Gosh Sandra - you've made more than just yourself hungry!! I'd like to invite myself for the pasta and tuna. That sounds pretty good to me. I'm making dinner tonight using the left over lasagna that Tory made us while she was here last week. Her recipe involved a lot of "....hmmm, this might be good!!" and "this will be interesting" and so on. It turned out unbelievably tasty. So now I'm REALLY hungry. And boy, did I love those pictures Sid, especially the one where Bop is pulling down a switch from the apple tree (tee hee). Bitten sure looks good, obviously a high speed turn across the pasture in the jaws of the fastest borzoi in the country wasn't a bad thing. (Sure glad she survived though). Love to all. Happy New Year. Tom and I are heading for Texas, shortly after the ball drops from the Space Needle and bonks those poor Indians in the head. I'm off to cook some dinner.
I love the pictures. Snow on the Farm looks so picturesque. The Blakneys looks as attractive as ever. Also, you guys are so great at creating a Christmas spirit from far away; I loved getting the gift packages in the mail. It is so much fun to get special gifts in the mail, as with most of us all I ever seem to get are bills. KC, we received the calendar and your pictures are awesome - just beautiful. I have an even deeper appreciation for the photos now that I've taken my photo course. Thanks to everyone for sending packages and cards - it was such a nice treat to get something in the mail everyday!
Hey Sid, your fish stew looks pretty good. Definitely looks like something we crazy Italians would be eating on Christmas Eve. And by the way, from the sound of everyone's taste in fish, I think there would be something likable to everyone at the Christmas Eve dinner. We always start the dinner with pasta (made with some type of fish). This year it was spaghetti with tomato sauce and tuna. We always have shrimp and in the past my mother has even broiled salmon ( I guess we don't care as long as it's FISH). Sometimes, we even make fried squid - but no one was brave enough to do this year because it is quite a challenge to make it crispy. Actually, Sid is pretty good at making fried squid. The other thing we do is that we deep fry vegetables (cauliflower, zucchini). There are few people who don't like deep fried things. So you see, it really is not so much an exotic fish dinner, it is more just decadent with lots of food (including fried food).
Well one day I think we will have to combine the Polish and Italian foods for a holiday dinner. I think it would be very interesting to say the least. Anyway, I am making myself really hungry so I guess I will stop talking about food now.
Sandra - you NEVER bore us. Your life is very, very interesting, and we love hearing Italian stories. As you know, we frequently make a big deal out of being Polish, so an infusion of your cultural background is a welcome change. AND, you always add humor ... much to my liking.
My fish choices:
Shrimp
Lobster
Crab
Catfish
Red Snapper
Scallops
Monk Fish
(Please note that I left the wooden fish off the list - at least for this year!)
I don't know how good an Italian I would have made Sandra--I'm more of a beef eater, but I sure love the thought of the tradition.I expect with the choice of 7 different fishes to eat, I would find one that I would relish!! I love tuna fish, but somehow that doesn't sound exotic enough to become a Christmas tradition--and I don't think salmon wandered around the Med, so I doubt they'd be one of the 7 either. I'd think I'd like to try the one that is stored in salt, looks like wood, and has to be soaked and washed for 3 days before its eatable. After all that work, I'd be sure to eat it--not to mention the fact you said it was delicious!! Of course, I'd have to have Sandra cook it (or her family). I think there's a special kind of ham that is similarly salt cured and has to be soaked before it's eatable--Virginia ham? Tom's never heard of the 7 fishes tradition either. He says the tradition in his family (Slovenian) was wurst and sauerkraut--sounds typical for a Germanic culture. Sandra, just as a note--our landlord's mom in Germany mailed us some of her Christmas cookies the first year we were back in the States. Like your grandma, she didn't let her age come between her and the tradition. The cookies travelled in a tin and arrived just fine, despite their transAtlantic journey. Love KC and Tom
I would like to visit your family, Sandra, during the fish festival. I would want all seven kinds.
I love sea food. I hope you take time to translate the legends of Italy that were told to you.
It is so interesting to me.
Sid and I were in the woods this morning. He was driving the Ranger, and went through some of the most brushy and rough places. I try to stay calm but I am so glad when I
get back to the house safe and sound. I am afraid for him as well as for myself.
Sid just left the house to watch football games but prepared a lunch for me so I will say so
I have really wanted to write on the blog, especially since I've had more time with not going to work. However, I can't seem to use my laptop at home. The screen is staying blank or has dark lines running through it no matter what I do.
Well if nothing else it sounds like it has been a White Christmas in Seattle. Bopcha, opening all the packages seems like it was lots of fun. Sounds like the timing of their arrival was perfect.
Here in Philly we are having rain and relatively milder temperatures. In fact Alex was crying a few days before Christmas because he said it is supposed to be snowing when Santa comes etc...Just think we could have shipped him to Seattle and he would have been ecstatic
My family had the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, with seven different fish dishes. Don't know if you ever heard of that. On the East Coast (in this area) I guess with all the Italian immigrants, it seems like everyone knows about it. In fact non-Italians ask me about it at work. Amazingly enough, my family has really scaled it down. The fish dinner used to be even more elaborate. But with my grandmother being so weak, it just isn't the same. My grandmother actually still made the Italian cookies for Christmas. She did not make as many as she used to but somehow she managed to get some of them done. I would love to send samples to everyone, but I am worried about the condition they would arrive in. You may just be receiving a bunch of crumbs in the mail. I'll have to work on that.
By the way, the most famous fish we eat on Christmas eve is something called "Bacala" which is basically cod fish. However, it is dried and has to be soaked in water for about three days, because it is cured in salt and has to be wahsed. When you buy it, it is the funniest and most unappetizing looking piece of fish. It is basically like a piece of wood - it is so hard until you soften after the 3-5 day soak. Can you imagine how many laughs and jokes people get out of that one. But truth be told it sounds totally disgusting but is wonderfully delicious once you cook it. You would never know it started out as a piece of smelly, salty piece of wood. I was wondering if you have ever seen "Bacala" in the Northwest or is it even available.
I have always loved the fish tradition on Christmas Eve, but like many traditions, it is apparently a dying one. I was just reading that less and less Italian Americans know how to do the fish dishes or are willing to do the preparation. People are too busy and the fish merchants in Philly and NY have observed the decline in fish purchases. The few days before Christmas people are not buying the traditional cod fish, smelts, calamari etc.....
Okay, I say we get Judy on this. She could bring the tradition back to life with her culinary energy, don't you think?
Bopcha, by the way I do find that there are TESTS that either prepare or bring into question our stamina for the new year. I have a few examples of that but I won't bore you all with the details , I have probably already bored you all with all this "fish talk."
Well, we thought things were headed toward a thaw until we got another snow dump! The neighbor had to help dig us out of our driveway and, although the main roads are pretty good, everytime a snow plow goes by, another huge barrier of snow appears. If I didn't know better, I'd think we were in Chicago.
JB went to work today. We managed to get Noah's car out of its parking spot, so he is driving his own car to get his hair cut etc. We'll see if we get an emergency call to come dig him out of some parking lot.
It is snowing again in Seattle. In places around our house we actually have 12" of accumulation - AND it is still coming down.
Noah is snoozing on the couch - he is tanned and completely messed up in terms of where he is and what time it is. He loved Chile. He said he and JJ got stared at a lot as they were always the tallest people around.
Jessica worked an 11 hour shift yesterday after getting about 3 hours of sleep. Then she changed clothes and took off with the silver Camry last night. I hope she left it in a safe spot - she is undoubtedly at Gavins now. Luckily, she wasn't scheduled to work today.
We will try to make it to church tonight for the candlelight service. Questionable at best. We are also supposed to go to Gavin's parents' house for dessert after the service. Also questionable.
But ... the tree is up, there are presents, and everybody is near.
I am all alone at the office this morning, although it is 9:45 a.m. The hills around here are pretty snowed in and icy as heck. Makes it difficult for many to make it to the main highways, which are in pretty good shape.
I pick Noah up at the airport soon. His flight is actually coming in early. Luckily, his flight from Santiago connected through Miami, the only warm place on the North American continent! I will be so happy to see my baby.
Jess went to work this morning and was there by 8 a.m. She didn't get home until 3 a.m. so I don't know how she was able to get up and out so remarkably well. She has lots of friends who live elsewhere home for the holidays, so she went visiting last night after a full day of work. I guess I used to be able to do that.
Tory, Bill and I gave a Key Bank exec. a ride from the South end of MI to the North end. He said they were looking to steal WaMu talent and that having WaMu on your resume would do you no harm in the industry (as long as you weren't at the very, very top of the pyramid). I did not get his name or give him yours. Anyway, I felt better after talking to him.
I just arrived in Santiago where JJ lives during the school year. He lives at a house with one of his moms long time friends. It is definitely a lot hotter inland than it is at their place in Renaca near the coast. We took the equivalent to the Greyhound out here then took the equivalent to the subway once on the outskirts of Santiago. Their transportation system is quite good, JJ seems to have no problem traveling all over South America when he wants to as a result. Very cool. What time is my flight and everything? I remember that it is around 9 something Chile time tomorrow night but I'd like to make sure. I think I'll be able to email you tomorrow before hopping the flight but I must warn you that I couldn't charge my phone or anything once I got down here because the outlets are all different down here! Its ok I will definitely be talking to you guys because I have JJ's laptop so nevermind. Its about 6:30pm down here right now. I will talk to you guys tomorrow as I have no idea what the plans are tonight. Love you, -Noah.
Bopcha and Sid are warm and safe in Oregon this morning - Bopcha said it was in the low forties! That seems warm, since it is in the 20s here. The chickens reportedly enjoyed their afternoon snack yesterday and seemed to be having lots of fun in the snow.
Kay and the Blakneys got packages from Judi yesterday! Jessica made Christmas cookies yesterday with Judi's strawberry jam in the center. They are yummy and I now have jam on my OSU sweats.
Seattle got another big snow dump yesterday evening. Luckily, we put our chains on before the storm hit, so we have been able to get around. Jess has to go to work this afternoon, so we will be driving her to Bellevue. The news reports indicate that travel on the main roads is OK. The Seahawks are going to play their last home football game at 1 pm. Should be interesting! Oh, and most importantly, we did not lose power!
Tory made it into Denver by the skin on her teeth and we are thrilled. Lots of people are stuck at Sea-Tac. So happy our Tory is safe and warm, surrounded by Santa's Reserve Sleigh team and their drivers, Mr. and Mrs. Golcher.
