Read

October 9, 2009


This is the front of Jane Long Middle School. Erin was only two-years old when Davis started sixth grade there. Around the same time, we begin a family love affair with Brian Jacques and Redwall. Over time Erin grew to love those books and would need the next in the series as soon as it appeared (always the hardback version, so our set would continue to match). For the unfamiliar, the books chronicle a variety of good woodland creatures like otters, moles, mice, badgers, hares, and hedgehogs who must battle and vanquish the bad creatures: weasels, stoats, ferrets, rats, foxes, and wolverines (the whole concept of weasels, stoats, and ferrets being the bad guys resonates with me). The good creatures live in or near Redwall Abbey. They sometimes leave there for various quests or missions, and they always enjoy a good banquet which might include these dishes I found listed in Erin's Redwall Cookbook (which includes various recipes for dishes featured in the books):


Spring Recipes

• Hare's Pawspring Vegetable Soup
• Crispy Cheese'n'Onion Hogbake
• Vegetable Casserole à La Foremole
• Gourmet Garrison Grilled Leeks
• Stuffed Springtide Mushrooms
• Abbot's Special Abbey Trifle
• Spiced Gatehouse Tea Bread
• Honeybaked Apples
• Hot Mint Tea

Summer Recipes

• Hotroot Sunsalad
• Brockhall Badger Carrot Cakes
• Great Hall Gooseberry Fool
• Cheerful Churchmouse Cherry Crisp
• Rosey's Jolly Raspberry Jelly Rock Cakes
• Afternoon Tea Scones with Strawberry Jam and Cream
• Squirrelmum's Blackberry and Apple Cake
• Guosim Shrew Shortbread
• Summer Strawberry Fizz

Autumn Recipes

• Mole's Favourite Deeper'n'Ever Turnip'n'Tater'n'Beetroot Pie
• Bellringer's Reward (Roast Roots and Baked Spuds)
• October Ale
• Autumn Oat Favourites
• Hare's Haversack Crumble
• Harvestberry Sunset Pudd
• Loamhedge Legacy Nutbread
• Dibbun's Delight
• Golden Hill Pears

Winter Recipes

• Shrimp'n'Hotroot Soup
• Veggible Molebake
• Stones Inna Swamp
• Savoury Squirrel Bakes
• Outside'n'Inside Cobbler Riddle
• Rubbadeedubb Pudd
• Nunnymolers
• Applesnow
• Mossflower Mulled Cider

Makes me hungry just writing them down.

Anyway, as a younger child Erin always thought we were dropping Davis off and picking him up at Redwall Abbey. She persisted in calling Jane Long "Redwall" long after she knew better, and always looked forward to being a student there (which I am grateful to say worked out for her).

To bring a long and rambling entry to an end, I learned today that the administration, faculty, staff, and library professionals at Blinn College where my mom works has stocked their library with all 19 volumes of the Redwall series and dedicated them to Erin's memory. I most excellent tribute!