Thursday 28 August 2008

The Ten Commandments of the Modern Woman . . .



My ex mother in law always kept scrapbooks. She probably had about half a dozen of them the last time I was at her place, all filled and finished, and, as always, one in progress. They were always really fascinating to look through and read. In them would be interesting newspaper articles that she may have clipped from out of the local paper, small souvenirs from evenings out she had had or perhaps even special trips she had gone on, all complete with captions and her own special thoughts written down along side. Through the years, all of us, her four children and various daughter's and son's in law had clipped out things we might have thought she would be interested in reading and sent them along to her, and they would be in there as well. I always enjoyed going through them and had always planned on starting one myself. They were like a running history of the times of her life . . .



One time she had the following clipped out and pasted inside and I remember copying it out onto a piece of paper. I found this yesterday when I was going through my Big Blue Binder and decided it was too good not to share. It is from a Church Girl's paper and dated the year 1927, and there is no author attributed to it.

The Ten Commandments of the Modern Woman

1. To be as true and clear as a drop of dew.
2. To be as strong as a thread of silk, which may be stretched, but will not break.
3. To be as upright as a palm tree in the fields.
4. To be as simple as the lark, which only has one song.
5. To have an ideal which will be a shield.
6. To be as active and hard working as the bee.
7. To be as generous as a ray of sunshine.
8. To accept life with serenity and joy.
9. To rise above the bitterness of unhappy hours.
10. Not to fear sorrow.

These may have had a lot of meaning to a young girl growing up into womanhood in the 1920's, and after reading them through, I think they have just as much relevance for today. The things of the world, well . . . they change from day to day and vary from one year to the next . . . but truth that speaks to the heart . . . that never changes and stays true forever more.



I reckon if I get a chance I will try to bake both versions of those Friands. A Friand, for those of you who asked, is a small light oval shaped cake, delicate and sweet and quite lovely. There is a special pan that you bake them in, but I reckon a muffin tin works just as well. A change of shape can't possibly alter the flavour much!



Many thanks to you all for your love and support yesterday. I had gotten quite a negative comment earlier this week, which I deleted of course. This person had also flagged my blog as being objectionable. It really took me aback a bit, as it came from out of the blue. Todd said not to let it bother me overmuch. In the past three years I have been blogging, (including on here and on my former journal) my format has always been the same, a bit of food for the soul and for the tummy. Out of the hundreds of thousands of hits I have gotten, to only have ever gotten one negative comment, I was doing really well. I know that I don't cater to everyone's tastes, but I like to think there is a little something here for most people. If you are not inclined to be spiritual, you can always scroll down and find a tasty recipe to try. Perhaps you just like looking at lovely pictures, and there are certainly a few of them, and if you do like inspired writings, well there's plenty of that as well. If you like nice music, I have some of that to listen to, and if you don't like it, well, you can turn it off. I suppose that old idiom is true . . . "You can please all of the people some of the time, and you can please some of the people all of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time!"

I love this delicious version of hot dog. I believe it's German in origin, and almost certainly European. In any case it's mighty tasty!



*Hot and Crusty Franks*
Makes 6

These make a great lunch or even a lovel light supper with some salad and oven chips on the side. You can make them as spicy or as mild as you like by varying the amount of curry paste. Myself, I like them with a little bit of a bite! These are not only quite tasty, but also very quick and easy to make!

6 large slices of white bread, quite thin, with the crusts removed
honey mustard
1/4 cup of tomato ketchup
2 tsp curry paste (as hot or as mild as you wish)
6 frankfurters
6 tsp of sweet pickle relish
2 ounces of melted butter

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Mix the tomato ketchup and the curry paste together in a small bowl and set aside.

Take your sliced of bread and flatten them with a rolling pin so that they are more pliable and easy to roll up. Spread each flattened slice with the following: A bit of honey mustard, some of the curry ketchup, 1 tsp of the sweet pickle relish. Lay a frankfurter on one edge of each and roll it up in the bread quite firmly. Secure the edges with toothpicks to help keep them shut.

Place them on a shallow baking tray and brush each one all over with the melted butter. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 or 10 minutes before serving. You don't want to serve them really hot as the sauces inside can burn the mouth quite easily when they are hot. Warm is just nice, and a lot safer!

30 comments:

  1. I am sorry that you got a bad comment from someone, Marie. That's horrible. I love your blog -- I look forward to reading your posts each day. Please know that you are making such a positive impact on so many people.

    XOXOXOXOXO
    Jen

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  2. I too am sorry and stunned that anyone could make a bad comment about your blog. It is wonderful. It blesses my life daily and I know it does the same for countles others.

    At the end of each of the college classes I taught the students had to fill out an evaluation of me. Most of the time I would get ranked very good or excellent in every category..... however, on a few occassions, I would get a negative mark. It would make me worried, upset and sad. I would start to doubt my teaching skill, my personality and my abilities. It seemed to me that the one negative comment outweighed all of the excellent ones.I would dwell on it....thinking of it over and over. It was really dumb of me to ignore all of the good comments and focus on the one negative one.
    Through the years I got better at dealing with negative remarks but it was never easy for me.

    Please don't ignore the hundreds of positive comments you get and dwell on one bad one. Please don't let yourself feel badly. Your blog is wonderful. The messages you post are full of eternal truths. I can only think of one being that would want to stop your blog and the messages you send.... and we certainly don't want to have anything to do with him!!!

    I feel sorry for the person who wrote that to you. Obviously, they are not in tune with the spirit and can't recognize beauty and light when they see it.

    I love you and so do hundreds of others. Don't forget it!!! Hugs, Lura

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  3. why would someone not like your blog?and why would they find it objectible? when thousands of people are reading your blog and loving it and one person has issues with it , then its not the blog its that person who is wrong..! we all love you and your blog Marie please dont let such people bother you..! hugs
    fariah

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  4. Marie I'm sorry that someone has left a bad comment. Take no notice. Your blog is lovely, how anyone can find it objectible I do not know.
    Your recipe for those hot dogs is a great! I love the idea of the bread rolled around and then in the oven! Yumo!

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  5. I wish I knew who that nasty person was. I'd go after them with a vengence. You're wonderful and uplifting and make dozens and dozens and dozens of people happy every day. That twit is just a bad apple bound on making every one miserable.

    I wuv you!

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  6. Marie, just see past the negative comment. There will always be people looking for trouble. You know hundreds of people like your blog, so just focus on that.

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  7. I can't believe you have had a negative comment :-( I am a pretty new Blogger and yours is one of the first I have flagged ... I absolutely LOVE it! Your postings are written from the heart and I look forward to reading them daily. So far this week you have inspired me to buy the book 'Cherry Cakes and Ginger Beer', I'm having hotdogs for lunch today and going to see my husband's ceremony at his Zen buddist retreat tomorrow evening. That was having read your post re our families and their spiritual belief's. So thank you soooo much :-) Kisses.

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  8. Oh, Marie...how anyone would could find objection to your place here is beyond me! I love you, I love your blog, and I love how you write from the heart each & every day here. You are a tremendous joy and support within the blogging community. Having had a negative excperience myself, I do know how you feel, and the pain smarts a bit. But there are some who like to ruffle feathers, to cause offense and take twisted pleasure in it, I think. We cannot help those people. We can only do we do--reach out to people with love and heart! And we are blessed to have you here! So keep that chin up and smiling :o) Loved the 10 commandments for women. Times may have changed, but I think there is a lot of encouragement still in those sentiments we can learn from. Fun recipe today too! Happy Day, my friend...Never forget how dearly you are LOVED ((BIG HUGS))

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  9. I like your blog. Great recipes and thoughtful posts. A wonderful start to my day. This is my first visit. I will be back.
    Thank you

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  10. I am so surprised that you would get a negative comment. I agree with everyone else, especially Grammy Staffy... think of who's behind it, and then remember all the good you are doing with your blog, and how it uplifts people every day.
    Put your right hand on your left shoulder... now put your left hand on your right shoulder.
    Now ((( SQUEEZE ))) you just got hugged by ME !!! Take care

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  11. Some people are just negative all the way thru - makes you wonder what has happened in their life so bad that makes them lash out at others like they do? Those hot dogs look scrummy! Much love, Raquel XO

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  12. Dear friend,
    It sounds as if you got yourself a troll. Just a troublemaker. IGNORE! As always your blog is meaningful, beautiful and a blessing to all of us!

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  13. Oh, if I made these my husband and kids would be happy campers! What a great idea.

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  14. And, I agree with all the other comments. Your blog is uplifting and wonderful. It is shocking and truly upsetting that anyone else would say otherwise.

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  15. Oh, I'm sorry to hear about the negative comment. It seems that everyone gets one at some point, and you held your off for a long time. Blogs are optional, so no one has to read if they don't like what they see. I LOVE your blog and find it moving, uplifting, beautiful and inspiring.
    I'm going to make that dog for my boy's lunch today. I always have dogs and seldom have buns, so a big thank you!

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  16. it's rather shocking someone took time out of their life to leave a such an unwelcome comment. How small of them. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe for the franks. I'm going to have them ready and waiting when my sweet little Sugar Lumpkin gets in from school.

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  17. Oh my dear Marie, dont have idea you had a bad comments, but not worry dear, all we have Blog is easy somebody hurt us. Think all the lovely people that really love you,enjoy your recipes, and love you share with us, and Todd (how ever) have reson you have many times bloggins and normally you have lovely comments and here are so nice people.
    Think this, how Grammy I come here all days in the morning and really my day is not complete if I dont coming here. Is my place to share, to think, to dream and I really enjoy.
    Dear you have to think in all that really love you.
    I love the 10 Commandments of the modern woman, I think are so actually and nice. I love all.
    Receive all my friendship, love and blessings, Gloria
    (Remember God always love you dear Marie)

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  18. thats terrible! you are right-you can't please everyone all the time(even though i seriously don't see how anyone could object to your blog. that is outrageous!)

    the thing i don't get is-this is a blog for crying out loud! its your own personal space for writing the things you believe and for expressing yourself. thats what you are supposed to do! if someone doesn't like it, then they shouldn't read it. how can they flag your blog as "objectionable" when it only has opinions and recipes. that flag is for porn and serious stuff like that. that person obviously doesn't understand what a blog is. don't worry about it, i've had a somewhat negative comment in the past and it bugged me too. its hard not to let it bug you for a little bit. just focus on all the positive comments. so many people love you!

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  19. Just stumbled across your blog for the first time. It is gorgeous! - I'll be back. I am starving right now, and your pics don't help. :)

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  20. Dear, dear Marie ~
    I can't imagine why anyone would put a bad comment on your blog!! It is one of the most delightful and inspiring blogs to read.
    I don't "really cook" much anymore, because it's just hubby and I. But one of my favorite things to do is look through recipes and I love yours, they all sound sooo yummy and I love, love, LOVE your pictures and artwork!
    You write your posts from your heart and it shows - I like that!
    Please don't dwell on the "bad comment person" - there's always going to be one or two...
    Have a GREAT weekend!!!
    Hugz,
    Cathy

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  21. Marie those Ten Commandments as you say, are still relevant today as back then. As for the nasty comment well............Theres always one.

    Chris x

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  22. I can't believe the nerve of some people. I'm with Holly, if this isn't your thing then go somewhere else. But, really I can't imagine a lovelier blog marie. I enjoy it very much.

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  23. Don't worry about the nasty comment. We love you! The hot dogs look tasty.

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  24. I can't believe someone left a negative comment, your blog Marie is so uplifting and yes I will say this, refreshing in this day and age.
    I'm sorry my friend if this hurt or upset you but it's their problem not yours. Keep doing what you have been, because there are many people out there including my self who loves and appreciates your wonderful words on a daily basis.
    Sue
    XXX

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  25. Those little hotdogs remind us when we were little. Our parents used to make similar wrapped hotdogs and frozen pastry... We would dip the hotdogs in mustard and ketchup and just increasing get fatter and fatter. It was all worth it =) cool blog!

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  26. Those look like pigs in a blanket - very cute!

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  27. I love you - and your blog - to bits! So do lots of other people so don't ever change. You couldn't anyway because your writing is YOU. I hate it that some idiot has hurt you so. Just know that you are loved.
    hugs from Angie, xx

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  28. all I can say is good job they don't read mine or gaz's aye??
    LOL
    don't take it to heart ..you are a lady through and through...an absolute sweetheart...and I miss you!!
    Lyn

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  29. Dear Marie,

    Don't let the negative comment bother you.. it's a free world. If the person find what you said/blogged objectionable, then don't visit.. it's as simple as that. If I dislike a site for whatever reason, I just don't visit the site.. I can't tell the person what to write in his/her blog. All blogs are personal.. they reflect the blogger's passion / interest.

    Like you said, your blog offer a range of topics.. religion, food, musings, thoughts, poems, music, your life journey etc. If they find religion or whatever it was 'offensive', then don't visit. For me personally, I was attracted to your blog by your food, pictures, flowers, cottage life and also by your scriptural inspiration. We choose what we want!! And I wanted inspiration, encouragement, food adventures, the 'companionship' of other woman in the world.

    Cheers Marie ;)). Hugs & Love,
    Angela KL

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  30. One of my all time favorite comfort foods, franks in a blanket. I am looking forward to trying it this way for sure. Thanks for sharing.
    Sorry you had a nasty person--we all get them from time to time, don't let it get you down.

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Your comments mean the world to me, and while I may not be able to address each one individually, each one is important to me and each one counts. Thanks so much!