Tag Archives: sorella

Must of been love (could've been fate…)

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Here comes fall. Here goes nothing. Here comes nights darkened by five, evenings of tea, book club, crafts, laughter, love. Here comes yoga, brisk walks home, smiles at work, a season full of hope. Here comes soccer, children running, trying to keep warm, here in this 55 degree weather, these cali-babies can’t handle it. Here comes squash, Thanksgiving, truly being thankful for this LA family and LA life. Here comes pumpkin carving, a new tradition. Here comes face paint. Here goes nothing. Here comes you, and me, spending time there, and here, and all over. Here comes new restaurants in LA. Here comes date nights. Here comes wool socks. Here comes try number three, turkey number three. Here comes another tree. A second Christmas at our first apartment. Here’s to our home. Here comes Camp Waterloo, Christmas cookies, New Year’s with my sister and her fiance and those Chicago friends I’ve missed.

Here goes nothing. 2010, I know we’re not through, just yet…



Super Yummy Apple Crisp

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I have a real sister, and a few bunch of honorary sisters. Two of them have been my honorary sisters since I was nine. We’re talking 1995, people. Side ponytails and all. Anyways, their mama makes delicious apple crisp, and the recipe was recently shared with me. I, of course, made it nearly immediately. Results? So good I didn’t even take a picture (it was gone that fast.)
Mama H’s Super Yummy Apple Crisp
As written by LA(H)P

1. Peel & cut apples, to, you know, kinda big but kinda small pieces.  I like to go a little thin but long. The thinner they are the more mushy they get. Use enough apples to fill your pan about half way up. (Jennie side note: I used three apples.)
2. Lay them apples down in a long pan, then pour 1/2 cup water in.
3. This is how you make the stuff that goes on top:
(a) 3/4 cups flour
(b) 1 cup brown sugar
(c)  1 Tsp cinnamon
(d) 1/2 cup butter (a.k.a. a whole stick-a-butter)
(e) 1/4 Tsp. Salt
Mix all this stuff together with a fork and then put it on top of the apples.
Note: The better the butta, the better The Crisp.

Okay, so you should have pre-heated the oven to 350 F, but I always forget till I get to this part of the directions anyways so it’s no biggie if you didn’t. Then you cook it for however long it takes to get the apples “tender” and the crust crusty and dark. It’ll smell so good that you’ll want to take it out before then. Expect 45-60 minutes. (Jennie’s side note: My oven was preheated and my crisp was in for about 50 minutes, but my oven is on the cold side…)

Note: if your pan is 13×9 then you want to use 1 1/2 times the recipe.  so a whole half the recipe more, that should be easy since we’re math team captains! (Jennie’s side note: I was not a math team captain.)

So let it cool a little while and then load ice cream and whipped cream all over it and then die because it will be so g.d. good.

Invite me over, I want some.

And, some photographic evidence:

Yes, I'd like to introduce you to my 90 cousins.

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I got a call from my mom last night that said, “Hey hun, call me back.” Usually, this means someone in our family has passed away. I called her back, and she informed me that my Great Aunt Louise had died. Now, for some people, your Great Aunt is someone you see rarely, if at all, maybe at family reunions, maybe at funerals, and weddings. But in my giant Italian family, your Great Aunt is your Aunt, who happens to be older than your Aunts. Now, I have tried to explain this concept to Jeff many a time, and it’s hard for him to understand, which makes sense, because not everyone has a grandma who was one of 12.

And yes, Nikki, it’s 12. For those of you who read my blog and are in my family, I think you should take this time to refer to the Geni tree I made, which you can join and update. It’ll help us all remember who’s who and who’s where.

I made the family tree so I could know just that: how many greats are there in my family? How many cousins do I have (the answer is 90, and counting.) There are a lot of us. Geni says I have 199 relatives. And, let’s be honest, there are probably more, some babies forgotten, or not yet added.

Nikki’s post was spot on about my family. Family picnics each year, celebrations of even the smallest holiday, crowding into a hall for a holiday party. There were: popcorn balls, hot dogs, pools, fireworks, macaroni, swings to swing in, babies, aunts, uncles, cousins by the score, cousins girlfriends, boyfriends, fiances, spouses, and another round of family. Orange drink, balloon tosses, swimming in the pond, volleyball, the planting of trees, easter egg hunts in backyards, always being able to find a friend, always being able to form a team for any sport, softball in the field, presents from Santa, breakfasts at diners, dishes to clean, arguments to have, macaroni, salad, olives, seafood on Christmas, macaroni, more arguments, coca colas, pictures to look at, and some more macaroni. Graduations, weddings, funerals, birthday. Having the family over for coffee and cake. Uniting as an army of Iannuccis for each other, sending food, flowers, hugs, and love.

We may have lost some family over the years, but we’re gaining family, too. We have new babies, some even on the way, that will keep our family strong, who will drink orange drink at the Family Picnic, who will always find a friend, a teammate, and a plate of macaroni. This crazy family has made each and everyone of us stronger, and for that I will always be thankful that I can call each of my cousins, whether they be first or twice removed, my cousin, my friend, my family. My immediate family will always include all 90 cousins, and all the various aunts, uncles, and grandparents to go with them.

And so, although I cannot be with my family, I am thinking of them right now, in this hard time, and knowing the Aunt Louise is in a better place. And she’s with the rest of our family, and I’ll bet they are screaming, and yelling, and laughing, and remembering old times, and I’ll bet that they are eating some macaroni. As it should be. And so, Aunt Louise, say hi to Aunt Pat for me, and Grandpa, and you know, the rest of them up there. I miss you all, and I’ll be seeing ya, eventually. In the meantime, save me a plate.

A photo of some of my immediate family, at the camp site, at the Family Picnic, in 2009.