizzerias also will sell their raw dough if you ask. The dough costs about $2-2.50, a real bargain. All you'll need after that is some olive oil, mozzarella cheese, miscellaneous toppings and my secret ingredient: Costco's Pesto in a jar. This product is exceptional (in my opinion) and the next best thing to making your own pesto. I use in in many of my recipes.

Here's how to make pizza:

• Let pizza dough rise until doubled in size.
• Using a floured surface, roll dough to a circle of rectangle, depending on the pan you'll use.
• Spread a light coating of olive oil on the pan while preheating the over to 400 degrees.
• Place rolled dough onto the pan, stretching to fit. Spread a thin layer of pesto on the surface.
• Add shaved mozzarella cheese
• Here's where you can get creative: 
• Add your choice of meat (meatballs, sausage, pepperoni, bacon, cooked chicken) on top or if you prefer vegetarian add tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, onions....whatever you prefer (or all for a true 'garbage pizza)
• Top with some fresh Grated Parmesan cheese, drizzling a small amount of olive oil over that.
• Pop in the oven for about 15-20 minutes (keep your eye on the pizza, it cooks fast!).
• Serve warm and cut with a regular pizza cutter.

That's about it. your home will have a delicious scent and the pizza will be fresh and fantastic!
Mangia!

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli au Gratin: Comfort Food For A Cold January Day

If you read yesterday's post, you'll know I gave a birthday party this past weekend. On the menu was mashed potatoes, a favorite of the birthday girl and I made several toppings having a mashed potato bar for our guests.

I hate stereotypes but being Irish must have increased our family's love of the savory spud because it was, and is, a popular menu item for dinner in our home. However, I had never made 'make-ahead' mashed potatoes being a bit of a potato purist but since I had to make a lot, I didn't want the last minute mess. I'm always ready to give anything a try.

The potatoes were enormously successful and so I'd like to share the recipe with you today. These can be frozen or stored in the fridge for at least a week, a great side dish for a cold January weekend.

Broccoli au gratin makes a scrumptious topping for potatoes especially if you don't have gravy. I'm adding an easy recipe for you to try. It might not be low in calories but at least it's green! By the way, both of these take less than 15 minutes to prepare.

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 cup cream cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup half and half
2 teaspoons kosher salt
black pepper to taste

Directions

• Bring potatoes to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
• In a large bowl, mash potatoes adding cream cheese, sour cream, milk, salt, and pepper. 
• Transfer to a casserole dish.
• Cover, and bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven.

Broccoli au Gratin

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. fresh broccoli

3/4 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. flour

1 1/2 c. milk

3/4 c. grated Cheddar cheese

Toasted bread crumbs

Directions

• Cook washed fresh broccoli until tender.
• Place in greased casserole dish. 
• Combine butter and flour thoroughly to magke a roux adding milk gradually, stirring to make a paste. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. 
• Add cheese, salt and cook until melted. 
• Pour over casserole. 
• Top with toasted bread crumbs. 
• Bake 25-30 minutes until bubbly.

A 30th Birthday Party: Barbecue and Mashed Potato Bar and A Surprise Football Victory

Red  Velvet cupcakes with cake toppers.

My daughter celebrated her 30th birthday this past weekend. I planned a family party and because it was so soon after Christmas, I hadn't completely taken down all of the holiday decorations. The tree was gone of course and the obvious Santa and Nativity items but my chandelier was still intact and I had already planned on adding pink items to it so it could remain at least through Valentines Day. I was transisting holidays as my daughter was transisting from her 20s to her 30s. Having the birthday party helped me get started.

We have a tradition in our family of decorating the kitchen island and overhead lights for birthdays and this special birthday would be no different. I visited Michael's, the craft store, and wandered aimlessly until I came across some packages of fabric daisies in bright spring-like colors. I thought they would be perfect hanging from the chandelier and kitchen fixtures using clear fishing line as the cording. I also found a package of foam stickers from a company called Creatology. The sticker style was 'Magic Garden' and I knew it would enhance the decor in several ways.

My older daughter has a thriving cake business (http://www.heavenlybitescakes.com/) and was assigned cupcakes. She made red velvet and chocolate cake with tiny puffs of white icing on top. Delicious! I made toppers using a pink flower stickers from the foam set and pasted round half-inch photos of my daughter onto the sticky side. Instead of toothpicks, I found some colorful mini clothespins that I clipped the photo onto before inserting into the white icing.

The kitchen lights get daisified.'

My dining room chandelier renovated for the party. 

Two weeks ago, I wrote about using silver house numbers as cake toppers. I bought a set of all the numbers (at $1. each) and used them for this party on my three tiered plate holder. The handy box of stickers adorned the numbers and blended well with the other decorations.

House numbers make great decorations. 

The menu was simple: grilled steak and chicken kabobs, a mashed potato bar and Cesar salad. I had lots of toppings for the potatoes: broccoli Au gratin, bacon bits, cauliflower Au gratin, assorted cheeses and nuts, caramelized onions, gravy, sauteed mushrooms and chili. The barbecue (my husband braved the cold) mixed with the comfort food made a perfect menu for a transition party!

The book on display was from Kodak Gallery.

Our gift to our daughter, book celebrating her first 30 years, was made through Kodak Gallery. Friends and family members were invited to share a memory of her which was printed in the book. This is my third book using Kodak's photo book program and I recommend it highly. The photos reproduce very well and the final product is returned quickly. If you want to make a personal and unique gift for a friend or family member, it's a great way to do it.

Though I'm not a football fan, the party ended with the New York Jets beating the New England Patriots...an unexpected bonus for Jets fans in attendance! It's nice when everyone goes home happy.

Vaseline: Singing the Praises of an American Icon; A Cure for 'Winter Feet'; Seriously, Brooklyn?

If it's January, it must be 'Winter Feet'. Yes, I am among the afflicted and decided to do something about it. I turned to my medicine cabinet and spied my dusty but trusty jar of an old American icon: Vaseline.

I probably don't need to describe winter feet and there certainly won't be any photos of mine to illustrate here but you know you have it when your feet are so bad you're embarrassed to even get a pedicure! Truly, I have very sad feet.

Vaseline has been curing any number of maladies in my family for as long as I can remember and I wondered how this miracle product came about. You can read all about it on the Vaseline website ( a pretty slick-looking site) but I'll summarize a bit here.

Historic photo from Vaseline archives.

In 1887, a struggling chemist named Robert Augustus Chesebrough went to the oil fields in Titisville, Pennsylvania where he discovered a jelly-like residue collecting on drilling rods used in the process. This residue was actually hindering production but was being used by the oil men to heal sores and chapped hands. Chesborough took the residue back to Brooklyn, New York (yes, that Brooklyn!!) where he developed and purified it to a smooth product that he called petroleum jelly. He made so much of the product that he was using up all of the containers in is lab. He began using his wife's vases to hold the jelly and then adding the word 'line' which was a medical term back then, he named his product Vaseline, though this story is probably more 'folklore' than fact. Another source suggests the name was a combination of a German and Greek name. But the product was invented and the rest is medicine cabinet history!

American ingenuity....there's nothing like it!

But back to my feet. I decided to try coating my feet day and night with Vaseline using socks to seal it in. I'm happy to report that after just two days, my feet are back to normal: calluses have softened considerably and my toenails and cuticles are less brittle and sore. I've used and recommended Vaseline for chapped lips, hands and diaper rash but i decided to look up some other used for this amazing product. There are many but here are just a few from a couple of different sources.

USES FOR VASELINE

• Wipe petroleum jelly over your shoe to treat the leather, then remove any excess with a soft cloth.
• If your ring gets stuck on your finger, try rubbing the finger with Vaseline to get it off.
• Try putting a little Vaseline petroleum jelly above your baby's eyebrows, and the shampoo suds won't run into the eyes, but to the side.
• Rub a little petroleum jelly on the light bulb threads and you won't have to worry about it sticking in the socket.
• If you don't want candle wax sticking to the inside of your candle holders, just rub some Vaseline inside them.
• Vaseline removes even the most stubborn mascara and soothes the eye area.
• Mix with sea salt to make your own scrub.
• Put a very thin layer on the area that needs shaving and shave. Don’t use water and don’t apply too much Vaseline or it will jam your razor.
• Apply it on cheeks and under eye area for that dewy look.
• Apply some Vaseline to elbows daily. It will soften them.
• Apply some lipliner all over your lips and top it off with Vaseline for instant shine.
• Vaseline on your wrist before spraying perfume will make the scent last longer.
• Apply petroleum jelly to your lips and wait a few minutes. Then, use an old toothbrush and scrub your lips. This will exfoliate lips.
• Apply some Vaseline around the hairline before coloring your hair to protect your skin from the harsh chemicals contained in the dye.
• Put some Vaseline on your split ends, it will seal them in and make it look like they aren’t there. But don’t do this too often as it will take a couple of shampoos to remove Vaseline from your hair.
• Mix some Vaseline with your lipstick to make your own cream blusher.
• Vaseline removes makeup stains from clothes.

And there are probably many more than these...if you have any, send hem in to share with my readers.

Chesebrough Manufacturing Company distributed its product throughout the United States and England during the early and mid-20th Century and was productive even during the Depression years.  Chesebrough and Pond's Creams merged in June 1955. In 1987, Chesebrough-Ponds was acquired by Anglo-Dutch company Unilever though the jar says it is manufactured in the United States. 

We hear so much lately about American ingenuity. This is just one story of a man with an idea and the spirit and courage to risk failure in pursuit of success. It gives us much to be thankful for and much to aspire to.

Here's to happy feet!

Matterhorn: A Book About Vietnam That You Should Read

I'm halfway through a book called "Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War" by Karl Marlantes. This book was published in March of 2010 and it was on my 'to read' list until I finally picked it up this week.

Vietnam had always been a source of conflict for me not because I knew anyone who lost their life but because I really didn't support the war or the soldiers serving in it and I've felt guilty about it ever since. I fell all to easily into the category of being a war protester without really considering that contemporaries of mine were off in a far, unfamiliar country fighting an unknown enemy while I was comfortably attending college and spending summer days on a beach in the Hamptons.

On December 1, 1969, when the war was at it's peak, the Selective Service Agency held a lottery to determine the order of the draft for those eligible to serve. My husband (boyfriend at the time) was number 55, not a good number. The very next day, he signed up for the National Guard and was able to complete his duty stateside. His cousin, also with a low number, decided to join the army and consequently went to Vietnam where he was shot in the leg while walking point for his unit.

That pretty much summarizes my awareness of the war other than hearing daily news reports of battles in exotic sounding places and being aware of a rising death toll that I didn't connect to actual people until I went to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. in the late 1980s. There, after viewing wall segment after wall segment, name after name, did the sheer number of casualties hit me, 58,267 to be exact. The long, solemn, black wall, simple in its design yet so powerful in it's scope is fitting testimony to soldiers who gave their lives in a war in which their fellow countrymen did not have their backs.

The Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C.

Matterhorn, the novel, fills in the blanks for the clueless like myself. The author served in Vietnam and no doubt drew from his experiences to weave a story so abhorrent in its detail and shockingly horrific in its account of how much man can endure. In fact, it took him over 30  years to write 'Matterhorn' happily resulting in glowing reviews and gratifying kudos perhaps from reviewers who like me ignored the sacrifices of this generation of men and women for too long. The book isn't pleasant, in fact it is most uncomfortable to read but I find I can't put it down.

I thank Mr. Marlantes for the courage and time it took to write this story and his persistence in getting it published. I thank him and countless other men and woman of my generation for their service to our country in fighting a war destined to be lost but not be be forgotten.