T'was the Night before Christmas aka A Visit from St Nicholas

T'was the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.





He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

 This version of  A Visit from St. Nicholas By Clement C. Moore With Pictures by
Jessie Willcox Smith was published in 1912 by Houghton Mifflin Company and can be found online at the gutenberg project

 Okay, raise your hand if you've always wondered, "What the heck is a Sugar Plum?" Oh please, as if I'm the only one! Well for all of you who will admit that you wondered, according to an article written in The Atlantic by Samira Kawash, a professor emerita at Rutgers University (she also blogs on candy history and opinion at CandyProfessor.com.) 

" The truth of the matter is that the sugar plum is not a plum at all, nor does it contain any plum-like substance. The sugar plums of Christmas fantasy are in fact sugar, and any resemblance to plums is entirely superficial."

Well, Pooh!! But not to worry, apparently these days a sugar plum is basically considered to be a no bake treat made with dried fruit, honey, nuts and other yumminess and then rolled in sugar. Whoohoo! So, here's a lovely recipe I found online at the cupcake project. These are also the prettiest sugar plums ever!

a a no-bake dessert made with dried fruit (including prunes, dried plums), nuts, honey, and spices, and rolled in sugar.
Read more at http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2012/12/sparkly-sugar-plums-for-christmas.html#q3GSwG46JwAFdMgP.99

a a no-bake dessert made with dried fruit (including prunes, dried plums), nuts, honey, and spices, and rolled in sugar.
Read more at http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2012/12/sparkly-sugar-plums-for-christmas.html#q3GSwG46JwAFdMgP.99

 

picture from cupcakeproject.com

Sparkly Sugar Plums for Christmas

Yield: About 50 teaspoon-sized sugar plums

Ingredients

• 2 cups toasted walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 cup pitted prunes, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cut pitted dates, finely chopped
• powdered sugar for rolling coating the balls
• plum purple disco dust (I got mine from Layer Cake Shop - this is optional)

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients except the sugar and disco dust together in a large bowl. Optionally, place the whole mixture in the food processor and process for a few seconds - this will help everything to stick together, especially if you aren't the best at finely chopping. (I'm raising my hand high on this one.)
2. Form the mixture into teaspoon-sized balls.
3. Roll the balls in powdered sugar and then roll in disco dust. 
4. Note: If you let the balls sit overnight, the powdered sugar will absorb into the balls and will be less visible.

Recipe Found at the cupcake project

illustration from The Night Before Christmas by Rachel Isadora

The Last Christmas Tree...a poem and three fabulous Hot Chocolate Recipes!

I saw a truck of Christmas trees

And each one had a tale,

The driver stood them in a row

And put them up for sale. 

He strung some twinkly lights

And hung a sign up with a nail;

"FRESH CHRISTMAS TREES"

It said in red

"FRESH CHRISTMAS TREES FOR SALE." 

He poured himself hot cocoa

In a steaming thermos cup,

And snowflakes started falling

As a family car pulled up. 

A mom, a dad, and one small boy

Who looked no more than three

Jumped out and started searching

For the perfect Christmas tree. 

The boy marched up and down the rows,

His nose high in the air;

"It smells like Christmas, mom!

It smells like Christmas everywhere!" 

"Let's get the biggest tree we can!

A tree that's ten miles high!

A tree to go right through our roof!

A tree to touch the sky!" 

"A tree SO big "That Santa Claus

Will stop and stare and say,

'Now, THAT'S the finest Christmas tree

I've seen this Christmas Day!'" 

It seemed they looked at every tree

At least three million times;

Dad shook them, pinched them,

turned them 'round 

To find the perfect pine. 

"I've found it, mom!

The Christmas tree I like the best of all!

It's got a little bare spot,

But we'll turn that to the wall!"

"We'll put great-grandma's angel

On top the highest bough!

Oh, can we buy it?

Please, mom, PLEASE?!

Oh, can we buy it NOW?" 

"How 'bout some nice hot cocoa?"

Asked the man who owned the lot.

He twisted off the thermos top,

"Now, THIS will hit the spot!" 

He poured the steaming chocolate

In three tiny paper cups.

They toasted, "Here's to Christmas!"

And they drank the cocoa up. 

"Is this your choice?" The tree man asked,

"This pine's the best one here!"

The boy seemed sad--- "My daddy says

"The price is just too dear." 

"Then, Merry Christmas!" Said the man,

who wrapped the tree in twine,

"It's yours for just one promise.

You must keep at Christmas time!" 

"On Christmas Eve at bedtime

As you fold your hands to pray,

Promise in your heart

To keep the joy of Christmas Day!" 

"Now hurry home! This freezy wind

Is turning your cheeks pink!

And ask your dad

To trim that trunk

and give that tree a drink!" 

And so it went on

All that blustery eve

As the tree man gave

Tree upon tree upon tree 

To every last person

Who came to the lot-

Who toasted with cocoa

In small paper cups, 

Who promised the promise

Of joy in their hearts---

And singing out carols,

Drove off in the dark. 

And when it was over

One tree stood alone;

But no one was left there

To give it a home. 

The tree man put on his

Red parka and hood

And dragged the last Christmas tree

Out to the woods.

He left the pine right by a stream

In the cold, 

So the wood's homeless creatures

Could make it their home. 

He smiled as he brushed off

Some snow from his beard,

When out of the thicket

A reindeer appeared.

He scratched that huge reindeer

On top his huge head---

"It looks like we've

Started up Christmas again!" 

"There are miles more to travel,

And much more to do!

Let's go home, my friend,

And get started anew 

He looked to the sky

And heard jingle bells sound-

And then, In a twinkling,

That tree man was gone! 


 I'm sure that after reading this wonderful poem, all you are craving a steaming cup of hot chocolate! Me, too! So here are two three fabulous recipes with variations. The first is making hot chocolate the good old fashioned way and the second recipe is for those of us with a little less patience! And the third is a wonderful spin on making hot chocolate. Hot chocolate truffles that you can drop in a cup of hot milk and Voila, Hot Chocolate! Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate ~ recipe and picture from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 2 cups Milk
• 2 cups Half-and-half
• 1 cup Good Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 teaspoon Sugar (optional)
• VARIATIONS: Orange Rind, Orange Syrup, Cinnamon Sticks, Raspberry Syrup, Abuelita Chocolate, Mint Extract, Peppermint Patties, Whipped Cream, Chocolate Shavings

Preparation Instructions

To make the basic hot chocolate, combine milk with half-and-half in a small saucepan.
Warm over medium-low heat, then stir in chocolate chips.
Stir until melted (though there will still be lovely particles of chocolate throughout.)
If it’s too chocolatey for you, splash in a little more milk.
If it’s not quite sweet enough for you, add 1 teaspoon sugar.
Serve in mugs with whipped cream.

VARIATIONS
Orange Hot Chocolate: Add 4 slices of orange rind as you warm the milk mixture. Add a splash of orange syrup if you have it, but it isn’t necessary.
Raspberry Hot Chocolate: Add 3 tablespoons raspberry syrup to the hot chocolate. Drop a couple of raspberries into each cup.
Mint Hot Chocolate: Drop 1 to 2 miniature peppermint patties into each mug before adding hot chocolate. Stir to melt.
Mexican Hot Chocolate: Substitute 2 discs of Abuelita chocolate for the chocolate chips. Simmer cinnamon sticks in the saucepan with the hot chocolate. Add 1 cinnamon stick to each mug before serving.
Garnish any and all variations with whipped cream or chocolate shavings.

 recipe found at the pioneer woman

DIY Instant Hot Cocoa Mix ~ Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Serves:
5 1/2 cups dry mix

Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
Hot water

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly. 

In a small pot, heat 4 to 6 cups of water. 

Fill your mug half full with the mixture and pour in hot water. Stir to combine. 

Seal the rest in an airtight container, keeps indefinitely in the pantry. 

This also works great with warm milk.

recipe found at food network

Hot Chocolate Truffles

Yield: 15 truffles

Ingredients

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

cocoa powder, crushed candy canes, mini chocolate chips for rolling 

 

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a pot and melt together on low heat until smooth. Stir constantly.

2. Let cool in the fridge until stiff enough to scoop.

3. Make small scoops, about 2 Tablespoons each. And place them in the freezer for and hour.

4. Remove scoops, roll into balls.

5. Roll in your choice of decoration. Crushed candy cane, cocoa, cinnamon, mini marshmallows. (If you try the mini marshmallows, you really have to push the marshmallows into the chocolate balls.)

6. Wrap each ball in suran wrap and keep chilled until ready to use.

7. When ready, drop chocolate balls into 1 ½ cups of hot milk and stir!

Recipe found at  YourCupofCake

Bananas!!!.....Young Peoples Poetry Week

We're forty performing bananas,
in bright yellow slippery skins,
our features are rather appealing,
though we've neither shoulders nor chins,
we cha-cha, fandango, and tango,
we kick and we skip and we hop,
while half of us belt out a ballad,
the rest of us spin like a top.

We're forty performing bananas,
we mambo, we samba, we waltz,
we dangle and swing from the ceiling,
then turn very slick somersaults,
people drive here in bunches to see us,
our splits earn us worldly renown,
we're forty performing bananas,
come see us when you are in town.

by Jack Prelutsky

Banananananana...

I thought I'd win the spelling bee
And get right to the top,
But I started to spell "banana",
And I didn't know when to stop.

by William Cole

both poems from Laughing Out Loud Poems to Tickle Your Funnybone



BANANA SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:
1 small frozen banana, cut into chunks
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup orange juice

Put all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.
The smoothies will be fairly thick.
Add more liquid if you want them thinner.
Makes 2 servings.
Make up your own variations using other fruits and juices.


Banana Muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup sour cream
3 large bananas, mashed

Directions:
1. Cream together butter and sugar.
2. When creamy, add the eggs, sour cream, mashed bananas, and vanilla.
3. Mix all dry ingredients and add to mixture.
3. Bake at 350 degrees in cup-cake pans for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly golden.

The Silver Fish...a poem for Young Peoples Poetry Week

Young Peoples Poetry Week is the third week in April which is either the 12th through the 18th or the 19th through the 25th.
I've decided to make it two weeks 'cause I'm confused!


The Silver Fish

While fishing in the blue lagoon
I caught a lovely silver fish,

And he spoke to me,
"My boy," quoth he,
"Please set me free and I'll grant your wish...
A kingdom of wisdom? A palace of gold?
Or all the goodies your fancies can hold?"

So I said, "OK," and I threw him free,
And he swam away and he laughed at me
Whispering my foolish wish
Into a silent sea.

Today I caught that fish again,
That lovely silver prince of fishes,
And once again he offered me—
If I would only set him free—
Any one of a number of wonderful wishes...
He was delicious!

Shel Silverstein



Fish in a Bowl

Ingredients:
1 package (3 oz) of blue gelatin (berry blue)
3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
ice cubes
1 package gummy fish

Optional:
you can use small jelly beans or fruit cocktail or other sliced fruit (strawberries) for rocks at the bottom of your fish tank/bowl

Directions:
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water completely.
Combine cold water and ice cubes to make 1 1/4 cups ice and water.
Add to gelatin, stirring until slightly thickened.
Remove any unmelted ice.
If mixture is still thin, refrigerate until slightly thickened.

If using fruit or jelly beans place on the bottom of clear bowl.
Pour thickened gelatin over fruit/jelly beans.
Suspend gummy fish in gelatin.

Refrigerate until set, about 1 to 2 hours.
Garnish with additional gummy fish, if desired.

Herbert Glerbert.....a poem for National Poetry Month

Yes, April is National Poetry Month so go forth and recite!!!

Herbert Glerbert by Jack Prelutsky

Herbert Glerbert, rather round,
swallowed sherbert by the pound,
fifty pounds of lemon sherbert
went inside of Herbert Glerbert.

With that glob inside his lap
Herbert Glerbert took a nap,
and as he slept, the boy dissolved,
and from the mess a thing evolved—

a thing that is a ghastly green,
a thing the world had never seen,
a puddle thing, a gooey pile
of something strange that does not smile.

Now if you’re wise, and if you’re sly,
you’ll swiftly pass this creature by,
it is no longer Herbert Glerbert.
Whatever it is, do not disturb it.



Sherbert the Frog

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Lime sherbet
Green decorators' gel
Junior Mints
Green gummy ring candy

1. Set a scoop of lime sherbet on a small green paper plate (trim the plate to resemble a lily pad first, if you like).

2. Cut one green gummy ring candy into quarters and place the four pieces under the sherbet scoop for feet.

3. Use a Junior Mint candy and half a gummy ring for each eye. Place on top of "frog" body.

4. Finally, add a green decorators' gel mouth and nostrils.

Recipe found at FamilyFun.com

Butter, Butter, Butter!!!....1 story, 2 recipes and 2 poems

Brer Rabbit Nibbles the Butter
African-American Tale

There was a time when all the animals just kept on getting more and more familiar with one another, until by and by it wasn't long before Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox and Brer Possum got to sort of bunching their provisions together in the same shanty.

After a while the roof sort of began to leak, and one day Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox and Brer Possum assembled to see if they couldn't kind of patch it up.

They had a big day's work in front of them, and they fetched their dinner with them. They lumped the vittles up in one pile, and the butter that Brer Fox brought, they went and put it in the spring-house to keep it cool, and then they went to work.

It wasn't long before Brer Rabbit's stomach began to sort of growl and pester him. Brer Fox's butter sat heavy on his mind, and his mouth watered every time he remembered it.

Presently he said to himself that he would like to have a nip at the butter.
So commenced to figurin' out a plan.

First thing you know, while they were working along, Brer Rabbit raised his head quickly and flung his ears forward, and hollered out, "Here I am! What do you want with me?" and off he went, like something was after him.

After he made sure that nobody was following him, he bounced into the spring-house, and there he stayed until he got a helping of butter. Then he sauntered on back and went to work.

"Where have you been?" said Brer Fox.

"I heard my children calling me," said Brer Rabbit, "and I had to go see what they wanted. My old woman has gone and taken sick," he said.

They worked on until by and by the butter tasted so good that old Brer Rabbit wanted some more. Then he raised up his head, he did, and hollered out, "Alright! Hold on! I'm a-coming!" And off he went.

This time he stayed a good while, and when he got back, Brer Fox asked him where he'd been.

"I've been to see my old woman, and she's sinkin' ," he said.

Directly Brer Rabbit heard them calling him again, and off he went, and this time, he got the butter out so clean that he could see himself in the bottom of the bucket. He scraped it clean and licked it dry, and then he went back to work.

"How's your old woman this time?" said Brer Fox.

"I'm obliged to you, Brer Fox," said Brer Rabbit, "but I'm afraid that she's real bad off now," and that sort of made Brer Fox and Brer Possum feel bad for Brer Rabbit.

By and by, when dinnertime came, they all got out their vittles, but Brer Rabbit kept on looking lonesome, and Brer Fox and Brer Possum, they sort of rustled around to see if they couldn't make Brer Rabbit feel better.

Brer Fox and Brer Possum rustled around, they did, getting out the vittles, and by and by Brer Fox, he said, "Brer Possum, you run down to the spring and fetch the butter, and I'll set the table," he said.

Brer Possum, he loped off after the butter, and directly he came loping back with his ears a-trembling and his tongue a-hanging out.

"Brer Fox!" he hollered out.

"What's the matter now, Brer Possum?" he said.

"You all had better run, folks" said Brer Possum. "The last drop of that butter is gone."

"Where did it go?" said Brer Fox.

"It looks like it dried up," said Brer Possum.

Then Brer Rabbit, he looked sort of solemn, he did, and he up and said, "I suspect that the butter melted in somebody's mouth," he said.

Then they went down to the spring with Brer Possum, and sure enough, the butter was gone. While they were talking about the mystery, Brer rabbit said that he could see tracks all around there, and he pointed out that if they would all go to sleep, he could catch the chap that stole the butter.

They all lay down, and Brer Fox and Brer Possum, they soon dropped off to sleep, but Brer Rabbit, he stayed awake, and when the time came, he got up real quiet like, and smeared Brer Possum's mouth with the butter on his paws.

Then he ran off and nibbled up the best of the dinner that they had left lying out, and then he came back and woke up Brer Fox and showed him the butter on Brer Possum's mouth.

They woke up Brer Possum and told him about it, but of course Brer Possum denied it to the last.

Now Brer Fox, he's kind of a lawyer, and he argued this way: that Brer Possum was the first one at the butter, and the first one to miss it, and more than that, there were the signs on his mouth.

Brer Possum could see that they had him jammed up in a corner, and then he up and said that the way to catch the man that stole the butter was to build a big brush heap and set it on fire, and everyone would try to jump over it, and the one that fell in, that would be the chap that stole the butter.

Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox, they both agreed, they did, and they whirled in and built the brush heap, and they built it high, and they built it wide, and then they touched it off.

When it got to blazing up good, Brer Rabbit he took the first turn. He sort of stepped back, and looked around and giggled, and over he went, just like a bird flying.

Then came Brer Fox. He got back a little further, and spit on his hands, and lit out and made the jump, and he came so close to falling in that his tail caught fire.

(Next time you see a fox, you look right close and see if the end of his tail isn't white. To this day all foxes bear the same mark.)

Well, next came Old Brer Possum.
He took a running start, he did, and he came lumbering along, and he lit -- kerblam! -- right in the middle of the fire.

Now ya know that til that day Possums used ta have nice bushy tails but that fire burned the hair right off old Brer Posssum's tail.
And from that day to this, possums have hairless tails.

based on story by Joel Chandler Harris in Uncle Remus; His Songs and His Sayings...first published in 1880....retold by LLL,Storysinger



Betty Botter bought some butter,
But, she said, the butter's bitter;
If I put it in my batter
It will make my batter bitter,
But a bit of better butter
Will make my batter better.
So she bought a bit of butter
Better than her bitter butter,
And she put it in her batter
And the batter was not bitter.
So 'twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.



Come, butter, come,
Come, butter, come;
Peter stands at the gate
Waiting for a butter cake.
Come, butter, come.



Recipe to make Easy Homemade Butter

You will need whipping cream and a glass jar with a lid.

Place the cream in the jar. Cover with the lid.

Now, Shake, shake shake and shake!

Keep shaking till the cream turns into butter.
You may want to have friends help you shake, cause this may take a while!

You can also use a food processer to make butter.
It's basically the same process. Just put the cream in the processer and turn it on.

Yield: About half as much butter as the amount of cream you started with.





Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted or stirred before measuring
dash salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation:
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.
Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture; mixing until well blended.
Shape dough into small balls.
Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake butter cookies at 300° for 20 minutes, or until just lightly browned.
Makes 5 to 6 dozen butter cookies.

Thanksgiving Poems for kids and a delicious Pumpkin Apple Soup Recipe

THANKSGIVING NIGHT

T'was the night of Thanksgiving
But I just couldn't sleep.
I tried counting backwards.
I tried counting sheep.

The leftovers beckoned - the dark meat and white,
But I fought the temptation with all of my might.

Tossing and turning with anticipation,
The thought of a snack became infatuation.

So I raced to the kitchen, flung open the door,
And gazed in the fridge, full of goodies galore,

I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes,
Pickles and carrots, beans and tomatoes.

I felt myself swelling so plump and so round,
Until all of a sudden, I rose off the ground.

I crashed through the ceiling, floating into the sky,
With a mouthful of pudding and a handful of pie.

But I managed to yell as I soured past the trees,
"Happy eating to all, pass the cranberries, please.

May your stuffing be tasty, may your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious, may your pies take the prize,
May your Thanksgiving dinner stay off your thighs."

Anonymous.

THANKSGIVING by Jack Prelutsky

The turkey shot out of the oven
and rocketed into the air.
It knocked every plate off the table
and partly demolished a chair.

It ricocheted into a corner
and burst with a deafening boom,
then splattered all over the kitchen
completely obscuring the room.

It stuck to the walls and the windows.
It totally coated the floor.
There was turkey attached to the ceiling
where there'd never been turkey before.

It blanketed every appliance.
It smeared every saucer and bowl.
There wasn't a way I could stop it
that turkey was out of control.

I scraped and I scrubbed with displeasure
and thought with chagrin as I mopped,
that I'd never again stuff a turkey
with popcorn that hadn't been popped.
•••••

I ATE TOO MUCH

"I ate too much turkey,
I ate too much corn,
I ate too much pudding and pie,
I'm stuffed up with muffins
and much too much stuffin',
I'm probably going to die.

I piled up my plate
and I ate and I ate,
but I wish I had known when to stop,
for I'm so crammed with yams,
sauces, gravies, and jams
that my buttons are starting to pop.

I'm full of tomatoes
and french fried potatoes,
my stomach is swollen and sore,
but there's still some dessert,
so I guess it won't hurt
if I eat just a little bit more."
JackPrelustsky.com

Pumpkin Apple Soup
Recipe submitted by chef Richard Catania of The Award winning Hearth n' Kettle Restaurants of Plymouth, Ma. and Cape Cod.

PUMPKIN APPLE SOUP
Ingredients
1 lb. 5 oz. Pumpkin Puree
1/4 tsp. Clove
1/4 lb. Apple Sauce
1-1/4 lb. Butter
2-1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
3 qt. Chicken Stock
2-1/2 tsp. Ginger
1-1/2 cups Brown Sugar
2 qt. Light Cream (Hot)

Directions
METHOD:
Cook all ingredients until smooth and hot -- simmer 15 minutes. Finish with cream.

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me, Too!!......a poem and a recipe for Mulligan Stew

As I am sure I have mentioned before, or at least I should have, I love poems and poetry. And I have quite a few favorite poems and poets. One of my favorite writer's of children's poetry is Shel Silverstein.

Born Sheldon Alan Silverstein, September 25, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois, "Shel" Silverstein was an American poet, songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He wrote 3 books of poetry for children Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974), A Light in the Attic (1981)and Falling Up (1996).

Just an interesting aside, Shel Silverstein also wrote the music and the lyrics for the following songs: "A Boy Named Sue" that was performed by Johnny Cash, "The Unicorn" which is popular in Irish pubs all over the world, "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" a song performed by Dr. Hook.

The following poem can be found in his book "Where the Sidewalk Ends". "Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me, Too" is a wonderful poem. It's fun to say, the children love the rhyme and the images that it creates. It is also a marvelous poem to act out. There are so many places for the children use their imagination.

If you have the time and the facilities, why not go a step further and have the kids make Mulligan Stew!(It's mentioned in the poem :)


Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too,
Went for a ride in a flying shoe,
"Hooray!"
"What fun!"
"It's time we flew!"
Said Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle was captain, Pickle was crew,
And Tickle served coffee and mulligan stew
As higher
And higher
And higher they flew,
Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.


Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too,
Over the sun and beyond the blue.
"Hold on!"
"Stay in!"
"I hope we do!"
Cried Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.


Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too
Never returned to the world they knew,
And nobody
knows what's
happened to
Dear Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Written by Shel Silverstein (1930-1999)


I know from experience that your average child will ask you what mulligan stew is as soon as you finish the poem, if not sooner. So here is your answer (just in case you did not know, I didn't.)

Mulligan stew is a kind of dish said to have been prepared by hobos in camps in the early 1900s. Usually, it includes meat, potatoes, vegetables, and whatever else can be found. The hobo who put it together was known as the "mulligan mixer". A stew is generally difined as being made, literally, of "whatever is on hand" including meat, potatoes and vegetables in any combination.

I have included 2 different stew recipes. Enjoy!

Campfire Mulligan Stew
Ingredients :
Method :
In small amount of hot fat in heavy frying pan, brown: 1 pound stew meat, cut in small pieces Add: 1 tsp. salt Stir in: 1 can condensed tomato soup 1 can water Cover tightly and let cook slowly until tender (about 1-1/2 hours). If fire gets too hot, take from heat occasionally to keep at a simmer. When the meat is tender, add: 3 carrots, cut in thick slices
3 potatoes, quartered
3 onions, halved Continue cooking slowly about 30 minutes. If there is not enough juice, add water during cooking. If too thin take off lid and cook sauce until thickened. 4 to 6 servings
Recipe from the Betty Crocker's Cook Book for Boys and Girls


Easy Crock Pot Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 each potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 each onion, chopped
- 1 pound carrots, sliced
- pound stew meat
- 1 can tomato soup
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 package stew seasoning

Directions
Cut the vegetables and meat into bite sized pieces. Mix the stew seasoning with the water. Place the meat on the bottom of the crock, cover with vegetables. Pour the soup and stew seasoning mixture over all. Cook in the crock pot on high for 6 hours or low 10 hours.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 6 or more hours
Servings: 6
http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/u--3732/easy-crock-pot-beef-stew.asp