The Great American Pastime

Okay, if you are a "real housewife" from NYC, New Jersey, Atlanta, etc. "the Great American Pastime" probably has a different connotation, but here in Cincinnati, it can only mean one thing and that is "Reds Baseball." I have been going to Reds games with my grandparents and parents for as long as I can remember. My mother tells the story of her feet swelling three times their size when she sat through a Reds game in 1960 when she was very pregnant with me. I have fond memories of going to Reds games at Riverfront Stadium with my paternal grandparents. Who can forget the Big Red Machine of the seventies? Going to games using tickets that I earned as a result of being an honor roll student were a big deal in 1975 and 1976. I'll never forget where I was when the Reds won their last World Series. The Reds won the final game in Oakland, and I was in Chicago at a convention watching the game in my hotel room. My daughters, on the other hand, have never sat in peanut heaven. They have only seen games from the box seats of my husband's law firm. How many toddlers can make that claim? Plus, they have been in the owner's box, and I venture to guess that very few triplets have seen the light of day in the owner's box. Although their seats might have been atypical, their experience was not. They were able to share a hot dog and popcorn with their parents and grandparents at a Reds game. Plus, the Reds won today in the bottom of the 9th inning beating the Pirates 4-3.

Another one gone!!

Carol here again.

Since I last composed a post - I made a trip to Marietta College with Charli to help her move her stuff into the sorority house (she came home with us), my nephews from Boston came to visit - we had dinner, did the pool, had dinner (did I mention the Beer Pong??) Finished packing up Caitlin and Charli to send them to school for the semester on Friday. Purchased everything you could imagine for Chandler to take to Boston University, packed it and left Friday afternoon in the car to drive to Boston (15 hours one way). We did get to stay with my brother and his wife who live outside of Boston, which was lots of fun. Drove back (15hours) home - went to bed!! Took my aunt to the urologist(so much fun) can you say drizzle?!?!? Worked, went to Walnut's Open House, sold 450 directories, drove through Skyline on the way home at 9:30pm and here I am!!

So as you can see - Rachel and I live very different lives - both REAL - just very different!! And our posts will be very different, hers are way more eloquent than mine - I am lucky I have spell check on the computer!!

Tomorrow I am going to catch up on a weeks worth of laundry and go to war with the weeds in my yard that have been growing since we left for Michigan in July... and maybe go to the pool!!!

Real Life In Cincinnati

I wrote this post last friday but it has taken me a week to figure out how to post and I'm still posting under Rachel's profile - cause I can't figure out how to do it under my account!!

I will be lucky to post anything - let alone know what day it is!!! Remember we are real housewives - no assistants - no maids - nobody but ourselves.

So here was my day...
I woke at 6:00am to pick up coffee and orange juice to take to my son's high school for the teachers (they start at 7:30am). Then I ran another errand, got coffee my self - stopped at Panera and picked up bagels for the hungover college students who had spent the night at our house after the Blink 182 concert. Helped my son clean up from the friends who had spent the night, checked my e-mail, printed out a few lists for college packing. Went back to school to pick up the coffee urns and dropped them back at the coffee shop. Came home, woke my son up again and started on our list for packing (he will be a freshman this year). Heading to the grocery to get some food to take to the pool for dinner and will change and head there until around 9:00pm. Then Andy (college freshman) and I are going over the list to decide what he has and what he needs to buy. Hopefully I will hit the sheets around midnight.

So you can see why I don't know what day it is!!!

Oh yeah by the way, this is Carol Philpott not Rachel Newman

Old Order (Butterscotch) Pudding

This recipe was always a favorite of mine as a child, and a dish that I always looked forward to having at family reunions. My parents are both descended from Old Order German Baptists* who settled in rural areas north of Dayton, Ohio. On many occasions, I would go to large family gatherings where I would savor the best-ever fried chicken and gravy, potato pot pie, chicken and dumplings, and the most delectable butterscotch dessert which my family labeled “Old Order Pudding.” As older members of the family passed on, the frequency of the reunions diminished, but I always retained this Norman Rockwell image of my Old Order relatives sitting down together for a large family meal after church on Sunday eating fried chicken and having “Old Order Pudding” for dessert. The saddest day for me was one Sunday in the early eighties when my maternal grandmother and I saw a group of Old Order German Baptists pull into the drive-thru of a fast food restaurant. My grandmother and I laughed about how times were changing, and I realized that the image I had of those Sunday dinners after church was no longer the norm. I was, however, comforted in knowing that I had a special treasure from my past which was the cherished family recipe for “Old Order Pudding.” I knew that I could fix it on Sunday or any other day of the week; I also knew that I could pass down this dessert recipe to my triplet daughters. I am now a suburban homemaker far removed from the rural farms where my grandparents grew up, and even though nobody in my immediate family is a member of the Old Order German Baptist Church, we still enjoy some of its culinary traditions.

Old Order (Butterscotch) Pudding

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
2-3 T. water

Cook above ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat stirring constantly. Cook mixture until it comes to a boil and begins to thicken then reduce the heat to low.

In another bowl, mix together the following ingredients:

1/3 cup flour
2 T. white sugar
1 egg
2 cups milk

Add above mixture to saucepan with the hot mixture and cook until thick stirring constantly. When pudding cools, fold in:

2 sliced bananas
1/3 cup chopped peanuts

*Old Order German Baptists- For an explanation of this term, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_German_Baptist_Brethren

The final curtain of Camelot

Senator Edward Kennedy, the youngest member of the infamous Kennedy clan, passed away last night. The baby of the family shouldered the burden of carrying on in his brothers' footsteps. He soldiered through personal difficulties to become a respected US Senator. Although I didn't support him politically, I respected him for his years of civil service and his tireless efforts to improve this great nation. Joe and Rose Kennedy successfully instilled in their children a sense of duty to causes that were far greater than themselves and in so doing changed the course of our country. The "Liberal Lion" is now at rest, his final battle having been fought. His illness might have ultimately been victorious in killing his body, but it never killed off his spirit. Rest in peace Teddy.

Patriarchal homes versus Matriarchal homes

I guess that I always knew who was in charge in our family- my father. Some people grow up in homes where the mother holds court and reigns supreme, while others like me grow up in homes where the father rules the roost. I wonder what the experts say about kids who grow up in matriarchal homes as opposed to patriarchal homes. I wish that my girls could grow up in an egalitarian home, but I know that it is not realistic. Interestingly, my husband comes from a matriarchal home. Does that mean we are well-suited for each other? If anybody has any insights, please feel free to share them with me.

A friend in need...

This morning the old saying, "A friend in need is a friend, indeed," rang loudly in my ears. A dear friend shared some troubling news about two of her children. It seems as though they have lost their way, and one of the them has even engaged in some self-destructive behavior. As a mother of toddlers those difficult teenage years seem far off, and in my wildest dreams, I would have never thought that any of my friends would be plagued with these sort of problems. I guess that it proves thay nobody, and I mean NOBODY is immune from these problems.

Izzy's

Today, the girls, my folks, and I dined at Izzy's in Anderson Township. Izzy's like Skyline Chile and Frisch's Big Boy is a Cincinnati institution. And everybody knows, Friday is the only day that Matzo Ball Soup is available at "Izzy's." The "World Famous Reuben" is truly a classic, and the dill pickles are divine.

My father tells stories of the original owner, "Izzy," barking orders at the servers. Your check used to be based on the honor code- you told the cashier what you ate and he/she told you how much you owed. Today, we did, however, have receive a check from our waitress.

Anna discovered the joys of Matzo Ball Soup. Grandpa Jay will be thrilled as will Peter and Phyllis. New York might have Katz's Deli, but Cincinnati is proud to call "Izzy's" our own.

Tonight, the Newman family has its weekly "Pizza Night!" It has been an ongoing tradition since the girls were small, and one that I hope continues well into the future. Memories can be made around the dinner table, and we made some today at "Izzy's."

Porkopolis Pasta Salad

1 lb. of farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
3 T. of olive oil
8 slices of thick smoked bacon
1 pint of grape tomatoes
3-4 oz. of arugula
1/2 c. of red onion
1/2 c. of mayonnaise
1 cup of freshly grated parmesan
Salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain the cooked pasta and toss it with the olive oil. Fry the bacon until crisp and place it on paper towels to absorb the grease. Break the bacon into bite-size pieces and place them in a large salad bowl. Quarter the grape tomatoes, chop the red onion and arugula, then add them to the salad bowl. Mix the mayonnaise with 1/2 c. of the parmesan. Add the pasta to the salad bowl then toss all ingredients with the mayo-parmesan mixture. Add the remaining parmesan before serving. Salt and pepper to taste. Salad serves 4-6 people.

An epidemic (pandemic) prediction

Two old coots were sitting in a bar on Election night 2008. They were arguing over the merits of the candidates and the likely outcome. One old coot said to the other,"There is no way on earth that America will elect an African-American for president!"

The other old coot chimed in, "I agree that pigs will fly, before there is a black president!"

The next evening in the bar, the two old coots were talking about the results. The one old coot said to the other, "I knew that Obama had won when I read the headlines - 'Swine Flu in the States!' "

School Daze

Today is the first day back for most of the students in the Cincinnati Public Schools with the exception of Walnut Hills which started last week. Today is also the first day of formal schooling for Anna, Brigid, and Clare. At 10:30 AM this morning, we will be attending an art class at Gymboree Play and Music. Next week, we'll be starting NatureTots, a program sponsored by the Cincinnati Waldorf School. And so it begins.

I am now entrusting the education of my children to others. I hope and pray that these educational professionals can shape and mold my girls to be well-adjusted and productive citizens. I also hope and pray that I can keep any negative influences far away from my girls.

With the beginning of every academic year comes a certain optimism for a brighter tomorrow, and I am filled with that optimism today!

Real Senior Citizens

This morning, I e-mailed photos of the girls to one of my favorite seniors, Cathrine Akers. Cathrine has been a close family friend for years. She was the daughter of my grandparents' best friends; she was my great aunt's childhood friend; she is the mother of my father's dear friend; and she has been a surrogate grandmother to me since my own grandmother's passing. I feel very blessed to have known Cathrine throughout my life. I love her laughter , her kindness, and her positive outlook. Most of all, I truly admire her faith. Not everyone is as fortunate as I am to have known women from previous generations. I knew three great-grandmothers, both my paternal and maternal grandmothers, lots of great-aunts, and friends from their era. The lessons that I have learned from them will hopefully stay with me for the rest of my life, and the greatest lesson is an appreciation for friends, family and the simple pleasures of life. Thanks to Cathrine and the all my beloved relatives and friends who have already gone to meet their Lord. You are my inspiration - you help me stay grounded and be "real" never phony.

The Real Housewives Take Over the Universe

In July of 2008, Pamela Sitt wrote, "The Real Housewives of Orange County are still on Bravo, and they've multiplied and scattered to New York City, Atlanta and New Jersey, proving once again that in reality TV, anything worth doing is worth overdoing. (American Idol, can you hear me?) New Jersey: An interesting choice. I can't wait to see those women with big hair insisting they get their gaudy jewelry from husbands who work in "construction." I smell a Real World-style franchise in the making. Pretty soon we'll all be hooked on The Real Housewives of Cincinnati. (Note: It took me four tries to spell "Cincinnati" right, and in hindsight I could've saved myself the time by choosing any other city.) "

Well those of us who are fortunate enough to live in Zinzinnati (note the alternative spelling) already know that we live in the center of the universe! And we don't hail from just "any other city." Hausfrauen of Zinzinnati, Unite!

Need for order

Perhaps as this blog evolves, we need to be mindful that our German ancestors valued order. Instead of blogging about random ideas, we should be more systematic. In fact, I was thinking that each day should have a theme: Monday-Relationships, Tuesday- Family, Wednesday- The World In Which We Live (beyond Cincinnati) , Thursday- Favorite Recipes, and Friday- Free For All (whatever is on your mind). Any thoughts?

Let's Get Real!

Tired of those quirky and insipid Real Housewives from various locales around the country. It's time to get "Real" with the Hausfrauen of Zinzinnati. We are a group of friends who have known each other for twenty-plus years. We don't live in showhomes; we don't have hired help; and we don't drive fancy cars. We are about as average as they come, but nobody would ever describe us as anything less than "Real." In fact, we were the real thing before Coca-Cola came up with the catch phrase. So if you need a dose of reality, check in with us and we will give you a reality check!