Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 109

Never Give Up

“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win.”

— Margaret Thatcher (1925 – 2013)

Prime Minister of the  United Kingdom 1979 – 1990; first female British prime minister & longest serving in the 20th century

(Image by Abderrahmann Hadd)

Keep Hope Alive

“When hope is taken away from a people, moral degeneration follows swiftly thereafter.”

— Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973)

Pulitzer Prize-winning American author

(Photo by Schaferle)

National Welsh Rarebit Day

One legend says that this cheesy dish was first developed by Welsh peasants seeking a substitute for expensive meat. There are records of the dish in Wales dating back to the 1500s under the name “caws pobi,” meaning toasted cheese in Welsh. Likely it was a staple throughout Britain, and it remains popular in British pubs.

Dad, who was a bit Welsh by heritage, enjoyed anything with melty cheese. My brother, sister, and I grew up eating Welsh Rarebit (aka Welsh Rabbit) every other week as a light Sunday supper at our grandmother’s house, following a huge lunch. It’s a simple hot cheese sauce on toast… or toast points, or Saltine crackers, or toasted English muffins, waffles (or chaffles), etc.

The first recorded reference to the dish as Welsh Rabbit hails from 1725. This name is believed to started as a joke, as there has never been rabbit or any other meat included in the recipe. Welsh Rarebit still holds a special place in Wales as a traditional dish. I now have learned that September 3 is officially National Welsh Rarebit Day.

Grandmother Marjorie (Rowe) Gulumian faithfully made Welsh Rarebit for us in the top of a double boiler set over boiling water. She served it with a bowl containing ½ small onion and ¼ c fresh parsley, finely minced together, as a garnish. Her recipe simply melted 2 T butter in the top of the double boiler. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 egg yolks, ¾ c milk, 1 T Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce. This mixture is then added to the butter. Once very hot, gradually stir in ¾ lb shredded Cheddar cheese (¼ lb at a time), stirring till smooth after each addition. Then cook and stir 5 more minutes, before serving, piping hot, over crackers, toast, biscuits, or English muffins.

My personal twists (as I updated her recipe) include preparing in a medium saucepan over low heat. To the seasonings, I also include 1/8 – ¼ tsp ground white pepper, and I double the Worcestershire sauce to 2 tsp. I also stir the minced onion and parsley into the sauce along with the cheese, and a garnish with a sprinkle of paprika. Shift paprika to cayenne pepper to add some “heat.” (Or stir in a few drops of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce into the cheese.)

A more traditional twist is to make this entirely with beer or ale in place of milk… or to replace at least ½ c of milk with beer. There are no rules. I have also done this replacing milk with white wine, rather than beer, and get lovely results, which I have used as a fondue to serve with crusty chunks of French bread, some just barely cooked veggies, such as broccoli florets, and fresh slices of apple.

Would you like a few more variations? Try serving Welsh Rarebit over halved baked potatoes and sprinkling with finely sliced green onions (green portion). Another yummy variation is to stir in 1-2 c finely diced fresh or canned tomatoes along with the cheese; serve garnished with chopped flat-leaf parsley and crumbles of crispy bacon. Turn this into Welsh Rarebit Crab Dip by stirring in 2 cans drained crabmeat and 1/3 c finely chopped green onions; serve with tortilla chips or buttery crackers like Ritz.

Or go crazy by turning this into Welsh Rarebit Burgers, as in the photograph. Place your grilled burger patties (yeahhhhh…. 1, 2, or even 3) on a toasted bun bottom amidst your choice of tomatoes, pickles, caramelized onions, and 2 strips of crispy bacon, before pour your cheese sauce over it all… and then maybe even adding a sprinkle of packaged crispy onions, jalapeños, or red peppers, if desired. Hey! I didn’t say that this would be either low-calorie or neat & tidy to eat. LOL

(Photo by Amirali Mirashemian)

Two Month Countdown to “Destiny 2”

Quiet Thunder Publishing releases Book 2 in the Destiny Trilogy in just 2 months!! The paperback edition of Destiny of Determination: Faith and Family will sell for $15.99 and the digital edition for $5.99. But Amazon is offering a pre-sale on the digital edition for just $3.99. Anyone who orders one prior to November 2nd gets the discounted price as the book is released that day.

Instead of an excerpt from a chapter in the upcoming book, I thought it might be nice to share with you the book’s Introduction. While it is unlike the historical fiction’s chapters, it does provide worthy background information.

INTRODUCTION

“Just when we think that, as a civilization, we humans might be evolving, we are confronted with yet another wave of forced refugees. Many cultures and countries have suffered this fate. In 2022, the terror featured Ukrainians, literally fleeing for their lives, just as my Armenian family did in attempts to escape the Ottoman Turks’ genocide against them and other Christians early in the 20th century.

“Armenians had lived peacefully in the shadow of the great Mount Ararat for thousands of years and under the rule of a variety of conquerors. When Armenia became the world’s first Christian nation, however, the Ottoman Turks’ ire remained stirred for generations.

“While the first book in this trilogy, Destiny of Dreams: Time Is Dear, focused largely on the suffering of Armenians trying to survive and escape death marches and outright massacres, it also reflected the importance of a family’s love and fortitude. Book one honestly and bluntly shared the brutality of a time in history when the once powerful Ottoman Empire was declining, but it is not essential to have read it before starting here with the second book.

“Destiny of Determination: Faith and Family continues my family’s story. And yes, it is a true story. My family’s true story. I write it for you as if you were sitting right beside me, and I was telling you the tale.

“Thankfully, unlike the first book, this one needs no warning about violent content. Not all struggles must hail from intrinsically evil places.

“Again, for privacy, I have changed the names of those still living among us, but I believe you will see and perhaps even feel the sincere reflections of our deep commitment to faith and family. Primarily, I hope you sense the positive power in a family’s struggle to move from immigration through discrimination on the road to freedom. America offered hopes and dreams to thousands of families, then trying to emerge from harsh political turmoil, religious persecution, economic chaos, and the ever-present threat of extermination.

“As a friend of mine often says, every inch of earth is conquered soil. With that in mind, I hope that you, dear reader, feel as proud of the refugees in your ancestry as I do of mine. They fought for survival and a chance for a better life for the likes of us. May their sacrifices continue to prove worthwhile.

“While language, religious, and cultural differences may initially feel dauntingly difficult to overcome, we can do it. From each group of refugees come new hopes and dreams, plus our next bounty of inventors, entrepreneurs, teachers, first responders, artists, leaders, parents, and much more.

“May we strive to see the good, embrace the dreams, and encourage the very best. Thank you for believing. Thank you for being ‘enough.’”

— Cathy Burnham Martin, Author

Let Freedom Ring

Two hundred and seventy years ago today… on September 1, 1752, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia. Ordered from the Whitechapel Foundry in London, it was originally the bell for the Pennsylvania State House, which is now called Independence Hall.

The bell cracked on its first test ring, so it was melted down and recast in Philadelphia. That is when it was inscribed with “Proclaim Liberty throughout All the Land unto All the Inhabitants thereof.”

Yes, it’s true. The bell cracked again in the 1830s. Efforts failed to repair the bell in 1846, and it has not been rung since.

The bell remains a national symbol of liberty. Freedom must never be allowed to be diminished to a mere “concept,” for once lost, nations fail to recover true freedom.

(Photo by Andrea Hamilton)

Farewell to August

“Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink in the wild air.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

American essayist, philosopher, & poet

(Photo by Sharon Ang)

Freedom of Opinion

 

“Freedom of opinion can only exist when a government thinks itself secure.”

— Bertrand Russell (1872 – 1970)

British philosopher

(Photo by Andrew Martin)

National Lemon Juice Day

Ah, yes! When life hands you lemons, make lemonade! I love citrus fruit, including lemons, so lemonade is a fave beverage. And yet, it must be true lemon juice, and not the sugary substitutes. Same goes when making anything from chicken piccata to lemon meringue pie.

Throughout my childhood in Goffstown, New Hampshire, I was bountifully blessed with family and friends who were mahhhhvelously commendable cooks! Among the vast catalog of fabulous food-related memories reigned a Lemon Sponge Dessert, which was often made by one of Mom’s dear friends, Mary Ella Jones. (She and her husband, Clark, were active in our church and ran a delightful antique business in their barn near the traffic circle in town.) This is the recipe, written on a 3×5 card by Mary Ella Jones back in the 1960’s.

Lemon Sponge Dessert

Make recipe in Betty Crocker cookbook for sponge cake.

Bake in long rectangular angel cake pan.

When cool, cut lengthwise into 3 layers.

Put the lemon filling (below) between the layers and also on all sides.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Lemon Filling:

1 box French’s lemon pie filling mix

2 ½ c water

½ c sugar

Cook slowly until thickened. Fold into 1 pint heavy cream that has been whipped.

The only note I had written on the recipe card was the word “Awesome!”

 

That said, while it’s melt-in-your-mouth yumminess is undeniable, I prefer more flavor and less sugar. So, in my usual manner of never making a recipe as originally written, I made a few adjustments. I use only 2 T sugar, and I use coconut sugar or monk fruit now, rather than cane sugar.

Further, and making this a perfect dessert for National Lemon Juice Day, I substitute freshly squeezed lemon juice for ½ c of the water. So, overall, make or buy any sponge or angel cake in any shape, and cut in 3 horizontal layers. Use the lemon meringue mix of your choosing. And yes, while you can use a pre-made item such as Cool Whip, real whipped cream is the absolute best! I also like to grate a little bit of fresh lemon peel on top for decoration.

If you are a fan of family favorite recipes or my Super Simple renditions on all sorts of incredible edibles, you can check out the Archives on my GoodLiving123.com website. Unfortunately, while I have published a list of recipes in my 9 (and counting) cookbooks, I do not (yet) have an organized list of where to find the freebies that I have posted over the past 10+ years. The easiest way is to check the articles’ Categories list… look in the groups including: Super Simple Is Key, Tastebud Travels, Incredible Edibles, Party Themes & Schemes, and Bubbly Makes the World Go ‘Round. Lots of “yumminess” lives there!

(The photo is one I took of one of Mary Ella Jones’ Lemon Sponge Desserts.)

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

When one of us shares that a beloved 4-legged family member has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, each of us who has been loved by a special critter feels the pang of pain and loss. Whether your loss happened years ago or today… whether it has happened to you once or many times… they do leave paw prints on our hearts that time cannot diminish, never mind erase.

We think of our departed pets each day, but on August 28 each year, we are reminded to share those memories of a special pet that crossed the rainbow bridge. They are deep and painful memories, but we are not alone in letting our gaze reach across the rainbow bridge.

I know that when I write about one of the beloved animals who have brought love into my life, I usually refer to the gentle giant, the Newfoundland named Miles. Or, in more recent years, Mr. Seven Pounds of Fun, Fur, and Fury himself… the precious little Maltipoo, Bandit.  (Oh, yes… They are both the “celebrated” authors of their own books.)

But on this Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, I will reveal to those who may not know me as well, that I am far more of a cat person. I love their hysterical playfulness, savvy intelligence, and resilient independence.

My longest feline tenant was Miss Money, aka the Divine Miss M. After 22 years with me, she remained a tiny multi-color “money” cat of a mere 6 pounds. She had started out as a kitten with eyes barely open when she was abandoned by someone on a blustery January day on the streets of Manchester, NH in an open cardboard box along with the rest of the litter. The runt, she was surrounded by her litter mates, who all unwittingly perished. However, their fleeting warmth kept her alive just long enough to be discovered and then eyedropper fed back into health. She lived a long, lovely life, adored by everyone (yup… even self-proclaimed cat-haters) until the day she quietly died in my arms, as I sang “You Are My Sunshine” to her for the umpteenth time.

We are better people because of the pets we love and who love us. Be it a cat or dog or other beloved pet, this is a special day to remember and share, if you so desire.

As American author Agnes Sligh Turnbull (1888-1982) is noted for saying, “Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.” The same goes for all our beloved pets who have crossed and will cross the Rainbow Bridge.

(Photo is Miss Money under the Christmas tree in 1998.)

Sunshine and Storms

If something wonderful is starting or happening in your life, bravo!!!! Relish the time… the sharing… the marvelous memories you are making. On the other hand, if something not-so-wonderful is happening… or something wonderful has ended, please do not lose hope. Your heart may be broken into thousands of pieces. You may be living in a manner that makes you feel utterly off balance. Your world may even feel totally shattered.

We all go through changing times. Some let us feel light, confident, and happy… but at other times shifting shadows deepen the darkness beyond our recognition. Perspective grows more difficult in those shadowed times. While no one else can truly understand how someone feels during those lowest points, we can be powerfully helpful. We can always listen, offer support, and genuinely care. Take heart. Don’t lose faith. The sun will shine again.

  “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

— Theodor Seuss Geisel (pen name Dr. Seuss) (1904 – 1991)

American children’s author and cartoonist