I am no longer a Stampin Up Demonstrator

Gettin thru the pandemic!

      It's been a while since I have posted to my blog here. July 13, 2022

We became grandparents to a baby girl from my other son Marcello and his wife Delise... her name is Amorette. She has been so much fun.. They have recently moved back to Merced and we are enjoying getting the opportunity of watching her.. She is strong, beautiful and full of spunk!  Fearless, kind, and such a sweetie!!! We love her!  She loves chocolate....She is four years old.

     Drake is turning 6 yrs old.. Goin strong, about to start kindergarten.  Loves learning tennis, baseball and all activities at school. He loves pasta and meatballs!

    They keep us busy... I recently retired back in November... Left sick with a bad cough... pulled my sciaticia recouped took months... I can finally walk... Things take longer as we age.

     Trying to find my niche.... to get into the swing of things again.. I will be starting an online business, my old business Forget Me Knot Gifts...A place to order a baby gift, or new moms to share their ideas.

Also some gifts for your home.

      

Whats for dinner??

A large bag of kale, italian sausage, garlic, onions and kalamata olives, and lots of olive oil! Sprinkled with parmeasan cheese and a glass of Chardonay. 

Dinner!

Great day at work, arrived early to do my duties followed with a volunteer board meeting and busy morning doing bookkeeping.

This afternoon one of my volunteers returned back to us.  Enjoyed listening to her laughter and her talking to the customers. She's very happy she is BACK!

Hello,
It has been quite some time since I have last written... My mom was recuperating from her broken arm, only to just get sick and weaker at home. We moved her back into an assisted living facility and she is much stronger... being cared for, eating correctly for her health, ect.

We were told that my son Giancarlo and his wife Alysia were expecting... we were told early on with the first sonogram that they detected a heart problem, and would require surgery right after being born. The pregnancy went well, and she delivered Drake just 2 weeks early.. a healthy boy, other than his heart issue. Four days after birth he had his first surgery at Valley Childrens Hospital in Fresno, CA. He was doing good, but his HR and rythmn just weren't cooperating.. so they helicoptered him to Stanford, Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital. They took him off all drugs, to see what he would do on his own, they decided he needed a pacemaker, back into surgery he went. 3 weeks later he got to come home with his mom & dad @ 2 months old, growing and getting stronger..  He has been well worth the wait.. We love him!

Going through this experience was like my husband and I re-living our son Giancarlo's birth, born 2 mths preemie. We decided that the kids went thru much more than we had, am thankful for all the prayers that were said for Drake.. 

The week after Drake had his surgery, my mother fell and broke her hip... I just kept saying, God why?? Well the baby was on lock down, only parents could visit, so I guess God decided I needed to be redirected and helpful somewhere else.. another surgery, and hospital stay and rehab for mom. She is now back at the assisted living facility. She's limited to what she can do but still having therapy in house. 

hello!!!  It's February!!

Gosh, I feel lik,e I am finally coming out of the fog of my mom being laid up and now home doing good and pretty much on her own, YEAH!! Still no driving for her, but she has help with that.

Gettin my groove back on, made some Valentine cards.

You can order through my website:"

www.bridgetmartinelli.stampinup.net

There are weekly deals, and more, demos ect...

Have fun creating, amazing what a little paper, stamps and ink can give you!

A month of hospital visits, surgery, rehab, gift shopping and wrapping

Two weeks in the hospital for mom , two weeks in rehab a bad flu bug and she didn't get to be with us on Christmas day.  Got her into  another facility for rest ànd more therapy before going home. Stronger each week, just hope God gives me patience, and strength!

Tree up, took longer than usual not as many ornaments on this year.

Bride and groom ornament from our wedding and others collected on our honeymoon

These are my favorite ornaments , the ones my boys made when they were little including the paper ones with silver glitter initials.

Easton under the tree

Table runner gifts started before Thanksgiving

Table runner tree gift.. Luv how these came out, made 6 of them next one will be mine!

My nativity set a wedding gift that a friend had made.

Welcome to my home.. Entry way decorated.

Kitchen decorations

Chandelier

Snowman in the window

Buffet

Mini nativity

Old Santa in ol wash basin

Tags made, my wrap station is ready to go..

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!  Sometimes we can't pick exactly how we expect things to turn out but when you keep an open mind and your heart in the right place all will be good! Remember the reason for the season, keep HIM in your heart! For he loves us all unconditionally!

2016 Thanksgiving Time!

Our guests this year will be family and a very good friend by the nàme of Mel.

 

Thanksgiving table set.

buffet table

Turkey in the oven. Smells so good.

We ate a wonderful dinner only to have my mom fall and break her arm. Call 911 off to the ER we go! Didn't get home till midnight no pie today!!

Baked while cleaning house today. Tried making french pans de chocolate. They are like a cupcake, not as sweet and a lil denser. They were yummy with chocolate chips inside.

Next was Pandoro.. An Italian dessert. Last time I tried making this was with my friend Julie. Her mom or grandma would get this in San Francisco at Dianda's  Bakery. It was so soft buttery and yummy we would just about eat the whole loaf! Mine came out good, not as sweet or buttery but still yummy. The recipe makes two. I bought the pans about 5 years ago at a kitchen shop. You can use a coffee can too. This recipe came from Mario Batali.

Out of the pans cooling.

A shaking of powdered sugar. I omitted the sugar water drizzle over it. Just did powder sugar.

I made pandoro today. Was in a baking mode.

A few pictures.

 

Tree outside

Front door complete with spider web and spiders from past Halloweens.

Front door wreath I made from an "on sale kit" from Stampin' Up!

This pumpkin is one that my boys carried home their loot in.

We still have them..

The mantel...not as much stuff up this year.

The other side.

Hope you all have a safe Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Waiting for more trick or greater!

Made dinner tonight.....fish and pasta..unicorn fish! My first attempt!

Spinach pasta w fresh tomatoes and green olives.

Yummy dinner!!

Really like unicorn fish!

I forgot to post the first 3 kinds of cookies  made for the shower...

My favorites that I have been making for years.. 

Christmas time, showers, weddings.

We will have quite a feast tomorrow, hope all bring a good healthy appetite!

Gettin' ready for Amanda's shower tomorrow..

Got the flowers from Merced Floral today, came home and arranged them. 

Will add the ribbon tomorrow.

    

corsages made with flowers from my garden, not many roses out there this time of year, but I got three.. 

Car is packed, just have to add all that is in the refridgerator tomorrow to the ice chests.. Can't forget the wine or proseco....

Wanted to try the Coconut macaroons, so I went to my old faithful cookbook like the one my mom had at home growning up.  I actually bought this one at an antique store, cuz she said she wouldn't part with hers. It is exactly the same.

I found the coconut macaroon recipe along with how to release the cookie off of the baking sheet.. this book is wonderful, not only does it have ALLmade from scratch recipes but also all of these wonderful tips!

Thank you Betty Crocker, a much easier technique than the one in the cookbook I used for the last recipe.

Here they are fresh out of the oven, all puffy and light.  I used a unsweetened coconut by Bob's Big Mill, it is perfect with the right amount of sugar the recipe called for. If I had used sweetened coconut I think it would have been too sweet.

I chocolate coated the bottoms and drizzled a little chocolate on top, cooled them in the fridge, then they all got a dustin' of powdered sugar.

Lined them up in an old cookie tin I have with wax paper lining the inside and top.

Another tin filled and ready for the shower...

Try makin' a batch, they remind me of a mounds bar, yummy... 

Tomorrow night onto makin' my grandmothers potatoe salad.

Finished Macaroons

Here are the finished macaroons!

I sandwiched them with rasberry jam and rolled them in chocolated finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Certainly do not look like the bakery ones but have a great flavor!

Macaroons....

Second, I piped them onto a cookie sheet

they looked so pretty at this point.

Not so pretty here!

I baked them, the second batch came out flater, because the other recipe I was readin said to hit the pan on the counter to have them spread out, and they did.

Tomorrow I am going to sandwich them together with jam, putting the peaky one on top, flatter one on bottom..

Did they come out???? I don't know, they do not look like the ones in the cookbook I used, I was looking at two different ones, one was French and the other was "tea time". These remind me of making amaretti cookies you just gotta know the "trick".

I don't think I know that yet. If anyone out there has ever made them let me know what your trick is.  I will post a picture of them sandwiched together and dusted with powdered sugar tomorrow.. Right now they are cooling under the fan.

First I beat the egg whites, folded in the powdered sugar, ground almonds, crushed strawberries.  I think I didn't beat the egg whites long enough, but it said not dry peaks!??!!

Maybe I can try some coconut macaroons, dipped in chocolate, that would be good and the chocolate will disguise any flaws in them....