Keep on dreaming . . .

Keep on dreaming . . .
That's the way to make a dream come true.



Keep on building
all the while your castles in the blue.



Never think you're wasting time
in planning lovely things



Dare to reach out for the rainbow.
Let your thoughts take wings.



Fix your eyes upon the stars
and follow where they guide.



Every day's a new adventure
and the world is wide.



Hold on to your heart's desire
though folly it may seem.



Do not be afraid to pray, to hope . . .
to wish . . . to dream . . .

~A poem by Patience Strong

The world is full of dreamer's dreaming dreams . . . and I am one of them. Oh, I do waste a lot of time with my head in the clouds. Sometimes I put them down onto paper . . . little drawings and paintings . . . and as I do, I dream that one day . . . one day . . . other people will want them for their own, to gaze upon, to fall in love with . . . to fill their hearts with joy . . . and until that happens . . . I keep on dreaming, because . . .

If you never have a dream . . . you can never have a dream come true . . .



Doesn't she just get cuter every day? I think so! It's pretty hard to imagine life without her now, so entangled in our hearts she has become . . . and that's the way it's supposed to be.

Here's a delicious salad dressing that's not all that hard to make and that can turn a salad into a meal. I love salad meals. Todd always said he didn't like salad and perhaps that was true . . . but he now says that I make salad's more interesting than anyone he knows, and I take that as a compliment!






*Hot Bacon Salad Dressing*
Makes 1 1/2 cups
Printable Recipe

This is a classic dressing for spinach salad, but it's also wonderful on other salads. I like it on a salad of mixed greens along with chunks of grilled chicken and avocado! Then again, it is very delicious served drizzled on steamed green beans!

6 slices of thick streaky smoked bacon, diced
(can use a package of lardons)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
canola oil
2 TBS cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and brown the bacon bits in it until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon onto some paper kitchen towelling to drain, leaving the fat behind. Add the onion to the bacon fat in the pan and cook for about five minutes until it is soft and translucent. Remove the onion from the pan as well, leaving the fat behind. Add enough canola oil to the pan to make an measurement equal to ½ cup. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until bubbling and thickened, about two minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon and onion. Serve while warm. Delicious!



And in The English Kitchen today, a delicious Chicken and Mushroom Casserole with Crunchy Dumplings!

If you live in the UK and want to win a fabulous gift, I am giving away a wonderful Hamper worth close to £50 in The English Kitchen as well, courtesy of Hamper Gifts. All you have to do is to leave a comment at the end of yesterday's post!