Walking Through Woodside

These are just some photos I took today of lovely plants I came across while walking through my neighborhood of Woodside, Queens.  

Mini-"Thanksgiving" in August

I came across some really fresh-looking turkey at my local place, so I purchased some slices for my son's din-din tonight.  I made my own mashed potatoes and broccoli for the sides, and also plated up some cranberry sauce for the turkey.  I think he liked it.  : )  I think I used the word "some" too many times.  Oh well.

Persian Cucumber Salad

Today, the Sunnyside Farmers Market had some really fresh-looking Persian Cucumbers.  I've had them before so I knew them to be really crispy, mild-tasting, seedless, and delicious!  The only thing is that they go bad really quickly, so I decided to slice them up and use them right away when I got home.

I washed, dried, and sliced the cucumbers - (no need to peel because skin is delicate and completely edible).  I put the sliced cucumbers in a container and added some salt, half a red bell pepper, cut up, and one grated-up garlic clove...

For the dressing, I simply blended together olive oil and apple cider vinegar, poured it on top, and mixed everything together.

This cucumber salad really tastes good when left to sit over-night in the fridge.  But I'm already eating it after an hour or so in the fridge.  Very good!  

Let's make the most out of the remaining days of "Summer Eating"  Enjoy!

Culture Shock Re-Visiting Apartment 3A - Part 2 of 2

I pretty much expected that someone would open the door and yell at us to "go away".  And even if it were said in Chinese, I think I would have gotten the drift...and if THAT were the case, I would have humbly apologized for the intrusion and walked away.

But quite the opposite happened.  The woman opened the door and beckoned us to 'come on in' with her hand and her smile.  I explained again that I used to live there and the teenage boy translated.  She led us into the apartment, and the teenage boy and the toddler followed close by.  When I lived there, back in the 70's, the first room was a large combination - living room/kitchen, and we had enough room for a wall unit, 19-inch television, table with three chairs, my grandmother's reading chair, and a set of drawers.

Now, right smack in the middle of the large room was erected an "extra room", which looked like a large box made out of sheetrock.  It cut the size of the room to such an extent that the only thing that fit inside the kitchen area was a small table upon which sat plates of still-uncooked meats and vegetables.

The woman opened the door to this haphazardly placed "extra room", and we could see it had bunk beds inside and was being used for sleeping quarters.  Then we saw that the small bedroom that my brother used to sleep in also had a set of bunk beds, and up sat a middle-aged man who was resting on the top bunk.  He seemed to understand what was going on, and to explain my presence in his home further, I mentioned that the name on his mailbox downstairs of "DeLorenzo" was me.

On the bottom bunk sat a small girl of about 7 or 8.  As way of example, I pointed to the child and said something to the effect that when I was HER age, I lived there with my brother and grandmother.  The man smiled and nodded as if he completely understood.  The other bedroom which was mine and my grandmother's was closed and I wasn't about to gesture to the woman to open that one as well.  Since this room was slightly larger than the other, I can only assume there were multiple bunk beds in there, also.

Feeling very lucky and grateful to have been given the "tour" of my old apartment, I happily proceeded to exit the family's home, thanking them the whole way out.

I left with mixed feelings about seeing the present-day apartment where I grew up.  Happily nostalgic in a way, and also shocked to see how this family is living.  At first I felt kind of sad for them, but then realized that they seemed so happy and gracious that they probably moved to this country from much worse circumstances, in search for a better life.  I wish them all the best in their pursuit.

  

Culture Shock Re-Visiting Apartment 3A - Part 1 of 2

The plan this past Saturday was to meet up with my childhood friend, Rhonda, on the L.E.S. (lower east side of Manhattan), where we both grew up, and she still lives, to take some pictures, catch up on what's going on in our lives, and grab some soup dumplings at our favorite Chinese Restaurant, Joe's Shanghai, on Pell Street.

Pell Street, Chinatown, N.Y.C.

I suggested we meet in front of 93 Madison Street - the building I grew up in.  (If you haven't already read "Tenement Life", Parts 1 and 2, now would be a good time, for some background info.)

http://www.positivelygina.blogspot.com/2012/06/tenement-life-part-1.html

http://www.positivelygina.blogspot.com/2012/06/tenement-life-part-2.html

Rhonda, of course, was right in front of the building when I arrived.  One good habit we both share is always being on time...lol.  It was great to be back in the old neighborhood for a carefree day of walking, chatting, and anticipated eating.

I wanted to go into my old building just to take a look, and Rhonda backed me up and said we should go in.  The outside door was locked, but within a minute or two, a family went into the building with their keys, and we followed close behind and got in.

93 Madison Street

We headed down the small hallway to the mailboxes on the left wall.  I couldn't believe my eyes, and Rhonda was also mystified, because my grandmother's NAME was still on the mailbox of my old apartment - 3A.  I left that apartment when I was 18 or 19, and my grandmother passed away in 1990!

"DELORENZO" still there, after 22 years!

Even the black marker writings of "3A", and "DeLorenzo" were in my grandmother's handwriting.  At first I was upset, but then I realized that my grandmother, Anna, is really leaving her legacy in this building, in a way...lol.  
Even stranger was the fact that all 17 of the boxes were unlocked and seemingly unused. 

The small and narrow ground -floor hall of the building was in shambles.  It was dirty and grimy, and the small area underneath the stair-well was loaded with discarded papers, boxes, brooms, mops and rags.  Memories floated around inside my head of all the times I hung out down in that lobby with my boyfriend, for "5 more minutes" of freedom before I had to go upstairs and back to "prison".  
It was much cleaner and better-kept back then, though.  Why is it that things always seem to be worse when you check back many years later, and never better? 

I thought it would be a good idea to make the climb up to the third floor where my apartment was, and Rhonda agreed that we should.  The stairs were covered with ugly, bumpy metal treads that click clacked with every step.  More memories of flying down those steps, two or three at a time, jumping, even, just to get outside or get an "absent note" out of the mailbox before my grandmother got to it.  

One apartment door we noticed on the second floor had an extra gate/door installed on TOP of the regular apartment door, which seemed like a definite fire-hazard to me.  There were hand-written signs posted in Chinese, and the landings looked like they hadn't been mopped in ages.

Hallway of 93 Madison Street, leading outside

We got up to the third floor, both of us huffing and puffing for air, and approached the door of Apartment 3A.  Directly above the door were several colorful red and yellow Chinese wall hangings, which I assumed stood for "Good Luck" or something similar.  I came this far, so I figured I'd at least try to see if the present tenants would let us in for a look around.

Rhonda gave a good rap on the door and a woman inside shouted something in Chinese...(who is it?)  Unfortunately, we couldn't reply in Chinese, so we just knocked again a couple of more times.  A teenage boy opened the door, with an older woman behind him, and a small boy of about two or three years old holding on to his leg.  "Do you speak English?" , we asked.  He smiled and half-heartedly nodded his head.

"She used to live here when she was little", Rhonda proclaimed, pointing to me.  "I used to live here when I was little!", I chimed in...as if MY English would be more comprehensible to them than Rhonda's!  [[laughing right now]]

PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR PART 2 OF CULTURE SHOCK!  YOU'LL FIND OUT WHAT RHONDA AND I DISCOVERED AFTER WE WERE GIVEN THE TOUR OF APT. 3A...

Buffalo Chicken Pot Stickers - Great Super Bowl Snack!

BUFFALO CHICKEN POT STICKERS (DUMPLINGS)

As I was posting on my Facebook page this morning...sometimes recipes pop into my head while lying awake in bed at night...lol.  So it popped into my brain to make dumplings (pot stickers) filled with Buffalo Chicken, and dipped into a Blue Cheese dressing.

Out of curiosity, I looked on-line to see if there indeed was such a recipe.  There were many!  But I swear, I made these only from my head, and because I've made Asian Pot Stickers several times in the past, I guess I was thinking of different fillings.

I used an already-cooked rotisserie chicken from my supermarket.
  
Below is the filling mixture of minced up chicken (breast) which I sauteed with a little butter-substitute (I use Smart Balance Low Sodium), scallion, green bell pepper, and Buffalo Hot Sauce.  It's very important to let the filling COOL down before attempting to fill the dumpling wrappers.

Have a small cup of water nearby when making the dumplings because you need to dip a finger in the water and wet all around the edges of the dumpling before filling and closing them.  Below I'm holding the dumpling wrapper which I already filled, and I moistened all around the edge with water.  This may seem very time-consuming, but once you get the hang of it, it goes pretty fast.

After the dumplings are closed up, be sure to crimp the edges all around with a fork, so they don't open up while sauteing.

I pan-fried the dumplings in a little olive oil until brown and crispy on both sides.  Because the filling of these are already cooked, you do not need to add water to the pan and let the dumplings steam, which is usually done with Asian Dumplings to ensure that the filling (which is raw), is cooked thoroughly.

I tried the Blue Cheese dressing dipping sauce, but it over-powered the dumplings, so I ate them naked... : )
Hope you try and enjoy these.  Feel free to comment on this recipe, or if you come up with a different filling.

A Special T.G.I.F From "Hello Kidney"

What's For Din-Din

Tonight I made Lemon-Garlic Linguine with Salmon Balls.  Made the Salmon Balls same as my previous post... http://positivelygina.blogspot.com/2012/07/salmon-patties-with-asian-cucumber-salad.html  except instead of cilantro, I used parsley, and I also added diced Green Bell Pepper, as well as the Red, and I shaped them into balls instead of patties.

For the Lemon-Garlic Linguine, I tossed cooked linguine with garlic and crushed red pepper, which I first sauteed in olive oil.  At the end I mixed in some fresh-squeezed lemon juice and the chopped parsley.  Well, I must go try some now.  Ciao.  : )

Visited With MaryJane Today

MaryJane at the Rehab Center

I went to see my friend, MaryJane today at the Rehab Center in Flushing, NY, where she has been for about one month now. 

Although she looks good, she still doesn't have her appetite back after her surgery (please see post of June 22, 2012 for the background story, entitled... Taking The Train To MaryJane... http://positivelygina.blogspot.com/2012/06/taking-train-to-maryjane.html

She seemed a little depressed today also.  She wants to go home, but I think she's a little delusional about it.  She says if she could only go home and cook her own food and "take a nap", she'd be o.k.  I don't think so because she's in a wheelchair and can hardly stand, much less walk around and cook.

We sat outside on the patio and chatted and laughed a bit.  The nurses brought her lunch to her outside, but she didn't want any of it.  We talked about what food she would like if she had a choice.  It was agreed that a nice gooey macaroni and cheese was in order, so I'll make some and bring it to her on my next visit.

It's sad to see someone you care about go downhill, when you remember them as vibrant and full of life.  And I know all about it because I had to watch my grandmother (who raised me) go downhill and pass away when I was in my twenties, and also my brother, who passed away at age 33.  Definitely NOT easy.

I still have hope that she'll go further in her recovery and go home.

GOOEY MAC AND CHEESE...YAY!

Turning Into A Pleasant Sunday

I awoke this morning with an energized body and mind, and a positive attitude.  Staying positive is SO important for everyone...especially anyone dealing with chronic physical issues.  But, of course, sometimes it's hard when you're experiencing pain, fatigue, weakness, and other symptoms.  I try to keep busy during the day by walking, shopping, cooking, writing, walking my dog, and working at the office on the days that I work.

Walking is great for blood circulation and usually lifts my spirits if I'm feeling kind of down.  I took a long walk around my neighborhood park in Woodside, N.Y...Windmuller Park.

After my walk, I stopped by the supermarket and picked up a few things.  Then I went back home and took out Shadow for her walk.  She came across one of those fuzzy-plant thingys.  I think they're called "fox-tail" plants?  I'm not sure, but she sniffed one of the fuzzy tips then looked up at me as if to say...

Isn't she Beautiful?  I think so, and so do a lot of people we come across!  Love dogs?  Adopt one!  Humans do much better when they have a dog in their lives.

What I'm listening to today, with the volume way up!

Have a Fantastic Sunday, All!

Cooking Roasted Broccoli and Listening to Music

Chillin at home tonight...just listening to music (70's, Classic R&B, Classic Rock, or Current Hits...just as long as it's GOOD music!), and cooking something.  I really, really wasn't in the mood for meat tonight, so I made Roasted Broccoli and Tomato with Crunchy Almonds and Melted Cheddar Cheese, which I put over tri-color spaghetti (Ronzoni makes it - carrot, spinach, tomato - pasta blend).

I first saw this recipe made for the kids I volunteer with, at the "Snacktivities" program through New York Cares.  I was kind of surprised how much they loved it, and some even asked for seconds!  It felt good to see kids eating such healthy food.  So here's how I made it...

A.  I washed, trimmed, dried, and cut up fresh broccoli and put it in a pan.  I combined the broccoli with diced tomato, one clove of grated garlic, olive oil, and fresh ground black pepper.  I also added a bit of red pepper flakes for a little zing.  This all goes in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes or until a knife goes easily into the broccoli.  The broccoli will be a little brown also at that point...Yum.

B.  I took the pan out, gave it a stir, and added chopped almonds and shredded cheddar cheese on top...back into the oven for another 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  I use Cabot's 50% Reduced Fat, Sharp Cheddar Cheese.  It's delicious and you won't notice the other 50% missing!  Cabot's cheese has no growth hormones and is gluten free, lactose free, and is Kosher.  

The broccoli and tomato take on a sweet, caramelized flavor when roasted which I think is yummy.  Combined with the slight nutty crunch of the almonds, and the melted cheesy gooey-ness of the cheese...Please believe me, it's good!

I hope you give it a try.  I would love to hear if you try this, or any other recipe I post on my blog...please feel free to comment or e-mail me.  Thanks, and enjoy!

Healthy Soup For Dinner Tonight

Made a healthy soup for dinner tonight made with onion, garlic, red bell pepper, tomato, potato, chickpeas, hot red pepper flakes, chicken broth, mini noodles and extra parsley...a large squeeze of lemon on top...Yum!

Check out the health benefits of... chickpeas     garlic     parsley     lemon     cooked tomatoes     hot red pepper flakes 

Kenny the Kidney says..."Please take good care of me!"  He's a gift of Life!

Sunday Morning Shadow

Shadow, taking her favorite morning snack, boiled and cubed Sweet Potatoes!  Actually, she eats them throughout the day also, not only in the morning.  Sweet Potatoes are great for dogs with allergies, but I'm pretty sure ALL dogs would love them.  Sweet Potatoes are great for dogs' fur and their digestive systems.


Shadow suggests you try some for your dog, too!  Have a happy, healthy and fun Sunday, all!

Salami/Mozzarella, Arugula, Tomatoes, on Ciabatta Bread

Had the urge for this so I went out and purchased the ingredients...

Mayo and fresh-ground pepper on both sides of square Ciabatta Bread.  I put sliced tomatoes on one side, and Argula on the other side, which I pre-dressed with olive oil and a dash of apple cider vinegar.


Boar's Head makes delicious Salami/Mozzarella roll-ups with a touch of red-pepper flakes...really, really good.  So I sliced up some of that and put the slices on top of the Arugula.  Nothing left to do but eat!  : )

I Hate Make-Up and Plastic Birds!

My grandmother, Anna, who raised my brother and I, always had some really strange ideas when it came to raising me.  A knitting-while-rocking-in-her-rocking-chair kind of grandma, she was not.  Oh yes, she had a chair.  It was an old armchair with wooden arms, placed by a window without a view.  There she would sit, hours upon hours...reading mystery books she took out from the local library.  Mystery books were her favorite.  She also chain-smoked.  Salem Lights, then later in her life, Carlton Lights.  Many a Salem/Carlton Light I would swipe when I was in my teens.  Usually to be shared with a friend.  (If you haven't already read my posts, Tenement Life-Parts 1 and 2, now would be a good time).


She often got into picture-taking moods, proclaiming that...I could look back on the photos when I was old.  Indeed I have.  According to her, I looked like "Audrey Hepburn".  What 11 or 12 year old girl in the 70's would want to look like Audrey Hepburn?  I sure didn't.  I would have much rather preferred to look like Tatum O'Neal when she was a little girl in 'Paper Moon".  Cute, Blonde, Freckly, and tough.  And, most importantly, Tatum had a gorgeous dad.  Mine died when I was 7.

Me, age 11

But, I stray...back to the picture-taking.  We had one of those instant Polaroid cameras.  The one that you pulled the photo out, still wet, and had to blow on it or place in down somewhere.  Within 30 seconds or so, they developed right before your eyes.  Oh, please believe me...they DO NOT fade after 1o years...Hahaha.  What an urban legend THAT is.  All the photos in this post were taken with a Polaroid over 35 years ago.  Nope, not faded.  Unfortunately.


So, one day, or two, or three, Grandma Anna got it into her head to take some "head shots" of me.  But she needed to pose me somewhat "celebrity-esque" (not a word, I know).  And we all know celebrities wear make-up.  She pulled out her bag of tricks, probably from the Joan Crawford Era, and applied whatever was there, onto my face.  God, I hated it.  I'm no psychologist, but it's probably why I hate make-up still to this day.  I don't wear any.  None.  I do take damn good care of my teeth though.  Gotta have a nice smile.  And I never leave home without lip balm.


Oh...and there was a plastic bird nearby, perched on a shelf.  "Now hold the bird on your shoulder and look at it", she advised.  And I did.  Why I hate plastic birds is now evident.    

Don't I just look thrilled!

I have quite a few photos from my childhood.  Fortunately, the ones taken while my grandmother pretended to be Annie Leibovitz, are few and far between.  Most are just candid shots of me, being a kid.  Being just...Me.

Keep that make-up and that bird away from me!

20 Minute Quickie with Paul Newman

I made a quick-cook (20 minutes or so) Chicken Alfredo tonight, with a little help from Paul Newman's Alfredo Sauce. The sauce is far from low-fat or low-sodium, but it's delicious and all net proceeds from the sales of Paul Newman's products go to charities in the United States and abroad.

Above are the ingredients I used.  I marinated chicken breasts in olive oil, chopped garlic, fresh-ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes for about 15 minutes.  In the meantime, I boiled the fettuccine.


I sauteed the marinated chicken breasts in olive oil (yes, more olive oil! lol), until nicely light brown on both sides. 

sauteed until brown

Then I added the Alfredo Sauce which I thinned out just a little bit with some warm water, and I also added fresh parsley.  I let the chicken simmer in the sauce for about 8 minutes, low heat.


After that, I just combined the cooked fettuccine with the chicken and sauce and plated it up!  I like to add grated Parmesan cheese on top.  Serve with a side salad and a warm, crusty piece of Italian bread...Yum.  


I swear...I do sometimes buy a chunk of the "real" Parmesan and grate it over pasta, but not tonight!  Enjoy!