Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Moonlight...
"'Tis moonlight, summer moonlight,
All soft and still and fair;
The solemn hour of midnight
Breathes sweet thoughts everywhere,
But most where trees are sending
Their breezy boughs on high,
Or stooping low are lending
A shelter from the sky.
And there in those wild bowers
A lovely form is laid;
Green grass and dew-steeped flowers
Wave gently round her head."
~ Emily Bronte
Moonlight, Summer Moonlight
The magic of moonlight...
ah, yes!
Some of us love to go outside and just gaze at her wonder,
while others take to task the labors of love
while reaping the rewards
that draw forth in Mother Nature's shadow.
I so much appreciate the special time when the moon is full,
when one dares to dream of all that may be possible.
The moment of losing oneself within romantic notions of dreams
that once brought visions of what was to come,
only to realize that those very dreams and gypsy visions
have always been and always will be possible...
The moon is a reminder from Mother Nature to us all,
I believe that although we sometimes forget about her
amidst our daily living,
she is always there for us...
a constant, most powerful force.
The magic of moonlight...
ah, yes!
Some of us love to go outside and just gaze at her wonder,
while others take to task the labors of love
while reaping the rewards
that draw forth in Mother Nature's shadow.
I so much appreciate the special time when the moon is full,
when one dares to dream of all that may be possible.
The moment of losing oneself within romantic notions of dreams
that once brought visions of what was to come,
only to realize that those very dreams and gypsy visions
have always been and always will be possible...
I believe that although we sometimes forget about her
amidst our daily living,
she is always there for us...
a constant, most powerful force.
The August Moon
Full Moon – August 2nd
Last Quarter – August 9th
New Moon – August 17th
First Quarter – August 24th
Full Moon (Blue Moon)– August 31st
Last Quarter – August 9th
New Moon – August 17th
First Quarter – August 24th
Full Moon (Blue Moon)– August 31st
Friday, August 3, 2012
Lovely Lavender...
I love having lavender throughout my kitchen.
The fragrant plant reminds me that I should not ignore it, but rather come up with more uses. Traditionally used in tea, my thoughts are turning to another form, such as a lovely creme brûlée...
ingredients
• 2 vanilla pods
• 300ml double cream
• 200ml whole milk
• 8 large free-range or organic egg yolks
• 75g sugar
• a bunch of lavender, flowers picked
• 4 tablespoons caster sugar
prepare...
Lavender has a clean fresh flavor and is surprisingly good in cooking.
Preheat the oven to 275°F. Score the vanilla pods lengthways and scrape out the vanilla seeds with a knife or a teaspoon. Place the seeds into a saucepan, add the pods, cream and milk and slowly bring to the boil. Remove from the heat.
Get a large bowl that will fit over your pan and beat together the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Remove the vanilla pods from the pan and, little by little, add the milk and cream to the egg mixture in the bowl, whisking continuously. Add 2.5cm of hot water to your dirty pan, bring to a simmer and put the bowl on top of the pan. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes over the simmering water, stirring often, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in a small handful of lavender flowers, but the trick is to be delicate – you only need a hint of its distinctive flavor.
Remove any bubbles or froth from the mixture before dividing it between your ramekins. Stand these in a high-sided roasting tray, and fill the tray with water halfway up the ramekins. Place carefully in the preheated oven and cook for around 30 to 45 minutes or until the mixture has set but is still slightly wobbly in the centre. Allow to cool at room temperature then place in the fridge until ready.
To serve, sprinkle each crème brûlée with a tablespoon of caster sugar and some more of the lavender flowers and caramelize under a very hot grill or using the chef’s torch.
Another use for lavender in the kitchen would be to make a rub for chicken or meat.
One very well known use is a Mediterranean mixture called Herbes de Provence.
Ingredients: Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme, Savory, Basil, Fennel, Marjoram...
be sure to use olive oil to lock in the wonderful aromas & natural juices!
be sure to use olive oil to lock in the wonderful aromas & natural juices!
I love to mix it in any dish that I prepare with feta cheese
(had this last night, and thoroughly enjoyed every bite...
perfect for a simple summer appetizer or outside meal
along with a glass of your favorite wine or sangria!)
Lavender Sugar
The wonderful aromas in my kitchen coming from herbs
makes it a welcome place to be.
Other great uses for Lavender in the home...
Lavender Brooms
 |
| Lavender Decor |
Lavender Wands...
Lavender Quotes...
“There are some things, after all, that Sally Owens knows for certain:
Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder.
Keep rosemary by your garden gate.
Add pepper to your mashed potatoes.
Plant roses and lavender, for luck.
Fall in love whenever you can.”
~ Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic
Lavender is for lovers true, Which evermore be faine;
Desiring always for to have Some pleasure for their paine:
And when that they obtained have The love that they require,
Then have they all their perfect joie,
And quenched is the fire.
~Lavender and Clement Robinson
(Handefull of Pleasant Delites, 1584)
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Happy Lammas!
It was upon a Lammas night,
When corn rigs are bonnie
Beneath the moon's unclouded light,
I held awe' to Annie
~ Robert Burns~
The Rigs O'Barley
Lammas, or hlafmaesse (loaf mass),
originates from the pagan lughnasadh,
and was once a very important festival
marking the beginning of the harvest season...
The feast of the first fruits
celebrated the first crop to be harvested,
which tended to be wheat...
thus making it the tradition for parishioners to
offer a loaf of bread
made from the new crop to fellow villagers
Today, of all days, let us honor our traditions & make some delicious rustic loaves!!!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Love Spoons...
In Welsh tradition, a man who is courting a young woman would carve a love spoon for his intended. Intricate symbolic details such as keys (to the heart), wheels (to work hard for his love), and beads (for the number of desired children), would be carefully carved with the intention of presenting to the one being courted.
On St. Dwynwen's Day, Welsh love spoons are one
of the most traditional and romantic gifts that can be given.
Who is Saint Dwynwen, anyway?
She is the patron saint of lovers...
She was the daughter of Brchan Brycheinog, chieftain of Powys,
who lived in the fifth century.
The beautiful Dwynwen fell in love,
but rejected her love for him as her father did not approve.
There are many variations of her legend.
Dwynwen prayed that she would have no memory of her true love,
and in doing so,
an angel provided her with a potion,
which she gives to her true love and turns him to ice.
After seeing what happens to him,
she prays for his release,
and that all lovers be watched over, and that she never fall in love again.
She banishes herself to an island off the west coast of Anglesey forever after.
It is well accepted that should one gaze upon the sacred fish within the magical waters
of the well located on the grounds of Eglwys Santes Dwynwen,
lovers' destinies will be foretold.
St. Dwynwen's Day is celebrated on January 25th.
The fair and beautiful Dwynwen found herself cursed, and local people today believe the island to be inhabited by ancient spirits. Many legends have come from Wales,
as have many of our own families that left Wales to come to the new world.
In honor of my ancestors, my Valentine's Day gift this year is a love spoon.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Happy Birthday, Charles Dickens...
February 7, 1812 - June 9, 1870
“Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires,
and a touch that never hurts.”
~ Charles Dickens
~ Charles Dickens
...it is indeed Charles Dickens' 200th birthday
“My meaning simply is, that whatever I have tried to do in life,
I have tried with all my heart to do well; that whatever I have devoted myself to,
I have devoted myself to completely;
that in great aims and in small,
I have always been thoroughly in earnest.”
~ Charles Dickens, David Copperfield
On June 8th 1870, Dickens suffered a stroke at his home, in the midst of his work on Edwin Drood, and passed away the following day at 58 years old.
Dickens's last words, as reported in his obituary were alleged to have been:
On June 8th 1870, Dickens suffered a stroke at his home, in the midst of his work on Edwin Drood, and passed away the following day at 58 years old. He wished to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner", instead, he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey.
Dickens's last words, as reported in his obituary were alleged to have been:| “ | Be natural my children. For the writer that is natural has fulfilled all the rules of art. | ” |
Dickens requested that no memorial be erected to honor him.
The only life-size bronze statue of Dickens is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Mystery of Edwin Drood was never completed...
Dickens passed prior to finishing the mystery novel, and left no clues regarding how it may play out in the end. There are many writers who have attempted their own version of the conclusion to the story.
I have two novels written by modern authors with regard to the very subject of Drood...
The first of these works of fiction would be
Drood, by Dan Simmons.
Drood, by Dan Simmons.
On the inside jacket, there are some brief references to the
mystery behind this last work of Dickens...
mystery behind this last work of Dickens...
"...Drood. Based on actual biographical events, Drood explores the still unresolved mysteries of one of our greatest writer's dark final days in a profoundly original tale..."
The other of these novels that pay tribute to the last work of Dickens would be...
The Last Dickens, by Matthew Pearl.
“A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens' tomb marker can be found in the Poets' Corner
at Westminster Abbey. Each year on the anniversary of his birth,
a wreath is laid on his grave.
Prince Charles at Dickens celebration
The Prince of Wales today commemorated the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great Victorian writer, Charles Dickens.
In London, to mark the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens on February 7th, there was the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Dickens' grave, which is located in Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey. Prince Charles himself presented this wreath upon the grave, which has been there since 1870.
There were readings by the g.g.grandson of Charles Dickens, Mark Dickens, as well as by Ralph Fiennes, who portrays Magwitch from Great Expectations in an upcoming film. From the Dean of Westminster... "Dickens' humanity and compassion made an extraordinary impact on Victorian England through his writings, which remain immensely popular. This bicentenary should help renew our commitment to improving the lot of the disadvantaged of our own day."
Gillian Anderson, who portrays Miss Havisham in the new film adaptation of Great Expectations, paid tribute to Dickens as well today.
Here is a wonderful preview of her portrayal...
“I loved her simply because I found her irresistible. Once for all; I knew to my sorrow, often and often, if not always, that I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be. Once for all; I love her none the less because I knew it, and it had no more influence in restraining me, than if I had devoutly believed her to be human perfection.”
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Mardi Gras!
It's carnival season!
I haven't been to New Orleans for quite some time, but I do enjoy holding my own personal Mardi Gras at home... this is really a great excuse to invite some cherished friends over for sharing of food, drink, & merriment. The welcoming of guests with decorative masks and colorful costumes adds to the excitement! I like to always have some great New Orleans music playing in the background, and have included a great little sample that you may play as you peruse the recipe. The magic of 'The Big Easy' awaits...
Olive oil
2 red or white onions, chopped
5 green onions, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
chopped celery
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped with seeds
3 tablespoon Creole Seasoning (or more)
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
5 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound andouille sausage cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound ham, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
32 oz chicken stock
28 oz can plum tomatoes, diced, with liquid
3 cups long-grain rice
Preparation
In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add two chopped red onions, four chopped green onions, one chopped bell pepper, four finely chopped garlic cloves, two bay leaves, one finely chopped jalapeño, one tbspn. (or more) Creole Seasoning, one-half tspn. cayenne pepper and one-half tspn. fresh chopped oregano.
Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Mix in two tbspns. tomato paste. Add broth. Add sausage, ham, tomatoes and rice. Bring mixture to simmer. Feel free to add shrimp if desired.
Cover and cook until rice is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
Garnish with remaining green onion and serve.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
The long, gray moss that softly swings
In solemn grandeur from the trees,
Like mournful funeral draperies,--
A brown-winged bird that never sings.
A shallow, stagnant, inland sea,
Where rank swamp grasses wave, and where
A deadliness lurks in the air,--
A sere leaf falling silently.
The death-like calm on every hand,
That one might deem it sin to break,
So pure, so perfect,--these things make
The mournful beauty of this land.
~ Albert Bigelow Paine
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