Red boots of courage

(This post was originally posted on October 8, 2016 on thesabbaticalchef.com.)

Tomorrow, when I get dressed, I will slip my feet into what I call my Red Boots of Courage.  It’s going to be a long day.  Americans will choose the 45th President of the United States in the 58th election held since we became a country.  All American women have had the right to vote only since 1920. For first the first time in 240 years, we may have a female president. Anyone remember the cigarette campaign, “We’ve come a long way, baby!”?  At least there will be an end to the ugly political ads.

In the spirit of focusing on the positive, I will compose a list of my favorites as of late.

1.  The potato soup I made for dinner tonight was pretty darned delicious, if I do say so myself.  And easy.

2.  My weekly muffins- banana oatmeal this time.  How else should you use up a stash of overripe bananas?

3.  American history trivia.  Always interesting.

4.  Poetry.  Especially sad poems in French.  My 8th graders are reviewing the passé composé so I thought of Jacques Prévert’s Déjeuner du matin written in 1946. First, I showed them a silent film made about the poem in 2013 by Emmanuel Tenenbaum.  Afterwards, I gave them the words, after asking for ideas about the verbs used in the actual poem.

“Déjeuner du matin” by Jacques Prévert
annotated by Maureen Jameson

Il a mis le café
Dans la tasse
Il a mis le lait
Dans la tasse de café
Il a mis le sucre
Dans le café au lait
Avec la petite cuiller
Il a tourné
Il a bu le café au lait
Et il a reposé la tasse
Sans me parler

Il a allumé
Une cigarette
Il a fait des ronds
Avec la fumée
Il a mis les cendres
Dans le cendrier
Sans me parler
Sans me regarder

Il s’est levé
Il a mis
Son chapeau sur sa tête
Il a mis son manteau de pluie
Parce qu’il pleuvait
Et il est parti
Sous la pluie
Sans une parole
Sans me regarder

Et moi j’ai pris
Ma tête dans ma main
Et j’ai pleuré.

http://litgloss.buffalo.edu/prevert/text.shtml

5.  Last weekend’s trip to the mountains.  Linville.

6.  French-themed baby quilt made by Sister Moo for granddaughter-to-be Kennedy

7.  Knock out roses that I see everyday at school

8.  Humble and Kind, written by Lori McKenna and sung by Tim McGraw.

Pink and red make me happy.  So do Carolina Blue skies and fall.  So, no matter what happens in tomorrow’s election, I will still be able to see the beauty that surrounds me.  I will still have good things to eat, good friends to make me laugh and lend a shoulder to cry on when I need one, good stories to read by incredibly talented writers, good music to listen to, and the ability to experience feelings that run deep and true.  I am, above all, a lucky girl.

Potato Soup

This is a lot of guess work and easy to adapt to serve however many eaters you have.  Nothing could be easier!

Bacon, cut into small, diced pieces

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 medium-sized onion, diced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

 Potatoes- Yukon Gold or Russett, washed, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

Chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated Cheddar Cheese, optional

Heat butter and olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat.  Add bacon and fry until well-done and crisp.  Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.  Set aside.  Add celery and onions, to hot oil and stir to coat.  Sauté until soft.  Drain most of the fat, keeping about one teaspoon.  Add about a cup of broth and heat to boiling, scraping the bottom of the pot, if necessary.  Add potatoes to the mixture.  Pour enough broth over the potatoes to cover them.  Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with bacon and shredded cheddar cheese on top.

Bon appétit to my fellow Americans.  Exercise your right to vote.  Believe in goodness and actively search for it.  Be humble and kind.