"A family tree can wither if nobody tends its roots."

Jan13th2019

Bernice’s Manicotti

by  Phyllis Zeck

Standing L to R: Lois, Lorraine, Helen, Bernice (in black dress), Marion & Grace. Seated: Grandpa Charles Bihler (Bernice’s father) & Paul

Bernice Dorothy Bihler is Joe Del Prinicipe’s mother. Joe shared his mother’s Manicotti recipe with me and said that he recently taught his granddaughter how to make it. Joe’s mother Bernice and Bernice’s father Charles Bihler are in the photo to the left taken approx 1950. Also in the photo are Bernice’s sisters. The photo below is Bernice’s mother Augusta Voss Bihler.  Thank you Joe.  Lori and I hope that Holly makes this soon!

From Joe:  Below is a recipe handed down from my mother for my favorite Italian pasta dish. It is not a quick and easy recipe to produce, but I have always found it to be well worth every minute of prep time while enjoying the fruits of the labor, or maybe it is from enjoying the wonderful glass of sherry while I was making it.   

Augusta Voss

Marion, Augusta Voss Bihler, and Lois. Approx 1926

Manicotti – Meat & Cheese filled 
Makes 8 servings

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 lb. Ground Pork
1 lb. Italian Sausage – casings removed
¼ Cup Cream Sherry
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
¾ cup Grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano Cheese
15 oz. Light Ricotta Cheese
2 ea. 4.5 oz Sliced Mushrooms

3 cans 6 oz. Tomato Paste
2 cans 14.5 oz. Diced Tomatoes
1 ½ Cup Water
¼ Cup Cream Sherry (Optional)
2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
2 tablespoon Oregano
1 tsp Salt

Manicotti Pasta – 14 Shells
16 oz. Mozzarella Cheese Grated

Add olive oil to large 12” skillet, heat over medium heat. Add ground beef, pork, sausage, and mix in garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, and cream sherry.

Stir frequently until brown and drain. Add parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese and mushrooms to meat mixture. Mix thoroughly. Set aside while making sauce.
In a large mixing bowl mix diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, cream sherry, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, water, and cream sherry (optional – sometimes I prefer to just drink it).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Using a 14” x 10” baking dish, place a ¼” layer of sauce on bottom.  Using the meat mixture, stuff each pasta shell and place in baking dish until all shells have been filled. Mix leftover meat mixture with remaining sauce and spoon evenly over pasta shells.
Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 60 minutes.
Remove from oven and increase temperature to 375 degrees.
Remove foil and place shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over top of shells.
Place uncovered baking dish back in oven for 15 minutes or until cheese begins to brown slightly.

 

Click Here to View Current Comments or/and Add Your Own (8)

 

Mar24th2018

Joe’s Path In Life

by  Phyllis Zeck

Joseph Florian Del PrincipeJoseph Del Principe Jr (son of Giuseppe Florian Del Principe) was born in Chicago in the 1940’s. Joe lost his father when he was a young man. He has often told me that his father was a very compassionate person. Joe speaks fondly of his father and of all the Del Principe uncles and their families. 

Below is an image of the registration card for Joe’s father, Giuseppe who served in the cavalry. It’s dated June 5, 1917. Click on the image to enlarge it. You can read more about  Giuseppe’s service by clicking here.  Below are some memories that Joe shared with me recently about his time spent at Keesler Air Force Base. 

“Here is a photo that was recently discovered. It was taken in my dorm room at Keesler AFB, in Biloxi, MS in 1962. I doubt that I was ever that young. LOL

Actually Keesler is a training base, and was mostly administrative in nature. President Kennedy issued orders that if things were to get worse, they would ship us into the interior of the state, and bring in personnel more geared up for combat. This was my first permanent party assignment, and is where I started learning about the field of accounting and supply distribution management. I was amazed that I was given that assignment as I was the only high school dropout in my group going through basic and tech school training. That undoubtedly started me on a totally different path in my life, as I passed my GED exams there, and then went on to take college level courses. It was the same year that the USAF quit inducting individuals with less than a high school diploma.

I had a fantastic record collection as a result of my dad owning a record store, and I had my collection shipped down to the base. My dorm room became one of the most popular rooms in our unit. It took on the same feeling as being back home singing all of the great songs of the 50’s and early 60’s out on the street corner with the guys from the neighborhood.

I even talked the owner of the local pizza place outside the base to put some of my records on his juke box, instead of the country songs that were there. Boy did his business pick up from the guys on the base. Of course the locals were not real happy about it.”

 

Click Here to View Current Comments or/and Add Your Own (1)

 

Jan5th2014

Giuseppe Del Principe Sr

by  Phyllis Zeck

Giuseppe Florian Del Principe was the second child born to Pietro and Elvira on 25 Oct  1889 in Pescasseroli, Italy.  He arrived on Ellis Island on 21 Aug 1893 aboard the ship the Weser with his mother and two brothers (Francesco and Amelio).  Giuseppe had three children; Dolores, Chet and Joseph Jr.  

Joe Del Principe Jr

Joe Jr emailed me and said “I recently found a reel of film that had been taken back in about mid 1945. The movie included my dad Joe Sr, my mom Bernice, my big brother Chet, my sister Dolores, and yours truly Joe Jr. I had it transferred to a DVD after discovering it in a dresser drawer that used to belong to my mother. This is a treasure beyond belief for me. It was made outside my dad’s store, and also at LaFollette Park, both in Chicago.”  

There are eight surviving children born to the Del Principe brothers.  Joe Sr’s children Dolores and Joe; John’s son John Jr, Otto’s daughter Susan, Paul’s daughter’s Antoinette & Paulette, and Frank’s children Muriel and Luke.  You can read another blog post about Giuseppe by clicking here.  

The first woman in the film below is Joe’s half sister Dolores (age 17).  The second woman is Joe’s mother Bernice. Dolores and Chet were adopted by Joe Sr.  Thank you for sharing this with us Joe!

 

Click Here to View Current Comments or/and Add Your Own (1)

 

Jan3rd2011

Giuseppe Florian

by  Phyllis Zeck

Giuseppe was the second son born to Pietro and Elvira on Oct 15, 1889 in Pescasseroli Italy.  He appears to be the only brother who entered the service.

Joe’s military assignment was the Mexican Border Campaign.  “The Illinois National Guard was ordered into federal service by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 to assist the Regular Army in restoring peace along the border between the United States and Mexico.

Between the fall of 1910 and the summer of 1916, Mexico had been embroiled in a violent revolution, with opposing political and military forces struggling for control of the country. In 1913, United States President William Howard Taft sent a large military force into Texas and stationed them along the Rio Grande to protect Americans in the region. This show of American military force caused Mexican militants to redirect their violence from their own countrymen to Americans. In 1913, when Woodrow Wilson became President, he denounced the new revolutionary government in Mexico and refused to recognize it as the legitimate government. As a result of his position, violence toward Americans intensified and there were incidents of murder, robbery, kidnapping for ransom and property destruction.

In response to the violence, President Wilson sent 4,800 Regular Army troops under General John “Blackjack” Pershing to defend the border towns and their citizens. On February 24, 1913, fighting commenced along the border near Brownsville, Texas and on March 2, Mexicans attacked U.S. troops along the border near Douglas, Arizona. The struggle for control continued throughout 1914. Mexico elected a new government and president, Venustiano Carranza, in 1915.”

You can read the rest of the article about the Mexican Border Campaign at the following   website: http://www.il.ngb.army.mil/Museum/HistoricalEvents/MexicanB.aspx

1st Illinois Cavalry Band – Joe played the Saxaphon

Joe played the Saxophone with the 1st Illinois Cavalry  Band and is in the center of this photo.  Joeseph Jr has the original photo.  It is posted online at VintagePostcards.org with more details about the photo.

http://www.vintagepostcards.org/brownsville-illinois-cavalry-band-mexican-revolution-rppc-p-4293.html (more…)

 

Click Here to View Current Comments or/and Add Your Own (1)