Cooking with Love

July 2021 Newsletter

Hot fun in the summertime.....July was so hot -we did everything to stay cool. Back in our hot apartment, we did not have air conditioning, and my father did not like a fan blowing on his back for fear of catching a cold.....😤so we had to make the best of doing our chores and getting the heck out of the house.

My elementary school had a summer program which included the use of their indoor pool. A lot of neighborhood kids used it so much; they had to alternate day for girls, day for boys. You had to get there early with your gear for your place in line, so that you can make the number of kids allowed at one time. My sister and I loved to use the pool any chance we got. After swimming we would have lots of games and crafts to play with. We would go home for lunch and come back for a few hours more.       

On Sundays mom would make granita, usually espresso granita instead of the usual hot coffee. It is so refreshing. (Check out the recipe on my blog.)  Of course, this was enjoyed after our Sunday meal which was eaten at 1:00 on the dot! Papa would have a fit if anyone was late coming home for our meal. 

Fourth of July was a terrifying experience every year. Some years we would go to the beach and picnic, but we had to come home before dark because the boys and men in the neighborhood would shoot fireworks as if they were in a war.  We lived in an urban neighborhood with lots of buildings. Neighbors would watch from their windows. We would shut the windows and try to go to bed early shaking in our beds until the noise would stop. 

On July 26, 1968 I went to Orchard Beach with my sister's best friend, Clair. This tall dark and handsome boy stopped by our blanket and asked if I remembered him from the Mount Carmel feast last week. I lied and said, no. He stayed around and talked to us for about 6 hours. Finally I had to get to the bus to go home.  He offered to take us both home (Clair and I lived in the same building). When I got out of the car, Clair told him that I was only 16 years old.   When he dropped us off, he asked for my number and asked me to go out with him. So, we made a date for August 3rd. I was turning 17 on August 6th.  His name was Andy Conte. The rest is history.

Going to the beach would be a long day. Mom would make sandwiches of peppers and eggs or potato and eggs she would make fresh that morning.Her sandwiches were so tasty because she cooked them in olive oil and grated parmesan cheese. We would stay all day. We'd get home in time for dinner with dad. Dad would expect a regular dinner prepared by mom.