picture poetry: last breaths of summer

 

picture poetry: good evening

happy food: baked oatmeal

Food is always a happy subject.  It just is.

Unless you burn it.

But ketchup covers a multitude of culinary blunders.

And so it is still happy.

Due to the undeniable felicity of food, and because we are friends, I believe it highly appropriate that we share some o' the cheer, eh?  Today I am thinking of baked oatmeal.  This stuff is the super-duper-est easy baked breakfast in the world, and it tastes magical.

Baked Oatmeal
(from Mennonite Country-Style Recipes & Kitchen Secrets by Esther H. Shank)

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
(raisins, cranberries, nuts, etc. as you like)
3 cups quick oatmeal

Mix all but the oatmeal together thoroughly.
Stir in the oatmeal.
Pour into a greased 8x12 baking dish (it looks super soupy going in, but don't worry).  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.
Serve warm with milk.

Yield: 6-8 servings


This is a recipe with which you can easily be creative.  Imagine getting peanut butter or chocolate or various fruits involved.  Oooooh yeh.

Savor the magic, my friend.

ode to green

This is meant to be a shameless encomium for my long-favored color.  If you have strong feelings about various other hues, I suggest an abrupt cessation of reading.  Also, I refuse to entertain accusations of fallacious argument.



As a brief means of introduction, I will humbly concede that, yes, each color has its own special character.  And yes, all colors are important and we would hardly be able to appreciate any one without the others.


But let's all just admit that green is great.



A recent conversation with a friend involved characterizing colors as they appear to speak to us with "Let's ______" statements.  Here are a few examples:


Black:  Let's get down to business.  (Points to anyone who just started singing about Huns).
Brown:  Let's chill.
Purple:  Let's be regal.  Or plant flowers.
Yellow:  Let's play.
Orange:  Let's giggle.
Blue:  Let's be calm.
Red:  Let's kill something.
Pink:  Let's be pastel and eat chocolate.
Green:  Let's be alive!


Given the statements above, one will easily discern green's incomparable importance.  The functions of all other colors are based upon the assumption that life is a given.  The existence of their respective characterizations - which are undoubtedly accurate - are contingent upon that understanding.  Green, however, is the personification of life itself.  Upon him, all other colors depend.


Now that we've roundly established green's unequivocal supremacy, let's further explore the many facets of his vivacious nature:


-  Green is lush and verdant, casting off the drab pall of winter and cloaking spring fields in the vibrant robe of resurrection.


-  Green is calm - not overwhelming to the eyes with the prick of agitation; but rather, soothing to the spirit with a salve of safety and peace.


-  Green is newness, refreshment.  Like a mouthful of water.  Rain water.

-  Green is strong and hardy, like a silent but indomitable strength.

-  Green is invigorating, adventurous, exciting!  He brushes the eyes with the implacable tickle of novelty.

-  Green is freedom, like open fields beckoning you with a thundering whisper.

Goodness.  Much as I jest, I really do love green... and I don't think my words can do him justice.

Let's just take a moment to enjoy green.  And let him speak for himself.

(P.S.  This wasn't really an ode.  More of a lauding ramble.)