Sunday 18 May 2008

Choosing Love



"With love, no harm can come. Do not forget, ever, the light that is shining ahead of you, calling on you to look ever upwards. Be guided and guarded in all your ways by the spirit of light." ~Translated from an old book of Gaelic wisdom and lore.

I have always felt that one cannot go far wrong in life, if they use the motivating factor of love to guide all their steps and actions. That means that everything you do or say is done out of love and compassion for your fellow beings. It's not always easy. Some people are downright prickly and hard to love! Still others have a wall built around them that is pretty hard to penetrate. It is always worth it though . . . always . . . the dividends and rewards paid out in blessings received being priceless and beyond measure.



Love . . . it is the greatest of human values, a direct gift from God, the most powerful and potent life enhancing human energy and quite possibly where we are able to derive the most meaning in life.

I choose each day to love and face the world as a lover. Naive? perhaps. Symplistic? undoubtedly. Sensible? absolutely. Worth it? You betcha!!! Loving others is a choice we make and let's face it . . . it beats any alternative out there!



We had a lovely day in France yesterday. It started out rainy but ended up sunny and warm. I haven't had time to have a good look at my photos yet or edit them, but by tommorrow I should be well and truly ready to tell you all about it! It was a long day to be sure, as we left here at about 6:00 am and did not get home until going on for 9;00 last evening. (I'm sure Jess was quite wanting to shoot us!) My feet were protesting and I was more than ready for bed, but we had a wonderful day with some great friends in a beautiful place. Tune in tommorrow for more details.



I'm not sure what these flowers are that I have posted the pictures of this morning, but they grow throughout my garden in a variety of colours, each one more breathtaking and beautiful than the last. I took these photos the other day after an early morning rain.

Obviously I didn't cook yesterday but on Friday I managed to rustle up this delicious meal for Todd and myself. Simple and very easy to put together, this is a winner on all counts.



*Chicken, Stuffed with Peppers and Goats Cheese*
served with a tasty potato crush
Serves 2

Simple, but packed with flavour, this dish is great for an imtimate meal a deux. It's also very easily multiplied to serve more however.

3 plump cloves of garlic, peeled
2 TBS chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
2 TBS olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use free range organic)
100g goats cheese (I use capricorn) cut into 6 rounds
3 strips of roasted peppers in oil, drain well and cut each in half
fresh thyme sprigs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
10 ounces of new potatoes, the small ones
85g packed of wild rocked, washed, picked over and tough stems removed

Pre-heat the oven to 100*C/400*F. Lightly oil a baking dish and set aside.

Bring a little pot of water to the simmer and add the garlic cloves. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. This helps to take some of the harshness out of the garlic, giving it a somewhat mellower flavour. Drain well and then chop finely. Mix together with the chopped parsley and the olive oil. Set aside.

Make 3 deep slits, diagonally, in each chicken breast and then set them into the baking dish. Take half of the garlic mixture, reserving the rest for later, and spread it over the chicken, pressing it into the slits.

Cut each round of cheese in half diagonally and sandwich a piece of the peppers inside two half along with a piece of thyme, making six goats cheese sandwiches. Stuff one sandwich into each slit in the chicken. Sprinkle liberally with salt and black pepper and then pop into the oven to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and the juices of the chicken run clear, without overcooking.

While the chicken is cooking put your potatoes into a pot of lightly salted boiling water. Cook for about 15 minutes until tender. Drain well and then return to the pan. Crush lightly with a fork. Stir in the rocket and let sit for a few seconds until it begins to wilt somewhat. Stir the remaining garlic oil mixture in, along with some salt and black pepper. Divide between two warm plates along side of one of the chicken breasts. Drizzle any juices from the chicken over all and serve.

15 comments:

  1. The flowers in your photos are called Columbine. Obviously, they come in many colors and combinations of colors. It is one of my favorite flowers and how fortunate you are to have so many different ones in your garden! Your photos of flowers are so enjoyable, and you brightened my day with these of the Columbines. Thank you.

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  2. Glad you all had a good time!
    I love that chicken - it looks delish!!

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  3. Many thanks to judy a, for giving the name of those flowers. We have some dark purple ones and I agree, they're beautiful and I wondered if they were wild flowers or what. Thanks for a lovely entry Marie - I do love Memory Lane.
    love, Angie, xx

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  4. I'm so glad you had a great time in France! What a wonderful escape for you! I hope your feet are doing better. This recipe looks delicious as well--it's going on my list!

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  5. I can't wait to see your pics!

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  6. We have some columbine, but ours look a little different. The flowers are beautiful and so is that recipe! Glad that you all had a good time.

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  7. Marie, I finally got your correct link in my journal!!! I also got on the subscribe list, now I'll get your alerts and your chicken receipe looks yummy!!! thanks for dropping by and saying hi... you always do!!! I really appreciate it. have a great day. Lisa

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  8. Love...I have always felt love is a choice we make daily, to take every step with love, each task with love, each encounter with another with love. Your thoughts on love are inspiring! These columbine are beautiful! We have a few blooming now too--including a white one we bought last year, it's purity is breathtaking. So very, very glad you had a wonderful day in France! Can't wait to see photos! *SIGH* I showed hubby your recipe for today...he wants chicken now--LOL! Oh, we made your Tuna, Asparagus & Lemon Pasta that you shared last week for our Sunday dinner today--it was sooo delicious! We really loved it and will definitely be adding it to our favorite recipes! Hope to chat with you today...can't wait to hear all your news. Happy Day, sweet friend ((HUGS))

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  9. Hi MArie
    That chicken lookd delicious and anything withgoat cheese and roasted peppers is a favorite with me.
    How lucky you are to be able to pop over to France for the day! Can't wait to see the phots.
    You are right about love. It is the only way to live.
    Hugs, Rhondi

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  10. We have wild Columbines in the UK and cultivated ones, the latter tend to have larger flowers. The Latin name is Aquilegia but I like their common name - which is Granny's Bonnets.

    CaroB

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  11. Dear Marie,
    My daughter, Lynell, told me to check out your blog a while back but I got busy and didn't do it. Now I realize that was my loss. I love your blog. I love the inspirational thoughts, the recipes and especially your invitation for other to get answers to life's important questions. I didn't even think of doing that and I think it is a wonderful idea.
    Thank you for all the time and effort that you put in to your blog for the benefit of others. Think of the lives that you are touching and bringing joy. What a nobel effort.

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  12. Grammy, it is a wonderful blog isn't it? I love coming here to try new recipes. Marie always has a wise word or three to go along with it.
    So glad you posted the chicken recipe Marie, I am going to do it for my friend this evening. I will post photos on my blog when its done!

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  13. The name of the flowers is Columbine. I believe they are known by other regional names as well. When I was a child in New England, we called them honeysuckles; they grew wild and were loved by bees, butterflies and children. We didn't have any cutivated ones. We carried wild ones to Mom often and they were always on the kitchen table in a clear vase. I love the name 'Granny's Bonnet' mentioned by someone for them. Seems quite appropriate. Thanks for bringing back a nice childhood memory.

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  14. Dear Lord that chicken looks delicious!!! Looks like you had a lovely time in France-oh, to be so close!

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  15. Your thoughts and flowers are so lovely. Always a breath of fresh air when I come by to visit (which isn't often enough!) The flowers remind me of the columbines we have here, but their slightly different. Such beautiful flowers...

    And this dish would go over so well with my mother who's staying with us for a while. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the idea!

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