Sedona and Friends from New Jersey, nothing can be better than that

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     I have friends old and new that live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, Sedona Arizona which is just a two hour drive north of Metro Phoenix. Red Rock country is a place that is both mystical and breathtaking.  Many new-agers and people who love the peacefulness it brings to them, migrate there. It is also known for UFO activity.  I must say, if I were a space traveler, it is a place I would want to visit. I wager a guess, that it is by far one of the most amazing places in the Universe.

     I have been drawn to Sedona since I first moved to Arizona in 1978. Whenever I go there, I feel a peacefulness and calm that I  only feel when I am in Sedona. Now, we have wonderful friends, who live there, they have opened up their homes to me and my hubby Joe. What’s even better, is that they are from New Jersey and we relate to each other very well. The Red Rocks of Sedona have an amazing drawing power, and they make you want to stay there forever, or at the least go back often.  My hubby Joe feels the same way.  The pictures you see here do not even hold a candle to how the red rocks look, and make you feel when you are there.

     This past Easter Sunday was a glorious day. The weather was perfect, and Joe and I were invited to Sedona to celebrate it with our friends. It was also Chaz McLaughlin's Birthday. I stayed for the week at Chaz and Lou Anns’ lovely home. Unfortunately for Joe, he had to come back down to Metro Phoenix to go to work. My friends in Sedona are all Foodies just like Joe and I. We all love to cook, even the men. Men cooking in a kitchen and doing it well, is that erotic or what?

     In the past Mama and Papa had many friends, but only a small group of them were special, and one of the couples that were special was Sal and Sally Pepe. They owned a shoe repair shop in the center of Morristown. Sal and Sally had two children, Rose Ann and Anthony. Although Rose Ann is older than me, we spent time together as children with our parents. I always thought Ro, as we call her now, was beautiful and she still is both inside and out. She now lives in Sedona with her husband of 50 years, Frank Santorelli. What a nice guy he is, and he is one of the men who can, and does cook well. In this picture Frank is on the left and Chaz on the right.

     Ro and Frank introduced us to their friends Chaz and Lou Ann Mclaughlin. She knew we would hit it off, and hit it off we did. I love them as much as the Santorelli family. We are all foodies, but I think Chaz takes the prize for being the biggest one, next to me. We can talk for hours about cooking, food shopping, what we are going to cook, how we are going to prepare it, when we are going to serve it, and with what. We will even discuss recipes that we invented, and if they are good or bad. We will share secrets and cooking tips.  I have gone on shopping excursions with Chaz and we stop in the middle of a store and discuss how to use ingredients.  When we eat breakfast, we are thinking about lunch, and at lunch we are thinking about dinner. Lou Ann, is right there with us but I don’t think she is as obsessed as we are. I kid you not, when the grocery stores see Chaz coming they must say, “make sure the shelves are stocked, Chaz is here!”  

     Because of his passion, you would not believe the amount of food that was prepared for 30 people on Easter Sunday. I think there was enough for 50 more. I will just give you a brief overview of the menu.

Appetizers

Stuffed mushrooms, Sausage Bread, Easter Pie (Italian Pizzagaina), Fresh Lemon and Anchovy Salad, Cheese and Crackers, wine and beverages, and this is just a few.

Main Course

3 Hugh Pans of Homemade Lasagna, made by Lou and Ro.

2 big stuffed Lamb Roasts, made by Chaz.

Veggies, Salad and Bread.

OMG I almost forgot the Spiral Ham.

Chaz made a wonderful Ham and Split Pea soup with the leftover ham bone in the coming week.

It was so good that I ate 3 bowls as soon as it was cooked.

Desserts

2 Birthday Cakes, which were baked from scratch by Ro and Doreen Advar.

One Coconut Cream and one Carrot,
there was two Birthday Boys, hence two cakes,

Cookies, candy, Italian Ricotta Cheese Pie, Biscotti, Linzer Tarts, Canolli’s and the list goes on.

     There were 13 of us to feed all week long, because Ro and Franks son Michael was visiting with his wife Laurel and daughter Gigi. Laurel's mom Julie, Rose ann's daugther Cheryl Travalgia with her two handsome sons, and her husband Mickey. We ate the leftovers for lunch and dinner for two days, and the rest went into the freezer. God Forbid, we Italians never want to run short of food. Mama always said, it is better to have too much food to feed guest than to little. We all still live by that rule today, at least all us Foodies do. Can you just imagine how we might go into cardiac arrest if we ran short on food while feeding guest. That would be a crime punishable by never forgiving yourself, EVER!

     The last night I was there, we were all going to go out to a restaurant call ‘A Pizza Heaven’ for dinner. We could not get reservations for a group our size on a Friday night until 8:30. Chaz and Lou invited everyone over his house for wine and snacks while we waited for 8:30 to roll around. At 7:30 someone suggested that we stay there and the guys cook us all a meal, and cook they did. Frank made his famous Pasta Aioli and Chaz made Pasta Carbonaro, Cheryl whipped together a salad, and Lou made the garlic bread. By 8:30 we were sitting around the dining room table, eating a meal fit for Italian Royalty! Only a kitchen with a pantry and huge refrigerator as loaded as the McLaughlin's, could have provided all the ingredients for this meal at a drop of a hat. Chaz had already brought the grocery store home during his many shopping trips. So it does pay to be a Foodie and a shopper as well.
    
     I want to say a word about how they all maintain their weight while partaking in good food, and drink. ---Excerise---! Cheryl teaches an exercise class which I understand is not for sissy's. Also eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and veggies and only splurging on special occasions. I, did not eat correctly and had to have gastric by pass surgery 8 years ago. I now walk 8 to 10 miles a week and eat healthier than I ever did.

     I could go on and on about my trip to Sedona, and the wonderful way I feel when I am there. But, I think I will stop here, and tell you more about the trip in my next story. Right now I am going to give you some really good recipes from Cheryl (her grandmothers Orange Chicken) and Chazs’ asparagus, enjoy.

Mama Pepe’s Orange Chicken 

Boneless chicken breasts cutlets as much as needed allowing 2 per person

1 cup orange juice
 
1/3 cup soy sauce.

4 tablespoon mustard

3 tablespoon honey

4 to 5 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup sherry (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

    Dip chicken breasts in egg than Italian flavored breadcrumbs. Sauté in olive oil till light golden brown. Mix all other ingredients in small mixing bowl with wire whisk. Pour over sautéed chicken breasts. Bake 30 minutes in 350 degree oven or till hot and bubbly.


     As my Mama would say, “believe you me” this is delicious. The chicken is tender, and the flavor, while being full bodied, is light. This is great served with rice. There will be enouigh sauce to cover the rice. I love this recipe so much that I will be making again soon. Thank you Mama Sally!

Asparagus’ by Chaz

2 Bunches of Asparagus.

¼ cup olive oil.

½ cup Italian flavored bread crumbs, or Panko if you prefer

 ½ cup Parmesan or Romano grated cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Prepare Asparagus by washing and cutting off hard ends. Bring 5 qt. pot of water to boil and par cook asparagus for 4 minutes. Drain and spread on cookie sheet that has been prepared with cooking spray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with grated cheese, bread crumbs and salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Yum