How not to park your van!!

January 2010 – Clee Hill, Shropsire.

The postman seems to have mislaid his van!

Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.

Here.
It will blind you with tears
like a lover.
It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

I give you an onion.
Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
possessive and faithful
as we are,
for as long as we are.

Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,
if you like.

Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
cling to your knife.

Carol Ann Duffy

　

Carol Ann Duffy (born 23 December 1955 in Glasgow) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is Professor of Contemporary Poetry at the Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Britain’s poet laureate in May 2009.

What a thought provocing poem!

Tomatoes

 The tomato is a fruit – it contains the seeds of a flowering plant ans therefore it is a fruit or, more precisely, a berry. However, the tomato is not as sweet as those foodstuffs usually called fruits and, from a culinary standpoint, it is typically served as part of a salad or main course of a meal, as are vegetables.The tomato is low in Sodium, and very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium and Manganese.

My favourite tomato recipe: Stuffed Baked Tomatoes

Ingredients
8 ripe tomatoes
16 oil-cured black olives, pitted
handful of stale breadcrumbs
125g Gruyère, grated
1 sprig thyme
2 tablespoon black olive tapenade
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
extra virgin olive
freshly ground salt and black pepper
chunks of bread, to serve (optional)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas 7.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the seeds and core.
3. Place the tomato halves cut side up on a roasting tray. Put a pitted olive into each half. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Mix the breadcrumbs with half the grated Gruyère. Stuff the mixture into the tomatoes.
5. Strip the thyme leaves from the stalk and mix with the olive paste and mustard. Brush the over the tomatoes.
6. Sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese over the top, then dribble with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes.
7. Serve warm with chunks of good bread.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 25 minuutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Recipe from Tasmin Day-Lewis

Little Red Riding Hood

A young girl who always wore red,

Came home to her mother who said:

“Go visit your Grandma; she’s really quite ill,

Take her this basket of cakes if you will.”

 

So she walked away, taking the cakes,

Never realising what was at stake.

While she was walking, with the best intentions for her Nan,

Someone was following her, as quietly as anyone can.

 

Out shouted a wolf, from behind a tree:

“Oh, little girl, I call to thee!

I see that you are headed over there,

So, tell me, you are headed to… where?”

 

“My Grandmother’s house,” said the lass,

“She is ill and is strapped up in a cast.

I am going to give her some cakes,

Now leave me alone, you troublesome fake!”

 

Ran away, did the young girl,

Leaving the wolf’s mind in a swirl,

“I know where it is – the house of the old bat,

I’ll go there – and pull that trick out off my hat!”

 

When the young lady reached the house,

No sound was heard – not even a mouse.

She walked up to the Grandmother’s room,

And what she saw nearly made her swoon.

 

 

The eyes, the ears, the TEETH

Well, her grandma had changed beyond belief!

Before the lass could say any more,

A wood cutter loudly burst through the door!

 

“Stay away, Red Riding Hood!

This isn’t your Grandma – it’s the wolf up to no good!”

The woodcutter stabbed an axe into the wolf’s tummy,

And out cried a voice that was so funny:

 

“Get me out! He gobbled me up, and then pretended to be me!”

The woodcutter pulled at the wolf’s stomach – and who should it be

But dear old Red Riding Hood’s Nan, finally free

And here is the end of the tale, so it’s goodbye from me.

 

As written by my thirteen year old daughter.

Fantastic!!

 

How Do I Love Thee

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, — I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! — and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Elizabeth Barret Browning. (1806 – 1861).

I haven’t read this poem for a long time and really enjoyed reading it today.
Hope you enjoy it too.

Cats Again – Part Three

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can we have some, please?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet my friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am thirsty!!

 

If you like this post, see also:

*****BRAND NEW*****   Cats Again – Part Three

Dogs:-        It’s a Dogs Life?, Dogs – Canine Capers!, It’s a Dogs Life? Part Two, It’s a Dogs Life? Part Three 

Cats:-         Cats Capers!,  Cats Cuties! , Cats Capers – New Edition!! , Cats Cuties Part Two, Cats Capers Again, Cats Capers……..Revisited,  Cats at Large, Cats Again – Part One, Cats Again – Part Two, Cats Again – Part Three

Monkeys:-  Monkey Business – Part One, Monkey Business – Part Two, Monkey Business – Part Three

Hamsters:- You are the weakest link – Goodbye,

Cows:-       I like the way you mooooo-ve!

Pigs:-        Pigs Delight Part One

Chickens:- Chick chick chicken

Squirrels:- Dancing Squirrels

Motivational Quotations

I received a motivational calendar at Christmas which includes some great quotations.

Although I have heard several of them before, I think listing them below is powerful and thought provoking. 

Inspiration

At times our own light goes out and its rekindled by a spark from another person.
Albert Schweitzer.

Determination

We will either find a way, or make one.
Hannibal.

Action

Deliberation is the work of many men. action, of one alone.
Charles De Gaulle.

Leadership

Do not wait for leaders. Do it alone, person to person.
Mother Teesa.

Dream

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt.

Commitment

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.
Confucius.

Learning

If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shouldes of giants.
Isaac Newton.

Creativity

We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance.
Benjamin Disraeli.

Excellence

We are what we repeatedl do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
Aristotle.

Ambition

Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I accomplish.
Michelangelo.

Confidence

Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.
Samuel Johnson.

Ingenuity

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you will their ingenuity.
George Patton.

Teamwork

Light is the task where many share the toil.
Homer.

Sweet Pointed Red Peppers

 Sweet pointed peppers are a sweet variety of the common pepper. They are slightly smaller and due to a higher sugar content their taste is sweeter than that of normal peppers. They have a longish pointed shape and exist in three different colours, red, yellow, green. They can be eaten raw or cooked. They are suitable for stuffing with fillings such as cheese, meat or rice. They are also frequently used both chopped and raw in salads, or cooked in stir-fries or other mixed dishes. They can be sliced into strips and fried, roasted whole or in pieces, or chopped and incorporated into salsas or other sauces.

My favourite sweet pointed red pepper recipe is: Roasted Red Peppers

Ingredients
4 red sweet pointed peppers, cut in half and seeds removed
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 chopped onions
12 baby plum tomatoes
2 tablebspoon chopped mixed herbs
4 tablespoon tomato puree
1 chopped clove garlic
100g grated cheddar cheese

 Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/ gas 4.
2. Put the peppers on a baking tray and leave in the oven for about 7 minutes, until softened, but not coloured.
3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, tip in the onions and fry until softened.
4. Add the tomatoes, herbs and tomato puree to the pan and cook for a few minutes.
5. Fill the peppers with the tomato mix, top with the grated cheese and bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is golden-brown and bubbling. Serve.  

Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 25 minutes
Serves 4

 This is an adaptaion of a Gary Rhodes recipe.
Its a really tasty dish and so easy to make.

How hot are your chilli peppers?

I found this great site this morning all about chillis – www.chilliworld.com.

In particular, it talks about the scoville scale – this measures the “hotness” of your chilli peppers. The scale is a measure of the concentration of capsaicin in the pepper.

What’s the hotest chilli you’ve eaten?

Check this site out.

 

Cats Again – Part Two

 I’m afraid of nothing!!!

I guess this film isn’t a box office success!!

If you like this post, see also:

*****BRAND NEW*****   Cats Again – Part Three

Dogs:-        It’s a Dogs Life?, Dogs – Canine Capers!, It’s a Dogs Life? Part Two, It’s a Dogs Life? Part Three 

Cats:-         Cats Capers!,  Cats Cuties! , Cats Capers – New Edition!! , Cats Cuties Part Two, Cats Capers Again, Cats Capers……..Revisited,  Cats at Large, Cats Again – Part One, Cats Again – Part Two, Cats Again – Part Three

Monkeys:-  Monkey Business – Part One, Monkey Business – Part Two, Monkey Business – Part Three

Hamsters:- You are the weakest link – Goodbye,

Cows:-       I like the way you mooooo-ve!

Pigs:-        Pigs Delight Part One

Chickens:- Chick chick chicken

Squirrels:- Dancing Squirrels