FOR THE GIRL WHO LOVES COSMOS

Cosmos

 “Be happy! Today is the day you were brought into this world to be a blessing and inspiration to the people around you! You are a wonderful person! May you be given more birthdays to fulfill all of your dreams!”

Morgan with Spencer

 Happy 29th birthday,May 11 2019, to the girl who loves Cosmos. 

 To the daughter who likes to catch  and release crickets on hot summer days. Who is  so unique and has come so far.

 One of gentle heart and  ways; this one who loves Cosmos. So this year, in honour of her 29th birthday I planted a gazillion Cosmos. As many as I could stuff into pots.

 When she was born I found a beautiful poem by Fanny Stearns Davis and cross stitched it into a bejewelled Christmas stocking.  I knew her.Even then. I would read it to her,  when she was asleep.......
"For a Child"

 "Your friends shall be the tall wind, the river and the tree, 

the sun that laughs and marches, the swallow and the sea.......

 Your prayers shall be the murmur of grasses in the rain

 the song of wildwood thrushes that makes God glad again.

 And you shall run and wander and you shall dream and sing

 Of brave things and bright things beyond the swallow's wing....

 And you shall envy no one

 Nor hurt your heart with sighs......

 For I will keep you simple

 that God may make you wise................"

 For the girl who loves Cosmos, who danced as an oyster one year in ballet class, and draws fantastical incredible wonderful things with so much detail, plays jazz and classical piano, who brings joy to her workplace and the people she works with.

 Who creates oodles of baking  for her fellow employees, just because, just so they can have a treat.Just because has always been our motto.....

 Yet still finds time to save ladybugs from being squashed.

 For the unique  young lady who loves Cosmos, who is a bright light of kindness and sweetness.......

 Happy birthday. With love.  May you always love Cosmos. May you dream and sing always..........

Cosmos

 Photographs 2019 Poem "For a child" ( one of my all time favs: by Fanny Stearns Davis. From 1001 Beautiful Things 1948)

Morgan at 2, May 11 1992 Cornwallis, Nova Scotia

AT THE PORCH.........................

Bunny's basket

 IT's TIME AGAIN...........For dirt and more dirt and flowers everywhere.

 And Spencer, the neighbour's very smart cat, sleeping on the porch

 Native Cranesbill  growing every which way.

 Troughs of variegated coleus. In the shade. Under cover on the porch.

 CAT Plant. Scientia Cattus. In his own pot. Before the flowers.

 After planting....

 IDYLL by SIEGFRIED SASSOON (1886-1967)
"In the grey summer garden I shall find you.......

greenhouse

 With day-break and the morning hills behind you. There will be rain-wet roses; stir of wings...

 And down the wood a thrush that wakes and sings. Not from the past you'll come, but from that deep...

moss shoes/impatiens

 Where beauty murmurs to the soul asleep: And I shall know the sense of life reborn....

 From dreams into the mystery of morn

Spencer's moss pot

 Where gloom and brightness meet.....

                                                  And standing there.....................

Cordelia on roof

 till that calm song is done, at last we'll share

 The league-spread quiring symphonies that are 

 Joy in the world.........

  ...........................and peace, and dawn's One star....."

sweet peas

 Photographs 2019

KITCHEN SINK SOUP (1863) and NO YEAST BREAD

 "Soup is the song of the hearth.....and the home..." -Louis P. De Gouy

 KITCHEN SINK SOUP ( that's what I call it) or MINESTRONE
                 ( 1863) a bit of this and a bit of that......

 In Civil war times you would take a mess of bones, lay them in a pot, add root or herbs and boil for about 6 hours till it all collapsed  into stock. At this point you were supposed to rake the meat off the bones and dig out the grittier roots from the pot boiling over the open fire.   INSTEAD, I grabbed a couple of cartons of Veggie broth from the pantry. A little easier.

 Drain your two cartons of Veggie broth into a large pot on the stove. ( See, easier already) Leftovers work well at this point.

 A can of beans ( any  you like). Or you can soak beans overnight and boil them up, but that takes too long. And you want this for lunch. Or dinner. Again, takes too long. Black beans will make the broth murky, so go with lighter beans.

 Chop up some lettuce ( yes lettuce...it's very good in soup and used again and again in earlier soup recipes ), Combine with everything else in pot.

 Cube up potatoes, raw or cooked, parsley, celery, if you have it, carrots, any veggie  you can find that is available and toss in pot.Don't worry about what you put in the pot. It's all good.  Then toss in a few handfuls of macaroni or dry noodles.  Boil up . Serve hot with  the No Yeast bread that follows....

 NO YEAST BREAD  This kind of reminded me of Johnny cake. It's more of a soda bread...but this one has baking powder. Soda muffins were  pretty common in this era, but I'm not a fan of those , and this works great. Rises well, and you can make it  easily  to eat at  dinner. No yeast required. Add in pretty much whatever you like, like raisins, or apple, or cranberries. I chose CHEESE.

 Cheese was known in Europe with the more regal cultures. Usually in the form of macaroni and cheese.Suffice it to say that Thomas Jefferson first had the dish in France, around 1780, and stole a macaroni maker so he could have it at home.....but that's for another blog.

  Yummy grated cheese. I also doubled the recipe and froze the second loaf. Double yummy.

  3 cups flour, 4 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt, 2 cups grated cheese, 1 1/2 cups milk or almond milk, 2 tbsp melted butter.

  Combine four, baking powder, salt and cheese in big old bowl.

 Add milk of your choice, and melted butter. I found it needed extra liquid or was too dry. Just guesstimate till doughs feels soft and pliable. Don't add too much either.

 Stir to form soft dough. Put in greased and parchment paper lined loaf tin ( Important,or the dough will stick).

 Bake in 400 degree oven for about 50 minutes. Add time if you need to. TEST with sharp knife to make sure no sticky dough ends up on knife. Should be dry.Remove from pan to cool. Serve with butter. I make two loaves cause it's really really nice. SERVE with  KITCHEN SINK SOUP.....

 "The smell of good bread baking like the sound of lightly flowing water, in its evocation of innocence and delight...."
                    -M.K.F. Fisher (The Art of Eating)

 Photographs 2019