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The First Snow of the Year

12/12/2016

Anne has asked for the following disclaimer -
This was written by William and does not fully reflect her opinions.

As we travel the world most of the year we get to enjoy wonderful experiences. But one thing I miss is snow. Yes, I understand that most people think I’m crazy. But, I would rather be watching a beautiful snowfall, cover the world in a new blanket of white than be on a beach. Yeah the beach is great but there is nothing to make you feel more alive than a cold snowy day.

Well, mother nature has bestowed on me a wonderful gift this year. We decided to be up in the north for a while and within a couple of weeks we get snow. As the day started, there were little flurries. Nothing to get too excited about. I’ve been teased this way too many times before. So we sat around the house, going about our daily chores. But by lunch time we realized, the snow wasn’t stopping!

Still not too excited, we went out to run some Christmas Shopping errands. By 3:30 there were several inches of beautiful snow built up on our deck furniture. If you have been reading our blog you know we like taking photos. Well, because of the time of day, we were afraid we missed an opportunity. It was getting too dark.

Not being ready to admit defeat, we went to a nearby town that is usually well lit for the holidays. It paid off. We had wonderful fun walking and enjoying the weather and the folks who were not afraid to venture out.

I will still miss the snow when we travel. But these few inches will tide me over for a while.
Travel Safe!

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Thanksgiving and Cannoli's

12/1/2016

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We have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family.  There is the required NFL football game playing in the family room with a few people watching.  Most people gather in the kitchen exchanging stories and talking about everything under the sun until dinner is served at 3 pm.

In total there are 18 people for dinner of ravioli and the traditional turkey and fixings.   Everyone has brought a dish, so there is an abundance of food.  But what would Thanksgiving be without pies?  This year we have five types: pumpkin, coconut cream, sweet potato, apple and chocolate with a total of seven pies.  I opt for small slices of chocolate and pumpkin. Oh my!

Friday is the annual cannoli shell making party at Mom and Dad's.  We first meet some of the family at a locally owned coffee shop.  After two hours of conversation and caffeine we are ready to tackle the task.

Mom coaches William on how to make the dough.  Unlike many of her recipes this one  lists quantities as well as ingredients, but there is still a "touch" to knowing if the dough is the right consistency or if it needs more moisture or more flour.  After the dough rests 10-15 minutes Mom declares it is ready.

Dad, William and Kevin roll the dough into thin sheets. Chris, Ashley and Mom cut the sheets using a cardboard template then wrap the cut sheets around the stainless steel cannoli forms which have been passed down to Mom from Grandma. The forms are 50+ years old. Alyssa brings the wrapped forms to the stove where Gina and I fry them in 400 degree oil in two enamel pans (also passed down from Grandma).

About three hours later we have finished two batches of dough and have almost 💯 cannoli shells. The filled shells will be used by Mom over the holidays on many dessert trays. Yum!

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RaviolI Tradition

12/1/2016

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The Sunday before Thanksgiving we invite the family and some friends for our annual ravioli-making party.  William and I have been preparing for three days. Two large pots of sauce with meatballs and sausages are made on Thursday. Friday the meat filling for the ravioli meat assembled by William. I spend time rearranging the freezer contents.  Saturday the ricotta cheese filling is mixed up and some of the appetizers are prepared.  Sunday morning the mixer, ravioli forms, pans and pasta maker are put in place while the appetizers are finished and placed in front of the TV (in case we turn on a football game during breaks).

Everyone arrives a little after noon.  This year we have 9 people.  Last year there were 15.  I think our all-time high was 18.  Over the years we have developed a system and several specializations, and it works out well.

Mom performs quality control, tasting the fillings and making minor adjustments, then declares we are ready to go.  William mixes up the dough, Lee pulls a small amount off the ball and runs it through the pasta maker a couple of times.  Dad catches the pasta noodle and walks the 4 inch wide by 18-20 inch long noodle to the table.

Mary Jo, Annette, Gina (and Mom) lay the noodle over forms and add the proper amount of filling. A second noodle is placed on top then a rolling pin is run over the form to seal the two layers of noodles together into the square ravioli pillows. The ravioli are transferred to jelly roll pans in preparation for the next steps. Everything is repeated until all the filling is used. In between there is time to sip some wine or beer and grab a snack. Oh yes - there is lots of talking and laughing throughout the process.

Once a pan is full Lois boils batches of 12-15 ravioli for 2 minutes - just enough to lightly cook the pasta. The boiled ravioli are put back on jelly roll pans. I run filled pans downstairs to our second refrigerator and place them in the freezer. Within 15-20 minutes the ravioli are starting to freeze and a ready for bagging. Two dozen ravioli are placed into a ziplock bag, and the bags are placed in the upstairs freezer. This year we make 48 dozen ravioli!

Once the ravioli is completed everyone chips in on the cleanup. We then prepare a simple meal of mostaccioli, meatballs, Italian sausage, Caesar salad, peas and Italian bread. The talking and laughing continues. Lee has baked a delicious carrot cake to top off the meal, and generous pieces are cut for all.

Another annual Ravioli Day comes to an end. We're tired, but we had a blast. And oh oh - we've already put a dent into our Ecuadorian weight loss.

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The First Snow of the Year

Thanksgiving and Cannoli's

RaviolI Tradition

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