Thursday, July 28, 2011

Today is Beatrix Potter's Birthday


On this day in 1866 Helen Beatrix Potter was born
in South Kensington, London, England.

She had always been an animal lover.
It is reported that she would hide little rabbits, frogs, kittens,
hedgehogs, and mice in secret places of her home.
She and brother Bertram
also kept several "legal" creatures in the schoolroom,
such as birds, lizards, and snakes.





She was stricken with rheumatic fever as a girl
which would affect her health for the remainder of her life.

Her parents and governess observed in her a creativity
 and taught her to paint and draw.

Beatrix Potter's childhood sketches

The Lake District of England


Beatrix Potter's nature illustrations



The Potter family spent summers in the Scottish Highlands
and the Lake District of England.
She became familiar with the natural world,
Observing and recording the flora and fauna around her.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit was first written in 1893
as a picture letter for her governess' ailing son.

Beatrix Potter's picture letter


Once in print, starting just in time for Christmas 1901,
the were a smashing success.
In fact, this book has never been out of print.

She published 22 little books in 28 years.



She spent her later years preserving the ecology and beauty
of the Lake District.
She became a farmer and bred Herdwick sheep.

Peter Rabbit is the oldest licensed character,
Miss Potter patented him in 1903.



Potter with Kep


Kep, the farm collie, saves the day




Wily Mr. Todd lures the naive and
 trusting Mrs. Puddle-Duck from safety

Considering the antiquity of these charming diminutive tales,
 I’m convinced that a very young Mrs. Ripkey
 once found herself as delighted as I was the day she introduced me.



I became incurably enchanted with her books when I was in the fourth grade.
 We were being introduced to the school library.
 I’ll never forget the librarian’s name.
 It was Mrs. Ripkey.
 A perfect picture, with sweeping gray hair
 and small, chained glasses invariably resting upon her nose.
 She demonstrated this to us by holding up
 a large key-shaped construction paper cutout with her name written on it.
 Then she ripped it in half while holding it up
 for all us small students to see.
 She must’ve understood the mind of a child because
 all the kids knew that the school librarian’s name was Mrs. Ripkey.

She showed us several popular books of the day.
 My young mind must not have been impressed as I do not recall a single one.
 Except for the little green ones.





I don’t remember of which I read first.
 The Tale of Tom Kitten was my favorite
 because it reminded me of the stories my daddy would tell
of his family’s tom cats and their endless naughty adventures.
 I felt like I knew his cats.
 And Tom Kitten presented that familiar mischievousness in darling illustration.
 I was hooked for a lifetime.


Mama, Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit with one of her three naughty kittens, Tom



There may have been a dozen of her 23 little stories in that library.
 I read every one, drinking in the gentle lines and the soft, rich colors.
 Her work is innocent tenderness, never overdone.
 It would be decades before I would discover the others.
 Longer before I would regard darling Peter with the same aversion as did Mr. McGregor.


Mr. McGregor chases Peter out of the garden.



I’ve read these stories to my own children,
 and together we’ve found new favorites.
The impertinent Squirrel Nutkin, the Tale about a tail.

Squirrel Nutkin teases Old Brown


 He unabashedly teases Old Brown with riddles and dances.
 This is an Owl with prime real estate.
 It is autumn and the little red squirrels must fill their cache for wintertime.
 Nutkin’s brother and cousins dutifully offer surety
 to the swift-winged predator in exchange for clemency.
 However, Old Brown’s patience is tested
 over and over by Squirrel Nutkin,
 making him a dangerous liability to his family.


Mr. Jeremy Fisher, a recent favorite in our home,
 was read to our fifth child many nights.


Mr. Jeremy Fisher fishing for his dinner.



 Now this is a gentleman frog
 who sets about planning a dinner with a couple of his buddies.
 He will offer fresh fish, of course.
 (However, one, a Mr. Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise, eats salad.)
 This fishing expedition starts off as a normal day,
 but, after lunchtime, turns rather too adventurous.
 Poor Mr. Jeremy Fisher is pestered by a water-beetle, a rat,
 a spiny stickleback fish, and then swallowed by a trout,
 who, thankfully, dislikes the taste if raincoat.
 The friends dined together that evening on roasted grasshopper
 with lady-bird sauce, and salad.



Sir Isaac Newton with Mr. Jeremy Fisher

The story of Peter Rabbit and his cousin, Benjamin Bunny
continue in The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies.
Ben & cousin Flopsy marry and have six hungry little bunnies to care for.
Still raiding poor Mr. McGregor's faithful garden for their own survival,
the bunnies are caught by the farmer
who then intends to sell them for tobacco.   

Cousins Peter and Benjamin Bunny

Mama, Mrs. Josephine Rabbit with her bunnies, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter


Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail Rabbit Beswick figurines


The soporific Flopsy Bunnies


The beautiful porcelain figurines
 of the beloved Beatrix Potter characters, made by
 Beswick of the Royal Doulton Company,
have become highly sought after collectibles.





These figurines capture the gentle colors
and the innocent expressions of Potter's characters
like no other brand.



Hunca Munca and her children

Timmy Tiptoes with his wife, Goody

Much was drawn from Potter's life,
like the loyal farm collie, Kep
as well as the pesky nature of rabbits in the garden.
Also, she preferred to avoid tragic endings, knowing
the difficulty that children have coming to terms with them.

For instance, Jemima Puddle-Duck was saved
in the end, and Peter only needed a rest
and chamomile tea.
That makes for a good bedtime story.
That makes for a classic.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

National Resurrect Romance Week



 Offer a really great back massage
and expect nothing in return.




Cook a special meal
with their favorite things.
There's no such thing as
a silly little detail!


Invent a meal
and name it after your loved one.




Put a little gift on their pillow.




Tell him you love him.



Send her a card telling her
10 things you love about her.
So what if your sending it to your own address,
everyone loves to get mail.

Carve your initials in a tree.




Go see a movie together
When was the last time you did that?




Plant a tree to declare your love
for one another.




Secretly hide a love note inside his luggage
before he leaves for a business trip.



Write her an old-fashioned love letter.



Help with a dreaded chore.

Pick a flower.



Write a message with body paint.



Give a donation to thier favorite charity
in the name of your loved one.

Play "Hooky" together.

Sprinkle "I Love You"
post-it notes anywhere,
anytime.


Monday, July 25, 2011

Raspberries are Ripe!



We've been harvesting our raspberries every other day now for a couple of weeks.  What a glorious time of year!  Who doesn't like rapberries?

We've been freezing what we pick until I had enough for a batch of jelly.  Today I made 9 pints and we can hardly wait to eat it up!




Something else thats ripe this year is peaches.  Make a smoothie!

Raspberry Peach Smoothie
1/2 c raspberries
1 c sliced peaches
1/2 c plain yogurt
1 Tbsp honey

You can make a smoothie out of anything that sounds good to you.  Use milk, almond milk, coconut milk, ice chips, plain yogurt, vanilla yogurt, etc.  Your only limit is your imagination.  Of course, there are plenty of recipes to be found to inspire you.  Feel free to tweak what you like.  Perhaps add a spice or two.  A pinch of cinnamon, cayenne, coriander, or whatever goes with your fruit selection.  Learning about the health benefits of herbs and spices helps us to be in better control of our nutrition.

A Raspberry Cooler sounds good on a hot July afternoon.
2 pints raspberries
1 sliced lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c sugar

Combine in a double boiler over simmering water.
Cook about 12 min until raspberries have released most of their juices.

Strain and discard solids.
Cool.
Pour 1/4 of this syrup into glass filled with ice.
Top with 1 cup selzer.
Serve with lemon wedge.

This Baked Raspberry Custard, also from Martha Stewert, looks delicious and not too difficult.
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups raspberries (about 9 ounces)
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In oven, melt butter in a 9-inch pie plate, about 6 minutes.
  3. In a blender, combine milk, eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla. Add melted butter and blend mixture until smooth, 30 seconds.
  4. Distribute berries evenly in pie plate and pour batter over top. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and bake until slightly puffed and just set in middle, 20 to 25 minutes. Heat broiler and broil until top is deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm.



Whatever you do, be sure to get'em before they do!



National Salad Week

Here are a few of our summer salads:


Canellini and Fennel Salad

Canellini beans, drained & rinsed
Shaved fennel
Olive Oil
Lemon juice
Cracked black pepper
Sea salt

Whisk together oil, vinegar, salt & pepper.
Gently toss with beans and fennel.
Serve chilled.



Green Beans and Tuna

Fresh green beans, trimmed and cleaned
Sun-dried tomato, softened and trimmed
Tuna, drained
Olive oil
Cracked black pepper
Sea salt

Gently steam beans until just-tender.
Whisk together oil, salt, & pepper.
Break up tuna and gently stir with remaining ingredients.



Broccoli Salad

Broccoli, clean & chop (peel & chop heart of the stem, too!)
1/4 Red onion, shaved
4 Bacon slices, fried crisp & crumbled
Raisins
Sunflower seeds
Mayonnaise
Milk
Cider vinegar
Sugar

Whisk together mayo & milk to sauce-like consistency.
Whisk in vinegar and sugar to taste.  Whisk well.
Stir in raisins, let sit for a few minutes.
Gently toss remaining ingredients.  Chill.


Chick Pea Salad

Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans), drained & rinsed
1/2 Onion, shaved
French or Western salad dressing

Stir together.  Chill.


Beet & Pickle Salad

Beets, boil tender*
Red Potato, boil tender
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Pickles, chopped finely
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper

Whisk together oil, lemon juice salt, pepper, and pickles.
Gently toss with beet and potato.
Serve chilled.

*Boil beets cleaned and whole (root & stems attatched) so they don't lose their color & nutrients.


Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, & Basil

Tomato, slice
Fresh Mozzarella, slice
Basil, fresh
Olive oil, extra virgin
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper

Arrange tomato and cheese alternately.
Sprinkle basil generously over top.
Splash olive oil around, not too stingy.
Drizzle with vinegar.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper.


Vegetable Salad

Cauliflower, clean & chop
Broccoli, clean & chop
Carrot, clean & shred
(What else have you got?)
Cheddar cheese
Mayonnaise
Milk
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper

Whisk together mayo & milk to make a sauce.
Add salt & pepper to taste.  Stir in remaining ingredients.
Serve chilled.

About Me

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As long as I'm on this journey, rambling through life's exhilarating highs and trudging heavily amongst it's incapacitating lows, I might as well share whatever may be gleaned from my little bits of wisdom and my many missteps. No room for judgment from this broken mama. I'm writing from my heart: raw, open, messy, but saved. And I'm still thanking God!