The Riddle Song

February is National Cherry Month and the first thing I thought of, after cherry pie, was a wonderful old folk song called The Riddle song.

 The Riddle Song also known as I Gave My Love A Cherry or simply The Cherry Song is an English folk song. Usually sung as a lullaby, The Riddle Song is said to have been brought to the U.S. by the settlers who lived in the Appalachian mountains.

 I gave my love a cherry
That had no stone
I gave my love a chicken
That had no bone
I told my love a story
That had no end
I gave my love a baby
With no crying.

How can there be a cherry
That has no stone?
And how can there be a chicken
That has no bone?
And how can there be a story
That has no end?
And how can there be a baby
With no crying?

A cherry when it's blooming
It has no stone
A chicken when in the shell
It has no bone
The story of how I love you
It has no end
A baby when it's sleeping
It's not crying.

(Note: The third item "a story that has no end" is sometimes changed to "a ring that has no end". Two video versions of this song can be found at the end of this blog after the recipe.)

Before the usual recipe, I thought I would add a few interesting facts about cherries and a quick and easy art project that you can do before or after your cooking project.

Cherry Art:
Use a halved, pitted cherry to draw on paper.

Cherry Facts:
Sweet cherries are available in late spring. Sour cherries are available in June or July.

Cherries grow on trees like apples or plums.

Cherries are high in antioxidants and a source of beta carotene, Vitamin C and Vitamin E.

Cherry-Lime Slush

Makes 10 servings

4 cups cherries (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), washed
12 ounces frozen limeade
1 tray of ice cubes
1 cup sparkling water
 10  5-ounce paper cups

1. De-stem and pit the cherries.
2. In a blender, purée the cherries with limeade and ice cubes until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a bowl.
4. Stir in sparkling water.
5. Spoon mixture into 5-ounce paper cups and freeze until firm but not solid, about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

 recipe found at wondertime