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

Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley Grow.......Sing with Your Child Month

Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley Grow is a traditional British and American folk song.

It's a "play song" and the children perform the actions in the songs verses, basically acting out the planting and harvesting of a crop.

The song can be found on many children's cd's, performed by artist such as Raffi and John Langstaff.




Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?


First the farmer sows his seed,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.


Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?


Next the farmer waters the seed,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.


Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?


Next the farmer hoes the weeds,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.


Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?


Last the farmer harvests his seed,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.


Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?

( the picture at the top of the blog is from Songs for Early Childhood at Church and Home, illustrated by Ann Eshner, 1958)

This video shows kids performing some of the movements in the song.



All Kinds of Beans Soup Mix in a Jar aka French Market Soup Mix in a Jar

(this recipe makes 14 gift jars of bean soup)

1 pound dried navy beans
1 pound dried pinto beans
1 pound dried Great Northern beans
1 pound split peas
1 pound yellow split peas
1 pound dried black-eyed peas
1 pound lentils
1 pound dried baby lima beans
1 pound dried lima beans
1 pound dried soybeans
1 pound pearl barley
1 pound dried red beans

1. In a very large container, combine navy beans, pinto beans, great Northern beans, split peas, yellow split peas, black-eyed peas, lentils, baby limas, limas, soybeans, barley and red beans; mix well.

2. Divide evenly into 14 lidded jars.

3. Attach a card to each jar with the following recipe:

All Kinds of Beans Soup aka French Market Soup:

2 quarts water
1 ham hock
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

1. Soak 2 cups French Market Bean Mix in water to cover, 8 hours or overnight.

2. In a large soup pot, bring 2 quarts water and ham hock to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

4. Remove ham hock.

5. Stir in soaked beans, salt, pepper, diced tomatoes and green chiles, onion and garlic.

6. Bring to a boil again, skimming foam off the top.

7. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 1 hour, until beans are tender.