Second semester started today... and I had a very exciting day. I went to 2 different class, one of which is a continuation from last semester. I had post-colonial culture, theory and practice at 11:30 and then a 2 hour break until my last class at 3:30 which was native American literature. I am very excited for that class, it's with the same professor from contemporary native Canadian literature and he's totally awesome! During my break I had lunch with a few friends and got to enjoy some down time which was fantastic ^-^ It was kind of chilly out today but not too bad for January. I had to leave my favorite side of campus (the arts quad) and go over to "ABB" which is so hidden, students don't find it until 3rd year or if they stumble on it accidentally. It was quite a walk but it was good exercise and when you're in good company it doesn't feel too long.. takes about 10 minutes.
When I got home from school my sister and I went shopping for workout clothes and at 7 this evening we all went to the gym together (the three of us) and my 3rd sister had her first training session with our trainer.. My other sister and I did our work out together, including cardio, which was pretty good. Although, working out in the late evening is a bit challenging because you're more tired from the long day and so you really have to push to reach your goals. But by the end of it you feel refreshed, relaxed and everything is OK :)
No Pain No Gain remember? hehe that's my new motto..
Tomorrow, I have 3 classes, modern British literature is a continuation from last semester but I have two new classes I cannot wait to begin.. the anticipation is killing me! I have to get up really early for my first class which is at 8:30am, but it is Modern Counter Cultures and I've heard it's one of the better cultural studies courses and It's really really good so I guess I don't mind the early start. The other class is an entire course on the literature of Jane Austen which is quite good and very popular, though my literary sources have stated that Mansfield Park is not the best.. but I have not had the opportunity to read much from this author beyond Northanger Abbey which I absolutely adored!
I'm already behind in readings because my crazy post-colonial prof (whom I am quite fond of) thought people would actually do work over the break.. HA! Naw, I guess some people did.. but I really just wanted to relax especially after being sick, starting my workout and new healthy lifestyle and having to be with family all the time I did not have any desire to work.. though I did try.. I bought the texts and novels I would need and I brought one with me for a long bus ride.. but sadly I never opened.. points for trying? maybe? no? :(
Anyway, I'm going to get some sleep now.. I hope you all enjoyed this post and you keep reading.. please comment or e-mail me you know I love to hear from you all! Share your first day back stories with me!
XOXO
C
Monday, January 3, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
HAPPY NEW YEAR ONE AND ALL!!!!
Today is January First, 2011, or as some might see it, 01-1-11 OR 1-1-11.. isn't that weird?
Last night for new years I worked at a new years eve dinner dance one of my parishes holds annually. I am in the coat check, and i'm in charge of coats, hats, bags, umbrellas, anything u want to give me..for $1 per coat. It's not a terribly fulfilling job but it keeps me on my toes and gives me something to do new years eve (and helps me make a bit of slip money if u catch my drift). I've been working this same crowd for the last (ball park it) 5-7 years and i know all the old familiar faces (both sober and inebriated) well. Some of them tip and some don't, I have running jokes with a few old men that involve the lines "don't lose my hat" to which I always reply " i haven't lost it yet!" which makes them smile. I've given a coat hanger to countless amounts of women out of sticky dress predicaments...it's always the same ones too... you know, the ones who come to the party in some form of clingy material gown that gets stuck to their pantyhose by the static generated from walking while wearing a floor length silk lined fur coat..talk about snappy and snazzy dressing.. here a fur, there a fur, everywhere a fur fur (oops- a little too "old MacDonald had a farm-e-i-e-i-o" there...). So yeah, after the mad rushes flock in from 5:30-7pm everyone sits down to dinner, I get to close my door and I wait until one of the lovely waitresses (usually my sisters because u know with us every holiday/special occasion is a big family thing..because the family that works together or serves together in this instance Stays together.. *sigh*). Then I eat my dinner and wait around listening eagerly for the slightest knock on my door for those few smart men who sensibly rationalize that its too cold to smoke outside "senza capotto" (Italian for Without You're Coat). My night is mine until the late hours of the evening because no one leaves the dance prior to the new years countdown. Then it's HAPPY NEW YEARS- BUON ANNO NUOVO! CHAMPAGNE, KISSES AND HUGS ALL ROUND!
For a whole of maybe 7 minutes until I have to run back into my little closet (as my sister referred to it as) and return coats to the angry mob that's been waiting 3 minutes already so they can be the first to leave and "avoid the rush" whilst making a rush of chaotic semi drunken elderly people clump together behind them. Then I get winks, toothy grins, singing and dancing men come to my window to pick up their coats and to spit out at me those o-too familiar words (in thick drunken slurry Italian accents ) "don't-a forget-a my cappeluccio". I wish them all a happy new years, in both English and Italian and they walk out the door. My night usually ends around 1..depending on when people decide to leave.. I can't go until the last coat has left my hands, because heaven forbid some one's coat should go missing or stolen in my absence. And then I come home and go to sleep and get up for mass.
So that's what i did last night.. and I just returned home a bit ago from 11:30 am mass in English, because for those of you who don't know, New Years day is a mandatory day in the church calendar- the Canadian Catholic Conference of Bishops deemed it so, and therefore all Catholics are expected to attend mass on this day- we celebrate Mary-The Mother Of God on this day..It's very important. So if you haven't gone to mass yet today, you'd better get going! God is Watching You!
Anyway, that's my rant for the day, I hope you all enjoyed reading about my Christmas and such.. I'm extremely sore from the gym, I completed a while week of training sessions and now I'm going to be doing one a week since school starts up again for term 2 on Monday..My new years resolution is to drop some weight, get fit and feel better.. I am also going to be working on becoming a better person inside because I've been lacking in that area for quite some time..another resolution I have is to read every novel for my courses this term (believe me there a lot and some do tend to slip behind the desk..) and to work on improving my creative writing and get closer to completing one of my started novels... What are you're new years resolutions? comment back and let me know! Remember you can always e-mail me (bilichc@hotmail.com) and please keep reading my posts- To my few but faithful followers (you know who u are!) Thanks so much for ending the year with me and Here's to the new year with more fun, more love, and more blog posts!!!!
Merry Christmas, Happy New Years and a Great Weekend to You All!!
XOXO
C
PS- TO Dr &Mrs Smarty-Pants- Hope the "Fins" feels better ASAP and FYI, I made the corrections in Christmas post part 1..thanks for making me aware of it!! Love You ALL!!!
Last night for new years I worked at a new years eve dinner dance one of my parishes holds annually. I am in the coat check, and i'm in charge of coats, hats, bags, umbrellas, anything u want to give me..for $1 per coat. It's not a terribly fulfilling job but it keeps me on my toes and gives me something to do new years eve (and helps me make a bit of slip money if u catch my drift). I've been working this same crowd for the last (ball park it) 5-7 years and i know all the old familiar faces (both sober and inebriated) well. Some of them tip and some don't, I have running jokes with a few old men that involve the lines "don't lose my hat" to which I always reply " i haven't lost it yet!" which makes them smile. I've given a coat hanger to countless amounts of women out of sticky dress predicaments...it's always the same ones too... you know, the ones who come to the party in some form of clingy material gown that gets stuck to their pantyhose by the static generated from walking while wearing a floor length silk lined fur coat..talk about snappy and snazzy dressing.. here a fur, there a fur, everywhere a fur fur (oops- a little too "old MacDonald had a farm-e-i-e-i-o" there...). So yeah, after the mad rushes flock in from 5:30-7pm everyone sits down to dinner, I get to close my door and I wait until one of the lovely waitresses (usually my sisters because u know with us every holiday/special occasion is a big family thing..because the family that works together or serves together in this instance Stays together.. *sigh*). Then I eat my dinner and wait around listening eagerly for the slightest knock on my door for those few smart men who sensibly rationalize that its too cold to smoke outside "senza capotto" (Italian for Without You're Coat). My night is mine until the late hours of the evening because no one leaves the dance prior to the new years countdown. Then it's HAPPY NEW YEARS- BUON ANNO NUOVO! CHAMPAGNE, KISSES AND HUGS ALL ROUND!
For a whole of maybe 7 minutes until I have to run back into my little closet (as my sister referred to it as) and return coats to the angry mob that's been waiting 3 minutes already so they can be the first to leave and "avoid the rush" whilst making a rush of chaotic semi drunken elderly people clump together behind them. Then I get winks, toothy grins, singing and dancing men come to my window to pick up their coats and to spit out at me those o-too familiar words (in thick drunken slurry Italian accents ) "don't-a forget-a my cappeluccio". I wish them all a happy new years, in both English and Italian and they walk out the door. My night usually ends around 1..depending on when people decide to leave.. I can't go until the last coat has left my hands, because heaven forbid some one's coat should go missing or stolen in my absence. And then I come home and go to sleep and get up for mass.
So that's what i did last night.. and I just returned home a bit ago from 11:30 am mass in English, because for those of you who don't know, New Years day is a mandatory day in the church calendar- the Canadian Catholic Conference of Bishops deemed it so, and therefore all Catholics are expected to attend mass on this day- we celebrate Mary-The Mother Of God on this day..It's very important. So if you haven't gone to mass yet today, you'd better get going! God is Watching You!
Anyway, that's my rant for the day, I hope you all enjoyed reading about my Christmas and such.. I'm extremely sore from the gym, I completed a while week of training sessions and now I'm going to be doing one a week since school starts up again for term 2 on Monday..My new years resolution is to drop some weight, get fit and feel better.. I am also going to be working on becoming a better person inside because I've been lacking in that area for quite some time..another resolution I have is to read every novel for my courses this term (believe me there a lot and some do tend to slip behind the desk..) and to work on improving my creative writing and get closer to completing one of my started novels... What are you're new years resolutions? comment back and let me know! Remember you can always e-mail me (bilichc@hotmail.com) and please keep reading my posts- To my few but faithful followers (you know who u are!) Thanks so much for ending the year with me and Here's to the new year with more fun, more love, and more blog posts!!!!
Merry Christmas, Happy New Years and a Great Weekend to You All!!
XOXO
C
PS- TO Dr &Mrs Smarty-Pants- Hope the "Fins" feels better ASAP and FYI, I made the corrections in Christmas post part 1..thanks for making me aware of it!! Love You ALL!!!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Good Will Towards Men...
Just a little post Christmas Shout-Out to Dr. Smarty-Pants ( You know who you are) The Happiest Of Happy Birthdays To You!! May This Year Bring You Happiness, and Love and May The Good Lord Bless You With All His Wonders!
XOXOXOXOXOXO
Another little message about Christmas Cheer and Good Will Towards All Men that those of you with big hearts might find interesting...
My sisters and I were just on the way home from the gym ( had a crazy awesome hard workout with my trainer...wooo!) and we were in the van stopped at the traffic light. There was a woman in an electric wheelchair on the sidewalk two lanes away from us on the left side. She had many things with her on the scooter and among these was a bag of toilet paper rolls. My sister in the back noticed that the toilet paper bundle had fallen off. So after some persuasion my sister who was driving opened her window and shouted, motioning to the lady that the paper had fallen off. The lady waved a Thank You and tried to reach over and retrieve the fallen item, but she was rather short, and the chair was high up, plus she was on the slope of the corner and she was sadly missing her legs from the knees down so there would be no way she could get off the scooter and pick it up. We were 3 lanes away with oncoming traffic so we couldn't do anything but watch. Then! This young man (mid 30's) pulls up in a little car at the stop lights right beside her. He surely saw my sister pointing and talking out the driver side window and he realized the lady was having trouble SO he got out of his car (left it running but thankfully there were no cars behind him) jogged over to her and helped her with the toilet paper. As we watched this we were all filled with great joy! My sister pointed out that someone else in the lane over from them had also opened their car door to get out... HOOOOORAY FOR HUMANITY!!!! ALL IS NOT LOST!!!
This is a great example of how just one person (or in this case, a few people) can make a difference. Usually (statistically proven by sociologists,) only 1 out of 5 people will stop to help someone in need, and the odds are even worse when there is an emergency... Incredible, people will just ignore it, turn a blind eye, keep walking ,and do Nothing. But in this case, +4 people realized there was a situation and did something about it. either by noticing and making the lady aware, getting out, or starting to get out to help her. Thankfully not everyone is a selfish blind person wandering this planet in their own little world (you know who u are!).. So a Great CHEER FOR EVERY DAY PEOPLE!!!
So to take some words from one of my favorite musicals, "Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog" , Captain Hammer sang it right when he said that;
Everyone's a hero in their own way
In their own 'not-that-heroic' way
Everyone's a hero in their own way
Everyone's got something they can do
Get up, go out and fly
Everyone's a hero in their own way
Everyone's a hero in their own way
Everyone can blaze a hero's trail
Don't worry if it's hard
If you're not a friggin' 'tard, you will prevail
Everyone's a hero in their own way
Everyone's a hero in their way
So I hope you enjoyed this post, and it brought you some extended holiday cheer, or at least a cheery feeling that the world is not completely horrible and if you drop your toilet paper on the street and can't get it by yourself, someone is watching and waiting to help you..hopefully..
XOXO
C
XOXOXOXOXOXO
-Love All Of Us Here In The Hammer!
Another little message about Christmas Cheer and Good Will Towards All Men that those of you with big hearts might find interesting...
My sisters and I were just on the way home from the gym ( had a crazy awesome hard workout with my trainer...wooo!) and we were in the van stopped at the traffic light. There was a woman in an electric wheelchair on the sidewalk two lanes away from us on the left side. She had many things with her on the scooter and among these was a bag of toilet paper rolls. My sister in the back noticed that the toilet paper bundle had fallen off. So after some persuasion my sister who was driving opened her window and shouted, motioning to the lady that the paper had fallen off. The lady waved a Thank You and tried to reach over and retrieve the fallen item, but she was rather short, and the chair was high up, plus she was on the slope of the corner and she was sadly missing her legs from the knees down so there would be no way she could get off the scooter and pick it up. We were 3 lanes away with oncoming traffic so we couldn't do anything but watch. Then! This young man (mid 30's) pulls up in a little car at the stop lights right beside her. He surely saw my sister pointing and talking out the driver side window and he realized the lady was having trouble SO he got out of his car (left it running but thankfully there were no cars behind him) jogged over to her and helped her with the toilet paper. As we watched this we were all filled with great joy! My sister pointed out that someone else in the lane over from them had also opened their car door to get out... HOOOOORAY FOR HUMANITY!!!! ALL IS NOT LOST!!!
This is a great example of how just one person (or in this case, a few people) can make a difference. Usually (statistically proven by sociologists,) only 1 out of 5 people will stop to help someone in need, and the odds are even worse when there is an emergency... Incredible, people will just ignore it, turn a blind eye, keep walking ,and do Nothing. But in this case, +4 people realized there was a situation and did something about it. either by noticing and making the lady aware, getting out, or starting to get out to help her. Thankfully not everyone is a selfish blind person wandering this planet in their own little world (you know who u are!).. So a Great CHEER FOR EVERY DAY PEOPLE!!!
Everyone's a hero in their own way
In their own 'not-that-heroic' way
Everyone's a hero in their own way
Everyone's got something they can do
Get up, go out and fly
Everyone's a hero in their own way
Everyone's a hero in their own way
Everyone can blaze a hero's trail
Don't worry if it's hard
If you're not a friggin' 'tard, you will prevail
Everyone's a hero in their own way
Everyone's a hero in their way
So I hope you enjoyed this post, and it brought you some extended holiday cheer, or at least a cheery feeling that the world is not completely horrible and if you drop your toilet paper on the street and can't get it by yourself, someone is watching and waiting to help you..hopefully..
XOXO
C
Friday, December 24, 2010
JOY TO THE WORLD!!!
Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
~MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT~
XOXO
Cristina <3
My Family Christmas Week Part 2
So things have been crazy as expected today.. I went to the gym to do a session with my sisters trainer and I am exhausted from it. We worked shoulders, arms, legs, and abs today.. I'm definitely going to feel it tomorrow but you know what they say - no pain no gain. The gyms motto is Train Hard Or Go Home!. .I intend to live up to that phrase :)
Within the next few hours I will preparing myself and my sisters to go to our churches for mass.. I am excited and nervous, and I really just want to get it all over with... but the night is young and I haven't much time for wallowing in laziness so onward to glory!
I've got to write some letters before I leave, and I have to straighten my sisters hair and do my own, there is still a few gifts to be wrapped for extended family and of course much merriment to be had! What a Night indeed!
What are you doing for Christmas?
I am going to church, to join my friends, family and loved ones in rejoicing in this wonderful night! Exciting!!!
We celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and I am so excited! My family didn't do gifts this year for tonight- as i've said already we are doing gifts after boxing day... but I think we have finally learned what the true meaning of Christmas is no presents, no buying, just giving of yourself 100% unto the Glory of the Birth of Our Lord and sharing the joy with all your loved ones. Christmas doesn't come in boxes, can't be wrapped in paper and is definitely not bought in a store - though some would argue on that fact.. Christmas is within us- like the Who's from Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas (p,.s i watched my 30 minute old cartoon version of..such a classic!) Christmas Day Is In Our Grasp, As Long As We Have Hands To Clasp!
Here are some pictures for you all to see our decorated trees and our finished Presepio's.. Enjoy!
The trees and nativity scenes were done by many family members working together and they might not be store perfect, but to us they couldn't be any more wonderful and perfect as they are!
I Wish you all a Blessed Christmas and I hope the Baby Jesus brings you happiness and joy!
After Midnight mass, our family gathers around the Presepio to sing a traditional Italian hymn/pray type song which goes somewhat like this...
"E Notte Di Natale, Su Nel Cielo Brilla Una Stella, Fra Le Tante E La Piu Bella... La Stella Si E Fermata Sopra'l Tetto Di una Capanna Do've Bimbo Gesu Fa La Nanna!"
From me and my family, to you are yours, i wish you all;
Feliz Navidad!
Buon Natale!
Merry Christmas!
XOXO
C
Within the next few hours I will preparing myself and my sisters to go to our churches for mass.. I am excited and nervous, and I really just want to get it all over with... but the night is young and I haven't much time for wallowing in laziness so onward to glory!
I've got to write some letters before I leave, and I have to straighten my sisters hair and do my own, there is still a few gifts to be wrapped for extended family and of course much merriment to be had! What a Night indeed!
What are you doing for Christmas?
I am going to church, to join my friends, family and loved ones in rejoicing in this wonderful night! Exciting!!!
We celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and I am so excited! My family didn't do gifts this year for tonight- as i've said already we are doing gifts after boxing day... but I think we have finally learned what the true meaning of Christmas is no presents, no buying, just giving of yourself 100% unto the Glory of the Birth of Our Lord and sharing the joy with all your loved ones. Christmas doesn't come in boxes, can't be wrapped in paper and is definitely not bought in a store - though some would argue on that fact.. Christmas is within us- like the Who's from Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas (p,.s i watched my 30 minute old cartoon version of..such a classic!) Christmas Day Is In Our Grasp, As Long As We Have Hands To Clasp!
Here are some pictures for you all to see our decorated trees and our finished Presepio's.. Enjoy!
 | |
| Family Tree at my House |
 |
| Tree at my Grandmother's House |
 |
| My moms Presepio |
 |
| My moms Presepio |
 |
| My Nonna's Presepio |
I Wish you all a Blessed Christmas and I hope the Baby Jesus brings you happiness and joy!
After Midnight mass, our family gathers around the Presepio to sing a traditional Italian hymn/pray type song which goes somewhat like this...
"E Notte Di Natale, Su Nel Cielo Brilla Una Stella, Fra Le Tante E La Piu Bella... La Stella Si E Fermata Sopra'l Tetto Di una Capanna Do've Bimbo Gesu Fa La Nanna!"
From me and my family, to you are yours, i wish you all;
Feliz Navidad!
Buon Natale!
Merry Christmas!
XOXO
C
Thursday, December 23, 2010
My Family Christmas Week- Part 1
Christmas for my family is insane...
Forget decorating and wrapping gifts, we're way too busy being in church singing and playing the piano and organ at numerous pre- and post Christmas masses. Our family individually tends to just take it one mass at a time come Dec 24th 7pm til Dec 26th and we have broken the old tradition which involved coming home after the usual Christmas Eve midnight mass, going over to grandparents to visit and open gifts with all the cousins, aunts and uncles, and then going home by 2am to open gifts with our own 6 person family... Now we just do the church thing, the extended family thing and then home to bed and not worry about "doing" the Christmas gift thing individually until after boxing day- we shop from the day after boxing day onward and pick a day before everyone has to go back to school or work so that we can exchange gifts in peace without having to bother about previous engagements, being tired, stressed out and grumpy. We decorate the house inside- who has time to put lights up outside these days!- get a tree and make the customary nativity scene which we call in Italian, Presepio. (Pictures of our decorated tree and Presepio coming up in part 2)
Now as most of you know (or have already gathered based on my hallow e'en post) my extended family, i.e aunts, uncles, cousins etc. is really more like close family, because we have spent every Sunday, birthday, and holiday (and lots of days in between) together since each member of the 15 cousins was born. My mom, and her siblings decided that they wanted to stay very close, and as is true of Italians, raise their children all together as one big family unit. And so, most of my cousins are like older and younger siblings to me which is both wonderful as it is terrible. As siblings do, my cousins and I tend to have disagreements and arguments over points of opinion, behave meanly or badly towards each other, dislike/hate one another, and get tired of having to be in the same room with them. Personalities clash, and some days you wish Nonno (i.e Italian for Grandfather) had been in the mafia so you could have them all "taken care of" - kidding... sometimes.. maybe..hmmmmmmm... Sorry. NO I DO not EVER WISH FOR THAT TO HAPPEN!!!
ANYWAY!
Forget decorating and wrapping gifts, we're way too busy being in church singing and playing the piano and organ at numerous pre- and post Christmas masses. Our family individually tends to just take it one mass at a time come Dec 24th 7pm til Dec 26th and we have broken the old tradition which involved coming home after the usual Christmas Eve midnight mass, going over to grandparents to visit and open gifts with all the cousins, aunts and uncles, and then going home by 2am to open gifts with our own 6 person family... Now we just do the church thing, the extended family thing and then home to bed and not worry about "doing" the Christmas gift thing individually until after boxing day- we shop from the day after boxing day onward and pick a day before everyone has to go back to school or work so that we can exchange gifts in peace without having to bother about previous engagements, being tired, stressed out and grumpy. We decorate the house inside- who has time to put lights up outside these days!- get a tree and make the customary nativity scene which we call in Italian, Presepio. (Pictures of our decorated tree and Presepio coming up in part 2)
Now as most of you know (or have already gathered based on my hallow e'en post) my extended family, i.e aunts, uncles, cousins etc. is really more like close family, because we have spent every Sunday, birthday, and holiday (and lots of days in between) together since each member of the 15 cousins was born. My mom, and her siblings decided that they wanted to stay very close, and as is true of Italians, raise their children all together as one big family unit. And so, most of my cousins are like older and younger siblings to me which is both wonderful as it is terrible. As siblings do, my cousins and I tend to have disagreements and arguments over points of opinion, behave meanly or badly towards each other, dislike/hate one another, and get tired of having to be in the same room with them. Personalities clash, and some days you wish Nonno (i.e Italian for Grandfather) had been in the mafia so you could have them all "taken care of" - kidding... sometimes.. maybe..hmmmmmmm... Sorry. NO I DO not EVER WISH FOR THAT TO HAPPEN!!!
ANYWAY!
What I'm getting to, is that no matter what, my cousins and I are very close, we'd fight and kill for each other, we'd take bullets for each other (some of us..) and each one of us loves every one else unconditionally (most of the time hehe).... And we love to do almost everything together as a family (re: hallow e'en). The biggest thing we have always done, as a family unit, is to get all or most of my cousins over to my grandparents house the week prior to Christmas so we can decorate their "Albero di Natale" (Italian for Christmas tree) AND help Nonna (i.e Italian for Grandmother) make 1000-1500 home-made pasta hats, commonly known to us Italians as Cappelletti.
Through thick and thin, bad years and good years, births and deaths, steadfast and never failing my grandmother has continued on this wonderful tradition from her childhood (she's been making Cappelletti for Christmas since she was a girl, when they used to make them with her mother and all of her sisters back in Italy) and we are proud to take it on now that most of the cousins are old enough not to have fun throwing flour at each other (sometimes... and some of us.. haha).
Cappelletti are little hat shaped pasta stuffed with meat, and This is how we make them:
-We make the pasta itself by hand out of flour and eggs and its called "la sfoglia". You make the dough by making a hole in a large mound of flour and gathering it all together with a fork until it is solid enough to work with your hands. Then you kneed the dough ball until it is no longer extremely sticky. After it is the right consistency and can be maneuvered without issue you roll it out as thin as possible before it begins to break apart, and then you cut it into long strips which then get sectioned off into squares about an inch in length.
- The pasta hats are stuffed with a meat filling called "impasto" which is made up of three types of meat; chicken, pork and beef which are cooked (fried or boiled etc) and grounded together then mixed with Ricotta and Parmesan cheese, and nutmeg (A lot of nutmeg- as it were). You also use egg yolk to make it stick together and you can add more egg yolk to soften it up if needed.
To Stuff The Squares:
-You take some of the "impasto" and make a small mound just bigger than 3 peas which goes on top of the square.
-You fold one corner over onto the adjacent corner to form a triangle, and then fold the two side ends together so that it forms the shape of a old style mens cap (The word Cappelletto in Italian means "little hat"). -You line them up to dry on a flat surface, and once they've hardened you can cook them (or store them) in boiling water and use them in chicken broth (which you'll get from boiling the chicken) and in tomato sauce.
So now you know how we make these wonderful traditional pasta hats!!! They are quite tasty and fill you up rather quickly, but that doesn't stop each of us from eating 20 of them (or more depending on the size of the person haha) twice during Christmas! Our number of volunteer Cappelletti folders has fallen quite a bit in the last 5 years but my sisters and I and 3-4 cousins and some aunts are faithfully there making them year after year and it's quite a production line!
My grandmother used to make all the dough herself, rolling it and cutting it as well, while the grandchildren stuffed the hats, but in the last 5 years she started slowing down due to her advancing age. She was in her early to mid 70's when she finally decided she'd teach someone else and Allow them to "help" her and she chose me! I was the only one old enough at the time and I wasn't on exams or anything from school. I would go during the days before Christmas to help stuff the hats as she made rolled and cut the dough, and one day she was getting tired, with her arms and shoulders in bad shape, so she asked me to roll out the dough, and by the end of those short days I was making "la sfoglia" by myself while she sat next to me forming the little hats and imparting much welcomed grandmotherly wisdom on to me. From then on, I've become the dough maker, and only recently two of my younger cousins have been trustworthy enough to roll out the dough, and Nonna is the boss who comes around to check on production and make sure it is all up to her "old school" standards.
So now the family tradition has officially been passed down the generations from grandmother, to grandchildren and we are proud of our Italian heritage, and especially of this great tradition from Nonna's Romagna- one of the only places in Italy where they make these Cappelletti.
Our Cappelletti making extravaganza this year took place between 6 and 11p on December 22nd and I have taken pictures so you can see what it is we do from start to finish.. Enjoy!
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| Beginning of the "Sfoglia" |
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| Folding the eggs and flour together to make the "sfoglia" |
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| "Sfoglia" coming together |
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| Knead that dough! |
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| Ball of dough!! |
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| Rolling the "sfoglia" |
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| Cutting the rolled dough into strips |
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| Cutting the squares.. |
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| Pasta square with meat "impasto" on it |
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| First attempt at folding the square into a triangle... It fell into the glass of water before my cousin or I could save it. *fail* |
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| Second and successful attempt at folding the triangle :D |
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| A finished Cappelletto! |
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| Regular, white flour Cappelletti up close and personal :D |
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| Egg and flour... all you need for great pasta dough! |
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| Sfoglia made out of whole wheat flour |
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| Pasta hats- Cappelletti made out of the whole wheat flour for my sister |
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| Around 250-300 Cappalletti |
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| Around 300-400 Cappelletti |
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| Just over 250 Cappelletti, plus 40 whole wheat flour ones |
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
My First Session
Today I attended my first gym session with my sisters trainer -who is now my trainer- and it was rough!
But So Satisfying!!!!
As you all know by now, I've got a cold, and this made working out quite challenging as throughout the hour session I had to continuously stop or pause to blow my nose, or at least wipe it as it was definitely running, but my trainer (weird to write/think/say that) was patient and pleasant with me about it, and was deeply concerned with my over exerting myself if I had a fever or body aches and pains-which I did not have thankfully!
I was able to survive this first session, but it was challenging. I haven't worked out since January of last year and though I've noticed my body changing and the numbers on the scale increasing, I hadn't realized just how much i was out of shape! Well all that is going to end and I've proudly taken the first step to initiate this wonderful change!
I never thought in a million years that I would be working out with my sister though, as she was previously not the type to be found sweating it out in the gym. But she decided it was time to get healthy and change her lifestyle and feel better in her body, and she was so successful I am so very proud of her achievements! She never thought she'd be in the gym working out with me either, as I always seemed unmotivated especially when she nagged me about it ( haha jokes T. <3) but I went today - thanks to her wonderful gift of 4 training sessions for my b-day- and I am now so pumped and ready to go for this! Thanks SIS!! XOXOXO
Although my night last night was difficult- as it is always impossible to sleep when you have a cold- I was able to suck it up, put on my track pants, strap down my chest and get moving. And you know what? My cold was temporarily relieved during the session, all but the randomly running nose. I didn't cough, or sneeze once, and my head felt better.
There will be more to come about my sessions, I'll try to give more detailed reports of exactly what I'm doing in my workouts..
I am definitely going to feel the pain tomorrow morning though.. i was forewarned by my sister and my trainer, and I know it from past personal experience too.. so.. that will be fun.. let's see how much sleep I get tonight and if I can at least move my fingers tomorrow then it will be okay.
I'm going to listen to some music- currently hooked on Celtic woman singing Christmas carols...here's a link if u want to check them out- I intend to eventually figure out to upload videos but for now I will simply post links and if you are truly interested then I'm certain you will check it out
XOXO
C
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKrx-4Awe70
But So Satisfying!!!!
As you all know by now, I've got a cold, and this made working out quite challenging as throughout the hour session I had to continuously stop or pause to blow my nose, or at least wipe it as it was definitely running, but my trainer (weird to write/think/say that) was patient and pleasant with me about it, and was deeply concerned with my over exerting myself if I had a fever or body aches and pains-which I did not have thankfully!
I was able to survive this first session, but it was challenging. I haven't worked out since January of last year and though I've noticed my body changing and the numbers on the scale increasing, I hadn't realized just how much i was out of shape! Well all that is going to end and I've proudly taken the first step to initiate this wonderful change!
I never thought in a million years that I would be working out with my sister though, as she was previously not the type to be found sweating it out in the gym. But she decided it was time to get healthy and change her lifestyle and feel better in her body, and she was so successful I am so very proud of her achievements! She never thought she'd be in the gym working out with me either, as I always seemed unmotivated especially when she nagged me about it ( haha jokes T. <3) but I went today - thanks to her wonderful gift of 4 training sessions for my b-day- and I am now so pumped and ready to go for this! Thanks SIS!! XOXOXO
Although my night last night was difficult- as it is always impossible to sleep when you have a cold- I was able to suck it up, put on my track pants, strap down my chest and get moving. And you know what? My cold was temporarily relieved during the session, all but the randomly running nose. I didn't cough, or sneeze once, and my head felt better.
There will be more to come about my sessions, I'll try to give more detailed reports of exactly what I'm doing in my workouts..
I am definitely going to feel the pain tomorrow morning though.. i was forewarned by my sister and my trainer, and I know it from past personal experience too.. so.. that will be fun.. let's see how much sleep I get tonight and if I can at least move my fingers tomorrow then it will be okay.
I'm going to listen to some music- currently hooked on Celtic woman singing Christmas carols...here's a link if u want to check them out- I intend to eventually figure out to upload videos but for now I will simply post links and if you are truly interested then I'm certain you will check it out
XOXO
C
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKrx-4Awe70
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