a brown bird sang in an apple tree....

I have so much to do and no inclination to do it. The sun is out today and I just want to look at the lake. I mentioned Tasha Tudor and Mary Mason Campbell in a previous post. In one of the Butt'ry books by these two women there was a poem by Richard LeGalliene which about sums up my feelings for today.

I meant to do my work today
But a brown bird sang in an apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the leaves were calling me.

And the wind went sighing over the land,
Tossing the grasses to and fro,
And a rainbow held out its shining hand
So what could I do but laugh and go?

I loved this poem so much that I had the first verse painted around a gathering basket. I still have that basket and it is a wonderful storage and display for fat quarters.

Company starts to arrive next week! I cannot wait for my sister to get here. She wants "to live the blog!" We will have lot of fun. We might even make Gram Potter's Rocks just to see if they are still good. My sister makes a gelatin salad that is like one that Gram used to serve for Easter dinner. I not a big fan of these salads but I could eat this one right out the mold. She serves it with a lemony mayonnaise. She and I will share it but it would normally serve 8.

Perfection Salad

2 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 can (12 oz.) apple juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
1/2 chopped green pepper

In small saucepan, mix gelatin, sugar and salt well. Add 1 cup water. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar and gelatin are dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in apple juice, lemon juice, vinegar and ¼ cup cold water. Pour into medium bowl. Refrigerate about 1 hour, or until mixture is consistency of unbeaten egg whites. Add carrot, celery, cabbage and green pepper; stir until well mixed. Turn into a 9 x 5 x 3 inch glass loaf pan. Refrigerate 4 hours, or until firm. To unmold: Run a sharp knife around edge of pan. Invert over serving plate. Place a hot, damp tea towel over pan; shake gently to release. Lift off pan. Fit lettuce leaves gently under the molded salad. Serve with mayonnaise.