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As we approach Mother’s Day, whether you are celebrating with your mother or paying tribute to her memory, we hit our recall button of the delightful flavors and aromas that came wafting from the oven as we patiently waited for what they were baking. Old school moms had a way of makin’ it, shakin’ it, and bakin’ it, without even using a recipe card. A pinch of this and a sprinkle of that, and Wahla! Oh my goodness, once that baking delight hits your tongue, you feel like you’ve been teleported to another planet.
You are invited to pay tribute in the comment section to your mother, grandmother, or anyone else who has been a mother figure to you and could whip up a pastry, pie, cake, or other mouthwatering baked delight without breaking a sweat. In my podcast, I give a nod to my mother Henrietta, with my poem “Mom’s Deep Dish Pear Pie Symphony” because she could throw down with a deep dish pear pie that would make you lose your mind. Thank you for listening!
I had the pleasure of talking to Angela Simpson, a phenomenal woman who wears many hats as General Manager, baker, and along with her husband Ryan, owner of a warm and inviting bakery, called Cake Affect, located in North Carolina. It was such a delight to sit down with Angela and talk about turning their passion for baking into a viable business dedicated to both her mother and Ryan’s mother.
Cake Affect is dedicated to using the finest ingredients to make their mouthwatering pies, cakes, and other sweet treats irresistibly delicious. I love their tagline “We don’t do it all but we put our all in what we do!” To find out more about the products and services Cake Affect offers, check out their website, http://www.cakeaffect.com. So, without further adieu, thank you for joining me on this decadent episode of Poetry, Pastries, & Pies – The Triple P Connection.
If your tongue doesn’t know what to expect
and your taste buds feel a bit of neglect
hit them with the magic of a special effect
when they dance with sweet treats from Cake Affect.
Well, the press release broke yesterday about the official launch of my podcast, “Poetry, Pastries, & Pies!” I didn’t realize the amount of work I had to dedicate to producing such a project, but I am always willing to try something new, different, challenging, and rewarding. It’s a new endeavor and now that it is out here, I am going to give this my all and all. Thanks for joining me on this ride my friends.
Kym Gordon Moore Launches Her New Podcast, Poetry, Pastries, & Pies
Listen to conversations about stories behind the power of poetry and the sweet, savory components of pastries and pies.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – March 4, 2023 – PRLog — Kym Gordon Moore, author of “We Are Poetry: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook,” announces the launch of her new podcast, “Poetry, Pastries, & Pies.” The podcast is will be available on two platforms, Spotify and Anchor. This audio presentation examines the inspiration, impact, and influence poetry, pastries, and pies have in our society and around the world. Stories will be shared through conversations that can build bridges to connect communities for inclusivity and continued learning.
“I am so delighted to introduce these Triple P elements in an innovative, educational, and fun way,” says Moore. “This is a channel anyone can listen to, at anytime and anywhere. There is always something personal, entertaining, fascinating, and celebratory about the taste and harmony of biting into words of poetry, delicately peeling away layers of pastries, and cutting into savory and decadent slices of pies.”
The podcast officially launches on Monday, March 6, 2023. Kym Gordon Moore uses her platform to shift and uplift the narrative of poetry. Her mission is to employ poetry in building bridges of dialogue by displaying greater compassion, awareness, and learning opportunities when creating unity within and outside the borders of literary art. Learn more about the author on her website at http://www.kymgmoore.com.
Image Source: Betty Crocker (Dad’s Day Shirt and Tie Cake)
Unless your father or the man in your life is a vegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian, a thick juicy steak and baked potatoes seem to be the go-to meal chosen for the day. But what about dessert? Why not create something fun and decadent for your father of the day to indulge in after he finishes his man-size meal?
If you’re looking for more traditional homemade treats, scroll through some of these yummy desserts that would be the perfect ending to your Father’s Day lunch, brunch, or dinner. Click on this link to get40 Best Father’s Day Desserts for the Guy Who Loves Sweetsfrom the kitchen of The Pioneer Woman. Feel free to click on the images below and above to be redirected to get the recipe for each of these mouth-watering sweet courses.
Image Source: Hallmark (Campfire cake)
Image Source: Betty Crocker (Do-it-Yourself Dad Cake)
Image Source: Moms and Munchkins (Assorted desserts and gifts)
Image Credit: Betty Crocker (Hole-in-One Father’s Day Cupcakes)
Here is a refreshing childhood memory I thought about, that cooled me off as I faced a hot muggy day this week. Who would have thought a simple homemade frozen treat would bring back some brain-chilling memories? 🥶 Look out summer, it’s time to get creative with some homemade childhood treats.
Chilly Bears
We were drenched in the sizzling heat a heat understood in a southern summer parched lips, dry mouths foreheads dripping with sweat oh, what a relief as we spotted our rescue
we danced with excitement like kernels of popcorn jumping in a popper and there they were, paper cups filled with flavored frozen kool-aid ready to satisfy parched tongues
reaching for that sweet frozen treat some called them ice cups others said they were freeze cups
kids today call them popsicles with a stick but with a southern sophistication we called our sweet icy treats chilly bears
we cared not about where the name came from anxiously sucking on that sugary frozen treat we laughed and danced lips turning strawberry red, juicy grape watermelon green or tangy lemon
with a stamp of satisfaction, we compared our tongues rich colors like a rainbow after a rainstorm this brain-freezing cool delight satisfied our dehydration like ice-cold water dousing a five-alarm fire.
Whenever I have one of those days where I am feeling listless and not useful, something shows up to slap me out of my conundrum. Just before going to bed one night, I watched one of my late-night show homeboys, Stephen Colbert. His two guests were Chef Andrés and Ron Howard, discussing their recent trip to Ukraine. This segment was a simple reminder of the reason why we cannot get bogged down in our woes because there is someone in a far dire situation.
José Ramón Andrés Puerta, a Spanish chef and founder ofWorld Central Kitchen, heads a non-profit devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. I was watching him recently when he reluctantly allowedRon Howard(my Opie Taylor from The Andy Griffith Show) to do a documentary about his organization. He was reluctant in the beginning because he didn’t want the attention on him but on his mission to feed people in disaster-stricken areas just when they needed it. Ron Howard was extremely compassionate and understanding as he captured the essence and heartbeat of volunteerism.
Chef Andrés empathetically stated that everyone can do something, whether it’s picking up litter in your community, planting a tree, or helping an older person put groceries in their car. Each of us has been given something to work with, regardless of who we are. Chef Andrés noted in his recent trip to Ukraine that a kid volunteered to deliver meals on his bicycle to victims who were hungry and bunkered down in a temporary shelter. He would deliver the meals and then come back to deliver more. The next day, the boy was back with his bicycle asking what he could do. Even when the kitchen where they were preparing the meals was destroyed by a Russian bomb, they found somewhere else to set up shop and continue their mission.
This was a kick-in-my-butt reminder that determination is a powerful and positive motivator that changes our lives.
Feed My Sheep
Children, children have you any food? it’s a new day and time for us to rise, cast your nets, stretch out your hands feed my sheep, feed my people.
For when I was hungry, did you feed me? For when I was thirsty, did you give me a drink? For when I was a stranger, did you take me in? For when I was naked, did you clothe me? For when I was in prison, did you come to me? Feed my sheep, feed my people.
Inasmuch as you did these things to one of the least my brethren, you’ve done it unto The Lord when you’ve done these things out of love, from the depths of your compassionate heart together we can change the world together we can make a difference feed my people, feed my sheep well done, good and faithful servant.
So the stuff has hit the fan, and the unexpected explodes with the question, “Whatcha gonna do now?” 🤔 In our bewilderment we don’t know what the heck we’re going to do at that moment, but whatever we do, let’s get a little innovative with it shall we?
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade is a proverbial expression used to inspire optimism and a positive can-do attitude in the face of difficulty or misfortune. Lemons suggest sourness or trouble in life; making lemonade is turning them into something positive or desirable. Source: www.theidioms.com
So Life Threw You a Lemon?
At the rise of some of life’s challenging moments you tend to become worried and afraid but encouraging words from an old quote I once heard “When life throws you a lemon, then make lemonade.”
Suppose life throws you just one lemon or perhaps several at a time? Eventually you’ll catch them whether you want to or not what you do with them is something you must decide.
If you try throwing them back they’ll keep showing up just a little bit more learn to catch and use them for your benefit utilize every part of that lemon, right down to the core.
Consider the possibilities of everything you could make lemonade, lemon juice, lemon meringue pie or lemon cake lemon tarts, lemon squares, lemon jello, lemon ice cream lemon preserves, lemon sauce, lemon chicken or lemon tea.
So remember the next time life throws you a lemon or even a bushful at a time you’ll accept the recipe challenge of survival whenever you’re thrown a lemon or its cousin that tangy green lime.
Ok, now I know many of you can’t wait to crack open a fortune cookie to read what the fortune says, whether we choose to agree with it or not. I recently read one that said, “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” So I thought, hmmmm…
After a moment of thinking about this single sentence, it’s not about telling a fortune in a cookie as much as it is about a declaration of life. If we were to get practically everything we want, what is there to look forward to? What shall we experience except temporary gratification, constant dissatisfaction, and restlessness for more? We will miss the bus on the amazing lessons and awesome things in life if we get everything we want, every time we want it. Will this help us look beyond the blur of our self-regard into the wisdom of integration? Will we understand and benefit from our personal practice of humility and learn the value and longevity of life’s experience?
Inside the cookie a fortune told, yet unseen to be or not be.
So instead of looking to a fortune cookie for our deepest desires (which we know is a fantasized hope-mate), focus on your mind to relieve stress and concentrate on what matters most. Experience your joy, hopes, gratitude, and dreams, not on the superficial and temporary, but in the long-term reality of life lessons.
Last week we experienced three seasonal changes in seven days (Fall, Winter, and Spring). I even watched a hibiscus tree I have in a pot on my porch begin to bloom again. I watched 60 Minutes last Sunday and saw the episode on how Europe’s wine industry is being altered by climate change. While I still don’t get why some people think that climate change is a hoax, I have seen the weather intensify to extreme conditions I have never seen in my life. Just look at the recent devastation from the deadly tornadoes, which hit places that have never seen such extreme weather before.
Global rising temperatures are shaking up much of the wine industry, from the grape’s growth cycle to, in some cases, how wine tastes. For “60 Minutes,” Lesley Stahl traveled from France to Great Britain to document how famous wine-growing regions, like Champagne, France, are being impacted.
Even parts of Napa Valley’s vineyards are being affected by the side effects of climate change. Grains used for beer are also affected. In my area, when I drove down to my local grocery store, I passed by fields where corn, okra, soybeans, and melons once grew. Now, those same fields have been plowed, and cleared away, as a new crop of houses and condominiums are planted and rise up.
Now, I am not an avid wine drinker, but I think about how this is going to affect all of the places that serve wine on a daily basis. We talk about how our earth continues to warm up, and we see extreme weather patterns popping up in places where they never did before. Here we are in the midst of winter, and as I look outside, there are flying insects reappearing as if it is summertime. The “climate change” alarm has been going off for a while, and even if we can’t do a lot, we can do something to strengthen Mother Earth. Our lives and livelihoods depend on it.
Why wait? Far too often, we save things for special occasions and either forget about them or never get around to using them. Let’s think about this for a moment.
We save our good china and silverware and only pull them out to impress our guests for a special occasion. Why not pull out the good china and make yourself feel special, even if the meal you’re serving is take-out? Why save certain foods for special occasions, like a vintage wine, for example. If you never get around to drinking it and that special occasion never happened, then do you think whoever gets a hold of your collection and drink it will care about the year it was bottled?
What about those special clothes or shoes you purchased that still have the tags on them waiting for that special occasion that may never come? Or perhaps that special fragrance you only dab on when you go out for a special occasion? While this is food for thought, I found these situations occurred because something like death happened to the owners, and they never got around to their special occasion to use these items.
Growing up, I always thought formal living rooms were wasted space because like parlours they were used to entertain special guests, not for everyday lounging. The living room was off-limits like an exhibition room in our household where the “good stuff” along with the piano was stationed. I vowed when I purchased my first home that I did not want to have a living room. I want my house to look nice and elegant, but inviting, comfortable, and very livable. I kept this promise to myself then and I still do now.
It’s heartbreaking when you have to go through the personal things of a loved one who has passed away and find clothes, shoes, or other decorative items they purchased with the price tags still on them. Sadly, the special occasion never came.
So with that in mind, I am doing like one of our neighbors would do when I was growing up. If she bought anything, especially clothes for a special occasion, she would put those items on when she got home and walk around the house for a few minutes. Then she would take them off, hang them up, and said that nobody could ever say she passed away and never wore her stuff because she was saving it for a special occasion. By golly, she stuck to her word from what I heard.
Treat yourself and don’t wait. Why hold on to stuff and store it in a closet, cupboard, curio, or china cabinet and never get around to using it? Trust me, someone else will not think about your stuff as special as you would, and neither would they value the items as you did. You are special so make your occasion exciting and entertaining to celebrate you especially if no one else seems to get around to doing it for you! 😉
From Behind the Pen 