Weekend Cooking – Pappa al Pomodoro

by Carol7 Comments
We have not been eating at home much lately, between Christmas parties and dinners/lunches with family. I actually cooked dinner last night, but didn't want something that took too much effort. At first I was thinking of (canned) tomato soup and grilled cheese, but then I remember the delicious Pappa al Pomodoro in Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals. And it's really easy. I served it with salad and melted a piece of provolone on slices of the ciabatta for David and Amber. Tomato soup and grilled cheese, just better. The recipe makes four servings. Pappa al Pomodoro 1 loaf chewy bread, such as ciabatta ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 sprig fresh rosemary 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 small onion 1 cup chicken stock 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes 1 cup fresh basil, about 20 leaves salt and pepper freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano or grated Pecorino Roman cheese (I used Parmesan) Chop about 2 cups of the bread and reserve the rest to pass at the table. Heat a medium...
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Christmas Carol – Good King Wenceslas

by Carol3 Comments
  I've always enjoyed "Good King Wenceslas," probably more for the tune than the actual lyrics. The tune is  "Tempus adest floridum" ("It is time for flowering"), a 13th-century spring carol first published in the Finnish song book Piae Cantiones in 1582. It's a delightful tune, probably originally intending to accompany dancing. "Good King Wenceslas" tells a story of a king braving harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen. During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by following the king's footprints, step for step, through the deep snow. The legend is based on the life of the historical Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia or Svatý Václav in Czech. Wenceslas was born around A.D. 907 and nominally came to power as a young man in 921 on the death of his father, Duke Vratislaus. Vratislaus was a Christian, but his wife, Drahomira, who...
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Christmas Carol – I Saw Three Ships

by Carol2 Comments
This week for me is going to revolve around music. I'm playing the organ at our late Christmas Eve service and the piano for a wedding on Friday and then, of course, for the regular service the following Sunday. When I realized I had nothing to write about today and have posted photos the past two days, I started thinking about Christmas Carols. A couple of weeks ago I played a pretty version of "I Saw Three Ships" as a prelude. I really liked it; it's such a happy, lilting tune. A common version of the lyrics goes like this. I saw three ship come sailing in, on Christmas day on Christmas day. I saw three ship come sailing in, on Christmas Day in the morning. And what was in those ships all three? on Christmas day on Christmas day. And what was in those ships all three? on Christmas Day in the morning. Our Saviour Christ and His lady, on Christmas day on Christmas day. Our Saviour Christ and His lady, on...
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