Monday Morning Ponderings . . . and a winner

He leadeth me beside the still waters,
He restoreth my soul.
~Psalm 23

We, each of us, start to form an emotional history almost as soon as we are born. The mother's breast and nurturing sustenance . . . touching a hot stove, fear of fire . . . in a tender moment, a hand is slapped and fear of love begins. Our emotions and reflexes run deep within us. Our heart can be found beneath our emotional history . . . like a soft sandy shoal, waiting beneath the waters of our existence.



In order to see ourselves clearly, we have to try to still our emotional history until the waters of our existence are still and calm, like a quiet transparent lake, clear enough that we and other's can see through to the bottom. This is when it becomes possible for us to connect with others and to form relationships, for love to begin.



However when someone moves out to touch our hearts . . . the water is stirred, sending up ripples, and making it difficult for us . . . and them . . . to see what really matters. We need to learn to stay with our deepest feelings long enough for the emotional associations with touch and love . . . or the ripples caused by the disturbing of our waters . . . to settle. Nobody can escape this. Each of us, no matter how innocent or experienced in love we may be . . . each of us has experienced love, for good or for bad . . . has been in relationships, now or in the past and we carry our emotional baggage with us, like a ship upon the waters. When someone tries to reach into our waters . . . our baggage gets jostled and the water can become very muddy indeed.



We must stay patient . . . and still our hearts, so that we . . . and they . . . can see clearly the joy that is there to discover, and the new stories and emotions that are waiting to be written upon our souls. This peaces come from trusting in the Lord, allowing Him to direct our paths, and knowing that, if we listen to and trust in that still small voice, everything will be ok.

Just my ponderings this morning . . .

I remembered this morning to pull a winner on my giveaway last week, and I pulled number 4. Lyn, send me your address and any details you may want on the hearts, family names etc. and I'll print one out and it will be winging it's way to you pronto! Congratulations!

I like to use my slow cooker on Sundays most weeks. That way we can have a tasty dinner waiting for us when we get home. We're always starved when we get home on Sunday afternoon. The temptation to just chow down on anything is so great, it's much easier if dinner is ready and waiting. If I've had enough forethought to pop something into the crock pot in the morning, that is not a problem!



*Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings*
Serves 5
Printable Recipe

Easy peasy and helps to keep the kitchen cool in the summer heat. You can just pop everything into the slow cooker in the morning and then go on about the business of your day, knowing supper is already dealt with.

2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 pound small red potatoes (about 2 1/2 inches in diameter)
1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped ( 3/4 cup)
2 cups baby-cut carrots
5 1/4 cups chicken broth
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp summer savoury
1 small bay leaf
2 cups baking mix
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons parsley flakes

Place chicken, potatoes, onion and carrots in 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with some salt, black pepper and the summer savoury. Add broth and bay leaf.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 9 to 10 hours.

Increase heat setting to high. Stir together baking mix, water and parsley in medium bowl. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto hot chicken mixture. Cover and cook 45 to 50 minutes or until dumplings are dry in center.

Spoon out into bowls to serve, discarding the bay leaf when you find it. Delicious!



Baking in The English Kitchen today, a delicious English Pea, Spinach and Gruyere Tart!

Marie's Sunday Six

Well this week certainly was a mixture of sad and happy things . . . my heart and prayers go out to Norway who are dealing with the tragic occurrences there this week. It boggles the mind to think that anyone can do something as horrific as that . . . but they did, and it happened. So sad . . . and then too, there was the tragic death yesterday of a great talent in their Prime . . . Amy Winehouse, so sad. Her family and friends are in my prayers.

But amidst all the tragedy and sadness there has been a lot of joy for me. Life is like that . . . a mix of smiles and sorrow. There has to be some rain to find a rainbow . . .



My biggest smilemaker this week was, of course, Lura's having come through her surgery safe and sound and the wonderful news that she doesn't have cancer! Whew!! HUGE sigh of relief there. I know she is in a lot of pain and having to recover, yet again, from surgery . . . but what a blessing to know that there is nothing seriously wrong. She can now start to heal in earnest without any cloud hanging over her life. I was also so pleased to be able to speak to her on the telephone this week! It was so good to hear her voice and to share some precious words with her. Let's pray that she continues to heal well and will soon be back to her own sweet self!



It's a mystery to me, but I've been taught to never look a gift horse in the mouth . . . I was down a whole Kilo at my weigh in this week at the One Step Program! Not sure how that happened, but I'll not quibble with the results! Whoop! Whoop!! I've now lost a grand total of one Stone (14 pounds), so only a bazillion more to go! Just so long as the scales keep moving in the down direction, that's all that counts!



Having a Granddaughter to buy things like pretty dresses makes me smile. Oh, I do adore my grandsons so very much. They make me smile too. I love to buy them books and toys, but their clothes are not all that exciting really . . . little smocked and embroidered dresses make me smile, as does the thought of seeing them on sweet little Maryn one day. I need to make her a doll, don't I! I have one all cut out, a really special one, but I must make myself sit down and sew it together. I really must. The thought of creating anything for my grandchildren makes me smile.



I sat down at my work table yesterday to do something completely different . . . I put together several sets of cards that I want to sell in my Etsy Shop and then all of a sudden this popped out. She makes me smile as does the sentiment.



I love her little polka dot wellies and the polka dot ribbons holding her case closed. I would love a pair of wellies like that, wouldn't you? They would make any journey that little bit better I think!!


(Dining Out, by Beryl Cook)

No, I did not dance with a wine bottle. There wasn't a bottle of wine in sight, but Todd and I did get to dine out with some good friends of ours this week. It wasn't in a fancy restaurant, but only at the local carvery and we had coupons for each of that allowed us to dine there for only £2.99 a piece. (That price made me smile too!) It wasn't really about the food though, or the price . . . it was about spending some quality time with some very good friends. That always makes me smile! We went for a nice walk afterwards too, which also made me smile. I've had so many problems with my knees this year that just being able to walk, even a short distance, always makes me smile!



We have a wonderful organization in my church, called The Relief Society. It is the oldest Woman's Organization in the world, having been around for almost 200 years now. But it is much, much more than just a Women's group . . . the purpose of Relief Society, as established by the Lord, is to organize, teach, and inspire His daughters to prepare them for the blessings of eternal life. For most of my time in our church, I've been serving in the children's part of it and then in Young Womens . . . it is a blessing to me to be able to now serve the women in my church as a part of the leadership of our Ward's Relief Society. Being able to serve these sweet souls really brings a smile to my face. I wish each of them knew how very much we love them and how we care for them. I wish they could know the many prayers that we, as a leadership, offer up for each one of them and how very much we, as a Presidency, love serving them. I just adore my calling in Relief Society, and serving these sisters and the Lord in the best way that I can. Being able to serve makes me smile big-time!

So there you have it, only a small portion of all the things this week that brought a smile and a song to my heart. Life can be so very good if you choose it to be.

"Forever is but a trail of 'Nows'. The best a man can do is to live every one fully in it's turn.
~unknown

I wish each of you a wonderful week ahead, filled to overflowing with nows that you can live fully and treasure, each in it's own turn! Have a blessed Sabbath everyone! (And SMILE!)



*Bacon, Egg and Cheese Toastie*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is a wonderful way to have your breakfast, all stacked together in one delicious pile. Every forkful brings you a taste of bacon, egg, cheese and toast, all together in one luscious mouthful!

4 slices of thick country style white bread
12 slices of dry cure streaky bacon
8 ounces of medium cheddar cut into slices
1 TBS butter
4 large free range organic eggs

This is my secret way of cooking bacon so that there’s no grease on top of your stove and no messy pan to clean up afterwards. Pre-heat your oven to 220*C/425*F/gas mark 6. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil wrap. Lay the bacon slices out onto the baking sheet without overlapping. Pop the pan into the heated oven and bake for six minutes. Turn the pan around 180 degrees and bake for another four to seven minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon. (For this recipe you only want it medium done and not too crispy as it will be going under the grill after) Remove the bacon to a plate, lined with paper kitchen towelling to drain. I, then, blot the top with more kitchen towelling. You can then just pitch the foil wrap into the bin and you have a clean oven tray to continue on with the rest of the recipe.

Heat your grill while you make the toast. Toast the slices of bread until they are medium toasted, not really dark as they will then be going under the grill and you don’t want too crispy a slice. Once they are toasted lay each one out onto the baking sheet and cover them with the slices of cheese equally. Divide the bacon equally amongst the sandwiches and lay it on top of the cheese.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat and pop some butter into it. When the butter is foaming, crack in the four eggs. Turn the heat down to medium and cook them slowly for a few minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are as done as you like them. If you don’t want them sunny side up you can flip them over if you like. We like them sunny side up. When they are done to your taste, turn out the heat and remove the pan to the side while you grill the toastie.

Pop the tray with the bread, cheese and bacon on it under the grill and grill until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the bacon is as crisp as you want it. It should only take four or five minutes. Remove from the oven and place a fried egg neatly on top of each. Remove to heated plates. Sprinkle each with a little seasalt and cracked black pepper. Serve.



Baking in The English Kitchen today, a Featherlight Wholewheat Cake!

Poetry Saturday . . . Dandelion Days . . .

Dandelion, dandelion,
Won't you tell me true,
Where all the years have flown away
Since first your seeds I blew?



Since first I ran through meadow-grass
And days stretched long and free,
With dandelions the only clock
To tell the time for tea.



Yet do the days just disappear
Like seeds that drift away?
Or do they live forever on
In some mysterious way?



For still within me dwells that child
Who hears Truth's teasing call
That clocks are but a human toy
And time means naught at all.
~margaret ingall



I just adore this poem. It takes me back to barefoot summer days as a child . . . when the school summer holidays stretched before me seemingly like forever, and time had not much meaning. Endless days of warm sunlight and play . . . and golden twilights before bath and bed.



We were so excited yesterday to discover not one, but two frogs in our pond, sunning themselves on the lily pads! We were looking at the lily pad flowers which have begun to bloom and I discovered one sitting right at the edge of one of the lily pads . . . and then, as I pointed it out to Todd, I discovered another one at the edge of another pad! It is amazing to think that out of all those hundreds and hundreds of tadpoles, only these two have survived! There could be more that we just have not noticed yet, but we are grateful for these two and quite happy with them!

I miss the sound at twilight of the frog's chorus that I used to fall asleep to back in Canada, with the odd loud harrumph of the bull frog . . . that and the crickets . . . and the sound of the cicadas on a warm summer's day . . . like electrical wires humming. No such sounds here, at least not where I live anyways!!

Wherever you go today, whatever you may be doing, I hope you have a lovely day, just chock to overflowing with beautiful things and small pleasures!

Here's a tasty recipe that I had not made in a long time, not since we moved up here at any rate. They make an excellent appetizer for those backyard barbeques I am sure you are all holding at the moment! Todd and I just have them for our tea with some salad on the side. We are happy with that.



*Proscuitto Wrapped Lemon Chicken with an Avocado and Lime Dip*
Makes 20 pieces approximately
Printable Recipe

Plan ahead as you must marinate the chicken pieces for one to two hours. They are fairly easy to put together and very quick to cook. I love the delicious combination of the tartness of the lemon and the salty crispness of the proscuitto!

1 pound (16 ounces) of boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
½ cup olive oil
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 thin slices proscuitto
20 whole fresh basil leaves

FOR THE DIP:
2 large ripe avocados
2 TBS freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp prepared horseradish sauce
1 spring onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp salt

Cut the chicken into strips that are three inches long and one half inch wide. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper together in a bowl large enough to hold all the chicken pieces. Add the chicken and cover with cling film. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow them to marinate for at least one hour.

Make your dip while the chicken pieces are marinating. Peel the avocado and slice. Drop it into a medium size bowl along with the lime juice and mash it well with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and mix them in well. Taste and adjust seasoning if required. You may want to add a bit more lime juice or horseradish, all depending on your own tastes. Set aside to serve at room temperature.

Pre-heat your grill.

Remove the chicken from the fridge. Take your slices of proscuitto and cut them in half lengthwise so that you have slices that are approximately five inches long, and two inches or so tall. Place a whole basil leaf on one end of the strip of proscuitto and lay a piece of chicken on top. Roll the Proscuitto and basil around the chicken to form a cylinder. Repeat with all the pieces of chicken until you have them all rolled.

Grill or broil the rolls just until the chicken is firm and cooked through, which should take about five minutes or so. Serve warm with the dip.



Baking in The English Kitchen today, a delicious Berry Custard Pie!

A sunny post . . .

We have had more than our fair share of rain over these past couple of weeks. The weather has sure been making up for our dry spring by giving us a wet summer thus far! I thought it would be nice this morning to dwell on something sunny . . . sunflowers!




I have always wanted to travel to France and see the fields of Sunflowers in bloom. I don't think anything could be quite as inspiring as the sight of fields and fields of these brilliant yellow or vividly orange coloured flowers. I have seen pictures of the Tour de France bicyclists cycling past fields and fields of sunflowers and can only imagine how the sight of them must perk them up!



When we lived in Meaford, Ontario quite a number of years back, the farm across the road from us grew sunflowers for bird seed and, whilst there were not acres and acres of them . . . the sight of that one huge field of them was beautiful. I took a picture of my girls and their friends standing amongst them and it was a lovely photo. I sure wish I had a copy of it.



The American poet Albert Bigelow Paine wrote of the wide "golden fields of Kansas where the sunflowers bloom." With their tall stems and large sunshine ray yellow flower heads, they are an inspiring symbol of strength to many.

"A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows."
~St Francis of Assisi

A strong and healthy sunflower, and sunbeams winking at us are always inspiring. When we lived down in Kent we grew sunflowers next to our garden shed and they always towered over the roof . . . such a pretty sight to see in the autumn and we had many a walker on the footpath which ran along the front of our house stop to admire them and take pictures.



The famous French Artist, Vincent Van Gogh, did several series of paintings of Sunflowers, the most famous of which is shown here and which hangs in the National Gallery in London . . . sunflowers have been inspiring people for many many years it seems.

I know that I have always loved them and cannot help but smile when I see them blooming.!! They just make me feel happy inside.



Something else that made me smile and feel all happy inside was getting a telephone call from Lura yesterday! It was not a long conversation, but she just wanted to let me know how she was. She is in a lot of pain and does not feel like opening up her computer yet, and so I said I would let you all know how she is doing. Of course she is so very relieved that there was no cancer (as we all are!)! She is also very relieved to have this latest hurdle jumped. I told her now her healing can begin in earnest and hopefully within a short span of time she can get her life back to as normal as possible. She did want me to thank you all so very much for your prayers and happy thoughts. They mean the world to her!

Pie is a real smile maker around here as well. We do love our pies. I think I've always had a love affair with pie. It was always a real treat when I was growing up if my mother made a pie. She made beautiful ones . . . both savoury and sweet. I baked Todd a delicious Rhubarb and Blueberry pie yesterday, which he is really enjoying. Oh, a question for you all . . . my mother and I were talking about pies not too long ago and she was saying that her mother always made a blueberry custard pie and I was wondering if any of you had heard of that or if anyone had a good recipe for one. I have been craving one ever since she told me of it!



*Rhubarb and Blueberry Pie*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

Made easy using refrigerated pie crusts, with a sweet and tangy filling.

2 refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on the box

For the filling:
2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch lengths
3 cups fresh blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Dash salt
2 teaspoons milk
1 tablespoon coarse sugar, if desired

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.

Place one of the crusts into a 9 inch pie plate. Trim off any overhang, leaving the crust flush with the edge of the pie plate. Set aside.

Mix all of the filling ingredients (except milk and coarse sugar) in a bowl, tossing together gently to mix. Spoon into the crust-lined pie plate. Cut the second crust into about 1/2 inch strips. Lay in straight rows across the filling, placing one corner over the other, and leaving about 1 inch between rows. Place any remaining dough strips around the edges, overlapping to fit. Brush with milk and then sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using. Cover the crust edge with foil to help prevent excessive browning. (Remove foil during last 15 to 20 minutes of bake time.) Place onto a baking tray to catch any drips during baking.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the filling bubbles in middle and the crust is golden brown. Cool on cooling rack at least 1 hour before serving.



Cooking in The English Kitchen today, Grilled Chicken with a Summer Berry Salsa. Oh so delish!

Change . . .

Change. It comes to each of us at various stages in life doesn't it? Sometimes it is most welcome, but all too often . . . we fear it. It is the fear of the unknown I think, that causes us to dread it.

On a particularly windy and stormy morning a little while back, I looked out my back door and saw a mistle thrush sitting on the top of a tall tree in a neighbour's garden, swaying in the wind and singing it's little heart out, seemingly unbothered by the wind and stormy weather.



I remember thinking to myself that . . . if he could sing in such a beautiful way, despite the wind and stormy weather, then so could I. Perhaps that is the secret to getting through the storms of life and change . . . being able to sing our way through them. It may not change the outcome, but it will certainly change our attitude in how we deal with them. No matter how bad it may be, we will come out on top, singing.

Remember . . . no river ever flowed that didn't . . . at times . . . burst it's banks and take a new course. Life is a river, so go with the flow, not against it, and while you're at it . . . you might as well sing!



I had a message from one of Lura's daughters yesterday to say that her recovery had not gone quite as smoothly as expected, and that she was beiong kept a bit longer in the hospital. So, let's keep praying that her body is strong enough to recover without any more issues cropping up. She needs our prayers more than ever! I will keep you posted as and when I receive any more news! Thanks so much!

Yesterday turned out to be quite a gorgeous day!! Todd and I enjoyed ourselves in Chester City and I was able to walk the whole time with not a lot of pain, which was a joy to me! I can feel though today that I have another torn miniscus in that same leg . . . so I must have overdone it without realizing it. Grrr . . . it is hard to keep myself down when I feel like walking more! I must teach myself the art of compromise I think!



The last time I had a knee injection, I also had to go to the Dentist the day after and I had an injection in my jaw so that I could have a filling. Since then I have noticed that my left eyelid, which is on the same side of my face that I had the freezing injected, is twitching and feels lazy. It has been constant and seems to be getting a bit worse. I cannot see anything in the mirror . . . even though it feels like it is twitching, I can't see it twitching and even though it feels like the lid is dragged down, I can't see that it is either. I think I may need to make an appointment with my Doctor about it as it is getting to be a bit disconcerting. I think the two may be related, but am not sure, and I was wondering if any of you had experienced anything like this??? I do know that my ex-sister in law went to the Dentist one time and ended up going temporarily blind in one eye because of the freezing. (Horror of all horrors!) Needless to say she was terrified of the Dentist after that!

I have a bowl of cheerios for breakfast almost every morning. They are my favourite breakfast cereal. I was quite happy to find this delicious recipe for a snack type of cookie that you make using cheerios cereal! I think children would love these!




*Chocolate Cereal Bites*
makes 24 cookies
Printable Recipe

Quick, easy and bite sized! Moreishly temptingly scrummy!

For the crust:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Cheerios type of cereal, crushed
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
120 miniature marshmallows (about 1 1/3 cups)

For the topping:

1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk chocolate chips
2 cups Cheerios type of cereal

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4.

Using an electric mixer, mix all the crust ingredients (except marshmallows) together in a bowl, on low speed, until crumbly. Divide evenly among 24 nonstick mini muffin cups (about 2 level teaspoonfuls per cup), pressing firmly into the bottom of each cup.

Bake 6 to 7 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Place 5 marshmallows in each cup. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer until marshmallows just begin to puff. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Mix all topping ingredients (except cereal) together in a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, just until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the cereal. Immediately spoon the chocolate cereal mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls over the marshmallows, pressing down slightly. Cool for about 15 minutes or until firm. Remove from muffin cups, and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.



Baking in The English Kitchen today, a delicious Mozzarella and Basil Bread!