Healthy and Delicious Cooking

Our daughters boyfriend, Liam Harley, had a project whereby a meal is prepared in memory of a person or a meaningful time in ones life. My husband, Michael, was requested to participate, and chose to commemorate his grandmother, Thelma Ruth Patrick, known to the great-grandchildren as Grandma Ruth. I was the happy guest along with my friends Nina Chacko and Bob Nowak, to be invited to devour and enjoy the  feast. And what a feast it was. We started with a delicious Shrimp Dip, followed by "Chicken Legs"**, Twice Baked Potatoes and Pressure Cooker Green Beans. Dessert was lovingly prepared by our daughter, Layla. She is the only one in our family who has mastered the art of Grandmas' amazing Apple Pie, always served with a wedge of Cheddar Cheese. We told stories of our grandmothers, and recalled memories of our childhood, reliving many forgotten times. Thank you Liam and Michael, for a very special night, one that will not be forgotten. ** GRANDMAS' CHICKEN LEGS ...

My youngest is 21, and well before her birth, our family started to make pizzas for Sunday lunches. The kids would knead the dough, smooth it to the likes of a babys' bottom, stick their finger in the dough to watch the dimple retract, and pinch a piece to eat raw. This latter action was a peculiar habit that they picked up from their paternal grandmother. The toppings were rarely the same. We used left-overs, a variety of vegetables, several different sauces, meats and fish. Bits and pieces of left-over cheeses were incorporated, as well. Our creativity had no bounds. The crust was always thin, a mixture of unbleached, whole wheat and semolina flours. Many kids and friends, who shared in our Sunday afternoons, went on to persue their own pizza creations. One such Sunday, a few weeks ago, Jennifer, soon to marry into our ever growing family, arrived in pursuit of a pizza lesson. She scribbled, kneaded and baked, as we clicked our camera to record the beginning of another Pizza...