Home!

"Home! That was
what they meant,
those caressing
appeals, those
soft touches
wafted through
the air, those
invisible little
hands pulling
and tugging,
all one way!"

Kenneth Grahame

Only This Moment

Begin doing what you want to do now.

We are not living in eternity; we have only this moment,

sparkling like a star in our hand --- and melting like a snowflake.

MB Ray

Painting with Puff

 

When I was a child, my first grade reading book was Dick and Jane and they had a dog named Spot and a cat named Puff.  I always thought Puff was a cute name for a cat!  But this post isn’t about reading or about cats.  It’s about a fun art project that uses ingredients mixed together that create a paint that puffs up when microwaved.  How fun is that?  Here’s the recipe.  May it keep the kiddos in your life happily entertained for at least an hour or two!

In a small bowl, combine:

2 Tbsp. self-raising flour
6 drops of food coloring
2 Tbsp. salt

Add enough water to make into a creamy paste.  Using a paint brush or sponge, create a design on tagboard or cardboard.  Make another ‘batch’ of puffy paint in other colors if desired.  Paint, paint, paint.  When done, microwave the design on high for  15 – 30 seconds.  The paint will puff and should dry completely.

*To make your own self-raising flour, blend 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 Tbsp. baking powder.

Encourage Another

Give the young and struggling a word of encouragement when you can.  You would not leave those plants in your window boxes without water, nor refuse to open the shutters that the sunlight might fall upon them; but you would leave some human flower to suffer from want of appreciation or the sunlight of encouragement.  There are a few hardy souls that can struggle along on stony soil --- shrubs that can wait for the dews and sunbeams --- vines that climb without kindly training; but only a few.  Utter the kind word when you can see that it is deserved. The thought that "no one cares and no one knows" blights many a bud of promise.  Be it the young artist at his easel, the young preacher at his pulpit, the workman at his bench, the boy at his mathematical problems, or your little girl at the piano, give what praise you can.

Signs magazine
September 14, 1882


I really love old-fashioned wisdom.  This advice is as good now as it was back in 1882.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

My mother would sometimes serve a chilled cucumber soup on special occasions. She would add all the ingredients to a blender and puree them. Always refreshing, this was a summer soup recipe I always enjoyed. When I decided to make a chilled cucumber soup of my own, I was dismayed to find that most of the recipes I found contained canned soups, like chicken or potato. The delightful freshness of cucumbers would be lost in the sodium and preservatives of the canned product, so I kept searching and ended up adapting a recipe to create my own. This is my vegan version of a summer delight.  It's a great way to use the cucumbers in your September garden!

2 cups soy milk
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. parsley, fresh and snipped
2 tsp. chicken-style seasoning*
1/2 tsp. dillweed, dried
1/2 cup English cucumber, seeded and shredded
2 Tbsp. onion, finely diced
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a quart jar. Lid and shake. Place in fridge to chill for several hours before serving. Serve cold with a sprig of mint and toast points.

Baked Pepper Cup Quiche

Late summer is the perfect time of year to try these little quiches that are baked in bell peppers.  They make such a tasty and beautiful presentation!


6 large bell peppers, green, yellow and red
1 lb. firm tofu
1/2 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp. chili pepper
2 tsp. salt or to taste
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup Ortega chilies, sliced
1/4 cup scallion, chopped

Cleam and cut tops of peppers, set aside. Blend cashews with water until very smooth. Add tofu, cornstarch, garlic, and seasonings and continue blending until smooth. Fold in olives, sundried tomatoes, chilies, and scallions. Spoon mixture into prepared peppers. Place in baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.