Sunday, Sunday

Because it looks like this out the front of our home:

And like this out the back of our home:

I stayed in and played housewife and made these orange flavored Italian pizzelle cookies:

The house smells delicious.  Traditionally these cookies are anise flavored or almond flavored, but instead, our family uses orange flavor.  I have not made these in years and had forgotten how easy they are and how yummy.  I also forgot how to center the batter for perfect patterns on the cookies, but really, who cares.  When I was a young woman, in our family, a pizzelle iron was a definite wedding shower gift.  

I am still lost in the past.  I am fascinated by the amount of information available online.  If you are interested in finding information about your family, try Ancestry.com.  There is a monthly fee, but it can be cancelled anytime and is really worth it, I think.

I was interested in some background information on the town my grandparents came from in Italy.  I found out that it has it's very own castle!  The town is Celano and is built on a hillside with a castle built in the 1300-1400s as the crowning glory. The official website of the town has a gallery of old photos from the turn of the last century and mid-century of the castle and the surrounding area. Gotta love the internet.  One thing though, the spelling and the ages I have found for family can vary quite a bit.  One has to be really careful about details. Did I mention that this is addictive?

I really love all the stories in the comments responding to the last blog posting.  If you haven't read the comments, I think you should go back and read them.  They are really interesting.

Follow-up question to the last one asking who of your ancestors you would like to  chat with.  

What would you like to know about them and what would you ask them?

Here is something to think about while you go about your day. Ever wonder how much a trillion is? You know, like the deficit, which is 1.2 trillion.  

Well, wrap your mind around this: 

One million seconds comes out to be about 11 and a half days. 

A billion seconds is 32 years. 

And a trillion seconds is 32,000 years. 

Did I hear you gasp?

Comments

[Sally]

32,000 years? Egads! That is quite a way of putting things in perspective. I always enjoy your posts, Ginny. Yours is consistently one of the most interesting blogs I check in with. Your posts never fail to get me thinking. Off now to wonder about my great grandparents, from the UK.

[Marianne]

I made pizzelle for the holidays. My family loves almond. I'll have to try orange. And my daughter says if they look too perfect people will think they are from the bakery. So I like uneven edges. And the fact that I always burn my fingers when I make them helps to prove they are homemade.

[Just A Plane Ride Away]

Mmm. Your pizzelle cookies look divine. They remind me of the waffle and caramel cookies one can find in Holland. Those are TOO good. Do you think those are based on the same recipe as your pizzelles?

And, oh my gosh! Look at that snow! I love the photo of your table. How many inches of snow was that?

[Erin Perry]

In the library system I work for, we now have ancestry databases on our websites, available in house, or from home. So check out your local branch and find out. In these economic times why spend money for something that your tax dollars have already paid for.I agree Ginny, it is fascinating and addictive.
Erin in Morro Bay

[Chris]

I have yet to use the pizelle maker someone gave me, and this really motivates me to explore. Yummy.

I have so many questions for people who are long-gone!

[Brian Kasstle]

GASP!

Hmmmm coooookies..... hmmmmmmm.......

You make me want cookies... and I am on Weight Watchers...

Hmmmmmmmmmm coookies......

[TACE]

Those cookies are gorgeous! I don't think I've ever seen those or heard tell of them before. At least if I did I don't recall so it amounts to the same thing, haha. They look like they'd be thin and crispy and chewy if I am drooling...er...looking at the pictures right. When they're warm could they be rolled? I saw something like that in a cookbook one time and it caught my eye. Like wee little waffle cones to fill up with something yummy.
My Mom has always been into genealogy stuff. She shares the interesting anecdotal stories she uncovers when she's researching.
Also you didn't hear me gasp...because to gasp I'd have to be conscious after those numbers, 32,000 years?
THUMP.
(me falling over in a dead faint to the floor)

[Suzanne]

Oh! I think we MAY be related ;) My grandparents are both Italian descent - Naples and Florence. My grandfather is 1st generation US and my grandmother is 2nd generation! I'm not sure WHAT ship they came over on... I'm not even sure what NAMES to look for! My grandmother's family is the only one I keep in contact with and apparently Ellis Island messed up their names (as well as my grandfather's family), so there's NO TELLING! I KNOW that their US names are Nappa (Naples - where they were from), but I'm not sure what they were before.... My grandfather's family is even worse, but I DO know what their name was BEFORE Ellis - Devitontonio (D-V-TON-tony-O).
And I LOVE pizzelles! Where did you get an OLD STYLE press? The one I have is new and it doesn't make them as thin as they should be! We won't discuss what happened to my grandmother's.....