Remembrance, Maleficent

Remembrance Day today. I already lost one poppy. Although this began in order to remember those killed in World War I to me it is very much more pertinent to World War II which I lived through even if I was too young to know what was happening. My father took part so I was somewhat involved as he was so rarely at home during those years. He spent three years in Rhodesia (as it then was) training pilots to fly. Here is a very interesting article about Flanders Fields which stirred the imagination of all who saw the wild poppies growing there. The article also quotes the poem by Canadian Soldier Lieutenant-Colonel John Alexander McCrae. Also a photo of tourists looking at the 880,00 ceramic poppies on display at the Tower of London in England about which Hilary Melton-Butcher wrote recently. I am not sure what is going to happen to those poppies once they remove them. I know I would love to get hold of one. The article talks about the actual Flanders Fields and how they were virtually destroyed by the war but that the poppies were still finding ways to grow.

I rented Maleficent from iTunes. At first I had trouble playing it but eventually it worked although not as well as it should. I think that is the fault of my Laptop rather than the fault of the movie. However, I loved it, I thought the story was great. It’s a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story and magnificently done in my opinion. Not that I am anything of a film reviewer, but I am now toying with buying it. I think rather than buy it from iTunes I might buy the actual DVD. My laptop is getting a tad old and doesn’t play stuff as well as it did although it still plays DVDs file. If you like fairy tales, I highly recommend this one. It has everything in it from fairies to dragons. Love and wickedness.

Woo hoo, I have just heard I am the winner of the randomly drawn prize for the first day at Realms Faire. Most unexpected. Lots of stuff to pick up but will have to leave it til tomorrow as I'm just about off to bed now.

I love white bean soups and this one from Cooking Light which came to me from My Recipes sounds like a good one.

White Bean Soup with Gremolata

Pancetta adds bold flavour to this smooth, savoury soup. Pair with toast or a small green salad for a light and filling weeknight meal.

Worthy of a special occasion

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup and about 1 1/2 teaspoons gremolata)

Ingredients
Soup:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped pancetta
1 cup prechopped onion
1/2 cup prechopped celery
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
Gremolata:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Preparation

1. To prepare soup, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in onion, celery, and 2 teaspoons garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until almost tender. Stir in broth and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaf). Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. To prepare gremolata, combine parsley, rind, and 1 teaspoon garlic. Sprinkle over soup.

Have a great day