The Capricorn Child

According to astrology, deep blue is supposed to be Diana’s color, and it has always suited her.

Her flower is the carnation, but she loves them all.

A Capricorn is supposed to possess innate social skills that make her a “highly sought after friend”, and this has certainly proved true for Diana.  She has made many new friends since moving to Surrey.

The Capricorn’s birthstone is the garnet “which gives its wearer the virtue of constancy”.  

Over all these years, Diana and I have been very close.  
    

                                   She is  a wonderful sister.

                                        Happy Birthday, Diana!

             Your cake is ready . . . it's Cherry Sour Cream Cake 
                                from PLEASE to the TABLE.

JACKSONVILLE, Florida . . . and my new CABBAGE SALAD

                                                Oceanfront hotel 

                                              with ground floor patio 

                               and our own access to an endless beach . . .  

                                                  to run along

                                         soft white sand to dig, 

                                    seashells and jellyfish to find
                                        

                                ocean warm enough to splash about in . . . 

                                             all fantastic. . . 

but that’s not all there is to Jacksonville.  From 

kid-friendly restaurants

to The River Walk  (Kepler fascinated by train here),

to an excellent Zoo where the animal enclosures are large and 

                                    there’s a train ride. 

 Lions and tigers and bears:  

                                     well, maybe not tigers, but cheetahs, 

                                           and jaguars  

Kepler enjoyed the penguins, rhinoceroses, 

                                               and elephants. 

                               He loved the snakes and . . . 

 the Children's Playground. 

  

Jacksonville’s MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) was great, too, especially since it surprised us by being a wonderful treat for little Kepler with its displays of train tracks and hundreds of animatronic penguins.

                    And there was lots more  . . . but we had a boat to catch.

******

January, 1795:  Mary Robinson wrote:

                          Pavement slippery, people sneezing . . .

*******

Over 200 years ago but I’m relating to that!

So it’s time to break out the cabbage recipes. 

(Google “Health Benefits of Cabbage” and you’ll learn that cabbage is a fantastic source of Vitamin C and, therefore, very helpful in defending against coughs and colds!)

        APPLE and CABBAGE SALAD  (courtesy me)

2 cups finely grated cabbage

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 apple

3 tbsp plain 6 % M.G yogurt (or sour cream)

¼ tsp anise seeds

1 tsp liquid or melted honey

½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Romaine lettuce

2 tbsp vinaigrette dressing

·        Prepare lettuce by washing, draining, and cutting or tearing into bite sized pieces.  Store in fridge in plastic bag so it gets nice and crisp before dinner.

·        Put grated cabbage into a glass bowl with a cover.

·        Dice apple and toss with lemon juice so it won’t discolor.

·        Add apple to cabbage. 

·        Cover and refrigerate until just before serving.

·         Stir together yogurt, anise, honey, salt, and pepper.  Set aside in fridge until serving time.

·        Put all ingredients together in salad bowl.  Toss with Vinaigrette dressing.

·        Taste for seasoning.   Also add additional vinaigrette if desired.

PLEASE TO THE TABLE . . . a forever reminder of Christmas 2015!

Christmas morning aboard the Carnival Fascination

Among all the lovely gifts was a card for me from Bryan telling me that   a very special cookbook was waiting for me under my pillow at home!

 

Nassau

******

When we got home, the very first recipe I chose from my new cookbook?  A salad, of course: 

Turp Salati  from Uzbekistan:

1 pound daikon radish

8 ounces jumbo carrot (they’re much sweeter than regular carrots)

½ tsp sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp salt

·        Peel the radish and grate it.

·        Next, the authors want you to “gently squeeze out” some of its liquid.  My first attempt was with a strainer but that didn’t work.  The ricer worked perfectly.

·        Put the radish in a bowl.

·        Peel and grate the carrot.  Add it to the radish.

·        Stir in the remaining ingredients. 

·        Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Thank you, Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman, for collecting all these wonderful recipes!

 The Turp Salati provided a satisfyingly piquant contrast to my turkey pie. 

New Year’s Resolution . . . and Clove-Studded Potatoes

                             Resolved . . . 2016 will be full of new adventures!

So, hot foot out the door on New Year's Day to do the 10 kilometer walk that goes completely around little Barnston Island which lies in the Fraser River. 

     

I discovered its existence by picking up Liz Bryan’s book COUNTRY ROADS of WESTERN BC: From the Fraser Valley to the Islands.

There’s no public parking on the island but you can walk onto this free ferry 

                                 which is pushed by a tugboat. 

Liz Bryan mentioned an ethereal view of the mountains as one walks along the dyke/road in winter, but our experience was of hoar frost and mist.  

Along the way, we were greeted by friendly strangers and dogs and we saw farms, horses, cows, large sheep, and a llama. 

At a relaxed pace, we circumnavigated the island in two pleasant hours.

******

PAPRIKA POTATOES with CLOVES  

          From THE SPICE COOKBOOK

2 lbs small new potatoes

Whole cloves

Salt

Pepper

Butter (about 1 tbsp)

Paprika

·        Boil potatoes with 1 tsp salt in 2 ½ cups water.  Drain and peel.

·        Push a clove in each end of each potato and place in a baking pan.

·        Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

·        Dot each potato with butter and sprinkle with paprika.

·        Let sit until half an hour before serving.

·        Preheat oven to 350.

·        Bake for 30 minutes.

Bryan and our daughter loved them . . . and they LOOK special, too!

Happy New Year, Everyone!