Roasted Potatoes

Hmmm, will I need
one lantern or two?

 I grew up in a small Italian/Irish neighborhood located 8.6 miles outside of Boston, Massachusetts called Stoneham about a mile from Lexington. Stoneham wasn't incorporated yet. Growing up outside of  Boston, one of the subjects you were  taught in school was American history. We were surrounded by it on every corner.  From Paul Revere to the Lexington Minutemen, their names were immortalized by the town names, streets signs and even on local pub signs.

What I appreciate now as I  look back on my own history,  is the importance of passing that legacy on to those who don't know how this country started.  This was instilled in me growing up in a place so rich with history and importance.  The Bunker Hill Monument where I once was once assigned to count each and every stair in High School (284 if my memory serves me).  The Old North Church "one if by land, two if by sea"  where Paul Revere would put one lantern in the steeple, or two lanterns in the steeple depending on which way the English were about to arrive. Old Iron Sides, (USS constitution Warship) where they still do tours on the ship.  What ticks me off about the ship is some people complained about the ship's cannons going off each day celebrating our Independence. It was about the loud noise. So they had to face the ship's canons out toward the ocean to make these clowns happy. That tradition has been around 150 years. Can't we say KMA anymore!

Col. William Prescott Statue
at Bunker Hill
Monument
"Don't fire until you see the
whites of their
eyes"

Old North Church

Well unfortunately for the English they did not win the war, but they did leave some English style food traditions behind which we still practice and enjoy today. For instance, more Massachusetts natives prefer hot tea with milk and sugar than coffee. Now one thing that was a tradition in our family growing up was our Sunday dinner.  It was open panned baked Roast Beef with roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, broccoli and fresh salad which in the Italian tradition was always eaten last. Now I have great love for my mother who raised 12 of us on her own, but God Bless her the roast beef was so tough that if you sliced it thin and applied rubber glue you could start a tire repair business. I used to call it "the meat that wouldn't go away".  I thought we would first tackle the Oven Roasted Potatoes and at a later date go for the Roast Beef.  This recipe is very, very easy, even for a newbie.

Recipe:


Potato size about 2 inch by 3 inch, make sure they are all about the same  size so they will all be done at the same time. (1)  Preheat oven to 400 degrees  (2)  peel and slice the bottom of each potato so it lays flat in the baking dish or pan  (two potatoes per serving) (3)  Put a half stick of butter or margarine on top of potatoes  (3) put in the oven (I know obvious)  (4) About a half hour into baking, pull potatoes out of the oven and brush melted butter over the top of the potatoes and return to oven  (5)  Cook until tops are nicely browned. 45 min. to an hour  (6)  Remove, let cool and enjoy  TIP:  Letting food rest is the ultimate secret to a great meal

Are you sure you want my mother's beef roast recipe? You asked for it.  (1) get a 5 pound eye of the round roast  (2)  put it in a baking dish at 400 and cook for 6 hours or until it almost catches fire  (3)  remove from oven and try  to slice it

 If you are having guests for dinner, make sure you never want to see them again. Oh and by the way, have your kids watch this video, maybe the whole family should watch it together!

 

The Spelling Bee

Where's Michele?

"Make sure you're home in time to take her to the spelling bee, or she'll be heartbroken!" I told my wife, look, I'll ask to get out early so I'll be here for sure. What school is it at, the Middle School she replied. My wife is an expert on all subjects. I was selling Real Estate at one time and she told me she had a great idea. "why don't you call the Listing guy and make a deal to split the commission 50/50. I said because that's against the law. Her reply "Really?" That's another story.

Off to the
Elementary School

Later that day, I did get home a little early, my daughter was running a little late, it was a beautiful day. I'm sure her and her buddy Corrina were taking their time coming up the driveway, we were a half mile back off the road. She finally got home and we headed for the Spelling Bee. We got to the Middle School (Jackies directions) and the school was vacant.I asked the Janitor where the Spelling Bee was and he said "not here."  My daughter started to cry, and I said It must be at the Elementary School. We finally got there, and yes, the Spelling Bee had already started. Boy, did I have to do a sell job for her to get back in. I heard, rules are rules, no late entries allowed. So I pulled out the Big Guns. Then you guys will have to tell her. They looked at her and said"Take a seat young lady"
Phewww! Dodged a bullet on that one, would've been bad news at home. You're probably wondering, wait a second, she told you to go to the wrong school, doesn't the wife share some responsibility here? It didn't work that way in my house. It was up to me to get it right, even if some of the details were  wrong. In any marriage, my wife believes that is part of the husbands responsibility. Now do you get it?

And now without
further adieu!

Now, the moment of truth. Each time a kid got up to spell, they would return to their seat each time they spelled their word correctly, my daughter was told to sit right next to the next kid getting up to spell. So they hadn't finished the first round, so we were that close to not being involved in the event. The kid next to her got up, went to the microphone and was asked to spell "knife" (can they use that word now in a spelling bee) He spelled it right. Now it was my Baby Girls turn, I thought maybe she'll get fork or spoon.  "please spell the word Finesse" "Finesse.......Fines"  "Finesse"We were in and out in 30 seconds. I told her at least you said it right. Her first response was" I need therapy, and a Dictionary, now!
By the time we got home we were both belly laughing about it, I told her you did spell "fines" right.
I called her this morning and it was like it happened yesterday. I told her I was going to Blog the story, she said ok.  She just turned 40. How about some Spelling Bee music?

Til next time Please Leave a Comment. Thank You!

A Tribute, "I Always Called Her, Mary"

Just this past week, Mary (my mother-in-law) passed away. The family all joined together for her send off up in the Detroit area (Wyandotte and Allen Park) to reflect and talk about memories that each of us had about her. We laughed, cried, went through tons of pictures, no fights about "stuff", no arguments. Cousins, sisters, aunts and uncles, some had not seen each other for years, hugged and said stuff like, "you don't look like you", "holy crap" "are you kidding me?" Mary would have loved it!
After the Funeral, we went  to Glo and Bill's house, had a wonderful dinner, played games, laughed, played with the little kids, all the things that she loved and lived for.

Typical Richards Living Room

Mary says, "Time to Move"

 This post is about how I remember her. Way back when Jackie and I got married, I had no idea what Michigan was. I grew up in the Boston area, when we said goodbye to someone we said "get outta heea"! Mary said "See yuns" What did that mean? Being in Catholic school my whole school life, "see nuns" made more sense to me. I was  also the first person to "get up in her face" big time and she actually loved  and respected me for that. (Mary, you were wrong by the way) Another trait I noticed, was when the garage and houses she lived in couldn't hold anymore stuff, she moved. The kids used to play hide and seek, Jackie said she never got caught. I asked her where did you hide? She said "under the kitchen table!" As the years went on, I noticed she was fearless about taking risks, starting a business, selling real estate, starting a newspaper. If she thought it would work, what the heck, let's do this! I really admired her for that. She wasn't perfect, but who is?

  My favorite memories, the Pawn shop, her love of art, South Haven and Chicago. Chicago shopping, she loved it, I went along so her and Jackie wouldn't miss the train, she and her daughter had no concept about time passing. I remember one trip she had a record setting week at her Pawn shop (New to You) and said she was going to make a cab drivers day. We paid for the Cab and she tipped him a Twenty, She was on top of the world the whole day. She was the only Pawn shop owner around who would rent handguns by the hour! (just kidding)

Her love of art, one time her and Jackie took some oil painting lessons from a well known artist in Saugatuck. She bought a painting from him and put it up for sale in her shop. The artist showed up a few days later and paid her 3x what she paid for it. I still ask myself, did she mean to do that?

  Her love of South Haven, a small vacation town on Lake Michigan. I remember when we moved her there -5 below in the middle of a blizzard. We were afraid to leave her there alone, but she said she would get a better deal on the place this time of year. What a lady, not my mother-in-law, just Mary.


Mary, this video is for you, watch it anytime you want.

Love, Jackie and Dennis

French Bread Pudding

I made this a few years ago for Christmas dinner, and I'll never forget the response from my brother in law Bill. He took a taste and it almost brought tears to his eyes, not because it was crummy, he said it reminded him of his mother's bread pudding which he hadn't had for years. (by the way he almost ate all of it by himself) So I'll share it with you just in time for this coming Christmas.

Ready for the oven

Custard Mix

Simply Beautiful

3 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon salt
12 eggs
1 and 1/2 quarts of milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder

Baking dish 9X13 or Deep Dish baking pan

1/2 loaf french bread shredded in a baking dish
1/4 pound butter melted and drizzled over bread pieces
1/2 cup of pecans sprinkled on top of bread peices
Pour on custard mix, bake at 325 degrees until bread is brown about an hour and 20 minutes.

Butter Sauce/optional (too sweet for me) I made it a set aside, it was available if you wanted it.
1 pound butter
1 1/2 # powdered sugar
4 egg1/4 cup of Amaretto (optional)

Hey, I looked everywhere, this was the closest "Bread" song I could find! Shhhh, I think the lead guitarist is actually Eric Clampton, David Gates was a "strummer")

Next post; COOKIE-MAKING TIPS

All music, Kool and the Gang, best base line since Motown

This post is about my personal base line favorites. This example from Kool and the Gang was a classic. I hope they fired the choreographer. I never under stood the halo thingy across Kool's forehead.

Rare Earth was the only white group that ever had a contract with Motown. This performance in my opinion, was the best drumming vocal I ever witnessed. I saw them live at an Octoberfest of all things.

 Robert Cray Band, "Smokin Gun" One of the best base to lead guitar mixes, effortless. I really thought Robert Cray  was going to be in the running for BB King status. I guess there's still time.

"Simple Man" by Lynard Skynard. This song has always  given me a kind of peace, just like the video I chose to couple with the song, Enjoy! I've got room for one more, some of you may not have even knew this last one existed. Let me go get it, be right back!

 Van Morrison, to me this group musically was one of the absolute best. They were fluid, tight and talented. Let's face it, their were far  better front men than Van, but his uniqueness,  song writing talent and his band, left a very special mark on contemporary music. I've got more, but that will be in another post. Can you say Joe Cocker? That will be in the All Soul post.

"Simple" Cookie Making Tips for the Holidays and Every Day

• Read through the recipe and check the ingredients, pan sizes and any special requirements, such as chilling the dough. Be sure to measure all the ingredients accurately and always preheat the oven before baking. Oven temp. 325 degrees (wait for the beep.beep...beep)
• To easily shape drop cookies, use an ice cream scoop with a release bar. The bar usually has a number on it indicating the number of scoops that can be made from one quart of ice cream. The handiest size is a #80 to #90 scoop. This will yield about one rounded teaspoon full of dough for each cookie.
• When a recipe calls for greasing the cookie sheets,  use shortening or a nonstick cooking spray. What I use is parchment paper instead of greasing. It eliminates clean-up, bakes the cookies more evenly and allows them to cool right on the paper. I have three cooling locations, when they first come out, I lay the paper (hold paper, pull edges until paper  lays flat and put on cooling rack on the left counter) Put the next batch in and move the cookies you just took out, and lay them on another counter to the right counter on a cooling rack and repeat, over and over until you're happy with the number of cookies. Once you get the rhythm,they can go in gift boxes or refreeze for a later time. They will freeze well for 60 days.
• For even baking and browning, bake cookies in the center of the oven. If heat distribution in your oven is uneven, turn the cookie sheet halfway through the cooking time.



Christmas Cookies



Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip

• Most cookies bake quickly and should be watched carefully to avoid over baking. It is better to slightly under bake, rather than over bake cookies

Cookies should bake, edges should start to brown 12 minutes Max. Then take them out! Simple recipe for the simple man or woman!  I love being a simple man.Enjoy the video, thanks for looking and Happy Holidays!

A Poem from Jackie to Mom~

That's me watching something, there was so much stuff to look at!

She didn't cook, she didn't iron and never thought of
 cleaning, but that's alright, were family.

She taught us right from wrong, she sometimes came on a little too strong, but that's alright, were family.

She saw beauty in junk, kept a lot of it around, which made her the talk of her tiny little water town, but, that's alright, were family.

She taught us to be strong, could have used a little of how to get along, but that's alright, were family


She loved life, and saw beauty everywhere, she lived in her own world, but that's alright, were family.

We are older now, and see things differently, hoping that all the strength, courage and zest for life she had was passed on to us, that's the true Legacy of family.

She taught us to be strong, taught us to push on, taught us to be family.

She came in with nothing and when she left she was rich, she had people who loved her she had family.

Our sorrow is great, our emptiness is deep, but she didn't leave us alone she left family.

 

 

God knew what we needed before we were born, she made sure we got to church, she made sure we were reborn, it's what you do for family.

I know you are walking with God hand in hand, someday we will all be together and we all will be a part of God's family.

Mom, you gave us life, you gave us love, there were many tears and much laughter, one thing I want everyone to know is that you left your kids, their spouses, your grand kids and great grand kids with great families.

Love you Mom,

Jackie