Nona celebrates her Polish heritage and shares periogi recipe

What did you think of the Polish celebration Sunday?

Wes from Warsaw Dear Wes: It was nice to see you at the Polish Heritage Center Sunday morning where everyone who is anyone in local society was bursting with pride over our Polish roots.

It reminds me of a little something my grandma passed on to me about our Polish heri- tage! Here goes: You know you're Polish if: You have relatives who ar en’t really your relatives.

You know how to sing Sto Lat and sing it on all holidays/ special occasions.

You know very well Pope John Paul II was Polish and his name was Karol, not Carol.

You go to Midnight Mass every Christmas Eve and keep your Christmas tree up till February.

You know it's wodka, not vodka.

You open your presents o| Christmas Eve.

You don't feel the need to add an “s” to Pierogi because you already know the word is plural and it annoys you when others do.

You see a girl/guy and the first thing you check out are their eyes.

You sometimes slip up when speaking English and add a ‘y’ to already plural English words. You can spot Polish people like Asians can spot each other.

Your grandparents hardly (if at all) speak English.

When you’re at a stranger’s house, you expect their gar bage can to be under the sink.

You always take ou your shoes as soon as you step into someone else’s house, even when they say you don’t have to.

You still think that Ameri can weddings should last days, not hours.

You know Chopin was born in Poland and not in France.

You were speaking Polish before you were English.

You have never eaten meat on Friday.

You dash your sevens and hat your ones.

Your parents have no idea how to use a computer except for solitaire.

Your grandmother has a pic ture framed of Pope John Paul II, right beside your family photo.

Your family considers mushroom/berry picking as ‘having a good time’.

Your grandma insists you wear slippers because the floor is chilly and you’ll get a cold.

You have paper towelsYour grandma understands you better than you understand yourself. in the house but they’re just for show, because everyone knows you’re supposed to use a cloth.

All your friends wished they were Polish because of Smin gus Dingus.

You couldn't say a bad word, even butt, around your mother without getting smacked.

You would fail a blood/drug test because you’ve eaten so much poppy seed cake.

You, or your family/Polish friends talk in English, you occasionally slip in Polish words, and it’s ok because you all know what each other are saying.

Your grandma can tell if you like a girl/guy just by looking at you.

You often doodle the Polish eagle during class.

Someone in your family owns a car with a Polish sticker on the back.

There are curtains on all of the windows in your house, even in the bathroom.

You celebrate your birthday and your name day.

Grandma’s Polish Perogi Ingredients

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons butter, melted 2 cups sour cream 2 eggs 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 8 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons processed cheese sauce onion salt to taste (optional) salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, stir togeth- er the flour and salt. In a sep arate bowl, whisk together the butter, sour cream, eggs, egg yolk and oil. Stir the wet ingre – dients into the flour until well blended. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.

Place potatoes into a pjot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

Drain, and mash with shredded cheese and cheese sauce while still hot. Season with onion salt, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Separate the perogie dough into two balls. Roll out one piece at a time on a lightly floured surface until it is thin enough to work with, but not too thin so that it tears. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter, perogie cutter, or a glass. Brush a little water around the edges of the circles, and spoon some filling into the center. Fold the circles over into half-circles, and press to seal the edges. Place perogies on a cookie sheet, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to freezer storage bags or containers.

To cook perogies: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop perogies in one at a time. They are done when they float to the top. Do not boil too long, or they will be soggy!

Remove with a slotted spoon.

GRANDMA

NONA

Knows!

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