Irish Soda Bread

In honor of Ireland and the cooking tradition of irish soda bread.

oven: 375*f  1 hour baking time.

4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 c. butter or shortening

Mix the first 6 ingredients together in a large bowl.

Next, add:
1 c. raisins, plumped (soak in hot water for a couple minutes then drain off water)
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
3-4 rounds of honey (rounds as in round-the-bowl as you pour in the honey)
Stir in these ingredients until well blended.

Transfer to a spring-form or a round cake pan. Shape the wet dough, if possible, into a lump.
Remove when golden.

A Simple Little Poem

here is a simple little poem i just wrote for the fun of it.

 The world is a big sea of blue
 As far as the eye can see,
 For this blue is a sea...
 As you can plainly see!

 The mountains are tall and majestic,
 Too lovely to be just..a radar tic.
 Verdant forests and refreshing streams,
 Life here is nothing like a dream.

 The prairie is an ocean of grass,
 Golden, tawny with just enough sass.
 Trees that sup at hidden springs
 To my mind, is just the right thing.

 The desert is a panorama of sights,
 Cacti, lizards and other delights,
 Red rock canyon and cryptic signs,
 Is nothing less than God's design..

 There are heavens above,
 And heavens below.
  But, no need to choose...
 For All is Love.

  --- sdk, 12. march 2011

A Terrible Beauty

M.E. (Mother Earth) is giving birth by releasing pent-up gunk through natural releasing methods
( earthquakes, tornadoes, etc).
We need to remember not to fear these methods when they hit close to home..
Remember the bigger picture that what we are currently experiencing is..a terrible beauty
When loved ones are affected by these things, what we can do is send love, light and compassion.
In brass tack terms, this is really all we can do. And in that, we do have control.
So send this Light outward until  it reaches into all dimensions of people's lives---
our daily activities, thoughts and our prayers.

Shrinking Violets Beware

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
...
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people
won’t feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone!

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fears,
our presence automatically liberates others.” —Marriane Williamson