A Poem: The Oak Tree

The Oak Tree
By Jenna Reimer

It was when a wave of sand cloaking the sky,
And its blackness became apparent, that I knew
Death was lurking within the matted clouds.
Crouching amongst the night-wind,
In the noisy leaves that were shouting at me,
Louder and louder,
An oak tree stood- motionless.
The clouds rose upward like a heavy smoke,
Changing from a musk to cemented air,
Where leaves burst into a flame of infatuation-
I cannot breath.
If ever this storm of tranquil belief should end
I would stop; my past emerging from my future
And die together as one
Like the Oak tree’s grounding roots.

Happy Saturday Baking!

One of my favorite childhood treats was zucchini loaf; and yes, it was delicious before and after I found out that there was some sort of vegetable in it. This recipe came from my Grandma but I made some subtle alterations to make it a bit heartier and rich!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Loaf
(Recipe makes 2 loaves)

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup oil
3 cups grated zucchini
3 eggs
1 tsp salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and all spice
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup shredded coconut
2-3 cups of flour
1 cup of milk chocolate chips

1. Cream sugar and oil
2. Add the 3 eggs individually including the vanilla extract
3. Fold in grated zucchini
4. Combine dry ingredients into a separate bowl and slowly incorporate it into the wet ingredient mixture
5. Add coconut and chocolate chips
6. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes in a loaf pan or until a toothpick comes out clean from the loaf

The Joy of Baking!

So another passion of mine has always been baking! I try to bake something every week (when my budget allows it) and experiment with different sweets – mostly different types of cookies – and confections. I decided I’m going to start posting my recipes and pictures of my baking just for fun! Enjoy!

Jenna’s “Nuttier Than Thou” Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
(It’s a lot of ingredients but totally fool proof recipe!)
• 1 cup of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of peanut butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg and cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda and baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 ½ - 2 cups flour (depending on how chewy you want them)
• 1 cup quick oats
• ½ cup chopped peanuts
• ½ cup coconut
• 2 bars of milk chocolate with nuts (you know those variety of Hershey chocolate bars you can buy at the gas station and stuff)

Directions:
1. Cream butter, peanut butter and sugar together until light in color
2. Mix in the two eggs individually into mixture
3. Add vanilla
4. Combine baking soda/powder, salt, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, oats and coconut into a separate bowl and gradually add this dry ingredient mix into the wet ingredient mix
** Note: Add more flour if the mixture is too sticky (you should be able to touch it with your finger tip and not have the mixture stick to your figure)
5. Chop the 2 chocolate bars into chunks and add into mixture along with the chopped peanuts
6. Shape into large, rough looking balls and bake at 350 degrees for about 7-9 minutes
** Note: Do not wait until the edges of the cookies are light brown that means they are over cooked; take them out when they look as if they could use another 1-2 minutes- this means they are perfect!

Lattice of Sunlight Through the Trees

Finally school has ended for the summer and I am able to start indulging in writing poetry and reading some fantastic literature I wasn’t making time for. I recently bought the collected works of Wallace Stevens and have been utterly inspired to say the least. His poetry seems to concern the transformative power of the imagination. Stevens’ style is entirely exotic, whimsical and infused with a sense of light and Impressionism; his words are soft and quiet yet explanatory, much like the unfinished brushstrokes of the impressionist painters.
So far, my favorite poem has been “The Brave Man.” I can’t explain whether it was the power of repetition, or the dark and ominous imagery, that struck me the most; I found it both ironic and brilliant to relate such a shadowy vision to describe the sun. The sun becomes an entity that is able to exist victoriously, impervious to the hand at man, at least during the day time. The poem is beautifully written and implies a sense of dependability where the sun never tarries, and always continues on its path.

That Brave Man
Wallace Stevens

The sun, that brave man,
Comes through boughs that lie in wait,
That brave man.

Green and gloomy eyes
In the dark forms of the grass
Run away.

The good stars,
Pale helms and spiky spurs,
Run away.

Fears of my bed,
Fears of life and fears of death,
Run away.

That brave man comes up
From below and walks without meditation,
That brave man.

A Poem: "Water's Edge"

Water's Edge
By Jenna Reimer

The cold wind on the rock,
The black wind of the sea,
Broke and bent-
A blood spurted from the soul:
Falling onto stones below
Where bearded peaks of ocean
Battled the cliff.
If it could have spoke,
If it could have stood up sharply,
To the sky and howl
The trashes of life-
Felt from the crevice of this earth.