As for me . . .

"Just living is not enough" said the butterfly fairy, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."
Hans Christian Andersen

When I was a little girl . . . long, long ago . . . long before I knew that the stories I loved were called Fairy Tales, I loved them. To my child's heart and innocence I believed that such worlds existed and that anything was possible. Many of my earliest memories are of a heart that soared the minute my father spoke the words . . . "Once upon a time . . . "

A number of years past, I collected a set of Fairy Tale collectable plates, the art on them the works of Scott Gustafson, which still hang upon my wall . . . the arwork which you see here this morning. It is so beautiful to me . . . He is such a talented man and obviously still has in his heart the vision of childhood . . .



Yes, I still love fairy tales . . . they will always be precious to me. Today when I read a fairy tale I see a glimpse of what the world could have been, and how it all should have gone . . . a deep suspicion and delightful thought that life should be quite, quite different than what it is.

When you look at a fairy tale, it's like looking at the world through a different pair of spectacles . . . spectacles that help to bring reality into focus. They help us to discern the way the world really is . . . up close . . . without destroying the vision of the way the world could be . . . and will one day be, if that makes any sense.



They reveal to our hearts that the world we see around us is not all that there is. That there is more . . . much, much more. They suggest and give us a glimpse of an invisible Kingdom . . . a different kingdom. They offer us hope. They both inspire and motivate us to move forward. . . they remind us that good always prevails and that it will ultimately overcome evil in the end.

The scriptures do the same thing. They can reveal to our innermost hearts the truth of who we are . . . we are all princes and princesses . . . joint heirs to the Throne of God along with our Saviour . . . our Kingdom . . . the Kingdom of Heaven. They remind us of a greater plan, and a joy that can be ours now . . . with much, much more to come later on.



There are some that would tell us that what we believe is just as much a fairy tale as Little Red Riding Hood or The Three Little Pigs . . . and just who are we to quibble?? The choice, afterall, is theirs alone to make.

As for me and my house though . . . we will serve the Lord . . . and reap the benefits of having done so when we get to the other side. I know my Fairy Tale will have a very happy ending, if I but do my part.



We've had some lovely warm days this last little while. Summer has finally come to visit us!! It's salad and barbeque time! I love to make salads, and I love to eat them too! You can make a salad out of just about anything, just so long as you have a well flavoured dressing to go along with it that goes well with the food you are using. Here today I have used a simple Ranch style of salad dressing. The recipe makes more dressing than you need, but it's never a problem for me to have too much Ranch Dressing hanging around! This is better than anything you'll ever find in a bottle!



*Chopped Garden Vegetable Salad*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A deliciously fresh summer salad, just perfect for these summer days. It goes well with grilled meat, fish or poultry. The dressing makes more than you can use at once, but that is not a problem as it will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Because of the fresh herbs though, I would not keep it longer than that.

4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 carrot, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced (can use a courgette)
1 cup halved trimmed snow peas

For the Dressing:
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup good quality mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS red wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
2 1/2 tsp Wocestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 tsp minced peeled shallots
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp of celery seed

Put all the dressing ingredients into a large jar and give them a really good shake to combine. Cover and chill (at least for an hour) until you are ready to use it and to give it a chance for the flavours to meld.

When you are ready to proceed, toss all the prepared vegetables together in a bowl and then add about 1/2 cup of the dressing. Toss again. Serve immediately.



Baking in The English Kitchen today, a delicious Deep Dish Black Currant Pie.