Tea at Trianon: Smoothies from Magnolia Farm

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Smoothies from Magnolia Farm

After my trip to the Philippines I discovered how healthy coconut milk (and oil) can be. From Joanna Gaines at Magnolia Market:

It would be so fun to take the kids to the grocery store with you, and let them choose their own fruits for their smoothie. Then head over to the paper goods section and let them pick out some fun straws. Allow them to be hands on with it, and explain to them how important it is to have healthy treats this summer.
These ingredients yield two servings.

1 ripe mango, cubed (or frozen mango if not in season)

150ml coconut milk (or replace with almond or regular milk)

100g pineapple pieces

100ml mango puree or pineapple juice

Place fruit, coconut milk and mango puree (or pineapple juice) into a blender and puree until smooth. Serve immediately. (Read more.)