It’s never too late to learn and confirms that its all in how you look at things. This totally feels like the spirit of Project Mimi.
It’s never too late to learn and confirms that its all in how you look at things. This totally feels like the spirit of Project Mimi.
The best photo ever taken! And I am convinced, the reason why I have been studying for nearly two years.It started with a simple question “we going out?”… and before you knew it we had the memory of a lifetime. Seriously – I will never EVER forget it.My mom simply said “Mama, I’m going to have a cosmo and I think you would like it….”And the rest is history. Most importantly – it inspired me to search for adventure and be more present in my life. I love my Mimi. And despite time and distance, she is an inspiration to me. I love this photo for how it jumpstarted me, and gave me a mission to live life bigger and to live it…
Fa la la la….
This is the final post of 2012. We have over 300 memories that the PM crew has shared this past year. Thank you to everyone that has been a part of this journey. As you will see in the last posting of this Holiday Project Mimi you have enhanced my life and fulfilled me in ways beyond measure and I am grateful and fortunate to have you in my life. PM is now a way of life for me and I look forward to all that 2013 will bring. This was never just about the photography or the honoring of my very dear Grandmother. it was about changing perspective and learning to be a better human. I am humbled by how much I still have to learn and appreciative of those of you willing to help me grow. Thank you all for being my friends.
Much much love….
PJ
Faye … for CF….
There wasn’t a kinder person on the planet. I miss her too.
Bracciole
1 1/2 lbs thin flank steak
1 teaspoon minced onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 slice minced bacon
1/2 cup grated Italian cheese (Parmesan)
Parsley – salt & pepper
3 Tablesppons olive oil
1 16 0z can taomatoes
1 can tomato paste
Wipe meat dry. Pound onion, garlic, bacon, cheese and parley together until a paste is formed. Spread on meat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll tightly and tie into shape with string. Heat oil in skillet and fry meat on all sides till brown. Cover. Cook over low heat while combining tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to boiling and add to meat. Cover and cook slowly 2-3 hours or till meat is done.
Serve with spaghetti.
Best Tomato Paste
Used for the Bracciole… Very difficult to find (I ordered mine from the Beverly Hills Cheese shop of all places) and I defy ANYONE to find the tomato sauce (I am on a mission). I was made aware of this from CNT with whom I surfed the web to find the paste. The meal I made was Mimi’s recipe but was inspired by a night at CNT’s home in Tahoe. She is the one that turned me onto the joys of home made ricotta cheese. She is a divine cook and an inspiration to me (always has been)….
Mimi and Bump, Jennifer and Jeff
I think this must have been taken in our house during one of their visits. In this time of cell phones, Skype, and FaceTime we lose sight of what it was like before technology. We always lived a distance from our family and usually saw them once during the summer and at one of the holidays. It was always so special when they came to visit, or when we went to visit them. I remember their house in Rochester NH, and the times I spent there. The entry way was lined with photographs. Today those photographs grace the walls of my Mimi’s home. It was a simple home by today’s standards but so full of love.
Homemade Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients for about 1 cup of cheese
3 cups whole milk (organic and not ultra pasteurized if you can find it)
1 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp lemon jice
1 clove minced garlic (optional but a nice touch with Italian food)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cheesecloth
Heat the milk and cream to the point right before a simmer (if you are using a thermometer – which is recommended – the temperature needs to reach 190 degrees. Milk is to be scalding but not boiling… bubbles should appear around the rim and it should be just to boiling point.
Add the lemon juice and salt – and the garlic if you have selected to add – stir with a non reactive spoon – I used one of my wooden spoons. Remove from the heat and step away. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Place the cheese cloth in a colander and place the colander in a bowl for collecting the whey. Gently pour the curds into the cheesecloth separating the cheese from the whey. The ricotta should set in the cheesecloth for 2 hours. It is recommended for creamier cheese to bundle and hang the cheese to drain but either way works just fine.
Video on making Homemade Ricotta cheese
Sophie
This picture marks Sophie’s 2nd Christmas with us. Chuck and I gifted ourselves Lola and Sophie for Christmas in 1997. This photo, taken during Christmas 1998 was in the house Chuck built for us in Ohio. Sophie will be 14 this September. As I write she is upstairs asleep. She sleeps all the time now. Ahh, but she is still such a comfort to me. Yesterday she climbed up next to me for my first holiday nap. She nestles in, warm and soft and purrs until we both fall deeply asleep. This has been our ritual for every part of the last 14 years and I love her for it.