JACE!!! and Christian and Jennifer....and me....

My son and his girlfriend/partner are in the hospital _right now_ being induced to deliver their son, Jace Rowen Rossi. It's an exciting time for all of them. This is a never-to-be-repeated time for them as they will never have a second "first". Jennifer started the 29 November BIG pregnant (b/c everyone is BIG pregnant at 39 weeks...) with Jace bopping around in her belly and will start, God willing, 1 December with Jace in her arms. While she may have other children, this will always be the first. While she will hold Jace many, many times, this will be the first. They are very excited...but also sleeping now as the induction is taking a loooooooong time (7+ hours already and it's only 0707). I know that this is SO not all about me but this blog is so i dump here. You can stop reading and it's still an exciting time. I'll update when/if i know more. Check out Facebook and Instagram as i am sure that they will be posting pictures galore! I am sad today. I am happy for them;dont' misunderstand. I am just remembering my own first delivery of my daughter and my delivery with Christian. Remembering their "infanthoods" and childhoods. And, with Christian becoming a father, being reminded that they are no longer my children. Just another step away from me. Another life event that i won't be a part of. Another example of my being in the senesce of my life. That there is one less thing to live for. I have raised my children to independent adulthood. They haven't _needed_ me for years, i know. But this just slams that home even more. I am not even on the fringes of their lives but am a part of their past. I will no more be a part of this child's life than i am to the lives of any of the other babies being born at Presbyterian Hospital of New Mexico (where they are now). And, i am nostalgic for the days of being where they are. The excitement of things to come and a life unfolding. Like a souffle rising and expanding in an oven. Like a flower blossom opening. They are living in the present but also the future with so much to anticipate. Where i am now is a life of past. The souffle collapsing on itself. The blossom wilting with the petals drying out and falling to the ground. No anticipation for the future but full of good memories of the past (and the knowledge of how i might have done some things, many things, differently). I will, of course, not share any of this with the happy family in Albuquerque. I will mirror their joy and wonder at the coming of new life and all the changes that they will enjoy over the coming days, weeks and years. But, deep inside, once i'm off the ZOOM call or Insta message, i will feel the pang of loss inside. Caffeine and chocolate help many short spurts of sadness but this is beyond even Diet Coke and KitKat. Some feelings cannot be masked but must be felt. I will see them in January. I am hoping that i'll feel happy-happy, joy-joy by then or can at least appear that way to them. They deserve all the happiness that they can get, all the happiness that i felt as a maman of my children.

oops! i forgot the recipe of the week

This is rather a "cheat" as i am making this recipe tomorrow so i cannot tell you if it was a "hit" or a "miss". I am taking it on faith that i will like it more than Hubster as it _is_ lentils and pasta and spinach...i love them but he is less fond of 1. lentils 2. soup 3. beans and pasta together So....i will serve it to him tomorrow with _lots of bacon-grease-grilled-onions (which makes everything better!) and will be eating the rest of it on my own the rest of the week. Good for me..and for him (he gets pizza!) _RISHTA_ 8 cups Scrappy Vegetable Broth [can use beef/chicken broth] 1 heaping cup (7 ounces) brown/green lentils, rinsed and picked over [NOT red lentils] 1/4 cup olive oil [i will use a LOT less oil...can saute in water/broth if you wish] 2 medium-large onions (9 ounces each), thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced [~1-1/2t chopped garlic] 1 teaspoon cumin seeds [make life easy...use ground!] 1 teaspoon ground coriander 2 cups lightly packed fresh cilantro or spinach leaves and stems (1 large bunch), finely chopped and divided [using spinach here as i don't have cilantro] 4 ounces dried tagliatelle or fettuccine, broken into bite-size pieces [this would be fun with tiny ditalini or small seashells too] 1 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste DIRECTIONS In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the broth and the lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat until the liquid is at a simmer, and cook until the lentils are very tender, about 35 minutes. While the lentils are cooking, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and just beginning to take on color, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the cumin seeds and ground coriander and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in half the chopped cilantro/spinach and cook, stirring, until completely wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. When the lentils are tender, add in the onion mixture. Add the tagliatelle pieces, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Increase the heat to return to a boil, then reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering, and cook until the tagliatelle is just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and the remaining chopped cilantro/spinach. Taste, and season with more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice as needed. Serve hot.

What sparks happiness and gratitude for you?

hi hi! First a little "housekeeping". I have heard from a few of you that you want to leave a comment but have been unable to do so. I wish that i could be more helpful here...but...i'm a luddite. So, i know little about how this works. I do know, however, that if you leave your comments on my email, i will get them. And, i'll even share/address them here in case others have the same ideas. My email is gringalet@hotmail.com which you can easily cut-and-paste. So, i was reading elsewhere on my Goodstuff feed (happy news daily!) about blogging and journaling. In this, i saw something that not only am i going to do but i share with you in case you might want to join me. I will post it here, mostly, but some is too intimate/personal to share widely. If you want to share more one-on-one, again, gringalet@hotmail.com The article was about 20 ideas that spark happiness. I am going to use them as discussion suggestions and, while i won't do one every day (i'm just not that disciplined), i will do them randomly in the coming days. I want to be able to fully address the questions that i choose to answer, not speed through them b/c i "have to do one every day". I am not in school anymore. I decide when my own homework is due! Here are the question/suggestions. Please feel free to suggest more if you think of any that might be good additions. If you don't like one or another, you don't have to do that one. You're not in school. I won't check your homework and give you a zero for missing the assignment...but i will give you a gold star for effort if/when you address any one of them. :-) 20 questions to spark gratitude 1. When was a time you were truly proud of yourself? 2. What is the nicest compliment someone has ever given you? 3. Has a stranger ever helped you out during a difficult time? What happened? 4. What is something you thought you could never do, but you proved yourself wrong? 5. Have you ever had plans go completely awry, but you had a great time anyway? How did you make the best of it? 6. What’s the best sound in the world? 7. Describe the most comfortable bed you can imagine. 8. Has a piece of music ever moved you to tears? What was it? 9. What never fails to make you laugh? 10. What was your favorite gift you received as a child? 11. Who was your favorite neighbor? 12. Describe something someone has done that has made you feel truly loved. 13. What was the most beautiful sunset you’ve ever seen? 14. Have you ever had a negative impression of someone that changed once you got to know them? 15. Have you ever had someone at a restaurant, hotel, airport or other place of business go above and beyond for you? What did they do? 16. Describe a smell that brings back happy memories. 17. Describe something interesting you’ve learned from someone from another culture. 18. What daily convenience are you most thankful for? 19. What’s an item with absolutely no monetary value that holds great meaning for you? 20. What was one of the best days of your life?

lisa's little language lamentations.....

I speak french and english. I tried spanish but, as my son would say, it was "an epic fail". That said, there are things about French that still make me tilt my head and wonder. French, like many languages (Spanish included), has genders for all nouns. This is important for using the correct adjectives. And, sometimes, the word means different things if used in the masculine or feminine. And example of this is "pelerin". Masculine (un pelerin) is a pilgrim (think Thanksgiving!). Feminine (une pelerine) is a cloak or cape (think Little Red Riding Hood). Un livre (masculine) is a book. Une livre (feminine) is a pound (##). If there is a group of people,even if there are 499 women and only 1 man, the group is called by masculine terms. If it is unknown if a group includes a masculine being (male dog in a pack, whatever), the group is masculine. When in doubt, the masculine is the default, unfortunately. Then there is the part that really makes me say, "hmmmmm???". A dress, a hairdo, a pretty ring on your finger-- all things that make a girl feel pretty. These words are all feminine (une robe, une coiffure, une bague). A gun, a pick-up truck, a speedo bathing suit-- all things that make a man feel manly. These words are all masculine (un fusil, un camion tout-terrain, un maillot de bain). But, breasts (decidedly a feminine wile...) are masculine (les seins). Chest, also feminine tool of attraction, feminine (la poitriine). A broom and a washing machine (feminine tools) are masculine (un balai et un lave-linge) but a hatchet (masculine tool) and a saw (une scie) are feminine. Oh, but it gets better. A masculine dog is un chien. Dog. A feminine dog is une chienne. Which translates to both the Westminster Dog show translation of female dog or the pejorative b**tch. A masculine feline is un chat. Cat. A feminine feline is une chatte. Which translates to both the mama cat literal translation and the pejorative fluffy female body part. (side note, this word in French, the epitome of female!!, is also a masculine word...le vagin...odd, hunh?) And, the most recent, is this one. My kids call their paternal grandmother (Lorraine Rossi) "nana". It is the name that she chose for herself for my kids to call her. This in French translates to "small/young girl". So, at 77 years old, my kids are calling her a little girl. Oh! But it goes both ways. The phrase for grandchildren is "petit-fils" and "petite fille". So, that same Nana is calling her 6'3" grandson "little son" and her 5'8" granddaughter "little daughter", both of whom tower over her. French makes little sense, sometimes. To say "darn" (and not curse), one says "chansons!" which translates to "songs!". Then again, i've heard people (un)cursing in English saying "cheese-and-rice", which makes little more sense, truly. And we will not even speak of the many, many words that sound the same in French but mean different things. My hubster says that there are truly only 17 words in French and they are just combined differently. Sometimes, to hear a native speaker babbling on about some arcane topic, i have to agree. My favorite, however, is how objects can change gender. Yes, many of the items in your home are "transgendered". Who knew? Your table and kitchen chairs? feminine (la table, la chaise) but that same chair, if cushioned, could be called an "easy chair"...and thus becomes masculine (un fauteuil). What goes well with said easy chair? A footrest. So, you go to th playground and rush to use the swings. But, are they masculine or feminine? Both? Neither? Un portique (masculine) or une balancoire (feminine). Ok, enough of this silliness, you think. So....a ball, the most basic of all tools or toys, right? But is it a boy or girl toy? une balle (feminine) or un ballon (masculin)? Oh! my head! (la tete or le crane?)!! So, go home. Take a break. Have some tea/coffee and toast. But will you have "boy" or "girl" toast? Un pain grille (masuline) or une tartine (feminine)? Aaaaack! You pray for this to end but, in doing so, look at your hands...oh yes, there's more. You realize that your hand is feminine (la main) but the components are ...well....both. Some masculine (un doigt...finger...le pouce....thumb) and some feminine (une ongle....fingernail)...and, unlike the rest of French, the combination is feminine (la main..feminine). Speaking of toast and prayers....this being a Lisa Blog Post, i owe you a recipe, i suppose. This is an easy one but a traditional Rossi Family Thanksgiving recipe. Try it...and see if you don't make it your favorite festive food. Oh, and cranberry is both sexes too! une canneberge (feminine) or un atoca(masculine). Enjoy!! TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING CREATIVE CRANBERRY JIGGLY JELLO This is the recipe as it's written. My "adjustments" are in parentheses. Enjoy!! 1 package (6 ounces) cherry gelatin (2x small boxes or 1 large box, any "red" flavor is good) 1-1/2 cups boiling water (1-1/4C is better) 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained 1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce 1-1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved (i never do this, always add chopped apple instead) 1/4 cup chopped pecans (i have never put nuts in jello... but you can..i don't love nuts) Directions In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in water. Stir for three minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in pineapple and cranberry sauce. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Stir in grapes and pecans. (i add all at once then stir again in ~30-45 minutes). Pour into a 2-qt. serving bowl. Refrigerate until firm.

CHICKEN ROPA VIEJA

You are due a recipe. I made this yesterday for today's lunch...and it worked (kinda). If you are expecting "real" ropa vieja..then it didn't work at all. If you are expecting "something Latin American over rice"..then it worked. The secret to happiness? LOWER EXPECTATIONS!! My adjustments are in the [....] Chicken Ropa Vieja (Instant Pot Recipe) A (messy but good) Cuban meal made with chicken instead of beef. Ingredients 1. 1 tbsp. oil [or not] 2. 1 cup sliced baby carrots [1C shredded carrot] 3. 1 1/2 cups chopped red onion [used yellow onion, aka "what i had"] 4. 1 large red bell pepper (sliced)[used one bell pepper...see "what i had"] 5. 1 large green bell pepper (sliced) 6. 3 large garlic cloves (minced) 7. 1 cup chicken broth [used tea...yummier?] 8. 14.5 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes [regular diced tomatoes +1T chipotle sauce] 9. 2 tbsp. tomato paste 10. 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar 11. 1 tbsp. ground cumin 12. 2 lb. chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)[used 2x leg quarters, ~1#, not boneless/skinless...skinned] 13. [1/2 b/s chicken breast...had to use up from the freezer...needed to add more chicken] 14. 2 large bay leaves Instructions [saute/steam veg in water in pammed IP liner...add rest....cover and IP for 21 minutes...have a life...remember that you have chicken going...take off lid as it has been over a half hour since the cooking ended...put in fridge to serve in the future] or..... Press the "Sauté" button on your IP. Add the oil, along with the carrots and onions. Stir until the onions are translucent. Add in the peppers and garlic and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more. Pour in the canned tomatoes and chicken broth and add the tomato paste, apple cider vinegar and cumin as well. Stir to combine. Turn off the sauté function and add the chicken. Stir to combine, and then gently press the bay leaves in without breaking them. If needed, simply spoon some of the mixture over the leaves. Secure the lid and close the vent on your IP. Press the "Meat/Stew" button on your IP or set to 35 minutes on high pressure with the Manual button. Allow a 10 minute natural release, then open the steam valve to release any remaining steam. (Don't burn yourself on the steam!) Remove the lid and shred the chicken with either two forks, or an electric hand mixer on it's lowest setting. [chicken will shred by itself...so very cooked....toss bay leaves and random bones...] Serve with rice and beans. A side of fried plantains is also a yummy addition. [ i did this...and added more chipotle sauce at serving...sosososo good...] This makes A LOT so i will be making Sopa Azteca with the chicken/veg that remains...Stay tuned for how that works out.

the joy of throwing things away.....

It seems odd at first glance the ripple of joy that i get throwing things away. I am a skinflint...a penny-pincher...a miser, some might say. I am frequently uncomfortable spending money and do so reluctatntly. I used to cut coupons and go to three stores each week to do my shopping. I compare prices. I don't think that i've bought a Starbucks in fifteen years and have only had one pedicure (with my mother....also about fifteen years ago). I still use a yellow Tupperware dish to hold sweet-n-low that i took to University of Cincinnati with me in 1984 (for that same use!). I reuse tea bags twice before they are done and then put the used up grounds in my morning oatmeal (ditto with egg shells from hard boiled eggs). I am far from a spendthrift. And, yet, i said that i get a thrill throwing things away. What's that all about? Well, i like to throw away things that are used up. The paper that is full of notes...then grocery lists...then the random observation/reminder. The broken saucer that i've had for ten years and finally dropped and broke. The seam from the bottom of the blouse that i wore for years, then cut up around the worn part to sew a new shirt....and the remainder scraps to be pitched. I like seeing the used up...and saying "good bye" to the items that have served me well. By the time that i've had a saucer for ten years or a tee shirt (now a cleaning rag) for seven, it's like an old friend. We were good for a long while and now it's time to part. And, i'll admit, i'm a little proud of myself that i was able to get the value out of the object before tossing it. This is not a joy that i would ever get from throwing out the plastic K-cups or the multiple take-away containers from random restaurant take-away meals. I just feel guilty when i have to pitch things that haven't been used up mulitple times. The culture in which i now live is very much like this. Ticos (Costa Rican natives) thrown _nothing_ away until it is "dead". Condiments come, generally, in sacs (like toothpaste tubes but bigger) so that the product can be squeeeeeeezed all the way out before the container is used up. Take-away/"doggie bag" containers are generally pressed paper and the last restaurant that i went to (and had a fellow diner ask for a take-away container) charges for the container. I brought my own (the trust Tupperware yellow one, actually!! as i'm out of loose sweet-n-low!!!). If something has use left in it but i no longer want it (oversized tee shirt....cookies that i bought a 12-pack of and then found that i don't love them), i pass them on to others (Olga, the housekeeper....area collection at the grocery for the less fortunate....local shelter house for Venezuelan refugees). Nothing gets wasted. We don't take out much garbage (lots of recycling, in comparison). The last thing that i pitched was a spent pen. Cans from tomato sauce (28oz size) become pen holders. Former two outgrown/outworn shirts went to make ice cream holders for friends (and future presents, to remain unnamed in case future recipients are reading this....). Recycle, Reduce, Reuse...then rejoice in the success and pitch the leftover scraps happily. Pura Vida.

Bugles and the wisdom of moms...especially mine!!

hi hi! Welcome to the "new" blog. It was suggested to me that instead of sending the "monday missive/message" and clogging your email inbox, i could just post here and you can read(or not) at your leisure. This also allows you to flip back and see the recipe or note from previous weeks, in case you're now ready to make Cowboy Chili or Cheater Lemon Meringue Pie (which i recommend....) This has been a weird week. I remember sitting in front of the tele, watching and eating Bugles (remember those? witches fingers!!)out of the box. My mother, wise woman that she was (is and will always be) knew that if she said "ok, it's time to put that away now" that i would take a huge handful. So, rather than warn me that "the end is near", she said "that was your last hand of Bugle nails" and took the box. I had the Bugles on my fingers so i was happy...and the box was closed and put away, so she was happy. She's so wise. In that vein, and because i can learn from the past (sometimes...not always...),i am doing the same here. This is the last Monday Missive to end up in your email inbox. Time to put away the box and let you enjoy the "Bugles on your fingers"/last message that you have. While there were more Bugles another day-- something to look forward to-- there will be more Monday messages written. They will be on my blog (address at bottom of this email ). You can access the blog whenever you may wish, reread to check on that recipe that you weren't ready to make when it was written but are ready for now, or just ignore the messages and be glad that your inbox is that much cleaner. And i won't ever know. I had written you of the "math-cat-ics" that we have been experiencing here in Costa Rica with the additions and subtractions to our feline family. As we have lost "my" kitty, i had been thinking about adopting another one soon. We won't be leaving the house on any trips for months so it would be the ideal time. And there are always too many kitties looking for homes here in Atenas area, unfortunately. I even had an appointment to go to a woman's house to see the kitties that she has been fostering. But....i backed out. The last two kitties that we added were "teenagers" and both became, sequentially, Joe's kitties. They (the kitties, not Joe) similar personalities. Both are scrappy, wanting to Alpha-kitties to Mash. They hunt and bring their prey into the house to play with and then eat. They attack anything moving under blankets or towels or clothing (pant legs as you walk by, feet overnight, random attacks when one is reading). They are "teenagers"-- always up for a party or rumble. Joe thinks they're great fun. I think that they're a pain. I prefer kitties, i guess, like Mash. Just this side of stuffed animals. They kind that will cuddle with you while you read or sleep at night. The kitty that sleeps on the bed next to or near you while you're reading or surfing the net but doesn't attack your hands as you type. Yes, Mash will climb onto my lap (where there really is not room for him and my iPad....) much of the time that i sit but he then calms down and i can pet him/read at the same time. He doesn't bite my arm (and draw blood!) like Libby does. It is because of this that we do not have another/third kitty at this time. I am too wary that Joe will corrupt the new arrival and we'll end up with another "teenager" that climbs the screens to get to the butterflies on the other side or the birds on her side. She is damaging and frustrating enough. Yes, Joe is a bad influence, i have to believe. Maybe when/if Mash passes, i'll be open to getting an addition to the feline family. Or if some poor unfortunate soul wanders up to our back porch again (see: Spud and Puka). Until then, having had only two children in our former lives, we have only two people and two pussycats in our current lives. And to feed the "two people" (but not the two pussycats), we had this: It is super-easy, fast, and flexible...use any veg... My adjustments are in red. ANY VEG IP SOUP 2# any vegetable **, chopped or shredded 1 C onion, chopped 2 T diced ginger(if you keep the ginger in the freezer, it's always available and easier to slice) 1t chopped garlic ( i used bottled, pre-chopped) 14oz can coconut milk (NOT coconut creme)*(NOT coconut water) 12oz water/broth (if using water, add 1t or more of salt) 1/3 C rice (or not...makes it thicker) garnishes(see NOTE)1T tahini/peanut butter swirled in with serving is yummy put all in IP close set for 10 minutes when done, release pressure and puree, if desired, with stick blender **zucchini, shredded beets, shredded butternut squash, chopped sweet potato, chopped yellow/white potato, chopped spinach, (if frozen, use frozen and reduce water to 6oz) broccoli cauliflower mix of broccoli/cauliflower mix of potatoes NOTE: garnish with whatever looks good to you, according to the veg used potato (or anything, really) + sauteed onion (better sauteed in bacon fat....just sayin') sweet potato + roasted chick peas zucchini + sesame seeds + tahini https://4ever5nm.blogspot.com/?zx=e0c18f41771c8806