How does one go about a "formal"  introduction to the following blogs that will be written?  I guess all I can say is  I hope you enjoy the stories and life experiences as much as I have.

Here's to laughter, big families, wives, and cooking!!!

"Nonna's Beginnings"

  As a little girl I can remember the cool summer afternoons when my “Nonina” (great-grandma) would take me out to her garden, in her floral apron that had many pockets and buttons up the front, to pick fresh basil for the sauce she had simmering on the stove. Getting lost in the thick rows of tomato vines, zucchini patches and fresh basil would always clear my mind. A small Italian lady of firm and solid stature with strong hands would grab your face and bring it to hers as she cried and kissed it all over while saying “ Ti amo, Ti amo…”  The simmering pot of fresh tomatoes and basil was also in the kitchen of my grandmothers and mothers. I can remember the sweet smell of my mom’s sauce filling our entire house every Saturday night. As the years have passed, I now have that same aroma filling my home and as I hold fresh basil up to my nose, I am instantly brought back to my great grandmother’s garden and think of home…