Poetry Saturday . . . Forever Spring . . .

I wish it were forever spring
Never the summer or the fall,
But larks forever on the wing
And mating birds that croon and call
Each other in the scented dawn
While yet the dew is on the lawn.

I wish that it could always be
Just like today . . . the field and flower
Could keep the freshness of today
And hold the beauty of this hour
Like precious wine in crystal bowls,
To quench the thirst of weary souls.

I know it could not be . . . I know
The blossoms on the apple bough
Must wither to produce the fruit
And all this shining beauty now,
Must pass like moons upon a lake
Unmindful of the toll they take.

But still I wish that Spring could stay,
Forever as it is today.
~Edna Jaques

Another one of my favourite poems by Edna Jaques, one of Canada's favourite poets, long since passed away. It is taken from her book, Fireside Poems, a small green volume. My mother had this book, and as a child I loved to take it from the bookcase and read through the poems. I thought they were beautiful and they spoke to my soul. I was so pleased last year to find my own volume of them on Amazon.ca. It was like coming across a long lost friend.

Oh, wasn't the wedding yesterday beautiful??? Todd and I were absolutely mesmerized by it all. Nobody does pageantry like the British. The Bride was stunningly beautiful, I thought. The Prince so handsome in his uniform. The church, very understated, and yet beautiful as well, and full of meaning. I loved all the hats! Never have I seen so many different hats in such a wide array of colours and styles . . . although admittedly some of them looked quite hilariously ridiculous . . . like reindeer antlers, and serving dishes . . . I was amazed by the crowds that turned out to watch in person. I would not have wanted to be in that crowd for anything in the world, although they all seemed to be having a wonderful time! I think the Bride and Groom looked fabulously happy and so much in love. I wish them all the best in the years to come!

Here's a little something I have been working on over the past couple of days. I am so in love with her! She has been painted in acrylics on a box shaped canvas, that wraps around to the back and all the sides are finished as well. The country scene you see at the bottom goes around the sides to the back and bottom, and the sky and clouds also go to the sides and top. It measures about 12 by 10 inches in size. I'm really pleased with the way she turned out. I haven't been able to get a good scan of her really and so I think I will have to sell the original instead of prints. I don't really like parting with my originals, but one has to do what one has to do. If you are interested in purchasing it, send me a message! Thanks!

We are off to the shops this morning to pick up a few groceries and then this afternoon we are going to take a drive to Tatten Park which is not too far from here, so we can get some more use out of our National Trust membership! The day looks to be sunny and warm so far! I promise to take my camera!!

Here's a tasty supper dish that most people love. It's like a combination of pizza, spaghetti and lasagna, all rolled up into a tasty pie! This version is particularly low in fat and calories. Of course if you are not worried about those things, you can use whole eggs instead of egg whites and full fat everything else! It's delicious any way you make it! I like to serve it with a tossed salad.

*Spaghetti Pie*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

A lower calorie version of an old favourite!

Nonstick cooking spray
4 ounces dried spaghetti
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBS olive oil
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups low fat cottage cheese, drained
8 ounces ground turkey breast, or extra lean ground beef
1 cup of sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 8-ounce tin of tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp of dried Italian Seasoning, crushed
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Spray a 9 inch pie plate with the cooking spray. Set aside.

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. In a medium bowl, stir together 2 of the egg whites, the Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Drain the cooked spaghetti well. Add to the egg white mixture and toss to coat. Press this mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie plate. Set aside.

Whisk together the 2 remaining egg whites and drained cottage cheese, along with a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Spread over the spaghetti in the pie plate. Set aside.

Brown the turkey (beef) in a large skillet, along with the onion, peppers and garlic until the meat is browned, draining off any fat that may accumulate. Stir in the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Spoon over the cheese mixture in the crust.

Bake for 20 minutes in the heated oven, until completely heated through. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 5 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve. Delicious!