.

Patience

2012-02-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting patiently for the cherry tree branches to bloom. I brought from my friend's garden several weeks ago. Today the first of them began to unfold. I have watched the tiny brown buds swell and turn green. Now I know they will all bloom and bring a bit of Spring into the room.

Cherries next Summer

The Diamond Queen

2012-02-06T07:28:00.000-08:00

Today Her Majesty the Queen celebrates the most happy and joyous occasion of the 60th anniversary of her accession to the Throne. Echoing the pledge she made as a young princess back in 1947 to dedicate her life to the service of her people, she has issued a statement to the nation to mark the occasion:

"I am writing to thank you for the wonderful support and encouragement that you have given to me and Prince Philip over these years and to tell you how deeply moved we have been to receive so many kind messages about the Diamond Jubilee.

"In this special year, as I dedicate myself anew to your service, I hope we will all be reminded of the power of togetherness and the convening strength of family, friendship and good neighbourliness, examples of which I have been fortunate to see throughout my reign and which my family and I look forward to seeing in many forms as we travel throughout the United Kingdom and the wider Commonwealth.

"My sincere good wishes to you all

"ELIZABETH R"

For the Queen, this is a day tinged with some sadness as it also marks the anniversary of the death of her father, King George VI, who, 60 years ago, put his hand into the Hand of God and trod safely into the unknown. The cry ‘The King is dead. Long live the Queen!’ is both brutal in its insensitivity and joyous in its benevolence. It represents monarchical continuity, whence flow stability, security and peace.

Queen Elizabeth II becomes today only the second monarch of the Britannic Isles to achieve this quite remarkable milestone, which historians and future generations will doubtless view as the zenith of the second Elizabethan era. The whole United Kingdom along with the other 15 nations over which the Queen reigns, not to mention the other 38 Commonwealth countries and much of the rest of the world, will hold celebrations over the coming months, culminating on the weekend of 2-5 June (DV), with street parties, services of thanksgiving, fireworks, medals and coins minted, a concert at Buckingham Palace, a pageant at Windsor Castle, a nationwide chain of jubilee beacons and, for the first time since the 18th century, a Royal Barge will transport the Monarch along the Thames in one of the largest flotillas ever assembled. It will be the jewel in the crown of one of the most spectacular events in Britain's history.

I'll be watching the festivities on television and on-line. I only wish I could be in our old village to enjoy the celebration. It will be fun - knowing the folks there, I am sure there will be lots of fun!

Sunshine on my Hyacinth

2012-02-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

The sun is shining on this lovely lavender hyacinth this morning. It is very windy and cold outside, but the sun is a welcome change from all the rain we've had lately.

Candlemas

2012-02-01T21:59:00.000-08:00

If Candlemas is mild and pure,

Winter will be long for sure.

Presentation at the Temple by Andrea Mantegnaca 1460

Candlemas is an ancient festival with many variations in different countries. Candlemas is the liturgical feast of the purifications of Mary, the mother of Jesus. It commemorates Mary''s obedience to the Mosaic law of ritual purification (as found in Leviticus 12:2-8) exactly 40 days after the birth of her child.

One of the traditions is taking candles to church to be blessed. These candles will be used throughout the following year in home worship.

Punxsutawney Phil

Another tradition, because of this day being halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox, is watching for signs of Spring. In North America, we watch for the groundhog to see if he sees his shadow. In other parts of the world other animals are watched.
Update: Phil saw his shadow this morning - we'll see if we do have more winter.

It is thought to bring ill luck to bring snowdrops into the house before Candlemas.

In France, crĉpes are the favored treat on this day. With as many fillings as there are cooks, my favorite is ham, egg, and Gruyère.

What ever your tradition, I wish you joy of the day!

Breakfast

2012-01-29T20:34:00.000-08:00

This morning I'm having a treat of french butter with sea salt on toast with my tea. If you've never tried french salt from Normandy, you haven't tasted butter!
Of course, I'd love to be eating it on real bread - baked in a boulangerie, not whole grain, made in my bread maker at home.
But I'm happy just to be able to have even that. On my last trip to France, I visited the Isigny creamery and later feasted on some cheese with bread and butter.

Violets

2012-01-27T16:58:00.000-08:00

Winter citrus

2012-01-27T16:52:00.000-08:00

Playing around with Picnik before it goes away. I really like the glass-like frames. I picked up these citrus fruits at Whole Foods, today. The larger fruit are a cross of orange and kumquat, and the smaller ones are a cross of mandarin and kumquat. The lovely sweet skin is delicious to nibble, and the very sour flesh is good in tea or on fish - anywhere you'd use lemon or lime, but with a definite orange-y taste.

Playing with Picnik again.

National Oatmeal Month

2012-01-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

January is National Oatmeal Month.

For me, every month is Oatmeal Month. I have diabetes. Oats are low in on the Glycemic Index which is because they are the only cereal containing a globulin or legume-like protein, avenalin, as the major (80%) storage protein. This is why it makes sense for me to eat them, in some form or other, for breakfast almost everyday.

Sometimes in porridge with butter and salt, or milk and Splenda. Beware of "instant" oatmeal. It is loaded with sugar and it is just as fast and easy to scoop a ½ C. of "Old fashioned rolled oats" in a bowl with water and microwave for about 2 minutes. No sugar, no preservatives. Just good nutrition.

Sometimes raw with milk or yoghurt, and fruit. This is known as Müesli in Swiss German. It was introduced around 1900 by the Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital. It was inspired by a similar dish that he and his wife had been served on a hike in the Swiss Alps. It is esecially nice in the warmer months

Bircher-Benner himself referred to the dish simply as "kSpys". (Swiss German for "the dish")

Sometimes I bake a kind of cookie made with a ½ C. oats, Splenda to taste, yoghurt to moisten, salt, oil, and fruit (Raisins, chopped apple with a little cinnamon, chopped pears with cardamom). I bake it in my toaster oven for about 15 minutes. Makes a nice change from porridge in the winter.

I occasionally make pancakes with oatmeal, using ½ whole wheat pancake mix and ½ rolled oats, yoghurt, egg, salt and oil. Not bad, for a change. I like to eat them in the English way, sprinkled with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a sprinkle of Splenda.

Oats are a staple in most Northern European countries. With tomorrow being Burns Night, I am adding a little bow to Scotland with some nice Highland oat cakes. How delicious with a nice cup of milky tea on a rainy afternoon.

Be healthy and enjoy a good breakfast of oats.

Happy Chinese New Year!

2012-01-23T11:25:00.000-08:00

Chinese Symbol for Happy Chinese New Year (恭禧發財)

I'm a Rooster – 雞 / 鸡 (酉) (Yin, 2nd Trine, Fixed Element Metal): Acute, neat, meticulous, organized, self-assured, decisive, conservative, critical, perfectionist, alert, zealous, practical, scientific, responsible. Can be over zealous and critical, puritanical, egotistical, abrasive, proud, opinionated, given to empty bravado.

How to say Happy Chinese New Year in Chinese?

The most common Chinese ways of saying Happy New Year are Gong Xi Fa Cai(Mandarin) and Gong Hey Fat Choy(Cantonese). Even though the pronunciations are a little different, both are written the same way.

How do you write Happy Chinese New Year in Chinese?

Traditional Chinese: 恭禧發財; Simplified: 恭禧发财.

Gong Xi (恭禧) is congratulations or respectfully wishing one joy.

Fa Cai (發財) is to become rich or to make money.

Thus, Gong Xi Fa Cai means wishing you to be prosperous in the coming year.

A fun way to respond to someone who greets you with Gong Xi Fa Cai is Hong Bao Na Lai, "Red envelope please!"

Chinese also have a literal way to say Happy New Year in Chinese.

Treasures in the mail

2012-01-19T15:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the Postman brought me a treasure! My friend, Mimi, sent me a New Year card, in which were hiding these three little figurines, called "Fèves". (which is a word for broad beans in French)

These little figures are baked into the traditional pastry called Galette, served at Epiphany. There are lots of traditions in various parts of France. I've posted about this before, and now I'm happy to have my own Fèves for next year.

Included in the envelope were these pages from the magazine, Femme Actuelle, and has several recipes for this delicious pastry. I want to try both. I don't think I'll wait for next January to try them. I won't be adding the fève, though. They will go into the box with the Advent/Christmas/Epiphany box.

Avec toute ma gratitude, Mimi

Merci beaucoup!

Stop SOPA and PIPA Day

2012-01-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

Today many sites including Wikipedia, Google, Cheezburger, Reddit, Mozilla, and WordPress either are blacked out or have conspicuously changed their appearance to alert the public to a terrifying federal power grab — the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) and Protect-IP Act (PIPA), two proposed laws that would allow Big Government to press a pillow to the face of the Internet on the pretext of stopping online piracy.

If there is one thing that the left and the right can agree on, it is that the Internet is doing fine without micromanagement by petty tyrant bureaucrats. Unless you want your online experience to become as stultified as watching public television, let your representative know how you feel. The existence of this site and thousands of others is at risk.

Update: Looks like they might be getting the message-

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) – who was a co-sponsor of an anti-piracy bill that’s caused an uproar on the Internet – said Wednesday that he’s pulling his support for the Protect IP Act.

In a post on his Facebook page, the freshman senator said he initially signed on to the legislation because he believed it was necessary to combat online piracy and intellectual theft. Though the bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously, Rubio said he’s since then heard “legitimate concerns” whether PIPA would be overly restrictive for Internet companies.

SPIRAL GIFT BOX

2012-01-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

This adorable box is from the "How do You Make This" blog. She posted great instructions along with a printable template.

Update:
Dear Richard, from My Old Historic House, had a wonderful suggestion. Wouldn't these make a darling box to send home wedding cake mementos. So cute! Thanks Richard.

This pretty box with it's architectural lines and swirled, star like top is a great way to package jewelry, cookies, or anything other small gift that would benefit from a fancy presentation. The box looks complicated, but once you understand how the folds work they come together quickly.

It's better to use a good quality paper than a cardstock - cardstock can be too bulky. I used Fox River's Crushed Leaf Sparkles in the color Poppy. It's a strong, crisp paper that's still lightweight and has just a little shimmer. It seems to be discontinued (though there are online sellers who still have stock), but I'm sure most of the papers Neenah makes would be great, as well as most scrapbooking paper. The front and back of the paper show on the top of the box, so keep that in mind when you're selecting your materials.

The process is simple enough, but you might want to test on scrap paper.

Print the template onto the back of your paper. Click Here For Template! For best results make sure it prints at 100%.

Cut out the circle.

Using a bone folder or something similarly pointed but not sharp with a ruler, score the fold lines.

Both of the octagons and the lines that run straight through the corners of the octagons are valley folds (meaning they fold forward.) If you've scored the lines well it should be fairly easy to fold the paper.

The few remaining lines are mountain folds (meaning they fold backward.)

Once you have everything folded in the right direction you're ready to start twisting the box closed. Work your way around the box, settling each of the folds into place. Once you've worked all the way around, they box should be ready to fold closed on it's own. Be patient and gentle with the paper until you get a feel for it - after making your first box it should be easier.

(Click the image above for a larger picture!)

That's it! Make a bunch, fill them up and have a great holiday!

Click Here For Template!

A little sea breeze

2012-01-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

I love looking at decorator's layouts, but I also enjoy seeing what others have done with their real homes and real rooms. I decided to post a look at my very real home. Nothing really terribly stylish, but I like it and I hope you might enjoy taking a look, too.

I love our Oregon seaside.

I enjoy the atmosphere over there and always bring home some treasure or other. I have placed lots of seaside inspired objects together in my guest bathroom. I find the colors in this room very soothing and almost spa-like.

Around the sink there are lot of sea-glass and shells in sea colored containers. Pretty candles in various glass containers, and a sweet little Deruta candle holder.

There is a nice big tub and shower with a spa shower head for a nice relaxing or invigorating treat. There are plenty of bath salts, scrubs, gels, and lotions for pampering.

Years ago, I painted this little painting of the Abalone shell on the table in the picture above . It is the base for all the colors in this room. The little shelf was made by my cousin when he was in high school wood shop. I surrounded the little Holy Family with sea shells shaped like trees. I glued a little starfish for the Star of Bethlehem.

The Last Day of Christmas

2012-01-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of Christmas. Tomorrow will be the feast of Epiphany, also called "Twelfth Night", celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. Each gift represents an aspect of the life of Christ. Gold representing his nobility, frankincense, his divineness, and myrrh (an ointment used in burials) foretelling his sacrifice and death. The idea of gifts at this time of year stems from this story in the second chapter of the book of Matthew in the Bible. Bible.

In France and other countries, gifts are given and the traditional Galette des Rois is eaten. The fun part of that is finding the fève inside. On the blog, Chocolate & Zucchini, there is a delightful post about this treat.

This sweet tea towel was a gift from my dear friend, Mimi in Bry Sur Marne, France. She sent it many years ago. I always bring it out this time of year. It makes me think of her and what fun we always have when we are together, either here in America, or in France. So, my friends, I wish you all a very lovely Epiphany season!

Grace

2012-01-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

A grace gift is a gift given without reservations. A gift with no strings or conditions. A gift that is neither earned or necessarily deserved. In Christianity this is the way God gives His gifts to us. In our own lives are we able to give this grace way? When we gave gifts at Christmas, last week, were we able to give each gift with grace? With the understanding that it was no longer ours, but it belonged wholly to the recipient? It is sometimes hard to do. We might find it hard to accept the fact it is not being used for or how we intended. But shouldn't we step back, let go, and remember we gave the gift in a grace way? I hope I can always remember this and give and live gracefully.

New magazine to love

2012-01-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

When I first created my blog, several years ago, I had no idea there were so many other women who were sharing their interests and passions. I had followed a couple of political blogs, and only wrote on mine to share my thoughts with friends and family.
Once I discovered Google Reader, I began to realize there were so many women in so many countries, who were doing the same thing. One of the first blogs that I followed was that of a beautiful young woman with a beautiful, growing family, who voiced her opinions without reservation. On her blog, Parisienne Farmgirl, Angela has shared her life and loves with her blogger friends through joys and disappointments. She dispensed wisdom beyond her years. She made me laugh, and sometimes even cry. Blogging is such a new phenomenon, bringing people together from all parts of the world. I have gotten to know her through this medium and, I hope in some small way, encouraged her to continue.
At midnight last night, she announced that she has taken a huge step in a new direction. She is starting an online magazine. I know that it will be a grand treat to her current readers, and I'm sure, will introduce her to many new ones. I hope you will take a look here, and that you will decide to subscribe. I'm positive that you won't be disappointed.

Christmas Dinner

2011-12-26T07:21:00.000-08:00

This year my son-in-law, Scott, is in So. California, caring for his mother as she recovers from surgery, so my elder daughter, Peggy, and I were invited by my younger daughter to have dinner with her. It was such a nice treat. This is Polly's first flat in the US. She has had such fun decorating it and now preparing it for Christmas.
She prepared a lovely dinner for us. Her menu included roast pork with roasted potatoes and other veg, salad, 3 cheeses, and Peggy made a chocolate and peppermint cake.
We opened our gifts while dinner cooked. After dinner we dropped by some long time friends for a little visit and take presents.

Dear Santa, I can explain

Welcome

Polly hard at work in her kitchen

dinner prep

Kitchen shelves all dressed up for Chirstmas

Dinner is ready and Polly lights the candles

Boxing Day, the Feast of St. Stephen

2011-12-26T05:45:00.000-08:00

Good King Wenceslas may be the most heartily sung and least understood of all the Christmas carols. Who was this enigmatic Wenceslas and why do we sing about him? He was not a king, but rather the Duke of Bohemia (907-935). He was a good, benevolent nobleman who gave his life to spreading the gospel and expanding Christianity in his country. His brother, Boleslaus, however, was anything but good. Tragically, he ended up killing Wenceslas and succeeding him as duke. A century after his murder, Wenceslas was canonized as the patron saint of Bohemia (part of the modern Czech Republic).

The Christmas carol by English hymn writer John Mason Neale is based on a popular legend of the life of Wenceslas. The tale concerns a king who goes out to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen, the second day of Christmas, December 26. During the journey, his servant is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by the heat miraculously emanating from the king’s footprints in the snow. Although the bouncy Scandinavian tune we use for the carol has been criticized for its lack of musical finesse, many love this joyful melody that supports the saga. It focuses on generosity and kindness, and giving to those less fortunate than ourselves. It is a chronicle about reaching out to the marginalized, the oppressed and the ostracized in our communities. It’s about the love of Jesus.

via Commissioner William W. Francis

Wishing you a Blessed Chrismas

2011-12-24T06:46:00.000-08:00

Happy first night of Hanukkah

2011-12-20T18:46:00.000-08:00

Advent 4

2011-12-18T16:50:00.000-08:00

On this 4th Sunday in Advent, I wanted to show you my daughter's flat and her Christmas decorations.

First is this panorama shot of the whole room.

This is her chandelier that she has decorated with ornaments, glass flower containers, and crystals

Here are her paperwhites ready to bloom for Christmas

Here are her two trees one with the lamp lit, and one with only the lights on the trees. My daughters and I will all have Christmas dinner together, at her flat this year. It is her first American apartment, and she is justifiably proud of it - as am I. It is right in the heart of the "Nob Hill/23rd Ave" section of Portland. It's small, but in an old building with hardwood floors and wonderful architectural features not found in modern buildings in the suburbs. There are great cafes and shopping down on 23rd.
She has had such fun decorating it. She admires Scandinavian decor and has kept everything simple and clean. Her basic color scheme is grey, black and white. She adds pops of color with the seasons. She had dark yellow last summer, when she first moved in. She added gold, orange, bittersweet and red for autumn. Now she has concentrated on red as the only accent color for Christmas. I hear that after Valentines, she plans to try a deep pink and lime green scheme to go with her basic greys.
Here a few more views from earlier this year:

Late Summer

Autumn

Flowers for Christmas

2011-12-15T19:28:00.000-08:00

11/3

I started my Amaryllis on November 3rd. I kept them in a North facing window, bringing them out every few days to photograph.

11/10

11/23

12/1

12/3

12/1

At the same time, I planted Paperwhite bulbs. They are also a favorite at Christmas. The fragrance is so beautiful. The whole room is perfumed by them.

11/3

11/16

11/20

12/1

12/14

Marshmallows

2011-12-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

What happened? I used to make marshmallows for Christmas every year. It was a piece of cake, an easy confection. I used to make several batches in pink and green, or rolled them in cocoa powder, crushed candy canes, or toasted coconut. (my father and I loved these).
Polly and I decided to make some last year. It was so much work. What a mess. Was it really this hard back then? Surely not, I guess I'm just getting old. (but I knew that) This year I'm going to skip this. We're having Christmas dinner at Polly's, so I won't be making much of anything. Having diabetes has put a stop to many things I used to make.
My first set back was when I reached for the corn syrup, it wasn't there. I don't know where I moved it. So, since Polly was going to trudge down the hill to the market for some vegetables for soup, she got some corn syrup, too.
I don't have a candy thermometer any more, (I now have one, again) so I had to use the old fashioned method and put a spoonful in cold water. That worked fine. I gave away my big standing mixer, so I had to use the little had mixer. Polly poured the hot syrup onto the gelatin, why I manned the mixer. Finally it was whipped and we could put it into the prepared boxes. What a sticky mess we made. I even got it in my hair!
When it was set, I cut it with a Pizza wheel cutter and dusted all with more powdered sugar mixed with cornstarch.
We had hot chocolate and plenty of marshmallows to top it off.
Beautiful, if I do say so myself. Don't call me Martha!

Marshmallows

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nonstick spray

Soften the gelatin in 1/2 cup of water in a large mixing bowl.
In a large saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. (or to the hard ball stage) Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. I lined box lids with parchment paper before spraying. Sift the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Press into the pan. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Advent 3

2011-12-12T07:57:00.000-08:00

Polly designed this lovely Advent shelf in my kitchen

As we begin the third week of Advent I have begun to decorate my home for these holidays. Today is the eve of St. Lucia, celebrated in Scandinavia by choirs, dressed in white robes, carrying candles, singing traditional songs. One girl is chosen as the "Lucia" and wears a crown with candles. A beautiful pageant.

A traditional part of this celebration is saffron buns. I'm very partial to saffron and would like to share this King Arthur Flour recipe with you.

St. Lucia Buns

1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, lightly crushed
1/2 cup butter
4 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1/4 cup potato flour or 1/2 cup instant potato flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt*
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
*Reduce the salt to 1 1/4 teaspoons if you use salted butter

Topping

1 large egg white (reserved from dough) mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
coarse pearl sugar, optional
golden raisins, optional

Directions

1) In a small saucepan set over medium heat (or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave), heat the milk and saffron to a simmer; remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Set the mixture aside to allow the butter to melt, and for it to cool to lukewarm, 30 to 35 minutes. You can reduce the milk's cooling time by about 10 minutes by refrigerating it.

2) In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the yeast, flours, salt and sugar.

3) Separate one of the eggs, and set the white aside; you'll use it later.

4) Pour the lukewarm milk and butter mixture over the dry ingredients.

5) Add the 2 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk, and the vanilla. Mix to combine, then knead for about 7 minutes by mixer, about 10 minutes by hand, till the dough is smooth and supple.

6) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or large (8-cup) measuring cup, cover it, and let it rise for 1 hour, or until it's quite puffy, though not necessarily doubled in bulk.

7) Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 12 equal pieces. A scale makes this job easy; each piece will weigh about 92g, or 3 1/4 ounces.

8) Shape the pieces of dough into rough logs, and let them rest, covered, for about 10 minutes. This gives the gluten a chance to relax.

9) Roll each log into a 15" to 18" rope. They'll shrink once you stop rolling; that's OK.

10) Shape each rope into an "S" shape. Tuck a golden raisin into the center of each of the two side-by-side coils, if desired.

11) Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving an inch or so between them. Cover them, and let them rise for about 30 minutes, till they're noticeably puffy, but definitely not doubled. While they're rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.

12) Brush each bun with some of the egg white/water glaze. Sprinkle with coarse white Swedish pearl sugar, if desired.

13) Bake the buns until they're golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. If you've used raisins, tent them with foil for the final 3 minutes, to prevent the raisins from burning.

14) Remove the buns from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool.

Yield: 12 large buns.

Turning to Mother

2011-12-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

It is said, "Necessity is the Mother of Invention" and I just had a necessary moment.

I caught a miserable cold early last week. It really threw me for a loop. I guess it has to do with "advancing age". My nose has been running relentlessly! I finally ran out of proper Kleenex. So what do you do when you've gone through all the boxes and you don't have any more and don't feel well enough to hike to the market down the hill? If you are me you start on the toilet paper. It seemed like a good idea to take one of the empties, and hide the roll! Here is how I did it:

First, chose a lovely designer box.

Next use the last tissue.

Now carefully open the box.

Place the roll inside and thread the tissue through the hole at the top.

Now tape the box back together.

As simple as that. Ready for the next sneeze.

Story with a happy ending

2011-12-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

A few minutes ago I saw a local TV news van pull up outside. Hmmm, I wondered what was going on.

A couple of minutes later up pulled another station's van. Now I'm really getting interested!

The reporter and her cameraman got out and walked to the school bus stop. OK, what's this all about.

I was so curious to know what was happening. They were interviewing a couple of the mothers who had just waved to their little ones as they left on the bus.
Well, I just couldn't wait until the next news broadcast, so I called the station and asked. They told me a little child had wonder off and there had been folks out looking for him. So many of these stories, these days, end in tragedy. I was glad when he told me the child had been found safe and was back home.
Happy ending!

Robbie's White Christmas

2011-12-07T01:55:00.000-08:00

Love this clip. Makes me laugh every time I watch it.

St. Nicholas Eve

2011-12-05T05:56:00.000-08:00

Today is the eve of St. Nicholas Day. In many European countries shoes are left on the doorstep for St. Nicholas, or Samichlaus (pronounced Samy' clous) as he is known in Switzerland.

In Zug where my daughter lived, he would come to shore in a boat, with his helper, Schmutzli (pronounced Shmoo'-tsa-lee). The children and adults would accompany him through the city, carrying large lanterns shape like bishops miters, lit inside by candles. The light shines through intricate designs made of colored paper. So beautiful to see.
Because I arrived closer to the 25th, I missed this tradition, the year I spent Christmas with my daughter.

Advent 2

2011-12-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

I hope you are all enjoying a joyful and edifying Advent.

Advent 1 Advent 2

BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Collect for the 2nd Sunday in Advent,

Book of Common Prayer, 1928

Advent 1

2011-12-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

As you see, I lit the first candle of Advent last Sunday, and tomorrow I'll light the second. I've always wanted one of these sweet little German advent decoration. I found it at a sale at the St. Pius X Church Sale, last month. Isn't it dear?

Achoo !

2011-12-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

Oh, yeah, I have a cold. I tried to convince myself all week, that it was just allergies. Today I've given in and I have to admit I'm sick. Blaaaaaaaaaaaah. I'm coughing and sneezing and - I just wish I could have a head transplant with a nice head that doesn't feel as though it were going to explode.
Now, excuse me while I go make another cup of tea and get back to watching old movies on Netflex.

Newly discovered Pits add to Stonehenge mystery

2011-11-29T19:57:00.000-08:00

Reported today in the MSNBC "Cosmic Log":
Researchers say they've found two pits to the east and west of Stonehenge that may have played a role in an ancient midsummer ceremony. The discovery suggests that the 5,000-year-old circle of stones we see today may represent just a few of the pieces in a larger geographical, astronomical and cultural puzzle.
Read more here

But if you really want to know -

HooDoo? VooDoo!

2011-11-28T20:28:00.000-08:00

Last week was my daughter's anniversary. Her husband is in Southern California taking care of his mother who is recuperating from surgery. She has been understandably sad this week. One of her favorite treats is a doughnut. Polly stopped on her way to dinner at my house and picked up a "Bucket O' Doughnuts" from the world famous "Voodoo Doughnut" to cheer her up. What a good sister.

You might have seen Anthony Bordain pronounce their Maple Bacon Bars worthy of of seconds, or the cameo appearance on the new TV show being filmed here in Portland, called Grimm.

While Polly was waiting in line, the couple behind her said they had come from New Jersey and had driven through Portland on their way to Seattle, just so they could go to Voodoo Doughnut. Yes, it is that famous.

For $5 you can get a huge frosting bucket filled to the brim with all the leftovers from the first batch of the morning. They change every few hours with all fresh doughnuts. If you stop in at just the right time, you win!!

Voodoo has teamed up with Rogue Breweries to produce a Bacon Maple Ale. We tasted it last Thursday, Thanksgiving. Interesting...
Portland has some of the best breweries in the US. The wine is world famous. There are several distilleries producing some very fine gin, vodka, and other liquors and brandies. It's a foodies paradise, too. So many local kinds of produce and meat are used in great restaurants. Portland's reputation as a city of gourmets is well deserved.

Distillery Row in Sunset Magazine

Sunset Magazine pitted Seattle and Portland against each other in a foodie (and drinkie) showdown. Portland handily smacked down Seattle in the booze and caffeine category.

Advent 1

2011-11-27T07:43:00.000-08:00

I wish you all the joys of the Advent season.

The Collect for the first Sunday in Advent begins:

ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light. . .

As we light the first candle of Advent, we anticipate the all the wonderful preparations, activities, and celebrations leading to the feast of Christmas. I hope you will pause to remember that this is a time to prepare for celebrating the best Gift of all.

Not Even Toxic, Like Compact Fluorescents

2011-11-26T06:06:00.000-08:00

Every time Lafayette resident Carrie Bunkley walks to her kitchen pantry, she wonders whether the light bulb will click on or her pantry will be without light for the first time in a half century.

"We built this house 52 years ago," Bunkley says. "And we have never had to replace them. They don't make Westinghouse anymore. I have had the same Westinghouse oven for 52 years, too."

60-watt "eyesaver" Incandenscent bulbs

Westinghouse knew something about electricity. Of course, back then, politicians and bureaucrats weren't involved. Today, they make up the specifications; this keeps companies in check. Left to their own, they just might produce stuff that lasts. Can't have that!

The world's oldest working light bulb turned 110 years old Saturday and the 60-watt incandescent globe is still glowing, if a bit more dimly than when it was first turned on in 1901, according to its own Centennial Bulb website.

The Dangers of Fluorescent Lights

Fluorescent lights will save money, but use them with caution.

Add caption

This energy savings is not without cost, however. The use of fluorescent light bulbs comes with health and environmental risks from exposure to mercury and radiation. Before attempting to clean up a broken fluorescent bulb, open the windows to the room to encourage ventilation, which will circulate the mercury gases out. Leave the room during this process to avoid inhaling the gases. Do not use brooms or vacuums since this will only trap mercury particles and spread them to other areas of the house. Instead, put on rubber gloves and scrape larger pieces off of surfaces with stiff paper and use sticky tape to pick up small glass shards and residual mercury dust. Immediately wipe down all surfaces with a damp paper towel. Place the broken shards, papers, towels and gloves in an airtight bag and seal it. Place that bag into another bag and seal it as well before throwing it in an outside trash can. Thoroughly wash your hands to get rid of any residual mercury.

Even with manufacturer and government guidelines regarding the proper methods of disposing of fluorescent bulbs, they still contaminate our environment and water supply. An article in The Scientific American has more guidelines. The final disposition of the bulb depends entirely on the person who purchased it. If you choose to dispose of it by tossing it in the trash, the mercury that each light contains ends up in a landfill. Through rain and natural leaching of the soil, mercury can find its way into the water supply. The mercury contained in each fluorescent bulb is "enough to contaminate up to 6,000 gallons of water beyond safe drinking levels." Dispose of fluorescent bulbs according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Dispose of CFLs as required in your community.

Physics or Ballet?

2011-11-26T01:20:00.000-08:00

You may know that the period of a pendulum is proportional to the square root of the length of the line suspending the weight - ie., the longer the pendulum, the slower it swings.

Harvard students built a device with a series of 15 pendulums in a row, each one slightly longer than its neighbor, then set them in motion and filmed the result.
The resulting patterns in this short video are quite fascinating to watch....sure it’s physics but maybe it's ballet.

What it shows: Fifteen uncoupled simple pendulums of monotonically increasing lengths dance together to produce visual traveling waves, standing waves, beating, and random motion. One might call this kinetic art and the choreography of the dance of the pendulums is stunning! Aliasing and quantum revival can also be shown.

How it works: The period of one complete cycle of the dance is 60 seconds. The length of the longest pendulum has been adjusted so that it executes 51 oscillations in this 60 second period. The length of each successive shorter pendulum is carefully adjusted so that it executes one additional oscillation in this period. Thus, the 15th pendulum (shortest) undergoes 65 oscillations. When all 15 pendulums are started together, they quickly fall out of sync—their relative phases continuously change because of their different periods of oscillation. However, after 60 seconds they will all have executed an integral number of oscillations and be back in sync again at that instant, ready to repeat the dance.

Mobile Phone

2011-11-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

When did you get your first mobile phone? Do you use a mobile or do you still have a land-line house phone? I haven't had a land-line for 10 years. I don't see the point in having one, any more. What mobile phone do you prefer?

My husband had his first car phone in 1987. It was such a novelty.

My daughter got her first, when we returned to the US. She was working until after dark and I felt more at ease knowing she had one. Looking back it seems so large and cumbersome. It looked something like this:

I now have another Blackberry that was my daughter's. This is how it works: she gives me her old phone when she gets the latest and greatest. I'm on my 3rd "hand-me-down".

I'm just glad to have one. It is my security blanket. I feel really naked without it. I have turned around and gone home for it when I've forgotten it. I don't use the internet features, as she does, but then I'm never too far from from my Mac.

Here is a great old film of the "first mobile phone".

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thes. 5:18

MOST gracious God, by whose knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew; We yield thee unfeigned thanks and praise for the return of seed-time and harvest, for the increase of the ground and the gathering in of the fruits thereof, and for all the other blessings of thy merciful providence bestowed upon this nation and people. And, we beseech thee, give us a just sense of these great mercies; such as may appear in our lives by an humble, holy, and obedient walking before thee all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all glory and honour, world without end. Amen.

A Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the Fruits of the Earth and all the other Blessings of His merciful Providence, from The Book of Common Prayer, 1928

What a turkey

2011-11-23T07:32:00.000-08:00

As all my American Blogging friends are getting ready for the big day, let me tell you where we got the name of the big brown bird we are going to devour tomorrow.

When Europeans began consuming exotic birds, they had problems keeping up with where they came from. These ancestors initially thought that guinea fowl came from Turkey, so they first called guinea fowl turkey-hens and turkey-cocks. Once the origin of the guinea fowl was correctly ascertained, the names turkey-hen and turkey-cock were left over, so they were transferred to what we call turkeys today. Thus, turkey comes from the name of the land of the Turk by means of two mistakes. But the English were not the only ones to mistake the origin of turkeys. Other Europeans came to the conclusion that turkeys came from India, hence the Russian name indushka, Polish indyk, and French dinde from coq d'Inde "bird of India". In Portuguese a turkey is called a peru!

Thanks to Dr. Goodword at the Alpha Dictionary

And I bought mine

2011-11-22T20:08:00.000-08:00

I grilled salmon for dinner, this evening, for my daughter, Peggy, and me. And to think, I had to buy mine. If I had only known they were free for the grabbing! We have had diluvial rain for the last 2 days. If you don't believe me, just take a look at this:

Today is Stir Up Sunday

2011-11-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

The name, "Stir Up Sunday" comes from the opening words of the collect for the day in the Book of Common Prayer of 1549 and later. The collect (pronounced cŏ' llect) is the prayer of the day that "collects" up the themes of the old testament, Epistle, and Gospel Bible readings during the liturgy (the daily service).

STIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect for the Sunday Next before Advent - Book of Common Prayer

Christmas Pudding

The tradition grew up when the family, returning from church on this Sunday, would each take a turn to stir the Christmas cake or pudding. Pudding would be the method of cooking the same mixture by boiling or steaming in a special bowl suspended in a large pot of water. Most village houses didn't have ovens, with food being either roasted or boiled in the fireplace.

There are as many varieties of Christmas cakes and puddings as there are cooks! Depending on the wealth and personal taste, ingredients can be varied to a great extent. This is the recipe I have used for years. It is from a Sainsbury's baking cookery book I bought there when we lived in England. It is about as good as I've ever eaten - here, or there. Sadly, last year was the last year I'll ever make it. Earlier this year I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. Since I live alone, and neither of my daughters care for it, I, unfortunately, I won't be making it anymore. But that is no reason you shouldn't. It is so decadent and delicious.

Ingredients:

9oz/ 275g plain flour (all purpose)
1½ tsp mixed spice*
8 oz/ 250g butter, slightly softened
8 oz / 300g soft brown sugar
1 T black treacle (dark molasses )
Zest of 1 lemon
68g /2½ ground almonds
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
13oz/325g currants
9oz/ 275g sultans (golden raisins)
5oz /150g raisins
3½oz / 100g mixed candied peel, finely chopped
3½oz / 100g glacé cherries, halved
3½/ 100g blanched almonds
2 tbsp brandy, plus extra for feeding
apricot jam
1½ lb almond paste or ready made marzipan
Royal icing

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 275°F/140°C/Gas 1
The temperature is low as the cake needs a long slow bake. It is packed with sugars, fruits and brandy and if the temperature is any higher the outside of the cake will burn and the inside be undercooked.

Line a 9 inch cake tin with 2 thicknesses of parchment or greaseproof paper. Tie a double band of brown or newspaper paper around the outside. This acts as an insulator and to prevent the cake from burning on the outside. (don't skip this, it makes a big difference)
In a large roomy baking bowl mix the currants, sultanas, raisins, peel, almonds, and cherries with the flour, salt and spices.
In another large bowl cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon zest. Add the beaten egg to the butter mixture a little bit at a time, beating well after each addition - do not try to rush this process as the mixture could curdle. If it does curdle simply add a tbsp of flour and mix again, this should bring the mixture back together. If it doesn't come back together, don't fret, the cake will still be delicious.
Carefully fold in half the flour and fruit into the egg and butter mixture, once incorporated repeat with the remaining flour and fruit. Finally add the brandy.
Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin making sure there are no air pockets. Once filled smooth the surface with the back of s spoon and make a slight dip in the center (this will rise back up again during cooking and create a smooth surface for icing the cake).
Finally, using a piece of paper towel clean up any smears of cake batter on the greaseproof wrapping, if left on they will burn, and though it won't affect the cake, it doesn't smell too good.
Stand the tin on a double layer of newspaper in the lower part of the oven, if you have a gas oven ensure the paper is well away from the any flame, and bake for 4 hours. If the cake is browning too rapidly, cover the tin with a double layer of greaseproof or parchment paper after 3½ hours. During the cooking time avoid opening the oven door too often as this may cause the cake to collapse.
After 3½ hours check the cake is cooked. The cake should be nicely risen and a deep brown all over. Insert a skewer or fine knife into the center of the cake. If there is sticky dough on the skewer when you pull it out it needs cooking longer, if it is clean, the cake's done and remove from the oven.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin on a wire rack for an hour, then remove from the tin and leave to cool completely. Once cooled prick the surface of the cake with a fine metal skewer and slowly pour over 2 - 3 tbsp brandy. This feeding should be repeated every two weeks up until Christmas.

The cake should be stored wrapped in greaseproof or parchment paper in an airtight tin until ready to decorate. Shortly before Christmas, spread a thin layer of jam to help the marzipan stick to the cake. Roll out a 9" disk and place atop the cake. Let this air-dry for 24 to 48 hours. When dry to the touch, cover with royal icing - either smooth, or with fluffy peaks to resemble snow. Decorate with ribbons and Christmas ornaments.

*English mixed spice (a mixture popular in England to flavor cakes and other desserts. The proportions are: 2 t. allspice, 2 t. cinnamon, 2 t. cloves, 2 t. nutmeg, 2 t. ginger, 1 t. cardamom, 1 t. coriander)

I Love Tea

2011-11-19T15:22:00.000-08:00

Madeleines for French Class

2011-11-17T14:11:00.000-08:00

It's been a long, long time since one of my daughters has volunteered me to make treats for her class. Seems like only yesterday one of my girls would come home and announce that she had volunteered me to paint scenery, or make costumes, make treats, or chaperone a dance or field trip. Yes, it seems like only yesterday and here she is doing it again - and this Mama is loveing it!
My eldest daughter is taking a French class as a part of her degree work. She was laid off last spring and decided to go back to school to pursue a degree in accounting/business administration. She needed a foreign language credit and since she had taken French since Kindergarten, she thought it would be easy - she is a bit rusty and so is having to work really hard. Tonight they are watching a French movie so she volunteered to bring treats - Madeleines being the chosen sweet.

Madeleines for French Class

I posted a recipe last March. They are really easy, only seven ingredients, and not a very difficult process. Just follow the steps and they taste fabulous.

BTW - here is a look at what I see out my window:

ominous clouds

Beautiful double rainbow

2011-11-14T16:22:00.000-08:00

An American Patriot

2011-11-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

We hadn't been married long when my husband, Jack was deployed to Na Trang, Viet Nam with his dog, Felix. He had had an older dog, Pat, but was given a new dog to train with which was much younger, and more fit. He came home, and we settled down and started a family. He had always hoped he could to return, but sadly, he died before Americans could visit the country. It was a beautiful place and he enjoyed meeting the people. He loved the french food, especially the bread. Being a Californian, he missed his favorite Mexican specialties, such as tamales and chile. We sent him canned things (not the best, but better than nothing).
He was justifiably proud of his service. He was a great American patriot. I honor him on this day, and always.

In Flanders Fields - 11/11/11

2011-11-11T01:05:00.000-08:00

IN FLANDERS FIELDS
by John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
WE SHALL NOT SLEEP,
THOUGH POPPIES GROW
IN FLANDERS FIELDS.

American Cemetery in Normandy
To see more about this click here

Thank you

2011-11-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

My son-in-law served in the US Marines. Today I'm thankful for his service and for all the Marines everywhere protecting the best country in the world!

the Jasmine Pearl

2011-11-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

Today I took my daughters out to lunch. After we ate, we strolled up 23rd St. (one of Portland's great shopping district) doing a little window shopping, stopping in a couple of our favorite shops.

Later, Polly took us over to East Portland to The Jasmine Pearl. The company is a wholesale dealer of exceptional fine teas. All the teas are blended and packaged right there. You can click the title and find out more about the concept and their company. I love supporting local business.

Chuck, pictured in the middle below, was our guide and teacher for the tasting. His patience was proof of his love of tea, as he encouraged us to try about 10 different teas. He brewed each tea and then poured it from a lovely handmade stoneware pot, into little Chinese tasting cups. Just enough

As the readers of this blog know, I'm not a flavored tea fan. I like good strong black tea sweet and milky. I don't like green tea, and I really dislike tisane. Polly likes flowery teas and Peggy likes the herbal/tisanes. We were all happy with our choices. I ended up buying an ounce of Darjeeling and an ounce of Lady Grey. I have always wanted to taste Lady Grey. It is a lighter version of Earl Grey, with the addition of orange zest, lemon myrtle, with the Oil of Bergamot that gives Earl Grey that familiar citrusy flavor. It will be nice mid-morning when I need a little pick-me-up. An ounce of tea sounds like a small amount, but it is really quite a bit, due to the fact tea is really rather light. My girls also bought some teas to take home. What a great time we had. I really look forward to returning soon, to discover some new varieties. I may even been persuaded to try some green teas.

As you can see in the picture there are rows and rows of tea. In the middle of the store a large table where teas can be opened and smelled before tasting. In the last picture you can see the long cement bar with stools to sit and sip tea. Lovely day, but it is always a lovely day when I'm with my girls.

Dem Bones

2011-11-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

Last year when my doctor ordered a bone density scan, I was afraid they might come back with a report that my bones were completely textbook parsimonious. My late husband was such a generous and giving soul. He didn't have a parsimonious bone in his body. In fact I think that's what pushed me in the direction of pinny-pinching and saving - or maybe it was my parent,s who had grown up in the depression when everything was precious and to be saved, reused, or re-purposed. If that weren't bad enough, my father was Scots and my mother was French and well, you know their reputation.
Yesterday when I was re-potting some paperwhites I'm forcing for Christmas, I got out a zippy bag of glass pebbles to put around them. I started to put the baggy back in the cupboard, and I thought, "Whoa, it's only a zippy, you don't need to clutter up a shelf with something you ~~may~~ will never need again." It made me think of all the little bits and bobs I have stored for years - "just in case I need them". What foolishness. Maybe that makes me a Jr. Hoarder. I don't know, but I think it is time to stop this silliness.

So, dear bloggers, my question to you is, do you save every little thing or do you discard easily?

Wait your Turn !

2011-11-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

I just want to say, if you neglect Thanksgiving, you are missing out on one of the truly American holidays.
What a shame that other stores can't be like Nordstrom's Department Store, and wait until after Thanksgiving to start bombarding us with "Christmas items". Even food stores are displaying baked goods and candy that would surely be stale by Christmas.
After all it is still only the first part of November - still Autumn, still a month and a half until December 25th, and still several holidays and traditions to go before Christmas. Take time to enjoy each one of them. I think you'll be glad you did.

Beauty of Women

2011-11-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

I could watch this for hours. It is so beautiful.

FEMA test

2011-11-06T04:43:00.000-08:00

Robin of the Paisley Pumpkin wrote:

PSA

I was wondering about all the "remember, it's just a test" commercials that I've seen on TV lately. Now it makes sense...what doesn't make sense to me is the lack of a message. Why isn't there a message?

Please take a moment to review the following and share with everyone;

FEMA Emergency Alert System Test - November 9th

Please be advised of an upcoming national emergency alert test that FEMA will be conducting. Please forward this to others in hopes of eliminating, or at least substantially reducing, unnecessary anxiety related to this event.

On November 9th FEMA, DHS and FCC will conduct the first national test of the Nationwide Emergency Alert System test. This test will kick off at 2:00 p.m. (EST). The test will be nationwide, running concurrently across all time zones.

The test will run on all radio and TV bands and the message will run for three minutes. The fear is that the lack of an explanation message might create panic. Please share this information with your family and friends so they are aware of the test.

Below are two Web sites that will provide more information.

http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm

https://nationaldialogue-emergencyalertsystem.ideascale.com/

Bonfire Night

2011-11-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

On this day in 1605, thirteen young men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor. On the night of November 5th, throughout Britain, the capture of Guy Fawkes is commemorated with bonfires and fireworks, potatoes baked in the ashes, Parkin (recipe following) and by burning an effigy of the Guy. Children have always delighted in reciting this jingle:

I've included the story of this event in English history for you to read. When you have read it, you might want to play this amusing game, provided by the BBC:

Gunpowder Plot Game

After Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, English Catholics who had been persecuted under her rule had hoped that her successor, James I, would be more tolerant of their religion. James I had, after all, had a Catholic mother. Unfortunately, James did not turn out to be more tolerant than Elizabeth and a number of young men, 13 to be exact, decided that violent action was the answer.
A small group took shape, under the leadership of Robert Catesby. Catesby felt that violent action was warranted. Indeed, the thing to do was to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In doing so, they would kill the King, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament who were making life difficult for the Catholics. Today these conspirators would be known as extremists, or terrorists.
To carry out their plan, the conspirators got hold of 36 barrels of gunpowder - and stored them in a cellar, just under the House of Lords.
But as the group worked on the plot, it became clear that innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including some people who even fought for more rights for Catholics. Some of the plotters started having second thoughts. One of the group members even sent an anonymous letter warning his friend, Lord Monteagle, to stay away from the Parliament on November 5th.
The warning letter reached the King, and the King's forces made plans to stop the conspirators.
Guy Fawkes, who was in the cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th, was caught, tortured and executed.
It's unclear if the conspirators would ever have been able to pull off their plan to blow up the Parliament even if they had not been betrayed. Some have suggested that the gunpowder itself was so old as to be useless. Since Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators got caught before trying to ignite the powder, we'll never know for certain.
Even for the period which was notoriously unstable, the Gunpowder Plot struck a very profound chord for the people of England. In fact, even today, the reigning monarch only enters the Parliament once a year, on what is called "the State Opening of Parliament". Prior to the Opening, and according to custom, the Yeomen of the Guard search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster. Nowadays, the Queen and Parliament still observe this tradition.
On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, on November 5th, 1605, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the King. Since then, November 5th has become known as Bonfire Night. The event is commemorated every year with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire.

Yorkshire Parkin

350g/12oz medium oatmeal
175g/6oz self-raising flour
2 tsp ground ginger
175g/6oz soft brown sugar
175g/6oz butter
250g/9fl oz golden syrup
50g/2oz black treacle (if you can't find these syrups in your area, just sub dark molasses for both)
2 free-range eggs
110ml/4oz milk

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2 and line a small, deep baking tray with parchment paper. Combine the oatmeal, flour and ginger in a large mixing bowl.
Melt the sugar, butter, syrup and treacle in a bowl in the microwave or in a saucepan over a low heat. Pour the melted ingredients into the flour with the eggs and milk and stir well.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tray.
Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown, but still soft and sticky on top. Reduce the oven to 130C/250F/Gas 1 and bake for a further 30 minutes until firm to the touch.
Allow to cool, before tightly wrapping in cling film. Store for at least three to five days to mature.

And just in case you haven't had enough of Fawkes, here is a ~~totally accurate~~ ~~pretty good~~ completely daft re-enactment of the events:

Autumn decorations

2011-11-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

This is a fine old set of shutters, all white and chippy as are so popular right now. After a trip to the local Re-Store (Habitat for Humanity), where my friend, Mary, bought a new set, she gave me her old ones. I'm thrilled with the size and condition. They help block off a drafty hall.

I love using squash and Autumn flowers and leaves for decorations at this, my favorite time of year.

I have a garland of them above my old armoire, and a wreath above my red chair.

It has been snowing in our local mountains which is making the skiers and snowboarders really happy. Mt. Hood is world famous for its fantastic ski runs. Last Olympics there were plenty of athletes up there practicing. The Timberline Lodge is beautiful, and there is the Mt. Hood Railroad, that goes up that always has special events and excursions.

La Toussaint (All Saints)

2011-11-01T05:47:00.000-07:00

Marc Chagall

Today is All Saints Day, when we remember all those who have gone before us. The hymn below, a favorite from my childhood, expresses the idea that being a saint is not an impossible task, but one obtainable by us all - and as the last verse says, For the saints of God are just folk like me, And I mean to be one too.

"I Sing a Song of the Saints of God" by Lesbia Scott (1898-1986), set to music by John Henry Hopkins, Jr. (1820–1891). The lyrics were written by the 20 year old, English mother for her own children, and first published in 1929. Another hymn written by Bishop Hopkins that might be more familiar to you is the Epiphany hymn, "We three Kings of Orient Are".

I sing a song of the saints of God,
Patient and brave and true,
Who toiled and fought and lived and died
For the Lord they loved and knew.
And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,
And one was a shepherdess on the green;
They were all of them saints of God, and I mean,
God helping, to be one too.

They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,
And his love made them strong;
And they followed the right for Jesus' sake
The whole of their good lives long.
And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,
And one was slain by a fierce wild beast;
And there's not any reason, no, not the least,
Why I shouldn't be one too.

They lived not only in ages past,
There are hundreds of thousands still.
The world is bright with the joyous saints
Who love to do Jesus' will.
You can meet them in school, or in planes, or at sea,
In church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea;
For the saints of God are just folk like me,
And I mean to be one too.

I understand, now, that some of you aren't familiar with this hymn, so I have included a link to the tune

I Sing a Song of the Saints of God

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T06:58:00.000-07:00

Ghosties and Goolies and things that go bump in the night

2011-10-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

This morning, the clever and lovely Jami of Freckled Laundry posted something that she had made. I decided I would try some. She had used vintage lace doilies to make little ghosties for Halloween. They were so cute.
I took a couple of doilies out of the drawer. They were a little rumpled, so I thought they could use a little freshening. Once I had ironed them, I decided to iron all the others. That was good, so I decided to iron all the napkins. Well, while I was at it, I thought why not iron all the tablecloths. Well, several hours later, I had the satisfaction of knowing all the linens are ironed and hanging in the closet. Good feeling.
Jami is having a linky party and since I used her idea, I'm linking to it:

Lunch with a friend

2011-10-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, Mary of The Thrill of the Hunt, was having issues with her blog. I asked her to bring her MAC, come over for lunch and I would take a look at it and see if I could figure out what the problem was. She did, I did, and we had lunch!
I made a pot of soup with turkey broth, red peppers, Delacata squash, apples, and turkey.

Typical Portland day On a sunny day

I offered some delicious sourdough bread that my daughter, Polly, brought me from the artisan bakery, Lovejoy Bakery, near her flat.

Nothing fancy, but tasty and after all, it isn't the food, it is the company that makes a good meal!

And for afters, some Brie, Gruyere, and pomegranate.

After lunch we made a quick foray to the Goodwill to see if there was anything exciting. Mary found some pottery that was half price, but I didn't find anything I couldn't live without.

Some days I feel like that

2011-10-25T07:53:00.000-07:00

Some times when I read some blogs or Facebook comments I want to scream. When I was teaching school, I used to correct people's grammar. I was so use to doing it all day at school, that I didn't realize I was doing it. My mother would nudge me and I'd be so embarrassed.

So, I'm providing this public service message:

Do we not know that there is a difference between your (belonging to) and you're (you are)?

Do we not know when to use you and I? If I see someone use "he gave it to she and I again, I'm going to hurt some one. Seriously!!! It's so easy to know when to use I or me - just leave out the other person and see how it sounds. You wouldn't say he gave it to I (or he came with he) would you? (yet, I read that someone did something to, or for, or with she and I all the time) I is a subject, me is an object - easy. Please don't fall into the trap of using the reflective of me when you aren't sure of whether it is I or me by saying myself. You can only use myself if you are doing it to or with or for your self. Someone or something else can't do something to myself, now can they?

Do we not know what a participle is? I get a little crazy when people don't conjugate verbs correctly - it makes me want to scream. He has went? Really?

And how about if I was instead of if I were. It's a conditional people!

Oh, and speaking of it, how about getting its and it's right. (hint - its is possessive, it's is a contraction of it is)

There are so many more, but these seem to be the most common, blatant transgressions I've been noticing. And don't let anyone tell you grammar isn't important - unless you don't mind sounding obtuse. My favorite website for checking the finer points of grammar is the Purdue OWL.

It is my "Go-To" for all things English grammar. Easy to use and very thorough.

So, kind readers, please take pity on English teachers (and others), try not to offend their delicate ears and make them spend their last days in the funny farm. Check your grammar - please, pretty please with a cherry on top.

P.S.

Please feel to spout off if you have a grammar faux pas you'd like to get off your chest.

A Halloween Treat

2011-10-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

Recently my daughter introduced me to "We Give Books" This is a new digital initiative that enables anyone with access to the Internet to put books in the hands of children who don't have them, simply by reading online.
We Give Books combines the joy of reading with the power of helping others, providing a platform for caregivers and educators to inspire children to become lifelong readers and lifelong givers.
We Give Books also helps some of the world's best, most inspiring, literacy organizations by spreading the word about their great work and by providing books to the young people these organizations support.

Read a Book - Choose from our growing library of great children's books

Choose a Campaign - Choose one of our literacy partner campaigns to support with your reading

Share - The more you read, the more books we share with children who need them.

The first book we read was Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex. A parody of the children's all time favorite "Goodnight Moon", by Margaret Wise Brown. Both my girls knew it by heart from the time they could talk. This is so funny. I laughed reading it with Polly. It is so cleverly written and if you are familiar with the original "Goodnight Moon" book, you will surely be delighted, as we were.

Ghostly Coffee

2011-10-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

My #2 daughter love coffee. I'm giving her this set of Halloween coffee cups for her new apartment. I made them several years ago, to go with a set of black dinnerware I bought to use primary at Halloween.

Roast Turkey Breast

2011-10-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

With the mornings crisp and chilly, I begin to long for Thanksgiving - my favorite holiday. I love turkey, so not wanting to wait another month, I bought a little turkey breast to roast. I'll have some nice sandwiches and salads. I'll freeze some for later.

Turkey Breast

I picked some sage, thyme, and rosemary from my herbs. I use my french salt, butter, and celery to add to the flavor.

Ready for the oven

I let it come to room temperature to allow for even cooking. I placed it in a small roasting pan and tented it with aluminum foil sprayed with Pam. I placed it in a slow oven (325℉) for about 2½ or 3 hours.

I basted it several times during the last hour of cooking.
I removed the foil allowing the skin to brown nicely.

Not quite ready

Time to start checking the internal temperature with my instant thermometer. No, not ready. So, back it goes, after another basting, for a little more time in the oven.
Oh, is it beginning to smell delicious. Mmmmm.

Finished!

Now the temp is 180〫. Time to let it rest so it will slice nicely. Look at that rich juice. I could make gravy, but this time, I'll cool it and freeze it for use later.
After removing the cooked meat from the bones, I used them, along with the skin and some aromatic vegetables, to make a rich turkey broth. In my opinion, one of the best parts of roasting a turkey.

Yummy turkey, lettuce, mayo on whole wheat.

47 years ago today...

2011-10-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

My blogger friend, Honora of Pondside posted a sweet memory of her wedding, thirty-eight years ago. It made me remember that tomorrow would have been our 47th anniversary. My husband passed away 19 years ago.

To see more click the Wedding tab at the top.

Rillettes de Porc

2011-10-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

An English Facebook friend posted something funny about the rather unique English staple, Marmite.

My daughter became fond of it when we lived in England. She ate it often when she worked for a New Zelander, when she lived in Switzerland. She likes it on toast with butter for Breakfast. Shudder! I mean, just look at the list of strange ingredients:

During our conversation, I made a face and had some rather derogatory things to say about it. She asked me if I liked potted meat. Well, my first thought was of some of those tasteless smooth tinned meat paste popular for tea sandwiches. Not much more palatable than Marmite.

Then I thought of Rillettes! Oh, the French do that so much better. Last time I came home from France, after visiting my dear friend Mimi, with a couple of pots of her neighbor's Rillettes. Oh they were so good. Well, anyway I got to thinking about it and decided to make some. Today was the day! I had enough for 4 little ramekins and a small terrine. I'll put them in the freezer so I can pull one out anytime I need to provide a tasty "aperitif" with some crusty bread, cornichons (little gherkins) and a glass of red/white wine"

Ingredients

800 g pork belly ( Poitrine de porc)
1 leaf bay leaves ( Feuille de laurier)
10 g salt ( Sel)
20 g ground pepper ( Poivre)
50 centiliters water ( Eau)
2 garlic cloves ( Ail)
5 g dried sage ( Sauge)
5 g dried thyme ( Thym)

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

800 g pork belly (Poitrine de porc)
1 leaf bay leaf (Feuille de laurier)
10 g salt (Sel)
20 g ground pepper (Poivre)
50 centiliters water (Eau)
5 g dried sage (Sauge)
5 g dried thyme (Thym)

Directions:

Prepare all your ingredient. (Préparer tous les ingrédients).
Remove the skin from a fresh pork belly. (Retirer la couanne de la poitrine de porc).
Cut the meat into 2 cm squares. (Coupé la poitrine de porc en carré d'environ 2cm).
Add the pork belly into a heavy pot (i.e. enameled cast iron works well). (Mettre les morceau de poitrine de porc dans une cocotte en fonte).
Add two good glassful of water. (Ajouter environ 2 verres plein d'eau).
Add a tea spoon of pepper. (Ajouter une cuillère à café de poivre).
Add a table spoon of salt. (Ajouter une cuillere à soupe de sel).
Add one bay leaf. (Ajouter la feuille de laurier).
Add the dried thyme. (Ajouter du thym).
Add the dried sage. (Ajouter de la sauge).
Check that you have all the ingredient inches. (Vérifier que vous n'avez oublier aucun ingredient).
Cover, bring to the boil, and simmer the mixture for 3h00 / 2h30, checking occasionally to make sure the mixture does not become too dry (add more boiling water if this happens). (Couvrir et portez a l'ébullition, puis laisser cuire à feu doux pour 3h00 / 3h30, Verifier durant la cuisson que lapoirine ne se desséche pas, si c'est le cas rajouter un peu d'eau).
Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaf et move the piece of pork to a dish. (Retirer la feuille de laurier et transferer les morceaux de porc dans un plat).
Strain off the remaining juices from the casserol, much of which will be pork fat, and set aside. (Tranferer tous le jus de cuisson).
Use your fingersto shred the meat finely. (Utiliser vos doigt pour émincer les morceaux tres finement - triturer).
place the meat in a terrine. (Transferre la pâte émincée dans des terrines).
Push down and compact. (Presser et compacter).
Strain the reserved juice over the meat. (Verser le jus reccuperé précèdement au dessus).
The juice should stand above the meet. (Le jus devrait se maintenir au dessus).
Chill the rillettes in the refrigerator for at least 180 minutes until set. (Mettre au frigidaire toute la nuit).
In the morning get the rillettes from the fridge. (Dans la matinée sortir les rillettes du frigidaire).
Ready to serve with crusty bread and gurkins. Enjoy also with some wine before to start the Lunch or the dinner). (Deguster avec du pain et des cornichons. A midi ou dans la soirée avec un petit coup de rouge ou de blanc comme Graioun).

Steve Jobs, RIP

2011-10-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

HOW TO KNOW WHEN YOU’VE LED AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT LIFE:

When people learn of your death on devices you invented.

Posted with my MacBook

Pumpkin time

2011-10-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

As far as the eye can see

2011-10-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Not too far from where I live is a wonderful farm that welcomes visitors to pick the perfect pumpkin. That is harder than it sounds when you see the abundance of perfect pumpkins!

Pumpkins as far as the eye can see

All colors and sizes

Polly and Red the Dog

An Apple a Day...

2011-10-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

We drove out west of here (about 3 miles) to our favorite apple stand. The area around here is famous for Autumn apples. We like to buy a small (½ peck) bag every few weeks. Each apple variety peaks as the weeks go on, starting in late summer with the Gravensteins, and this week we bought Gala and Johnagolds. We didn't wait to get them home, but began munching while walking around and taking pictures. Nothing like an apple fresh off the tree on a crisp, cool, Autumn day!

We'll be back for pumpkins and more apples soon.

Portland Swift Watch 2011

2011-09-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

I joined my daughter, Polly, on the lawn at Chapman School for a picnic and to witness the spectacular display of Vaux’s Swifts as they gather to roost in the school’s chimney. Volunteers from Portland Audubon were there present information about the swift.

Chapman School

Swifts are insect eating birds that migrate south each fall. At sunset during migration they choose a place where dozens to thousands of birds can roost. Since the late 1980’s the Chapman chimney has been one of these roosting sites.

Vaux's Swift

Coming to view the swifts as they prepare to roost – has become a very popular activity at the Chapman School site in recent years.

Most evenings in September there are in excess of 2000 people gathered on the school lawn and neighboring Wallace Park grounds to watch and listen as the swifts gather overhead before entering the chimney.

While they wait, children take advantage of the dry grass on the slope to "sled" down on cardboard brought from home.

Most people bring a picnic and it is fun to make new friends with the folks on the next blanket.
Polly walks over from her flat to watch, several evenings a week. It is such a unique thing - one of the many great things about living in Portland.

As we watched the Swifts circle, a hawk came from a nearby fir tree to see what was on the menu for his dinner. The crowds cheered and clapped as he chased swifts and they, in turn, chased him. He finally got his dinner.

In the fall swifts congregate in large groups as they prepare for their migration southward to Central America and Venezuela. During September large groups of swifts pass through the Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan region. It is not uncommon for these migrating swifts to use chimneys to roost in during the night and once a population of swifts locates an appropriate chimney they are likely to return year after year. Groups of roosting swifts can range in size from just a few individuals to as many as 35,000 in some larger smokestacks. Chapman School in Northwest Portland houses the larges known roost of migrating swifts in the world! Typically the swifts will only stay a couple of weeks before continuing their migratory journey.

Plum Delicious (and a recipe)

2011-09-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

One of the best thing about Autumn is the day my friend Mary from The Thrill of the Hunt, calls to tell me that her three Italian prune plums are ripe! This year there was a real "bumper crop". I brought home 20 pounds. I freeze them to enjoy all year. My favorite way to use them is in a plum tart. I rarely use recipes when I cook, and I really don't have a recipe for this tart, but I'll show you how I make it.

Plum Tart
Crust:
Preheat the oven to 425〫

Measure 2¼ cups of all purpose flour into a bowl.

Add 1 teaspoon salt.

Measure ¾ cup of salad oil. ( I like sunflower or canola)

Fill the cup to the 1cup mark with water.

Stir with a fork until emulsified.

Pour into flour and stir until it comes together.

Next roll out between two sheets of waded paper - no substitutes will do.

Place dough in your baking pan, Crimp edges, patching as needed. It looks pretty in a round tart pan, too.

Pre-bake for about 5 minutes.

Assembly of the tart
Remove tart from the oven and dust the bottom with powdered sugar. If your plums are ripe and sweet, adjust the amount of sugar to suit your taste.

Now dust the sugar with cardamom to taste.

Arrange the halved, pitted plums in an attractive way, overlapping.

Sprinkle with more powdered sugar and more cardamom.

Melt about a ¼ cup of butter and drizzle over the tart.

Lower the oven to 375〫and bake for about an hour. Let the tart cool to room temperature.

...And here is the finished tart. It is going to a party this afternoon. Mary's having a birthday party for several members of her family- all September babies!

Happy Birthday Everybody!

Joining:
Common Ground
and

Air Kissed Apples

2011-09-12T21:51:00.000-07:00

If you don't know Lara's blog, Air Kiss, you are in for a treat.

She graciously allowed me to share her post from today:

Weekend Apple Picking at the Orchard, Apple & Fennel Salad

Our autumn weekends are always a whirlwind of outdoor activities. There is just so much to see and do. It has already started up. I am munching on a delicious, fresh apple and fennel salad with the apples we picked on Saturday afternoon. You can use granny smith apples, if you prefer a tart and sweet bite. But there were barely any granny smith apples to be found, so I used various red varieties. Recipe below.

photos taken at Knutson's apple orchard, Illinois

The apple orchard has a pretty "willow tree island" that the kids had fun hanging out at after picking apples and gathering that oh-so-interesting-to-young-children milkweed. My kids are 15 months apart - I love having them so close in age!

It is warm and beautiful out today & I am just getting things back in order around here after a busy weekend. We went to two flea markets, an old time car show, a conservatory, and grocery shopping. My husband is home sick from work today. I have been in the kitchen, making chili and slicing up apples.

I'll be back soon to share the goods - I flea market'ed my heart out last weekend! :-)

Apple & Fennel Salad

from Michael Smith/Chef at Home

For the Vinaigrette:

2 granny smith apples, quartered and cored.

1 cup of cider vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 heaping tbsp of Dijon mustard

1 cup of olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the Salad:

1 bulb of fresh fennel, sliced thinly and fronds reserved

1 granny smith apple, sliced thinly

To make the vinaigrette - place 2 granny smith apples, cider vinegar, brown sugar and mustard in a small saucepan and cook until soft. Puree with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Put the sliced fennel, fennel fronds and sliced granny smith apple in a large salad bowl and toss with a few spoonfuls of the warm apple vinaigrette.

I made this for dinner this evening. It was delicious.

It's milk in first for me

2011-09-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

With Autumn in the air, this morning, my thoughts turn to deliciously cool, lazy mornings with a pot of tea and catching up with all my blogger friends.

In England, the order one puts milk in the tea is a class thing. Personally I like milk in first. I can never know how much room to leave for milk. I warm my milk, in the jug, while the tea is brewing. I use a "Mrs. Tea" to make my morning and afternoon tea. The Mr. Coffee company discontinued it some years ago, but I have two of them put away for future use, should this one should one quit. It makes such a great pot of tea, and so easy. I just wouldn't want to go back to the old way of boiling water, heating the pot, etc.

A Prayer for Our Country

2011-09-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

Prayer For Our Country

(Book of Common Prayer, 1928)

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Bangers and Mash

2011-09-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

Actually sausage, eggs, and beans, but made with balloons. I thought this was so cute! I love English sausages (bangers). We had an award winning butcher in our village, who's sausages were famous. We ate them quite regularly, grilled, fried, barbequed, with mash or chips, and in sausage rolls. Oh, do I miss them. Just can't get a good one here. Oh, they say they are "British Bangers", but they just don't taste right.

Bangers and Mash Theme Song

Ghosts of Paris

2011-09-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

I just came across the most interesting website called How to be a Retronaut.
Here is just one example of some of the kinds of things you can find here:

The Ghosts of Paris

Wildfire

2011-09-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

There is a huge fire in the Mt. Hood area east of Portland. We began to notice the smoke in the air this morning. As the East wind became stronger as the day went on, we noticed ash falling and the strong smell of smoke. This afternoon, it has become really strong. I have shut all the windows, but it is still strong. It is going to be really hot (up to 95℉) for the rest of the week. We have had such a lovely cool Summer, but I'm thinking the weather gods are getting their revenge. We won't get any relief until the ocean breezes come back. With most people in Portland without AC, we're in for a bit of suffering.
We've had an unusually dry summer. Not a drop last month and well below average all summer.

Mt Hood through the smoke

Mt. Hood through the smoke of the Dollar Lake fire

September

2011-09-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Break out the Champagne and Caviar - It's September!

(Sorry I've lost the source of this picture, but it's too beautiful not to post)

Only a few more weeks and it will be, officially, Autumn. I've never liked summer or heat. I always look forward to Autumn every year. It is so beautiful here in the Northwest. The trees wear their most lush colors and the amazing varieties of fruit are ripe. The air is crisp, but with warm sun still shinning. As the season rolls on, the rains begin to replenish the many rivers and lakes. Snow on the mountains begins so that the skiers from all parts of the world congregate for some of the best skiing anywhere. It is the best time of the year.

Birthday Party

2011-08-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

Sunday, my daughter and I were invited to a birthday party for our friend, Rachel. The party was at their farm in Aurora, Oregon. There was lovely food - grown locally and on their farm. Each guest was given a lovely bouquet of garden flowers and a basket of their produce.
Lovely afternoon.

Hard to beat Northwest cherries

Late Apricots

Early Apples

Sweet Peaches

Cukes


My favorite plums - Italian Prune Plums (pared with the Rosemary, sautéed in butter)

Rosemary and wine (thinking I need to pick up some lamb)

How to receive more comments

2011-08-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bloggers, Marty at A Stroll Thru Life, posted this, and I wanted to pass along to all who might not have read it.

You may be missing out on receiving comments and don't even know it. There are a lot of blogs that are self hosted and if you don't have the right comment form for your blog, then they can't leave a comment.

I received an email from a blogger - My 1929 Charmer - telling me she had linked to my party and wanted to leave a comment, but couldn't. It seems that if you don't have the form that allows someone to click "name/url" that several different kinds of hosted blogs are unable to comment on your posts.

This is the form you need for everyone to be able to leave a comment.

It's really easy to change your setting so this is the form that comes up.

1. click on Settings

2. click on comments

3. scroll down and click on Full Page

That's all there is to it. Also if you still have word verification, please turn it off. It isn't necessary since blogger has installed up to date spam detection and you are loosing tons of comments because people won't take the extra time it takes to go through this step. Also, some boxes pop up so slow after you leave a comment that you don't even know you are suppossed to do a work verification.

Two really simple fixes so you can receive all of the comments that fellow bloggers wish to leave you.

Thanks Marty, you're a STAR!

Any Suggestions?

2011-07-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

I'm joining the Treasure Hunt with this fine old church window I found at the Goodwill. Not much to say about it other than it is beautiful and I'm sure I'll find a use for it. For the time being I'm just going to put it away and think about what to do with something like this - Any suggestions?

Praying for the victims of Oslo

2011-07-23T04:50:00.000-07:00

It is not appropriate to say an awful lot: sometimes less is more. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Norway, who today are facing the appalling bloody consequences of the greatest assault upon their nation since World War II. It is one terrible thing to bomb the center of governmental political power, but the assault upon the nation's innocent youth is an unspeakable crime of quite a different order of evil. Today, let us weep with those who weep, and remember that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Dilly Dilly - Lavender

2011-07-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took a drive out west of here. Across the street from home begins beautiful farm country. The area is called "New Halvatia" because it was the area settled by Swiss immigrants in the 1800's. (Switzerland - Proper name: Swiss Federation- Confoederatio Helvetica in Latin as seen in the EU abbreviation, CH) Because Polly lived there for 5 years, she says it's a little like visiting her old home.
Last weekend was the Washington County Lavender Festival, but with all the moving and such we didn't have time to go. Yesterday we decided to take a break and so we visited two farms in the area. First we stopped, first, at a small farm that Polly is blogging about, and visited with Mary, the dear lady who makes wonderful natural products from the herbs she grows on her farm. More information on Polly's blog. I will be going back there next spring to get some herbs that I haven't found any place else. She had summer savory and borage! Two of the herbs I can never find in the spring to set out. Both favorites for summer. I love summer savory with tender little green beans. I put borage in white wine as a summer drink, or in a salad. If you aren't familiar with it, it has a slight fresh melon/cucumber taste. Polly bought some dried pink delphiniums for her pink bathroom, and some lavender lemonade mix.
Next we drove on a little farther to Helvetia Lavender Farm. They specialize in "U-Pick" Lavender in the summer and Christmas trees in the winter. There Polly picked a large basket full of various kinds of lavender.

Polly

While I waited for her to finish picking, I sat in the tent, out of the drizzle, where there was a working still. They were distilling lavender oil. The lavender flowers are put into the top container and water is boiled in the lower chamber. The steam produced when it filters through the flowers is cooled in the descending pipe to a holding pipe where the oil rises to the top of the water, which is forced out the spigot. The pure oil is collected and bottled. The perfumed water is collected and use for ironing linens or rinsing hair.

I walked around the grounds of the farm. They had planted darling "fairy gardens" in wagons and wheelbarrows. They were all different and all so pretty.

There were flowers of all kinds. Some were familiar to me like these poppies, and some of the roses, but there were lots that I had no idea what they were. Every place I looked there was some new delight.

There is a Tea Pavilion where they serve lunch, and afternoon tea. I want to go back when I can enjoy eating in the lovely garden.

Ship's Cup

2011-07-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

When my grandfather was a young man, he was an structural engineer with the SantaFe Railroad.

My grandfather, Paul H Elgin, May 1903

He designed roundhouses.

Roundhouse, USA

Once he was sent to South Africa to supervise the building of a new roundhouse. When the project was finished, he and another fellow with whom he had become friends, traveled to England, via Palestine. The name of the ship is lost to our family history, but I have the cup he brought back. Since he died long before I was born and his wife, my grandmother, when I was only 4, I don't know much more about the trip. I do know they married shortly after his return.

My grandmother, Matilda Wetzlau Elgin

I know it isn't a tea cup, but I thought it was interesting all the same.

Linking to:

Bonne fête

2011-07-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

Running with the Bulls - French style

2011-07-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

This week is the famous "Running of the Bulls", know in Spanish as, encierro. The most famous running of the bulls is that of the seven-day festival of Sanfermines in honour of San Fermín in Pamplona.

But did you know they also have a version of this Spanish tradition in France? Here in Provence the event is much smaller and just more - well, French! Les Cowboys are rather fetching, too, in their colorful Provençal shirts. They are the REAL thing.

Les cerises sont mûres*

2011-07-07T18:33:00.000-07:00

Last year Mimi, my friend from Bry-sur-Marne, France, and I visited our mutual friends in Montana. We were there during the cherry season. What fun we had picking and eating all the cherries we could ever want. Mimi made a Clafoutis for us all to enjoy. When she returned home, she sent me this kitchen towel with the recipe for Clafoutis aux Cerises. There is really nothing equivalent in American or British cooking that I have ever known. It is a lovely dish for tea or dessert. I have put the approximate amounts. They are not exact, but they work well. After all, how many dear French ladies had measuring scales or cups in the olden times? And still they produced delicious cherry perfection!!!

*The cherries are ripe

Mimi and Leland picking cherries

This year my dear friend here in Oregon shared these beauties with me from her trees. She called to say they were ripe and if we didn't pick them soon the birds would have them all. So I hopped it over on the double and picked a huge bowl full. I will freeze some and have shared some with my daughters, who love them as much as I do. So, here is the recipe for the classic French Clafoutis. (you can make it with other fruit, such as apricots, but you really can't beat cherries - in my estimation)

Clafoutis aux Cerises
Pour 4 personnes"
-4 oeufs
-125 g de sucre semoule
-125 g de lait entier
-125g de crème fleurette
-300gde cerises
-pour le coulis
150 g de cerises, 25 g de sucre et 50 g d'eau
Mélangez énergiquement les oeufs et le sucre avec un fouet;
Ajoutez le lait et la crème bouillants, tout en remuant.
Dans un plat de cuisson beurré, disposez les cerises équeutées
et dénoyautées, puis versez dessus le mélange d'oeufs et de lait.
Faites cuire le clafoutis aux cerises 30 minutes à 180 degrés;
Pendant la cuisson préparex le coulis de cerises; faites
bouillir les cerises dénoyautées avec l'eau et le sucre,
pendant 10 minutes.
Passez le tout au travers d'un tamis en pressan avec 1 cuillère
pour récupérer un maximum de jus.
Dégustez le clafoutis, encore um peu tiède, avec le coulis de cerises tiède.

Serves 4

-4 eggs
-125g caster sugar (½ cup)
-125g whole milk (½ cup)
-125g whipping cream (½ cup)
300g Cherries (1 ⅓ cups)

for the sauce:
150g Cherries, 25g sugar, and 50g water
(⅔ cups Cherries, ⅓ cup sugar, and ½ cup water)

Mix vigorously eggs and sugar with a whisk;
Add the boiling milk and cream, stirring.
In a buttered baking dish, arrange the stemmed
and pitted cherries, then add the egg mixture and milk.
Cook the cherry clafoutis 30 minutes at 180℃ degrees c or 350℉;
While it bakes, prepare the sauce;
boil pitted cherries with water and sugar,
for 10 minutes.
Pass the whole through a sieve by pressing with a spoon
to pick up juice.

Enjoy the clafoutis, while still lukewarm, with warm cherry sauce.
(Not exact measurements, but close enough to work!)

Linking to:

Father's Day

2011-06-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

In honor of Father's Day, I'm posting these pictures my father, Paul H. Elgin.

First, with me when I was a baby,

Next with me at my wedding,

And last, my portrait of him that I painted after his death.

Lunar Eclips

2011-06-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

as seen from Cyprus

as seen from Dubai

My daughter sent me the link to watch and listen to scientists discuss the event.

http://eclipse.slooh.com/

Solar physicist, Dr. Lucie Green,