Snowflakes

1/2 cup Kahlua

1/2 cup Baileys

1/2 cup vodka

1 1/3 cup whole milk

Combine the Kahlua, Baileys, vodka and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until steaming but not simmering. Pour into 4 coffee glasses. Garnish with whipped cream and unsweetened cocoa powder.

I never met a chocolate I didn't like.

Verdun Fine Chocolate

421 NW 10th AVE

Portland, OR 97209

Phone: 503.525.9400

Fax: 503-525.9402

Email: info@verdunchocolates.com

Support@verdunchocolates.com

Order@verdunchocolates.com

Verdun Chocolates

Moonstruck Chocolates

6600 N. Baltimore Ave.
Portland, OR 97203

Phone: 503.247.3448
Toll Free: 800.557.MOON (6666)

Moonstruck Chocolates

Fran's Chocolates

1300 East Pike Street
Seattle, WA 98122

(800) 422-3726

Fran's Chocolates

Bridgewater Chocolate

559 Federal Road - Brookfield, CT 06804
Telephone: 1-800-888-8742 - FAX: 1-203-775-9369

Bridgewater Chocolate

Coal Pot Restaurant

Vigie Marina, Castries, St. Lucia

A romantic meal, with my romantic husband, on a romantic island...

Raspberry rum boat drink.

Michelle Elliot - the Artist

Contact Wild Orchid Designs at (758) 452-5422 for more information.

We had just been in town and purchased coffee mugs with this same design.

A coincidence that we unwittingly came here for lunch without even knowing Michelle and her husband own this restaurant...I think not.
The menu is brought to each table and changes daily.

Escargot, St. Lucia style.

The catch of the day,

dorado with a coconut green curry sauce.

Heaven on a plate, Coquille St. Jacques.

Coal Pot Restaurant, Vigie Saint Lucia – Fine Dining Caribbean ...

Back from holiday, back to reality...

Nevis West Indies

Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.

Sailing

Catching full rapture

of breeze on mainsail

I inhale ... a freedom akin

Magic of waves

gently rock me awry

as I bend from the sail

against wind

Releasing my cares

I then think to dare

close my eyes

and venture out to sea

To let life begin

as I’m sailing the wind

absolved of custody from worries - - I’m free!

Salty waves make wake a cool misty spray

The creaky old mast, bends and moans

Sedated in peace

under my breath I release

hushed lilts

from old mariner’s songs

Not picture nor narration depict how I feel

as I awaken

from my wishful dreams of old

This sailor within me

keeps hold yearnings to be free

So - - I won’t quit sailing dreams...till life lets go!

Our catamaran captain made the BEST rum punch, here is his recipe:

Yum Yum I Love Rum

In a large pitcher, combine:

1 bottle of Dark Rum

1/2 bottle White Rum

3/4 bottle of grenadine

2 cups fresh pineapple juice

Fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice

Water & Ice to taste

FRESHLY GRATED NUTMEG ON TOP

Pirates and sailors, who were no stranger to the Caribbean, are said to have created this unique melding of East Indian and West Indian culture. The word "punch" is said to originate with the Hindi word "panch", which means "five". An easy way to remember the proper proportions for a rum punch is this poem: One of sour / Two of sweet / Three of strong / and Four of weak.

I’m Thankful for You

Thanksgiving is the appointed time
for focusing on the good in our lives.
In each of our days,
we can find small blessings,
but too often we overlook them,
choosing instead to spend our time
paying attention to problems.
We give our energy
to those who cause us trouble
instead of those who bring peace.
Starting now,
let’s be on the lookout
for the bits of pleasure in each hour,
and appreciate the people who
bring love and light to everyone
who is blessed to know them.
You are one of those people.
On Thanksgiving,
I’m thankful for you.
Happy Thanksgiving!

By Joanna Fuchs

To live content with small means...to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion...to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich...to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly...to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart...to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, never hurry...in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious...grow up through the common...this is to be my symphony.

William Henry Channing

Ray Stannard Baker

Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life... a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year - and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God.

Simple French Omelette

3 eggs

1 tablespoon cream

pinch of salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/8 teaspoon curry, optional

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until light. Gently whisk in the cream and seasonings. Heat a medium sized heavy skillet with rounded bottom and sloping sides. Swirl a tablespoon of butter over surface of pan. When the butter stops foaming, pour egg mixture into the skillet. Cook over medium high heat until the bottom is set. Using a spatula, move the cooked mixture to the center, allowing the uncooked mixture to flow to the bottom of the skillet. When the omelet is lightly browned on the bottom, and soft and moist in the center, spoon filling down center (such as sauteed scallops, smoked salmon, sour cream with strawberries and grated orange peel). With a heated serve plate in one hand, and the skillet in the other hand, tilt the skillet so that the omelet rolls over onto the plate. très bien

"I saw the lovely arch

Of rainbow span the sky,

The gold sun burning

As the rain swept by."

- Elizabeth Coatsworth, November

Balsamic Cabbage

2 cloves garlic -- minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound red cabbage -- thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

In a large skillet, saute the garlic in the oil for a few seconds. Stir in the remaining ingredients; cook until cabbage is soft, about 7-10 minutes. Serve warm.

Hotel Blue

a simple palette of unpretentious luxury

110 Anglers Rd # 107
Lewes, DE 19958-1192
(302) 645-4880

Welcome to Hotel Blue.

Hotel Blue is redefining luxury in historic Lewes. "Blue" is an inspired fusion of coastal Victorian, contemporary design and first class amenities. Sixteen suites and rooms offering lush surroundings with a modern twist. With original art by local artists, ice buckets that change colors, sinks that glow and mirrors that come alive, whimsy and surprise abound in Delaware’s first 'Boutique' Hotel.

Buffet Breakfast Casserole

serves 20

1 large loaf day old French bread, torn into pieces

6 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 pound chopped ham

3/4 pound shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 pound shredded Monterey Jack cheese

16 eggs

3 cups milk

3/4 cup dry white wine

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons spicy mustard

1 1/2 cups sour cream

3/4 cup Parmesan

Grease two 13x9x2 casserole dishes. Spread bread pieces in each pan and drizzle with butter. Sprinkle with ham, Swiss and Monterey Jack cheeses. Mix eggs, milk, wine, green onions, mustard and pepper, and beat until foamy. Pour half over each casserole and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 325, cover and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven, spread with sour cream and sprinkle tops with Parmesan. Bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Green Tea and Framboise Cocktail

6 ounces green tea

2 ounces framboise liqueur

Fresh mint to taste

6 ounces blush-colored champagne

Brew tea to desired strength. Chill until ice cold. Chill glasses. Fill with crushed ice. Add 1 ounce framboise to each glass, top with mint. Pour tea over ice, top with champagne. This recipe makes 2 servings.

Poetic Praline Martinis

(serves 4)

Brown Sugar Rim

Equal parts Frangelico and amaretto, combined

brown sugar

1 cup Frangelico

1 cup Amaretto

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter

Dip edges of 4 glasses in the liqueurs and rim them with brown sugar.

Combine the Frangelico, Amaretto, brown sugar and butter in saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter has belted and the sugar has dissolved. Continue heating until the mixture is warm but not hot. Remove from heat, pour into rimmed martini glasses.

JoAnn Balingit is Delaware's 16^th Poet Laureate, appointed by Governor Ruth Ann Minner in May 2008. A resident of Delaware since 1990, JoAnn was born in Columbus, Ohio and grew up in Lakeland, Florida. She has travelled widely, living abroad for several years in Morocco and Portugal. She holds masters degrees in American Literature and Library and Information Science. In summer 2008, she earned a Doctorate of Education at the University of Delaware.

JoAnn has taught poetry for many organizations and in a variety of settings. At the Wellness Community of Delaware, she initiated an ongoing weekly poetry workshop for cancer patients and their families. JoAnn sees poetry as a facilitator of conversation and community, a way for individuals to navigate the wonders and challenges of being alive. With attention to craft, she believes, poetic language creates new understandings. JoAnn encourages educators, parents, and poets to collaborate in the development of "Poetry in the Schools" programming, a program in which guest poets teach the art of poetry to young people.

JoAnn's poems have recently appeared in the journals Smartish Pace and Salt Hill, and in the anthologies DIAGRAM.2 (Del Sol Press, 2006) and Best New Poets 2007 (Meridian/Samovar). She was a recipient of a Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship in 1995 and was nominated for a 2004 Pushcart Prize for her poem "Your Heart and How it Works." Her essay, "Some Boy Somewhere," was awarded the 2008 Dr. Norman H. Runge Award.

excerpt from www.artsdel.org

Never-Never Land

by JoAnn Balingit

after Malay proverbs

where cats have horns

where turtles climb trees

where green fish snap at

sleeping birds on the banks

where east lies west of tidal pools

where midnight crawls out of your hand

where rocks roll down

but pebbles roll up

in other words,

where the rich fall down

and the poor rise up

like dough in earthenware

and spread, like butter on satin…

where crumbs brush away

and the smell of fine clothing

graces an open fire

"Never-Never Land" was originally published in Can We Have Our Ball Back?

Angel Hair Pasta with Basil and Lemon

12 oz. angel hair pasta

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon black pepper

Grated Parmesan

Cook pasta 3 to 5 minutes in boiling water. Drain.

Toss with remaining ingredients, sprinkle cheese on top. Dinner...delicious and fast.

"Two sounds of autumn are unmistakable, the hurrying rustle of crisp leaves blown along the street or road by a gusty wind, and the gabble of a flock of migrating geese. Both are warnings of chill days ahead, fireside and topcoat weather."

-Hal Borland

I love my past. I love my present. I'm not ashamed of what I've had, and I'm not sad because I have it no longer.

-Colette

Sophisticated, nurturing, wise-she was everything that style stands for.

She was known as Colette. In her remarkable writing career, she gave the world such unforgettable characters as Gigi. And in her native Burgundy, one of the foods that nourished her youth was the unique local cafe pastry called Gougeres. With a subtle flavor of melted cheese, these charming little snacks will remind you of miniature popovers. They will keep for days in the refrigerator. And needless to say, they're best served with a sturdy red wine.

A Recipe for Gougeres

5 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup grated gruyere cheese

5 large eggs, room temperature

Preheat oven to 425. Add butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg to 1 cup water in medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. When butter melts, reduce heat to low. Add flour to butter-water mixture all at once and cook over low heat, beating with a wooden spoon for 1 minute until mixture pulls away from sides of pan.

Remove pan from heat.

Add cheese to pan and beat in with a wooden spoon until well incorporated. Add 4 of the eggs, 1 at a time, beating each egg into the batter until thoroughly absorbed. Continue beating mixture until it is smooth, shiny and firm. Drop batter in small spoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet to form Gougeres. Beat remaining egg with 1/2 tbsp. water then brush tops of uncooked Gougeres with egg wash.

Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until Gougeres are golden and doubled in size. Remove from oven and serve or allow to cool to room temperature. Makes about 3 dozen Gougeres.

Tea time is my response to a fast paced life and a return to a relaxed tradition. It's also, without a doubt, my desire to return to reflective, civil conversations and perhaps to another age that I imagine less complex. Here are two of my favorite tea time recipes.

Maids of Honour

(makes about 30)

1 lb. puff pastry

1/2 pt. milk

4 tbsp. white breadcrumbs

4 oz. butter, cut in cubes

2 tbsp. superfine sugar

grated rind of 1 lemon

2 oz. ground almonds

3 eggs

Preheat oven 400. Roll out the pastry and cut in rounds to fit small bun or tartlet tins. Bring the milk with the crumbs in it to a boil, remove from heat and leave for 5 minutes. Beat in the butter, then the sugar, rind and almonds. Although the mixture has a slight texture, make sure it has no lumps. Lastly beat in the eggs. Half fill the pastry cases with the mixture and bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and has shrunk from the sides of the tins and the filling is golden brown. Remove maids of honour from tin and cool on wire rack.

Cherry Cake

3 oz. self-rising flour

pinch of salt

8 oz. glace cherries, washed and drained

6 oz. butter

6 oz. superfine sugar

3 eggs, beaten

3 oz. ground almonds

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 7 inch cake tin and line with parchment paper. Sieve flour and salt together. Cut cherries in half and mix them together with a little of the flour to prevent them from sinking to base of the cake when cooking. Cream butter and sugar together until they are pale and creamy. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, adding two tablespoons of flour after half the egg has been used to keep the mixture stiff. Fold in remaining flour, cherries and ground almonds. Turn mixture into tin and bake for 1 1/4 hours or until skewer inserted into cake comes out clean.

Earl Grey is a lovely tea to serve with the above recipes. It is a traditional blend of China and Darjeeling teas, scented with oil of bergamot. It was created by the Chinese for the second Earl Grey. Serve it with our without milk.

Tea, like wine, should be chosen to accompany the food it is served with. Some of my favorite teas are...

Assam is a strong, bright colored tea with a malty flavor. This tea is grown in the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam, northern India. Drink it with milk and serve hearty food.

Rose Pouchong is tea from the Guandong province in China. It is mixed in the traditional way with rose petals to give a fragrant liquor. Serve it black with sweets.

Russian Caravan is a blend of fine quality China and Taiwan oolong teas, delicious with or without milk, hot or iced. It was traditionally brought across Asia to Russia by camel caravan. Serve this tea with sandwiches and salads.

Keemun is a traditional black China tea with a light, delicate flavor from Anhui Province. It can be served with or without milk. This tea goes well with Chinese food.

Mashed Caramel Sweet Potatoes

3 sweet potatoes

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 bunch sage

1/4 cup Caramel Sauce

6 tablespoons heavy cream

salt

Preheat oven to 350. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and bake until soft, about 1 hour. Halve lengthwise and scoop out flesh; discard skins. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Fry the sage leaves, turning occasionally, until crisp but not browned, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. In a medium saucepan, combine the caramel sauce and cream. Stir in the potatoes until smooth; season with a pinch of salt. To serve, top with the fried sage.

Homemade Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons heavy cream

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons poire William (French pear brandy)

In a dry 5-quart heavy kettle cook sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly) until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel, without stirring, gently swirling kettle, until deep golden. Remove kettle from heat and add cream and butter. Mixture will vigorously steam and caramel will harden. Simmer mixture, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and stir in poire William.

"November's sky is chill and drear,

November's leaf is red and sear."

- Sir Walter Scott

Ye Olde Tavern's Cheese Straws

2 cups flour

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

1 stick butter, chilled

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 400. Sift flour, salt and pepper into a mixing bowl. Mix butter into mixture until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add eggs and cheese. Mix until it forms a stiff dough, roll into a ball, cover with waxed paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes. On a floured board, roll dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut dough into sticks about 1/2 inch wide and 6 inches long. Brush each stick on one side with a little of the beaten egg and sprinkle with a little paprika. Twist each stick and place on baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, until a light golden color. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container.

"So dull and dark are the November days.
The lazy mist high up the evening curled,
And now the morn quite hides in smoke and haze;
The place we occupy seems all the world."
- John Clare, November