In the Introduction to this slim cookbook, Ruth Patton Totten tells a tale of how she and her family were invited to eat Sunday dinner with the soldier on the firing range. 

"But how will they cook it?  How will we eat?" queries the practical older sister.  The answer is "You'll be fed from the rolling kitchens!"

"And then we saw them:  the rolling kitchens, all lined up under a grove of locust trees, the horses that had pulled them there standing in a picket line behind them; the harness pole of each kitchen resting on a clean and open garbage can, smoke rising from each chimney, and the army cooks in clean white aprons, waiting for mess call."

Even after absorbing the detailed description, my imagination needed a concrete image.  Hence, the photo from the Seabee Cooks' webpage.

Perusing the Table of Contents, I feel sure that I will prepare a recipe very soon.  Some favorites that have already caught my eye:  United States Senate Bean Soup, F. A.'s Indian Curry, and the Claret Punch.

The General's daughter concludes her introduction to The Rolling Kitchen by reminding us that ~

The precious gift that never grows old, never wears out, and always brings a happy memory, is a favorite recipe.

First published over fifty years ago, this cookbook is in its second printing and gets a five star rating!

Illustrator Isabelle Brent is my artist of the week.

Here's a link to her webpage.

I had planned to highlight Elizabeth Vigee-LeBrun, whose birthday is today.

Here's a link to my prior entry about this favorite painter.

The image is cropped from the front of a favorite book - an anthology of poetry edited by Neil Philip and illustrated by Ms Brent - and obviously refers to Edward Lear's delightful verse, The Owl and the Pussy-Cat.

I picked up this rendition of Best-Loved Poems about five years ago when I began to highlight a poem a day during the month of April aka National Poetry Month.  It was a bargain for the pocketbook, but has been a rich source of pleasure.

That's how I was introduced to Ms Brent.  She is one of today's foremost book illustrators, celebrated for he use of gold leaf and her understanding of decoration.

I've added all of her books to my Amazon Wish List.

I'll give them as gifts.

Or take them to sea..... with the Owl and the Pussy-cat.... in a beautiful pea-green boat. 

Meet my new favorite scarf.  It contains most of the Pantone Spring 2010 fashion colors.

I just love the names ~

See if they speak to you.

Aurora Yellow
Fusion Coral
Tomato Puree
Tuscany
Turquoise
Violet

Click here for the full palette. 

Ordinarily on Fridays I highlight something fine art related and on my other blog I post about fashion.  Nothing fancy, just a effort to stay organized and be current.  Here's the link. 

If you go there today, you'll see today's poetry selection. 

And where I'll be walking this weekend.

Carrot Cake is a perennial favorite and I'm guessing that most homemakers have a recipe for one.

DD#3 was home from Hillsdale College for Spring Break and she blessed us with her culinary skills.  This year's recipe was from the Epicurious website, but there was one minor modification which makes the recipe hers and which will forever be included in my future baking of carrot cakes.

If you're feeling up to it, check back after dinner because that's when I'll reveal the special ingredient.

And for the sake of posterity, I'm detailing the menu ~ our traditional fare for this holiday meal.

Roasted Lamb - DD#3 concocted a mustard-based coating which flavored the meat
Eggplant Casserole - I followed my standard squash casserole recipe, but substituted eggplant
Steamed Asparagus
Steamed Sweet Orange Peppers
Croissants - purchased at Kroger

Last but not least, kudos go to DD#4 who cleaned up after the meal, making the whole afternoon go more smoothly.

Again, for recording keeping - here's a link to last year's Easter Dessert.

What did you have?

April 18, 1992 ~ Grandma came for an Easter visit and we had breakfast at the Tate House in Tate, Georgia. 

Today, however, in 2010,

April 2nd is the 250th birthday of Hans Christian Andersen.

His fairy tales are the best.

One of my favorites is The Ugly Duckling.

Read it online at this site

This painting is by my great-aunt, Margaret Louise Giles, 1962.

Do you have a favorite fairy tale?

2 med  onions chopped; 1 stalk celery, chopped; 7 med all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups chicken stock and 3 cups warm milk

Saute onions/celery in 2 Tbs butter and 2 Tbs oil.  Add diced potatoes.  Cover with 6 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Turn down heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Meanwhile, warm 3 cups milk in the microwave.  (I used 2 cups skim and 1 cup heavy cream because that's what was available in the 'fridge.)  Very slowly add the warm milk to the cooked potatoes.  It's better to allow the pototoes to cool because it's very easy to curdle the milk, if it's added too quickly to a hot mixture.

Add 16 oz cooked corn.  I used a bag of frozen because that's what was available.  Then I added 12 oz creamed corn ~ again because that's what I was trying to use up from the freezer.  I had cooked both of those items in the microwave, so they were added warm to the warmer mixture. 

This concoction is resting for the day.

This evening I'll come home from work, cook a couple of slices of bacon in the microwave, crumble them up and use them as a garnish for this easy dinner.

Enjoy~!

Tonight the Jackson Symphony Orchestra together with its Chorale and the Hillsdale College Chamber Choir is performing the Verdi Requiem. 

And since I have three daughters participating vocally, it seems like a fine time for me to learn more about Verdi and his music.

From the program notes:

The music Verdi wrote is intense and powerful, so much so that many criticized it for being too theatrical and melodramatic.  Verdi certainly uses his dramtic skill and vivid imagination to great effect. 

I'll be listening for these examples:

1) The Dies irae section is divided into ten segments, each of which is like a complete operatic scene.

2) A choir of trumpets around the stage provides electrifying evergy to the Tuba mirum.

3) The vocal solos in the requiem come at perfect moments for maximum expressive impact.

Next month the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will perform this dramatic score.

Funeral masses are not my favorite form of art or music, but I cant ignore the fact that people like to write and sing music for and about loved ones.  Recently, our church congregation lost a fine young man to the ravages of cancer.  He was husband to an exceptional young woman who sings well and father to six who no doubt sing well.

In his honor, we've made a donation to the Nehemiah Foundation for Cultural Renewal. 

Be sure to click on the link and listen to Micah.

Here's my finished product! 

It tasted much better than I expected, so I'm saving the recipe below.  I read with interest the website of The Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread.  Apparently, the plainest is the most genuine.

White Soda Bread

4 cups (16 oz) of all purpose flour.
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon salt
14 oz of buttermilk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 F. degrees.  Lightly grease and flour a cake pan.

In a large bowl sieve and combine all the dry ingredients.

Add the buttermilk to form a sticky dough.  Place on floured surface and lightly knead (too much allows the gas to escape)  Shape into a round flat shape in a round cake pan and cut a cross in the top of the dough.  Cover the pan with another pan and bake for 30 minutes (this simulates the bastible pot).  Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

The bottom of the bread will have a hollow sound when tapped so show it is done.

Cover the bread in a tea towel and lightly sprinkle water on the cloth to keep the bread moist.

Here's a link to the rest of the meal.

Bringing Spring indoors today ....hurrying the end of Winter, here's my kitchen table ready for company.

I met my deadline 

Dreading the arrival of Daylight Saving Time, I have already planned out Sunday's Dinner of corned beef and cabbage.  I'm anticipating St Patrick's Day and leftovers.  Furthermore, I'm focusing on the Vernal Equinox.... and planning to incorporate the new Spring Colors.

Now for the answers to the Friday5.

When was the last time you had a serious deadline to make, and did you make it?

Overall I like deadlines.  I must because I respond to them.  I spend a fair amount of time mapping things out in my head, so that when the time comes to execute the plan, I can hit the ground running. 

Do you generally plan for deadlines, or are they more likely to sneak up on you until you’re frantic?

I am happiest with structure and a plan, aka a schedule.  Hence, I rountinely mark my calendar with *due dates*.  I think the reason it works is that I have plans A, B, AND C in the hopper.  All are addressed to accomplish the task.

When did you last set a deadline for someone else, and did that person make it?

Setting deadlines and goals for others does NOT work.  Therefore, I try not to do that.  However, I will mention my use of the timer as a part of my parenting style.  One example: I would set the oven timer to go off when it was time for the girls to be in the car (like to leave for church).  That way, it kept me from shouting *It's time to go!!*

How flexible and understanding are you when it comes to other people meeting your deadlines?

Flexibile is not an adjective that most people use to describe me.  I try hard to be understanding.  And since I admitted in the question above that I dont establish deadlines for others, I can avoid distasteful situations that way.  Overall, I am likely to store the information (that someone is lax at meeting deadlines) for future planning purposes.

What were the circumstances the last time you hung up on someone in the middle of a phone call, or the last time someone hung up on you in the middle of a phone call?

I think I hung up on one of my daughters in the middle of a phone call because she was not being respectful.

In summary, my philosophy concerning deadlines:

Your lack of planning does NOT constitute and emergency for me.

This fellow was so noisey with his cawing this morning that I stopped what I was doing to locate him.  I expect that he's looking for some lunch in my backyard, as I know that I have several types of young birds - obviously the offspring of my backyard wildlife.  They've been at the feeders.

But I dont think this hawk is interested in the seed or the suet.

Hope I dont see feathers flying.

It wont be the first time.

I'll be back later to enhance the photo and possibly identify the type of hawk, using Georgia Backyard Nature.

Actually later in the day, I met a friend for a late Winter Hike on a favorite trail - Pine Log Mountain.

Here's a view of our snow-crested peak.

Compare the winter ridge to this summer-time shot.   We expected the trail to be bone-dry since we havent had any rain in two weeks, forgetting about the recent snow.  It actually turned out to be quite muddy because of the snow patches that were just now melting.  Furthermore, there were several newly fallen trees.  I guessing the high winds from some winter storms snapped them.  Very interesting to have walked this route in three seasons.

This walk was refreshing and I'm now making a list of trails to tackle.