In Season Recipes

Wishes to all for the holidays. I am still traveling in US to visit family...limited wifi access on the run...also one finger poking at my iPad keeps the message short.



More to write later when I get to the next location.



Marilyn

Ciao tutti,

I'm home and jet lag isn't too bad. I think the key is to drink much water on the plane, no coffee and no alcohol. I slept to the hum of the jet engines so not a deep sleep...more like a power nap. My inner clock is a bit out of sync but that will adjust shortly. 

It was a good trip even though I missed to see many people due to schedules, etc. Most important was to see immediate family. My brother bought a juicer and is preparing for a marathon in Pittsburg. We went to Philadelphia Wholesale Fruit and Produce to see what we could buy. Mom came with us...took the wheel chair. The place is huge! I was looking for local home grown, but most seemed to be from So. America and Canada. I found lemons from Sorento...my brother bought a case along with some cucumbers. They weren't too interested in selling retail so the price was dear. We decided it was best to go to a local produce vendor nearby Mom's house.  

I must admit that I was hunting for foods I've become familiar with. I cooked many veggie dishes, some pasta, etc. My sons took me to Italian markets, restaurants, etc. I came to realize that some of the recipes I post are not easy to duplicate in US...the ingredients aren't the same and fresh cheese is difficult to find. I actually lost weight while I was there.  I'll try to keep it off.

I went to a doctor's visit with my sister for mom (stage 6 of 7 alzheimer's). The memory test that the doc gives is difficult to hear the answers. I offered to go to my sister's appointments with her, but she preferred to go alone. She's through the rads and doing well. We spent her birthday in her backyard chatting and comparing notes.

I attended the Amyloidosis Support Group meeting at Lankenau Hospital on the 14th. It was informative. The researchers are learning more everyday. It was helpful to hear the discussion in English. After the meeting I met a friend I'd known since teenage years and beyond. I enjoyed her children and their children and told how I changed their father's diapers when he was a baby. Fun to watch them visualize their father as a baby! 

My plan was not to be a tourist but to live their lives with them. So I spent a lot of the time cooking, cleaning, gardening on both coasts. I even made the black bean soup recipe from our thread the first day I arrived. Everyone is so busy working and caring their families they don't take much time for themselves. There was a gathering of my siblings at mom's house for their weekly Wednesday night dinner. My job was the salads. And since I was leaving the next day to return to Rome, I cooked everything in the frig that I'd bought. They liked that. Appetizers of bite size egg plant parm, sausage, pinapple, cheese and wine. The main course was grilled chicken, tossed green salad with tomatoes and mushrooms and mixed green salad with pinapple...both dressed with balsamic and EVO. I had a hard time to find endive at the local super market and didn't have time to run to the produce stand.

I'll look again through the pics and see what I can put up.

SherryC how are you feeling after the surgery? Hope all is well. I sat next to a couple from Houston on the plane ride home. Nice people.

(Yawn) Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn 

Buon giorno,

I havent' been home a week yet and I'm packing our vacation apartment that was sold...settlement next week. But before I jump back into that mess, I wanted to post some pics. Most that I took were family as that was the purpose for the trip. Here are a few fun moments for sharing.

Mom and me at the Philadelphia Fruit and Produce Warehouse. 

An old geiser who was very comfortable in front of a camera or too tired to run away.  

My son at work. 

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One of many good dinners together in San Jose. 

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San Francisco Bay. The cove on the lower left is the sailing marina. The Bay bridge is on the right. 

My son remembers how to play. He's the 6'4" on the left.

Me on the beach in Santa Clara....brrrrrr the water was cold. 

Now back to work. My lettuce is coming up nice and the tomatoe plants are doing well. I'll get some pics after the real estate business is finished. Then I can concentrate on the garden and get back to my writing.

Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn