Meet the Brants
Move Over, Maria Von Trapp!
The hills are alive with the sound of… family! As Julie Andrews marched out into the great unknown, she belted out her anthem I Have Confidence. Let’s be honest, when standing on the precipice of adolescence, unabashed confidence in oneself is seldom the inherent prerequisite for crossing the threshold to 13. Nevertheless, one Berks County dad may have just hacked the system. Five years ago, he took his eldest daughter Annalee (now 17) on their inaugural 13th-birthday backpacking trek.
Free from technology, he offers each daughter his undivided attention while the Appalachian Trail grants golden moments to chat one-on-one while working together, “setting up shelter, preparing food and just sharing the joy of the natural world.” Wernersville resident Nathan Brant reflects, “When we were planning our first trip, I envisioned big conversations about life. I can now confidently say it's much more about the little conversations. We talk about school more than about what we want to be when we grow up. We talk about the hill we're climbing rather than the challenges that may be ahead of us in life. I suppose I was initially disappointed, but the little things matter. We talk about what they want to talk about.”
Being Present is the Gift
Dahlia (16) pipes in with mountains of middle sister pluck; “I feel like this is my dad's unique way of letting us know that he is here and present and cares. It's a really subtle and exciting way to reconnect with your parent and for your parent to see you in an independent, self-sufficient setting, which is super empowering as a kid.”
In preparation for their three-day hike, the birthday girl reviews trail maps, helps to pick each site, sets daily mileage, and creates the menu for each journey with careful consideration given to calculating every ounce. All necessities, food and shelter from the elements for their three-day journey must be carried on their backs. “We hike four miles, eat lunch and finish with seven to eight miles. We set up tents, cook dinner and clean up. At night, we talk and play cards or some trail game,” recounts Brant. “I suppose it doesn't sound like much, but each thing we do, we do together. Every moment is an opportunity for conversation, laughter or frustration. It's not always an easy experience, and the sun is not always shining, but that's part of it.”
Milestones & Memories
Elated by her own father-daughter backpacking adventure this September, freshly minted teenager Gwyneth advises, “it can be very tiring, but powering through and finishing feels amazing.
“Whatever your comfort level is, there is something so empowering about camping and spending time outside without phones or social media.” Dahlia affirms, “Turning 13 is definitely a milestone. All of a sudden, you're a teenager. Setting the precedent of going outside and spending time with nature, your family and yourself is a really great mindset to begin your teenage years with.”
Meet the D'Onofrios
Ciao, Famiglia!
Every year, August’s last Saturday brings with it a small army of tomato-red t-shirts, each adorned with “The Official D’Onofrio Sauce Day.” As the summer sun crests — well before you have dozily rubbed the slumber from your eyes — the D’Onofrio family is already hard at work.
These days, it’s hard to imagine cooking a year’s worth of …well, anything from scratch all in one day, let alone assembling the entire extended family under one Bernville roof to pull it off.
Parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends gather on Sauce Day. Even the youngsters have been chipping in as tiny tomato “squishers” since their days in diapers. There’s always music playing, though you’re likely to not hear it over the heaps of merriment and family chatter. Jaunty as a tarantella, they dance between one another seamlessly.
“Everyone knows what’s hot, what not to touch, where not to crowd and it just works,” declares daughter-in-law Marissa D’Onofrio of Shillington. “Making the sauce feels like home! It’s a feeling of comfort and family. There’s so much love and laughter when we’re all together, keeping the tradition alive. My favorite part is watching my husband, Chris, work side by side with his father, Tony, learning from him and passing that knowledge on to our children.”
Hardship & Hope
Like so many multigenerational traditions, this sauce was born of hardship and hope. First-generation Italian immigrant and family patriarch Tony D’Onofrio came to America in 1958 at the ripe age of 11, settling in Birdsboro. With a narrative as rich and storied as the flavorful recipes of yore, the D’Onofrio family brought with them a bit of home by way of one ubiquitous heirloom staple.
An indisputable must within any proper Italian kitchen, the generations-old copper pot was used long before they traversed across the North Atlantic Ocean. Known to raise the acidity, a ceramic dish is placed at the copper pot’s base for balance.
Buon Appetito!
Today, freshly grown herbs fragrantly dance about within the old copper pot, ready to launch your taste buds back to the old country. “Meatier” Roma tomatoes are the family favorite and are amassed 10 bushels at a time. Impromptu prep stations comprised of driveway picnic tables, single burners and hand crank presses have since been upgraded to electric press machines and several kerosene stovetops housed beneath a large pole barn. Each farm-fresh tomato is hand-quartered for pressing while rows upon rows of 200-plus squeaky-clean glass jars await, already containing homegrown sweet basil and parsley.
A sumptuous base for their favorite Italian dishes and good enough to eat by the spoonful, Sauce Day feeds the family throughout the year. Sustenance once made out of humble necessity now surpasses need and nostalgia. Today, it serves as a physical tie, nourishing the family bond itself. “I feel incredibly grateful to be a part of this family. It’s all about time! Take time to just be with family, whatever that means to you.” Pausing, Marissa smiles. “The sauce is the purpose. Family is the reason.”
