Poetry Saturday . . . O Cup of Life

O cup of Life that holds such precious brew,
The brightness of the morning cold as dew,
And sweet as honey in a golden comb,
The blessed comfort of a little home.



A field of purple clover out in bloom,
Filling the countryside with rich perfume,
Dipping away to the horizon's brim;
A meadow lark piping a morning hymn.



A little girl wearing a scarlet coat,
An old man hobbling out to cast his vote,
A new pram with a satin coverlet,
A little boy hugging his tiny pet.



A radio with a small golden face,
Whose probing finger seeks through worlds of space,
Across a continent and o'er a sea,
To bring a song into this room for me.



O cup of Life . . . give me of your rich wine,
That I may drink your vintage half divine,
and half of common earth where mortals eat,
The bread of heaven . . . made from common wheat.
~Edna Jaques, Fireside Poems, 1950

Oh, I do love this poem . . . it speaks of the simple pleasures in life that bring us so much joy and happiness . . . for it is in the small things that we find the most happiness . . . the things that money cannot buy nor plunder, but which lay free for the taking to each of us.

I did a couple of new paintings yesterday afternoon . . .



First there is a little watercolour of a fairy girl sitting on a garden bench holding a heart. I fell in love with the sentiment for this one. I thought it suited perfectly with the soft feel of the painting.



Next a baker girl with a very retro feel. I love the apron and the whimsical side to this. It would make a beautiful Birthday Card for a special friend I think.

As always they are available as prints or cards. Just send me a message and I'll let you know how! I had fun bringing them to life at any rate.

I just adore Tex Mex food. I used to love going to Taco Bell back home. I know there are some that would argue that Taco Bell's not really Tex Mex, and they are probably right, but I did enjoy regardless. Here, I try to do Tex Mex as best as I can. You can't always get the ingredients, but I make do with what I have. It always tastes good when it's done regardless of how authentic or in-authentic it is!




*Tex Mex Florentine Casserole*
Serves 9
Printable Recipe

This is sort of like a Tex Mex lasagna using biscuits instead of noodles. Delicious!

5 fresh poblano chiles (4 1/2 by 3 inches in size)
1 1/2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
1 cup of shredded Strong Cheddar Cheese
1/3 cup of ricotta cheese
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 (9 ounce) box of frozen spinach thawed, squeezed to drain
1 tin of refrigerated biscuits (holding 10), or your own
favourite biscuit recipe
1 (10 ounce) tin of mild enchilada sauce
2 plum tomatoes, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup prepared guacamole (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Set your oven control to broil. Place the chilies on a cookie sheet, and broil 2 inches from the heat for about 10 minutes, turning frequently with tongs, until all sides are blackened and blistered. Place them in paper bag. Seal the bag and let steam for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4. Lightly spray an 8-inch square glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Mix the Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses together in a bowl. Reserve 3/4 cup for topping. In another bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, garlic, cumin and spinach. Stir in the Jack and Cheddar mix. Set aside.

Carefully peel the blackened skin from chiles. (I wear gloves.) Cut open and remove stems, seeds and membranes, discarding them. Cut each chile in half lengthwise into 2 pieces and pat dry.

Separate the biscuit dough into 10 biscuits. Separate each biscuit into 2 thin layers and flatten them slightly. (Alternately roll out your biscuit dough and cut it into 20 thin biscuits)

Pour half of the enchilada sauce over bottom of baking dish. Place 10 biscuit layers on sauce, cutting the biscuits if necessary to fit into dish. Top with 5 chile halves, then spread spinach mixture over chiles. Top with remaining 5 chiles halves and remaining 10 biscuit layers. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over over top.

Spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray. Cover the baking dish with the foil, sprayed side down. Bake in the heated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until thoroughly heated and bubbly around edges

Sprinkle with the reserved 3/4 cup shredded cheeses. Bake uncovered, 5 to 8 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve. Top each serving with tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream, if desired.



Serving up in The English Kitchen today, a delicious Double Crusted Plum Crisp!