Aunt Lottie's Pantry and Peggy's Bookshelf

Memory from "I Feel Pretty"

2011-09-17T12:07:00.004-04:00

Here is my special experience of the song we heard in class today from West Side Story: I Feel Pretty.

It was 1966 and I was 8 years old. My father and some of his friends had volunteered at a summer camp for disabled children in New Jersey, making repairs on buildings and donating equipment. The camp said 'thank you' by inviting the families of the volunteers to the camp for the day for a picnic and talent show.

We ate hamburgers and corn on the cob, drank lemonade and sat down to watch the talent show which was held on an outdoor stage. All the children were severely disabled, mostly in wheelchairs with cerebral palsy, spina-bifida, and muscular dystrophy. I had never really seen brain-injured or wheelchair-bound children before, and I was at once uncomfortable and full of compassion.

The show consisted of camp counselors singing and wheeling the kids around the stage in simple choreography. The song that stands out to me now so clearly after all these years was "I Feel Pretty." This was a girls-only number with about 6 severely disabled girls who could barely sit up, some drooling, but some smiling, dressed with ribbons in their hair, holding brushes and mirrors. The PA system played I Feel Pretty from the soundtrack album, and the counselors danced with those girls-- those girls whom the world would never call "pretty"-- making them all feel beautiful.

If you saw a tear in my eye today, now you know why. The Lord Jesus has a special place in his heart for children-- as well as the disabled. May we all grow in kindness.

Senior Fundraiser Mac&Cheese

2011-09-16T21:41:00.002-04:00

Vermont Macaroni and Cheese

2 large eggs
1 can evaporated milk
¼ tsp. Tabasco
2 tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Pepper
½ pound elbow macaroni
4 Tbsp. butter
12 oz. (3 cups) shredded cheddar cheese

Mix eggs, 1 cup milk, Tabasco, salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
Cook macaroni in salted water. Drain; return to pot with butter. Pour egg mixture over noodles along with ¾ of the cheese. Add remaining milk and cheese, stirring until creamy.

Egg Cream

2011-08-17T16:36:00.005-04:00

No, there's no egg in it and if you Google the history of the egg cream, you wlll find many explanations for the etymology of the term.

Basically it is an ice cream soda without the scoop of ice cream. When I worked at Grunings they were my favorite refreshment-- sometimes I even drank one in place of a meal.

Begin by procuring heavy cream or whipping cream, seltzer and syrup. For a chocolate egg cream use good chocolate syrup (Bosco works). At Grunings we made vanilla, strawberry and pineapple egg creams, but there is no end to the possibilities.

Pour a generous amount of syrup into the bottom of a glass (about a 1/4 cup). Add an equal amount of cream and stir while you add enough of the seltzer to fill the glass. Make sure the seltzer is COLD before you start. Stick a straw in and enjoy!

Jersey Sandwiches!

2011-08-16T23:49:00.006-04:00

Today we had Angel and Lindsay over for dinner. I served sliced tomatoes, fresh peaches, and Jersey sloppy Joes! First I made the sauce by combing 2 parts mayo to one part ketchup. Then I arranged all the ingredients: good Jewish rye bread, cole slaw, deli turkey, ham and Swiss cheese. If you are going to try this, and I highly recommend you do, spread sauce on one piece of rye and top it with a forkful of cole slaw. Then add your meats and cheeses. We like ham and Swiss-- and plain turkey. Roast beef is also delicious, but make sure it is good roast beef and not the salty chemical tasting deli beef that most grocery stores carry. If you can get Boar's Head, that is perfect. Top the sandwich with a plain piece of rye, and slice down the middle. If you want to be fancy-schmacy, stick a frilly, colorful toothpick in the center of each one.

Serve with an egg cream: recipe to follow tomorrow!

Are you a troll?

2011-08-11T11:52:00.006-04:00

I just finished reading Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen. The plot is complicated to describe, but basically the main character struts and frets his five acts worth loving and leaving maidens posing as an emperor, sending pagan gods to China-- in other words, traveling the world in selfish pursuits. In act 4 he shoves a drowning man back into the sea to save his own skin.

What is the meaning of life? At the beginning of the play the old man on the mountain says that it is for man to be true to himself (as Polonius once said to Laertes). To be true to one's self, to be a truly human one must act as a man, who was made in the image of God. But if you are not, you are true to your own selfish which means that you are not a human, but a troll.

Peer gets to the end of his life and the end of his journeys, only to learn that he is a troll and has been selfish his whole life long.

This play is fascinating and bears the stamp of truth. However, it is not an easy read-- I think it is helpful to tackle this one if you have a background in modern theatre, particularly absurdist theatre.

Simple Grilled Chicken

2011-08-04T09:19:00.004-04:00

The simple part of this is the marinade: Ken's Original Italian Dressing. I put a cut-up chicken in a zip-lock bag and pour in a half bottle. Let it marinate overnight. The next day, when you are ready to grill, heat your grill, and when it is hot, turn the burners down to low. Place the chicken skin-side down and grill 7 minutes a side, turning the chicken twice. That means that you are cooking it on the grill for 21 minutes. Take it off the grill and place it on a clean cookie sheet, then place it in a 300 degree oven until the chicken is thoroughly cooked (should be about 20 minutes). Just before serving, brush the chicken pieces with more of Ken's salad dressing FROM THE BOTTLE -- not the stuff you marinated the chicken in. It is delicious.

Madame DeFarge and the Effects of Unforgiveness

2011-08-03T09:11:00.021-04:00

Theresa DeFarge had reason to be bitter. Against a background of French nobility abusing peasants and treating them like dogs, two marques, the brothers Evremonde, used her sister as a slave of their physical desires, and they murdered her husband, brother and father. Theresa is the only member of the family to survive, and she, in her pain, resolves to exact revenge.

Her situation was tragic, her pain overwhelming, her anger justifiable. Theresa becomes Madame DeFarge when she grows up, and she spends the next several years seething and feeding her bitterness. She bides her time patiently, knitting the names in code of those who will pay. She promises to kill all of the family Evremonde, down to the last of their race, including the innocent children: the three-year-old son and nephew of the Evremonde brothers and the yet to be born daughter of that three year old.

Dickens writes:

"That sister of the mortally wounded boy on the ground was my sister; that husband was my sister's husband; that unborn child was their child; that brother was my brother; that father, my father, those dead are my dead, and that summons to answer for those things descends to me! Then tell the wind and fire to stop, but don't tell me!"

And

"There were many women at that time, upon whom the time laid a dreadfully disfiguring hand; but, there was not one among them more to be dreaded than this ruthless woman, now making her way along the streets. Of a strong and fearless character, of shrewd sense and readiness, of great determination, of that kind of beauty which not only seems to impart to its possessor firmness and animosity, but to strike into others an instinctive recognition of those qualities; the troubled time would have heaved her up, under any circumstances. But, imbued from her childhood with a brooding sense of wrong, and an inveterate hatred of a class, opportunity had developed her into a tigress. She was absolutely without pity. If she had ever had the virtue in her, it had quite gone out of her.

It was nothing to her, that an innocent man was to die for the sins of his forefathers; she saw, not him, but them. It was nothing to her, that his wife was to be made a widow and his daughter an orphan; that was insufficient punishment, because they were her natural enemies and her prey, and as such had no right to live. To appeal to her, was made hopeless by her having no sense of pity, even for herself."

Because Madame DeFarge fed her hurt, anger, bitterness and outrage, she lost her humanity. The two men who wronged her family were both dead- one murdered in his bed, but that was not enough. Charles Darnay, the son and nephew, had decried his family, rejected his family name and title, and tried to find Theresa to make things right. But she would not forgive, and only his death and the death of his baby daughter would appease her wrath.

She had ceased to be human. She was scarred and disfigured by her hate and bitterness. Miss Pross says that she might be the wife of Lucifer himself.

Unforgiveness, bitterness and hate destroy. Forgiveness and reconciliation heal. And, most importantly, Jesus said that to the degree we forgive others, so will God forgive us for our sins. And that is the crucial life & death point.

Gazpacho!

2011-08-02T13:19:00.004-04:00

I made some fresh gazpacho for lunch today- and experimented a little. I have done this before and feel like I am moving towards gazpacho perfection!

Start with 4 or 5 fresh, ripe summer tomatoes and seed them while you cut them into chunks. Put them in the food processor with a cup of peeled, cubed English cucumber, 1/2 chopped green pepper and 1/4 Vidalia onion. Process for a few seconds, then add 3 Tbs. olive oil, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, a couple of grinds of black pepper and-- drum roll-- 1 Tbs. fresh horseradish! Process again to the smoothness you like and enjoy!

Lessons from The Crucible

2011-07-27T13:53:00.008-04:00

Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible shortly after his ordeal with the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s. The play is set in Salem, Massachusetts during the time of the witch trials- and of course the setting for the story works metaphorically. The play works on many levels, one of which is what happens when mass hysteria takes over a community, and because of fear, neighbor turns on neighbor. Pretty soon past hurts combine with selfish motives and town's people who once worshiped in the same church began to cry, "I saw Frances Nurse with the devil! I saw Goody Proctor with the devil! I saw Sarah Osborne with the devil!"

We are made in God's image and are rational creatures. When we sense a current of suspicion and anger swirling up and trying to pull us in, hang on to the anchor of scripture- perhaps, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." Resist crying, "Witch! Witch!"

Julius Caesar

2011-07-26T11:53:00.016-04:00

Why study Shakespeare's Julius Caesar? One of the purposes of literature is help us to see into the human heart- to give us experiences through which we can live vicariously, so that we can be prepared and know how to act and respond in our real lives.

Julius Caesar and the Spreading of a Bad Report

In act one we see Cassius approaching Brutus and engaging him in conversation. Very subtly Cassius draws Brutus in and essentially says, "You don't seem like yourself lately- is everything okay?" In the conversation that ensues, we find out that Cassius is feeling Brutus out to see if he will listen to slander. Cassius is jealous of Caesar's power and the people's love of Caesar. Caesar is being honored in Rome with parades and speeches- and Cassius cannot stand it. He feels that *he* is the one who should be honored and praised- and hold the power in Rome.

I was born free as Caesar; so were you:
We both have fed as well; and we can both
Endure the winter's cold as well as he:
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
Caesar said to me, "Darest thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood
And swim to yonder point?" Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in,
And bade him follow: so indeed he did.
The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside
And stemming it with hearts of controversy;
But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
Caesar cried, "Help me, Cassius, or I sink!

In this passage and the monologue which follows, Cassius communicates that he and Caesar are equally gifted and equally worthy of both praise and power- and that it is not fair that Caesar has what Cassius deserves.

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus; and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonorable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves,that we are underlings.
"Brutus" and "Caesar": what should be in that "Caesar"?
Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
Write them together, yours is as fair a name;
Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;
Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with them,
"Brutus" will start a spirit as soon as "Caesar."
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed
That he is grown so great?

Cassius draws Brutus in, and once he has him hooked, he goes after other of Caesar's friends. They listen to slander and they take up Cassius's offense. By act 3 Cassius and the others who have listened to slander take up daggers and murder Caesar-- only because they have listened to slander and taken up another's offense.

By act 4 Rome is embroiled in civil war and friends are fighting against friends.

Many times in our lives we are presented with act 1 of this play. We are presented with a decision. Do we listen-- or do we walk away? If we listen, we are in danger of taking up the offense of another. Proverbs 16: 28 says A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. The stakes couldn't be higher. Just walk away.

Basting sauce for salmon-- Vermont style!

2011-07-18T14:39:00.002-04:00

Baked Salmon

2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger
½ tsp. Cornstarch
1 Tbsp. water
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 scallion

Combine all ingredients and brush on salmon.

Broil skin side down for 5 minutes. Brush.

Turn and broil another 5 minutes. Brush.

Caramel Cookies

2011-07-16T14:10:00.002-04:00

Last year I won several ribbons at the fair (for cookies), including one grand champion! I may try this year with this-- unless someone reads this and gets there first!

Caramel Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
¼ tsp. Salt
1 bag a mini Heath Bars, unwrapped and smashed : )

1. Place Heath Bars in a food processor. Process until they are in coarse pieces and place half of them in a small bowl. Process the remaining pieces until they become a fine powder.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla.
Sift dry ingredients, then add slowly to the creamed mixture until everything is incorporated. Add the Heath Bar pieces. Chill for one hour.
3. Make balls with the dough- use a 2” ice cream scoop to make them uniform. Roll in the Heath Bar powder and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Shrimp on Fire

2011-07-13T16:46:00.003-04:00

Whenever I make this, I think of our being at Sunset Beach with Nathan and Patricia- and the shrimp is always freshly caught Carolina shrimp. Enjoy-

Shrimp on Fire

Flour Mixture:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 ½ lbs. shrimp, peeled and de-veined

Sauce: ½ mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup catsup
1 Tbs. horseradish
paprika, salt, garlic salt (just a sprinkle of each)

Oil for frying

Coat the shrimp with flour mixture. Fry in batches for about 4 minutes a batch. Drain on paper towels and serve with dipping sauce.

Comfort from George Herbert

2011-07-11T18:53:00.000-04:00

How Fresh, O Lord, how sweet and clean
Are thy returns! ev’n as the flowers in spring;
To which, besides their own demean,
The late-past frosts tributes of pleasure bring.
Grief melts away
Like snow in May,
As if there were no such cold thing.

More Donne

2011-07-11T18:17:00.001-04:00

Here is another of Donne's poems that I read to Reid on his last day on Earth:

HYMN TO GOD, MY GOD, IN MY SICKNESS.

SINCE I am coming to that Holy room,
Where, with Thy choir of saints for evermore,
I shall be made Thy music ; as I come
I tune the instrument here at the door,
And what I must do then, think here before ;

Whilst my physicians by their love are grown
Cosmographers, and I their map, who lie
Flat on this bed, that by them may be shown
That this is my south-west discovery,
Per fretum febris, by these straits to die ;

I joy, that in these straits I see my west ;
For, though those currents yield return to none,
What shall my west hurt me ? As west and east
In all flat maps—and I am one—are one,
So death doth touch the resurrection.

Is the Pacific sea my home ? Or are
The eastern riches ? Is Jerusalem ?
Anyan, and Magellan, and Gibraltar ?
All straits, and none but straits, are ways to them
Whether where Japhet dwelt, or Cham, or Shem.

We think that Paradise and Calvary,
Christ's cross and Adam's tree, stood in one place ;
Look, Lord, and find both Adams met in me ;
As the first Adam's sweat surrounds my face,
May the last Adam's blood my soul embrace.

So, in His purple wrapp'd, receive me, Lord ;
By these His thorns, give me His other crown ;
And as to others' souls I preach'd Thy word,
Be this my text, my sermon to mine own,
“Therefore that He may raise, the Lord throws down.”

Another Holy Sonnet

2011-07-11T15:28:00.000-04:00

This is my play's last scene; here heavens appoint
My pilgrimage's last mile; and my race,
Idly, yet quickly run, hath this last pace,
My span's last inch, my minute's latest point;
And gluttonous death will instantly unjoint
My body and my soul, and I shall sleep a space;
But my'ever-waking part shall see that face
Whose fear already shakes my every joint.
Then, as my soul to'heaven, her first seat, takes flight,
And earth-born body in the earth shall dwell,
So fall my sins, that all may have their right,
To where they'are bred, and would press me, to hell.
Impute me righteous, thus purg'd of evil,
For thus I leave the world, the flesh, the devil.

John Donne

Bim's poem

2011-07-11T15:14:00.001-04:00

Bim was Reid's primary nurse- a gentle, godly man from Nigeria, and our true brother. We love Bim, Sade and their three children. Here is the poem Bim wrote for Reid:

Oh Reid,
Are the pastures greener now?
Can you see the glitters of the stars
and the brightness of the never setting sun?
Are you exploring the unending boundaries of the new Jerusalem?
Are you dancing with the Angels
and gazing with joy at HIS unfading glory?

Goodnight my buddy.

2011-07-11T08:26:00.004-04:00

Today I will post some of the poems that got me through this day two years ago. These are poems I read to Reid in the last hours of his life. I read Psalms and I read Donne and Herbert.

DEATH be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee, 5
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell, 10
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

Birthday Cupcakes

2011-07-10T17:13:00.002-04:00

Today our family celebrated two birthdays- and I decided to make cupcakes with flavors unique to each birthday girl.

For Jessica, vanilla chai cupcake with whipped cream frosting and a dusting of cinnamon.

For Kathy, Chocolate cola cupcake with cherry butter cream frosting.

How I love to cook-

Pasta Fresca

2011-07-09T13:18:00.005-04:00

This recipe only really works in the summer when the tomatoes are ripe. Prepare a box of bow-tie pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, chop 5 or 6 tomatoes and add to them 1 minced garlic clove, two or three sliced fresh basil leaves, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Puree half of the tomatoes. Drain the pasta and IMMEDIATELY add two balls of fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces. Pour the pureed tomatoes on top. Toss with the diced tomatoes. Top with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. This will serve six hungry people. It is scrumptious!

A New Look at a Children's Classic

2011-07-06T18:23:00.000-04:00

Pinocchio

Carlo Collodi 's children's story, Pinocchio, is one that is close to my heart. My dad took me to see the movie when I was four years old in the old Verona (NJ) Theatre. And about a year or two after Reid was born we were watching it as a family (Erin was about 3 or 4) when I saw the ending in a whole new light. The Blue Fairy came at the end and changed Pinocchio the toy into a real boy. A longing choked out of my heart for the Lord to touch my quadriplegic child and completely heal him.

Then one morning a few weeks ago I was thinking about Pinocchio, and I had an epiphany: Pinocchio is Christian allegory! Gepetto, the toymaker, longs to have a son. He makes a toy and gives him free will. He tells Pinocchio to go to school, to learn to be truthful and brave. But Pinocchio is met by temptation. A sly fox persuades him to skip school and become an actor! Then a boy named Lampwick persuades him to go to "Pleasure Island" and have lots of fun. Pinocchio willingly follows along and does all kinds of things that he knows he shouldn't. He becomes a full fledged sinner. But the sin has a sting and consequences. The boys who are lured onto Pleasure Island become slaves and are turned into donkeys. Pinocchio barely escapes and is swallowed by a whale (Biblical imagery if there ever was!). He very nearly dies trying to save the life of his father, who very nearly dies trying to find him. But since Pinocchio has repented and literally turned from his sin and headed home, he finally becomes a real boy and the true son of his father. It is a great story, and one that needs a second look since it is so familiar.

Chicken on the Grill!

2011-07-05T15:29:00.003-04:00

This is a marinade that I discovered in my James Beard Americana cookbook. I have altered it some, and Erin and I love it!

You place chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks work well, but breast halves are also good) in a large Ziplock bag. Into the blender: 1/2 cup canola oil, 1/2 cup good red wine, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 3 Tbs. tomato paste, 1 tsp. dried basil, 2 cloves of fresh garlic, 1 chopped onion, 1 tsp. Kosher salt; black pepper and Tabasco to taste. Turn the blender to its lowest setting and pulse gently a couple of times. Pour HALF of the sauce in the bag. Seal and refrigerate overnight or all day. Grill the chicken as you would any other chicken. I like to char it on both sides (5 minutes a side, more or less) and then transfer to a hot oven to cook until done. Heat the remaining sauce to soften the onion, and serve on the side.

Summer Reading

2011-07-05T08:37:00.005-04:00

It is turning out to be the summer of Peter Ackroyd! If you aren't familiar with this biographer and novelist, look at his page on Amazon.com. I finished his book on Chaucer early this morning, and I have one on Poe, one on Shakespeare, one on the fall of Troy and one on Sir Thomas More in the queue. Ackroyd is a historian with a background in the history of English (he quoted broadly in Middle English, as he should : )in the Chaucer bio). His writing is concise and his words carefully chosen. He brings his audience to the period, and Chaucer's life and times are made alive. I could not put the book down, even on the 4th of July!

Poe is next on my list, as I will be teaching his work in October.

Less Meat

2011-06-25T08:23:00.003-04:00

When informing Vicky that we were having chili for dinner last week, she said "Can you make that really good version that you made last time?"

I had been experimenting with quinoa, my new favorite grain. Here it is:

Brown 1/2 pound of ground beef; drain off the fat. Add a chopped onion and continue to cook. (If you add the onion earlier, you will be draining off flavor with the fat. Meanwhile, pour a cup of boiling water onto 1/2 cup quinoa. Let stand. Add 1 16 oz. can of tomato puree and one of diced tomatoes to the pot. Next, add a 16 oz. can of pink or pinto beans. Stir. At this point you can add 1/2 cup red wine. Stir in the quinoa and add a little V-8 juice. Turn the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer until the quinoa softens and puffs up. You can also put it in the crock pot and cook on low, if needed. Check on it, however and add more juice if the chili gets too thick or starts to stick to the pot. Serve with shredded cheddar.

Summer Books

2011-06-23T22:38:00.002-04:00

I have said nothing about literature in a while- and yet summer has come offering opportunities to read whatever I want! There is, of course, the required faculty book, but I always enjoy that. This summer we are reading How To Learn in a What to Learn World, or something like that. And I have encouraged the other English teachers to read a classic they have never read before as well as a biography of a classic author. I am reading a biography of Chaucer- and I will finally finish Don Quixote this summer, Lord willing. I also want to tackle a Faulkner: after all, I have Peggy's first editions downstairs in the wooden bookcase with the glass doors.

The Commie Co-op

2011-06-23T14:20:00.002-04:00

In the basement of the University of Maryland's Student Union building 30 years ago, there was a sandwich shop that some of my friends dubbed "The Commie Co-op". It was mostly vegetarian, organic, and instead of a sandwich board listing the day's specials, it had a chalk board filled with daily rants against conservatives, Republican's, religious people and people who eat meat. (They did offer a turkey sandwich, but they advertised it as "rotting poultry flesh"-- I don't know if anyone ever ordered it.

I loved their sandwiches-- and today I made some for the fam. Here ya go:

Whole grain bread
Mayonnaise
Shredded carrots
sliced tomatoes
baby spinach leaves (or Romano)
Jack cheese (pepper or otherwise)

I liked to order a small glass of 100% grape juice to go with it, when I felt rich.

Comfort Food

2011-06-21T08:36:00.003-04:00

I am just back from spending some time with Mom and Dad in Vermont- it was a difficult visit because Mom had some heart trouble and will be receiving a pace-maker tomorrow. But the night before before she went to the hospital, it was apparent that we all needed some comfort food. Here it is:

Chicken and Biscuits

I poached 3 chicken breasts (you can use boneless or bone-in) in a quart of lightly salted chicken stock. After removing the meat to cool I added 2 diced potatoes, carrots and 1 chopped onion. When the veggies were tender, I added the chicken back and thickened everything with a corn starch and water paste. One needs to adjusts the seasonings - but it is ready to go at this point : )

For the biscuits, all I did was follow the directions on the box of Bisquick.

2011-06-15T08:41:00.003-04:00

I am back blogging again after having been encouraged to do so by my friend Nicole. Aunt Lottie was my grandma Cooper's aunt who raised her after her own mom passed away when Grandma was nine year's old. Aunt Lottie was a consummate cook, and the one who got it all started for the rest of us. She is buried in Barnegat, NJ in the Masonic Cemetery just steps from my grandmother, Peggy, and Arabella, Peggy's mother. Most of the recipes I will share to begin with are old family recipes- from the 20s and 30s. In time I will add my own, because I am the heir of a great family tradition of cooks.

One of the many things that my grandmother (Peggy) gave me was a love of good literature. She and my grandfather were readers and intellectuals-- and listeners of great music. So many times in the past twenty years I have wanted to call Grandma up to discuss a book I am reading and perhaps teaching. I would love her perspective.

I inherited her set of first edition Falkner (her favorite author) and Thomas Mann. I also have a first edition Winesburg, Ohio that she gave me when I was in high school and telling her of my study of Spoon River Anthology in acting class. The connection she made back then informed me that Grandma Cooper and I were kindred spirits: something I already suspected.

Canterbury Tales General Prologue

2010-02-09T19:32:00.001-05:00

Canterbury Tales General Prologue

Serendipity

2009-09-05T08:51:00.002-04:00

Serendipity is the experience that can be rephrased by the title of CS Lewis's book Surprised By Joy. Dictionary.com defines it: The faculty (or the instance) of making fortunate discoveries by accident. May this be a year of serendipity, both academically and personally.

My Prayer For The New School Year

2009-09-04T14:54:00.002-04:00

Oh God of color and light and literature- of order and space and language- of numbers and history, Lord, thank you for this school year. Help us to love our students as you do, to inspire them to love you with all their minds; help the coaches to inspire the students to love you with all their strength. Bless the parents for their faith. Lord, we bring the wood- please light the fire.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Selected Photos from the Folger Library Field Trip

2009-02-24T22:03:00.021-05:00

Oscar Night

2009-02-21T23:07:00.003-05:00

I have nothing in common with Hollywood and would usually avoid the Oscar Award show at all costs. But this year one of my former students (from The Field School) is nominated for the award for Best Screenplay! And an actress from that film, which she also directed, is nominated for Best Actress. I haven't seen Courtney since 1982, but I've seen recent pictures of her, and she looks a lot like she did then. Beautiful. Natural.

Amazing.

The Academic Community and The Kingdom of Heaven

2009-02-03T11:20:00.004-05:00

An idea came to me about two years ago, during Erin's senior year at Hood, that the academic community, especially the small, private college, is an excellent reflection of the kingdom of heaven.
All the disciplines reflect something about God: physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, logic, history, philosophy, anthropology, languages, literature, music and art- each reflects an aspect of who God is. The academic community has the potential to be a perfect God-glorifying community with professors uniquely revealing God (in the discipline of his/her specialty) to eager students who hunger for more and more knowledge that leads them to delight in God. In this community everyone is a learner. A perfect academic community- perhaps our eternal home- is one without sin: teachers would be without arrogant pride or impatience; students would also be without arrogant pride or laziness. There would be no anger, cheating, slander, stealing or bitterness. Sin inhibits learning, and learning fuels worship.

Oh, in this ideal community everyone is steeped in supportive kindness, gentleness, patience and joy- everything that is a fruit of the spirit. I have a longing in my heart for this- it is a longing for heaven- a nostos-longing for a safe home, a loving community bursting with the unending discovery of the triune God. It is a gentle and vibrant place of color, of melody, light, and richness.

Chapel Part 3

2008-12-07T20:59:00.000-05:00

Geoffrey Chaucer wrote an amazing collection of short stories called The Canterbury Tales- around the year 1400. This work is esteemed as one of the greatest works of world literature. The stories are held together by a frame story of pilgrims traveling from London to Canterbury to pay their respects to Thomas Beckett. To pass the time pleasantly, the host of the inn where the trip begins suggests a contest. Each pilgrim will tell 2 stories and the one who tells the best tale wins a prize. Some of the stories are noble and even godly, but some are a little risqué and inappropriate. Chaucer never finished the work, but before he died he dedicated himself to Christ and asked his readers to forgive him for writing some stories that might have offended them, admitting to their inappropriate content.

I beseech our Lord Jesus Christ, that he,
from now until my life's end,
send me grace to hate my sin
and grant me grace and repentance, penitence, confession,
and satisfaction, to do in this present life, through the good and kind
grace of Him that is King of kings and Priest of all priests,
who bought us with the precious blood of his heart,
that I may be one of them who, at the last day, shall be saved.

Chapel Part 2: Caedmon

2008-12-06T09:42:00.000-05:00

St. Augustine brought the Gospel to England in the 6th century- and within 50 years, the first English poet composed the first English poem. His name was Caedmon, and he was a simple shepherd living on the grounds of a monastery. After dinner it was the custom for all those at dinner to tell a story or sing a song. When it was Caedmon’s turn, he was so aware of his simplicity and lack of talent that he left and went to the barn to sleep beside his sheep. But later that evening, he heard the voice of God telling him, “Caedmon, sing to me.” Like Moses, Caedmon tried to excuse himself, but he heard the voice again, “Sing to me, Caedmon.” And awestruck, Caedmon wrote the following:

Nu sculon herigean heofonrices weard,
meotodes meahte and his modgeþanc,
weorc wuldorfæder, swa he wundra gehwæs,
ece drihten, or onstealde.

He ærest sceop eorðan bearnum
heofon to hrofe, halig scyppend;
þa middangeard moncynnes weard,
ece drihten, æfter teode
firum foldan, frea ælmihtig.

Here is the translation:
Now let me praise the keeper of Heaven's kingdom,
the might of the Creator, and his thought,
the work of the Father of glory, how each of wonders
the Eternal Lord established in the beginning.
He first created for the sons of men
Heaven as a roof, the holy Creator,
then Middle-earth the keeper of mankind,
the Eternal Lord, afterwards made,
the earth for men, the Almighty Lord.

Chapel December 3

2008-12-02T17:19:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow I am leading a literature based chapel service at school. For the next several days I will give you bits of my teaching. Enjoy!

English literature is a gold mine of treasures to help you love God with all your heart and your mind. If you were to ask any English professor from even the most secular college and university what is the best of the best English literature from AD 600- 1815,
you would hear titles like Beowulf, the Canterbury Tales, Paradise Lost, and Pride and Prejudice- and you would hear the names of authors like Caedmon, Spenser, Milton, Donne, Shakespeare and Herbert.

Today in chapel I want to show you how God has had His hand on English literature- in both wisdom and delight, to get you excited to explore some of these works in the years to come and to inspire some of you to work hard to hone the craft of writing poetry, plays, short stories and novels. There is no reason why the best of the best of literature both today and tomorrow can’t reflect a Christian worldview just as it did 200 years ago.

Devices of Anglo-Saxon Poetry

2008-11-07T18:24:00.005-05:00

There are three major devices in Anglo-Saxon (Old English) poetry.
The first is caesura, which is a natural pause within a line of poetry. In Beowulf and in other poems of its time period, such as The Dream of the Rood, the poet builds a physical pause into the line, such as:

Hwæt! We Gardena- in geardagum,
þeodcyninga,- þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas- ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scefing- sceaþena þreatum,

In modern English poetry, poets use commas, semi-colons or periods to make the pause.

The second device is alliteration, which is a device that has staying power. Poe and Frost (and any poet worth his salt) have used it. Alliteration is the repetitive use of consonant sounds. Here is an example as a chain-mail shirt is described:

hard and hand-linked, the high-gloss iron...

Lastly, and perhaps best of all, is the kenning. A kenning is a compound word or phrase that is used as a synonym or common noun. These are delightful. Among my favorites: bone-house (body), sky-candle (sun), ring-giver (king) and whale-road (the sea).

Delight and Wisdom From Beowulf

2008-11-06T22:45:00.004-05:00

...deep in their hearts
they remembered hell. The Almighty Judge
of good deeds and bad, the Lord God,
Head of the Heavens and High King of the world
was unknown to them. Oh, cursed is he
who in time of trouble has to thrust his soul
in the fire's embrace, forfeiting help;
he has nowhere to turn. But blessed is he
who after death can approach the Lord
and find friendship in the Father's embrace.

(lines 180-188; Seamus Heaney, translator)

Word of the Day

2008-10-30T07:33:00.002-04:00

Today's word of the day from dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/ is hubris, a word that I teach when the students are learning about classical tragedy. Hubris is excessive pride- the kind that brings the downfall of a hero.

A Gift For Janites!

2008-10-28T12:22:00.002-04:00

A new book is coming soon from Peter Leithart, one of my favorite authors!
This should excite all the Janites our there!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1581827032/ref=s9int_c5_at1-rfc_g1-3102_p?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=161AP1AZDQZKQTB17FCR&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=371408801&pf_rd_i=507846

Whisperings of God in The Odyssey

2008-10-23T22:37:00.002-04:00

· A wanderer travels the world trying to get home and is buffeted by trial and storm.
· A wife/bride waits for 20 years for the return of her lord.
· This lord, who is her savior, comes disguised as a beggar (His own knew him not).
· The suitors who have abused the lord’s house and plotted to kill his son and marry his wife are justly put to death- except for one who is spared when the son begs his father to have mercy for that one.
· There are at least three references to a man walking on water.
· When men and woman pray, their prayers are already in the process of being answered.

It's been a fun six weeks. Next up: Beowulf

Sing Muse!

2008-10-20T18:49:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow the seniors will give their recitations of the Odyssey's proem (introduction). They are committing to memory some of the most famous words in history:

The Proem of The Odyssey:

Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story
of that man skilled in all ways of contending,
the wanderer, harried for years on end,
after he plundered the stronghold
on the proud height of Troy. He saw the townlands
and learned the minds of many distant men,
and weathered many bitter nights and days
in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only
to save his life, to bring his shipmates home.
But not by will nor valor could he save them,
for their own recklessness destroyed them all —
children and fools, they killed and feasted on
the cattle of Lord Helios, the Sun,
and he who moves all day through the heaven
took from their eyes the dawn of their return. . . .

As Christians we are a lot like Odysseus- wandering on earth, trying to get to our eternal home, heaven. The ache, the longing in our hearts for our true home is called nostos in Greek (the English word nostalgia comes from nostos).

Xenos

2008-10-12T18:59:00.002-04:00

Probably the most important concept/theme that we see in The Odyssey is that of xenia, or the code of hospitality. In ancient Greek culture households were expected to take in travelers, even if they were strangers, and treat them generously and with respect. According to the code, the host was to welcome the guest, provide him with a bath and fresh clothing, feed him generously and let him stay as long as he wished. When the guest did depart, it was expected that the host would give him lavish gifts (gold and silver jewelry, bowls, pitchers; rich clothing and even horses and chariots).

In return, the guest was expected not to stay too long, not steal from his host and not to molest his wife, daughters or servant girls.

The Greek word xenos, which refers to the guest, literally means stranger, guest and foreigner. In Ephesians 2:19 Paul says, "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God..." The word used for "strangers and aliens" is xenos. It is very cool to reflect on the fact that we are no longer xenos- but that God has adopted us and made us members of his household.

The Longing of the Human Heart

2008-10-08T17:28:00.002-04:00

God made us with certain longings- the desire for justice, for example, is a universal longing. We all long for the world to be a better place than the one we find ourselves in, and that longing will only be filled in heaven.

We also have a longing for God (that people fill in all different ways). The ancient Greeks were no different. Today in English class we saw that longing expressed in the revelation of Athena after Odysseus finally returns to Ithica.

"Would you even have guessed, I am Pallas Athena, daughter of Zeus, I that am always with you in times of trouble..."

It brought delight to many of the seniors to read these words and see for ourselves that, as CS Lewis said, "God gave good dreams to the Greeks."

Coming Soon: Senior Greek Lunch

2008-10-02T21:58:00.005-04:00

In celebration of reading Homer's Odyssey:

Greek lunch October 21, 2008 11:30-12:00
We will hear the proem recitations that day in class.

For the lunch we will need the following:
4 people to make grilled chicken
4 Greek salads
3 people to bring pita bread
2 people to bring olives (Calamata)
6 people to bring sparkling grape juice
4 people to bring ambrosia*
2 or 3 parents to help serve and clean up.

*Ambrosia

1 cup sour cream
2 cups fresh whipped cream OR non-dairy whipped topping
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits, well drained
2 (11-ounce) cans mandarin oranges, well drained
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 teaspoons fresh grated orange peel (optional)

In large mixing bowl combine sour cream with the whipped topping. Add remaining ingredients and gently fold in until just combined.
Transfer to serving dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

The Odyssey

2008-09-23T12:53:00.003-04:00

The coolest thing about reading Homer's Odyssey at CLS is seeing the fingerprints of God on a piece of Pagan, pre-Christian literature. Today what struck us as we read was Telemachus's prayer that he would succeed and that his mother's suitors would be routed. Little did he know that Athena was not only standing close by, but she was already in the process of answering that prayer!

Another cool aspect of The Odyssey is the truth that we see as we look at Ithica 20 years after all the men have left to fight in Troy. The society has fallen apart with no fathers left to train and disciple the young men to respect the cultural mores- and to protect the women and the elderly. Instead the young men mock the elderly and prey on the women.

But the Lord Odysseus, the King of Ithica, will soon return and bring judgement.

Talk Like a Pirate Day

2008-09-20T19:54:00.003-04:00

Quiz Show

2008-09-07T16:38:00.000-04:00

The seniors are watching Robert Redford's Quiz Show (1994) this week, after having learned what defines Greek tragedy. A high-born protagonist "flies too high on borrowed wings" (hubris) which leads to a reversal of fortune. The movie is brilliant- and totally spell-binding. It is very fulfilling to watch students who are excited about learning.

Tasha Tudor’s Thumbprint Cookies

2008-07-27T14:23:00.000-04:00

Tasha Tudor’s Thumbprint Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
2 egg yolks
2 cups sifted unbleached flour
½ tsp almond extract
Raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the jam. Chill dough for a half hour. Roll dough into small balls and make an indentation with your thumb; fill indentation with jam.

Bake for 10-12 minutes- or until golden brown. Place on a rack to cool.

Jessica's Poems

2008-07-19T18:03:00.000-04:00

Kindness

Kindness is rose pink
It sounds like a flute
It smells like vanilla
It tastes like just baked chocolate chip cookies
Kindness feels like sunshine

Frustration

Frustration is blazing orange
It sounds like bagpipes
It tastes like soda when you were expecting water
It smells like 409
Frustration feels like not being able to find your hairbrush when it’s time to leave

Joy

Joy is bright pink
It sounds like huge bells
It tastes like apple pie
It smells like apple juice
Joy feels like a splash of water

Flowers

Flowers of yellow,
Pink, purple, blue, red and white,
Brighten a dull day

Lake

Sun glinted on water,
Reflecting the colorful
Trees on the lakeside

Snow

Snow covered the ground,
A blanket of white over
The green grass and trees

Poets

2008-07-18T22:47:00.000-04:00

Vicky's Poems

2008-07-18T08:56:00.001-04:00

Psalm

Oh Lord my heart is heavy
I feel regret if I did wrong
But I know you’ll cheer me up
You bring the best comfort

Happiness

Happiness is purple
Happiness sounds like upbeat music
Happiness tastes like M&M’s
Happiness smells like a spring breeze
Happiness is like fireworks inside you

Impatience

Impatience is angry red
Impatience sounds like screaming
Impatience tastes like blood
Impatience smells like a burnt dinner
Impatience is like fire

Frustration

Frustration is blazing orange
Frustration sounds like a chatterbox
Frustration tastes like throw-up
Frustration smells like a rotting carcass
Frustration feels like molten lava

Animals

The cats romp in drip-fizz
The elephants splash the neigh-fizz
The donkeys bray the clatter-burp
The monkeys swing the clip-clop gong
The horses stand in knock-ooze
And kangaroos hop the moo-sigh.

Sounds

The gravel crunches on the driveway
The air smells of smoky fall
And the wind’s gentle stirring
Is the best thing of all
The warm sun slants through the trees
The mountains look crisp and clear

I Wish

I wish I had more freedom
I wish I could enjoy Harry Potter more
I wish I had my driver’s license
I wish I had my own car
I wish I had a bigger room
I wish I had more video games
I really, really wish I had no more idols

I Am

Acting, Love of God, Cuddling
Cheerfulness, Love of Family and Friends, Reading
Love of church, Love of Oceans and Mountains