Category: Recipes

Posted on

Why Barbie Matters

She came into my life when I was 6. She was like no one I had ever seen. She wore a zebra stripe swimsuit, a blonde ponytail with curly bangs, had red lips, open toe black shoes and gold hoop earrings. My previous dolls were baby dolls with child-like faces and lacy dresses not unlike those my mother dressed me in to go to church on Sunday.  

But this doll was different. 

This doll was Barbie. 

She looked grown up and her outfits came with grown up names like “Busy Morning”, “Evening Splendor”, “Resort Set”. “Roman Holiday”, “Suburban Shopper” “Busy Gal” , and “Wedding Day”. They were names that conjured up scenarios in my  mind, well beyond my Rochester, NY backyard.  So when I “played Barbies” I envisioned my Barbie to be a Fashion Designer working in NY city ,  having lunch with her best friend Midge, and planning trips to Paris or other exotic places . She was a doer of things I could only dream of and that my baby dolls could not inspire.  

I of course did not know it at the time, but Ruth Handler. the creator of Barbie wanted exactly that :  to fuel girls’ imaginations. She’s quoted as saying that it was a toy “that would allow girls to imagine being whatever they wanted to be” 

The first Barbie was released in 1959 and although an immediate success it was not without controversy. Some designers were squeamish about the doll having breasts, but Ruth Handler stood her ground. Her feeling was that every girl needed a doll to project her own thoughts and dreams. So therefore, it should be a doll that was more grown-up and life-like.

Barbie has continued to stir up controversy over the years. There are those that say her very dimensions have given girls a false image. I have to say at six years old I had no illusions that I would have a 3 inch waist! Her dimensions, breasts or otherwise, never occurred to me. Barbie was simply Barbie.  Like a good friend, she was fun; she was positive;  she did things that I wanted to do. And she did them confidently and did them well. 

I loved “playing Barbies” and cherished both my blonde ponytail  Barbie and one I received a few years later, the Fashion Queen Barbie, which came with three wigs. I spent many happy hours changing their outfits and imagining their adventures and my own.  I think Barbie always has been an extension of the girl putting on those outfits and conjuring up those ideas.

Years later, long after I had put away my Barbies, my mother asked if I would give my Barbies to my cousin who was 12 years younger than me. I suppose, rather selfishly, I bristled at the idea, but only because I had seen the way she took care of her things and envisioned that my pristine Barbies would not fare well in her care. I conceded to give her the original blonde ponytail Barbie . I never contemplated that I would come to regret giving the original away.

My assumption that Barbie would not fare well in her care was correct.  The next time I saw my Barbie doll her hair had been cut, her face was marked up, and she was tossed on a heap of other toys.  Of course one would argue, dolls are meant to be played with and every little child plays with them differently. But I have to admit there was a sense of sadness when I saw my Barbie in that condition. It is a testimony to Ruth Handler’s creation that it was like looking at an old friend who I had let down.

I hadn’t thought about Barbie all that much in the years after that, except in conversations with other friends about favorite toys we had growing up. Barbie was almost unanimously mentioned.

Then in the late 90s, my friend Joanne had gone to a garage sale and happily shared with myself and my friend Gaylene that she had bought a Barbie. It immediately brought a smile to our faces.  We both looked at each other and knew what we were going to do. We too were going to get a Barbie. Never mind that we were well into our 40s; it didn’t matter. Barbie continued to fascinate us even as adults. So we ended up getting our Barbie at Target : an equestrian Barbie all decked out as you would imagine Barbie would be in the perfect clothes for riding. One Barbie led to another. Some were play Barbies, and some were Barbies that were more collectible in beautifully crafted fashions.  No matter what , they still fueled the imagination. 

To this day, I still use my Barbies to create scenes at different holidays. At Christmas they’re decorating the tree with their “Ken’s”. Some are in a little sled, I imagine coming back from a day skiing the slopes in  Colorado and heading back to the lodge. There always seems to be a story in my head to go along with the scene because the very nature of Barbie’s life-like qualities demands it. 

Barbie has always been larger than life and so it didn’t t seem a huge surprise to me that there would be a Barbie movie released this past year. It seemed fitting that she would have her own movie. When I first heard about it though, I worried that it would just be a kid’s movie or fluff, but I needn’t have worried. The movie is clever, thought-provoking, funny and fun… and definitely not a kid’s movie. It explores some heavy life questions and it focuses on what Barbie has always represented  : endless possibilities.  

Critics talk about male bashing in the movie. But really Ken has always been an accessory to Barbie, not the main attraction. And in the movie Ken is forced to explore his self worth and who he wants to be in life , which is not a bad thing. 

Yet even after the movie was released naysayers still focused on her measurements when talking Barbie. They spend so much time talking about it in fact that that they miss what truly Barbie has been teaching us all along and why she has mattered and endured all these years. Literally there are hundreds of Barbies on screen exchanging “Hi Barbies!” and they are all different shapes, sizes and colors, in all different jobs and careers, with different personalities . They all encourage, support each other and celebrate their uniqueness. And  aren’t those the best lessons we can learn from Barbie Land? 

I try to include with most of my blog entries a recipe and of course this one will be pink in honor of Barbie. 

Actually the movie is a celebration of PINK  and all its joyfulness. And it rightfully revives the color to its deserving place in the rainbow.

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

24 cupcakes

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 1 cup pink champagne
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • pink or red food coloring

 Frosting

    1/2 c to 1 c Butter softened

  3 c powdered sugar

       1/4 c pink champagne

       1 tsp vanilla

       2 -3 drops of pink or red food coloring

  • Preheat oven to 350℉.
  • Combine cake mix and champagne. Add remaining ingredients until combined.
  • Pour batter directly into muffin tins with muffin cup liners,just over half full.
  • Bake 10 minutes. Cool.
  • Combine frosting ingredients. Spread or pipe onto your cupcakes.

© 2020 – 2024 Every Day is a Holiday. All rights reserved.

Posted on

The Sweetest of Seasons

Yes it is the sweetest of “SEASONS” ! Valentine’s Day should really be more than just a day.  I love this time of year when red and pink hearts predominate whether in glitter, velvet or of course, chocolate. 

I always looked forward to Valentine’s Day as a child in grade school, choosing with my mother’s help a prepackaged glittery assortment of Valentines from the store. I labored over just which one I was going to choose for my 3rd grade crush and which to give those I didn’t want to give the wrong impression . I am sure the “crush” or others did not give it more than a passing glance but in my 9 or 10 year old mind this was a matter of grave importance :  who got which Valentine.  I wish I had saved some of the Valentines I received at that age.  Given the fact that I grew into an extremely sentimental adult , it is astonishing I did not save even one.

Of course I save and cherish every one of my also very sentimental husband’s Valentines. And I have some lovely vintage Valentines that I treasure. Years ago my mother-in-law, Marian asked me if I’d like a box of old Valentines she saved from her grade school years. Of course I immediately said yes , being someone who loves everything about the sweetest day of the year. But what intrigued me most about the Valentines was that my mother-in-law , who I knew to be outwardly unsentimental and super practical , kept the Valentines all these year later!  I had known her at that point almost 20 years . I learned there was a lot I obviously did not know about this woman that I sometimes felt showed little emotion . It was unfair of me of course. But coming from an Italian family where we greeted each other with a warm hug upon saying hello and goodbye and sometimes in between, my mother-in-law’s demeanor sometimes seemed remote. It was a good lesson to learn : that there is more to a person than what they might show on the surface and perhaps for reasons we cannot possibly begin to understand. 

Receiving the Valentines was a great gift to me , not only because the vintage frilly heart and flower designs were a delight to look at, but because it was something she obviously had treasured enough to keep all that time. I take them out each Valentine season and place them around our home as decorations.  I started doing that the year she sent them to us. She seemed very pleased with that and sending them, as she said she knew I “was the person who would enjoy them the most”. 

Here are some favorites of mine from her collection. Since she would be over 100 years old now,  these are between 95 and 100 years themselves.

 We have no idea who “Augusto” was but I can only gather “Marian B” saved this as it meant something to her at the time.

Valentines sent by snail mail are rare these days but I do enjoy sending them and of course receiving them. And who doesn’t like even getting a thoughtful Happy Valentine’s text on this holiday of the heart.

And of course the sweetest of seasons also calls for baking and baking something…well…SWEET!

These are Brownie truffles which I have adapted from a Brownie recipe I’ve made for years . They happen to be gluten-free which makes them no less delicious as you can tell from the first fudge filled bite. They have received raves from those gluten intolerant or not.  You can make them as brownies and cut them in squares for serving. But if you like something a bit more fancy,  bake as directed and when cooled , scoop into balls . Then dip each into silky ganache and these become the perfect, bite size, delectable morsels. Rich? Yes! Indulgent? Most definitely! But isn’t Valentine SEASON the perfect time to indulge your Valentine and yourself for that matter?

Valentine’s day is about indulging our loved ones and showing how much we care for each other. I once had a friend scoff at the idea of “Valentine’s Day” as she said to her it is “every day” as far as showing her significant other she cared. Well, I certainly agree that we can always use more of that sentiment on any day. But I am all for having an actual “holiday” also to celebrate that devotion, Hallmark generated or not . During Valentine “Season” and beyond for that matter, whether we are expressing that in whatever fashion : words, text , social media, cards, art, decorating or baking, spreading more of “the love” can only be a good thing.

Gluten-Free Fudgy Pecan Brownies

 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, and more for greasing pan

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder      

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)

1/2 tsp. salt

12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 c. sugar

1 tsp, pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 c. chopped toasted pecans (have also used walnuts and hazelnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on sides 

Whisk together the cornstarch, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

Put butter and chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering, but not boiling water, until melted and smooth. Take off heat.

Stir in sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add cornstarch mixture and stir vigorously until mixture is smooth , about 2 minutes. Stir in nuts.

Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs, about 35 minutes, rotate pan halfway through. 

Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Using paper overhang, lift cake out of pan and cut into squares.

For truffles, after cooling in pan, scoop into balls and and dip into ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 c heavy cream

12 oz semisweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate (used  a bit less than that for 4 to 6 people)

Put heavy cream in small saucepan and heat , but not to boil.

Take off of heat and put in chocolate and stir well until melted and thick.

Let rest for 5 minutes before using.

© 2020 – 2024 Every Day is a Holiday. All rights reserved.

Posted on

Celebrating…no matter what your age!

Our 95 year old Aunt Grace wrote this sign above on her kitchen cabinet.  She is 97 now and still lives by this motto. What a great one to adopt and embrace. 

It got me to thinking about birthdays, although mine is not until April.  There are two philosophies about birthdays. Some like myself celebrate them like a national holiday. A Birth- “day”? Are you kidding? Not enough. Birthday “week” ? Yes! But Birthday “MONTH”  has always been more the norm in our household. 

There are of course those who look upon it as “just another day” or a reminder of getting older.  Of course that is true : the more birthdays we have, the older we are.  But Aunt Grace’s quote urges us to forget the number which is after all what it is , just a number and celebrate , be grateful and LIVE. 

And birthdays SHOULD be celebrated to the fullest. I am sure I inherited this credo from my family. As I was growing up my mom made my birthday special even days before the actual date. She would leave cards or small little trinkets for me to find leading up to the big event. And it was a big event in our house. I was born on my Grandfather’s birthday and we lived with him until I was 16. Our mutual birthdays were big gatherings.  In an Italian family like my own, the grandparent’s home was the hub.  Even Sundays with no birthdays on the horizon were big events with sometimes 15 people or more around a table meant for maybe 10, people overflowing on either end. I chuckled once when I heard a friend say that they could not entertain in their apartment as they only had a small table and not enough room. There was no such thing as “not enough room “ in my childhood home.  There were only more chairs added. 

And of course a cake is in order for any celebration but especially birthdays. 

Here is one from my husband’s side of the family : Italian Creamcake. I do not know why it is has Italian in the title. I have tried over the years to find the origin of the cake and it does not seem to have any Italian roots. The only thing I have found is that it is from the Southern states and first was noted in cookbooks of the late 1930s. Whatever the origins , it always gets raves at any table and is especially a favorite of my brother’s who has a January birthday. 

Actually why wait for an occasion? It elevates even an ordinary day into a celebration with 3 moist lovely layers and a decadent cream cheese frosting.  

But if you do make it for a birthday, remember : don’t count the candles, just enjoy the sweetness in each bite. Another great motto to live by!

Italian Creamcake

1/2 c. margarine

1/2 c. shortening

2 c. sugar

5 eggs separated

1 c. buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp vanilla

2 c. flour

4 oz coconut flakes plus 4 oz  more for decorating

1 c. chopped pecans

Frosting

2 -8 ounces cream cheese at room temp

1/2 cup margarine ,  at room temp (can also use butter)

3 c. confectioner’s sugar

1-2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans (can use more after cake is frosted, for decoration)

  1. Grease and flour 3-9” pans with solid Crisco
  2. Cream shortening, margarine and sugar until light and fluffy
  3. Add egg yolks one at a time. Beat well after each addition.
  4. Combine buttermilk, soda and vanilla in a separate bowl.
  5. Add alternately with flour to the creamed mixture. Begin and end with flour.
  6. Add nuts and coconut,
  7. Beat egg whites till stiff and fold into batter.
  8. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Check at 25 minutes and take out when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
  9. For frosting : beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
  10. Add margarine and mix till smooth with 1/2 c nuts or more.
  11. Use nuts for decorating and additional coconut

© 2020 – 2024 Every Day is a Holiday. All rights reserved.