Somedays I oversleep!

I've overslept this morning and have run out of time to put together a Sunday Smiles post! Suffice it to say that my life is blessed in countless ways and that I have a bazillion things to smile about every day.

That is not to say that every day runs as smoothly as clockwork, or that bad stuff never happens . . . only that I am one of those lucky people that have found a way to rise above all the bad stuff and to live my life in a positive way.



I'd say it is my faith that helps me most of all. Without that . . . I am not sure how I would have ever coped with a variety of instances in my life. I have ever been a woman of faith, with a distinct and strong knowledge of my Heavenly Father and my Saviour. They are indeed my anchor when I am being tossed about by the storms of life and they are the lighthouse which guides my ship through the dark and troubled times into a safe harbour.

I have my health. I have love beyond measure . . . a warm roof over my head and food in my belly. What more could a body possibly want. Anything else is quite simply . . . the icing on the cake!

Have a blessed, safe and happy Sunday everyone!



We now have a glut of garden tomatoes, and with the promise of colder weather looming I am trying to use them up as quickly as I can, which is not really a problem for me . . . I love tomatoes. They are one of my most favourite vegetables/fruits. They are so very versatile and there is so much you can do with them. One of the tastiest things I love to do with them is to make a delicious roasted tomato sauce.



Generally speaking, the ones I used were a bit on the small side for a roasted tomato sauce, but then again, sometimes the smaller ones have a lot more flavour. They also seem to roast in about half the time of the larger ones, and sometimes time is of the essence, especially when you have about a bazillion things to do in a day!



After the sauce was done, I froze some of it, and then tossed the rest with a lovely plate of fresh pasta for a really delicious suppertime treat. Served with a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan and a warm and crusty Italian loaf on the side, it's bliss, pure bliss. (No, Todd was not a happy camper with this one . . . he strongly dislikes pasta, but don't feel too sorry for him. I baked him a meat pie and order was restored.)



*Roasted Tomato Sauce*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is the perfect sauce to make in the autumn when you have a glut of fresh tomatoes that you know are going to spoil if you don't get them used up. I always make tons of it as it freezes really well. Don't try making it in the winter with those insipid tomatoes they try to pass off on us in the stores at that time of year. This sauce is really best and deseving of the wonderful flavour that you can only get from fresh from the vine tomatoes we have in the autumn! It's super easy to make and so delicious!

2 pounds fresh tomatoes
3 or 4 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS really good quality extra virgin olive oil

Pre-heat your oven to 200*C/400*F. Wipe your tomatoes off with a damp cloth, cut them into halves and set aside.

Pour the olive oil into the bottom of a large shallow baking tray with one inch sides. Scatter in the minced garlic, basil leaves, oregano leaves, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the tomatoes, cut side down, fitting them all into the sheet and spreading the olive oil mixture around beneath them. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until soft, the skins are starting to peel off, and some of them are beginning to colour.

Remove from the oven and let cool somewhat. Lift off all the peels and discard. You can then put them through a mouli to remove the seeds and puree them, but I prefer to just mash it all together with a fork. I like the extra texture and flavour of the seeds.

Serve hot with your favourite pasta, or let cool and freeze in containers.



Over in The English Kitchen today, a delicious Raspberry Jam Pudding!

Poetry Saturday . . . The Seed Shop

Here in a quiet and dusty room they lie,
Faded as crumbled stone or shifting sand.
Forlorn as ashes, shrivelled, scentless, dry . . .
Meadows and gardens running through my hand.



Dead that shall quicken at the call of Spring,
Sleepers to stir beneath June's magic kiss,
Though birds pass over, unremembering,
And no bee suck here roses that were his.



In this brown husk, a dale of hawthorn dreams;
A cedar in this narrow cell is thrust
That will drink deeply of a century's streams;
These lilies shall make summer on my dust.



Here in their safe and simple house of death,
Sealed in their shells, a million roses leap;
Here I can blow a garden with my breath,
And in my hand a forest lies asleep.
~Muriel Stuart



This has long been one of my favourite poems. I think it is pure magic that something so beautiful as a rose or a daisy can spring from something which looks as dull and nondescript as a seed . . .



Muriel Stuart was often hailed as the best woman poet of the Scottish Renaissance, although she was not Scottish but English. The daughter of a Scottish Barrister, she forst wrote poems about World War 1, although she did give up writing poetry in her later years, having published her last works in the 1930's. Her most famous poem is entitled, "In the Orchard," and is composed entirely of dialogue and in no kind of verse, which made it very innovative for it's time. She also wrote a gardening book. She died in 1967 at the ripe old age of 82.

Here is a lovely autumnal salad which combines all the lovely flavours of autumn on one plate . . . crisp pears and toasted walnuts on a bed of greens, dressed with a roasted apple and walnut dressing and topped with Blue Cheese Toasts. It's a feast for the eyes and for the palate!



*An Autumn Salad of Apple Dressed Pears
and Walnuts with Blue Cheese Toasts*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is a lovely salad to enjoy on a warm autumn day. The tart flavour of the cooking apple shines through in the dressing without being overpowering and goes very well with the savoury crunch of the toasted walnuts and the sweetness of the pears. The lovely blue cheese toasts are it's crowning glory. If you can't find walnut bread a french stick will do, but do try to find the walnut bread if you can. It really does add a special touch.

4 baby gem heads, washed and leaves separated, the larger ones torn into smaller pieces
8 thin slices of walnut bread
75g of mild cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes (3/4 cup)
75g of cashel blue cheese, cut into small cubes (you can use another strong blue cheese such as a stilton if you wish) (1/3 cup)
2 ripe pears
100g of whole walnuts (A scant cup)

DRESSING:
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
50ml of walnut oil (scant 1/4 cup)
100ml of good olive oil (scant 1/2 cup)
1 tsp runny honey
1 TBS cider vinegar
seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat a TBS of the olive oil in a small skillet and cook the shallot and apple in it, stirring, until golden. Remove from the heat and put into a blender along with the other dressing ingredients. Blitz until smooth. Check for seasoning, adjust if necessary, and set aside.

Toast the walnut bread on one side. Mix the cubes of cheese together and then divide amongst the slices of bread and toast under the grill until the cheese is all melted and bubbling and starting to brown just the slightest. Take out and set aside.

Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for about 30 seconds.

Peel, core and slice the pears. Toss the sliced pears with the lettuce leaves, toasted walnuts and apple dressing. Divide amongst four chilled plates, garnishing each with two slices of the cheese toasts.



There's a delicious roundup of scrummy Autumnal puddings over in The English Kitchen this morning. (Shown here Sour Cream Apple Squares.)

A Mating Dance and Purple Plums . . .

We were sitting here eating our tea last night, nothing special, just some steak pies and chips, when I looked out the kitchen window and could see some mourning doves on the roof of the garden shed. Again, nothing special. We have several pairs of mourning doves that live in the area, and indeed a whole set of white pigeons that live somewhere across the road. The often sit on the rooves of the terraced houses out front of us. I love listening to the mournful cries of the doves in the mornings and the evenings. It is somewhat of a comforting sound to me. They wait in great anticipation several times a day for the bread crumbs and crusts that we put out for them.




Yesterday though, I was quite surprised, as they appeared to be fighting each other. I was a bit upset by all the activity until Todd told me that it was their mating dance . . . and then, what just a few minutes before had seemed violent and upsetting . . . turned into something of beauty to me. They fastened beaks together and were pulling each other about a bit, and then they would strut across the roofline, with wings apparently around each other. Quite beautiful really, taken in the right context. Billing and Cooing, I think is what Todd called it, and it is a name that perfectly suits, but then again nature is like that, perfectly suited . . .



We were very fortunate this past week or so to have been experiencing a beautiful Indian Summer, the finest I have ever experienced over here. It gave us a wonderful chance to finish up some jobs in the garden and I spent a few hours or so one day under the sun, listening to the birds sing and the bees buzz while I picked fruit in wonderful solitude, the fruit hanging from the branches around me like hundreds of big purple and blue easter eggs. The whole time I was picking, I couldn't stop thinking of all the wonderful things I was going to do with them . . . plum crumbles, cakes, muffins . . . chutnies and jams . . . wonderful, sugar plummy thoughts.



Back to the house, armed with a bag full of plums, I could hardly wait to get stuck in and cook up some lovely plum delights. First up I made some Spicy Plum Chutney. The kitchen didn't small half good whilst it was cooking!!! Todd thought he had died and gone to heaven. Next I cut quite a few into slices and froze them on baking sheets. Once they were frozen I packed them into heavy freezer bags. I can just take out as many as I want over the winter months to make crumbles and such.

Finally I baked this lovely German cake that we love. I say cake loosely, because it is really a cross between a cake and a tart. When you are eating it you can never quite decide exactly what it is . . . except to know that it is a lovely and rich early autumn treat. Slices of it, served warm with cold vanilla icecream melting down into it's rich crumbly goodness make me feel like all is right with the world. It can rain buckets tommorrow if it likes . . . for today I am enjoying the sunshine, the plums and this delicious cake, no I mean tart . . . oh what the heck . . . this wonderfully delicious taste of late summer!



*Cardamom Scented Plum Cake*
Makes 1 ten inch cake
Printable Recipe

I like to use the slightly tart purple Italian plums for this, but really any plum will do. A moist and rich cake with the delicate scents of vanilla and lemon, topped with tart and juicey sliced plums all underneath the cover of a delightly fragrant and spicy stresusal topping. This is definitely what I'd call moreish!

4 ounces butter (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup golden caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1 TBS sour cream
1 pinch salt
grated zest of one lemon
1 3/4 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups plums, pitted and sliced into wedges

For the topping:
6 TBS butter
3/4 cup plain flour
1/3 cup caster sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardomom



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/375*F. Lightly butter a 9 to 10 inch cake tin with a removeable bottom and set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, lemon zest, vanilla, sour cream and salt. Whisk the flour, baking powder together and then add it to the creamed mixture, mixing it in well. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

Liberally spread the plums over top of the batter. I like to arrange them in a circular pattern, but that's just me, it's not necessary.

To make the topping whisk together the sugar, flour and spices. Rub in the butter until it is crumbly. Sprinkle it evenly over the plums.

Bake in the pre-heated oven on the middle rack for approximately 45 minutes to an hour, until the topping is nicely browned and the cake tests done. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 15 minutes, cooling on a wire rack, before removing the sides of the pan. Serve warm, cut into wedges with scoops of good quality vanilla ice cream.

Mmmmmm . . . this is heaven in every bite . . . I wonder if it's good for breakfast?



There's an amazing Stilton and Celery Soup cooking in The English Kitchen today.

Monday morning ponderings . . .

“If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning... Face it, friend. He is crazy about you! ” ~ Max Lucado

If I had to sum up all of the so called important things that I have learned thus far in my lifetime, all of them together could not come up to the worth of the words in this one sentence . . .

God love YOU . . . as you are, right now . . . God loves you, and that will never change.



God loves you not because of who you are or what you have accomplished or done in your life . . . but because of who He is. He is your Heavenly Father and He loves you. You behaviour doesn't impact on the heart and character of God, any more than your own children's behaviour would have an impact on your heart and character. You might think that on your good days, God is proud of you; and that in your not so good moments, He may love you less, but this just isn't so. God's love for you is unchangeable, immoveable and ever steadfast. There is nothing you could do that would make Him love you less.

He doesn't just love the woman whose children all memorize their scriptures and sit quietly in church of a Sunday morning, whilst yours struggle to remember their names and can't sit still for even a moment. He doesn't just love the woman who has been happily married for years to the same man, whilst you have struggled to find even one who would suit. He doesn't just love the woman who does everything right, in the right way and at the right time . . . He loves You, with all your weaknesses and fumblings . . . as Angie would say . . . Warts-n-arl!



It is only when we are able to grasp this beautiful truth and drive it deep into our hearts, and live with it deep in the marrow of our bones that we are able to change our lives forever and become the women we were meant to be. This is the essence of a life changing truth.

We really enjoyed our Church Conference again yesterday. Of course, because of time differences, we were only able to watch the morning session, but we will catch up on the others as soon as they become available to watch on the internet. In the meantime, here are some more wonderful quotes from some of the talks that were some of my favourites:

President Eyring - What We Promise

"First we have promised to become charitable. Second, we promised to become witnesses of God. And third we promised to endure. The Book of Mormon is the best guide to learn how well we are doing and how to do better."

"The Lord is keeping His promises to you as you keep yours."

"Prayerful study of the Book of Mormon will build faith in God the Father, in His Beloved Son, and in His gospel. It will build faith in God's prophets, ancient and modern. It can draw you closer to God than any other book. It can change a life for the better."

Elder Hales - The Savior's Example, for Us, of Waiting Upon the Lord

"I have had the opportunity to study and learn more about our Savior's atoning sacrifice and how He prepared Himself to make that eternal offering for each of us. His preparation began in the pre-mortal life as he waited upon His Father, saying "Thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever. Beginning in that moment and continuing today, he exercises His agency to accept and carry out our Heavenly Father's plan."

"As we wait upon the Lord we are "immovable in keeping the commandments," knowing that we will "one day rest from [all] afflictions."

"Waiting upon the Lord gives us a priceless opportunity to discover that there are many who wait upon us. Our children wait upon us to show patience, love, and understanding toward them. Our parents wait upon us to show gratitude and compassion. Our brothers and sisters wait upon us to be tolerant, merciful, and forgiving. Our spouses wait upon us to love them as the Savior has loved each one of us."

Elder Ballard - The Importance of a Name

"The name the Savior has given to His Church tells us exactly wo we are and what we believe. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior and the Redeemer of all mankind. He atoned for all who would repent of their sins, and He broke the bands of death and provided resurrection from the dead. We follow Jesus Christ."

"While Mormon is not the full and correct name of the Church, and even though it was originally given by our detractors during our early years of persecution, it has become an acceptable nickname when applied to members rather than the institution. We do not need to stop using the name Mormon, when appropriate, but we should continue to give emphasis to the full and correct name of the Church itself. In other words, we should avoid and discourage the term "Mormon Church".

President Monson - Prayer

"Also evolving at a rapid rate has been the moral compass of society. Behaviors which once were considered inappropriate and immoral are now not only tolerated but also viewed by ever so many as acceptable."

"Although the world has changed, the laws of God remain constant. They have not changed; they will not change. The ten commandments are just that -- commandments. They are not suggestions. They are every bit as requisite today as they were when God gave them to the children of Israel."

"My brothers and sisters, I declare to you, however, that there is nothing which can bring more joy into our lives or more peace to our souls than the spirit which can come to us as we follow the Savior and keep the commandments."

"As a means of being in the world but not of the world, it is necessary that we communicate with our Heavenly Father through prayer. He wants us to do so; He'll answer our prayers."

"Not a day has gone by that I have not communicated with my Father in Heaven through prayer. It is a relationship that I cherish . . . one I would literally be lost without."

"My beloved brothers and sisters, communication with our Father in Heaven . . . including our prayers to Him and His inspiration to us . . . is necessary in order for us to weather the storms and trials of life."

"As the winds of change swirl around us and the moral fiber of society continues to disintegrate before our very eyes, may we remember the Lord's precious promises to those who trust in Him: "Fear thou not; I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yeah, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

There is always so much wisdom packed into those two hours of talks and inspiration. I love every minute of it and always come away from it inspired and resolved to be a better me.

Here's a yummy autumn dessert that will make a beautiful use of all the plums that we have sitting ripe on the grocery shelves at the moment. Oh how I love plums . . . I know I say this about all the fruits, but they are one of my absolute favourites!



*Plum Streusal*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I love this warm pudding. Over here in the UK dessert is calling pudding. This is comfy and delicious. The perfect way to use up that glut of egg shaped delights!

1 large egg
1/2 cup light muscovado sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
40 small purple plums, sliced in half and pitted
StreusalTopping:
1/2 cup light muscovado sugar
2 TBS plain flour
3 TBS butter, melted
1 TBS chinese five spice powder
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and broken into pieces



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly butter a 9 inch square glass dish and set it aside.

Cream together the butter and the muscovado sugar. Beat in the egg. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, mixing until smooth. It will be a loose batter.

Mix together the topping ingredients , the sugar, flour, five spice powder and cloves. Add the walnuts and melted butter, mixing until crumbly.

Place half the plums in the buttered baking dish. Pour half the batter over. Top with half the streusal topping. Repeat once more, ending up with streusal on top.

Bake in the heated oven for 1 hour, or until golden brown. Serve warm with custard or vanilla ice cream.



Over in The English Kitchen today, some delicious Black Pepper Biscuits!

Collecting . . .

(a variety of collections.)

I went through a stage when I was a child of collecting stamps . . . nothing serious mind you. I had sent away to a place in a comic book ad and gotten what seemed like a bazillion stamps for a paltry few dollars. I can remember looking at each of them and wondering at the different places they had come from and enjoying the various pictures on each and the colours . . . I are in hindsight that there was nothing of real value in the set.

Another time I collected animal cards from the grocery store. My mother purchased a set for each of us each time we bought groceries, either that or she was given them . . . I don't know which for sure. I had a little album that had also come from the IGA (name of the shop) and you pasted all the animal cards inside of it. There were specific spaces for each and a short description of each telling fascinating and interesting facts about each animal, it's habitat, etc. I can remember almost filling in every space, and really enjoying the cards. I remember the cover was a leafy green in colour and it was called Animals of the World.


(A few more flights of fancy.)

As an adult I've made a hobby of collecting salt and pepper shakers and cream and sugar dishes. (Todd would add cook books to that list, but we're not letting him say a word!) I have quite a few different ones now and I love each of them for a special reason . . . and when one breaks, as they have done through the years from time to time, I am heartbroken . . . but then I remind myself that they are only things . . . and I have something much more valuable than anything I could possess . . . and that is the love of family and friends. That usually helps.

There are two kinds of collectors . . . the first seeks to have complete sets of things, be they stamps, coins, Barbie dolls, etc. . . . and they keep a comprehensive and orderly set of their objets d'art. The second kind of collecter is driven by sheer desire . . . by the siren call, as it were, of something that they find beautiful and magnetically drawn to . . . I think I come from the second kind. I am drawn by the beauty of the things that I collect and am happy with them, whether they be just a few or a multitude.


(Time anyone?)

Lately I have been drawn into Pinterest. This is an online place where you can collect things as well . . . in pictures. It's a LOT of fun and quite harmless. You browse the net looking for things you like and then you can catalogue them and pin them onto "Boards" which you create. I have quite a few boards on there now . . . including . . . Everything Barbie, Gingerbread Love, French Country Decor, 1950's Kitchen, Christmas, it's never too early, Gingham love, hats through the Years, etc. I have great fun adding to my different collections and also great fun looking through other people's collections. I believe you can access my collections here. Be careful though . . . I am warning you, it's very addictive! (It's also a really inexpensive way to collect your loves and interests!)

I also collect quotes and poetry. These are probably the things that bring me the most pleasure. There is so much wisdom in words I think, and a great deal of value to be found there, even if it's only to my own soul . . .


(A collection of suitcases and hatboxes.)

My collections give me great joy . . . whether they be tangible or merely collections of the heart. They're like little happiness boxes, filled with things that bring me a great deal of pleasure and cause my heart to quicken . . . just a little bit. Do you have any collections??? Any that you'd like to share in the comments section??? I would dearly love to hear about them! Do tell!!

By the way I enjoyed all of your comments yesterday re family history. Another love that is quite, quite compelling once begun! Thanks so much for sharing!

When I lived in Canada, throughout the years my children were growing up, I used to make several batches of delicious spicyApple Butter every year, along with countless jars of crabapple jelly, and plastic margarine tubs full of applesauce to put into the freezer. In the long cold winter months they were a delicious taste of autumn.



*Applesauce Spice Cake*
Serves 10 to 12
Printable Recipe

This is a lovely cake that the whole family will enjoy. Deliciously moist and full of the wonderful flavour of spice, studded with soft raisins and crunchy walnuts, this truly is a joy to bake and to eat. The smell of this when it is baking is truly heavenly!


2 ½ cups plain flour
1 cups caster sugar
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
½ cup vegetable shortening such as Trex, White Flora or Crisco
½ cup water
2 large eggs, beaten
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 cup sultantas

FOR THE ICING:
¾ cup of softened butter
5 cups icing sugar, sifted
¼ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp lemon essence

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly grease and flour a 9 by 15 inch baking pan and set aside.

Sift together the flour, soda, baking powder, salt, spices and sugar into a large bowl. Drop in the shortening, applesauce, water and eggs. Beat it all together with an electric mixer until it is all smooth, beating well. Fold in the sultanas and walnuts. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake for approximately 34 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned and the top springs back when lightly touched. Alternately you may use a toothpick to see if it is done, which when inserted will come out clean.

Remove from the oven and place in the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Once completely cool make the frosting. Beat the butter until light and fluffy and then beat in the remaining ingredients, beating until smooth and fluffy. Spread evenly across the top of the cake. (leave the cake in the pan and serve from there) If you want you can sprinkle more toasted walnuts over the top of the finished cake.

Delicious!



Over in The English Kitchen this morning, a delicious stir up that I composed from store cupboard ingredients, Stir Up Spicy Rice Supper. It tastes a LOT better than it looks!

Setting forth on wings of faith . . .

If the migrant bird could see the way it had to fly . . .
It might not risk the long hard flight, across the unmapped sky,
But God gives it sufficient strength to launch out into space
Setting forth on wings of faith, for some far distant place.
~Patience Strong

That's kind of like life isn't it? If we knew what tomorrow would bring, would we move forward without hesitation? It would not be very hard if we knew that tomorrow would be filled with happy and pleasant things . . . but what about the tomorrow's that would be filled with the not so happy things . . . the sorrow, or pain . . . the loss or injury . . . ill health . . .

I'm not so sure that I would march forward in faith, did I know the outcome. That's not faith anyways is it? Faith is trusting an unknown future to a known God, and moving forward irregardless of what tomorrow may or may not bring.



Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
~Hebrews 11:1

It is jumping in at the deep end . . . and trusting in a God that will be there to help to keep us afloat. It's trusting in the strength of our God and Saviour to help get us through anything that life may and probably will throw our way.



Just my thoughts this morning.

Todd is still not very well. If you could spare a few happy thoughts for him, I would most appreciate them. It's just a nasty infection that is keeping him down and out of sorts, nothing serious so far as we know. Hoping that he will feel much better today.

For the past few weeks the hedgerows have been just bursting with beautiful blackberries, their heavily laden branches bowed beneath the weight of these lovely, shiny black fruits. It's been a race between the birds and us to see who can gather the most.

I like to freeze them. I place them on parchment paper lined, rimmed baking trays in single layers and then pop them into my freezer. Once they are frozen solid, I then pour them into zip lock bags. That way they are loose frozen and in the long winter months ahead I can take out just as many or as few as I need to use, at any one given time. I do the same with all my berries that I freeze.



In Canada, when my family was growing up, I used to put up pints of blackberry jelly for the winter every late summer. At one time we lived in a rented farmhouse, which lay on the banks of the Georgian Bay, and the hillside down towards the water was stogged full of wild black berries. Every year, I regularly donned a long sleeved shirt and faced the brambles in my quest for the lovely black beauties. Afterwards, back home, I would make jar after jar of Blackberry jelly, to be enjoyed in the coming winter on thick slices of freshly toasted homemade bread or spread in between the soft sweet layers of a freshly baked Victorian sponge. It also made the loveliest of jam tarts. What didn't make it into the jelly pot made it into my freezer, to be enjoyed at a later date, baked up into delicious dessert bakes, muffins, cobblers and pies.



I have't made much in the way of jams and jellies since I moved over here. Todd and I are just two people, and it takes us ever so long to eat them up. So long, that I fear they will spoil long before we can get them used. Instead, I gather them up, leaving some for the birds, and what I am not able to use right away fresh, gets frozen for use in the cooler months ahead. They are lovely in crumbles and pies. A little taste of summer to light up a dreary winter's day ...



*Blackberry Pie with Streusal Topping*
Makes one 9 inch pie
Printable Recipe

You can use store-bought blackberries for this delicious pie if you wish, but I prefer to use the wild ones picked from the bramble hedges. They seem to have so much more flavour, and I suppose the effort one has to make in order to acquire them makes them taste all the better . . .

prepared pie crust to line the bottom of a nine inch pie dish
(ready made or make your own)
1/2 cup of caster sugar
2 1/2 TBS of cornflour
pinch of salt
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
the juice of 1 lemon
1 pound of fresh blackberries
Streusal Topping:
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of plainflour
1 TBS water
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup of butter softened

Preheat the oven to 205*C/425*F.
Make the streusal topping by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl until crumbly. Set aside.

Roll out the flakey pastry to about 1/8 inch thick and about 12 inches in diameter. Carefully transfer it to your pie tin. Trim the edges to about a 1/2 inch over hang. Fold this under until even with the rim of the pie dish all around and then flute the edge decoratively.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornflour, salt, lemon juice and lemon zest. (I only use unwaxed lemons. Who wants to eat wax. If you don't have unwaxed lemons wash them really well in soapy water to remove the wax coating. I have a microplane that I used for zesting. It does a lovely job!) Put the blackberries in a bowl and pour this mixture over them, tossing them gently to coat. Try not to crush the berries too much. Let them sit for about fifteen minutes and then, giving them a final gentle toss, pour the whole mixture into the prepared and waiting crust. Sprinkle the top evenly with the streusal mixture. You will most likely have too much, but that's ok. Just freeze what you don't use in a zip lock bag to bring out and use another time. It goes great on muffins, coffee cakes and other things.

Place on a cookie sheet that you have lined with aluminum foil and bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 to 45 minutes until the filling is all bubbly and the streusal all crunchily golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack before serving. We like to have it warm with big scoops of cold vanilla ice cream.



For my first Meat free Monday post over in The English Kitchen there is a delicious casserole today, Washday Macaroni and Cheese!

Sunday Morning thoughts . . .

I love to wake up in the wee hours of the morning and experience the first rays of light conquering the darkness of the night. It fills my heart with an unexplicable feeling. I watch the ebony melt away from the sky and being replaced with the golden glow of the day ahead, and my senses awaken . . . Those first few moments of the day . . . the sun seems to ignite my day with a beautiful horizon of hope, a new dawn . . . a new beginning.

Truth is . . . yesterday cannot be changed or altered in any way, not the good of it, nor the bad of it, nor anything in betwixt the two. Tomorrow remains a mystery, which I can no more predict than I can the winning lottery numbers of the next lotto draw. Today can't be controlled any more than I can adjust the sun's path . . .

This might make some feel helpless . . . not me. I find, instead, a deep comfort in the knowledge that the one who placed the sun on it's course across the skies . . . has also lit a distinct path for us to follow. A path filled with purpose and the potential for great prosperity.



While travelling through this veil of tears on earth . . . we will encounter both the darkness and the light. The rains and storms will fall upon each of us at one time or another. We can take heart in knowing it will not always be so . . .

A day will come when Christ, in all of His glory and light, will fill every shaded nook and every shadowed cranny . . . and darkness will be no more. Nothing on earth will remain as it is now. The earth and God's people will be able to experience the fullness of His redemption and love in an unimaginable way. This is not something to be afraid of. This is something which can bring each of us a wonderful hope in a beautiful future, and solace for anything which we may have to go through today. The fulness of that promise is ours to grab hold of, if we will only endure to the end . . . and keep hold of our faith.

Just my thoughts on this beautiful Sabbath morning.



I am giving a talk in church this morning on The Restoration. It's a wonderful topic and I quite enjoyed all the research I did when I was putting my words together. I am a bit nervous, as . . . aside from the Primary Presentation and Nativity last year . . . it will be my first time standing in front of this Ward and giving a talk. I hope that I do ok and that they are able to feel the spirit in my words. I know, I surely did when I was writing it.

We didn't go to Llangollen yesterday after all. It was too overcast and windy and it looked all day as if the heavens would open at any minute and pour down upon us. Instead we took ourselves off into town and I picked up something to wear on my adventure to Ipswich and Jimmy's Farm next week! Not long to wait now. My new dishwasher will arrive this week as well, so I have a lot coming up in the next few days!

Here's a delicious way to prepare chicken breasts on these warmer summer evenings. Do plan ahead as you have to marinate the chicken overnight. If you don't want to do the citrus marinade (I hope that you do though as it is delicious) you can just marinate your chicken in Italian Salad Dressing, which is also fabulously wonderful!



*Citrus Grilled Chicken Breasts*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Boneless chicken breasts marinated overnight in a tangy citrus marinade and then grilled to perfection and served over salad greens, topped with a delicious Balsamic Drizzle!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 lemons, halved
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

For the Balsamic dressing:
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
3 TBS finely chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup plus 1 TBS canola oil
1/4 cup plus 2 TBS olive oil
3 TBS Dijon mustard
1/2 cup plus 1 TBS Balsamic vinegar (Use a good quality vineger not a cheap one)

Salad greens to serve

Place the chicken breasts in a large shallow pan. Squeeze the juice from the lemon halves into a separate bowl, then whisk in the oil, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour this marinade over the chicken. Place the lemon halves in between the chicken breasts, cover the pan tightly. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Heat your grill to medium high. Grill the chicken, occasionally turning and brushing with any remaining marinade, until the juice runs clear or the inner temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove from the grill and place on a plate of greens and garnish with lemon slices and sprigs of oregano.

Whisk the ingredients for the balsamic dressing together in a bowl. Drizzle over the chicken and salad greens and serve immediately.



Over in The English Kitchen today I'm serving up delicious Oatmeal and Cranberry Breakfast Custards!