Early morning thoughts . . .

I watched the dawn make inroads through
The chilly, vapoured air
Erasing night's dark residue,
Serene beyond compare.

There was, to my attentive eye,
A sense of mystery,
Bewitching as the clouds sailed by
In friendly gaiety.

With glowing pools of blue throughout
This other-worldly place.
My racing heart, without a doubt,
Found dreams in it's embrace.

For, as the sun stood at the helm
Of animated skies,
The fascinating heavenly realm
Held hints of paradise.
~Alice Jean Don

The morning is my favourite time of day. It is so quiet . . . at least until the sun starts to come up, and the birds begin their morning chorus . . . a not altogether unpleasant symphony to listen to . . .



It’s a time when I can be with my own thoughts, and not have to worry about anyone else. It’s the time of the day when my brain is at it’s best . . . and I do my best thinking. It’s also one of my favourite times to pray . . . a one on one conversation . . . just me and God. It is my "me" time . . .



Having a young puppy, I spend the earliest of these morning moments sitting out in the garden whilst she goes about her abolutions . . . The air is so fresh . . . and the grass lays damp from the early morning dew. Little beads of it cling to my toes, along with errant bits of dry grass and leaves . . .



It is a privilege to be there and hear the earth awakening . . . the soulful song she sings. Who thinks the earth does not speak is deaf . . . for she surely speaks to me . . .

There is a tender sigh in the sun that slowly peeks above the horizon and begins to bathe her skin in it’s golden glow and gentle warmth . . . The tickle of a laugh in the whisper of the breeze that dances upon the tops of the hedgerows and brushes against the leaves just so . . .



She smiles at me in birdsong, and cloaks me in her peace . . . There is no other time of day just like it. Tis a gift to you and to me . . .



It seems that Mitzie has grown in leaps and bounds over these past few days! All of a sudden I looked at her yesterday and I said to Todd, she seems to have doubled in size! This next week we will be taking her for her last shot and then we will be able to start taking her for walks out and about. Not too far at first . . . and in all honesty I think it will be difficult to walk her very far at all . . . as up to this point she sees the lead as mainly something to chew on and play with! I am not sure how you get a puppy past that point, but I guess we will figure it out at some point! any suggestions?

The zucchini in our garden is coming fast and furious. It is a job to try to get it all picked and eaten before they grow as huge as marrows and we had only planted a few plants. This is one of my favourite ways of preparing it. It's a recipe that I got from my sister many years ago and has stood the test of time! We often have this for supper with only some potatoes on the side to accompany it, this being the main dish. It's delicious!



*Zucchini Casserole*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This tasty casserole is one of our favourites and comes in very handy this time of year when there is a glut of zucchini in the garden.

4 medium zucchini, washed, dried and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium carrot peeled and coarsely grated
1 tin of Campbell's cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup of sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
6 TBS melted butter
2 1/4 cups of bread stuffing cubes, or (In the UK) 2 1/4 cups of lightly crushed seasoned croutons (I like the herb and garlic ones)



Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Lightly butter a 1 litre baking dish and set aside.

Heat a large skillet on top of the stove and add a few TBS of water. Add the zucchini and lightly sauté until crispy tender. Add the onion for the last five minutes of cooking so that it gets tender as well. Drain well in a colander. Put the drained vegetables into a large bowl and mix together with the grated carrot. Stir in the cream soup and the sour cream. Season with a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Toss with the bread stuffing cubes to coat. Layer half of the buttered crumbs in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the zucchini mixture over top and then layer the rest of the buttered crumbs on top. Cover tightly with tinfoil and then bake it in the heated oven for approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the casserole is bubbly and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Delicious!



Cooking in The English Kitchen today . . . Creamy Baked Fish, just in time for Friday supper!