saint lucia's day and bacon cheddar biscuits

Almost the whole of St. Lucia’s Day has gone by, and I haven’t posted! But that’s mostly because I did write about it over at Alyssa’s awesome blog, The Shady Glade. Check it out!

A special food I served for St. Lucia breakfast was meat and cheese biscuits. Here’s a recipe that I haven’t tried yet, but will sometime soon. It looks savory and wonderful for any meal of the day!

Cheddar, Onion and Bacon Biscuits

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (or 1/2 cup bacon bits)

2/3 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in mixing bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cilantro, cheese, onion and bacon, mixing well. Add milk all at once to dry ingredients, stirring with a fork to make a soft dough.

Turn out onto floured surface and knead 5 to 7 times (not too much!). Roll dough out 1/2 inch thick; cut into rounds or rectangles. I usually use the mouth of a small glass to create uniform circles. Place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet lightly sprinkled with flour.

Bake at 450°F for 10-13 minutes or until light golden in color.

*photo courtesy of The Food Network

about anne de bourgh

Want a delightful continuation of Pride and Prejudice? Darcy and Anne is the ticket – especially if you’ve ever wondered what happened after all to Miss Anne de Bourgh. Though not perfect, it was an entertaining and quick read. I am not sorry to have spent a couple of free hours finding out if Anne discovers love, and how the infamous Lady Catherine and the rest of the Pride and Prejudice crew fare after Darcy and Lizzie marry.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Lady Catherine will never find a husband for Anne…

When a fortuitous accident draws Anne away from Rosings and her overbearing mother's direct influence, she is able to think and act for herself for the first time ever. In the society of her cousins Darcy and Georgiana, and, of course, the lively Mrs. Darcy, Anne reveals a talent for writing and a zest for life.

Meanwhile, Lady Catherine is determined to choose a husband for Anne. But now that Anne has found her courage, she may not be so easy to rule.

Anne de Bourgh is a sympathetic character whose obedience and meekness were expected of women in her day. As she frees herself from these expectations, Anne discovers strength, independence, and even true love in a wonderfully satisfying coming-of-age story.

By now, faithful P&P purists will be wondering – how does sickly, mousy Anne work up the energy to fall in love? She’s a bit of a non-entity in Austen’s original, after all. Answer: Brocklehurst takes the liberty of suggesting bad medication and an introverted nature as the cause of this malaise.

But whatever the reason for the slight personality change, it makes Anne a loveable and interesting character, and this tale’s plot, while somewhat far-fetched, is amusing and agreeable. I read this for the Everything Austen Challenge hosted over at Stephanie's Written Word, and am happy to tell you that I liked it. Quite.

Recommended for: Jane Austen and Regency fans, romantics, and anyone in the mood for a pretty love story.

aren't giveaways grand? austen version

It’s past time to announce the winners of my Everything Austen giveaway – many apologies for the delay! I flew to DC and had an interview in the meantime, and I may (depending on the results) have a new job and need to relocate soon!

Without further ado, the first prize winner (who gets three items and ‘something special’) is:

Juju

from Tales of Whimsy!

And the second prize winner (who will receive the remaining items) is:

The Book Owl!

Congrats, winners! I loved reading about everyone's favorite Austen spin-offs and adaptations. Thanks to all for participating, and look for a new contest over the weekend!

the once and future king

Alyce at At Home with Books is doing a weekly feature where she highlights one of her favorite reads from the past and encourages others to do so as well.

I’m pretty young in the scheme of things. Twenty-five (twenty-six in 2 weeks!) isn’t old enough to remember much about the 80s, Mt. St. Helens erupting, the Reagan presidency or even big hair. So you’ll pardon me when I tell you that T.H. White’s The Once and Future King is a forgotten classic for my generation. In fact, it might qualify as a complete unknown.

I read it because my mom had an old paperback edition in our bookshelves, and because I’m liable to read any and all material available – age-appropriate or no. I’m not sure I’ve met another person (in real life) under the age of 40 who has even heard of this book, much less read it for pleasure. It could just be that I run in the wrong circles, but it’s a shame, regardless.

Why? Because this is a classic novel. It’s epic. It’s Arthurian myth. It’s witty and extremely intelligent. It’s coming of age and magic and legend. But mostly it’s the story of a mischievous and wise old man named Merlin, and his protégé Arthur. It’s a series of adventures, both magical and mundane, that make up the traditional Arthurian lore – all joined together into a grand narrative with a deft touch of humor and human understanding.

This book is the magical epic of King Arthur and his shining Camelot; of Merlin and Owl and Guinevere; of beasts who talk and men who fly, of wizardry and war. It is the book of all things lost and wonderful and sad.

So, who needs to read this? My generation, obviously. And anyone in search of entertaining and worthwhile literature. Discover a classic that just might surprise you. In a good way.