The Pattern Holds - A poem of warmth and friends.

I'll stay dry
for the night, despite rains
that roll in along a plume
the Pacific Ocean breathes out
this Winter's night.

Dice will roll
as with friends I spend
a bit of time and a meal
punctuated by that one word,
Yahtzee, we'll play.

Dark clouds overhead,
wet grounds will gather moisture
well needed despite the snows during December
which died amid Inversion's spell
leaving a drought.

Hope the snow
stays up the slopes now,
and the cold finally moves along North
where it is more common
and offer respite.

But the pattern
looks to hold on firmly,
a death grip tinted to Ice Age,
and the cold will pool
down in valleys.

But this night
I will stay surely warm
both inside and out, amid good friends
enjoying their companionship and food
I could bring.

29Febuary2014 - Dyfedd Rex.

Finding My Lost Soul Again - A poem of peace and tranquility amid chaotic feasts.

In case you cannot tell from the current trend, feeding the birds at the park is my current recreational activity. But its fun as all the dickens. And a bit inspiring.

Swarming the ground before I sit
come my feathered friends to feast
upon the old bread I have
and offer to share with them
as I enjoy the afternoon's quiet time
seeking inner peace and perhaps redemption.

I know them by sight now
recognize markings on their sleek plumage
even ignoring sometimes the tracking bands
as I offer them names slowly
making sure those big bully geese
don't snag all I offer up.

There is the brave little drake
who just walks right up calmly
seeking to take food from hand
like he's seen the ganders do
and his poor broken billed mate
who loves crustless bits of bread.

There is Frost brow the goose
who hisses her way in closer
then expresses her outrage over application
of equal rights for the ducks
by snapping at every parcel flung
or striking at my knees softly.

Then there is Sable and mate
who snake into the pack quick
attack the geese to distract them
and let the others steal bread
while they take on the giants
who rule this pool, when allowed.

There are many others with names
each has one in my mind
if not one I speak outloud
and other critters join the fray
sparrows, a starling, even some gulls
as the tidbits litter the ground.

This is my relaxation, inside chaos
as kids watch me feeding them
laughing and asking parents for bread
so they can try meeting birds
so upclose and personally (just briefly)
until they see snapping at fingers.

I find my soul once again
as I dole out the food
and wonder where it was journeying
until our reunion amid this mess
as the ducks and geese war
over the last bits tossed out.

(23May2012- Dyfedd Rex)

Who says the Robins leave til spring

Folklore and science both tell lies
about the natural world around me
telling me things are always so
when my eyes relate something else
seen amid the branches and snows.
Yes indeed this is my question
Who says the Robins really leave
not to return until Spring's warmth
for just before burning Yule's Log
doing a bit of late yard work
two came down to eat bugs
stirred up by my hard labor
to become their breaking of fast.
If they are wrong about this,
then what other things they say
will smell of that cattle by-product
and force me to call them
on spewing out fertilizer when talking.

(12/26/2011 - Dyfedd Rex)

The Pigeons' Beggar-King

Bravest of the whole flock
the beggar king rules the steps
eyeing each one who settles
to enforce his fair share given
to his unruly feathered subjects
and ensure they live another day.

He struts the cement abutment
with that demanding red eye gaze
willing to fly into danger
and faces when sandwiches are lifted
to secure every morsel possible
thus keeping his subjects happily fat.

Woe to him who ignores
the demands of this tyrant bird
for there is in store
a fate worse than death itself
that of the aerial Bombardment
to protest a skinflints meager tithe...
   ...and marking him until laundry day.

Yes, this bird exists, where I get my main meal each day. He is a true brave and aggressive tyrant, which is why many of us now take that sack lunch to go somewhere else to consume it. Only to find another flock or kingdom, whose regal one is nearly a clone.

　

　

MacMushNDawg and its variants!

MacMushNDawgs (or Hot Dog Soup) and its many variants in my household!
The basics are easy,
take some elbow macaroni (about 2 cups) and cook it off
as you do, chop up some hotdogs (1 pack) and fry the pieces up in butter or margarine
drain the macaroni when its cooked to your level of preference (tenderness),
add a can of cream of mushroom soup,
1/4 can of milk
and the dogs...
stir well, salt and pepper to taste...

I began to play with this and got these variants over the years,

I tended to use soy sauce or Worcestershire (not any more, the anchovies make me break out and suffer allergic reaction, so using kitchen bouquet or teriyaki/soy) sauce when browning off the hotdogs,

I have been known to add shredded cheese (colby jack is my fave, but cheddar is great as well) to the final mix, and add chopped onions and green peppers to the dogs when browning them. I also like tossing in bacon bits (as in make some bacon with the dogs and break it up to add in.)

Once upon a time I messed with the recipe in a big way...

I used a 50/50 mix of hamburger and italian sausage (hot) instead of hotdogs, added garlic, onions, peppers and pimentos to the browning, using a splash of teriyaki sauce with soy and no butter this time round. I also added half a bag of frozen green beans to the macaroni as I cooked it, and then when combining everything at the end, all I had was a handful of shredded pizza cheese (mozzarella) and a half hand of colby jack, this still was great...

Later, I dropped the sausage due to costs, and went just hamburger.. still good. Adding Fiesta mix and California mix veggies in for the green beans,

but for some reason, no veggie works with the dogs....

other than the onions and peppers.

Yes, you can feel and hear your arteries clogging, but it tastes good to me...

La

Another of my recipes.. Sausage Parmesean Casserole

Another of my comfort foods I miss right now, though I think my arteries are happy to avoid:

Take a box of beef sausage links (I did the brown n serves, small box)
boil the sausages in about 2 cups of water
add as you boil:
1 1/2 tsp of sweet basil
1 tsp of cracked black pepper
reduce to simmer for 1/2 houradd 1/4 cup diced onions (frozen works)
1/4 cup diced green bells (also frzn)
and 1/2 package of italian blend frozen veggies (Fiesta blend worked too)
then use one of those envelope pasta things, the tomato parmesan one...
salt to taste...


Sausage Soup:
One box of brown'n'serve maple flavored sausages, or for spicy version, Heat n serve hot n spicy flavored sausage links, slowly bring to simmer in 2 1/2 cups of water, adding to the water as it begins to simmer
2 tsp sweet basil,
2 tsp cracked black peppers,
1 tsp crushed red peppers (if want hotter flavor)
a pinch of oregano leaf,
a dash or two of garlic or onion salt.
1/2 cup of diced fresh/frozen green peppers
1/4 cup of diced fresh/frozen onionsSimmer these for two hours or so, allowing the juices to build, as you stir occassionally, and use spoon to cut the links into bite sized or smaller bits.
then add:
1 tsp of either chicken or beef builloin.
1 cup of water
1 package of Fiesta or California style frozen vegetablesopen at this point our noodles, using either chicken or pork flavored ramen noodles to chicken flavor, and beef or better yet the roast beef to beef flavored. Add only the seasonings packets at this time. Cook until veggies begin to exude flavors into soup base.
Then add the noodles, bring to boil for time enough for ramens to cook, but beware of boilover.
Last, stir in 1/2 cup either colby jack, Parmesean or other shredded cheese
cook now on low heat until all cheese is melted into soup.
Serve out carefully, allow salt and pepper to taste..

Lazy Bachelor Corn Chowder:

Occassionally, I share secrets to why I balloon up in weight (like any cook who enjoys the food they make will if they sample or eat it solo...)

Lazy Bachelor Corn Chowder:

When you want somthing hot and tasting close to homemade, this will do.

Ingredients:

2 cans Cream Style Corn               
2 cans wholeor diced white potatoes
1 cup of frzn chopped onion         
1 cup of frzn chopped green peppers
2 tbsp of Cracked black pepper     
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sweet basil                          
1 cup bacon bits
1 cup French fried Onions (Durkees)       
1/2 cup Shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese

Instructions:

in microwave casserole bowl add all ingredients but the fried onions, after draining & dicing potatoes (if whole). Cover and nuke for 5 minutes, let sit 5 minutes, then nuke an additional 2 minutes or until boiling. Let stand 5 minutes covered, then uncover, cover the top with the cheese and onions, serve.......
Note: sometimes I use more cheese, sometimes less, but usually I add more bacon bits... up to 2 cups depending upon my mood.

Cooking Soup amid the Haystacks - a poem from the old Spaz Improv...

As the harvest progresses
the time for soups takes over
as the flying geese move south
flying by night to avoid the guns
of the hunters seeking food
or just a release from stress
with the blast at some thought.
Sandwiches fall to the side
as the haystacks are made
for the traditional hayrides
and the soup is cooked up
with care or negligence
in pot or slow cookers everywhere
capturing the essence
of the season in their broth
filling the air with the smell
of what once was truly home.
-I cannot remember who tossed out that title as a prompt, I want to say theTimelessGypsy, but that may be wrong... all I know is its appropriate to the season, cooking amid the sheaves...