I have always despised the term "sandwich generation" but I guess that applies to me. It certainly felt like it yesterday. Mom was upset. Michael was upset. I was the middle. NOT a happy afternoon.
However, I think it's inevitable, when you have three generations living in the same house. There's no way everyone is going to be happy all the time.
We had planned to go out to lunch, but that got canceled.
However, I went over to see Lesleigh and visited with her. She has decorated her apartment a lot more, and it was fun to see that. Les let me vent to her a bit, and that helped.
Then my cousin Frank came over for a visit. He was in town for a funeral. He and Mother have always been more like siblings than cousins, and it was good to see him, spend part of the afternoon with him. I encouraged him to talk about his career, because I want Michael to learn more about different careers. Frank used to design and draw up plans for big industrial plants. Brilliant man.
For dinner, I made a big pot of soup, which I hadn't done in a long time. It seemed like a soup day. It was cold and windy. I was trying to make it like the Pasta Fagioli soup you get at the Mad Italian. I love that stuff. Mine was similar, but I added some ground beef. Michael ate a huge bowl of it, plus fritos. I decided to share my "recipe" here.[I throw in extra garlic powder, onion, etc., so it's never the same twice, but this is basically it]
Dee's Pasta Fagioli Soup
1 lb. ground beef
about 3 cups of tomato puree
4-6 cups beef stock
1 cup red wine
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
5-10 drops of tobasco
1-2 cups mixed beans [rinse off the beans in a colander first, then boil for 3 minutes]
1 chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
Saute the onion in some olive oil until soft, about 15 minutes. Brown the meat in a large heavy pot. Add onions to meat. Add garlic. Add everything else. Cook on low for several hours.
Serve with Fritos on the side, and with a salad.
[NOTE: the word "fagioli" simply means "beans" in Italian]
