To Autumn

Fall retains the air of fresh beginnings.
"To Autumn" is a poem written by English Romantic poet John Keats (October 31, 1795 -February 23 ,1821). The work was composed on September 19, 1819 and published in 1820 in a volume of Keats's poetry. It was the final work in a group of poems known as Keats's "1819 odes."

"To Autumn" has been regarded by critics as one of the most perfect short poems in the English language.
Although personal problems left him little time to devote to poetry in 1819, he composed "To Autumn" after a walk near Winchester one autumnal evening. The work marks the end of his poetic career, as he needed to earn money and could no longer devote himself to the lifestyle of a poet. A little over a year following the publication of "To Autumn", Keats died in Rome.

The poem has three eleven-line stanzas which describe a progression through the season, from the late maturation of the crops to the harvest and to the last days of autumn when winter is nearing.
To Autumn
by John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,--
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries, Butternut Squash and Toasted Pecans with Maple Balsamic Dressing
Cook's notes: This splendid autumn salad includes some of Minnesota’s very best natural ingredients. Butternut squash works well for this dish because the squash holds its shape beautifully after being roasted. The combination of nutty wild rice, a simple maple dressing, and fresh herbs are not only delicious together, but their vibrant colors combine to make one stunning dish. Consider a time saver by making the wild rice ahead and toasting the pecans. The dressing can be easily doubled.
This wild rice salad was previously posted but it's such a great fall harvest dish I am reposting. My company loved every bite. Recipe from the "Smitten with Squash Cookbook' and serves 4.

Ingredients Dressing:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or Blood Orange Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or Cranberry Pear Balsamic 
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• scant 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Ingredients Salad:

• 2- 1/2 cups peeled and finely chopped butternut squash
• 1- 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or Blood Orange Olive Oil
• 2 TB. balsamic vinegar
• sea salt and black pepper
• 4-5 cups torn baby spinach leaves or chopped romaine
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced leeks, both white and green parts or green onions
• 1 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans or cashews
• 4 cups cooked wild rice, warmed

Directions:

• Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and mix well. Refrigerate until needed
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread squash evenly on baking sheet and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. 
• Roast squash for about 20 minutes or until fork tender, stirring once during the roasting time. Set aside.
• In a measuring cup place dried cranberries or cherries. Pour boiling water over it and let set for 15 minutes. Drain. 
• In a large bowl, combine leeks or onions, cherries or cranberries, basil and wild rice. Stir dressing into salad; taste and adjust salt level if needed. Place mixture on spinach leaves or chopped Romaine. Top with pecans.
• Serve dish at room temperature.

Sweet Potato Hash

As the the season changes to Fall, find some places to explore that will add peace and tranquility to your life.

 

 

Autumn Sweet Potato Hash is fall’s answer to a savory late morning breakfast. The colors of autumn are captured on the plate. The savory ingredients include spicy Italian sausage, red bell peppers and caramelized onions, topped with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and Asiago cheese. Recipe serves 2 and is easily doubled.  

Recipe adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

• 2 links Spicy Italian Sausage, casing removed
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into tiny cubes
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded, and diced
• • Salt and Black pepper
• Pinch paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup grated Asiago cheese

Directions:

• Add the potatoes to a large saucepan of salted boiling water and simmer until tender. Drain and dry completely with paper towels.
• Heat a large non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, crumble the spicy sausage into the pan allowing it stay relatively chunky, and brown it for a several minutes. 
• Add to the pan onion and red bell pepper, and saute with the sausage for a few minutes until golden-brown (if a little more oil is needed, add in a drizzle of olive oil); add in a pinch or two of salt and freshly ground black pepper, the pinch of paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and Italian seasoning, and stir to combine 
• Add in the cooked diced sweet potato, stir, and cook everything until it starts to caramelize and soften a bit, covered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Finish the hash by adding the chopped parsley and green onion. Spoon the hash into bowls or plates, and top with the grated Asiago cheese. 
• Optional serving with a fried egg if desired.

Manhole Sewer Covers and An Autumn Beef Stew

A first for me on Pinterest was finding someone's board labeled: sewer covers. And here I thought I was the only one fascinated by the variety of sewer/ manhole covers out there. Sometimes I think we spend so much time looking ahead or up we forget to look down. 

Manholes are required so that people can clean, inspect, or repair the subsurface utilities. Manholes can be quite shallow or as deep as 70-stories in the third New York City water supply tunnel. Manhole covers are the round iron plates sunk into streets and sidewalks that keep passers-by from falling into manholes.

Manhole covers must be a minimum of 22 in diameter, but can be as much as 60 in diameter. The average cover weighs between 250 and 300 lbs. It is important for sewer manhole covers to be heavy as sewers can produce methane gas that could push lightweight covers out of the way, letting noxious gases up into the street.
My fascination with manhole/sewer covers began on a visit to Bratislavia on the way to Budapest several years agop. 

The most famous statue in Bratislava Slovakia is probably a bronze statue entitled "Cumil". The statue is of a man peeking out from under a manhole cover. 
Then in Budapest there was this ornate one and 

let's not forget Prague.

So it should not surprise you that when I was on Florida trip walking around the neighborhood I discovered this one. I was staying with friends who had lived on this street for several years and never even noticed this manhole cover until they saw my photo.

In closing you might want to rethink your walks around the neighborhood or on a trip. Pay attention-don't forget once in awhile to look down as you just never know what you may find. 

Autumn Beef Stew with Apple Cheddar Bread 

http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/search?q=+apple+cheddar+bread

Cook's notes: This recipe was adapted from Midwest Living. The stew is healthy, flavorful and packed with vegetables. The butternut squash and wine add a a bit of sweetness to the dish. The secret to the stew is searing the floured beef cubes and simmering the stew so the meat does not get tough. Julia would approve of this recipe-it has wine and all her favorite ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks
• 2 strips bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
• oil
• 1 large onion cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 TB. tomato paste
• 5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups less-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 -3/4 cup dry red wine
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 TB.snipped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 TB. dried parsley flakes and 1 TB. brown sugar
• 4 red potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 cups butternut squash; peeled, seeded and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 4 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 stalks celery, sliced into 1/2-inch thick

Directions:

• In a large plastic bag, combine 1/3 flour, salt and pepper. Add beef and shake to coat evenly. In a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, cook and stir bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels with a slotted spoon. Add enough oil to bacon drippings to equal 2 tablespoons. Add half the beef to pot, shaking off any excess flour. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Remove beef with a slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining beef.
• If pot is dry, add in 1 tablespoon of oil. Add onions; cook and stir for about 4 minutes or until starting to brown. Stir in garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste. 
• Return beef, bacon to pot. Stir to combine. Add 1/3 cup flour to chicken broth, whisk to blend and add to pot. Add in beef broth, wine, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, paprika, brown sugar. potatoes, carrots, celery and squash. 
• Bring to a slow boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered on low for 1- 1/2 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves before serving. 

Weekend Round-Up

Some of the Week's Best 

Book Alert: Available October 10th 

Join Pete the Cat in a brand new story about bedtime in "Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues" by New York Times bestselling authors James and Kimberly Dean! 
Pete the Cat and his friends are having so much fun playing and surfing in the sun, they don't want the day to end. Pete has an idea—how about a sleepover? Groovy! As the night gets later, it's time for bed. This cool cat needs to catch some ZZZs, but Pete's friends aren't ready to go to sleep just yet. Then Pete has another idea. . . . Will it work? 
Best Salad Recipe of the Week

Tex-mex Grilled Chicken Salad in Creamy Avocado Salsa Verde Dressing

A Tex-mex themed taco grilled chicken salad with corn, black beans, tomatoes, avocado and bacon in a creamy salsa verde dressing! Serves 4 from closetcooking.com
Ingredients
6 cups lettuce, sliced
1 pound taco lime grilled chicken or cilantro lime grilled chicken
1 cup tomato, diced
1 cup corn, optionally grilled
1 cup black beans
1/4 red or green onion, diced or sliced
1 avocado, diced or mashed
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup cotija, queso fresco or feta, crumbled
1/4 cup sour cream or greek yogurt (optional)
1/4 cup creamy avocado salsa verde dressing
1/4 cup cilantro, torn or chopped
directions
Assemble the salad, toss in the dressing and enjoy!

Best Meal Recipe of the Week

Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Cook's notes: This pesto pasta with chicken sausage and roasted Brussels sprouts is a hearty and delicious meal, made healthier with (lighter) chicken sausage and lots of Brussels sprouts. 

recipe from gimmesomeoven.com
Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and any yellowed/browned outer leaves removed, then sliced in half
• 3 TB. olive oil or Lemon Olive Oil,  divided
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 3/4 lb (10-12 oz.) orecchiette (or any pasta)
• 4 chicken sausage links (I used spicy Italian), sliced into 1/4" thick coins
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup pesto
• 1/4 cup chicken broth or chicken stock
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix together Brussels sprouts, 2 TB. olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently stir until well-combined.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the Brussels sprouts on it evenly. Roast for about 20-30 minutes, stirring once partway through, or until they are crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside. (My batch of tiny sprouts only took about 12 minutes to cook.) Remove from oven and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until nearly-browned, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the sausage is browned.
• Cook the pasta according to the package directions. (I begin heating my water while preparing the Brussels sprouts, and added the pasta to the boiling water just after beginning to cook the sausage.) Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water and then toss together the pasta, pesto, cooked sausage and garlic and Brussels sprouts. Add in broth only as what is needed for extra moisture.
• Serve warm, and sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese. 

Best Dessert of the Week

Pear, Apple, Cranberry and Gingersnap Crumble 

Cook's notes: Anjou and Bartlett pears are the best for baking because they remain firm and smooth when cooked. When choosing pears for baking, select those that are firm but not rock hard, have a good fragrance, and are smooth and unblemished with stems still attached. Autumn is the best season for Anjou and Bartlett pears.

Recipe adapted from smittenkitchen.com
Ingredients:

Crumble

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup  sugar
• 3 TB. dark brown sugar
• 1 cup gingersnap crumbs about 16 cookies 
• 1/2 tsp. apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice mix 
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 5 TB.butter, melted and cooled

Filling

• 3-4 large ripe pears (I used Anjou, suggested in the original recipe) peeled, halved, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 3 Granny Smith apple. peeled and cut into small chunks 
• 1- 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 TB. lemon juice
• 1 TB. grated lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 TB. cornstarch

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350°degrees.
• Stir together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, gingersnap crumbs, spice mix cinnamon and salt. Stir in the melted butter until large crumbs form.
• Place crumb mixture in freezer while cutting up apple and pears for about 20 minutes. 
• In a 1-1/2 to 2 quart baking dish or a 8 x 8 glass baking dish, mix the pears, cranberries, apples, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch together then toss it with the fruit mixture in the pan. 
• Sprinkle the gingersnap crumble over the fruit. Set the crumble on a foil-lined baking sheet (in a 2 quart dish, mine didn’t come close to bubbling over but I see no reason to risk it) 
• Bake the crumble for about 45 minutes, until it is a shade darker and you see juices bubbling through the crumbs. 
  

See how long you can wait before digging in :)

Best Last Minute Photo- Just After Sunset 

a rainbow captured and there wasn't even any rainfall???

The World According to Bella and Healthy Eating

Bad Night
I tossed, turned and could not sleep all night long.  My legs twitched and mouth made moaning sounds. At least this is what Mrs. S said she saw and heard. I had this dream that my bowl was filled over the top. It was so real that 

I even got up to check to see if this was all true. Sadly it was not. When I fell back to sleep this time I was dreaming I got my very own picture on the front of a milkbone box. 

Guess I kept Mr. C and Mrs. S awake and they were none too happy about that.  
But the good news...the lady at the drive thru bank remembered me with a mini

and Mrs. S did give me handful of my favorite snack after a morning of blogging. I do type slow.

Mrs. S reminded me today it's Friday and the day we'd post some healthy foods.
What a bonanza! Mrs. S discovered this site which posts healthy simple Weight Watchers recipes arranged by points.
http://www.laaloosh.com/
 Two recent postings both only 4 points
Garlic Herb Shrimp

 Chicken Fajitas 

Mrs. S found this book that has over 200 healthy crockpot recipes packed with vegetables and hearty grains. One of the best parts are meals, sides and desserts take no more than 15 minutes preparation.  

 Rejoice!

Have a fun filled weekend.
Love, Bella

Celebrating William Carlos Williams's Birthday with Caramel Apple Cupcakes

"The Red Wheelbarrow" is a poem by American modernist poet and physician William Carlos Williams. (1883–1963). It is one of Williams' most frequently anthologized poems, and is considered a prime example of early twentieth-century imagism.

The imagist movement began in 1913, ten years before Williams wrote this poem. Imagism focuses on the objective representation of objects.
“The Red Wheelbarrow” is perhaps one of the shortest serious poems ever published by an American poet. The structure is rigidly formal. The poem consists of four miniature stanzas of four words each. Read the poem focusing on Williams' use of language and imagery.

William Carlos Williams September 17, 1883-1963 

It's the birthday of the American poet who once wrote, "A poem is a complete little universe" and "Say it! No ideas but in things." William Carlos Williams has always been known as an experimenter, an innovator, a revolutionary figure in American poetry. Yet in comparison to artists of his own time who sought a new environment for creativity as expatriates in Europe, Williams lived a remarkably conventional life. A doctor for more than forty years serving the New Jersey town of Rutherford, he relied on his patients, the America around him, and his own ebullient imagination to create a distinctively American verse. Often domestic in focus and "remarkable for its empathy, sympathy, its muscular and emotional identification with its subjects," Williams's poetry is also characteristically honest.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Cook's notes: These moist cupcakes have hints of spice, apples and caramel. They are the perfect treat for your autumn weekend. The caramel sauce may need warming in the microwave so it's easier to pour. 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for nutmeg, allspice and ginger.
Recipe adapted from Tide and Thyme and makes 18
Cupcake Ingredients:

• 2-3/4 cups flour
• 1 TB. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp.salt
• 1 stick margarine and 1 stick butter (room temperature)
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 TB.vanilla
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped (2 cups) 
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce from a jar (room temperature)

Cupcake Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.

• Whisk in a bowl flour, spices, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In another bowl cream sugar, butter and margarine. Beat for 4 minutes until fluffy.
• Mix in eggs one at a time and beat well.
• Mix buttermilk and vanilla in a measuring cup and add to butter/margarine mixture. Blend well. 
• On low speed alternate dry ingredients with wet ingredients and mix just until incorporated. 
• With a wooden spoon add in apples, caramel sauce and mix until incorporated.
• Divide the batter evenly filling each cupcake liner 3/4 full.
• Bake 18-20 minutes. 

Frosting Ingredients:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce 
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 TB. softened butter
• 1 tsp.vanilla
• fat free half and half

Frosting Directions:

• Beat all ingredients until frosting is smooth using only as much half and half as needed for correct frosting consistency.

Happy Birthday Greetings H. A. Rey

My favorite Curious George book is "Curious George Goes to the Hospital."

 The story line is that George eats a puzzle piece thinking it's candy. The Man in the Yellow Hat rushes him to the hospital. 

When they get to the hospital it details all the things a child might encounter. Towards the end of the book some excitement occurs when George commandeers a go-cart and crashes it into a dining cart. This book was written in 1966 so many of the things talked about in the hospital have changed in terms of technology but still a fun story to share with a child who might be making a hospital visit. 

Today is the birthday of the creator of Curious George, H.A. Rey, born Hans Augusto Reyersbach in Hamburg, Germany (1898). 

As a kid, Rey spent a lot of time at the zoo, drawing the animals. In 1939, he and his wife, Margret, both German Jews, were living in Paris when World War II began. They were at work on a new book featuring one of Hans' animal drawings: a mischievous monkey named Fifi. "It seems ridiculous to be thinking about children's books," Rey wrote to a friend. "But life goes on, the editors edit, the artists draw, even during wartime." By June 1940, the Nazi invasion was imminent, so Hans built two bicycles out of spare parts, and the Reys gathered whatever they could carry, including the collection of monkey sketches for the book manuscript. They fled Paris two days before the Nazis invaded, and rode 75 miles in three days, which then turned into a four-month journey that took them to Lisbon, then Rio de Janeiro, and finally landing in New York.

The first book, "Curious George"as the monkey was now called, was published in the United States in 1941. It was an instant success about the adventures of a mischievous monkey and his friend with the yellow hat. The Reys went on to write eight more adventure tales of Curious George. The mischievous monkey become an international sensation.

Margret Rey explained the little monkey's success this way: "George can do what kids can't do. He can paint a room from the inside. He can hang from a kite in the sky. He can let the animals out of their pens on the farm. He can do all these naughty things that kids would like to do." H.A. Rey's explanation was even simpler: "I know what I liked as a child, and I don't do any book that I, as a child, wouldn't have liked."

Hans Rey was also an astronomy enthusiast, and in addition to the beloved Curious George books, he wrote "The Stars: A New Way to See Them" published in 1952. The book includes constellation diagrams with cartoon outlines to make them easier to remember and recognize. His new diagrams were widely adopted by other astronomical texts, and the book is regularly reissued as we learn more accurate information about our galaxy. Both Hans and his wife were prolific writers and wrote many other books besides the Curious George books.

The Reys relocated to Cambridge Mass in the late 60’s. Hans died in 1979 and his wife Margret died in 1996. There's even a bookstore called Curious George and Friends located in Harvard Square.

How much can you remember about Curious George books?
1. In the first adventure Curious George ends up flying through the air by what means?
a. a bunch of balloons
b. a glider
c. a magic carpet
d. wings

2. Where does the man in the yellow hat find Curious George?
a. at the zoo
b. at a pet store
c. in a jungle
d. in a restaurant

3. In the book "Curious George Rides A Bike" what does George do with the newspaper he is supposed to deliver?
a. make paper airplanes
b. make paper boats
c. drop them in a puddle
d. read them

Answers: bunch of balloons, jungle, paper boats...so how did you do?

Do you have a favorite Curious George book?