To all the "Old Bessies"

I've heard of ships being named after Duchesses and Queens, streets named after councillors and famous film and pop stars, and beautiful roses named after the gardeners that developed them. Diseases are often named after the people who first contracted them or the people who discovered them. But up until now I had never heard of a teapot named after a Grannie!

Just recently a friend told me about a Grannie named Mrs Bessie Hudson. Mrs Hudson was a real dab hand at making a pot of tea. Over the years of her lifetime she must have brewed countless cuppas for all the guild nights, charity sales, boutiques and craft days, amongst other functions at her local church, St Paul's.



One day some of the St Paul's teapots needed replacing and when the question of new ones was discussed someone came up with a brilliant idea. A special chrome, 30-cupper was ordered and secretly inscribed with the words, "Our Bessie." At a surprise ceremony the Vicar launched it with a short speech and a packet of tea tied to the handle. Bessie acknowledged it with a regal curtsey and a light hearted reply.

It was just a bit of heart warming nonsense of course . . . but beneath all the silliness, there ran a warm seam of deep respect and esteem for this wonderful elderly lady who served her church and community so cheerfully and selflessly.



Our communities, churches and charity shops are filled with old "Bessies" . . . those lovely and wonderfully tireless volunteers who serve the public with smiles, chuckles and big old hearts. Today I'm raising a cup and saluting all the "Bessies" in our lives! Here's to you who make our lives and communities a nicer and happier place.



I am loving my new cooker. It has so many nice features that I had never heard of before or dreamed of. Special settings for cooking cakes, roasting meats, chickens etc. and even a special setting that you can use to rise your bread! What will they think of next???

This is one of our favourite Vegetarian suppers. It's so rich and satisfying you will never miss the meat! I just love anything with Mexican flavours!



*Enchiladas Calabaza*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

I’m not sure where this delicious recipe started. I’m not even sure it’s authentically Mexican. I only know that it’s a tasty way to get your husband and children to eat some vegetables in a most enjoyable way! A butternut squash filling makes these a vegetarian delight!

2-3 pounds butternut squash
6 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese
4 spring onions, sliced
½ tsp mild chili powder
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp oregano leaves
1/4 tsp sa1t
pinch cinnamon
12 corn tortillas
12 ounces salsa, spicy or mild as you wish
1 cup grated medium cheddar cheese (or more if you want!)

Pre-heat your oven to 200*C/400*F. Slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place on a baking tray and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until tender. Remove from the oven and then scoop the flesh out as soon as you can handle them. (I hold them in one hand with a oven mitt and scoop out the flesh with the other using a spoon to scrape it out into a a bowl) Mash the hot squash together with the cream cheese until the mixture is fairly smooth and the cheese is melted all in. Stir in the spices and the chopped spring onion.

Lower the oven heat to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark4. Warm the tortillas in a skillet until pliable. Fill each tortilla with ¼ cup of the butternut squash mixture and roll up tightly. Place in a greased baking dish, seam side down. Pour the salsa over the filled tortillas. Top with the grated cheese.

Cover with foil, tightly, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until heated through. Remove the foil and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is all bubbly and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes before serving. We like to have these with sour cream and more chopped spring onions for sprinkling on top. Yummy!



In The English Kitchen today, some delicious Sour Cream Apple Squares.

Two Hearts . . . hung together . . .

“Marriage is still very much a living institution, worth all the time and patience invested in it. Marriage is the stable structure that encircles and supports two clumsy individuals, learning to love and live with each other.”
~Ronna Romney and Beppie Harrison, Giving Time a Chance

Recently, Todd and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. On the one hand, it’s hard to believe that ten years have already flown by . . . and on the other . . . it’s hard to believe that I have not spent my whole life with this special person in it.

I never wanted to be a divorced woman. I don’t think anyone goes into a marriage thinking this will not last forever. But it happens, even when it shouldn’t. I have learned so many things being married to my Todd, that might have been helpful in my last marriage, but then Todd is a completely different person than my ex husband was, so perhaps they may not have helped it at all. I only know that “this” marriage works, and I am so thankful that it does.

First and foremost, we are the best of friends. There is nothing that I cannot share with him. He shares all my joys and all my sorrows and everything in between. Even when he doesn’t always want to! But he listens anyways, because he knows that whatever it is I am talking about, it is important to me, and in being so, becomes important to him! And it works the same way in reverse. We have an easy companionship that rolls along like a ship rolling along the waves of an even ocean.


That’s not to say the waves are always calm. I don’t know of any marriage that never has a bit of tumult in it, and ours is no exception. Success lies in how you handle the rocky stuff. Understanding and patience is the key. We may not always agree with the other person’s position, but we always try to be understanding and respectful of the position that they hold. I know all my weaknesses and so does he, and so too, do we recognize his. That’s when we need to be strong for each other and help to hold the other up. We are the wind beneath each other’s wings.

We love each other. Not with the juvenile love of starry eyed youngsters who love today and not tomorrow, but with the enduring love of two people who care deeply for each other, come what may, forsaking all others, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, in all times and for all times.



Ours is a union blessed in the heavens, and we have been joined together eternally in our Temple, in a marriage that goes far beyond the boundaries of this earthly existence. Knowing this helps us to be even more careful with the treasure that we hold in each other, to uphold and honour the covenants we have made together, and that we keep together. It is a sacred place to be with the one you love, and a place I always want to be.

There are times that I wish that we had met each other when we were young enough to have had a family together, but in the next breath, I thank God that we were able to meet at all, and I am ever grateful for the Lord’s timing in bringing us together. I trust that we met at the perfect time for “us”. It surely would have been nice to share the bringing up of a family together, and I cannot pretend that when I see moms, dads and children doing things together as a family my heart does not ache for what might have been, but I know that if we do things in the way we are supposed to do them here on earth, and if we hold true to what we have promised to each other and to our God, then He will uphold His promises to us in return, and there will be even greater things to come, and so I trust in that.

We try to always encourage each other and to be kind to each other. That is not hard to do when you are walking on a righteous path. I see in him the fingerprints of God and I know that he is always doing his very best for me, how can I ever ask for or expect more from him than that. In turn, I try to give my very best back. When he falters I try to understand and I know he tries to understand me. We are patient with each other, even when it’s hard to be so.



No, we are not perfect, neither one of us. But we love each other, warts and all. When I look into his beautiful blue eyes I see my future and it’s where I always want to be. We are each other’s strength and purpose and that is as it should be.

At the end of each day we count our blessings and hold each other close and know that there is no place on earth than we would rather be than right where we are, two hearts hung together . . . at home.

I like to serve these delicious ham steaks with potato scallop and a few steamed vegetables such as green beans and broccoli. A tossed and lightly dressed salad also goes very nicely.



*Maple Glazed Ham Steak*
Serves 3 - 4
Printable Recipe

Ham is called Gammon over here in England. A butcher told me once that is only becomes ham once it is cooked. You will see it on the menu in most pubs, usually served with an egg and some chips, or sometimes with a pineapple ring on top. I prefer it this way, sweetly glazed, with a tasty variety of vegetables on the side. Delicious!

1 pound of ham (gammon) steaks
¼ cup of Maple Syrup
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1 TBS Dijon mustard

Whisk the maple syrup, vinegar and mustard together in a small bowl. Snip the fat side of the ham steak at one inch intervals with the kitchen scissors. This helps to prevent it from curling up when you are cooking it and keeps it flatter in the pan. Brush one side of each ham steak with the maple mixture.

Heat a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Once it is heated place the ham steaks into the skillet, glaze side down. Brush the other sides with the glaze. Cook over medium heat, turning from time to time, until they are cooked through and the glaze has thickened and coated each one nicely, and they are starting to brown. Serve hot with some of the pan juices.



In The English Kitchen today, some delicious Cupcake Madeleines!

Saturday Ponderings . . .

I don’t think that when I was twenty or even thirty that I really knew who I was. Oh, I was a lot of things to a lot of people , to be sure . . . a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend . . . but I am pretty positive that I didn’t know who I was to myself. Those were pretty frantic years, years when I was so busy raising a family, being a wife, and doing all the things that I had to do to take care of house and home, that most times I didn’t even have time to think about where I was . . . let alone find out who I was.

I think I’m finally beginning to understand the phrase “Life begins at forty”, for it was not until I got to at least forty that I began to realize who I really was and began to have the time to begin to seek out and ponder some of my own dreams and wants, and such important questions such as . . . why am I here, and how can I make my life count for something more.



It has only been in these later years that I have come to realize that true meaning in life comes not from what you have or where you live, but what you have decided to do with the talents you have been given and how you have chosen to make your mark on this planet, and that your true legacy is not the gold and silver you leave behind when you go, but the relationships you have fostered and built and all the good that you have done for those around you . . . the lives you have touched and managed to change for the better in big and in small ways. At the end of the day, these are the things that really count.

Living an abundant life is not about having things and having them abundantly, but about being the very best person that you can be and being at peace with yourself and those around you, finding solace and comfort in your own environment, surrounding yourself with people and things that bring you true joy . . . everlasting joy. Things that uplift and feed the spirit, things that you can feel and touch with your heart and your soul, but not necessarily your hands. It’s about making your life count for something.



Everywhere I go . . . the people that I meet, the places that I see, the things that I do . . . I like to leave my fingerprints upon them, an indelible mark that shows that I have touched a life in some positive way, made a difference in some positive way . . . even if it is only something as simple as picking up someone else’s discarded paper cup and putting it into the garbage, or touching someone’s day with a friendly smile or a kind word.

It’s not always an easy thing to do. We meet people in life that are as tetchy, prickly and as approachable as a porcupine, people that are demanding and hard to please. But then again, it’s knowing in your own heart, that you have done your very best that makes the difference. You have no control over what they think or how they feel. They may not even recognize in this moment that you have touched their life for good, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that someday they will remember, and your actions, thoughts, deeds will have made a difference and an impact, be it in a small or a very large way.



None of us knows how long we will have on this earth, or when our time to leave it will come. It’s up to us to make each day count, to make each day our best day possible. When all is said and done, it doesn’t matter how rich or poor that we are, how talented or how beautiful. What matters in the end is the lives we have impacted for good, the differences we have made, the smiles and joy we have spread, the hearts we have touched with our own. These are the things that really matter.

I didn't get my stove yesterday. Because the electrician hadn't finished the job (he was waiting to do the very last bit after the stove was here) the delivery men refused to deliver it and it is now sitting in a friend's garage. Fair enough, they were not allow to do a half install . . . The electrician came back last evening and finished it all off and so now my kitchen is completely ready. I have no idea when the delivery/install men will be able to come back, but hopefully it will be soon! My patience has sure been tested, but I know it will be worth the wait!

Here's a really tasty supper that will please your family to no end. It's actually kind of like a flat meatloaf done up like a pizza and if your family is like mine was, pizza and meatloaf were always real pleasers. The two together in one dish is just fantastic!



*Meatza Pie*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Kids and grownups alike love this delicious, quick and easy meal! It never fails to go over a treat!! You can vary the toppings as you like. I sometimes use thinly sliced proscuitto instead of bacon and leave the mushrooms off. It’s really just a glorified meatloaf, dressed up as a pizza, but shhh . . . we’re not telling anyone!

1 pound extra lean ground beef
½ cup dry bread crumbs (I use the Italian ones)
1 tsp garlic Italian seasoning
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup well flavoured tomato sauce (I use puttanesca)
2 ounces Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
3 TBS Parmesan Cheese
Traditional Pizza Toppings such as sliced mushrooms, black olives, bacon pieces, etc.

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Mix together the evaporated milk, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning. (You can add salt and pepper if you like but the one I use already has it included) Mix well and then add the ground beef, mixing that in well also. Pat the meat mixture into a 9 inch pie plate evenly, making somewhat of a raised edge.

Spread the tomato sauce over the meat leaving a small margin of meat clear around the edge. Sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses on top. Add your pizza toppings of choice and then sprinkle finally with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until the toppings are all bubbly and browned and the meat is done. Let stand for a few minutes before cutting into wedges to serve. Enjoy!



Baking over in The English Kitchen today, delicious Marmalade Tray Bake Squares.

Keep the doorway of your heart open . . .

Keep the doorway of your heart open
to the passer-by.
Many folks are on the road,
Trudging 'neath a starless sky,
Hungry for a bit of love,
a friendly helping hand . . .
looking our for someone,
who will comfort, cheer and understand.

Keep the door unlatched,
Who knows? . . .
One may come some day and bring . . .
some new joy into your life,
some unlooked-for lovely thing . . .
Do not bolt and bar the door
on the world that waits outside.
An angel in disguise may come,
may knock and enter and abide.
~Patience Strong

If I had the chance to live my life again, there are lots of things I would do differently . . . things like talking less and listening more . . .

Not waiting until everything was perfect in my house before I invited people over, or until I had all the right groceries in to feed them . . . I'd just invite them over, warts and all and feed them what I had . . . what's in the pot is not as important as what's in the heart.























I'd have let my kids eat popcorn in the good livingroom and happily listened to their giggles and laughs as they threw it at each other . . . after all . . . it only takes a few minutes to hoover, and those precious moments are gone forever in an instant . . .

I'd have spent more time sitting in the kitchen and listening to my mother and her old Aunts talking and less time out in the meadow with the old horse . . . their stories about family and past events were a treasure I now have missed out on . . .



























I'd have burned all the candles, eaten all the chocolates, used all the writing paper, worn all the pretty underwear and used all the hankies that I have kept stored because they were too pretty or too precious to use . . . now they are all blah, melted and old and yukky with age and of no use to anyone . . . sad, but true . . .

I'd have rolled in the grass with my children, and taken more of those precious moments which are treasures, never to be found again . . . they grow up too fast, and time and distance are not always kind guardians . . . before you know it, it's too late and those moments are gone forever.

I'd have spent far less time sitting in front of the telly watching other people live their lives and more time living my own . . .



























I'd have cherished every moment of being pregnant . . . the wonder of those special lives growing inside me . . . I'd have enjoyed them in huge gulps and mouthfuls instead of in little bites . . . I'd have taken pictures of my tummy as it grew . . . and recorded all my special feelings in a journal so that I could share it with my babies when they had grown and flown the nest . . . once again, it happens far too quickly . . . and becomes too late before you know it.

I'd have savoured every moment of the years with my children as they were growing up, and held them a little bit closer and that little bit longer, cherished each moment those little arms snaked their way around my neck and pulled me close a lot more than I did . . .

I do so love my children . . . all of them . . . with all of my heart. I may not have been the perfect mother . . . who is. I am sure I made mistakes. I know I made mistakes . . . Who doesn't. I tried my best, and did only what I knew how to do. If I could go back and do it all over, do things differently, I would . . . who wouldn't. But I can't and so, I have to live with what I have left.




















I took down a lot of pictures yesterday . . . I've always kept lots of pictures of my babies on the walls and stuff . . . they helped me to feel closer to them, especially where I live so far away. I realized though that, all too often now, they just remind me of my loss, and only make me feel bad . . . so I've put them away in a drawer and replaced them with pictures of the Saviour. Perhaps one day I'll be able to bring them out again, but for now, this is what is best for me. I have to stop beating myself with that guilty stick and hold on to what is good in my life, to dwell on my blessings instead of my losses.



























I have much to be thankful for. A loving husband that I waited a whole lifetime to find. A beautiful little pup who adores my every step. Good and loving friends . . . both real and invisible. My mom, dad, sister and brother and their families . . . my eldest two sons, their wives and their children, my eldest daughter . . . the Gospel in my life and my church family, and most importantly of all, a loving Heavenly Father and Saviour . . . who have walked this way before and who know all that I feel and who know I only did the best that I knew how to do . . . and who love me totally and completely despite my shortcomings and failings . . . what more could anyone ask for!

The new stove will arrive sometime today. I am quite excited about that. We had our good friend Dennis over here yesterday making the final preparations on our countertops etc. in preparation for it's. I was unable to cook us dinner so we went to the new Indian place down at the Parade and picked up a curry for our tea, (which is a story in and of itself!) so this recipe today is from my archives. I hope you don't mind! This is an absolutely delicious version of macaroni and cheese, and a once in a blue moon treat.



*Peppy Mac & Cheese*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This deliciously spicy version of macaroni and cheese is to die for. Rather high in calories, but well worth it . . . a treat once in awhile never hurt anyone! A nice tossed salad is a good go with. It will also help ease your conscience!

200 grams of dry Festine pasta (or similar type)
Olive oil
3 TBS unsalted butter
1 clove garlic,peeled and minced
3 TBS plain flour
1 ¼ cups whole milk
1 ¼ cups double cream
1 ½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
4 ounces strong cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
200g stick of pepperoni sausage, peeled and thinly sliced
½ cup fresh bread crumbs (use a good Italian loaf)

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for the allotted time on the package until al dente. (You want it slightly underdone) Drain well, rinse with cold water and set aside.

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Don’t let it brown as it will turn bitter. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Stir together the milk and cream and then add to the butter/flour mixture, slowly, stirring to combine. Whisk and cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C.375*F/ gas mark 5. Combine the Cheddar, Mozzarella and ¼ cup parmesan cheese, tossing to combine.

Lightly grease a baking dish. Spoon some sauce in the bottom of the dish. Top with a single layer of the noodles. Spoon on some more sauce to cover. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the pepperoni. Repeat laying with the remaining ingredients for 2 more layers. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top and sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Wonderful!!!! If you are not fond of the spiciness of pepperoni you may use ham instead.



In The English Kitchen today, a delicious Barley and Mushroom Casserole.

A little story . . .

It had been a very difficult for the Brown family. The washing machine had broken down, the car had gotten a flat tire and Dad had had to struggle with fixing it in the pouring rain, nine year old Stephen had fallen on the playground at school and given his knees a nasty scrape, and his sister Katie, age five, had come home from school with her blouse all covered in paint and glue.



Tempers were a little frayed and patience was worn quite thin by the time they awoke on Saturday morning. Everyone was feeling tired and more than a little fed up. Mum decided that she was going to do something about it, determined that the end to their week was going to be a lot better than the beginning.



A beautiful golden sun hung in the bright blue sky and the day had the promise of being beautiful, dry and warm. With a little preparation and coaxing she decided to organize a picnic and before too long they all climbed into the car and headed out into the countryside.



What a lovely day they had, filled with laughter, good food and even better company. The picnic was a huge success and a fitting compensation for the frustrating week they'd all just experienced . . . all the angst having soon been put behind them and forgotten. This lovely day together also helped each of them to be able to happily face the week ahead.

In the words of George Bernard Shaw:

"Life isn't meant to be easy, my child, but take courage, it can be delightful."

and I might add that it is never more so than after we have been through a particularly bad spell. How much more we all appreciate the good times when we have been through a rough patch.

Only one more sleep until I get my new stove. I can hardly wait! Baking will be a lot easier then, and all of my pans will finally fit in the oven!

My sister has always been a greatly accomplished baker! She has always made beautiful cakes and pies and cookies. Where I was always really good at putting together the meat of the meal . . . she was always really good at putting together the dessert. So, between the two of us, we made two halves of a whole! (and nobody went hungry!)



*Danish Apple Bars*
Makes 16
Printable Recipe

This is a recipe my sister shared with me many moons ago. It’s like Apple pie, only better and somewhat easier to manage, for some strange reason. This pastry is very forgiving. Your family and guests will thank you for these, over and over again. These are best served warm, with some cold vanilla ice cream melting on top!

PASTRY:
2 ½ cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable shortening (Such as Crisco or Trex or White flora)
1 egg, beaten, with enough milk added to make 2/3 cup in total

FILLING:
6 tart apples, peeled and sliced (I Like to use Granny Smith apples)
1 cup cornflakes, crushed with your hands (secret ingredient)
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)
1 cup caster sugar
1 TBS ground cinnamon
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
1 beaten egg to glaze the pastry before baking
GLAZE:
2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Make the pastry by sifting the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs. Beat the egg and milk together and stir in with a fork until well combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until it all comes together and is smooth. Divide in half, wrap in cling film and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Peel and slice the apples. Mix the sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl. If you like you can also add the finely grated zest of a lemon. Mix well.

Roll out half the pastry, on a floured board, in a rectangle shaped to fit into a 9 inch by 15 inch pan. Line the pan with this. Crush the cornflakes evenly over the bottom with your hands and then cover evenly with the sliced apple mixture, pouring any juices that have accumulated over top.

Roll out the other half of the pastry to fit on top and place over the top of the apples. Roll edges together and press shut. I like to crimp it attractively all around. Brush the top with an egg wash and bake in the pre-heated oven for 1 hour,or until nicely browned, the bottom is done and the apples are soft and cooked. Remove from the oven and let cook for about 10 minutes before glazing.

To make the glaze combine all the ingredients together, sifting the icing sugar to remove any lumps first. Drizzle over the top.

Serve warm in nice big squares with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yummy!



On The English Kitchen today, Ultimate Cheese On Toast.