Hoagie Dip...Super Yummy

Today is the first day of Spring.  Spring makes me think of baseball.  Baseball makes me think of summer.  Summer makes me think of backyard parties.  Backyard parties make me think of food.  Food makes me think of…well, right now, all I am thinking about is food.

Have you ever tasted hoagie dip?  It’s delish (I hate that word).  This is one of my favorite dips, but for some reason it’s not one that I often make.  It’s pretty simple to put together – it just requires a trip to the deli.

Hoagie Dip

Ingredients

• ¼ lb Genoa salami, thinly sliced
• 1/4 lb cooked ham, thinly sliced
• ¼ lb pepperoni, thinly sliced
• ¼ lb American cheese, thinly sliced
• ¼ lb Provolone cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 cup mayonnaise (may need more, depending on your preference)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 12 hoagie rolls, torn into pieces for dipping
• 2 tomatoes, diced

Directions:

• Slice the deli meats and cheese into bite size pieces, and place in a large bowl.
• Add the onion, oregano, and tomato to the meat and cheese mixture
• Add the mayonnaise, and mix until everything is well coated.  You may need to add more mayonnaise (it all depends on what you like)
• Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve
• Serve will hoagie roll pieces

**Some people add shredded cheese to this dip, but I don’t because wet lettuce grosses me out.

Backyard parties remind me of my family, and if you have been following me this week, you know that I have been writing about my family.

Today I am highlighting my cousin Lauren.   Not only is Lauren my cousin, but she is also my God-daughter.  That’s a big deal in my family.  It’s like being runner up in the Miss America contest.  In the event her parents can’t fulfill their duties, I have to step up and take responsibility.  That was a huge thing, considering I was 18 and just about to head off to college. 

Here’s what you need to know about her:

Her hair style and hair color can change at any minute.  At.Any.Minute.  I know this sounds silly, but I see that as being courageous.  I have had the same hairstyle since I was 18.  I fear change.

She's hip.  She speaks a different language.  Sometimes I think she makes words up, but I spot check her.  She speaks the truth.
     

Halloween in Disney World

She's smart...real smart.  Sometimes I wish she could use her knowledge for good, just like a super hero.

Goofing off in the Magic Kindgom

      She has a wide taste in music.  She listens to bands that I never even knew existed. Truth be told, I don’t think the bands even know they exists.  Some of them seem so obscure and off the wall.  Just like the language she speaks, I find myself spot-checking the bands in Rolling Stone magazine – just to be sure they are real.  And they are.  Funny fact -- I remember when she loved Hillary Duff.  She reminds me of John Cusack’s character in High Fidelity (a movie I LOVE)…don’t bother talking to me if you are going to buy that crap music. 

  

I sometimes think of her like a little sister.  For a brief time in 2000, after my mother passed away, I moved in with her family (Lauren is Mary Kaye's oldest).  We all fell into a familiar routine.  Each night, my husband (then fiance) would prepare her lunch for the next day.  They would work side-by-side in the kitchen, and she made him always cut the crust off of her sandwiches.  I'm pretty sure she invented Uncrustables.  Each morning she would wake up early, and we would have breakfast together before I left for work.  And when I say early, I mean early....6:30 a.m. is early for the Ellis family.

From the way back machine....2001

Another day....another cousin.....Back to the other part of this post.  Give this dip a try, and let me know what you think.  I will let you in on a little secret -- there are plenty of delis that already have this prepared.  Go pick some up, put it in your own bowl, and serve it at your next party.  Just pretend you made it!

Until next time....

Irish Potatoes

Well, I was planning on having today’s post be simply about Irish Potatoes.   I always assumed that people knew what I was talking about when I mentioned them, but I was wrong.  I often found people staring back at me with a blank look on their face.  Apparently, these are a regional thing, and most people outside of the Philadelphia area aren’t familiar with them.

Irish Potatoes are a mixture of cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and coconut.  Once combined, the mixture is rolled into cinnamon.  The final result looks like a small potato.  These are delicious, and if I let myself, I will eat the entire batch.  This is an easy recipe to make, and it’s perfect for little hands.

Ingredients:

• 1 block cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups confectionars sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• ¼ butter, softened
• 2 cups shredded coconut
• Cinnamon          

Instructions:

• In large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese together.
• Add vanilla and the sugar.  Beat until the mixture forms a ball.
• Stir in the coconut.
• Using your hands, roll the mixture into small balls (or form them to look like small potatoes).
• Place the cinnamon in a shallow dish, and roll the balls in it.
• Place the balls on a cookie sheet, and chill for about an hour.

The final result!

Yesterday I posted about my first friend, and cousin, Kevin.  I specifically stated that I consider all my cousins my friends, and that I didn’t want any texts from them with complaints.  So, what happened?  I got this.

This is my cousin, and my friend, Timothy.  Everyone used to call him Timmy, but he put a stop to that – or at least he tried.  I stopped calling him that when he bought me a beer at a U2 concert, and he was underage.  Like, really underage.  It was during the Elevation tour, so you do the math.

Penn State / Temple Game 2007

He is Kevin’s younger brother, and again, he’s one of the funniest people I know.  He shares my nerdy interests, and is the only person outside of Mary Kaye that shares my obsession with Bruce Springsteen.   We dragged out spouses, and our children, to the Springsteen exhibit this past summer at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.  We could have easily spent the afternoon looking at Bruce’s old liner notes, concert posters, and tattered jeans – it was Bruce heaven.  However, we both decided staying married was a bit more important, as his wife and my husband looked bored out of their minds.

Kevin and Michele's Wedding (2007)

Tom and Mandy's Wedding (2008)

Boba Fett?  Boba Fett?  Where?

The Monkey started calling him Uncle Tim, after she would hear her cousins continually say it.  He never blinked an eye when we heard it, and he made sure that everyone knew it.  He treats her as if she is truly her niece.  Family like that is rare.

Megan, Uncle Tim, and a member of the Imperial Army

Happy now bonehead?

Jeez….who is going to text me next?

Until next time….

A Happy Family is But An Earlier Heaven

I saw this phrase posted on someone’s Facebook wall, and I had to agree with it.

Cousins are usually the first friends we have as children. No one will ever understand your crazy family like your cousins do even if you haven't talked much lately.

Cousins are your first friends because they are pretty much forced on you.  It’s not as if you can make friends on your own at a party when you are a year old. 

What’s really rare is keeping your cousin as a friend later in life.  Sure, you see him or her at family functions.  But do you keep in touch on a daily basis?  Do you do things together outside of parties, graduations, etc?

I do. 

Not our best moment (2013)

This is my first friend – my cousin Kevin.  My mother and his mother are sisters.  I am a 1 ½ years older than him, and he never lets me forget about it.  We were always family, but as we got older we became friends.  We share the same nerdy interests, and we both believe that Batman is a superhero.  He is one of the funniest people I know (as are his two brothers, who are both my cousins and my friends).  How often do you get a text like this?  I get stuff like this on a daily basis.

What’s invisible and smells like bananas?

Monkey farts.

When my aunt (who you should know by now is my best friend) said she was moving to Florida, he said he was happy for her and worried for me.  He told me not to worry because he was going to be my new best friend.  Granted, this was after a night at the bar…but I think the intent is there.

If you look at this quickly, you would think that this is a picture of our kids 

He was super happy -- I apparently was super scared

Selfies before selfies were cool (2008)

We both have kids now – his oldest son is 8 months older than my Monkey.  They are at the age now where they tolerate one another when they are together.  I’m pretty sure she bosses him around like I bossed Kevin around.  I hope that they are friends in 30 years – and that she can remind him often that she is younger.

The 2nd generation of cousins

Mini Me

I consider all my cousins my friends (so don't start texting me with your complaints!).  I am simply telling you about my first friend.  Some people don't seem to understand the bond I have with my family -- it starts with the friendships I have with my Aunts and Uncles, and goes on down to my cousins.  We are all close.  In fact, it extends to spouses too.  I'm very fortunate to have them in my life.

Until next time....

The Luck of the Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day (a few days early) !

Here is something I put together for the Monkey to hand out to her class today. It was fairly easy to put together, and took less than an hour to do.  It probably would have taken less time but I was watching Shameless while I was doing it. I love me some Gallaghers!

I designed the notes using Microsoft Publisher, and simply printed them out. The little bags can be found in the jewelry section of the craft store. After cutting the notes to fit inside the bag, I slipped the paper in, and then added a chocolate coin.   This little treat lets everyone have a piece of the leprechaun's pot of gold.

And I will leave you with this saying, which was proudly displayed in my grandmother's home: May you be in heaven a half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

Until next time.....