Friday this and that . . .

(Snap the Whip, Homer Winslow)



This is one of my favorite pieces of art. Entitled, Snap the Whip, it is merely a lineup of boys playing a game called Snap the Whip outside a one-room, red school house. I think the artist, Homer Winslow, has perfectly captured the essence and spirit of childhood and lush summer days.



From the Metropolital Museum of Art site: (Time Line of History)



Children embodied innocence and the promise of America's future and were depicted by many artists and writers during the 1870s. Here Homer reminisces about rural simplicity and reflects on the challenges of the complex post–Civil War world. Released from the confines of a one-room schoolhouse, exuberant boys engage in a spirited game. As the population shifted to cities and the little red schoolhouse faded from memory, this image would have evoked nostalgia for the nation's agrarian past. The boys' bare feet signal childhood's freedom but their suspenders are associated with manhood's responsibilities. Their game, which requires teamwork, strength, and calculation, may allude to the reunited nation. Observed from right to left, Homer's boys hang on to one another, strain to stay connected, run in perfect harmony, and fall away, enacting all the possible scenarios for men after the Civil War.

Source: Winslow Homer: Snap the Whip (50.41) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Having said that, however . . . I do love the vivid colours used in this painting which, to my mind's eye, is filled with contrasts and relationships. I can feel the tension as one of the lads has fallen, whilst the others remain upright. You know that they are playing . . . but school work is not far off.



I don't think that "Snap the Whip" is ever a game that I played when I was growing up . . . although to be sure my mother was an expert at "Snap the Whip!" (albeit in a much different context!) She could wield a wooden spoon with great expertise, and we knew only too well that . . . if we wandered too far out of line . . . we would feel it's force on our bottoms! It is only because we lived in an urban setting that it wasn't a hickory switch she was applying. (I might add it never did us any harm! We all grew up to be decent law abiding, God fearing, well adjusted people!) My parent's discipline helped us to stay along the straight and narrow path, and helped to keep us out of trouble, and safe. They knew better than us what was right and what was wrong. I am ever grateful for their guidance.







There are times that our Heavenly Father snaps the whip too . . . lovingly guiding us onto a higher path. It's always for our own good. I like that. It gives me peace. The knowledge that His guidance is dispensed for our betterment gives me security. Knowing He is ultimately in charge . . . like I knew my mom and dad were in charge . . . helps to keep me on the right path and gives me the peace in knowing that whatever may come . . . God has a plan for me and that, even when things are difficult, they are all a part of that plan. Resistance is futile and will only bring sorrow and a much tougher row to hoe. I am ever in His care.







We have a pretty full day ahead of us today. We are off to the chapel this morning to clean the windows, that is . . . AFTER we give Mitzie a bath. She sorely needs one! She likes to chew on those pressed bones, and they leave an awful mess of guck at the bottoms of her ears and on her front paws. I really wish she didn't need to have them, but if she doesn't she resorts to chewing on other things like furniture! (Which is worse!) The guck I can wash off . . . the furniture is a bit harder to replace! (Look at that innocent face!!)



Then we are off to town on the bus, with a few errands to do. I have to bring a dessert to the church picnic tomorrow and so I will be picking up a few odds and sodds to put together for that and then just a general wander about while summer is still with us! I promise to stay away from Hotel Chocolate! ☺



It was really chilly here last evening, just right for a delicious autumnal casserole. I made this for Todd and I and we enjoyed every wonderful mouthful. You can make it in individual casserole dishes like I did, or you can make it in one larger one for the whole family to enjoy. It’s great any way you make it.







*Autumnal Chicken and Butternut Squash Casserole*

Serves 4

Printable Recipe



I love this casserole. There are so many flavours going on in it, but they all seem to meld together wonderfully . . . the sweetness of the roasted butternut squash, the savoury rich flavour of the cheese, earthy sage, tender slices of poached chicken, garlic and the delicious crunch of sweet almonds. It’s fabulous, but don’t just take my word for it, try it for yourself!



2 ½ pound butternut squash

2 TBS olive oil

2 cups milk

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

4 skinless, boneless free range chicken breasts, of medium size

A whole nutmeg for grating

2 ounces (2 TBS) of butter

2 ounces (2 heaping TBS) of plain flour

1 ½ TBS roughly chopped fresh sage leaves

7 ounces (slightly less than 2 cups) of mature cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup flaked toasted almonds

Salt and pepper to taste



Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/425*F/ gas mark 6. Take four individual serving casserole dishes, or one large one, and place them on a baking tray. Set aside.



Peel the butternut squash, cut in half and remove the seeds. Slice it into ½ inch slices. Place on a baking tray and using your fingers toss it with the olive oil, making sure all the pieces are well coated. Season with some salt and pepper and then roast in the heated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender and browning slightly in places. Give it a gentle stir about halfway though the roasting time.



While the squash is cooking get the chicken ready and make the sauce. Wipe the chicken breasts and then season each with salt, pepper and some grated nutmeg. Place them into a saucepan along with the milk and garlic, and bring it just up to the boil. Reduce the heat immediately to medium low, and let the chicken simmer in the hot milk, uncovered, for about 15 to 16 minutes, just until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. Boiling it will toughen the chicken, so make sure it only simmers. If it starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat for a few minutes. Once cooked, remove the chicken with a slotted spoon onto a plate to cool, reserving the milk for the sauce.



Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it just starts to turn brown, remove it from the heat and whisk in the flour to keep the butter from burning. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and then return the pan to the heat, cooking and whisking until it is smooth and thickened slightly. Add 2/3 of the cheese a little at a time, whisking until it melts and is a smooth sauce. Add the sage and season to taste with salt, pepper and a touch of freshly grated nutmeg



Lay half of the butternut squash pieces in the bottom of the casseroles (casserole). Cover with half of the cheese sauce. Slice each chicken breast and lay this over the cheese sauce. Sprinkle half of the toasted almonds on top. Cover with the remaining roasted squash pieces. Spoon on the remaining half of the sauce, smoothing over the top to cover. I always take the tip of a knife and run it a bit here and there down around the sides to make sure the sauce seeps right down into the chicken beneath.



Scatter the remaining cheese and almonds over top. Place in the oven and bake for a further 25 to 30 minutes until the top is nicely browned and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Delicious!



*Note, you can vary the type of cheese used in this if you like. A mixture of Parmesan and Pecorino are good. Also if you want to make it completely vegetarian you can add another vegetable or use all butternut squash leaving out the chicken completely. Blue cheese is also good mixed in with the cheddar cheese







In The English Kitchen today, Carrots with Lemon Sage Butter, deliciously different!

As summer slips away . . .

"Thou crownest the year with thy goodness . . . and the little hills rejoice on every side. The folds shall be full of sheep; the valleys also shall stand so thick with corn that they shall laugh and sing." ~Psalm 65: 11-13



Oh, I do love this time of year . . . summer looks to be slipping away . . . but we still have glorious days of sunshine to look forward to and cooler nights. (I am not overly fond of sticky hot nights). The farmer begins to see lots of promise in his ripening corn and counts his chances of a good harvest to be very good . . .







School holiday makers are making the most of the last few days they have left and are flocking to the seaside, where a festive air reigns . . . cotton candy, ice creams, rock candy, chips and games on the pier . . .



The verges of the woods and meadows are embroidered with lovely blooms, just this side of going to seed . . . and in the garden the crysanthemums are blooming away fiercely along with the gladiolas, dahlias and roses . . . the last hurrah before autumn arrives and they begin to die off . . . tangled masses of gaillardia, coreopsis, gypsophila, clarkia and marigold . . . blooms of gold and red and pink and blue . . . so pretty







But each day brings us closer to the summer's end and you can smell it in the air . . . the impending autumn has an almost palpable presence now on most days . . .







There is no time for regrets. Something new is always waiting around the corner, some new loveliness to be perceived, some new joy to be experienced. The thought of walking once again upon the acorns which crack beneath our feet, and picking blackberries and sloes from the hedgerows . . . the smell of ripe apples and pears in the air . . . the winding down of summer's clock. The evenings hold a certain glow . . . and the mornings, all a-chill hold the promise of sunny days just waiting to unfold.



We must catch them whilst we can . . .







My skin is driving me up the wall at the moment. I have eczema and the skin on my tummy is itching, itching, itching. I have a prescription cream that I use, but it is doing nothing to relieve it. It wakes me up off and on all night and I find I have been scratching, which does it no good whatsoever! Back home I used to take oatmeal baths and use Penaten Cream which I don't seem to be able to get over here. They even have the oatmeal soap over in Canada. I just suffer and hope that it will improve.



Last night I had my first bought out pizza here, and it was not very good. We were waiting for something to be ready at Curry's and it wasn't worth going home and so we popped into Pizza Hut across the road and had a bite to eat. Blech!! I miss Pizza Delight pizza and Al Greco. Perhaps I just got it on a bad day, I don't know, but to me it was no better than a frozen one and a frozen one is a lot cheaper! My cousin Hal owns a pizza restaurant back home (The Pizza Factory) and he makes fantastic pizza's. Darn, now I am wanting pizza for breakfast. Another itch that can't be cured!!!



Best think about chocolate pie then . . . this is a very easy to make and delicious chocolate mousse pie. I made this for Pat and Pete when they visited us down in Brenchley a few years back. I have not made it in a while. Time to rectify that! We are having a church picnic on Saturday and we are each supposed to bring a dessert to share. I think this will be mine!







*Decadent Chocolate Mousse Tart*

Serves 8

Printable Recipe



Not only is this sinfully moreish, but it’s also relatively easy to put together. I’d call it a dawdle! There’s no real cooking involved here. I think this will become a fast favourite with anyone who tries it!



200g packet of butter shortbread biscuits (about 1/2 pound)

100g unsalted butter (6 1/2 TBS)

1 TBS golden syrup or honey

100g bar of good quality dark chocolate (use one with a high cacao content, at least 70%) (4 ounces)

100g bar of good quality milk chocolate (4 ounces)

1 tsp pure vanilla essence

2 TBS of icing sugar, plus more for dusting

200ml of whipping or double cream (6.7 fluid ounces)



Give the biscuits a whir in the food processor, until they are quite broken down. You don’t want them too fine, but you don’t want big chunks of biscuit in them either. (You can also do this by putting them into in a zip lock food bag and giving them a good bash with the rolling pin!) Put the crumbs into a bowl. Melt the butter with the syrup or honey in the microwave and stir it into the crumbs, mixing it until they are all mixed together well. Pat the mixture onto the bottoms and a bit up the sides of a 12 X 36cm (5 by 14 inch) rectangular loose bottomed tart tin or a 23 cm (9 inch) round one. Put it into the fridge to chill while you are making the filling.



Break all the chocolate into bits in a large bowl and melt it in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes on high. Check it after about a minute and a half, giving it a stir. You may not need any longer than that, depending on how strong your microwave is. Stir in the vanilla essence and then sift in the icing sugar. Mix it in well. You will think it is going solid on you, but it isn’t. Whip the cream just until it holds it’s shape and then fold it into the melted chocolate mixture. Spoon it into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Place the tart in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours or up to two days.



About half an hour before serving, remove the tart from the fridge. Let it sit and then remove the sides of the tin and place the tart onto aflat plate. Dust with icing sugar and then serve. You can serve it with a little bit of crème fraiche dabbed on top or a scoop of ice cream on the side. Delicious!







There are delicious Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes over in The English Kitchen this morning! Just in time for breakfast!

Wednesday prattle . . .

"Out of pain and problems have come the sweetest songs and the most gripping stories."

~Billy Graham



You know, that's really true and something to remember when things are getting us a bit down. When I look back on some of the roughest patches that I have had to hoe in my lifetime, I can clearly see in retrospect that they have also given me some of my greatest blessings.



If life ran smoothly all the time, without it's many ups and downs, I don't think we'd be near as happy as we are. It is the downs in life that truly help us to appreciate the ups. I am a great believer in "Silver Linings." Learning to recognize them is the key to happiness in all things. It's all about being able to dance in the rain . . .







When we lost our job last year and home . . . lost Jess . . . it was all for a reason. Number one I had not been really happy in my job for a while. Number two, I had had signs of problems in my knees, hips, etc. Number three, Heavenly Father knew that my arthritis was going to begin to kick in big time. Number four, there is no way I would have been able to continue to work with the arthritis as bad as it now is, I would have had to quit my job. Number five . . . had I had to quit my job, I would never have gotten severance pay and we would have never had the money to set ourselves up again in a new place. Being made redundant at the right time was the silver lining in our cloud, even if we were not able to see it at the time. Our faith helped to carry us through that situation from it's dark beginnings to the light at the end of the tunnel.







There were days when we could barely see any light . . . and when our faith was surely tried, but the promise of hope that the Gospel brings, helped to carry us on through those days. I never lost hope throughout the whole ordeal, that my Heavenly Father had a purpose even in what seemed like a horrible trial for us. It was not nice losing our lovely new car . . . but it was replaced with a pretty good second hand car that thus far has given us good service. We have a lovely little home and whilst it's not in the countryside, it's in a really quiet area of the Housing Estate we now find ourselves living on and it has a HUGE garden that we are able to enjoy and use in ways we could never use the one we had down south . . . with our very own fruit trees and a delightful little pond and a vegetable and fruit patch which brings us much joy.



I am now free to serve my callings in the church to the best of my abilities . . . something I could never do when we worked at the Manor. My job required much of me, and most of my time . . . and there was very little leftover for anything else. I enjoy my calling as a Counselor in the Relief Society so very much. I love serving the sisters in our Ward and being able to spend time with each of them. I love being able to do Visiting Teaching. I could not do any down South, and so was only a letter writer. Real Time visits are so much better.







I used to fret because my job was so demanding, and my husband getting ever older . . . and that we didn't have enough time to spend with each other. I felt that our years together were being wasted in service to a person that didn't truly appreciate the sacrifice . . . Todd and I found each other so late in life, each moment spent together, even now when we have nothing but time to spend together . . . is very precious to me.



"I walked a mile with sorrow

And ne'er a word said she

But, oh, the things I learned

When sorrow walked with me."

~Robert Hamilton







We may not always understand the reasons why we need to go through the trials that beset us . . . but they are always a lot easier to bear knowing that one day we will understand, and see the purpose in all things . . . even those. Life is truly sweet when you allow it to be.







Look at the sweet little cruet set my reading student brought me yesterday as a gift. He knows I like things like this and he saw it in a charity shop and wanted to buy me a gift as a thank you. I don't expect any thanks for what I am doing really. I truly enjoy helping him, but my heart was touched yesterday when he gave this to me. It will go in a place of honor on my side board for sure!



I had a lovely time yesterday with my friend Anna. I told her she needs to get herself a craft shed like my friend Sheilagh has! If she can't have a room in the house, she needs a shed. Everyone needs a place, however small, to call their own! Especially if you are a creative type . . . space to create is so very important! Sheilagh, I need to bring Anna to yours one day to see your shed! She would be amazed and uplifted I am sure!



Cookies are one of the things that I enjoy in life. Especially homemade ones. Most especially peanut butter cookies. If you have a peanut butter cookie in the cookie tin, you don't really need much else . . . except maybe a glass of milk . . . and someone to share them with. Cookies shared always taste twice as good!







*Old Favourites Peanut Butter Cookies*

Makes 4 ½ to 5 dozen

Printable Recipe



The kid in me loves these. I have been making these for as long as I can remember. Nothing fancy here, just old fashioned peanut butter goodness. Bet you can’t eat just one!



½ cup butter

½ cup packed soft light brown sugar

½ cup caster sugar

1 large free range egg

½ cup peanut butter (you can use crunchy if you want, but I always use smooth)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

1 cup plain flour (you may need more, I always do)

½ tsp vanilla



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set it aside.



Put the butter into a large bowl and cream it really well with a wooden spoon. Once it is quite fluffy, beat in both the sugars gradually, beating until creamy. Mix in the egg, peanut butter, salt and baking soda, mixing them all in and blending them well. Stir in the vanilla and then finally the flour. Mix in enough flour so that the dough is not too sticky. You will need to be able to roll the mixture into balls with your hands. I find that I usually need about 1 ½ cups of flour at least.



Roll the dough into walnut sized balls (or drop with a teaspoon onto the baking sheet) Put each ball on the baking sheet, placing them at least 2 inches apart. Take a fork and dip it into some flour and lightly press each one flat. Bake for ten to twelve minutes. Remove from the baking sheet with a spatula to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat with the remaining dough until it is all used up.



Sometimes you can drop the balls of dough into a small dish of white sugar and roll them around to coat them before placing them onto the baking pan. They are really good done this way too.







In The English Kitchen today, delicious Sticky Glazed Pork Chops.

The Simple Woman's Day book . . .

FOR TODAY, August 16th, 2011...



Outside My Window...

The mornings are getting darker these days . . . it seems only a few weeks ago I was arising in full daylight and now . . . it's only beginning to brighten up when I awaken. Autumn surely is just around the corner. Having said that though . . . today looks to be a dull day anyways, weatherwise!



I am thinking...

Lately every time I do something on the computer I run across an old comment from Angie, or another little something that she posted . . . I miss her so very much. I still have a hard time believing she is gone. It still tears me up . . . I think these little links are like her way of telling me that she is still with me and not far away. It makes me smile when I think of that. She was such a dear and beloved friend . . .



I am thankful for...

All the legal wranglings that I have been messing about with for the past year are now finally over and there is a definite light at the end of the tunnel now. I feel as if I have won the lottery. Not quite . . . but I now have a little nest egg for my retirement years, which will come in handy in about 10 years time.



From the kitchen...

There is a tasty Sticky Orange Marmalade Cake, but little else in the way of goodies! Lotsa lotsa fruit though!



I am wearing...

A blue nightie and slippers. I have decided that I have a lot of blue nighties. I think it's time to break free and buy one in another colour!



I am creating...

I have stacks and stacks of finished cards sitting in my craft room, all glued and glittered, and bagged and stickered up. I still have to list them in my Etsy Shop. I know, I have been saying that for a few weeks now! I am a bit closer to having them done, but yesterday I finished something that I have been working on for a while now. I finished up a lap quilt top!! Yayy!! I should have taken a picture to show you here this morning.







I had purchased myself one of these jelly roll packs of Thimbleberries fabrics several years ago and yesterday I sewed them all together. They look quite lovely . . . very rich, and it will make a lovely big lap quilt for the winter months. I was inspired by this post by my friend Marlene, of Stitching by the Lake. Thanks Marlene!!!



I am going...

A friend of mine is coming over today to view my Craft Room! I hope she is duly impressed! (Somehow I doubt that. I have a long ways to go before it is impressive, but still I count myself very lucky to have a room all to myself!!)



I am reading...







Untied, by Meredith Baxter

“I remember Sarah asking me, when I’d just begun therapy with her, what I looked for in a man. After a few moments of silent, tense deliberation I had it. ‘Hair,’ I blurted. ‘He has to have hair.’”



Meredith Baxter is a beloved and iconic television actress, most well-known for her enormously popular role as hippie mom, Elyse Keaton, on Family Ties. Her warmth, humor, and brilliant smile made her one of the most popular women on television, with millions of viewers following her on the small screen each week. Yet her success masked a tumultuous personal story and a harrowing private life. For the first time, Baxter is ready to share her incredible highs, (working with Robert Redford, Doris Day, Lana Turner, and the cast of Family Ties), and lows (a thorny relationship with her mother, a difficult marriage to David Birney, a bout with breast cancer), finally revealing the woman behind the image.

From her childhood in Hollywood, growing up the daughter of actress and co-creator of One Day at a Time Whitney Blake, Baxter became familiar with the ups and downs of show business from an early age. After wholeheartedly embracing the 60s counterculture lifestyle, she was forced to rely on her acting skills after her first divorce left her a 22-year-old single mother of two. Baxter began her professional career with supporting roles in the critically panned horror film Ben, and in the political thriller All the President's Men.

More lucrative work soon followed on the small screen. Baxter starred with actor David Birney as the title characters in controversial sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie. While the series only lasted a year, her high-profile romance with Birney lasted 15 volatile and unhappy years. Hiding the worst of her situation from even those closest to her, Baxter’s career flourished as her self-esteem and family crumbled. Her successful run as Nancy on Family was followed by her enormously popular role on Family Ties, and dozens of well-received television movies.

After a bitter divorce and custody battle with Birney, Baxter increasingly relied on alcohol as a refuge, and here speaks candidly of her decision to take her last drink in 1990.

And while another ruinous divorce to screenwriter Michael Blodgett taxed Baxter’s strength and confidence, she has emerged from her experiences with the renewed self-assurance, poise, and understanding that have enabled her to find a loving, respectful relationship with Nancy Locke, and to speak about it openly.

Told with insight, wit, and disarming frankness, Untied is the eye-opening and inspiring life of an actress, a woman, and a mother who has come into her own.

I watched her interview on Oprah the other day and was in tears throughout most of it. As I watched and heard her speak of her marriage to actor David Birney, I realized just now many parallels there were in that marriage and my own marriage to my ex. Thankfully Baxter's children are on board with her there and recognize the stigma and horror of emotional and verbal abuse. I was too good at hiding it. I hid it from my family. I hid it from my children. I hid it from my friends . . . as you do. Nobody wants to admit to other people that this is going on . . . a bruise on the face which shows . . . you can't hide that. A bruise to the soul goes much deeper, and is much harder to heal. There is a part of you that believes you deserve it and that it is all you are worth . . . it is shameful, soul wrenching, and debilitating . . . but what hurts even more is when the very people you tried to protect from it, turn on you, because they cannot believe that it even happened.

I am hoping...

That we have nice weather for our holiday in a few weeks time. September in Cumbria . . . rain comes to mind, but we might get lucky!



I am hearing...

Early morning sounds . . . the clock on the mantle humming as the wheels inside it turn. The odd car as it goes by. Mitzie snuffling as she snoozes, all curled up behind me on the sofa. The tap tapping of the computer keys as I write. They are morning sounds. The sounds as I hear whilst the house wakes up around me and the day begins.



Around the house...

Ironing, hoovering, dusting . . . the usual household chores. I don't mind puttering about in the house really, except for the fact that it prevents me from doing what I really want to do all day long, which is play!



I am looking forward to...

I am having my first committee meeting tomorrow with my enrichment (extra meetings) committee for Relief Society. I am so glad to finally have one. It will be nice to have some extra help with these things. They are a couple of great gals and I am looking forward to working with them!



I am pondering...

I am sometimes really astonished at how quickly life passes away. As a child the summer months seemed to last forever . . . but as an adult they flash by, seemingly in an instant! Is that just me or does everyone experience this phenomenom???



One of my favourite things...

Is watching old television programs. We are just about to start the last in the Andy Griffith Series. They were simpler times for sure. I know that they were only a pale imitation of real life . . . but I do so enjoy watching them. I love Leave It To Beaver as well, and Father Knows Best and My Three Sons. I love them all and they make my heart feel so good and warm when I am watching them. We have the first of the Newheart Series as well. For some reason they have never come out with Season 2. From the minute I hear the Introduction Music and see that car winding through the Vermont Hills, my heart sings. I just love it. We are watching it for the 4th time now. It never gets old.



A few plans for the rest of the week...

My friend and Craft Room today, my meeting tomorrow. daily reading lessons, a Ward Picnic on Saturday, but that is all. The rest is blissfully free!!



Here is picture thought I am sharing...







This is our little hedgehog visitor. Isn't he cute? I think him quite adorable. I love that we still have these little glimpses of country life even though we live on a huge housing estate at the edge of a city. I am a country gal at heart. We are so blessed to have such a huge garden at the back of us. I know Todd doesn't think it's so great when he has to mow it, or to trim the hedge, but . . . the rest of the time he glories in it as well. We have discovered this week that we don't just have two frogs, but three! We may even have more, I don't know. But we feel blessed to have even three! What a bonus!!



And just as a closing thought for today . . .



"He who harbours a slight, will miss the haven of happiness."

~author unknown



I discovered a long time ago, the futility of bearing a grudge. It seldom if ever affects the one you hold it against, but it can poison your own life in unimaginable ways.



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!



I have a tasty vegetarian Lasagne to show you today. Oh, I do love my Lasagne. It is one of my absolute favourite things to make and to eat! Todd doesn 't overly mind it either, even if it is pasta!!







*Roasted Vegetable Lasagna Verde*

Serves 4

Printable Recipe



This delicious version of lasagna is so good you won’t even miss the meat! I love the sweetness of the roasted vegetables and the richness of the Bechamel topping. Together they are heavenly …



For the roasted Vegetable Sauce:

½ pounds of red bell peppers, seeded and diced

1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks

2 medium courgettes, cut into half moons

1 aubergine, cut into cubes

1 red onion, peeled and chopped

1 tsp of olive oil with a dash of toasted sesame oil

1 tsp basil

Cracked black pepper to taste

8 cloves of garlic, peeled and wrapped in foil

One jar of really good quality tomato pasta sauce (cheating I know)



For the spinach layer:

½ tsp olive oil

8 medium mushrooms, cut thick

½ pound raw spinach, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper



For the Bechamel sauce:

1 TBS butter

2 1/2 TBS plain flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk, heated together with a bay leaf

½ tsp salt

Freshly grated nutmeg



To finish:

9 non-cook lasagna verde noodles

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup grated parmesan cheese



Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Lay out the vegetables onto a baking sheet and toss with the oils. Lay the foil wrapped garlic alongside. Bake for 30 minutes and then stir. Bake 15 min more. Remove and transfer to a large bowl. Squeeze baked garlic into the vegetables and stir well. Add the tomato sauce and mix well. Set aside while you make the béchamel.



Melt the butter over medium low heat in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and let the two cook together for about one minute. Strain the milk into the pan slowly, stirring the whole time. Cook, stirring until the mixture is thickened. Season to taste with the salt and freshly grated nutmeg. Remove from the heat and set aside.



To cook the spinach, pour the oil into a large frying pan or wok on medium heat and fry the mushrooms until they start to brown. Add the spinach and seasonings and cook until spinach wilts. Add a TBS of water, if needed, to help steam the spinach down. Transfer to a sieve to drain excess moisture.



To assemble, Put a quantity of the vegetable sauce in the bottom of a nine inch square baking dish. Cover with 3 of the noodles. Cover with 1/3 of the remaining tomato vegetable sauce, the mushrooms and the spinach, 1/3 of the mozzarella, add a sprinkle of Parmesan. Cover with three more noodles, 1/3 roasted vegetable sauce, 1/3 of the mozzarella, and another sprinkle of Parmesan. Cover with last 3 noodles, the remaining sauce and Parmesan and the mozzarella. Pour the béchamel on top evenly. Bake at 400 F for 30 to 45 minutes, until the noodles are cooked and tender and the top is nicely browned. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.







Baking in The English Kitchen today, a delicious Sticky Orange Marmalade Cake!!

A Monday to do about nothing . . .

A bunch of friends and I were talking about gossip one day and how harmful it can be. We all agreed that the best approach would be not to listen and never to pass it on. One mentioned this old saying:



"Why do dogs have so many friends? Because they wag their tails, not their tongues!"



It seem to me that that is the best approach of all! I've often thought that if someone is really keen to talk about others to you . . . then you can be most assured that when they leave your presence they are awfully keen to talk about you to others too!







Speaking of dogs, yesterday afternoon we could hear Mitzie barking oddly in the back garden. She never barks at anything, so I knew that there must be something out there that was upsetting her and, sure enough, upon investigation we discovered that there was a wee little hedgehog sitting in the grass and she was a big frightened of it. Her bark was warning us of impending danger I think . . . either that or she was asking for help! I did managed to snap a photo of her with it.







Of course she got a little braver once we appeard on the scene and got quite close to it, although she still kept a bit of a distance! And who could blame her, I am sure those prickles could really tickle your nose, if not hurt a bit! Not like a porqupine though . . . they actually "throw" their quills at unlucky investigators and the unhappy recipients must needs to to a Doctor (or a Vet) to have them removed, as they have little barbs on the ends like fish hooks.



We were to a friend's house for dinner last night and it was just lovely. The missionaries were there, as well as another lady, and she had cooked a lovely Roast Dinner. We sat down to a lovely meal of delicious roast chicken with all the trimmings. Her Roast Potatoes were gorgeous and her chicken was one of the best I had ever tasted. I asked her what her secret was and she said lots of butter! For dessert we feasted on hot fudge cake and clotted cream ice cream . . . I think I will have to do push ups for a week to make up for that one!







On the way home from church yesterday we noticed that many leaves are beginning to turn . . . ambers and yellows are showing up on the tree tops and a few trees are actually beginning to shed their leaves. I noticed too, that the evenings are becoming decidedly cooler and even wondered the other night as we crawled into bed should I dig out the warm blanket now . . . Autumn seems in a hurry to arrive it seems, and we've had hardly any summer it seems! I know they had somewhat of a heatwave down South a few weeks back, but we only had maybe two nights where it was a bit warmish upstairs for sleeping. Todd always gets a bit sad when we don't have much of a summer. He looks forward to summer all year long, and then it is seemingly gone in no time at all. Me, I prefer to find something to enjoy in all the seasons . . . that way I am always happy no matter the weather! (Although I will admit that the rain does get me down a bit from time to time!)







I must dash now and make up for yesterday when I hadn't the time to read many of your blogs. I find it really hard on Sunday mornings to make my way around the blog block, and yesterday afternoon I didn't have time either, once I had called my mother and then we went out, so I am going to do a bit of reading this morning before I start my day. I do hope that wherever you are and whatever you are doing that Monday gives you a day that is special and blessed in many little ways!



My culinary offering for you today is a delicious Banoffee Pie. Credit for the pie's invention is claimed by Ian Dowding and Nigel Mackenzie of The Hungry Monk restaurant in Jevington, East Sussex. They claim to have invented the pie in 1972, and the restaurant's exterior bears a blue plaque to that effect. The dish, with various stories of its source, spread, and in 1994 a number of supermarkets began selling it as an American pie, leading Dowding and Mackenzie to offer a £10,000 prize to anyone who could disprove their claim. From what I understand, nobody has been able to claim the prize, as of yet.







*Banoffee Pie*

Serves 8

Printable Recipe



The lovely taste of banana, cloaked in sweet, delicious caramel, over top of a crunchy biscuit crust and covered in rich, sweetly whipped cream. This dessert is to die for, I kid you not! Sinfully rich and incredibly easy to make! Making the caramel does take some time though, so plan ahead!



1 1/2 cups digestive biscuit crumbs (Or graham cracker crumbs if you can get them)

10 tablespoons butter, softened

2 cans sweetened condensed milk

3 large bananas

1 1/2 cups double cream

1/3 cup icing sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup hard toffees, crushed into bits

Dark cocoa powder for dusting

A few toasted walnuts, broken into pieces



Preheat oven to 180*C/350* F.



Mix graham cracker crumbs with softened butter and press mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.



Lower the oven to 150*C/300*F to make the toffee filling.



To create the toffee filling you must caramelise the sweetened condensed milk, which is really quite easy. Pour the condensed milk into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and place dish inside a larger baking dish. Add water to the larger dish until it comes half way up sides of baking dish. Place into the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and remove the dish with the caramel from the hot water. Let cool.



Once both the crust and toffee filling are cooled, spread half of the toffee filling evenly inside crust. Slice the bananas and layer on top of the filling. Pour the remaining half of the toffee filling over bananas, spreading evenly. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla and spread on top of toffee filling and bananas. Dust the top with a sprinkling of dark cocoa powder. Scatter the crushed toffees and toasted walnut pieces over the top and serve.







Cooking in The English Kitchen today a delicious Tuna Melt! I'm also testing a fab one cup water heater!