Robbie Cheadle's Blog, page 48

Growing Bookworms – Setting learning goals with your child

Today, I am over at Writing to be Read with the month’s Growing Bookworms post about Setting learning goals with your child. Thank you for hosting, Kaye Lynne Booth.

Writing to be Read

Just like adults, children benefit by setting learning goals for the year or even the term. Goals give all of us something positive and definite to work towards and we feel a sense of achievement when we meet our goals.

At the beginning of the school year, parents should sit down with their child and plan some goals for the year. This goal setting process should include identifying the specific areas the child needs to work on and the setting of realistic and achievable goals in order to measure progress in those areas. If your child is struggling with maths, for example, there is no point in setting a goal of achieving a distinction in the first term of the new school year. A reasonable goal would be an increase of 5% for each term, which will allow the child to improve his/her understanding of the subject and gradually build…

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Robbie’s Inspiration – Recipes from around the world: Chocolate mousse and strawberry custard pie

I made this pie for lunch on Easter Sunday. I made the recipe up because I had a large tin of strawberries I wanted to use (they were a replacement item from the grocery store when they did not have the tinned black cherries I ordered) and a packet of almond flour which was going to expire within a month.

I amended the pie crust recipe from Donna Hay’s Classic Baked Cheesecake recipe which you can find here: https://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/classic-baked-cheesecake

I marginally changed a chocolate mousse recipe I got out of a Taste magazine several years ago and I made up the strawberry custard recipe.

The family raved about this rich and decadent pudding so I think I did well with this experiment.

Step 1: Pie crust

100 grams cold butter, chopped

60 ml castor sugar

160 ml plain flour

80 ml almond flour

Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Prepare a deep circular pie dish approximately 30 cm round.

Mix the flour, almond flour and castor sugar. Use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until a stick dough forms. I only layered the bottom of the pie dish with this mixture and I blind backed it for 15 minutes and then set it aside to cool.

Step 2: Making the chocolate mousse

300 grams marshmallows, halved

90 grams soft butter

500 grams 70% cocoa dark chocolate, broken into pieces

3 tablespoons boiling water

8 tablespoons cherry liqueur

2 cups cream

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 large can chopped strawberries

1 large tin strawberries drained (retain the syrup) and chopped

Place the marshmallows, chocolate, boiling water, cherry liqueur, and butter in a heat-resistant bowl and melt slowly over a pan of boiling water.

Whip the cream with the vanilla essence. Once the chocolate mixture is completely melted, allow to cool. Mix in the cream and vanilla essence. Lastly, mix in the 1/2 of the chopped strawberries. Pour the mixture over the pie crust and refrigerate until set.

Step 3: Making the strawberry custard

Mix 3 tablespoons of custard powder with 50 ml of the strawberry syrup. Top the remaining strawberry juice up to 450 ml with cold water. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add the custard mixture, reduce the heat to a simmer, and whisk until the custard thickens. Add the remaining half of the chopped strawberries. Allow to cool slightly and then pour over the chocolate mousse. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve. I added a layer of whipped cream to the top of the pie to reduce the sweetness.

Kaye Lynne Booth from Writing to be Read blog shared two poems for Mothers Day yesterday. One is mine and one is her own. You can read them here: https://writingtoberead.com/2022/05/08/a-very-special-mothers-day-post/

Robbie’s Inspiration – Book review: Hues of Hope, Selected poetry by Balroop Singh

Wishing you all a happy Mothers Day. Today, I am sharing my review of Hues of Hope, Selected poetry by Balroop Singh.

What Amazon says

Hues Of Hope is the collection of readers’ favorite poems from my poetry books. These poems explore the hope that lies within our heart, hope that whispers each morning to look at the horizon, hope that inspires us to look beyond the chaotic world and take the next step to vanquish the fears that try to fetter us. It promises to take us to an oasis of peace, unravels magical moments of joy, as beams of love calm our senses. It even guides us through dark alleys to show the streaks of light that shimmer through the clouds.

My review

Hues of Hope is a collection of beautifully descriptive and vivid poems all linked by the common theme of hope. The poems are grouped under appropriate sub-headings that reflect the different shades and nuances of hope, moving from the most clear and shining concept of hope to the more complex evolvement of hope from difficult situations and emotional pain. Reading this book from start to finish was like following the path of a person’s life, starting at young adulthood when every choice seems simple and obvious, and following the dead-ends, bumps, lows, and highs that mark our progress to maturity and eventually old age.

An example of two beautiful verses from the earlier poems are:

“Wind whispers to leaves;
“Fall gently, don’t ruin the spread
Mingle in its violet hues
To enhance the ethereal beauty.””
From Tread Softly here, and

“Silver tumbles down with passion
Sunbeams lace it with rainbow colors
Dusk dawdles with orange hues
A damaged tree trunk glimmers”
From Transient Waterfall

An example of a stunning verse from the later poems is:

“Is it the wrath of Mother Nature?
Is it man-made catastrophe?
Questions blaze with the flames
Answers would never calm down
The ache within their hearts.”
From How Fragile Is Life!

A collection that all poetry lovers will enjoy.

Purchase Hues of Hope by Balroop Singh

Amazon US

Balroop Singh Amazon Author Page

Miriam & Robbie Visit the Bar – SoCS

Dan Antion from the superb blog, No Facilities, hosted Miriam Hurdle and I at his local virtual bar to discuss poetry and the new WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships anthology. If you haven’t visited Dan’s blog before, you are missing out. He has a terrific blog and shares all sorts of interesting conversations and photographs as well as hosting the Thursday Doors weekly challenge.

No Facilities

Today is a poetry dayI should open with a poemBut I got zipStill, bonus points are on the lineStream of Consciousness SaturdayNothin' zeroRobbie and Miriam have poemsNot here - in the anthologyMe? Nada - zilch!

Because today’s post required more planning than Linda allows, I was going to skip the SoCS part. But then she offered bonus points.

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘zip, zero, zilch.’ Use one, use ’em all, bonus points if you use all three. Have fun!”

If you follow my blog, you know I like poetry and I appreciate the work of poets. I have always had an interest in poetry, but only through the friends I’ve made blogging have I gotten to know poets. I have said it numerous times, but poets are the true artists in the writing world. The make…

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Robbie’s Inspiration – Recipes from around the world, seafood chowder (a la Robbie)

Hello everyone, last week there was no recipes from around the world post as we were away on a mini-break. The Ukutula Conservation Centre had a large number of statues of African wildlife. I’ll share some pictures at the end of this post. If you’d like to see a few of the pictures and videos I took of tigers, baby leopards, and baby cheetahs, you can see them here: https://robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com/2022/04/29/roberta-writes-thursday-doors-ukutula-conservation-centre-ukutula-babyleopards-babycheetahs-lionmelody-poetry/

We ate a lot of red meat while we were away as the venue offered a set menu and, unless you said you didn’t eat it, that is what was served. The food was very good, but more red meat than I would ordinarily eat.

As a result, I needed a break from meat this weekend and decided to make this tasty seafood chowder. It turned out really well with the improvisations I made to the recipe.

Ingredients

250 gram packet of back bacon

1 onion, chopped finely

10 ml black pepper

7 cups chicken stock

900 ml milk

500 grams white fish (I used hake)

450 grams haddock

500 grams large, shelled prawns

3 tablespoons plain cake flour

2 x 700 gram bags baby potatoes (halved)

60 ml double thick yoghurt

Method

In a small amount of vegetable oil, fry the onion and the chopped bacon for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock, flour, black pepper and, finally, the potatoes. Bring to the boil and then simmer for approximately 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat the milk in a large pan. When the milk starts to boil, add the haddock and hake. Turn down and simmer for 6 minutes. Remove the fish from the milk. Pour the milk into the chicken stock mixture. Flake the fish. In a frying pan, cook the prawns for about 5 minutes until they are pink. Add the fish and the prawns to the pot, followed by 60 ml of double thick yoghurt.

Stir until combined and serve with crusty bread.

Day 7 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships blog tour – Introducing poet, Colleen Chesebro

Today, I am delighted to host Colleen Chesebro for Day 7 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships anthology blog tour. Colleen is an accomplished poet and a leader in the blogosphere of poetry and new poetry forms. I am grateful to Colleen for everything she has taught me over the past few years.

Thoughts on relationships by Colleen Chesebro

Writing poetry about the theme of relationships for the second Poetry Treasures anthology took me on a thorough analysis into my past. It took me years to figure out I was an introvert.

Extroversion and introversion are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. How you receive and give out energy determines where you fall on this spectrum. But people can fall anywhere on the spectrum.

The other huge myth? Introverts are shy and extroverts are outgoing. Not so. In my younger years, I was an extroverted introvert, often slipping into the role of the life of the party. Now, I’ve grown into my introversion. It shows in my poetry in ways I never expected.

Being an introvert helped me connect with my feelings, which drew me to writing senryu. Senryu are a Japanese poetry form that is written about love, and the human condition. Most senryu contain a bit of irony. These poems deal with anything that touches on the pain we experience from simple everyday living. We often leave emotions open and raw. But we don’t deal with sentimentality in these poems.

I wish you could see

in me, what I saw in you—

our friendship destroyed

© Colleen M. Chesebro

Relationships can be difficult. The senryu above, I wrote about a friend I lost many years ago. People often come and go in our lives, some leaving deep wounds and scars. This is the beauty of senryu poetry. I learned some valuable lessons in that relationship. And I also learned forgiveness.

Thanks for stopping by.

About Colleen Chesebro

Colleen M. Chesebro is a Michigan Poet who loves crafting syllabic poetry, flash fiction, and creative fiction and nonfiction. Colleen sponsors a weekly syllabic poetry challenge, called Tanka Tuesday, on wordcraftpoetry.com where participants learn how to write traditional and current forms of syllabic poetry. A published author, Colleen is also an editor of “Word Weaving, a Word Craft Journal of Syllabic Verse, also found on wordcraftpoetry.com.” Her poetry has appeared in several online publications. Colleen’s mission is to bring the craft of writing syllabic poetry to anyone who thinks they can’t be a poet.

You can find Colleen’s books on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Colleen-M-Chesebro/e/B01N9MV2RX

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ColleenChesebro

Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships

Relationships are golden and each of the poems of Arthur Rosch, Elizabeth Merry, D.Avery, Robbie Cheadle, Harmony Kent, Lauren Scott, JulesPaige, Leon Stevens, Collen M. Chesebro, Miriam Hurdle, M.J. Mallon, and Lynda McKinney Lambert pay poetic tribute to their most intense personal moments.

https://books2read.com/u/3kP8aK

Giveaway

To be entered in the drawing, you must leave a comment at all eight tour stops. Follow the tour and leave a comment at each stop to be entered in a random drawing for chance to win a free digital copy of Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships.

Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships – April 25 – May 2

Monday (25)  – Opening Day Post – Writing to be Read/Lauren’s post

Tuesday (26)  – ShiftnShake – Robbie’s post (Deanne host)

Wednesday (27)  – The Showers of Blessings – Lynda’s post

Thursday (28)  – Baydreamer – Miriam’s post

Friday (29)  – Zigler’s News – Review/Marje’s post

Saturday (30) – This Is My Truth Now – Spotlight on the publisher/Kaye

Sunday (5/1) – Robbie’s Inspiration – Colleen’s post

Monday (5/2) – Writing to be Read/Closing post – Leon’s Post

Ask the Authors 2022 is here!

Ask the Authors 2022 is now available and includes industry wisdom from Mark Leslie Lefebvre, Kevin Killiany, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Bobby Nash, Paul Kane, Nancy Oswald, Chris Barili, Jeff Bowles, Mario Acevedo, Kaye Lynne Booth and myself. It was an interesting experience for me to participate in a non-fiction book of this nature that offers writing advice. It made me think hard about my writing journey. It was also useful and interesting to read about the writing journeys of other authors.

Writing to be Read

Ask the Authors 2022

That’s right. The writing reference you’ve all been waiting for has arrived. Ten talented authors and industry experts have gathered together with me to share their writing tips and advice in essay and Q&A, creating a writing reference anthology like no other.

Where can you find publishing industry experts willing to share their secrets?

Ask the Authors 2022 is the ultimate writer’s reference, with tips and advice on craft, publishing and marketing. Eleven experienced and successful authors share what works for them and offer their keys to success in traditional publishing, hybrid, and indie. You’ll learn industry wisdom from Mark Leslie Lefebvre, Kevin Killiany, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Bobby Nash, Paul Kane, Nancy Oswald, Chris Barili, Jeff Bowles, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Mario Acevedo and Kaye Lynne Booth.

This book offers up-to-date and tried-and-true ways to improve your craft, explores current publishing and book marketing worlds. Take a…

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Robbie Cheadle reads! Poetry Treasures 2; Relationships

I am over at D Avery’s lovely blog with a post about why I like poetry anthologies and reading of three poems from WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 2:Relationships anthology. D Avery is a contributor to the anthology and I’ve read one of her poems, A Jar, as well as The Red Petticoat by Elizabeth Merry and She lives yet she is dead by myself.

ShiftnShake

Why I enjoy poetry anthologies

By Robbie Cheadle

I have always enjoyed reading poetry. My love started with nursery rhymes which I read repeatedly when I was a child. I had some personal favourites including The Owl and the Pussy-Cat, There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly, and Who Killed Cock Robin. My enjoyment of nursery rhymes developed rather naturally into a delight in poetry.

When I was at school, we were made to learn certain poems off by heart. This was required for both English, my first language, and Afrikaans, my secondary language.

Astonishingly, some of the poems I learned impacted me so much, I can still recite them. Do you recognise these lines?

“When you hear it languishing

and hooing and cooing, and sidling through the front teeth,

the Oxford voice

or worse still

the would-be Oxford voice

you don’t even laugh any more, you can’t.”

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Robbie’s Inspiration – I’m going on an adventure

I’ll see you all next Tuesday. Have a wonderful weekend.

Treasuring Poetry: Meet poet and author, Chris, Hall and a review of Following the Green Rabbit

Today, I am delighted to host poet and author, Chris Hall, as my Treasuring Poetry guest. Do go over and read about her favourite poems and my review of her fabulous fantasy book, Following the Green Rabbit. Thank you for hosting, Kaye Lynne Booth.

Writing to be Read

Today, I am delighted to host poet and author, Chris Hall. Like me, Chris is UK born and South Africa is her adopted country. We both love the bushveld and many of Chris’ poems and books reflect this love.

Which of your own poems is your favourite?

Call of the Maiden is a poem I wrote in response to a call for submissions to a poetry anthology by the wonderful poet and all-round creative, Tara Caribou. I was delighted when this, and another four of my poems, were accepted to be published alongside a whole host of amazing poets and artists in Creation and the Cosmos, edited and published in 2021 by Tara’s micro-publishing company, Raw Earth Ink.

Call of the Maiden

The breeze-caressed veld sways

sending dry waves to break on a distant shore

whirlwind dust-devils dance over bare earth

rising up to be scorched into stillness.

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