A Literary Adventure with Billy and Winning Prize Recipe

A Dog on His master

by Billy Collins

Ballistics 2008

As young as I look,

I am growing older faster than he,

seven to one

is the ratio they tend to say.

Whatever the number,

I will pass him one day

and take the lead

the way I do on our walks in the woods.

And if this ever manages

to cross his mind

it would be the sweetest

shadow I have ever cast on snow or grass.

Recently I had the opportunity to go on a literary journey to a nearby small town in Minnesota. I met with a group of women who come together monthly to discuss poets and read a selected book of poems. Yesterday they were discussing Billy Collins's book of poems titled Ballistics. Just in case you are not familiar with this poet (which I was not) he was the US poet laureate for two terms 2001-2004 and New York state poet 2004-2006. He has an impressive list of awards and honors to his credit. Mr. Collins has published 12 books of poetry and has edited three others. He is famous for a conversational style in his writing. He welcomes readers into his poems using humor and wit as he makes profound observations on everyday life happenings, the art of reading and poetry.

check this link if you would like to read more of his poems.

http://www.poemhunter.com/billy-collins/

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Marvelous Mediterranean Vegetables

This recipe by Cathy Godberson was Taste of Home June/July 2011 Grand Prize Grilling Winner

It was easy to prepare and has lots of possibilities as a side dish for summer grilling.

serves 8

Ingredients:

• 3 large portobello mushrooms
• 1 each medium sweet red, yellow and orange pepper
• 1 medium zucchini
• 10 fresh asparagus spears cut in 2 inch lengths
• 1 small red onion sliced and separated into rings
• 1 small container of grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup fresh sugar snap peas
• 1/2 cup fresh broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup pitted Greek olives
• 1 bottle 12 oz. Greek Feta Vinaigrette (Girard's brand)
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

• Slice mushrooms, peppers and zucchini and place in a large resealable plastic bag
• Add rest of vegetables and onions in bag
• Pour vinaigrette into bag and seal-turn to coat
• Refrigerate at least 20 minutes
• Drain vegetables and discard marinade-transfer vegetable mixture to a grill wok or basket
• Grill uncovered 8-12 minutes or until vegetables tender-stir frequently
• Place on a serving plate and sprinkle with cheese

Note: if you do not have a grill wok or basket can use a disposable foil pan. Poke holes in bottom of pan with a meat fork to allow liquid to drain before grilling

Celebrating with Blueberry Cupcakes

Patti Digh's book Life is a Verb is still on my mind. See previously written blog review of the book. The author 's guide book hopes to motivate the reader by throwing out some challenges to try within 37 days. I particularly liked her idea for finding ways to celebrate on non-holiday/non-birthday days. She suggested that one should always have on hand a box of birthday candles and matches for just the right occasion to turn an ordinary day into a great one.

In the author's own words: Go to the grocery store today. Buy five packages of birthday candles. Use them with wild abandon. Find a cause for a birthday celebration every day for the next 37 days. It doesn't have to be a big thing-the little things are even more fun to celebrate because they are unexpected. Never be without your candles. I travel with a pack because you just never know when a celebration will break out -and you know what the Girl Scouts say:Be Prepared. p.33

So I decided this was a worthy goal found matches and purchased several packs of candles. Recently while at a restaurant with friends celebrating a birthday I gave each person in the group a pack of birthday candles and a small box of matches. I suggested they look for a reason in the next few weeks to celebrate with a friend or family member and light a candle to mark the occasion.

I think serving a cupcake would be a good way to add to the celebratory mood! Be sure to light the candle.

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Blueberry Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 3-1/4 cups flour
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1 TB. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 TB. butter melted
• 1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 TB. grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1-1/4 cup fresh blueberries that have been frozen for 4 hours-freezing the berries before adding to batter prevents them from sinking to bottom or discoloring batter

Frosting:

• 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1-1/4 tsp. vanilla
• about 3-4 TB milk
• 1- 3 oz. package softened cream cheese
• 2-3 TB. lemon zest
• 5 TB. softened butter

Directions:

• Preheat oven 350
• Line muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners
• Sift dry ingredients
• Whisk melted butter and oil in bowl
• Add eggs and whisk in buttermilk, milk,vanilla and lemon zest
• Add buttermilk to dry ingredients whisk just to blend
• Stir in frozen berries
• Bake 20-23 minutes
• Frost when cooled

Savor Lemon Cookies and Tea With A Few Good Books

Every path has puddles-

jump in

Edgy book titles always pique my interest to delve in and find out more what's behind the cover. It is somewhat like the urge to jump into a puddle sometimes just to have a little fun. Life Is A Verb 37 Days To Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally by Patti Digh is just the book that warrants a closer look. I will start out by saying it is a self-help book but it distinctively stands out from other books in this genre. The time frame of 37 days made an impression on the author as she was experiencing in a rather short time her stepfather's initial diagnosis of lung cancer and subsequent death 37 days later. Trying to make sense out of something so awful the author contemplated the question What would I do today if I only had 37 days to live? Her three year exploration of this question resulted in a guidebook for living. Six "I" practices emerged as action plans for the reader to consider as part of their daily life.

Intensity-Say yes

Inclusion-Be generous

Integrity-Speak up

Intimacy-Love more

Intuition Trust yourself

Intention-Slow down

From an illustrator's point of view the collage type pictures scattered throughout the book are a fun addition. While writing the book she asked readers on her blog if any would like to submit art work. She was able to incorporate 37 submitted drawings.

Patti Digh wears many hats: a mother, wife, writer, motivational speaker, blogger and author. Follow this link to learn more about her http://www.pattidigh.com/

Lastly, if you are a person who collects or just enjoys quotes this book incorporates a wealth of them.

Magic Bullet by Larry Millet is a Minnesota mystery totally on the opposite spectrum of a self help guide. This is the author's 6th book writing mystery stories featuring the collaboration of two detectives Shadwell Rafferty and Sherlock Holmes. All the mystery books he has written are works of fiction set in Minnesota during the turn of the century. The author is quite clever to weave a story with Sherlock Holmes character and prominent Minnesota figures. For those who are not native to Minnesota is a just a really engaging mystery with a lot of twists.

Lost in Shangri -La by Mitchell Zuckoff is a non-fiction story about about 24 American servicemen and WAC's who boarded a transport plane in 1945 for a sightseeing trip over Shangri-La in the mountains of Dutch New Guinea. The plane crashes and miraculously three passengers survive. John McCollom is one of the survivors stricken with grief over the death of his twin brother Robert who also was on the plane. The surviving passengers endure a harrowing hike down the mountainside and encounter a primitive tribe who had never seen a white woman or man before. Mitchell Zuckoff recounts this incredible true-life adventure as this trio is determined to get out of the jungle, find help and how a brave group of paratroopers risked their own lives to save the survivors.

I was drawn to this book with a personal connection. A high school/college friend's father was Robert McCollum, John McCollum's twin brother who died in the plane crash on May 13,1945. My friend never knew her father since her mother was four months pregnant at the time of the crash. The book has personal photos, mementos, a survivor and rescuer's diary, and photos of original film footage to accompany the story.

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Lemon Cookies

adapted from Cook's Illustrated 2007 Holiday Baking

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 TB. lemon zest
• 1/4 cup-1/3 cup fresh lemon juice about 2 large lemons
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 stick of butter and 1/2 stick of margarine cut into into 1/2 inch cubes (chilled)
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

• In food processor, process sugar and zest about 30 seconds
• Add flour, salt and baking powder-pulse 10- 1 second pulses
• Scatter butter/margarine chunks over flour mixture and pulse till mixture is coarse like corn meal crumbs
• In small bowl beat lemon juice, yolk and vanilla
• With machine running add juice-yolk mixture add in slow stream to form a ball about 10-15 seconds
• Work dough and gently knead dry bits in and then shape into a log about 10 inches long-note: depending on how much juice you have a little flour may be needed while kneading the batter into a log
• Roll dough tightly into parchment paper
• Place log for 45 minutes in freezer or 2 hours in refrigerator
• Slice cookie log and place cookies on a lined baking sheet with parchment paper
• Bake @ 375 for about 11 minutes till edges start to brown
• Cool on a wire rack before adding glaze

Glaze:

• juice from 1-2 lemons about 1/4 cup
• 1 TB. cream cheese
• 1-1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

whisk cream cheese with juice and beat into confectioners' sugar

A Good Luck Charm

Our good luck charm these past two weeks have been dragonflies. These aerial acrobats dart about scooping up mosquitoes for a tasty meal. They hover airborne moving up and down, side to side and even fly backwards like a hummingbird. It is a harmless insect that does not bite and moves at an amazing speed of 45 miles an hour. It flaps its wings a mere 30 times a minute. Since we have an overabundance of pesky bugs this spring I more than welcome these speed demons on the scene.

In China people associate the dragonfly with prosperity and harmony. Among Native Americans, it is a sign of happiness, speed and purity.

I am no stranger to dragonflies since at last count I had some 60 dragonfly objects around the house in many different shapes and forms. One of my favorite items is a dragonfly door knocker. Today my photo lens captured a resting dragonfly on the outside of the house.

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Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 (6 oz.) jar of marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 (8 oz.) package of rotini pasta cooked
• 1 (7 oz.) jar roasted red peppers drained and cut into strips
• 1/2 lb. smoked mozzarella cheese or smoked Gouda cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 small bag of spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise and Miracle Whip works fine
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

• Drain artichokes, reserve marinade-Cut artichokes into strips and place in a large bowl
• Add peppers, cheese, spinach with pasta and toss together
• Stir marinade, mayonnaise/Miracle Whip Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and garlic together
• Add to pasta mixture
• Cover and chill

optional: 1/2 (4.5 oz.) chopped green chiles drained

Lighter Fare

Minnesota's Lady Slipper

Thought for the day...the more you recognize and express gratitude

for the things you have, the more things you will have

to express gratitude for.

by Zig Ziglar

As the days turn warmer a "lighter fare" of food is in order. Grilling and cold foods seem so much more palatable than heavy comfort type foods. Maybe some of these easy recipes are just what you need to survive a hot day.

Both recipes adapted from Southern Living June 2011

Summer Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup prepared poppy seed dressing
• 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 2 avocados, thinly sliced
• 4-5 cups loosely packed arugula
• 1 cup red grapes halved
• 1 cup sliced cucumbers
• 1 mango, julienned
• 1 cup diced strawberries
• 1/4 cup green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• optional items: kiwi-pineapple-toasted almonds

Directions:

• Whisk dressing and ginger
• Mix fruit, onions, cilantro, arugula
• Toss this mixture with dressing
• Serve immediately

Chicken and Tortellini Salad

Ingredients:

• 2- 9 oz. packages refrigerated cheese filled tortellini
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 TB. parsley flakes
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp. minced garlic (use jar found in produce dept)
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups cooked chopped chicken
• 1 cup frozen peas thawed or snap sugar peas (blanched)
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts

Directions:

• In blender process olive oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, Worcestershire, lemon juice and parsley flakes
• Cook tortellini according to package directions, drain
• Mix chicken, basil, onions, pine nuts, peas
• Mix in dressing and chill several hours before serving

Celebrate A Spring Harvest

Some men see things as they are and ask why.

Others dream things that never were

and ask why not.

by George Bernard Shaw

All my years of accumulated knowledge and schooling seemed to have taken a bit of a hit recently when I read the list of some of the words given out towards the end of the 84th Scripps National Spelling Bee! Some words I had not even heard let alone know how to spell correctly. Certainly it was a hairy finish for the winner Sukanya Roy, a 14 year old who spelled "cymotrichous" correctly to win. In case this word is not in your repertoire: cymotrichous is an adjective used to describe something having wavy hair. How about weltschmerz and pavonazzo? These were the words missed by the last two contestants.

Akeelah and the Bee, a 2006 movie, is about an 11 year old girl Akeelah who has an amazing talent for memorizing and spelling words. Her environment and lack of family support threatens her quest for success. Realizing that Akeelah has a rare talent, her principal steps in and provides her with a coach. The movie gives a lot of interesting background to the Scripps Spelling Bee. It was impressive watching the diligence these contestants display as they put in daily long hours of practice trying to reach their goal of winning.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:

• pie crust (I have used Pappy's -frozen pie dough thawed with a lot of success-use two dough circles for bottom crust rolled thin and 2 dough circles for top crust-there will be some excess-I have found one circle for each crust is not enough )
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 3 TB. tapioca
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2- 1/2 cups finely chopped rhubarb
• 3 cups of diced strawberries

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients except pie crust
• Let ingredients sit in a bowl for about 20 minutes
• Drain juices out of mixture using a slotted spoon and spoon fruit mixture into bottom crust
• Dot with 1/2 tsp. butter place on fruit
• Top with crust
• Mix a little cinnamon and sugar together
• Brush top crust lightly with milk-if get too much milk dab with paper towel
• Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture on top and make 5 slits on top as vent
• Crimp strips of foil around outside edge of crust to prevent over browning
• Bake 400 @ 35-40 minutes till filling is bubbling through crust vents
• Let pie cool 2 hours to set will be easier to cut (only if you can wait that long!)
• additional note...I found a metal pie pan for this recipe works better than a glass one

A juicy, fragrant berry

Lettuce is like conversations:

It must be fresh and crisp and so sparkling

that you scarcely notice any bitter in it.

Charles Dudley Warner, novelist

Note: a spelling mistake was made in the French classic dessert recently posted. It is spelled Clafoutis. See the blog: Cooking with a French Flair. Also I added the pronunciation.

June is synonymous with strawberries and nothing is better than a just picked berry. There is an abundance of u-pick farms in our area. Do-it-yourselfers always benefit budget-wise picking their own plus its a fun outing. Look for strawberry rhubarb pie on the next posting.

I did read an interesting tip recently...to bring out the flavor of a lackluster berries put them in a bowl after they have been hulled and sliced. Sprinkle a little sugar on them a tablespoon or two for every pint of berries. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. The sugar draws the moisture from the berries to make a sweet natural syrup. My personal preference is to make a fruit compote using strawberries and sprinkle 2 TB Grand Marnier over the mixture then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours. It gives the berries a great taste.

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Strawberry Salsa with Cinnamon Tortillas

Salsa Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium red onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1/2 yellow pepper stemmed and seeded
• 1/2 cup kiwi
• 1/2 cup cucumber
• 4 plum tomatoes-chopped
• 2 cups strawberries sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 TB. fresh lime juice
• 2 TB. olive oil
• 1 TB. honey salt -pepper to taste
• 1 Tb honey

Directions:

• Mix all the fruits, onions, pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro
• In a blender add all juices, honey and oil
• Pour over fruits, vegetables, onion and cilantro
• Cover and refrigerate 2-4 hours

Serve over chicken, pork, fish or with cinnamon tortilla chips

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Ingredients:

• 3 TB. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 6- 6 inch tortillas

Directions:

• Mix sugar and cinnamon
• Lightly brush the tortillas with olive oil
• Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges
• Sprinkle with cinnamon- sugar mixture
• Bake 375 for 8-10 minutes on a cookie sheet