Summer Memories . . .

In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light,
In summer quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people's feet
Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?

~Robert Louis Stevenson, Bed in Summer

I found this poem and it reminded me of when I was a girl. My mom always had us in bed at the same time, come Winter or Summer and I can remember laying in my bed at night in the summetime, with the blinds pulled low, but light still peeking in around the edges . . . I could still hear other children playing outside and I remember thinking it was very, very unfair that I should be in bed!!



Ahh . . . summertime. The days seemed to stretch on forever and our summer holidays seemed like they wouldn't ever end. The days were hot and long and filled with popsicles, Kool Aid (In coloured alumnium glasses that somehow made it taste even better) trips to the beach, playing games with friends, lazying around on lawn chairs (until some grown up chased you off!) picnics with friends, berry picking, catching fireflies, sun showers, running barefoot through the grass . . . We didn't seem to mind how hot it got back then.



There would be nature hikes in the woods and finding natural lady slippers and columbine . . . the sunlight pouring down on our heads all dappled and flickering beneath the leaves of the trees . . . Playing house on the front porch with my sister and friends . . . the walls of our house, a skipping rope strung up between the porch posts with a blanket strung over it.



Plays put on in a friend's garage for all the neighbourhood kids . . . our seating comprised of every lawn chair that we could find and our curtain another old blanket strung across on a rope. My, but we did think we were something . . .

Early morning swimming lessons, when the water would still be freezing cold from the night before and we'd still be tired and wanting to have slept in . . . the morning light not yet warm and steam rising from the water . . .it was cold and invigorating, to say the least!



Oh my, but is it a sign of old age to be reminiscing like this? The images and smells and sounds are still all so clear in my mind . . . and I thank you for putting up with them this morning! (I think I'll run around the grass in my bare feet this afternoon!)

Some idiot keeps peppering my art blog with comments that include links to porn sites. Each and every morning this week I have had to go and delete them all, only to wake up the next morning having to do the same. I have not ever wanted to have to put word verification on my comments but fear I may have to in order to stop it . . . why are people such idiots! I wish we had a block feature on this!!! They're all in chinese letters too, so I don't really know what they say, it could be something quite disgusting!

OH, it was so hot the other day that I couldn't face cooking a hot meal, but I had some beef that I needed to use before the date ran out. It was a rump roast and so I just cut it into slices and threw it into the slow cooker! I have always loved Sauerbraten and so did a crock pot version . . . a kind of sauerbraten swiss steak . . . as if that makes sense. It was really tasty and best of all the kitchen stayed cool! I can't remember where I got this recipe from, I have had it for a long time. It's a real favourite around here and satisfies my Todd's meat and potato cravings! (It didn't photograph very well, but then I have always found it very hard to take photos of meat for some reason!)



*Crockpot Sauerbraten*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe

I love the flavour of traditional sauerbraten with it's sweet and sour and slight spiciness. The only thing that puts me off it, for the most part, is the long marinating time needed. Now you can have all the flavour without having to marinate it for days. Tasty and tender, this is simple and goes together really quickly, leaving your hands free to work or relax out in the garden.

2 pounds top round beef steak
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 cup beef broth
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 pound of carrots, peeled and sliced
2 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
3/4 cups crushed gingernut cookies (about 15)
2 TBS soft light brown sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 TBS flour



In a large slow cooker, combine the meat, onions, brothm vinegar, bay leaves, carrots, and potatoes. Mix well, then cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, or medium for 5 to 6. Once it is tender, remove the cover and turn the heat to high. Take out the bay leaves.

Add the gingernuts and brown sugar. Stir and taste for seasoning. You may need to add more gingernuts or brown sugar to get the right sweet and sour balance. Stir together the sour cream and flour and add that to the crockpot, stirring well to combine. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until thickened and heated. Serve hot over cooked noodles or spatzele. (we usually have it with some boiled or mashed potatoes)



If you'd like to learn now to make the best scones ever, hop over to The English Kitchen. I've done a whole tutorial there!