Hello again!!

Wowee wow wow wow!!!!!

Yes, I am alive.

Yes, I am still an Italian Mama, and yes, I am still crazy...but happy crazy.

I have three AWESOME, WONDERFUL, HANDSOME sons, and a great husband.

So much has happened in the past couple of years...almost too much to tell!!!

We moved, my oldest son is in college and working, my middle son is almost a Senior in high school, and my youngest is now in high school.  Don't blink, man... It goes by so quickly!

We now have 4 dogs, instead of two... Two small dogs, and two large dogs... Fun, but chaotic.

I am in my fourth year teaching at my sons high school... I teach a Cuisine class. Saying I love it would be an understatement.

My wonderful Mom is now living in the little casita our new (old) house has behind it.  We LOOOVE having her so near by.  Now, instead of going to the store, we just shop at her house!! hahaha!!

We have a fantastic view.

Everything would be great if I didn't have debilitating hip arthritis, but hopefully I can get it taken care of  in the near future.

What's up with all of you?

Well... we've moved in... All but two rooms of the house are done-ish...

This house is SOOOO much larger than our other home...I get winded just walking from one end to the other...

Did I mention that it was built for a woman with a handicap?  So it's perfect for me... no stairs, handicapped rails in all 5 bathrooms, flat as can be!

I just started my third year teaching Cuisine last Monday.  I still love every second of it.  The students are fun, energetic, intuitive, creative and seem to be having a great time... so that makes me have a great time too!

I have my youngest in class this time around.  My Teacher's Asst. LOVES when he is in class, he knows is way around my school kitchen better than anyone, and it makes her job that much easier... LOL.  He is such a great little cook, you should see him shake a pan and flip food in the air... makes me wanna well up and tear!  I don't think kids understand the gift of learning a life skill like cooking.  My boys will hopefully never starve, even if they marry women that don't cook...Ya know?

I just pray they marry orphans, so I can be the only Grandma... HA!

It's been a long while... a long, long while... hasn't it?

Soooo, so, so very much has happened in the last six months...

We've moved... after 19 years in the same little house, we finally bit the bullet and moved... to a much, much larger home...with a gorgeous view, triple the land, and bunch of coyotes and roadrunners!

My oldest graduated from High School two weeks ago, we actually moved the day of graduation!  What idiots!

I've been diagnosed with OsteoArthritis in my right hip, and am now walking sometimes with a cane.  Fun Stuff!

This blogger thing has changed a lot in the last half a year... it's awkward!

Hopefully, I'll be able to take some breaks from unpacking boxes to write a little more on here... but I think I'm gonna change it to a cooking blog...something like "An Italian Mama Cooks" or something like that!

I will be adding in stories from my life, and childhood... soooo... those of you that are extremely sensitive to my childhood, (you know who you are... sweetie) make sure not to think I am writing about you... just sayin'!

okay... until later...

Ciao!

Being a working Mom is truly awesome... especially when I get to work AT MY SON'S SCHOOL!  All three of them come into my classroom to either give me a quick kiss, ask for food (I'm the cooking teacher) or to ask for money... LOL... but it's great.

Today, we had our annual Christmas Party, with all the food cooked and provided by our fantastic ACAF members.  We received our Christmas bonuses, had a White Elephant Gift Exchange, just had a chance to see and talk with the other teachers we don't get to see very often.  The food was AWESOME... my friend Angie, cooks me UNDER THE TABLE!  I would seriously eat her garbage... and it was wonderful because I DIDN'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING AT ALL... I got to really enjoy the day.

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All of our Catering jobs are done... so I truly get to relax for the next two weeks... focus on my home, my sons, and just BEING...

This Christmas we aren't going to travel outside of our home, and get mistreated again... we are going to stay home, invite some friends over, and just chill.  I'll be cooking the Feast of Seven Fishes with my Mama this year... not worry about some small minded people that think blogging is waste of time or that I am talking about them.  AS if!  It has been a wonderful, idiot free year...

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I FINALLY get to concentrate on the Holidays, now that work is done for a little while.  I need to finish my shopping.  Really, I need to start my shopping... so that means I really shouldn't be on here... but now that I'm off work, I gravitated toward my blog...

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To all that matter, MERRY CHRISTMAS...

Random stuff all jammed into one post...

I got an email today from a student that wanted me to email him the recipe for Fettucine.  HOW COOL IS THAT!!!  Young adults are making PASTA FROM SCRATCH!!!  I love my job!

Unfortunately, I didn't get the email until 3 hours after he sent it... so I hope he was able to make the pasta anyway... I've really got to check my emails more often on the weekends.

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Tomorrow is my 19th Wedding Anniversary. NINETEEN years... who knew!!  Pretty soon, I will have been with my husband longer than I was single.  It literally feels like just a few years...

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Has anyone else been watching that new show Pan Am? I love it.  It's so old school.  I just LOVE how they hold their hands out with gloves on when holding their purses... love the clothes... love the story... love it.

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Got an Ipad 2 a couple of months ago... and HOLY COW... I love, love, love it!!!  It's the coolest thing.  May Steve Jobs rest in peace... I sure hope he's doing some great things in heaven... because he sure did some amazing stuff down here...

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My middle son played in his first Varsity game, starting as Quarterback on Friday night... he is only a Freshman... and he did an AWESOME job... we lost... but we now have a passing game!! YAY!!!

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I gotta go... I have to ork in the morning... and I drank way too much iced tea today...

It's been so long!!!

I think about this all the time.  I get ready to post something on here... then a student walks into my classroom, or the dishes need to be done... or this... or that...

BEING A WORKING MOM is soooo different from being a Stay at Home Mom!!!

I was called every name in the book last January for being a blogger...

Can you believe it?  It wasn't even from a stranger... it was from a RELATIVE!!!  Ha ha!!!
 
She told me to "just stick to cooking and 'your men" and stop blogging"... she took high offense to the fact that I like being Italian, and named my blog "Italian Mama" and how dare I think I am "so Italian"... blah, blah, blah...  Funny right??

I was all gung ho to continue blogging, in spite of the rashen of crap I got from "her", then the school I teach at decided to give me two more classes for the new semester... and voila!! 12 hour days doing what I love!  I bet she thought I stopped blogging because of her tirade... HA!!! She doesn't know me very well...

I am still teaching Culinary Arts at my son's High School... AND I ADORE MY JOB!!!  Truly adore it.
Being at work makes me happy.  I don't remember what I did before!!! 

I teach two classes a day, and I also run a lunchtime homework session for middle and high schoolers.

Maybe one day I'll write a book about the fun stuff that happens at our school... some of the things kids say and do are hilarious!!!

My sons attend a Christian/Private High School, and we have the greatest group of young minds... thoughtful, polite, well mannered... and soooo funny!!!

My oldest is graduating this year. {{sigh}}

He has applied to his number one choice of college... a month early... he REALLY wants to go to Azuza Pacific University... and private Christian College about an hour from here. I hope he gets in... but I just don't know how we'll swing the $48,000 a year... lots of prayer, I suppose??? We've been paying tuition for the past 12 years for all three of our boys...so this should just be a continuation... right... HA!

I need to get 8 more jobs.  Fast.

Sedona and Vegas trip!

We've just arrived to our first destination... Our Las Vegas Timeshare Polo Towers...This is in the lobby.

Bad shot... good day... My birthday lunch having my favorite meal... Lettuce Wraps from Cheesecake Factory... with my favorite men...

My favorite part about Vegas?  The HUGE bathtub in our villa... We get a little over zealous with the bubbles...

goofball

After 4 days in Vegas... time to head to Sedona!

We tried to head to the SkyWalk... but it would have been $500 bucks just to step on it then leave... we had to get to our destination before sundown... so we ended up not doing it...;(

Wow... our first glimpse of the Red Rocks...stunning!

I was in AWE!

Then we got to our suite... 1500 sq feet of sheer bliss! This is the living room!

My domain... the great sized kitchen! Yes... I cooked on vacation!

One of the Master bedrooms... doors go out to the back patio!

One of the two HUGE bathrooms... and Triangular tubs!!! Not as comfy as the Vegas one.. but the shower made up for it...

LOVE a walk in shower!

LOVE!

Can you tell I'm a bathroom suite girl?  I want what I don't have... our home bathrooms are so small, you can sit, take a shower and wash your hands at the same time!

Our master bedroom

Dining area

 Our entryway!

 Our lovely sinks... I'm thinking of getting these for home!

                                                                        Our back porch!

On our way to Slide Rock!

Hello!!!!!!!
Long time no write!!!

Just returned from a week long vacation to Las Vegas, The Grand Canyon and Sedona ...  Such Fun!!!!
I am officially IN LOVE with Sedona... have you ever been there???  It was like God chiseled each and every one of those mountains out especially for all of us visitors...  I loved the people, the scenery, the mom and pop places, EVERYTHING about it....

I've missed writing on here.  I just completed my first year teaching at my 3 son's school... and now have a little time to spare each day, since I have the summer off...

I am going to write mostly about my cooking escapades...

You see... I'm going to start up a YouTube cooking show this summer!!!  I can't wait!!!! I'm going to have my son Alex film it for me, since he has a steady hand, and an "eye" for this kind of stuff... he takes really great pictures... Soooo many people have told me I should have my own show... and since Food Network isn't coming, knocking down my door, I'm going to do it myself!!! LOL

My butt hurts right now from sitting in the car all day... Bill got us home in 6 hours... record time... so I have a ton of laundry to do... I'll post pictures of our FABULOUS suites we stayed in... and of the fantastic views in Sedona... after I find my camera...

Ciao!

It's been a while...

Gosh... I am really wondering whether to keep this blog up or not...

With my new job (LOL... new, I've been teaching for 7 months now...) I just don't seem to find the time to write on here...

I absolutely REFUSE to write about my class or students... unless it's in a positive way... but even then... no one is interested in positivity, right?? LOL

Let's see... what's been going on around here...

Ummm.... I still adore my job and my students... they are all getting really good at making food, and making it really well... it's sooo cool when my students post on FB all the dishes they make at home... it just warms my heart.

My Mom and I have been very, very busy catering... it's sooo exciting getting all the bookings we are getting... we are actually turning business away!!!

William had made the decision to go on the school Mission Trip to Costa Rica next year.  I am sooo excited for him!  All of the students that took that journey just came back, and it seemed like a once in a lifetime trip.  We also had student go to the Ukraine, and I think I am going to go on that one next year...as a chaperone.  It depends on how my hip feels. The Costa Rica trip involves the students helping out in a Christian Kids camp. The pictures were incredible of the jungle, and lush greenery and all the people they were in contact with. William will have a life changing experience, that's for sure...
I need to sell 600 loaves of bread to pay for the trip.  That's how I decide how I make the necessary cash to pay for big items... "how many loaves will I have to sell to pay for that?"  LOL.. so at $5 a loaf, I need to sell 600...

Gosh... I've been sitting here staring at this screen for a long time now... and that's about all i have to say...

What's going on with you???

What to dwell on...

So much has been going on lately...

Just this past week alone, I've cut my hand pretty deeply, my Dad has knee replacement surgery, our backyard neighbors' dog barked INCESSANTLY all day and night, I went over to talk to the nuisance neighbors instead of call the police about their SCREAMING, and too LOUD music, to get threatened AGAIN with bodily harm by the drunkards... AGAIN...

Needless to say.. it's been a fun week.

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer... so here's what went RIGHT this past week...

My Dad's surgery went well, and he's on the road to recovery...

I was offered continued employment at my job, for next school year... and recieved a GLOWING report from my bosses... that was REALLY nice...

The school bought me a chest freezer for my classroom... AWESOME!

I got to cook for the Faculty during our In Service Day yesterday.

I got to cook for our Basketball Team one last time for our Banquet and I had TONS of help and it was TONS of fun!

I was able to see Johnathon's Play on Thursday, where he sang a solo... AND HE WAS AWESOME in it!!!  It made me bawl like a baby... and the BEST part??? While he sang, he stared at me the entire time... it was so special!!!!

I got to go to lunch with a sweet friend that I haven't seen in a long time...

I learned how to make tortillas... and who knew... THEY ARE SO EASY!!!!

I need to choose to rejoice in the good, and not dwell on the bad... huh???