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Perfect For Holidays, Special Occasions and Every day-Lasagna Alla Rizzuti

Story, Recipes and Photo By Maria Rizzuti

Every Christmas Day, when I was growing up, my mother would traditionally make a huge pan of her great tasting lasagna.  We still do have her lasagna today, but I have also adapted my version of her recipe for my family and make lasagna during the holidays and for special occasions.

When it comes to lasagna, I always use high-quality meat and cheese, no counting calories here. That said, there are plenty of vegetarian lasagna recipes out there that are excellent if you so choose.

No two Italians compose their sauce or lasagna similarly.  Each region of Italy has it own particular way of making this pasta dish.  There is something about lasagna that makes any individual want to leave his or her signature on it.  You cannot be that far off when you start with a tasty tomato based meat sauce and then layer upon layer of melted mozzarella cheese and noodles.  When the sauce, cheese and pasta touch the edge of the pan, particularly in the corners, you get some crunchy and caramelized pieces. I will fight you for that corner piece every time. Seriously, what is not to like about that?  I have never seen any leftover lasagna go uneaten for long period of time in my household.

Even Garfield loves lasagna; you know that famous cat featured in the comic strip.  Popular culture has known about Garfield and lasagna for thirty years.  It was the first time you saw a cat have a thing for a pasta dish.  What is next, your pet hamster eating a creamy risotto with Grana Padano cheese? Maybe, but devoted fans love that cute cat named Garfield!

Did you hear about the US woman that attacked her husband with frozen lasagna this past August?  The police said that she attached her spouse with the frozen food during an argument. She must have been pretty mad at him. I wonder what he did to deserve the pasta punishment?  Next time you have a brawl with your other half, please do not use perfectly good food like lasagna.  Lasagna deserves to be eaten and not used as a weapon! What was she thinking?

Ever hear of dishwasher lasagna, lasagna fresh from your dishwasher?   Well, I have heard of poaching fish in the dishwasher, but lasagna?  Highly unlikely that I would try preparing a pasta dish and washing the tableware all at the same time.  I believe I will stick to the conventional stove oven as my appliance of choice.

If I told you this was the only lasagna recipe worth making, would you believe me? Well, you be the judge and try my recipe for Lasagna alla Rizzuti.

LASAGNA ALLA RIZZUTI

INGRERENTS FOR THE LASAGNA RECEIPE:

1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 hard-boiled eggs chopped (optional)

1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

500 grams lasagna noodles

Cook the noodles according to package directions adding 1 tbsp of oil to water; drain and let cool before assembling the lasagna. Tip is to keep your pasta a little firm. Remember you will also be baking it.

ASSEMBLING THE LASAGNA ALLA RIZZUTI:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a slightly oiled 3 x 9 baking dish add some of the Bolognese sauce spreading it evenly.

Start with a layer of noodles, then sprinkle some mozzarella cheese, egg and grated cheese and more Bolognese sauce.  Keep repeating the layers finishing with a layer of pasta, Bolognese sauce and mozzarella cheese last.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake 35 minutes then remove foil and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove the dish from the oven and let it sit about 15 minutes prior to plating the pasta.

5 to 6 servings

MARIA’S BOLONESE SAUCE:

½ pound lean ground beef

½ pound ground veal

½ pound lean ground pork

1 large onion, chopped fine

1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup Italian flat leaf parsley chopped

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

½ tablespoon of oregano

½ tablespoons cracked black pepper

5 to 6 basil leaves chopped

½ tablespoon hot crushed chili flakes (optional)

Use a large casserole pot, preferably a non-stick sauce pot.  Add the extra-virgin olive oil to the pot and heat to medium high. When oil is hot, add the pork, veal and ground beef and stir with a wooden spoon to break apart while cooking. Make sure to brown the meat to a slightly caramelized state. Remove all meat from pan and set aside.

Add the finely chopped onion to the pot and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the diced tomatoes only at this time and cook for about 10 minutes.  Stirring and breaking down the tomatoes with the spoon.  Cooking the tomatoes first will sweeten them up. Then add the can of crushed tomatoes and add 1 ½ cans of water (42 ounces).  Return the meat back to pot and also add the chopped basil, parsley, oregano salt and pepper and chili flakes (optional).  Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. The sauce needs to keep boiling on high heat for at 20 minutes then turn down the heat to medium high and make sure you continue stirring the sauce periodically. Cook the sauce for approximately one hour and 15 minutes or until reduced by about a third.

This sauce makes about 6 cups

That’s about it for some delicious Lasagna!

Buon Appetito!

Wishing you Happy Holidays, Happy Special Occasions, and Happiness every day!

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Leaving Fall & Into Winter

Written By Renato Rizzuti & Photo By Maria Rizzuti

Leaving Fall & Into Winter

The weather is changing

As the rest of humanity is changing

The colours of the Fall are changing

Into the white colours of winter

Hibernation and rest

As the landscape is covered with snow

But beneath the snow

Mother Earth is changing

Getting ready for

A magical rebirth

The weather is constantly changing

The rest of humanity is constantly changing

I am constantly changing

I am

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An Extra Special Friend

Written By Renato Rizzuti & Graphic Picture By Maria Rizzuti

When I was eight years old and growing up in Ottawa, I had an extra special friend. His name was Andy and he was always kind of scruffy and he always had his shirt hanging out of his pants before it was fashionable to do that.  Andy always looked like he had just gotten out of bed with his uncombed hair and his rumpled clothes. He had a kind of funny speech pattern, not a speech impediment per se but it was somewhat different and intriguing. At first, I never realized how “extra special” Andy was.

 Andy lived with his aunt down the street. I am not sure where his actual parents where and I did not concern myself with it since at eight years old, such matters are somewhat irrelevant. We became instant friends as soon as we met, almost like we had met before in a past life or somewhere in the cosmos. We met on a very hot and humid day, the kind of icky and sticky day we you would rather be at the beach instead of being stuck in the steamy city.

The first thing Andy did was to show me a dirt box containing his pet worms. I thought nothing of it at the time and did not consider it unusual that a boy my same age would keep worms as pets. Andy told me that he could speak to the worms and he proceeded to speak in what sounded like an official worm language to me. I actually believed that he could communicate with the worms based on his intense conversation he was having with them.

Along with his worm fixation, Andy was preoccupied with trying to catch a sparrow. We would spend long hours trying to catch a sparrow in his backyard.  He devised all sorts of traps like a wire loop and one made out of a coffee can and a stick.  Andy would demonstrate a tremendous amount of patience and concentration during these escapades.  He also assured me that his magic bird sounds would attract the sparrows.  We never did catch a bird but we had fun trying!

A Saturday morning was spent playing monopoly at my house.  The game took a long time because I had to help Andy count out his money.  I ended up winning the game but felt that I was somehow guilty of taking advantage of Andy.  My mother asked Andy if he wanted to stay for lunch and Andy agreed once he found out that we were having what he called "spassgeetie" My mother and Andy and I ate lunch together. My mother was a very tolerant and patient woman and enjoyed eating with us.                           

At one point during lunch, Andy was having trouble mastering the twirling of the spaghetti with a fork and spoon to follow our spaghetti eating technique.  Andy announced in a loud voice that the spaghetti was like “Eyetillian worms” and so he would talk to these worms in his worm language to get them to behave properly and he would be able to eat much easier. My mother smiled and was amused by Andy’s attempt to simplify the eating of the spaghetti.

After Andy left, my mother said that she was happy that I had found a nice friend.  My mother also said to me in her southern Italian dialect known as Calabrese that Andy seemed like a bit of a “chiotarellu” which means “little dummy.”  I was not completely sure what she meant at the time and just thought she meant that Andy was a real character.

Andy’s preoccupation with catching a bird was kicked up to the next level on a rainy Monday afternoon.  We were in Andy’s backyard and he had set up a new bird trap that consisted of a bushel with bread crumbs in it and a sheet of cardboard to cover the bushel once a bird landed in it.  Andy unknowing gave me a lesson in method acting as he proceeded to explain his plan:

“To catch a bird we gotta act like birds so that a bird will think we are birds and want to come and join us.  We gotta pretend we are covered in feathers, and have wings and can fly.  Oakie doakie Pokie? Soes we gonna climb up on the garbage box and jump off and fly like birds soes we can fool the little birdie birdies.”

We jumped off the garbage box frantically flapping our “wings.” Andy was a much better “bird athlete” then I.  Andy had a skinny build compared to my chubby cherubic body.  It was no wonder that I started huffing and puffing way before Andy did. 

“You are supposed to be a bird, so stop huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf,” laughed Andy.   

On my last jump, I landed on my foot funny and hurt my ankle.  I was moaning with pain.  Andy came to my rescue:

“Okay, officer down, calling for back up and an ambulance!  Doctor Andy on the scene.  Okay, lay back and relax.  I give you healing treatment!  Abracadabra, hiss boombaa you gonna get better now!”

Andy massaged my ankle vigorously and miraculously; the pain went away!  I was able to stand and I watched Andy make one final jump. There was not one bird fooled by our scheme but it was great fun anyways! 

There was a time when I did not see Andy for a couple of days.  I was sitting on the sidewalk playing with a stick in a puddle when Andy’s aunt walked by.  She was a very large woman with wild eyes. She told me that Andy had been hit by a car and died.  Tears welled up in her eyes as she told me that Andy was happy to have me as a friend.  She said that Andy never had too many friends because Andy was “retarded” which meant that there was something wrong with him.

I had heard the “retard” word before in the school yard and I knew that it meant that you were kind of stupid.  I could not believe that Andy was stupid and that I would never see him again.  I was overcome by confusion and sadness.  I thought about how Andy did not really seem that much different then me.  Maybe Andy was not a “retard” but was labeled as such by the “official” adults in his life.  To this very day, I cringe when I hear the word “retarded.”  We now use the term “mentally challenged” but that still upsets me when the term is used to describe a child.

I am sure that Andy is up in heaven now.  He is probably still talking to worms and trying to catch birds.  I am sure that everybody up there understands Andy.  Andy is probably also talking to God but nobody is laughing at him because of it.

I will always remember Andy as my extra special friend.

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Play Time

Written By Renato Rizzuti & Photo By Maria Rizzuti

"A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.”

― Anonymous

Play time. Fun time. Very important for a child. Vitally important for adults.

Children & Play Time

For children play time is very important for them. Play time allows a child to fully use his imagination. A boy playing with a truck becomes a fully grown man expertly manning the truck. The truck is a metaphor for his imagination. It becomes a symbol of his mental freedom. He can fully play with the truck because he is free of any restrictions. He is not concerned with any adult preoccupations. Ideally his basic needs are available to him. He is free to use any wild thought process. That is the start of his creative expression. Other play time activities also use the same unrestricted thought processes. The child’s art work is a visual display of the child’s thought process. When the child dresses up and plays pretend the child can be virtually any person. A real person or a fictional character. The child can use an empty box and he can climb into it and become an airline pilot or a completely abstract character. Basically, play time is a very important in the child becoming a fully functioning, free thinking and dynamic, creative adult!

Adults & Play Time

As adults there is a basic human need for play time. It can be a simple and uncomplicated play time or it could be a sophisticated and complex play time.

Simple and uncomplicated play time can be as simple as a man playing with his model train set. Or as simple as a woman playing with doll house miniatures.

Sophisticated and complex play time covers the whole world of sports. Every sport has some kind of special uniform. Special equipment is needed. A special and complex place must be used to facilitate the playing of the sport.

Even make believe becomes sophisticated and complex. This is where the adult make believe comes into play when adults are “acting.” Actors require a trained imagination, sometimes special wardrobe, and a whole team of support staff to pull off any kind of production.

Play time covers most hobbies that adults have. Anything from collecting stamps to knitting. Hobbies are nothing but a socially acceptable form of play time.

In conclusion, it is imperative for children and adults to engage in play time. For it is during play time that the individual can become fully alive, fully creative, fully free thinking and truly a well-rounded and dynamic, intense person!

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“JUST BE YOURSELF” IS THE WORST PIECE OF ACTING ADVICE!

Written By Renato Rizzuti & Photo By Maria Rizzuti

“Just be yourself” is the worst piece of acting advice I have ever received! This was from a so called “expert” who supposedly had a wealth of experience with actors and acting!

If I was to just be myself, I would probably take a nap or enjoy a nice cup of espresso! Marlon Brando who was the top actor of our time, would probably mumble incoherently!

The whole point of playing a fictional character is to totally transform yourself into that character’s persona. You must concentrate on that character’s manner of speaking, that character’s body language and that character’s way of thinking.

You cannot just be yourself. When acting you speak much more clearly, you walk more purposely and you think in that character’s mindset.

You must represent a dramatic or comical character unlike yourself.

Fictional characters on film or on stage tend to be larger than life. Under normal circumstances you present a perfectly normal scale and are not larger than life.

By the way, when are you just being yourself? Probably when you are alone in private are you just being yourself. Audiences want to see a show! Audiences want to see you perform!

When you are just being yourself, you may find yourself amused. However, that does not make a good show!

The show is the king where upon “acting” is the thing!

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Brian Power & Mind Power

Written By Renato Rizzuti & Artwork By Maria Rizzuti

Brian power. Apparently, we use only a small percentage of our Brian. This is just the physical aspect that we are talking about.

When talking about mind power, it is a completely different story.

The power of the mind has been shown throughout history to be a most powerful thing. People have done all sorts of incredible things using mind power.

Martial artists can break an incredible amount of wooden boards or cement blocks. It is not through the power of the Brian but the power of the mind.

Visual Artists use their mind power to create some spectacular works of Art.

Writers can produce with their mind power incredible pieces of literature or writing.

Actors use their mind power to create fictional characters or actual people that lived. Through the power of their mind, they can create all sorts of emotions ranging from comical or tragic.

Any kind of creative artist makes full use of the amazing power of the mind.

Are you using your total mind power? Think about it. Make full use of your mind power to do some absolutely incredible things in your life! If you think it then it shall be!

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Good Luck & Good Fortune!

Written By Renato Rizzuti & Photo By Maria Rizzuti

I have a new companion. I call her Stella, as a way of paying homage to Marlon Brando’s famous line from “A Street Car Named Desire.” She is known as Maneki-Neko in Japanese. I keep Stella beside me in my creative work space. Stella represents for me; the centuries old luck and prosperity!

If you are a tourist in Japan, you can see the “cat” waving at you from store windows and restaurants. It is hard to resist such a cute “cat” and you are motivated to go into the place of business! This is equal to a person talking you into going inside.

They are usually made of ceramic or plastic. They depict a Japanese Bobtail cat with its paw raised in a beckoning gesture. As in Japanese culture, felines have protective powers and symbolize good fortune.  

This goes back to a 17th century story. Basically, a lord samurai named Nakota had his life saved by a monk’s Bobtail cat and when the cat died a statue of Maneki-Neko was made to commemorate its life.  This is why the beckoning cats became symbols of good fortune.

I have always been fascinated by Japanese culture. I studied the Japanese martial art of Jiu-Jitsu extensively. My fascination extends to all things Oriental. I have some Oriental wall hangings and an Oriental vase in my home.

I even used to have a Korean best friend. Bill taught me cooking tips and some Kung Fu moves. We used to workout in my garage. My family laughed at me when I came home with a 50 lb. bag of rice which I used for cooking Oriental rice dishes!

There you have it. Different cultures have different objects that they consider lucky. The point is to have something to focus on when you are mentally wishing for good luck and prosperity. I sincerely wish you all good luck and good fortune!

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I Was a Teenage Weightlifter

Written By Renato Rizzuti & Photo By Maria Rizzuti

That’s right! I was a teenage weightlifter and not a “Teenage Werewolf” like Michael Landon was in the film “I Was a Teenage Werewolf.”

Back in High School we were coached by a former military Captain who instilled in us a “military like discipline.” That formed the basis of my life long participation in physical activities.

Let me give you a brief history of weightlifting leading up to the Olympic sport as it was.

A form of strength training can be traced back to ancient Greek and ancient Persian times. Men and women always competed against each other to prove who was the strongest. This could be as simple as seeing who could lift the biggest boulder. Various contests were designed to show who had the most strength.

In my weightlifting experience there were three different lifts used in Olympic competition. Since 1896, Olympic weightlifting has become a summer Olympic Games sport. At its inception there were three lifts used in competition. There was the “snatch” in which a wide grip is used and the weighted barbell is lifted overhead in one continuous motion. The “clean and jerk” is a two part lift. First, the barbell is taken from the ground to the shoulders, which is the “clean” part. Then it comes to the “jerk” part where the barbell is lifted overhead. Then there was the “press” where the barbell was “cleaned” and then followed by an overhead press in which the barbell is “pressed” overhead. This lift has been eliminated from the Games because of the difficulties in judging proper form since the “cheating” lifters used backbends and leg jerks in supposedly “pressing” the weight!

Speaking of “cheaters” there was no shortage of “cheaters” back then and more so today! Our coach believed in using hard lifting with buckets of sweat and a drug free way of training. I know for a fact that some weightlifters used steroids back then to give that extra kick in their lifting. I stayed away from any artificial stimulants and only used the old Italian muscle fuel which was pasta!

Lifting weights can serve as a lifelong activity. Lighter dumbbells can be used to keep your muscles strong and yourself in shape.

So there you have it. This explains what being a weightlifter was all about. This should dispel any myths you had about it. In other words, you can say a tremendous weight has been taken off your shoulders!

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Life Experiences & Acting

Written By Renato Rizzuti & Photo By Maria Rizzuti

The more life experiences you have the more you will be able to use them in your acting.

Let’s face it. It is universally true that you will have many life experiences in your lifetime. It is also universally true that these life experiences cover a very wide range of emotions.

As an actor it is up to you to use all the emotions that you have stored in your memory bank in your acting. You may ask how do I do this? The answer is contained in the acting philosophy and theory of Constance Stanislavski.

You use your “emotional recall” which is the basis and central theme of Stanislavski’s Method Acting. When your fictional character is required to express a certain emotion you can use “emotional recall” to sum up the emotion and express the emotion.

One of the greatest actors of our time was Marlon Brando. Brando used this technique in his superb acting. Marlon Brando is one actor that used Method Acting and is undoubtedly the most famous actor that subscribed to this “Method.”

There you have it. The more life experiences you have, the “richer” you become as an actor. Live life to the fullest! You will become a much better person and a much better actor!

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Chickpea Pasta alla Rizzuti

Introduction By Renato Rizzuti & Recipe and Photo By Maria Rizzuti

Introduction:

There is a popular misconception about Italian cooking. That is that all Italian dishes contain a meat component. On the contrary, there are many pasta dishes that are vegetarian. For example, there is pasta and peas, pasta and chickpeas, pasta and broccoli and pasta with olive oil and garlic to name quite a few.

Pasta is mainly composed of wheat flour and water. Wheat is a natural vegetable crop that grows for our health and well being.  

It is a relatively economical food product and delivers a lot of health benefits with no added on calories.

So stock up on pasta and vegetables for they make for very tasty dishes!

Recipe:  

Ingredients:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 large cloves of garlic = cut cloves in half

28 oz. can of chickpeas – drain and rinsed well

1 cup crushed tomatoes

5 cups water

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 or 5 fresh basil leaves – washed

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups of small elbow macaroni or baby shell pasta

Additional 2 cups of water

Romano or Parmigiano grated cheese for serving with pasta

Directions:

In a large non stick Dutch pot, add olive oil and garlic on high heat and cook garlic until fragrant and slightly brown.

Add chick peas, crushed tomatoes, 5 cups of water, dried oregano, black pepper, fresh basil leaves and 2 teaspoons of salt on high heat and bring to a rolling boil.  

Turn down heat to medium and continue to boil for 25 to 30 minutes or until the chickpea mixture has reduced to a saucy consistency.

Add the 2 cups of the elbow macaroni to the chickpea mixture as well as 2 cups of water.  The pasta now needs to cook and amalgamate with the chickpeas.  Cook for 10 minutes on medium to high heat while stirring the mixture.  Then turn down to low heat for the last 3 minutes of cooking time.  Most of the liquid should have been absorbed by the pasta for a saucy consistency. The pasta should be cooked al dente.

Serve the Chickpea Pasta alla Rizzuti with a sprinkling of grated Romano or Parmigiano cheese.

Servings:  4 to 6

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Spaghetti & Meatballs alla Rizzuti

Written & Photo By Maria Rizzuti

Today’s forecast, as in the animated film with the same title is: “cloudy with a chance of meatballs.” Do not leave it up to chance! This meatball recipe is a sure fire hit with both adults and kids! The spaghetti part of the recipe was developed by taking some spaghetti strands from the Rizzuti Family Spaghetti Tree! Spaghetti and meatballs make a great combo! Enjoy!

Tomato Sauce Ingredients

- This sauce makes about 6 cups.

 1 large onion, finely diced

2 large cloves of garlic – finely minced

1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup Italian flat leaf parsley chopped

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

42 ounces of water -use the empty 28 ounce can to measure the water by using 1 ½ cans of water

½ tablespoon salt or to taste

½ tablespoon of oregano

½ tablespoons cracked black pepper

5 to 6 basil leaves chopped

½ tablespoon hot crushed chili flakes (optional)

Cooking Directions for the Tomato Sauce:

Use a large deep casserole pot, preferably a non stick sauce pot add the extra-virgin olive oil to the pot and heat to medium high, add onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent.

Add the diced and crushed tomatoes, then add 1 ½ cans of water (42 ounces).  Add the chopped basil, parsley, oregano salt and pepper and chili flakes (optional).  

Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. The sauce needs to keep boiling on high heat for 20 minutes then turn down the heat to medium high and make sure you continue stirring the sauce periodically.  In the meantime make the meatballs.

Ingredients for Meatballs

1 lb. of lean ground veal

1 lb. of lean ground pork

½ cup of dry unflavored fine breadcrumbs

½ cup of grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup Italian flat leaf parsley – finely chopped

1 large clove of garlic – minced or chopped

1 tsp. salt or salt to taste

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper or pepper to taste

½ tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. hot red pepper chili flakes (optional)

2 large eggs – beaten

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (for meatball mixture)

 Preparation and Cooking Directions for the Meatballs

 In a large bowl place all of the above ingredients and mix well until all the ingredients have incorporated and then form the meat mixture into balls usually between 1 to 2 inch size meatballs.

 Add the “raw” meatballs to the boiling tomato sauce and let simmer in the sauce for approximately one hour or until reduced by about a third.  This will give the meatballs a chance to fully cook in the tomato sauce.

 Pasta Portioning: 1 pound or 500 grams of Spaghetti Noodles

 In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package or al dente, drain and serve with the tomato sauce and meatballs.

Buon Appetito!

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Autumn Reflections

Written By Renato Rizzuti & Photo By Maria Rizzuti

As the season changes, so do I change

 More and more, I am loving the beauty of nature

 More and more, I am loving the beauty of life

 As the leaves on the trees change colour

 So do we become more multi-coloured personally

 Experiencing the multi-colours of our own psyche

 It is a time to start hibernating

 Like some of the animals in nature

 Time to repose

 Time to reflect

 Time to just be

 And awaken in the Spring

 Being reborn

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Hooray for Marriage!

Written By Renato Rizzuti & Photo By Maria Rizzuti

When you find that ideal marriage partner; you have got it made!

Marriage is a blessed institution for two people to enter into. It makes for a life filled with love and happiness. You both can experience the many phases that life has to offer. You both can grow and evolve into the best version of yourselves.

When you face one of life’s challenges you can face it together. With your combined power you can overcome any obstacles. A major problem shrinks in size when you face it together. You both can learn from each other how to solve any problem no matter what the size of the problem is.

If you have chosen to raise children together; they can be a major joy in your lives! Children are both a major joy and a major challenge. Together you can both teach the children about love and the importance of family. Your children can be the source of life long happiness and life long shaping on your part.

In summary, it is much better to go through this thing called life with love and marital bliss!

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The “We Keepa Go” Philosophy

Written By Renato Rizzuti & Visual Image By Maria Rizzuti & Renato Rizzuti 

“We keepa go” sums up my mother-in-law’s whole philosophy of life. Those are the words that she used to briefly and succinctly describe her own personal state of affairs.  “We keepa go” may sound like a simple philosophy but it is actually a pretty good philosophy for getting through the complexities of day to day living.

 While I was a student at Carleton University, I took a couple of philosophy courses. I studied the great philosophers like Plato, Aristotle and Rene Descartes. While it was great learning about logical thinking and building a philosophical argument, in terms of practical philosophy for everyday living, it was somewhat lacking. Rene Descartes’ brilliant phrase that proves one’s existence, “I think, therefore I am” is very insightful when it comes to our “existence.”  What about our daily existence in the real world? This is where a homespun philosophy like “We keepa go” comes into play.

The “We keep go” philosophy goes with the strong “Italian” character steeped in optimism. It denotes “forward movement” in one’s affairs. As long as you “keepa go,” you are doing alright. It is when you stop this forward movement that you run into problems. The whole philosophy is to endure and persevere whatever life has put in your path. The words “we stoppa” have no place in this philosophy. “We keepa go” means that you are enjoying the basic necessities of life and that you are basically successful in managing to cope with your daily life.

“We keepa go” can cover the subject of economic uncertainty.  You have to ask yourself what are the basic material things that are required to maintain your existence? Some form of shelter is important. Whether you are renting or own a place of your own is not relevant to the discussion. What is relevant is the fact that you are able to pay the rent or the mortgage every month. This keeps you going until the mortgage is paid or until you save enough money to buy a place of your own and stop paying rent. Food is another basic necessity. It really irritates me when people refer to traditional Italian dishes like pasta e fagioli as “peasant food.” While monetary scarcity back in the old country during old times may have influenced some Italian dishes, there is no reason not to eat them because of the silly “peasant” label.  These dishes are now known for their healthy and delicious properties and served in “finer” restaurants. So you can eat healthy and economically when it comes to Italian dishes, in other words, you can “keepa going.”  Once the need for food and shelter are met then you can “keepa go” for other things.

 The main economy of any country in the world is dependent on a certain number of factors that make the economy go in various states. There is no disputing that fact. However, during tough economic times your personal economy is more important.  Consider yourself lucky if you have a good job or are getting income on a regular basis from your pension.  You can survive the economic downturn as long as you keep your personal economy going.  If you “keepa” your money going then you can “keepa” yourself and your family a “go.”

We can all age gracefully and healthfully.  There is no need to surrender to the inevitable aches and pains that come with an aging body.  You can lessen the severity of “aging painfully” if you simply eat healthy, get regular exercise and see your doctor for regular check ups. Sure, it takes time and effort for shopping and preparing healthy food, but is well worth it in the long term. Regular exercise can involve a full gym workout or a daily walk.  Exercise is most effective when it is regular exercise.  As you age, you should see your doctor on a more regular basis. It is advisable to follow directions for taking any medication you might need. There is no time for the worn out old sentiment of “I am a man and a man does not take pills.” That is just downright ridiculous! Your mental attitude is important as you age. Keeping mentally young keeps you young no matter what age you are chronologically. The whole idea is to “keepa go” and “keepa young” forever and ever!

If you are married, marital accord will make for a long and happy marriage.  One way to avoid marital discord is to put all of your cards on the table before you get married. It is important for couples to compare notes to see where they stand when it comes to major marital issues like money and children. Once you get your lives in “accord” then you can move forward to marriage.  As long as there is agreement when it comes to a philosophy of life then there should not be any marital problems.  Minor disagreements like how much salt to put in the tomato sauce are not worth getting in an uproar about.  There are more important things to consider in a marriage besides tomato sauce!  A happy and easy going attitude will also allow your marriage to “keepa go!”

Neurotic people blow little things out of proportion until they become major life crises. A normal well adjusted individual does not “sweat the small stuff.”  How in the world are you going to cope with a larger issue if you get yourself all worked up by something as trivial as running out of milk?  There is no need to rip the refrigerator door off of its hinges if this happens!  You have to develop an “it’s no big deal” type of attitude. In this way you will “keepa go” along your merry way. Life does not have to be difficult and hard.  Life can be a wonderful thing when you have a positive attitude! It is easy to be happy when you just “keepa go!”

“We keepa go” is an optimistic and practical philosophical approach to life. Do not let life get you down. Do not let anything get you down. Rise up and live life! As long as you have forward movement in your life you can adamantly and confidently say, “We keepa go!”

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Action!

Written By Renato Rizzuti & Photo By Maria Rizzuti

Action! Action is a word that really means something on a film set! It is a signal to the actor to “come alive!” The actor has to be mentally and physically “on point.”

Mentally, the actor has to completely free his mind of any extraneous thoughts. An actor must completely and fully concentrate on the scene that is about to be filmed. An actor must not think of any “non acting thoughts.” Such as: I have to pick up toilet paper at the store, my co-star is hot looking, I have a craving for a hot dog, I wish I was being paid much more for this gig, I wonder if UFOs are really space aliens,  and so on. You get the point!

In order to get mentally prepared for a scene any kind of meditative exercise is very valuable. Therefore, when “Action!” is called the actor will be mentally ready.

Physically the actor must also be ready to spring into physical action when “Action!” is called. Depending on the physical actions required for a scene, some sort of physical preparation must be made. It could be as simple as loosening up or as complex as performing certain physical exercises. The physical aspects of a scene will determine this.

In conclusion, when “Action!” is called the actor must be ready both mentally and physically. This will lead to those words at the end of filming: “It’s a wrap!”

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Creativity

Written By Renato Rizzuti & Artwork By Maria Rizzuti

Creativity is a fascinating and perplexing subject. It sometimes seems so mystical that it cannot be subjected to theoretical scrutiny and research. In this blog, some clarifications about creativity will be made. First of all, a definition of creativity must be established. Secondly, an examination of the origins of creativity will be undertaken. Thirdly, the consequences of differences in creativity in formal schooling will be considered.

Before embarking on an investigation of creativity and its relation to other factors, a definition of creativity must be formulated. A single definition of creativity will not suffice since creativity must be defined both conceptually and operationally. This is undoubtedly the first and most crucial step in investigating creativity.

First, a conceptual definition is needed that demythologizes the notion of creativity as something ineffable and semantically transcendent. In order to achieve this, a few common myths about the concept of creativity must be dispelled.

Perhaps one of the biggest myths is that creativity is synonymous with intelligence. Studies have shown that this is not necessarily true. A highly intelligent person is not automatically a creative person. A highly creative person may score higher than a highly intelligent person as far as inventiveness and originality are concerned. Intelligence and creativity are not necessarily mutually inclusive concepts.  

The main difference is that creativity involves a thinking process called divergent thinking whereas intelligence is characterized by convergent thinking. For example: using convergent thinking a brick is seen as a building material whereas using divergent thinking a brick can be seen as a weapon.

Freud thinks that creative behaviour is a continuation of and substitution for the play of childhood. Freud’s conception of creativity is rather simplistic and terribly slanted towards labelling the creative person as neurotic. On the contrary, you may argue that the creative person has a healthy facet of their personality which finds satisfaction in artistic pursuits.

An operational definition of creativity can be summarily defined as the ability to bring something new into existence. This would cover a diverse group of people such as scientist and artists. The operational definition of creativity gives everyone a fair chance at being creative to some degree and do not single out an elite.

One very important factor in creativity research is the origins of creativity in children. A logical place to start is to look at the biological roots of creativity. In his article entitled “The Biological Roots of Creativity” Herbert Gutman states “The blueprints residing in the genes are thus analogous to the ideas underlying the creative activities of man.” Gutman goes on to conclude “Human creative activity is rooted in the general life principle of self-duplication.” This establishes a link between the process of reproduction and creation.

This idea sheds some light on the origins of creativity in children since children cannot achieve self-duplication via the adult way of reproduction and thus their biological urges are most likely to find self-expression through some form of creative activity. This may lead us to conclude that children, more than adults, must seek more creative expression because they have a greater need for it.

Then there are the environmental factors affecting the origins of creativity in children. In the case of children, it is the family environment that is of primary importance. The educational factor of the parents, the age of the parents, and the kind of reading material available in the home have a strong influence on the child.

Of primary importance is: what are the consequences of differences in creativity for formal schooling? It can be assumed that the high creativity student will be in a state of tension and conflict while he is in the formal schooling system. The low creativity or average student will be more comfortable in the formal schooling system than his more creative peers. Since the system breeds conformity and “normality.” Whereas the highly creative student can be labelled as difficult, nonconforming and eccentric.

The development of young people in the present formal school setting needs a lot more thought and serious consideration. Things are far from ideal in our present educational system. The healthy, bright and starry eyed creative student must not be reduced to a neurotic, dull, and teary eyed creature. To allow this to go on would be to allow a reoccurring waste of human resources to go on and a truly tragic scene to play over and over again.

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Italian Cooking

Poem Written By Renato Rizzuti & Photo By Maria Rizzuti

I remember when my beloved Mother

 Would cook her delicious and hearty meals

 The smells from the kitchen

 Would send me into a sensory overload

 She passed on her cooking skills

 To me, her eager to learn

 Young and loving son

 I would surprise my Mother

 With Italian dishes that

 I cooked with love and passion

 She would smile and show me her gratitude

 For I learned from the best

 And I learned to cook the best

 Food for nourishment

 Food for thought

 Food of love