April Slides in with National Poetry Month and Earth Day

April has arrived.

Photo JosepMonter, Pixabay

For many people April brings the excitement of an awakening in our land as we watch the dull brown of sleeping vegetation in the northern regions morph into the many vibrant hues of green. What better way to enjoy the month than to smell the earthy scent of mud, feel the warm sun on your back, and rekindle your hope that spring has arrived with its many showers and colorful flowers?                                  

April is also National Poetry Month and, on April 22^nd, we celebrate Earth Day in the United States along with Canada and other countries around the world. This year, the theme for Earth Day is Invest In Our Planet and continues to focus on the effects of climate change.

One of my favorite poems is It Must Be Spring, by May Fenn. It not only ushers in joys of the season, but also highlights the wonders of our earth, giving a nod to the importance of Earth Day.

Hush, can you hear it?
The rustling in the grass,
Bringing you the welcome news that
Winter’s day is past.
Soft, can you feel it?
The warm caressing breeze,
Telling you the sticky buds
Are bursting on the trees.
Look, can you see them?
The primrose in the lane.
Now you must believe it —
Spring is here again.

Photo by Beeki, Pixabay

So as we watch the red buds burst and bloom and see the first yellow dandelions emerge in the grass…or listen to the returning birds in the bushes and the honking geese in the skies overhead… let’s take time to enjoy the jaunty month bringing renewal to our earth and optimism to our lives. 

 

 

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MARCH - Named for the Roman God of War

Paddy caps (hats) off to the Irish! March is a windy, sometimes chilly, but joyous month when everyone becomes Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. In the northern states, it’s also the month which can come roaring in like a lion with cold blustery weather and go out with warmth and the softness of a lamb or—vice versa.

Everyone looks forward to March 20^th, when spring is supposed to march in and put an end to winter weather. Daffodils, the flower of March, rear their sleepy heads and poke through the cold ground, bringing the color of sunshine back to the drab flowerbeds.

Rain and mud are part of spring. If we’re fortunate, we might well see the return of early migrating birds. Birds that nest in the Northern Hemisphere tend to migrate in spring to take advantage of burgeoning insect populations, budding plants, and an abundance of nesting locations. I love to step outside, search the sky, and listen when I hear the first flocks of geese winging their way toward Canada.

For me, it’s also a bittersweet month. My mother passed away in the month of March. Ironically, her birthday was on St. Patrick’s Day. For someone of Polish ancestry, she was always a good sport and laughed and loved the cakes, iced in green with shamrocks, we made to celebrate her special day.

Most of all, for those of us who like to garden, who like to watch things grow, it’s an exciting month as we start planning the flowers, vegetables, herbs, and other greenery we’d like to plant for the coming spring, summer, and fall ahead. Last year, we had a bucket garden filled with a variety of spices. This year, my husband has found a “vertical squash” plant we want to grow. But that’s a story for another day.

Hats off to all… and to the month of March named for the Roman god of war, Mars.  May it be a prosperous and pleasing one for all.

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A PRETTY PEPPER - THE ALOHA

Compliments of Blue Apron

The other day, my husband and I stopped at Perine’s Produce, a grocery and local fresh vegetable and fruit market in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where I discovered a striking, new, red and yellow striped pepper.

It’s a Holland bell pepper called the Aloha or Enjoya. Discovered in the Netherlands, Aloha peppers were cultivated to show off their stunning stripes. They taste very similar to bell peppers and have a sweet, mild flavor.

They can be eaten raw or grilled or cooked, making them perfect for salads and hot dishes. They keep their pretty variegated stripes even after they are heated. My Aloha pepper cost me $0.99 for one. 

I’m looking forward to trying them in my stuffed pepper soup recipe below. According to the recipe, you can use red, yellow, or green peppers. I’m wondering what striped Aloha or Enjoya peppers will taste like in the recipe. 

 Stuffed Pepper Soup

1lb lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 cup uncooked or 2 cups cooked rice, plain or wild

1 can Hunts flavored diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (14.5oz can)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp basil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 box chicken stock (32oz)
2 cups water
2 tbsp powdered beef stock
3 bell peppers – green, red and yellow can be used
Cheese for topping (optional)
Fresh cracked black pepper for garnish (optional)

 

In a large soup pot coated with cooking spray, over medium-high heat, brown the grown beef with the onions and rice. Browning rice gives it a nutty flavor, but do not let it burn.

Dice peppers into small ½" pieces, set side.
Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, chicken stock, water, and powdered beef stock, then allow it to come to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and allow it to cook 20 minutes then add the peppers and allow it to cook another 20-30 minutes depending upon the type of rice.

 

Serve with cheese on top (optional)

Serves 6 - [398 calories]

   

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NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY - January 27th

It’s January 2023, and everyone is setting goals or making resolutions for the new year. 

I have decided to make just one: to try to eat less sweets. I discovered—well, not just recently discovered—I’m addicted to sweets and especially chocolate. I love all kinds of chocolate: milk, dark, white, semi-sweet, bitter sweet. And I’m not fussy whether they are in eatable or drinkable forms. I like candy, cakes, cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, hot chocolate and chocolate syrups. 

Chocolate come from cacao trees. These trees are relatively short, only growing to be about 15-25 feet tall. It takes about 5 years for a cacao tree to grow mature and start producing cacao pods. The beans grow in football-shaped pods on the trunk of the tree and from larger branches.

Chocolate has been part of American society for about 252 years. In America, chocolate was consumed primarily as a beverage until the 1830s or 40s. Chocolate cakes, as we think of them today, did not exist.

Imagine my surprise when I found out January 27^th is National Chocolate Cake Day in the United States, a nonofficial holiday to commemorate this delicious treat. 

A popular Philadelphia cookbook author, Eliza Leslie, published the earliest chocolate cake recipe in 1847 in The Lady’s Receipt Book. The first boxed cake mix was created by a company called O. Duff and Sons in the late 1920s. Betty Crocker released their first dry cake mixes in 1947.

Since then, cake has its own category and is featured in recipes around the world. Who hasn’t heard of German chocolate or Black Forest cake? Chocolate fudge or molten lave cake? Texas sheet cake or chocolate truffle cake? There are even cakelike brownie recipes. 

Cocoa contains both healthy and unhealthy forms of dietary fat, and contains minerals important for human health, including potassium, phosphorus, copper, iron, zinc and magnesium. Some studies have found that regular chocolate consumption is associated with lower blood pressure, decreased stress levels, and increased alertness.   

And thus, because chocolate can be healthy was exactly why I modified my resolution not to give up all sweets, just to eat less of them. Hey, who am I kidding? A red box of deluxe chocolates sitting on my counter (a Christmas present from my son) is calling out to me this very moment. Maybe just a small piece wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Happy New Year! 

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