What I did on my Summer Holidays, part 1

"First Thoughts of Cumbria:

Driving along the M6 just north of Kendal, on into Cumbria, one is quite un-prepared for the magnificent sight that greets you. The car winds around a bend, and there they are . . . all of a sudden . . . rising out of nowhere from the right, like sleeping giants they lay all cloaked in green velveteen . . . the Northern Fells.



You feel as if you durst not touch them for fear that you might awaken them from their eternal slumber. Their green shoulders lay silent and immutable . . . sleek and soft, dotted with bleating sheep and meandering stone walls . . . the stones placed one by one with ancient hands, stone upon stone. It must have taken hundreds of years. Your heart is instantly touched by the magnitude of what you are seeing, and thoughts of an ancient people and their ancient ways.



My heart sings once more, and I feel as if I have come home. What is this song these silent velvet mounds sing to my inner being? Why do I feel this way? Is it like this for everyone?



We fell in love with this area several years ago when we visited it for the first time. It's rugged beauty touched our souls and plucked at our heart strings like nothing else ever had.



It is a rustic beauty . . . plain and un-complicated . . . simple . . . and yet, it takes your breath away. Each corner turned, and mile unfurled engraving themselves in a little corner of your heart reserved just for special moments and scenes such as these and these alone. How can one be in the presence of such majestic wonder and not be cognizant of the master and all that He has created . . . it is almost more than the heart can bear and you think to yourself that you just couldn't possibly see anything more beautiful than what is before your eyes. . . and then you turn another corner, and your heart is touched yet again . . .



It is quiet . . . the sound of very few cars break the silence . . . it is a gentle song . . . sung only by the bleating of contented sheep and the soft whisper of a Kestril's wings as it dips and soars through the air over our heads."



These are the thoughts I wrote down in my journal the first morning after we arrived at our holiday home. I hope you don't mind me sharing them with you in this way . . . my way.

We had a truly lovely week and are back home and settling in again. It's back to work tommorrow for me. I'll be putting up a new "Make Me Bake" poll later this morning, and we will be picking up Jess from her holiday home away from home, and things will be back to normal. But we feel rested and relaxed and ready to face whatever life decides to hand out to us in the next months. Holidays are lovely things . . . but whoever said it, said it right . . . "Be it ever so humble . . . there's no place like home."

Last night I made a delicious risotto for a nice light supper. Learning to make a good risotto is a little bit intimidating to some, but really, it’s quite easy if you follow a few simple steps. With a little bit of practice, a certain amount of concentration and some adherence to some sensitive timing, you can come up with a tasty and richly textured risotto, with that “just right” doneness you would never find in a restaurant.



*Sweet Potato and Mushroom Risotto*
Serves 4 as a main dish, or 8 as an accompaniment

I love sweet potatoes and I could eat them in any way shape or form. I rarely have any leftover, but when I do this is the perfect dish to showcase them. Rich and delicious, this is a savoury dish that will put a satisfied smile on everyone’s face. I call this comfort food.

2 TBS dry white wine or water
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
½ cup dried porcini mushrooms, soaked for half an hour in a bit of boiling water, then drained (strain the soaking liquid and use it for a part of the chicken broth needed for the recipe)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice or other short grain rice
½ cup mashed cooked sweet potato
3 ¾ cup chicken broth, heated and simmering in a pot
2 TBS freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBS chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
A drizzle of olive oil, or a knob of butter

Spray a 3 quart, non-stick saucepan with cooking spray. Place the wine or water into the pan and bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the wine for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently until the onion is tender.

Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the sweet potato, soaked mushrooms, and ½ cup of the heated broth. Turn the heat down to medium low, and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is completely absorbed.

Stir in an additional ½ cup of broth. Continue cooking for about twenty minutes, stirring constantly and adding ½ cup of broth at a time, as each previous addition has been absorbed, until the rice is creamy and tender.

Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Serve warm in heated bowls, with some more Parmesan Cheese grated on top if desired.