Monthly Archives: August 2016

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 13 August 2016

Bexley, deep in thought – photo taken by her Mommy – 1 week old


This past week found me quite busy helping my daughter and granddaughter. Between feedings and diaperings and visits to the doctor for check-ups, there was not much time for writing. But I did manage a few lines. Was able to catch highlights of the olympics in the evenings and stay abreast of the latest political wackiness before dawn.

Today’s Shi Sai has a political flavor to it as have weeks past. I am so weary of it all but like a train wreck or other catastrophe, I can’t quite muster the resolve to look away.

This year’s election has devolved into a reality show of sensational sound bites, malicious, slanderous, and often untrue accusations and sarcastic calls for violence. I’m long past the notion that it is possible to have a civil debate of the issues. It’s a mess plain and simple. Today’s Shi Sai says it all…

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 13 August 2016

broken they are
and it’s evident we’re all quite mad!
The sign said
employ two-faced blandishments
his goal was to score
every man knows
blandishments will get one far
But…
your words mean nothing to me
TOMATOES!!!

~kat 😜
It’s a mad, mad world!

The Shi Sai, (formerly known as a ReVerse) is a new form I came up with during Poetry Month in April 2016. I’ve actually been writing shu sai for years but was inspired to give it a prooer name. It is a poem created by taking one line of verse from several poems of an author’s own collection. The shi sai is done as a review of a series or collection of poems and therefore, each line should flow in chronological order of the dates the poems were written (from oldest to new). The lines chosen should be the author’s favorite from each poem. This form works best if the author resists the temptation to read the full new poem before all the verses have been added. (It helps one to resist the impulse to change a line to make it “fit”.


Vegan Roasted Garden Tomato Soup


It’s summer in the U.S. And you know what that means!  TOMATOES!!! I was the happy recipient of several pounds of these lovely fruits this weekend from my daughter’s garden. But they were pretty ripe so I knew I needed to find a recipe to make good use of them quickly. I decided to make tomato soup. After perusing several recipes online, I came up with a recipe that incorporated the ingredients I already had on hand. If you’ve never made homemade tomato soup, let me encourage you to try. It takes a bit of prep, but it’s super easy and super yummy!

Ingredients
2lbs of ripe tomatoes cut in half
1 bunch of spring onions with the ends trimmed
1 large or 2 medium sized green peppers
6 garlic cloves 

Place the  tomatos, centers up and arrange the other veggies on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 40 minutes, turning the green pepper, onions and garlic at 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and place all the veggies in a stock pot, adding half a quart of vegetable broth. With a hand mixer, purée the vegetables until smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients:

The remaining vegetable broth 
1tsp sweet basil
1tsp thyme
And my go to ingredient for every savory dish I cook…
1 TBS Sriracha Sauce

Salt and pepper to taste.

I like my tomato soup thick and hearty, so I blended 3 TBS of cornstarch to a cup of the soup and poured it back into the pot.

Simmer to a boil to thicken and incorporate all the flavors.

Serve with a side of garlic toast or my personal comfort food favorite, grilled cheese sandwiches! Enjoy!!!


Blandishment – Friday’s Word of the Day Haiku

blandishment

Happy Friday! Today’s word of the day is Blandishment. Originating in the 1500’s, blandishment is a noun taken from the word blandish- which means “flattering speech,” + -ment.  In addition, a sense of “attraction, allurement” (often blandishments) is from 1590s.

The Oxford Dictionary defines blandishment as: (usually blandishments) A flattering or pleasing statement or action used to persuade someone gently to do something:the blandishments of the travel brochure.

If I hadn’t read the actual definition, I doubt I would come up with it. The idea ofsomething blandish does not seem superfluous or flattering. But then the word flattery doesn’t exactly blow my socks off with extravagance. Bland and flat. At the very most they allude to something that is just so-so.  What odd ways we use basic words to make something that is “all that and then some!”

I came up with several Haiku. Take your pick. Once I got started, I found I could go on and on. It’s not that I’m full of it…blandishments that is! Well, maybe just a little! 🙂  For your sake I stopped at 5!

I do hope you have a spectacular weekend wherever you happen to be. Until next Friday then… 🙂

Blandishment #1:
Sly politicians
employ two-faced blandishments
tickling our ears.

Blandishment #2:
His goal was to score,
lavish blandishments his ploy…
she saw right through it!

Blandishment #3:
Every man knows
to rely on blandishments
when asked, “Am I fat?”

Blandishment #4:
It is a known fact
blandishments will get one far…
as will flattery!

Blandishment #5:
Save your blandishments
your words mean nothing to me
you need to show me!

kat ~ 12 August 2016

 


Politically Incorrect?


The sign said,
“Slow Children Playing”
P. I. C.? *

kat – 10 August 2016
*P.I.C. Is the abbreviation for “politically incorrect”.

A 3-5-3 Haiku for Haiku Horizon’s Challenge, prompt word: Sign.


Blame it on the Moons

Photo©MKcray

blame it on the moon, the moon, the moon…
the world is tilted out of kilter
and it’s evident we’re all quite mad!

polar ice caps have gotten soupy
tempests rage and the earth’s crust rumbles
naysaying oafs howl, “it’s not that bad!”

hide your heads like ostriches rooting
pretend impending doom cannot be stopped
know you could’ve changed it…wish you had…

~kat – 10 August 2016

A Trilune for Jane Dougherty’s Poetry Challenge this week! It’s a new form created by Jane. Visit her blog to learn more HERE