A Peaceful Place

*Peaceful Place*

Somewhere, just along the road
We'll find a peaceful place,
Beyond the troubles of the world
A quiet, breathing space.
A place where sunlight warms the air
And gentle breezes blow,
Where we'll discover joy once more
And dreams of long ago.

Somewhere, just along the road -
It can't be very far,
We'll leave the problems of the day
And seek the evening star.
A quite place, a breathing space
It waits for you and I.
And somewhere, just along the road
We'll find it, by and by.
~Irish Hesselden

I have a peaceful place. It is my home. Within these four walls I have made myself a space where I can relax and feel comfortable. When I enter my door, I leave all my worldly cares and woes on the doorstep, and do not invite them in. The wind may rage and the rain may fall, but I feel safe and warm within these rooms. There is no spirit of contention here, just a peaceable feeling, inspired by good and inspired readings, tasteful television and music and our faith in a God who loves us. No, it is not filled with expensive furniture and nicknack's. There is no gold or silver here. Just simple pleasures and things for simple folks. Two comfy chairs to relax in and a small fire to sit by. A humble wooden table and four wooden chairs. Works of art don't lay against it's walls, rather works of heart . . . pictures of our loved ones near and far, pictures of the Saviour, small gifts from friends and family, small works of art sprung from my mind and fingertips. Tacky to some . . . priceless to us. No, it is not a mansion grand, but it is home to us and it is our peaceful place. What makes it so?

Love Lives Here.



I was thrilled yesterday to receive the "Lemonade Award" from a lovely lady, Rhondi of Rose Coloured Glasses. This award is based on displaying great attitude or gratitude. Rhondi has a beautiful page and whenever I visit it I always come away with a smile and a warm feeling in my heart. That she would think to pass this award on to me is a great compliment. Thanks so much Rhondi!! I'm not entirely sure I deserve your kind words, but I accept them with the spirit in which they were given and shall endeavor to live up to them as much as I can!

As with any award, it comes with a responsibility to pass it on and rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show GREAT ATTITUDE &/or GRATITUDE!
3. Be sure to link your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love & link to this post & to the person from who you received your award.

And so it goes (in no specific order) to:

Amanda of Little Foodies
Maryann of Finding La Dolcevita
Marie of How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Herring
Nancy of Just A Little Blog
Sheryl of Heavenly Being Holmes
Angie of Can You All Hear Me At The Back
Susan of Comfort Suite
Lura of Grammy's News
Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
Tracy of Pink Purl
and, just because I can . . .
Miranda of A Duck In Her Pond

I do hope you'll all visit these ladies and see what I mean. They're all very special in their own unique ways, and have a wonderful talent of sharing their hearts and minds with others in a very generous manner!



I baked your choice for last weeks Cookbook Challenge last night for our supper. Oh my goodness!! I could easily have eaten this whole tart all by myself, but I used restraint and kept it at one slice! This was absolutely gorgeous! If the rest of this book is even half as delicious as this tart was we are in for a very delicious month!! I don't have a 9 inch tart tin with a removable bottom so I just baked it in a 9 inch cake tin and went for the rustic look by allowing it to drape here and there over the edges. I thought it looked quite nice! What do you think?



*Chicken, Sage and Cheddar Tart*
Serves 8 as a starter, 6 as a main course

This makes a really tasty starter to any gathering or a lovely supper for family or friends. I served it with some oven chips and a mixed salad and it went down a real treat!

Crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cold butter
2 to 4 TBS ice water
Filling:
2 TBS butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast meat,
cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 TBS flour
1 cup cream
1 TBS minced fresh sage leaves
2 1/2 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese,
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
8 whole fresh sage leaves of similar size and shape to garnish

First make the crust. Place the salt and flour into the bowl of a food processor and give it a quick whir. Add the butter and pulse until you have crumbs the size of marbles. Add 2 TBS of ice water and pulse just until the dough starts to clump together. Add additional ice water as needed. Transfer to a bowl and quickly shape into a disc. (Do not overwork) Wrap in cling film and chill until you are ready to use it. (1 to 24 hours)



Place an oven rack in the lowest position of your oven. Pre-heat the oven to 400*F/200*C. Roll out the crust on a lightly floured surface and place in a 9 inch tart tin with a removable bottom. Tear off a square of parchment paper and place it inside the crust. (Make sure it is larger than the crust so that you can lift it out easily) Fill with pie weights or baking beans. (I have a jar of rice that I use just for this purpose) Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven. Remove the pie weights and allow to cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.

Reduce the oven temperature to 190*C/375*F.

Melt the butter for the filling in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft. Turn the heat to medium high and add the chicken. Cook, until nicely browned on all sides, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the flour over all. Stir and cook for one minute. Slowly pour in the cream, stirring constantly in order to prevent any lumps from forming. Stir in the sage. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes. Stir in the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Stir to melt the cheese. Once it is all melted and mixed in, pour the filling into the prepared crust. Smooth over the top and place the whole sage leaves evenly around the top.

Bake until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Slice in between the sage leaves so that one sage leaf is in the centre of each piece.