HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.  ~Jewish Proverb

An easy no fuss brunch recipe prefect for today since it can be made the evening  before. 

 Country Strata with Sausage, Fontina and Rosemary 

recipe adapted from The Oprah Magazine 

Cook's notes: Cut bread the day before and let it set out to dry then cover lightly with wax paper. 

• 8 oz. turkey sausage with casings removed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion , chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• 1 loaf egg or country bread (preferably 1 to 2 days old), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 tsp. rosemary
• 1 TB. parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. herbes de Provence 
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 8 eggs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 tomatoes that are sliced into 1/4-inch slices-be sure to drain on a paper towel
• 12 ounces Fontina or Swiss cheese that has been grated (4 cups)

Directions:

• Butter the bottom and sides of a 9" x 13" or 8" x 12" baking dish.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, break up sausage and sauté with olive oil and onion until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, if using fresh bread, lightly toast and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk spices with cream, half-and-half, eggs, salt, and pepper, and set aside.
• Lay half of bread in buttered baking dish, sprinkle with half of sausage mixture, half of tomato slices, and half of cheese. Repeat layering with remaining bread, sausage, tomato, and cheese. Slowly pour egg mixture over top. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°. Uncover and place baking dish on a baking sheet to catch overflow. Bake 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.

"When your mother asks, 'Do you want a piece of advice?' It's
a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no.
You're going to get it anyway." -- Erma Bombeck 

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May 12th is the birthday of Edward Lear, (1812-1888) the Father of Limericks. He was an English artist, illustrator, author and poet. He is known for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose, especially his limericks, a form he popularized.

Limericks have been thought to be around for about two hundred years but the first collection of them wasn't published until 1846 by the poet Edward Lear. The limerick structure is easy to follow with five lines. The first and second lines rhyme  and the third and fourth lines are shorter and rhyme with each other and the fifth line rhymes with the first two lines. Lear describes his poems as "Nonsense pure and absolute ." Many limericks traditionally start with the words There was... 

Lear particularly liked the line: "There was an old man of Tobago," because he was able to think of so many rhymes to use with it. 

"The Owl and The Pussycat" is one of his classic poems.

The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea

In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are, you are, you are,
What a beautiful Pussy you are."
Pussy said to the Owl "You elegant fowl,
How charmingly sweet you sing.
O let us be married, too long we have tarried;
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows,
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose, his nose, his nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?"
Said the Piggy, "I will"
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon.
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand.
They danced by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.