Sunday, December 28, 2008

On Do I Smell Pizza Cooking?:


Yes, I know that in this day and age what I’m talking about here seems strange, old fashioned and silly. But things and attitudes really were different back then.

Now back in the day, having food delivered was a luxury. You did a pick up if at all possible and you didn’t do that often. Food was made hot at home and you sat at the table for a family meal each and every night. And everyone you knew did it that way too. Oh, and soda was only for parties, the same with chips and dips. There just were no ‘First Night’ celebrations.

When I was a kid my parents often went out for New Years Eve with friends. We would have a sitter and my parents would have pizza delivered. Even when they did stay home we had pizza delivered. So growing up in my house, New Years Eve meant we were having a Pizza Party.

With eight people in the family, six of which were growing children, there was more then one pizza ordered and there were different toppings on each. There was a variety of sodas too. Chips and dips appeared. We always had a Dick Clark/Guy Lombardo on TV, home style Pizza Party for New Year Eve.

This was a new concept to Mountain Man when I married him. To him living the country life in the woods New Years Eve wasn’t a day but a moment in time. He waited for midnight and made a loud noise, mostly firecrackers or gun shots along with his neighbors, if they did anything at all, and then went to bed.

At my house noise was the end to the long pizza filled evening. Only we had an old school bell. (You know the hand held kind in the old movies where the teacher held it in her hand ringing it out the door when school was to start.) It was our, self appointed, job to ring that bell up and down the block for a full minute to ring in the new year. (One of the first things I bought when I moved from home was an old school bell of my own.)

Well Mountain Man and I married when my kids were in their early teens. They were Pizza Party and school bell enthusiasts too. But living out in the woods meant no pizza delivery. So since then I make fresh dough and we have had a ‘build your own pizza’ party with all the toppings chopped and readied as part of the fun.

So if you hear a fire cracker or bell on New Years Eve or smell pizza you know it’s us. What do you do for New Years Eve?

(Sorry for the poor pizza quality in the picture. I wasn’t making pizza at six in the morning just illustrate a point. So I cut a picture of pizza from an old box of frozen I had hanging around with craft stuff in it.)

3 comments:

Mouse said...

I guess the only tradition that we have is that my parents always put a coin outside the door for each member of the family on New Years Eve.. its supposed to bring prosperity for the New Year. I try to remember to do it every year as well..
I love pizza. We don't spend money on things like eating out or having food delivered so eating pizza is a big treat at our house. We don't drink soda at all..

Lady Euphoria Deathwatch said...

Hi Mouse,

We don't have soda in the house anymore except when company comes and brings it with them. But when I did drink it my favorite was cream flavor. I can't think of pizza without thinking of cream soda too.

The build a pizza thing is a real family affair as we talk and have fun chopping up different things for the pizza and plan new and inventive combinations for each corner of our small individual pies. A lot of sharing goes on after they come out of the oven too. We started to add friends once the kids grew up and moved out. One year deer meat with maple syrup in the sauce was the hands down hit of the night. It can get odd with others bringing their own things to add to the offerings. Some years I barely have enough bowls to put it all out on the table for everyone to pick from. We love sharing the fun.

I love that idea of putting a coin out for each person. I think I'll just may do it too from now on.

Sincerely, Lady Euphoria

Grace Garton said...

I did hear Mr Pig mention pizza was to be on the menu this week. We have been making our own pizza for years. I'm the appointed dough maker and pig does the toppings. My favourite that he makes for me is spinach and feta. Spinach fresh from the garden.
As for New Years, when my dad was alive and we were kids, there was always a big party. My dad loved to cook, he was a pastry chef in his younger years. There was a game we played dip the wick....you had to tie a lit candle between your legs and walk around the yard before trying to put the candle out in a glass of water!!
These years if pig is not playing in a band we usually stay at home away from the hoons. This year though I think we're going to spend it with a few friends....I hear they have a pizza oven!