New Year’s Day: Now is the accepted time to make
your regular annual good resolutions. Next week
you can begin paving hell with them as usual. —Mark Twain
Over the past 40-some years, I have made dozens of New Year’s resolutions, some I have succeeded in keeping, and others have fallen by the wayside.
Yesterday I was whipping egg yolks over a pot of steaming water to be made into a mouth-watering Tiramisù when my mind wandered to the New Year ahead and was I going to make a New Year’s resolution as I have made in the past.
I believe the most important resolution I had made years ago was to keep everything about each of my kids’ lives as possible, in a box, and later to be sorted and made into scrapbooks. Today, there are six huge books, taking up space in my bookcase, ready for the day when I am willing to let them go to their rightful owners.
Watsonville Hospital, where my kids were all born, placed a little blue or pink card on the baby’s bassinet with their name, date of birth and weight at birth. It’s a good thing, as from the nursery’s viewing window, all babies looked the same, and not too “picturesque,” my Hubby Norm would say. And in those days, a little beaded necklace was around the baby’s neck, spelling out their last names. I have included both the card and necklace on page one of their scrapbooks, along with gift cards from previous baby showers.
Photos follow…christenings, first birthday cake, first Christmas (screaming on Santa Claus’ lap), first haircut, more screams, first tricycle and first school bus ride to kindergarten. You name it, it’s all in those scrapbooks.
In New York City, 3,000 lbs. of confetti are dropped on New Year’s Eve along with wishes that have been written on small scraps of paper and pinned to the Wish Wall that stands on Broadway Plaza.
In the year 1904, the New York Times newspaper celebrated the opening of their New York Times building with a huge party on New Year’s Eve; 200,000 people showed up. And in the year 1907, New York City celebrated their first New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square, with fireworks. However, because of the hot embers falling on the crowd, the fireworks were abolished, and the “Ball” was constructed, weighing 7,000 lbs.
Today, the ball weighs over 11,500 lbs. and contains 2,600-plus Waterford Crystal facets. The “Ball” is permanently displayed on the top of its flagpole for residents and visitors who come to write their wishes and pin the small scraps of paper onto the Wish Wall on Broadway Plaza.
On Dec. 31, at the stroke of midnight, that 3,000 pounds of confetti along with those 100,000 wishes that had been written and pinned on the Wish Wall are dropped on over one million celebrants at this event on Times Square. Lore has it that if your wish is found and read, your wish will be granted.
Today, should you choose, you can add your wish digitally to those other 100,000 wishes at www.timessquarenyc.org or on Twitter or Instagram… #ConfettiWish
Perhaps my small wish was granted because of someone finding and reading it after we pinned our scrap of paper to that Wish Wall. Continuous Love is what I wrote in 1978, and that love has continued for another 40 years and beyond, without wavering.
This New Year’s Eve I’ll be alone, but not lonely. I have those large scrapbooks of my kids as well as others of my Hubby and me and of our life together. Lives well-lived.
What would you, dear Reader, wish for and write on that small scrap of confetti paper?
My New Year’s wish for you, dear Readers, is for Peace and Love.
Happy New Year!
Tiramisù
Serves 15
One 9”x12” Pyrex Dish or Pan, sprayed with Pam.
40 Ladyfinger Cookies…buy the hard crispy ones.
1 1/2 cups Espresso Coffee. I use Instant.
3 Tbsp. Rum. Mix and set aside in a bowl.
Dip 20 Ladyfingers, one by one in coffee mixture, quickly on each side and lay side by side in a Pyrex dish. Do not over dip or they will become mushy.
6 large egg yolks.
3/4 cup granulated sugar.
In a heatproof bowl over boiling water, whisk together for 10 minutes, until no grains of sugar can be felt and mixture is pale yellow. Set aside to cool.
Whip 2 cups heavy whipping cream until very soft peaks form. Set it aside.
In a mix master, mix well:
2 eight-ounce tubs of cold Mascarpone Cheese
3 Tbsp. Rum
Add half of Mascarpone to egg yolk mixture with a spatula. When blended, add the rest of egg mixture. With a spatula, add whipped cream to mascarpone mixture.
Procedure…dip 20 Lady fingers on each side in coffee mixture quickly and lay side by side in baking dish. Do not over dip as they will become mushy.
Pour one half of the mixture over Ladyfingers and smooth out and level.
Dip the remaining 20 Ladyfingers in coffee mixture and arrange on top and cover with the remaining mixture. Smooth top.
Dust top of Tiramisu with 2 Tbsp. of Cocoa Powder. Cover with Saran Wrap and refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares and serve.
Colly Gruczelak, a Ben Lomond resident, loves people and loves to cook. Contact her at [email protected].
Great article.