Mangia! Mangia!

What???

Why the weather outside is brutal right now, I won't punish the great north east for it.   At least not yet - it looks like there is some relief next week from these below freezing temps!   Instead I will focus on the the positives of the Philly area - my personal favorite being that there are Italian influences everywhere - most notably the restaurants!!  And really good ones!!

Despite mentally knowing that my heritage is primarily German & Scottish, my heart would like to think there are some secret Italian roots buried deep within my soul.   I adore so much about the culture - from just the sound of the language, to the love of family, and of course - the love of food!!  And living in this area really allows me to buy some great Italian food, cuts of meats, delicious cheeses, fresh veggies, etc,.  So if not dining out on an Italian feast, I can try to make one at home.

One of my favorite dishes to make on a cold day is Pasta e Fagioli.   There are a gazillion recipes and ways to make this soup.  Is it ground beef or sausage?  With or without kidney beans?  Fresh versus dried herbs?   Any which way it is made, it always comes out delicious and comforting on a day when Old Man Winter rears his ugly head!  So here is my favorite recipe in case any of you are a human popsicle like myself and need a little soup for the soul in order to defrost! 

Pasta e Fagioli
1 lb bulk hot Italian sausage ( I use turkey sausage myself)
2 large carrots, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs rosemary, stems removed and chopped
4 sprigs thyme
salt and pepper
8 cups chicken broth or stock
15 oz can canellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 cup ditalini pasta (or other very small pasta)
A few handfuls of spinach (you can omit if you don't like - most traditional recipes don't call for it but I add for the extra nutrients)
grated parmesan cheese
crusty bread, for serving (we always get sourdough)

Heat large soup pot over medium high heat.  Add sausage and stir, breaking into small pieces as it browns.  Cook until browned, 3-4 minutes.  Add carrot, celery, onion, garlic to pan.  Add small bit of olive oil if there are not enough drippings from sausage.  Add bay leaf, rosemary, and sprigs of thyme.  Cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
Add in chicken broth, 2 cups of water, and canellini beans.  Cover the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Stir in pasta.  Lower heat to a simmer, and cook until pasta is al dente.    Discard bay leaf and stems from thyme.   Add spinach here if you like and stir a few times until wilted.

Serve with crusty bread and top with shredded cheese.

Lowcountry Love

I took a little trip below the Mason Dixon this past weekend for some much needed girl time and warm weather!  Charleston, South Carolina is one of my most favorite places to visit, not just because of its historical charm and geographical location, but also because my longtime bestie, AL lives there!   She coordinated a girls' weekend with some pals from around the south (including another longtime bestie - TTD) and we were blessed with some of the prettiest January weather to top it all off - just what I needed after being chilled to the bone for the past few weeks living up north.   However, it could have been freezing in Charleston and I wouldn't have cared.  Spending time with these gals, a few whom I have known since middle school, was all I needed.   We have seen each other though the best and worst of times, been a part of each others milestones and even supported each other through the "Friends" era, where we all decided to get "The Rachel" hairstyle (which one of us really thought that was a good idea?)  You can't put a price tag on that kind of friendship!

Whenever I visit Charleston, I am always left wanting to live there.   I don't think I would ever tire of the vibe that city has - it marries the best of old south with a fresh, college feel!   People are laid-back, good natured and seem to always have a good time.   There are always new and upcoming hot spots and restaurants, so we had to take in one for dinner on Saturday night.  Whether I was just famished or the food was that darn amazing, I very much enjoyed the meal that The MacIntosh served - seriously juicy glazed pork shoulder that just melted in my mouth and the pork ravioli were to die for - highly recommend this place to anyone visiting!  And Charleston has plenty of oldies, but goodies too - I am never served a bad meal at High Thyme on the island and my shrimp and chorizo grits for brunch was amazing!!   You could really eat your way through the town - and drink!

And no girls' weekend would be complete without hitting a few nightspots and trying to feel young again - especially when you visit a bar that is dubbed "college bar".  The music was good and drinks cold, so we didn't mind hanging even if we were 10+ years older than most inside!   After watching these "twenty-somethings" do their thing, I decided I like being "thirty-something" and am more comfortable in my own skin now than ever.   I wouldn't go back to that time for anything (well, maybe for a few lazy mornings of sleeping in and the ability to stay awake past 10 pm every once in a while!)  

Aaaaah - what a great, relaxing weekend with some of my favorite people.   And I have to give a shout out to my amazing hubby who recognizes how good weekends like this are for me and encourages them!   I am very blessed to have such an awesome Mr. Mom while I am away having fun - makes it a little easier to get on that plane and come home, leaving friends, the beach, and warmer weather behind!   But the weekend wasn't fully complete due to some dear friends who couldn't make it, so a redo is in order - any reason to get back to Charleston!!

The Wonder Years (well just our twenties)

 

 

 

Like fine wine, right? Miss you IUC!

Rooftop bar in January?  Yes, please!

Holidays...Part II

This post is coming a little (well, more like a lot) later than I had planned...

As mentioned in previous post, Christmas ended and one family rolled out and we made room for our second set of family guests here to visit Philadelphia for the first time.   Hubby's sister, her hubby G, and our nephew D had made plans shortly after we moved to come and we had really planned to show them the city and surrounding areas....but if you ever want to test God's sense of humor, just make a plan!  

Our visit was altered slightly - first when my sweet sister-in-law broke her ankle on Christmas Eve.   She is a trooper and was relentless about not letting her walking cast and crutches hinder her sight seeing.  And I was impressed and amazed at how well she maneuvered with just one good working leg!! 

Then, on the day I had planned for us to see Amish Country, Mother Nature decided to bring us some snow!  At first I was bummed that we weren't able to share beautiful Lancaster Co. with them, but after a few hours of steady snowfall - it was really nice to just watch it come down and see the kids having a blast in the snow.   We ended up with around half a foot of snow and for us "Southerners" it qualified as a blizzard.    While seeing a horse and buggy is kind of neat for the kids, snow is so, so much more cool and fun!

To round out their trip, we made it into the city for a little Philly sightseeing, complete with the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Art Musuem (Rocky and his steps) and of course - a Philly cheesesteak!   I guess the third time is a charm because Jim's on South Street was amazing and well worth 15+ minute wait in line just to get our order taken!   It is a no frills and no funny business - cash only kind of place.   But served the best cheesesteak I have had yet in this city, complete with provolone, onions and sweet peppers!   If your mouth is watering, they will FedEx you one :)

Again, super sad to see family leave....especially given that it might be summer before we are all back together again.  To pass the time, I will  stay focused on making this year a fantastic year for our family.   2012 started off extremely rocky with the passing of my wonderful mother-in-law, then Hubby left his "work family" of over 10 years to start out on an new adventure that moved us right on out of our comfort zone, then the loss of another family member when Hubby lost his uncle, and there were lots of other "little" things in between.  So it was a year packed with change, a lot of sadness, and crazy anticipation of what is to come for us.  

 While a little late,  CHEERS to a HAPPY, HEALTHY & BLESSED 2013 (cue the red wine)!

M and Uncle G putting on the finishing touches

Have sled, will travel!

The awesome snowman Uncle G made!

Kids paying their respects to Rocky

Christmas Recap - Part I

Now that the hustle and bustle of the season has passed, I can finally sit down and sum up our past couple of weeks.   While I have haven't had much alone time between our visiting families and the girls being home from school, we were blessed to have our families here and couldn't have been happier having them all in our home for the visits.   It really made our first Christmas in PA so much better!  So here's Part I....

Flower Tree

My parents and sister came in a few days before Christmas, but failed to bring me some warm weather and sunshine!  Instead we introduced them to their first white Christmas.   We spent Christmas Eve at Longwood Gardens (for my southern pals, think Biltmore Estate with less house and way more gardens).   I had been told by several PA pals that this was a "not to miss place" at Christmas time and it did not disappoint.  The gardens and conservatory were filled with beautiful flowers and lit up as the evening sky darkened.   It was truly a beautiful place that was only made more magical as the snow began to fall during our tour of the estate and grounds.   It was once owned by the du Pont family and the history of the place dates back to the 1700s - a little of the history can be found here.   It is worthy of a repeat visit and cannot wait to do so this spring when many of the flowers are in bloom.

The girls had a great Christmas morning - Santa was good to us all this year!  A received her pink guitar and has been in singer/songwriter mode ever since.   M is enjoying all the American Girl gymnastics equipment and clothes for her doll.   And as much as I tried to fight it, we ended up with a giant 3 foot piece of plastic most commonly known as the Barbie Dream House.   I give that gift about 1 month of playtime and then will be used as a giant doorstop!  And I failed to capture a single Christmas morning picture - yikes!   Hubby got it all on film, so crisis diverted. 

After all the gifting, we spent the remainder day nestled by the fire and just enjoying our time together as a family.  We had great plans to travel to Washington Crossing, PA to see the reenactment of Washington crossing the Delaware river, but between the snow, wind and blistering temps - the decision to stay in was not difficult to make!  Maybe we will try that next year....  Instead, we ate, drank and enjoyed staying in our jammies just a little longer than normal.  

It was hard to see them all leave, knowing it would be a while before we are all back together again.   We were only lonely for just a couple of days before our next set of family arrived....that adventure will be posting in Part II.

I really can't get two girls smiling at once anymore!

I aspire to have a table set to this extreme!

The family

Christmas light, music, and fountain show

"Home" for the Holidays

Tomorrow marks the 5 month mark for us living in Pennsylvania - it is really is hard to believe it is passing so quickly, but also feels like we have been here longer too!  It is feeling like home to us more and more each day -  Sidecar is doing well and Hubby is very pleased by the progress they are making on the sales front.   The girls have really settled into their surroundings and are starting to use "northern" phrases when they talk.   Like "cart" instead of "buggy" and "soda" instead of "coke" - check out this map if you have time!   And I am enjoying some new friends and getting a little girl time in too! 

There are a few things that will take some getting use to...such as lack of sunshine!!  Even on the days the forecast call for sun, it is just party sun!  And the fact that the sun sets at 4:30pm - M always says that A gets off the bus around bedtime.  Oh and still haven't found Sister Schubert rolls.   I was never expecting to find Duke's mayo, but no Sister Schubert???

But there is plenty to enjoy here -  we have found the people to be super, super welcoming and nice! Granted, my family doesn't lack in small talk or in being outgoing, so strangers have no choice but to talk to us!  And the scenery and small town feel of the area is fun to enjoy during this time of year.   For instance,  Malvern Victorian Christmas - our little borough of Malvern hosts an adorable kickoff to the season with a weekend of activities to help celebrate.    Lots of residents dress in victorian - style clothing, the town tree is lit in the park, churches put on various plays and nativities, and the shops are all lit and decorated beautifully.   For the girls, the highlights were riding in the horse-drawn carriage around town, seeing A's music teacher and students from her school carol in the streets, and watching the nativity and choir at St. Patrick's Church.   And of course, no celebration can be complete without a visit from old St. Nick.    It was a charming weekend and really helped get us into the holiday spirit.

And of course, the proximity to NYC is great and allows for some pretty cool day trips, such as the past weekend.    Going into the city for the day is pretty easy from here and we were amazed when we parked right by Bryant Park and didn't hit a bit of traffic!  We took in the Christmas sights such as the window displays around 5th ave, Rockefeller Center and the highlight was seeing the Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular.   The Christmas Spectacular was just that - spectacular!  It was quite magical and a very good production that the girls really enjoyed.   A has been practicing her high kicks ever since :)  

Did I mention that we chose the weekend of Santa Con to visit NYC???  At first, it looked like the Santa Pub Crawl that hits Midtown ATL each December.    There were so many Santas, naughty elves, scantily clad Mrs. Clauses - lots for the eye!  However, when I saw that Justin Timberlake was tweeting about how the lower east side of Manhattan was covered with Santas,  I realized this much much more than a neighborhood pub crawl!   As Hubby always says "Good for them" :)  I think he was somewhat jealous he wasn't in on the action.

I started this journey by counting down the months until we return back home....now, in just 5 quick months, I am thinking about what we will do next Christmas here.

 Enjoying Rockefeller Center

M's reaction when I said no to waiting 3 hours to skate!

Waiting for the show!

Tis the Season

There is so much to see and do around this time of year in Philadelphia - especially if you are new to the city and seeing it all for the first time.   I imagine my posts over the new few weeks will include lots of holiday activities and today marks the first one!   I really can't get enough of the sights and sounds that accompany this time of year, so we are going to take in as much as we can before we are exhausted and someone starts bah humbugging.

Hubby had to go into the office on a Sunday today so we tagged along and saw a few of the sights that Philadelphia has to offer.   We took the advice of a few local friends and started with lunch at Reading Terminal Market, where you can at one time be both excited and overwhelmed by the vast array of vendors selling and tourists eating.   It is a landmark that has been around since 1893, so you just gotta see it.  And or course, sample some of the food!

After we fueled our tanks, we popped into the Macy's, which is located in the historic Wanamaker building and features a huge organ that is used for concerts twice a day.   It is pretty cool hearing an organ play while doing a little shoe shopping.  But today, we came to see the light show and then to visit the Dicken's village.   The village comprises of 26 scenes from the Dicken's classic A Christmas Carol and spans over 6,000 square feet.  And at the very end is good ol' Santa.   Here is a video recorded by some random gent, but does a good job of showing you the last few minutes of the lights and just how large this Macy's really is!

Hubby then headed off to work, so the girls and I made our way to the Comcast Building for their Holiday Spectacular - which is movie that displays on the  3’ x 25’ Comcast Experience video wall in the Comcast Center lobby, which is the world’s largest four-millimeter LED screen with incredible resolution that’s five times that of an HDTV.    My pictures do not really capture how cool this wall really is so check out the video I linked out to so you can see for yourself.    The best part, according to A & M, was when they made it snow indoors with some fancy bubble machines.  

It was a great day and we are just getting started exploring how PA celebrates the holidays!   We have stuffed lined up every weekend and through the New Year.  I hope I can make it :) 

Photo op at the entrance to the Dicken's Village

one of of the scenes - Ghost of Christmas Past

HDTV wall at the Comcast Building

Southern Comfort Zone

I am in LOVE with the Brad Paisley song "Southern Comfort Zone" for many reasons:  I love Brad Paisley, love country music, but most of all it is somewhat near to my heart these days.   My life is not nearly as extreme as the lyrics and actually there are some similarities here that make it easier and easier to call PA home now.   But still - there are things -yes, "things" - that just are not the same.  Cue the white noise because I have sung this song before so I know you are tired of reading about it.

Anyway, it was so relaxing to be at home over Thanksgiving and around familiar sights and sounds.   Nothing is more comforting than hearing a good southern accent on others besides myself or feeling the hug of a loved one.    I cannot put into words how these things just put me at ease.

We had a whirlwind trip and felt a little like gypsies - starting off our journey by visiting Hubby's sister and family in South Carolina.  Then off to see dear pals in East Cobb, where we managed to have a little party for M's 5th birthday and her birthday twin, Mr. J!  After which, we headed to spend Thanksgiving with my loving family in Newnan.   And to top it all off, we were hoodwinked into staying in town a little longer and go watch UGA beat up on those Yellow Jackets!  I cannot turn down an opportunity to watch the Dawgs play in Athens - worth sticking around for and to spend a little more time with friends!

It felt so nice to be back and know where everything is...you easily take little things for granted like which bakery for the best birthday cakes in town and those cute little boutiques and gift shops that you only hear about via word of mouth because from the outside you really can't tell what they sell.   Yeah - I miss that, but have met some great people who are steering me in the right direction up here.  

So now we are home and I must admit I am enjoying sleeping in my own bed and getting back to a routine.  But I do miss that Southern Comfort Zone!  Enjoy a few pics from our visit down south!

A, Cousin D, and M

Best Pals

Birthday girl and her best pal E

Gotta make time for the Santa at Phipps!