Thursday thoughts . . .

Source: idesigniphone.com via Marie on Pinterest

I think that there is a deep and penetrating lesson that we can learn from the ways of birds. Within a few weeks of their birth their wings grow and stretch and span patches of air. First with reservation . . . and then with the utmost confidence, they lift . . . they flap, they glide and they land . . . the act of flight seemingly their raison d'etre, or purpose in being.

Quite unlike birds . . . we seem to confuse our time on Earth, wandering here and wandering there with no real sense of purpose. We frequently stall our human ability to fly . . . and often forstall our need to love . . . to learn . . . to know the truth of our spirit, until we are absolutely positive that all our efforts are not going to be for naught. We set conditions. We hesitate. We make excuses . . . turning our human journey upside down, never letting our hearts truly unfold.

Birds are stirred to sing and lift merely through the presence of light. They cannot comprehend such concepts as holding back, or only investing if the return seems certain. We . . . are the only creatures on earth that want a warranty before we will begin . . . and, in doing so, I fear we smother the spark that is discovery, and bury our hopes and dreams.

Source: cuded.com via Marie on Pinterest

More often than not, we let our fear of the unknown, with all of it's risks . . . cripple us, and prevent us from learning how to really fly and to soar. How very often do our fearful hearts prevent us from stretching our wings and discovering the full passion of our hidden gifts and talents? How often do we search from without for the guidance that we need, guidance which can really only come from within??

When I look back over my years, I can clearly see where my fear of failure and lack of expectation has held me back, and kept me from going places where I really should have gone . . . from embracing the things I needed to embrace . . . from becoming the self that I really needed to become . . .

Wings can only fly if they first flap. They don't grow any differently to fly south, or east, or west, or north . . . Our lives, no matter how we would train ourselves . . . are more fundamental than any direction of worldly ambition. Like the birds, we were meant to fly and to soar and to sing. We cannot soar unless we discard the encumbrances of fear and hesitation that would keep us in the nest . . .

"If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves."
~Thomas Edison

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We should not live our lives chained by "what-if's" or "might-have-been's" . . . . we should live our lives filled with all the promise that is ours to hold if only we will sing the songs we were meant to sing . . . and fly to the places that we were meant to discover . . . without fear or hesitation.

Just my thoughts this morning.

For the past few years that we have been back here in Chester they have been replacing all the old lead gas pipes with new plastic ones. Today it's our turn. They started digging outside our house yesterday and today we will have no gas all day as they replace the pipe from the road into our house and also give us a new meter. Then we will have to endure a few weeks of them replacing all the ones along the street. A bit of a pain . . . but once it's done, it's done . . . I expect it's a good thing. I do hope that they have the gas turned back on in plenty of time for me to be able to cook what I need to cook for our Relief Society Activity tonight! My fingers are crossed!

We eat a lot of chicken in this house. I don't know why that is. I expect that it's because it is one of the cheaper sources of protein and also because it is so adaptable. Chicken breasts are one of those things that you can dress up or down in a myriad of ways. This is one of my favourites here. Bacon always makes everything taste delicious don't you think??? I like to serve this with rice and a green vegetable.



*Bacon and Mushroom Sauced Chicken Breasts*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Deliciously moist chicken with a rich and lucious sauce. If you don't have any Brandy for the sauce you could use a fortified wine such as Marsala, Port or Sherry. Or do like I do and just use chicken broth.

4 slices streaky bacon, cut into pieces
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 TBS of brandy or chicken broth
1 (8-oz) container of sour cream
chopped fresh chives

Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels to drain. Set aside.

Discard all but 2 TBS of the drippings from the skillet. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and then brown them in the remaining drippings for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning only once. Move the chicken to one side of the skillet. Add the mushrooms and onions. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Reduce the heat to low. Add the brandy (chicken broth). Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork. Remove the chicken to a heated platter and cover to keep warm.

Add the sour cream to the same skillet. Cook over low heat until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with the bacon and chives. Serve and pass the remaining sauce at the table.



Over in The English Kitchen today, Stove Top Mac & Cheese.

“Never give up on anyone. And that includes not giving up on yourself.”
― Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Making every day count . . .

Source: browndresswithwhitedots.tumblr.com via Marie on Pinterest

“Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it.” ~Anne De Lenclos

I’ve often heard it said, that you should live each day as if it were the last day of your life, making every moment count. We shouldn’t squander one thought, one moment, one sunrise . . . we should try to live each day in every single way that will make us feel good about it, so that even if it were all over tomorrow, we’d be content and say to ourselves . . . well done.

Right now I am sitting here in front of my computer, and all around me the earth is awakening to face a new day . . . it first started as little chirps and peeps, invading the darkness that was beginning to creep away as daylight crept in along the horizon, and now is a cacaphony of the sound and music of birdsong, that is echoing thru the early morning light. It is my favourite time of day.

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My head has not long left my pillow, and the whole day stands before me . . . fresh and clean, like a new page waiting for me to write upon it. What words will I write today, what new things will I find to cherish? Will I spend it wisely, or will I waste it in a frenzy of activity and fog, not stopping to cherish all the small blessings that are mine to experience and appreciate . . . Will I take every luminous moment that is mine, each “everyday epiphany” and see them for what they are, precious gifts not to be taken for granted, small pockets of joy and awakening?

Will I stop to cherish the ones I love, and the ones who love me back, and even the ones I don’t love so much? Will I try to do my best in all that I do? Will I sing a little louder, a little stronger, the song of my heart and weave a song of promise and joy around the fibres of my life today?

Source: flickr.com via Marie on Pinterest

Will today be not only the first day of the rest of my life . . . but indeed, the best day of my life thus far?

This is what I tell myself each morning. Today is the best day of your life. Today you will stand a little taller. Today you will rise up and conquer every challenge that comes your way. Today you will cherish every moment, every smile, every heartbeat, every teardrop . . .

Know what? It works . . . coz every day is, indeed, the best day of my life . . . and every day counts as never before. May you today recognize the poet within your soul and register every precious moment of your life, before this too, passes . . . and it is once again, too late.



Here's our precious little Maryn enjoying her first snowfall of the year! Isn't she a sweetie pie! Nova Scotia got a lot of snow day before yesterday and it was dig the shovel out time again! I haven't spoken to my mother, but I am sure she had to call out the man to plow her drive according to the weather reports that I saw.

It seems hardly possible but Christmas is one month from today!! I think I may be able to start decorating the house, do you think? Surely one month ahead is not too early! Todd may have other ideas though . . .



Speaking of Christmas. I always like to do a special card to send my close friends at Christmas time. This is my card for this year. I painted it yesterday afternoon and then printed out a bazillion of them and spent a good couple of hours putting them together and glittering them. They turned out really nice I think. Not sure if you can read the verse or not, but it says:

From home to home,
and from heart to heart,
from one place to another.
The warmth and JOY of Christmas
brings us closer to each other.
~emily matthews

I better get cracking on writing them out and getting all my parcels ready to send. I only have about a week to get the ones out for Canada. I am so late doing it this year. I think it's because I have been battling this rotten cold for going on six weeks now. I am going to go to the Doctor today because this cough is really dragging me down. I think I need anti-biotics.

I guess I've nattered on long enough this morning so I will leave you with my recipe. I hope that all my American friends had a lovely Thanksgiving yesterday and were able to enjoy the warmth and love that comes from having family close. I expect there's lots of leftover turkey going today! Here's a delicious mayo that would go very well with that turkey sandwich I think!



*Lemon and Basil Mayonnaise*Makes 1 cup
Printable Recipe

Next time you are desirous of a toasted bacon and tomato sandwich try using some of this lovely mayonnaise. Full of the subtle flavours of basil and lemon it really heightens the flavours of the tomatoes and lifts the simple up into the sublime. Delicious! It’s also very good with fish!

1 cup good quality mayonnaise (I use Hellman's)
2 TBS chopped fresh basil leaves
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (I buy un-waxed)
2 tsp lemon juice
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients with a small wire whisk. Store, covered in the refrigerator until ready to use on sandwiches, salads or with cooked chicken or fish. Absolutely lovely!



I've used it here on a Toasted Bacon and Tomato Sandwich. This is a really delicious way to use it. Try it on a Turkey Sandwich! (Use up some of the Thanksgiving leftovers!) It's really tasty on those too!



I'm cooking Macaroni Peas over in The English Kitchen today. Very colourful and delicious too!

Marie's Sunday Six

Surely my biggest Smilemaker this week had to be finding out I didn't have Cancer. It's pretty hard to top that, let me tell you! When I was waiting to find out if I did or didn't have it I had a pretty scary couple of weeks. I was trying to be very optimistic, of course . . . positive thinking and all that . . . but I couldn't help but try to prepare myself for the worst, just in case. It would be devastating to not be prepared for the worst at all, even in the smallest way. One thought that came to me frequently was the sadness that I would never really get to know these six very special people in my life. The thought of each of them surely brings a smile to my face every minute of my every day!



These are the three pirates in my life . . . Daughter in Law Anne, and grandsons Gabriel (eldest) and lil Luke. They are my oldest sons family. My eldest son has taken the efforts to come and see me each time I have been home, and we have skyped on several occasions so I could talk to the boys. It's a lot of fun skyping when you live so far away. Almost like being together, except you don't get to pinch cheeks and plaster slobbery kisses all over their foreheads!



Gabriel is the oldest at 5 1/2 now. He's in his first year of school and also goes to Beavers, which he really enjoys. He is a sweet sensitive little boy who is filled with curiosity and the joys of life. I find him quite, quite interesting and love seeing the world through his perspective. He's outgoing and gregarious. He reminds me a lot of my son, his father, when he was a boy. Life was always new and exciting! You never knew what was going to be next on the agenda!



Luke is the younger brother and will soon be two. I don't really know him very well, but he seems a sweet little boy too. I think he is also very sensitive and engaging. He likes to eat too, because most of the pictures I have of him he is eating in! I can tell he really looks up to his elder brother because in all of the pictures that they are together in . . . he is looking over at him with love and glee.



These are Doug (my middle son) and Kayla's boys, my other three grandsons . . . Jon is the eldest (5), followed by the little redhead of the family, Josh (3) and then baby Jacob, who just turned one. Three very different and no less loveable boys. I have been able to skype with them as well and the last time I was home to Canada I got to finally meet Jon and Josh for the first time. It was lovely!



Jon is the oldest and is also in his first year of school. He is a little treasure! So full of life and a bit of a ham as far as I can tell from the videos and photos that I have seen. He is very sweet and protective of his younger brothers. You can tell he takes the big brother position in the family very much to heart! He loves music and zoo animals.



Josh is three and the only red head in our family. I just adore his pretty blue eyes. He is very shy and sensitive as well. I am sure he really blossoms when he is around people he knows and trusts, but he doesn't know me very well at all and mostly just clung to his father's pants when we were at their house two summers ago. Mind you he was only about 18 months old then, so it isn't a surprise that he was a bit shy with us. He seems to be a thinker, a sweet little boy.



Jacob is my youngest grandson and just turned one year old on the 16th of November. He's just beautiful. He looks so much like his father, our Doug, that they could be twins! Right from those big baby blues to that curly mop of golden hair. Our Doug had a mop of curls just like that! I don't know very much about him, but he seems to be a very happy boy and an enjoyer of all that is around him. I got to see a video of him walking last week, and there is also a photo of him helping to sweet his other nan's floor. That broom looks ever so tall next to him. He seems a delightful little chap and I look forward to getting to know him and his brothers much better as they get older.



This is my youngest Grandchild, Maryn, the only girl in the bunch and the daughter of our Amanda and her husband Tom. I have not been able to get to know her at all. She will be a year in February. My youngest daughter is somewhat estranged from me, but I do get to see pictures of little Maryn on the computer. I think, quite naturally, she is just the cutest little Ladybird that I have ever seen!



She looks very intelligent and inquisitive to me, and very sweet too! I do so hope that I will be able to get to know her as she grows up, but in the meantime I do enjoy seeing the pictures of her as she grows, so very much. There is a little girl in our Ward who was born around the same time and so I look to her and imagine how much little Maryn has grown and some of the things that Maryn must be doing now.

Hopefully next summer I will get to meet both her and Jacob. Those are the only two of the grandchildren that I have not had the opportunity to meet in person yet. Grandchildren are wonderful little creatures. They are better than children in a way because you feel like you can freely spoil them . . . and they are your last chance to give some loving back to your own children. When my own children were growing up there was not a lot of time, there was so many of them . . . and not a lot of cash either. I may not get to see my grandchildren very often but I try to reach out to them as best as I can. I like to think of myself as the Present Granny. I do not get to spend time with them, but I can send them little treasures in the post and hopefully they get as much pleasure out of receiving them as I do in sending them!

Anyways, six BIG reasons to smile and to live for! My smilemakers of this last week in November, 2011! Many thanks for indulging this proud and thankful Grandma!!

I was busy most of yesterday but then later in the day I had an opportunity to go into my craft room and put my paints to paper again. This is what I came up with:



I think that I like her a lot . . . even more though . . . I like the words that inspired it. We are all beautiful creatures of light. Some of us may not be able to see our light, but it's there all the same. Sometimes we just need a little reminder of who we are and what we are.

Here's another recipe from my Marie's Muses Archives. It's a delicious steak with an even more delicous mushroom and stilton sauce. I often toy with the idea of becoming a vegetarian, but the thought of never having another steak always stops me. I do so love a good steak!



*Beef Steak with Stilton Mushroom Sauce*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This to me has to be the perfect way to cook a steak. Tender, juicy and accompanied with a delicious sauce full of the flavours of mushrooms and tangy stilton cheese. Yummy!

4 (6 ounces) Strip Loin Steaks (You may use other steaks, as long as they are suitable for grilling)
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
5 TBS butter
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup dry red wine
½ cup sour cream
3 ounces Stilton or other bleu cheese, crumbled

Rub the steaks with the chopped tarragon and the black pepper. Take a large skillet and heat it over medium high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the skillet until it is foaming. Add the steaks and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or to the desired degree of doneness. ( 2 minutes each side for medium rare) Remove the steaks to a warm plate and keep warm while youmake the sauce.

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until they are tender. Add the wine, reduce the heat and let itcook for another 1 to 2 minutes to deglaze the pan. Stir in the sour cream and ¼ cup of the cheese. Cook, stirring, until the cheese melts. Season to taste with some salt and pepper.

To serve, drizzle the sauce over the steaks and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. You can garnish with sprigs of tarragon if you wish.



I'm having a Mincemeat Fest over in The English Kitchen today and these scrummy Mincemeat Rolls are on the menu!

“God knows that some of the greatest souls who have ever lived are those who will never appear in the chronicles of history. They are the blessed, humble souls who emulate the Savior’s example and spend the days of their lives doing good.”
~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

And so it goes . . .

Sorry for my absence yesterday morning. I was not feeling very well, and I am still not feeling very well this morning. This is me with about two hours of broken sleep. I could not stop coughing all night . . . and it is a deep tight cough that wracks my whole body from my head down to my toes. I almost choke each time.

I guess I will have to try to get in to see the Doctor today . . . I hate wasting a Doctor's time though . . . Our Doctor's practice has a sign on the wall telling patients that there is no cure for the common cold, and that they can do nothing for you.



I think I was ill with this same thing last year about this same time! It took me a long time to shake it. I would be still lolly gagging in bed but for the fact but the woman from the disability place is stopping by on her way to work this morning to show us the plans for the wet room the council will be putting in at some time over the next year. It's all go!

Our fridge concked out at the weekend. We've had it for almost 11 years now. It was still keeping things cold, but the freezer part was not working properly. As we had no plan for servicing it we decided it would probably be about the same cost to buy a new one as it would to have the repair people come out. So we went looking. We found one we liked at Curry's and at a reasonable price. They didn't have it in stock though and said that it was the end of the line and they would not be getting any more in, but that there were 4 just like it over in their discount shop. This is where things that have been damaged in transit etc. go to live. They might have a huge dent in them , or just a tiny scratch. We went to look and found a beautiful fridge that had hardly anything wrong with it . . . only a tiny dent at the back.



We spent most of yesterday morning taking everything out of the old fridge in preparation for the new fridge's arrival . . . Todd had our friend Billy come over to help put the old fridge in the garden to take it away. The fridge men came . . . but it didn't even make it off the truck. The guy took one look at the space it was going and said that it wasn't going to fit. A few measurements later and it was fact. It wasn't going to fit. So they had to take it back. We had to get Billy back over to put the fridge back in the house. We had to put everything back into it and then we had to go and get a refund from the store and look for another one. Happily we found another one, and for half the price so it's all good. That one will be delivered on Friday.

I spent the rest of the day laying on the sofa in my jim jams under a blanket though. It tired me right out. I couldn't go to my meeting last night and I won't be going to the Temple today. I definitely won't be visit teaching tomorrow. If I am slow to visit around please do forgive me. I'll be round once I begin to feel better.

I'll be resting up and trying to get well, and drinking lots of this . . . with lemon. It's great for colds and such.



*Ginger Syrup*
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Printable Recipe

Ginger Syrup is easy to make and versatile in use. You can mix it into club soda or seltzer and serve it cold as Gingerale, or serve it hot as tea. Makes a wonderful drink when you have the sniffles or can feel them coming on.

1 cup of white sugar
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of peeled fresh gingerroot, thinly sliced
2 TBS lemon juice

First make a simple syrup by mixing the sugar and the water in a sauce pan. Bring it to a boil. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Add the fresh ginger. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, then add 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice. Strain into a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

*Note - you can use the ginger left in the pan to make a gingercake if you wish. Just blitz it in a food processor until it is finely chopped and stir it into your favourite gingercake batter.



In The English Kitchen today, some delicious Maple and Toasted Pecan Muffins.

Somedays I oversleep!

I've overslept this morning and have run out of time to put together a Sunday Smiles post! Suffice it to say that my life is blessed in countless ways and that I have a bazillion things to smile about every day.

That is not to say that every day runs as smoothly as clockwork, or that bad stuff never happens . . . only that I am one of those lucky people that have found a way to rise above all the bad stuff and to live my life in a positive way.



I'd say it is my faith that helps me most of all. Without that . . . I am not sure how I would have ever coped with a variety of instances in my life. I have ever been a woman of faith, with a distinct and strong knowledge of my Heavenly Father and my Saviour. They are indeed my anchor when I am being tossed about by the storms of life and they are the lighthouse which guides my ship through the dark and troubled times into a safe harbour.

I have my health. I have love beyond measure . . . a warm roof over my head and food in my belly. What more could a body possibly want. Anything else is quite simply . . . the icing on the cake!

Have a blessed, safe and happy Sunday everyone!



We now have a glut of garden tomatoes, and with the promise of colder weather looming I am trying to use them up as quickly as I can, which is not really a problem for me . . . I love tomatoes. They are one of my most favourite vegetables/fruits. They are so very versatile and there is so much you can do with them. One of the tastiest things I love to do with them is to make a delicious roasted tomato sauce.



Generally speaking, the ones I used were a bit on the small side for a roasted tomato sauce, but then again, sometimes the smaller ones have a lot more flavour. They also seem to roast in about half the time of the larger ones, and sometimes time is of the essence, especially when you have about a bazillion things to do in a day!



After the sauce was done, I froze some of it, and then tossed the rest with a lovely plate of fresh pasta for a really delicious suppertime treat. Served with a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan and a warm and crusty Italian loaf on the side, it's bliss, pure bliss. (No, Todd was not a happy camper with this one . . . he strongly dislikes pasta, but don't feel too sorry for him. I baked him a meat pie and order was restored.)



*Roasted Tomato Sauce*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is the perfect sauce to make in the autumn when you have a glut of fresh tomatoes that you know are going to spoil if you don't get them used up. I always make tons of it as it freezes really well. Don't try making it in the winter with those insipid tomatoes they try to pass off on us in the stores at that time of year. This sauce is really best and deseving of the wonderful flavour that you can only get from fresh from the vine tomatoes we have in the autumn! It's super easy to make and so delicious!

2 pounds fresh tomatoes
3 or 4 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS really good quality extra virgin olive oil

Pre-heat your oven to 200*C/400*F. Wipe your tomatoes off with a damp cloth, cut them into halves and set aside.

Pour the olive oil into the bottom of a large shallow baking tray with one inch sides. Scatter in the minced garlic, basil leaves, oregano leaves, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the tomatoes, cut side down, fitting them all into the sheet and spreading the olive oil mixture around beneath them. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until soft, the skins are starting to peel off, and some of them are beginning to colour.

Remove from the oven and let cool somewhat. Lift off all the peels and discard. You can then put them through a mouli to remove the seeds and puree them, but I prefer to just mash it all together with a fork. I like the extra texture and flavour of the seeds.

Serve hot with your favourite pasta, or let cool and freeze in containers.



Over in The English Kitchen today, a delicious Raspberry Jam Pudding!

Thursday this and that . . .

"When nothing is sure, anything is possible."
~Margaret Drabble

Margaret Drabble, a well-known writer, made this comment in connection with writing fiction. It certainly brings to mind a blank page or computer screen which presents itself to the writer when they are beginning a project. They may stare at it for hours, feeling quite uncertain and not a little bit afraid, before the words come and they begin to create a whole new world with a multitude of possibilities from whatever corner of their minds these imaginings come from.

I can see a great relevance of these words to other aspects of life as well . . .

Nobody knows what tomorrow may bring. When we are in the depth of despair over some occurrence in our lives . . . with a future which may or may not appear bleak and unclear . . . it would be so very easy to be discouraged and afraid. We may find ourselves having to make difficult decisions in the face of such uncertainty and be very discouraged indeed and more than a bit tempted just to do nothing at all . . .



If we were to stop for a moment and think however . . . we would see that uncertainties, in fact, present us with a gread abundance of possiblity!! Like an author faced with a blank page, it is up to us to aim for a story with a happy ending. We can be the author's of our own futures, and whilst we may not always be able to determine exactly how the story ends, we can make sure we have a pleasant time on the journey! This moment, this today . . . is a journey which will never come again. Why not make it the best that it can be. Don't spoil your present in worrying about an uncertain future.



Here is my latest creation I painted yesterday afternoon. I did this with a mix of watercolours and Copic markers. her dress, shoes and hair ribbon are done in watercolours. I love the subtleness of the mix and the way I was able to get the look of an actual fabric pattern in the material on her dress. That is something you wouldn't be able to get with such success in any other way. This picture makes me think of my mother when she used to be all dressed in her finery and ready to go out dancing with my father on Saturday nights. She always looked so beautiful and she smelled pretty wonderful, wearing her favourite scent . . . MaGriffe. To this day the smell of MaGriffe reminds me of my mother. Her dress would rustle as she moved, along with her crinolines . . . a special sound it was . . . my parents would be so happy as they got read and were waiting for the sitter to arrive. Special memories indeed . . . in any case this little fashionista is available as a print or a card. Just send me a message or a comment to find out how!



Don't you just love this picture of Todd and Mitzie? It looks as if he is reading her a very interesting story that she is listening to with rapt attention! Oh what a little dear she is!



And what a horrible pest I am disturbing her sleep to take silly pictures of her. She is very patient though and co-operates with me most of the time. I love her so very much . . . we both do, and you can tell . . . the feeling is mutual!

My father's cataract surgery went well and except for a feeling a bit uncomfortable he was doing alright yesterday when I called him. Many thanks for your prayers and happy thoughts. I think he will be having the other one done in another few weeks. He was in very high spirits.

I have long enjoyed a love affair with cauliflower cheese, that is until I discovered this little gem . . . my love affair has now expanded to include sweet potato with the cauliflower. Delicious!



*Cheesy Sweet Potato and Cauliflower*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is comfort food at its very best. Lovely, meaty, orange fleshed sweet potatoes combined with beautiful, earthy, cauliflower florets . . . all encased in a rich cheese sauce, crusty bits of grilled cheese gilding the top. What’s not to like!

2 large orange fleshed sweet potatoes
1 small cauliflower, broken into florets
Cheese sauce (see below)
3 TBS snipped chives
Salt and pepper to taste
3 oz cheddar cheese, grated

Bake the sweet potatoes in a hot oven until tender. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. Put the cauliflower into a microwavable bowl, add a few TBS of water, cover with cling film and cook in the microwave for 5 minutes on high. Drain and set aside.

Prepare the cheese sauce as below. Preheat your grill.

Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges and lay them in the bottom of a greased oven proof dish. Drain the cauliflower and spoon it over the sweet potatoes. Spoon the hot cheese sauce over top (you may not need it all). Sprinkle with the grated cheese and the snipped chives. Grill for three to four minutes until golden and bubbling. Enjoy!

*Cheese Sauce*
Makes 1 ¼ pints

2 ounces butter (1/4 cup)
2 ounces plain flour (1/4 cup)
1 ¼ pints milk (2 1/2 cups)
1 bay leaf
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour, stirring until smooth. Let cook over low heat for one minute to cook the flour then slowly stir in the milk, whisking until smooth. Add the bay leaf and cook over medium low heat, stirring, for about 10 minutes until thickened. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the cheese and season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.



In The English Kitchen today, amazingly delicious Sticky Lemon Chicken for 2.