Poetry Saturday . . . Dandelion Days . . .

Dandelion, dandelion,
Won't you tell me true,
Where all the years have flown away
Since first your seeds I blew?



Since first I ran through meadow-grass
And days stretched long and free,
With dandelions the only clock
To tell the time for tea.



Yet do the days just disappear
Like seeds that drift away?
Or do they live forever on
In some mysterious way?



For still within me dwells that child
Who hears Truth's teasing call
That clocks are but a human toy
And time means naught at all.
~margaret ingall



I just adore this poem. It takes me back to barefoot summer days as a child . . . when the school summer holidays stretched before me seemingly like forever, and time had not much meaning. Endless days of warm sunlight and play . . . and golden twilights before bath and bed.



We were so excited yesterday to discover not one, but two frogs in our pond, sunning themselves on the lily pads! We were looking at the lily pad flowers which have begun to bloom and I discovered one sitting right at the edge of one of the lily pads . . . and then, as I pointed it out to Todd, I discovered another one at the edge of another pad! It is amazing to think that out of all those hundreds and hundreds of tadpoles, only these two have survived! There could be more that we just have not noticed yet, but we are grateful for these two and quite happy with them!

I miss the sound at twilight of the frog's chorus that I used to fall asleep to back in Canada, with the odd loud harrumph of the bull frog . . . that and the crickets . . . and the sound of the cicadas on a warm summer's day . . . like electrical wires humming. No such sounds here, at least not where I live anyways!!

Wherever you go today, whatever you may be doing, I hope you have a lovely day, just chock to overflowing with beautiful things and small pleasures!

Here's a tasty recipe that I had not made in a long time, not since we moved up here at any rate. They make an excellent appetizer for those backyard barbeques I am sure you are all holding at the moment! Todd and I just have them for our tea with some salad on the side. We are happy with that.



*Proscuitto Wrapped Lemon Chicken with an Avocado and Lime Dip*
Makes 20 pieces approximately
Printable Recipe

Plan ahead as you must marinate the chicken pieces for one to two hours. They are fairly easy to put together and very quick to cook. I love the delicious combination of the tartness of the lemon and the salty crispness of the proscuitto!

1 pound (16 ounces) of boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
½ cup olive oil
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 thin slices proscuitto
20 whole fresh basil leaves

FOR THE DIP:
2 large ripe avocados
2 TBS freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp prepared horseradish sauce
1 spring onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp salt

Cut the chicken into strips that are three inches long and one half inch wide. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper together in a bowl large enough to hold all the chicken pieces. Add the chicken and cover with cling film. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow them to marinate for at least one hour.

Make your dip while the chicken pieces are marinating. Peel the avocado and slice. Drop it into a medium size bowl along with the lime juice and mash it well with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and mix them in well. Taste and adjust seasoning if required. You may want to add a bit more lime juice or horseradish, all depending on your own tastes. Set aside to serve at room temperature.

Pre-heat your grill.

Remove the chicken from the fridge. Take your slices of proscuitto and cut them in half lengthwise so that you have slices that are approximately five inches long, and two inches or so tall. Place a whole basil leaf on one end of the strip of proscuitto and lay a piece of chicken on top. Roll the Proscuitto and basil around the chicken to form a cylinder. Repeat with all the pieces of chicken until you have them all rolled.

Grill or broil the rolls just until the chicken is firm and cooked through, which should take about five minutes or so. Serve warm with the dip.



Baking in The English Kitchen today, a delicious Berry Custard Pie!