Marie's Sunday Six

Well, it's hard to believe but here it is . . . my very first smilemaker's post of 2011! It doesn't seem possible that Todd and I have now celebrated 10 Christmas's together and 10 New Years, and as I say that I cannot imagine a life without him in it, but there were 45 years that I spent without him in it. We were just saying last night as we ate our dinner how wonderful our journey has been thus far and how very exciting, how 10 years ago we were still very much newlyweds and just learning about each other. He told me he appreciated very much how very well I took care of him and I related how I had vowed to myself that I was going to make up for the 12 years prior to that, which he had spend on his own . . . it's nice to know I've been doing a good job!

Six lovely thoughts to begin the year on, to hopefully bring a smile to your face!



"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, ' Give me light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand in the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.'"
~Minnie Louise Hoskins, The Gate of The Year

(King George VI quoted it in his Christmas message to the nation and it's still as reassuredly valid today!)




"Let us be the living expression of God's kindness . . . kindness in your face, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting. Let no-one ever come to you without leaving better and happier."
~Mother Teresa

This sounds like a good New Years Resolution to make. It doesn't involve diets or giving up chocolate . . . but I think you'll agree that the world would be greatly enriched if everyone truly made an effort to reach out to others like this.



Prepare one day at a time, and into each put 12 parts of faith, 11 of patience, 10 of courage, 9 of work, 8 of hope, 7 of fidelity, 6 of open-mindedness, 5 of kindness, 4 of rest, 3 of prayer, 2 of meditation, and 1 of well-selected resolution.

Add a teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play and a heaped cupful of good humour.

Next, pour love generously into the whole, cook thoroughly, garnish with a few smiles and a sprig of joy; then serve with quietness, unselfishness, and cheerfulness.

Now . . . isn't that just the perfect recipe for a New year?



Walls for the wind
And a roof for the rain,
And drinks beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you,
And those you love near you
And all that your heart may desire.
~unknown

A beautiful wish for the new year.



So long as we are loved by others I should say that we are almost indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend.
~Robert Louis Stevenson

I am ever grateful for the hands held out to me in friendship. My life and soul are greatly enriched by each and every one of them!



Our life is a book of chapters three,
The past, the present and the yet to be.
The past is gone, it is stowed away,
The present we live with every day.
The future is not for us to see,
It is locked away . . . and God . . . holds the key!

A wonderful thought to begin the year on!

I'm smiling now, are you?

After all the indulgences of the past few weeks, here's something a little healthier to be eating. We don't eat salmon very often, and usually when we do it is more likely to be tinned, but once in a while a fresh salmon fillet is a real treat!



*Salmon Fillets with Cucumber and Dill*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Cucumber, dill and Salmon go so very well together. A nice light meal with wonderful flavours.

4 large salmon fillets, about 1 inch thick and weighing about 6 ounces each
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
a bit of olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine

For the cucumber salad:
1 english cucumber
1 TBS rice wine vinegar
1 tsp fresh chopped dill weed
a pinch of salt

For the sour cream sauce:
6 TBS sour cream
2 TBS fresh chopped dill weed
2 TBS rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 TBS finely chopped shallot
1/4 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

First make the sauce. Whisk together the sour cream, dillweed, vinegar, shallots, lemon zest and juice, and garlic. Season to taste and set aside.

To make the cucumber salad, trim the ends off the cucumber. Using a vegetable peeler, shave lengthwise into ribbons. Place into a bowl. Toss together with the remaining ingredients and set aside to marinate while you cook the salmon.

Season the salmon well on the flesh side. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan until hot. Add the fillets, presentation side down, and cook for 3 minutes, without disturbing. Carefully turn the salmon over and cook for an additional minute. Remove from the heat. Add the wine, then cover and allow to sit until the salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 3 minutes.

Divide the cucumber salad amongst 4 plates. Top each with 1 salmon fillet. Divide the sour cream sauce evenly amongst each serving and serve immediately.

Small baby potatoes, unpeeled and steamed until tender, go very well with this!



In The English Kitchen today, delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.