A Dark Romance

The first edition of Wuthering Heights was published in 1848 under Emily Bronte's pen name of Ellis Bell. The book  received mixed reviews. It is the only novel she published. The book is considered a classic in English literature. 
The story is about a boy from the streets of Liverpool named Heathcliff who is adopted into a wealthy family and falls in love with his adopted sister, Catherine Earnshaw. When he realizes he can't have her, he tries to take revenge upon the entire family. It's a passionate, tragic love story.
 

Today is the birthday of the novelist and British poet Emily Bronte. She was born in Thornton, Yorkshire on July 30, 1818.  Emily was the third eldest of the four surviving Bronte siblings. She became a teacher at Law Hill School in Halifax in 1838, when she was twenty. Her health broke under the stress of the 17-hour work day and she returned home in April 1839. Thereafter she became the stay-at-home daughter, doing most of the cooking and cleaning and teaching Sunday school. She taught herself German out of books and practiced piano. 

I read a bit about her life and found out some scholars speculate she may have gotten the idea for her novel from her brother's life. He was fired from a job as a tutor after it was rumored that he had an affair with the mother of the children he was supposed to be teaching. He was also suffering from alcoholism and addiction to laudanum after trying -- and failing -- to become a painter in London. It's possible that Emily's brother Branwell began to tell her all his life experiences -- his addictions, his love affairs, and his failed attempt to become a painter.
In 1846, the sisters' poems were published in one volume as Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. The Brontë sisters had adopted pseudonyms for publication: Charlotte was Currer Bell, Emily was Ellis Bell and Anne was Acton Bell

Just after Wuthering Heights came out, Emily's brother began to fall ill. She took care of him for the next several months, until he died in September 1848. Emily came down with the same illness a month later, and died before the end of the year. She was only 30 years old.

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Chicken Cantaloupe-serves 4

Ingredients:

·1 package chicken flavor rice mix (Rice-A-Roni) do not substitute or use a product similar to this one-following cooking directions on box

· 4 cantaloupes

· 4 cups cut up chicken (could buy a roasted chicken from deli)

· 1 cup sliced almonds

· 1-2 tsp. curry powder

· cantaloupe pieces

·1/2 cup dried cherries

· Mracle Whip (do not substitute)

Directions:

Cook  the Rice-A Roni according to directions

·Cut each cantaloupe in half-place one half face down on cutting board-with a sharp paring knife cut a saw tooth edge going all around the cantaloupe-set aside the triangle shaped pieces-repeat this three times with other cantaloupe halves

·Cut rind off triangle pieces left and place in bowl-add chicken, curry, cherries if using them and cooked rice Note: you will only use 2 cups cooked rice so save rice for another meal

·Add only enough Miracle Whip to moisten all ingredients

· Cover and refrigerate till chilled

· Wrap 4 saw toothed cantaloupe pieces till serving and refrigerate

· To serve divide chicken mixture among cantaloupe pieces and sprinkle with almonds

Note: My original recipe called for 1 TB. curry powder-curry is a strong spice so I would suggest starting with 1 tsp. and taste till you get the flavor strength you want