"The torch of love is lit in the kitchen." French Proverb

March is MS Awareness Month

Best Recipe Ever!

LOVE

Paula, Sarah, Sarah, and Jean 9

2 cups of patience 3 cups of heart 1 T. of passion 5 cups of heartbreak
1 1/2 cups of forgiveness

Season with lots of kisses! (Thanks for the addition Natalya....)

Blend carefully patience and forgiveness. Quickly add heart. Add heartbreak moderately. Before serving sprinkle with passion.

Serves: All

Randomness...

Somethings to think about.....

1. Practice random acts of kindness and sensless acts of barbecue. -- Adair Lara

2. I really liked her alot... alot... She was very special, I was inspired by her! Check out her blog: http://thevixnsdiaries.blogspot.com/

3. Food & Work are all that remain... No taste for food and have the day off from work!

4."...in 1693 Dom Perignon discovered the process for making champagne. "Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!"

5. "I am sure you will find better things, you have a bright future ahead..."

6. I hate having to work so hard at getting a gals interest. I like a relationship and intimacy. There are friendships but there is no intimacy.

7.What toppings do u love on your Baked Potato?

8. Do not really want to say this... but... NEXT!

To Know You More... (letter to my future lover)

This is a poem that I wrote one night several years ago, there was no one in particular in mind. I am not sure that I will ever meet the person I had in mind when I wrote this but I still have faith in my God, who is faithful!

TO KNOW YOU MORE

I want to know you more,

To know you and to know your love,

To see if we are perfect,

as the fit of a pair of fine leather gloves....

I want to know, your touch,

I want to know, your gaze,

I want to know, your silent sweet love....

You are my love,

I seek you day and night,

I seek you in the stars,

I seek you in the crowds,

I seek you in the silence,

I seek you in the music,

I seek you in the solitude,

I seek you in the streets,

I seek for you in the far and wide...

When, oh when, shall you be found?

When will I know you...

Oh, how I long to feel your touch,

Just the brush of your wings,as if an angel has just past by...

For I know that you,

you of all things are a heavenly gift,

a gift from God,

An angel,

complete with silken,

pure white wings...

For only an angel sings as you...

Oh to be in the gaze of your crystal clear eyes,

To see and behold the beauty,

To see and behold the glory,

To see and behold the depth,

of God's great love!

When I am in your presence,

I can feel the love,

The love I have,

The love I want to share,

The love I have to give,

I can feel this love arise...

To hear your voice makes my heart weep and jump for joy,

I want to always keep this vision of the pure beauty that is within you and your heart close to me,

Close to me,

as it reveals the beauty,

glory,

grace,

and mercy of God...

May He be ever praised!!!

Life, Food, Love, & Flavor

From my earliest age, Food was always a part of my life. I cooked my first time by myself when I was around 7 years of age. I was not supposed to but being raised on a farm in Central IL, everyone one who could have prepared a meal was out farming. So I being a master culinaire of PBJ, Cheese Sandwiches (Velveeta), and the classic Mayo or Butter Sandwiches, decided that I wanted a hamburger!

I got my pan out, turned on my mother's ancient gas stove, pattied out a rather large raw meat hamburger and began to pan fry it. It browned quickly and I thought it was done...

Wrong... This was the most raw burger I have ever seen since!

But from there things have gotten better. I then was encouraged to take a project in 4-H of cooking, there I perfected the cooking of Peanut Butter Cookies, and got a blue ribbon at the county fair. My mother taught me alot about cooking, then there were my Grandmothers, one a farmers wife and the other suburban housewife, who grew up in Chicago. Both lived thru the depression, gardened, cooked real home cooked meals, both for large families or lots of farm hands. It was at their sides, I learned to cook immense amounts of food with lots of flavor, lots of love, and to live life.

Whether it was preparing a meal for the farm hands, a family dinner for a holiday, birthday, or some church dinner, there was always some reason to cook table fulls of food. I would be remiss in mentioning where I came from in Audobon Township, I think we had more than our far share of great country cooks. When there was not a family dinner, holiday, or birthday party, there was some gathering requiring lots of food; The Fox & Coyote Drive, Chilli Supper, Oyster Supper, Pancake & Sausage Breakfast, etc. There was not a lady in the county or township who would not share her recipes proudly!

Then there was the many funeral dinners, that I went to, this being a small town community, when someone died, there was food to be taken to the home of the deceased, the church where the funeral dinner was held. Then there was the various dinners, pot lucks, and such when there was a holiday, season change, or revival. So I had plenty of opportunity to sample great foods prepared with lots of love for others.

This has given me a great deal of love for food, people, life, and flavor. I discovered many years ago, that the best food was prepared with lots of love and if there is no love, I have found it is edible but that the unique flavor imbued in the food is not there! I have no scientific proof of this ingredient called love, but I have my experiences.

I have always cooked, for my family, friends, and dates. I love cooking and from my father, who by the way knows his way around a kitchen, campfire, and grill; I learned to be experimental and to throw things together to make tasty meals. This gave me a love of creating my own recipes. Recently, I have began to write down my creations and one day, I hope to publish a cookbook. Additionally, my father's Aunt Viginia and her husband Uncle Dale owned the Morrisonville Cafe for many years, I saw how people loved them and swore by their food, they in turn loved the people who they cooked for. My late Grandfather, (father's father) was a master on the grill, when he passed away in 1993, I recieved his grill and used it for many years until it was stolen from my patio. My family already has a simple cookbook put together of family & friends recipes.

Please enjoy this blog as I post my recipes in the future, along with pictures of the completed foods. Should you ever need any clarifications, have questions, please feel free to ask me. I can also search for recipes should you wish to cook something and do not have the recipe. Great cooking and enjoy a flavorful life full of love and great food!