MARIE'S MUSES

There is nothing that brings a song into my heart more than the sight of one of the first harbinger’s of spring, the pussy willow. I can remember as a child, gathering bunches of them to grace our family home and being very excited to do so. Even now when I happen upon them I like to do the same. Their long slender twigs and soft grey buds make the finest of Easter trees.  I'm quite sure that the trees don't mind me borrowing just a few.  They're my one weakness . . . as Dorcas Lane would say.

There is a legend about how they came about that I think is very sweet and lovely. A cat once gave birth to several unwanted kittens. It’s owner, the dastardly person, threw them into a river. As they floated off, the mother cat ran along the banks of the river mewing so plaintively that the willow trees bending down near the water took pity and leaned down their branches even lower so that the kittens could climb out to safety. Ever since then, we have had beautiful pussy willows every spring.

Somewhat of a tall story to be sure, but how wonderful a thought, and something to bring a smile to your face the next time you stroke one of those soft grey buds on a pussy willow branch.

There are sure signs of spring here on the Estate, and not just the wonderful increase of birdsong and myriad of daffodils that are blooming profusely at every corner. The gardeners have cut back all the long row of Tudor Roses that flank the stone wall that borders one side of the long drive onto the Estate, so that they don’t scratch against the sides of the car as we drive down it’s winding path anymore and it’s branches have little green leaves scattered along it’s thorny surface. The farmer in the Orchards that surround us has been very busy gathering up the trimmings from all the pruning they have been doing in the orchards as well and our days have been full of the smell of apple wood smoke as they burn them up in a bonfire which is just across the hedge. Todd complains of all the ash it leaves on the car, and I know it is a nuisance, especially when he has just washed it, but I do love the small of wood smoke, and if it is apple wood, so much the better.

All around me the earth is coming alive again and it is so wonderful to see . . . a real breath of fresh air after what seems like a long winter. There will be lots of activity in these coming months leading up to the big wedding in June. The drive is being gravelled so it will be very interesting to see how that comes about. The pool is being redone and tiled. I bet it will look lovely when all is finished. The gardeners are busy working overtime to get in all the new plants that need to go into the vast gardens and the huge paddock is being levelled off and resurfaced . . . made ready for the huge marquis that is going to be put up for the grand event. It’s all a hum of activity and go, go . . . go. When I think about it, it’s really quite exciting to be a part of this huge event. I doubt I shall ever have the opportunity to participate in something on such a grand scale again and it will be a great experience, another string to add to my bow.

I did have a good sleep in yesterday and didn’t get up until after 10 a.m., mind you, I didn’t get to bed until 5 a.m. so I suppose that was not all that long. I then had to go to Young Woman’s last evening as I was the only leader available and could not let the girls down. They had a “P” night so all the activities were to do with the letter “P”. They had been really keen on pirates earlier in the week so I made some pirate snacks to bring in for a treat, and planned some pirate games such as “Cat o Nine Tails”. Thankfully the missionaries, Elder and Sister MacDonald stepped in to help me out as well and they had organized a wonderful treasure hunt for them. They did such a great job, and I was ever so grateful for the time they spent in the planning and executing of it all! It was the highlight of the evening, and at the end the girls had some lovely spicy chocolate chip cookies to enjoy. We closed the evening off by playing pictionary, all “P” words of course!

Being somewhat tired all day yesterday Todd had to make do with what my limited mind and energy could come up with for our tea last night. I don’t think he complained though as it really was quite, quite delicious!

Serves 2 - 4 (depending on how hungry you are)

These is the perfect dish when you are tired and lacking in energy and inspiration. I suppose you could just bake the potatoes and then top them with the chili, but why not go just a little bit further and make something just a tad more exciting!

2 large baking potatoes

1 (410g) tin of chili con carne (I used Stagg)

½ cup cheese and spring onion dip (from the refrigerated aisle at the grocery store)

½ cup grated red Leicester cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Wash and dry the baking potatoes really well. Pierce them with a fork and then place them into the heated oven, directly on the oven rack and roast them for about 45 minutes or until they are tender to the touch and nicely crisped on the outside.

Remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes. Once you can handle them without burning your fingers, carefully slice them in half lengthwise with a very sharp knife. Using a spoon, very carefully scoop out the potato flesh, leaving a thin potato shell. Try very hard not to tear the skin.

Empty the chili into a saucepan and heat it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring it once in a while to keep it from sticking.

While the chili is heating, mash the potato that you have taken out very well with a fork and then beat in the cheese and onion dip.

Place the potato shells into a shallow casserole dish. Spoon the chili into each one, dividing it equally. Top each with a healthy spoonful of the mashed potato mixture, mounding it up on each one. Sprinkle the red Leicester cheese evenly over top and then bang them back into the oven to heat for another 15 minutes or so, until they are nicely browned on top and heated well through.

I like to serve them with a tossed salad and some broccoli on the side.