Saturday, 4 January 2025
Friday, 3 January 2025
Twenty Delectable Mountains
Most of the year, this is my second or third favorite dish
at Rumbi Island Grill. When I have a winter head cold, it moves to first place.
Copycat Bahama Mama’s Tortilla Soup
2 chicken breasts, grilled and cut into chunks
8 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup coconut milk
1 chopped tomato
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
2 cups tortilla strips
Juice from 1 lime
Salt, pepper to taste
In a large pot, combine chicken broth, allspice, thyme,
cinnamon, ginger and garlic and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add coconut
milk, carrots and chicken. Let it sit a
few minutes to heat the chicken. Get four soup bowls and place 1/4 of the
tomato in each. Ladle broth mixture into bowls. Top with cheese, tortilla
strips and lime juice. Makes 4 bowls.
Thursday, 2 January 2025
No Place Like Home
I bought this kit years ago, on sale at one of the stores in
the Utah Quilt Shop Hop. It came with its own pattern and it was half price. A steal,
or so I thought. When I got around to opening the kit, I realized half the
fabric that should have been there was simply missing. Even if the kit was
complete, the directions were vague and useless. By this point, my receipt was long
gone, the fabric line was years out of date, and the shop was no longer in
business. I couldn’t bring myself to toss the kit, but from time to time I’d “borrow”
bits of it for other projects. Last month I decided it was time to fish or cut
bait. I pulled out the kit and started hacking away. Here are the results so
far. Last week I actually snagged a couple of yards of a matching border print online.
Wonders never cease!
Wednesday, 1 January 2025
Three Blue Houses
This was the year that was not the year
This was the year that was not the year
I repaired the bathroom tap
And emptied out the kitchen drawer
Of a lifetime’s worth of crap.
This was the year that was not the year
In which I launched a new career.
A West End hit eluded me
And so did Time Person of the Year.
This was the year that was not the year
I became a household name.
Action figures were not sold of me
I wasn’t made a dame.
This was the year that was not the year
I spent less time on my phone.
Nights of passion did not happen
In boutique hotels in Rome.
This was the year that was the year
I didn’t get that much done –
Much the same as the year before,
Much like the year to come.
-
Brian Bilston