"Life is too short, and I'm Italian. I'd much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0." ~ Sophia Bush

As promised in my "sauce post", here comes "pasta"!  A number of years ago, when Bruce gave me my Kitchen-aid mixer, it sat underused for quite some time.  I'm just not a baker.  When I discovered, however, that there were pasta attachments (and put that bug in his ear as a possible Christmas gift), I really began to put my beautiful machine to use.

As part of BITE's "local foods" theme for this month, I am preparing pasta with tomato sauce (which was canned and written about a few weeks back).  Today brings you the pasta portion.  The flour that I used comes from the Champlain Valley Milling Corporation, in Westport, NY.  I will admit that this is not quite as local as I had hoped for.  I had really wanted to get the flour from New Hope Mills, which is not too far from me.  Their flours are sold locally, but not one of the stores that I went to had just plain white flour.  They had bread flour, pastry flour, buckwheat flour - but no plain white flour.  I did not want to drive the 45 minutes it would take to go directly to their store, so I purchased what I could that was a New York State product, and it was Champlain Valley.  The eggs, once again, come from my friend Sue's chickens - about as local as you can get.

The pasta making directions and recipe (page 15) come directly from the Kitchen-aid instructions.  

È squisito!

“Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!” ~ Amanda Bradley

A few days back marked the one year anniversary of My Retiring Life.  I know that it's cliche to say "Where did the time go?", but it is certainly true.  I have completed my first full year year as a retired teacher - and loved it.  People have asked me over the past 12 months:

1. Do you miss teaching? 
2. What do you do with all of your free time?
3. Have you had a difficult time adjusting to retirement?

My answers:

1. No - not for a moment. 30 years was long enough.
2. What free time?
3. Repeat answer number one.

I must say that this blog has been partly responsible for my answers.  Many of the retirees that I know have said that they readily lose track of what day of the week it is.  I won't say that this never happens to me, but rarely.  Because I have followed a Saturday/Wednesday posting for my blog, I feel as though I'm always checking my calender.  Also - it has become a sort of digital journal for me, tracking the days and weeks and events and circumstances of my life.  What started as a very nervous venture on my part is now part of my routine, and it has helped me navigate this first year of retirement with a rudder firmly in my hand.  Actually - I'd suggest it as a means of easing into retirement if someone is a bit uncertain of how to proceed!

Anyhow - here I am - a year later, older (wiser?), and ready to head into year #2!  Thank you for following along on my journey and may the upcoming year bring us all as many new and wondrous adventures, celebrations and recipes!!!!

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." ~ Dr. Seuss

This weekend, I returned to Vermont for my niece Mairead's wedding.  Remember the 150 bars of soap that I made back in May for the wedding reception? This was it!!  There was just the hint of autumn crispness in the air and the first blush of color on the leaves.

I'd be writing into the night if I put into words the wonderful time that all of the friends and family had at this event.  So - I will really try to be brief.  It was a tremendous, memory-making event ~ one that we will reminisce  about for the remainder of our days.

Beautiful day, beautiful setting, beautiful bride, fabulous friends and family.  

One of the most wonderful things about this weekend was that the cousins could get together.  Two of my sisters and I were each expecting our first children at the same time! There are now six cousins in all, and we have tried to get them together when we could over the years. We had each others' company as sisters, but never a first cousin.  They have delighted in each other and we have delighted in them.  Now as young adults, they had something of a "Cousin-Fest" this weekend, and at one point even made a boisterous toast where they were sitting ~ "To The Kids' Table!!"

But, most importantly -

To Andrew and Mairead!

Much love and happiness in the years to come!