September 11, 2001, My Story

September 11, 2001 is a day in my life that I can recall almost every detail, it has been permanently etched into my memory because I have replayed it over and over so many times.

The morning started normally, I got myself ready for work and got the kid on the bus to Kindergarten which had started just a few days earlier and I got on the subway from where I lived in Queens, NY to my job in Midtown Manhattan.

I was already at work in the kitchen of a place called The Emerald Planet that was located in the mezzanine level at Rockefeller Center when a friend of mine called and told me that I had to get home ASAP, a plane hit the towers and NYC was under attack. I had to wait for my manager to get back from the errand he just ran and then I told him I was leaving, he had already heard people talking and he was ready to close the place anyway so I ran to get on the subway back home and on the train there were people coming from the WTC site, crying & covered with soot, praying & talking with each other. In the area where my bus stop was to get home was in what they call 'little India' & I saw a man dressed in military fatigues & I just prayed. I got off the bus and when I looked to my left I could see that the Empire State Building was still there, so I thanked God, and ran down the block to my house.

I got home & saw the video of the second tower being hit & watched the towers fall in absolute horror because I was there the Saturday before for a job interview at a restaurant called the Coco Marina that was located at the back of the WTC by the river. I got myself together and then went and picked up the kid from school where parents were already picking up their children, the kid was sitting in the lunchroom with his head down in his arms crying, not because of what had happened, he didn’t even know yet, but the noise in the lunchroom made him upset. I’ll never forget that, he was so sad just sitting there, and when he saw me he was so shocked to see me and then he was so happy that he practically jumped into my arms. I was just happy to get him and go back home where it was safe.

I lived very close to LaGuardia airport & I'll never forget the silence when they shut the airports down & then the deafening roar of the fighter jets taking off & patrolling the area.. it was just.... I don't even know words for what that felt like.. But it's something that I hope we never have to go through ever again. I remember the first time I rode the subway after 9/11 and the panic I felt.. I think it was the first time I ever rode the subway alone without having music plugged in my ears. Going to work was weird. and very stressful for the first weeks back. Manhattan was seemingly covered in a black cloud.. And that smell.. Oh God, that smell was so horrible and it just hung in the air for weeks and weeks.

September 11, 2001 is a day that I'll never forget because I knew people who worked at windows of the world & lost their lives that morning, I went to college 1 subway stop away & remember looking at the towers from the 16th floor of the building where my school was.. it's just so painful to go there now & to see pictures that it's just gone.. the Christmas after 9/11 I was there and I took many pictures.. but they're tucked away in a box in my closet. The memories will always remain for so many people, those who were in NYC at the time and those miles away.. It doesn’t matter where you lived at the time or what you were doing because it’s almost guaranteed that you remember it exactly.

©AMVG, September 11, 2009

Home Made Ricotta- 4 ingredients in 3 steps

I never knew it was so easy to make my own Ricotta. I've had some pretty bad experiences with the store bought stuff, it's always too watery and it spoils really quick.

If I had known that it was so easy to make my own Ricotta I'd have been doing this for years!

Lemme tell y'all, I made the best Lasagna I've ever had in my life tonight!

Try this recipe just once, and you'll be won over! In total, this recipe made 2 1/2 cups of fresh Ricotta and cost me around $4 and was 1,000,000 times better than the crud that you get in the plastic container for $7 at the supermarket.
(Yep, that's all it takes!)
Home Made Ricotta

• 2 quarts whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Line a large colander with a layer of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl.

Slowly bring milk, cream, and salt to a rolling boil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching

.

Add lemon juice, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture curdles, about 2-4 minutes.

Pour the mixture into the lined colander and let it drain 1 hour. After discarding the liquid, chill the ricotta, covered; it will keep in the refrigerator 2 days.

The finished product:

This was the most absolutely delicious Ricotta that I've ever had in my life! It was light and not watered down.. next time I'm making Cannoli!!

The Lasagna:


Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Miss Go Getter Launches in the Tampa Bay, Florida Area

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Miss Go Getter Launches in the Tampa Bay, Florida Area

Riverview, FL – August 11, 2009 - Kim Carlisi is excited to announce the launch of a new business venture in the Tampa Bay Florida market, Miss Go Getter, a concierge service providing much needed services in the Tampa Bay area.

“At Miss Go Getter we handle the details that you don’t have time for”, Kim Carlisi, CEO, Miss Go Getter

Miss Go Getter is currently serving Riverview, Brandon, Apollo Beach, Fishhawk, Valrico and Tampa, FL for all your concierge needs.

Services offered by Miss Go Getter:

*Mobile Notary

*New Mom Assistance

*Dog Walks

*Elderly Assistance (prescription pickup, grocery shopping, coffee delivery etc…)

*Grocery Shopping

*Errand Running

*Small Business Owner Assistance

Please visit http://missgogetter.com for details on all of the services provided.

For additional information please contact:

Kim Carlisi, Owner and CEO, Miss Go Getter

813.493.3787

info@missgogetter.com

http://missgogetter.com

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/missgogetterfl to be updated on what Miss Go Getter is doing in the Tampa Bay area.

About Miss Go Getter

Miss Go Getter is a woman owned personal services company, geared towards the small business owner and working professional. In this economy, where employees are expected to put in more hours, they have less time to take care of personal needs that can’t be completed after their work day ends. Miss Go Getter provides the Tampa Bay area with competitive prices and wonderful customer service.

Please visit us online at http://www.missgogetter.com to find out further information about Miss Go Getter.

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So I guess it's time to tell this story

If you follow me on Twitter you know this all already, but for my bloggy friends, and even my close message board friends.. I haven't told the story.. it's been really upsetting for me to talk about and so after 2 weeks of trying to get things straightened up...

I got into a car accident on July 30th, my car.. (my first Freaking goddamn car that I waited 13 years to finally have) was hit by some 20 year old jackass who blew a red while I was passing through a yellow while I was on my way home from work. I am fine and The Kid is fine.. my car.. not so good.

My 1985 Mercedes 300TD after the accident

So what that is was 24 years old? It was a great car and ran great and got me to where I needed to go with no problems at all.. and I got 300 (yea, you read that right THREE HUNDRED) miles per tank of Diesel.

The little jerk who hit me said his light was green even though I know it wasn't and I also know that the little Jerk wasn't going 30 miles per hour when he hit me in his Saab. I didn't have collision (hell, I didn't think I needed it) and with no witnesses there was nobody to say otherwise so in the end the little rich kid who hit me probably got a new car from his dad and I'm stuck with nothing... again. After 10 days of my car sitting at the place where it was towed to, the guy finally got back to me with an estimate.. $1,600 for parts.. and almost $4,000 in labor! Sadly, the car isn't even worth that much... sucks that I'm not eligible for cash for clunkers (you have to have owned the car and have it insured for at least a year, I looked it up) and there is no trade in value to it I'm looking into seeing if someone wants to buy the car for parts (because everything is original to the car) or restore it (which would make me insanely happy) so far I've had no luck. If all else fails I'll donate the car because I can't afford to fix it.. which really makes me sad.

But in the end what really matters is that the Kid and I are fine.

I have to go back to riding the bus on Monday.. after 2 weeks of renting (which was going to put me in the poor house if I kept it up) I had to bring back my rented Nissan Cube today (and lemme tell y'all that car really grew on me this week, I had it since this past Monday) If by some stroke of luck I win the lottery, or someone wants to buy Grandpa off me or someone at Nissan has a Really Big Heart and would like to give a hardworking single mom a break and let me get one at a really good deal I would be eternally grateful.

But for now.. I have no car.... and I'm back at Square One once again...

Summer food safety tips & a quiz

Here are some great tips from a great site: HomeFoodSafety.org

Now that temperatures are on the rise, so is your risk of contracting a food-borne illness. These safe food preparation tips are from the American Dietetic Association, in conjunction with ConAgra Foods:

• To reduce the spread of bacteria, use hot, soapy water to clean your grill before cooking each meal.
• Wash your hands thoroughly before, during and after food preparation. If you are on the go, pack moist towelettes or a hand sanitizer in the cooler.
• Thaw frozen foods in the fridge or microwave. Never defrost food on the kitchen countertop or outside.
• Marinate foods in the refrigerator, and never reuse any marinade that has touched raw meat or poultry (it’s a good idea to make separate batches for marinating and then basting food!).
• Refrigerate all foods immediately below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (°F). Keep your cooler stocked with ice packs or plenty of ice to last during parties. Freeze bottles of water, and use them to keep the rest of the food in the cooler cool. Buy and use a food thermometer to make sure the cooler stays cold. Transport the cooler in your air-conditioned car, not in the hot trunk.
• Clean out your cooler with plenty of soap and water after each use.
• Keep raw meat or poultry in separate dishes from other foods, to prevent cross-contamination. The same goes for utensils; use different forks, knives and spoons to taste, stir and serve the cooked food.
• Use a meat thermometer when grilling, to ensure hamburgers are cooked to 160°F, chicken is cooked to 170°F and hotdogs are reheated to 160°F. Never partially grill meat or chicken for further cooking at a later time.
• Don’t leave cooked food outside in hot weather (90°F or higher) for more than 1 hour. Throw away any perishable food that has been unrefrigerated for more than 1 hour.

Take this Quiz.. even I'll admit that I got one wrong.

Summer Food Safety Quiz