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Enjoy 20% OFF the entire magical & merry month of May !! 💐
Coupon Code: MERRYMAY
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FEATURED ARTICLES
~ Last time at Meadow Sweet Grove ~ Hearty Hot Pot This meal is incredibly simple to prepare, uses up a lot of the vegetables in your refrigerator, pantry, freezer, cellar or garden and is simply satisfying! This "build your own" dish can be completely tailored to suit personal tastes, or will clean out your fridge of left-over root or frozen vegetables ... Continue reading: hearty-hot-pot-simply-satisfying.html |
~ Lentil Casserole: Vegetarian & Versatile ~ |
This is the most incredibly versatile vegetarian casserole!
Serve it as a meatless alternative on taco night. Simply heat corn tortilla shells and provide a mound of chopped lettuce (I prefer iceberg for this recipe) and a pot of sour cream. Yummy, filling and healthy (includes 7 vegetables/legumes: lentils, tomatoes, celery, carrot, onion, lettuce & arguably corn!)
It is easy to prepare, economical to stock, good on its own or as a side dish, easy to keep warm for late-comers to the table ... and freezes beautifully.
Serve it as a meatless alternative on taco night. Simply heat corn tortilla shells and provide a mound of chopped lettuce (I prefer iceberg for this recipe) and a pot of sour cream. Yummy, filling and healthy (includes 7 vegetables/legumes: lentils, tomatoes, celery, carrot, onion, lettuce & arguably corn!)
It is easy to prepare, economical to stock, good on its own or as a side dish, easy to keep warm for late-comers to the table ... and freezes beautifully.
What you need:
2 c dried green lentils 2 1/2 c water 1 can diced tomatoes (16oz) 1/2 can tomato paste (7&1/2oz) 1 tbsp soy sauce A dash of cayenne pepper 1 tsp each of: marjoram, sage, thyme, basil & oregano 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 diced/crushed garlic clove 1 stalk celery 1 carrot 1 yellow onion Topping: 2 tsps parsley (chopped or dried) grated cheddar cheese |
What you do:
Mash the diced tomatoes in their juice. Chop celery, carrot and onion finely. Combine all ingredients into a large casserole, starting with the lentils and working your way down the list. Give the concoction a good stir. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375° for 1 hour. Peel back the foil and see if more water needs to be added and simply pour over. *Tip: heat the water first in the kettle so you don't risk cracking your dish with cold water. Re-cover and cook for an additional 1 hour. Meanwhile, grate an ample amount of cheddar cheese. Remove foil, spread cheddar cheese over top and heat for 10 minutes (or until melted). |
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan, 2022
FOLKLORE & MAGIC

Discovering the history of your name can provide insight into your heritage and background. Many know the source of our birth names - the ethnic origin, who we were named after and perhaps even why. But a little extra research into the origin and meaning of your name, its occurrence and variations throughout the world; and mostly an in-depth look into your own family tree; can provide new appreciation for your handle!
When I was growing up, I didn't quite like my name, "Vicki". I didn't think it was a particularly pretty name; it rhymed too easily with icky and sticky and it seemed, well, kind of boring. When I was in my late teens to early-20s, I came up with all kinds of variations: Vickie, Vicky, Vikki, Vickie-Anne, Vicky-Ann, Victorianna. It was a bit of a trend at the time to mess around with the spelling of your first name.
My mind somewhat changed as I mused over Victor, the male version of my name, which obviously literally meant "victor" or, more basically; winner. Later I discovered that Victoria was actually the Roman Goddess of Victory and so this knowledge of the meaning of my name started to fill me with steel in times of need.
I also knew that I was named after my Grandmother, who passed away when my Mom was carrying me. In my late 20s, I started the fascinating hobby of genealogy and, interestingly, discovered that my Grandmother had also been named after her Grandmother. Suddenly, my name became even more special to me since it dated back to at least 1839 in my family. As Queen Victoria began her reign in 1837, and her name instantly became a popular baby name for girls; I wonder if this was the source of my Great-Great-Grandmother's name. Because while the name Victoria was consistently used throughout Europe since Roman times; it was not in popular use until Queen Victoria brought it into the limelight. More research is needed to see if my Great-Great-Grandmother was the first Victoria in our family, or if they were one of the more unusual "carriers" of the name before its popularity.
Have you researched your first name? What did you find?
When I was growing up, I didn't quite like my name, "Vicki". I didn't think it was a particularly pretty name; it rhymed too easily with icky and sticky and it seemed, well, kind of boring. When I was in my late teens to early-20s, I came up with all kinds of variations: Vickie, Vicky, Vikki, Vickie-Anne, Vicky-Ann, Victorianna. It was a bit of a trend at the time to mess around with the spelling of your first name.
My mind somewhat changed as I mused over Victor, the male version of my name, which obviously literally meant "victor" or, more basically; winner. Later I discovered that Victoria was actually the Roman Goddess of Victory and so this knowledge of the meaning of my name started to fill me with steel in times of need.
I also knew that I was named after my Grandmother, who passed away when my Mom was carrying me. In my late 20s, I started the fascinating hobby of genealogy and, interestingly, discovered that my Grandmother had also been named after her Grandmother. Suddenly, my name became even more special to me since it dated back to at least 1839 in my family. As Queen Victoria began her reign in 1837, and her name instantly became a popular baby name for girls; I wonder if this was the source of my Great-Great-Grandmother's name. Because while the name Victoria was consistently used throughout Europe since Roman times; it was not in popular use until Queen Victoria brought it into the limelight. More research is needed to see if my Great-Great-Grandmother was the first Victoria in our family, or if they were one of the more unusual "carriers" of the name before its popularity.
Have you researched your first name? What did you find?
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan, 2022

Did you know that articles from past weeks are archived in my Blog? Check it out here: love-thyself-sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-will-never-hurt-me.html