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!

The Simple Woman's Day book

FOR TODAY, May 31st, 2011...

Outside My Window...
It appears to be dry this morning. We did have a lot of rain yesterday, which was a good thing! The plants in the garden perked right up! It doesn't seem to be windy this morning either, which is good. The wind gets on my nerves sometimes. I think of the dust bowl on the Canadian prairies back in the 1930's, and wonder why that infernal wind didn't drive people over the edge. (PS - the sun just appeared in all it's glory. It is going to be a beautiful day!)

I am thinking...
It has been five years since my Aunt Freda passed away. I know this intellectually, but my heart still aches when I think of her not being around. I was very close to her. She was one of those people that you could say anything to and you knew it would stay with her, that she would not pass it on. She was always so understanding, and compassionate. Whenever I went home to Canada . . . she was one of the first people I wanted to see and to talk to. I wish I had known that the last time I saw her would be the last time . . .

I am thankful for...
Unanswered prayers. Is there such a thing? I don't know . . . perhaps they are only prayers that the best answer is no answer??

From the kitchen...
There are cookies. Naughty, addictively tasty homemade cookies. Bad cookies. I hope I can stay away.

I am wearing...
Pink and black jim jams. Built for comfort. Pink slippers too. Pink fluffy ones. The kind Mitzie likes to nip at. She has a thing for feet.

I am creating...

I have been working on a few new designs for the stamp company, Christmas ones and I have been working on my line of Christmas Cards for this year. So far I have done two. I want to have five new ones for this year's holiday. I was going to base them all on two characters, a little girl named Imogene and her cat, named Puff.



This is the first one. I rather like it. It's funny how the snow doesn't show up that well on here. White and grey never scan well.



This is the second one that I did yesterday. I hope that people like them. I would value your honestt opinion on them very much, so don't hold back.

My art is a funny thing. I can never truly see it as other's do. It is a few days before I can look at something I have done and see any merit in it at all. I wonder if everyone is like that? It used to be the same way when I sewed my own clothes. I was always sick of whatever I was sewing by the time I finished it. It would take a few weeks before I fell in love with it.

I am going...
Not a lot on this week. I have the special evening that I have planned for the sisters in our Reliefe Society on Thursday evening. I hope it goes over well. Then on Saturday there will be a Baptism at our church. Todd has been asked to Baptise the lady. He has never Baptised anyone before, so I expect he is a bit nervous about it. It is quite an honour to be asked.

I am reading...




The Work and the Glory, Pillar of Light, by Gerald N Lund

Still reading and enjoying:
PILLAR OF LIGHT begins the saga of the Benjamin Steed family, who, in the fall of 1826, move from Vermont to Palmyra Township in upstate New York in search of better farmland. Almost immediately they meet a young man named Joseph Smith and are thrown into the maelstrom of controversy that swirls around him. Is he deluded farm boy or prophet of God? Does he commune with angels or consort with devils? The answers to those questions - intensely personal, bitterly divisive - will profoundly affect the lives of the Steeds and many others. From the frontiers of early America to the complexities of the last half of the twentieth century, THE WORK AND THE GLORY series chronicles the triumphs and tragedies of one family caught up in the events of the Restoration

There are nine books in the series and this is the third time I am reading them. I always really enjoy them. Gerald N Lund is a brilliant writer. If you are interested in history, and in particular the history of the LDS church, you would really enjoy these books. They are wonderfully written. I highly recommend!

But . . . I am ALSO reading:



A Course In Weight Loss, by Mirianne Williamson

It's early days yet, but I saw the book on Oprah's Favourite Things show. What can I say . . . I like Oprah and she has good taste in books.

Nobody can say it better than the author herself.



I am hoping...
That this extra meeting goes well on Thursday evening. I want the Sisters to enjoy themselves and yet at the same time, to come away feeling fed . . . spiritually, emotionally, physically, etc. I want them to have gotten something worthwhile from having attended it and for them to feel like they have taken something valuable away from it.

I am hearing...
Early morning sounds . . . the house cracking and snapping as it comes alive. The birds are chirping loudly in the back garden. The tip tapping of the computer keys, and the hum of the computer. The clock ticking on the mantle. Mitzie gently snuffling here next to me on the sofa. Early morning traffic. I love the early morning. It is my favourite time of the day. I have never been a sleep in kind of person. My father would never let us sleep in. Once he was up, he wanted everyone up. Then, I suppose having all those children meant that I had to be up as well. So through the years I have just been conditioned to getting up early. It is a way of life for me, but in truth . . . the morning is when I am in top form. It is the best time of my day. It is when I am the sharpest and the most capable! I am so NOT a night person!

Around the house...
Not a lot really. Just general tidying up. With only two of us, there is never much of a mess. I think the dog makes the most mess! She brings in little bits of stuff from out in the garden. She is a hunter/gatherer I think! As well as a digger! There is always her hair to hoover up from the carpet and little bits here and there. Muddy paw prints, from where she has been digging. Oh, but she is well worth it. We just adore her.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
A bit of work, a bit of play and everything in between! I like weeks like that. I am hoping to get in a bit more exercise as well!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...



Whenever we go out, we put Mitie's bed in the kitchen and put the baby gate across the doorway. Yesterday we were out for a bit in the afternoon and when we came back, there she was sitting up like a little person in the corner of her bed. We always give her a little treat when we come in. Nothing big, just a little tidbit. She is such a little dear. I think pets add such a wonderful dimension to our lives. I know they are a big responsability, and having one means you are tied down a bit, but they are worth all of it and more. I would never be without one.

And just as a closing thought for today . . .

I never see any home cooking. All I get is fancy stuff.
~Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh

I guess Elizabeth never learned to make cheese on toast! I cannot fathom never being able to do something so simple as making yourself a simple bowl of soup and a grilled cheese . . . there always being someone at your beck and call to cook something up for you . . . and the snobbery that must exist in thinking that they must always cook something fancy for you. If I cooked for them, I'd treat them to a simple dinner every once in a while, something like Beans, Spaghetti or Scrambled Eggs on Toast! I would, I really would!

And there you have it . . . my day book for this week. Don't forget to hop on over to the Simple Woman to check out the other day book entries! (Or better yet, do a simple day book entry yourself! It's not that hard and I am betting you would enjoy it!

When we have company there is nothing easier to whip up than a delicious dip. Most people love them and they get people up and mingling with each other. This is one of my favourites, and it's so easy to make and quick too! Plus I always have all the ingredients on hand, so it's something I can always put together at the last minute.



*Layered Black Bean Dip*
Serves 32, (2 TBS each serving)
Printable Recipe

I love layered dips. They are quick and easy to prepare and always quite delicious!

1 (8-ounce) package of Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup of canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10-ounce) tin of Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained
(can use an equivalent amount of tomato salsa if you would rather)
1/2 cup of grated Monterrey Jack cheese
1/2 cup of grated strong cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of grated spicy Mexican cheese
Tortilla chips for serving

Spread the cream cheese in the bottom of a shallow dish, or pie plate. Top with the drained black beans. Top these with the tomatoes or salsa and then finally sprinkle the top with the cheeses. Cover and chill until you are ready to serve. Serve with some Tortilla chips for dipping. Delicious!



There are some delicious Spicy Ginger Crackles baking in The English Kitchen today!

Come to the stable . . .

They came that night to Bethlehem,
The simple and the wise,
The shepherds and the magi saw
The glory in the skies,
And sought the holy manger bed,
That place of mystery
Where God Himself had broken in upon humanity.
The greatest men who walk the earth
Can offer us todaay,
No diviner revelation,
This, then, is The Way.
Though to knowledge high and vast
The human mind may soar,
Every man must come at last
Unto the stable door . . .

The real message of Christmas is that we don't have to worry overly much about the mysteries of life and the eminence of the cosmos.

For all thinking men . . . life forms itself into one gigantic question mark. Philosphers, scholars, theologians, believers and non-believers alike . . . all try to puzzle out the perplexity of our existance . . . why are we here . . .



Truth is that great question has been answered for all time . . . and for all men . . . by a single event . . . a blessed event . . . in a humble stable two thousand odd years ago . . .

Here is something definite, something audible to cling to amidst the ever changing sands of contemplation and reflection . . . Here is something that is pinned down in history, something that never changes.



Everything else about life is charged with the significance of this one Holy happening, with the import of the incomparable fact of the birth of the Saviour . . . The whole truth about man and his relationship with God has been reduced to something simple and small enough to be put into a cattle trough.

God is. He lives. He loves us so much that He sent His only begotten son in the flesh, our Saviour . . . to dwell amongst us, to teach us, to die for us . . . all of this to show us the way back to our Heavenly home. Our Heavenly Father does not want to lose any of His children. He gathers us in as a mother hen gathers in her chicks. Won't you come to the Stable door and enter in? The Gospel is not complicated. It is not hard to understand. It is for all mankind. Jesus is the reason for the season . . .



Here's a delicious dip for you to enjoy with the family on Christmas Eve when you are watching all those Christmas films together! It's also great for when you have an open house over the Holidays! Quick and easy to make and oh-so-scrummy yummy!!



*Spinach and Artichoke Dip*
Makes 5 1/2 cups
Printable Recipe

This is the best Spinach dip ever! You can make it ultra low fat if you use all low fat ingredients

2 cups of shredded mozarella cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 (14 ounce) can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (8 ounce) block of cream cheese, softened (half fat)
1 (8 ounce) block of no fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 (10 ounce) package of frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
Tortilla chips, crisps and crackers to serve

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5.

Combine 1 1/2 cups of the mozarella cheese, the sour cream, 2 TBS of the Parmesan cheese, the pepper, garlic, artichoke hearts, cream cheeses, and spinach in a large bowl, blending well together. Scrape into an attractive baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining mozarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden. Serve warm with the chips etc. for dipping.



Over in The English Kitchen today, you'll find lots of recipes to complete your Christmas Feast!

Yes, Virginia . . .

In 1897, eight year old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote the above letter to Francis P. Church, the Editor of the New York Sun.

The Editor's reply became instantly famous, and more than one hundred years later, it continues to be the most reprinted editorial to ever run in an English-language newspaper.

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the scepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.



Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life it's highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existance. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.




Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond.



Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.



No Santa Claus? Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.




Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

~Francis P Church, Editor The New York Sun

I just love that story. As I always told my own children . . . When you stop believing in Santa Claus, he stops coming.

Here's something healthy to be getting on with amidst all the rich and calorific foods we will be indulging ourselves in during the coming weeks!



*Herby Vegetable Dip*
Makes 1 ½ cups
Printable Recipe

Why buy something pre-made that is totally full of preservatives and other artificial things that if we really knew what they were we wouldn’t want to eat??? Try making your own from scratch. It’s not that hard and tastes infinitely better! You can use low fat mayonnaise and crème fraiche if you want to keep the fat down.

1 cup good quality mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream or crème fraiche
2 tsp chopped fresh dill weed
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 TBS chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 TBS chopped fresh chives
1 small clove of garlic minced
Pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce.

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before using, in order for the flavours to meld. Serve with raw crudités. Some delicious suggestions are: Carrot sticks, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, red, yellow or green pepper sticks, raw mushrooms, sliced cucumber, radishes, etc.

*Note - you will want to chop the herbs fairly finely. Dried herbs can be used. Just cut the amounts in half.



Over in The English Kitchen today, Linzer Cookies!