Murder Ballad Monday--Molly Bond (Betty Rutherford)

Hello and welcome to Murder Ballad Monday. In my quest to research various murder ballads that interested me, I had only intended to do Peter, Paul and Mary’s Polly Von and the Molly Bond by the Oysterband. 

However, a search on youtube revealed to me several new versions that I had not heard. They all had elements in common, but were different enough from the two sources that I knew, so I thought it was worth a look at these in more depth.

The first one was recorded by Betty Rutherford who was a performer of traditional music from the Appalachian Mountains who was known for her powerful, authentic singing voice. This a-cappella version was recorded in 1974 at a concert in Baltimore, Maryland.

                         

I like the simplicity of this version as well as the authenticity of the recording with a baby grizzling in the background. It is another version that explains what Molly was doing with her apron over her head (something that always bothered me about the Peter, Paul and Mary version). This version says she was sheltering under a beech tree after an unexpected rain shower came upon her. It mentions that Jim Randle was hunting in the dark, which is another clear indicator of poaching (in my opinion) that I had not understood from the Peter,  Paul and Mary version.  It also features the supernatural element of the Oysterband version where the ghost of the murdered girl appears at the trial and exonerates him.

You can listen a version here:

I have written the lyrics below if you would like to follow along.

Come all ye young who follow the gun
He wandered out shooting after the setting sun.

I've a story to tell you, it happened of late,
Concerning Molly Bond whose beauty was great.

Molly Bond was out walking when a shower came on,
She ran under a beech tree the shower to shun.

Jim Randle was hunting, a-hunting in the dark,
He shot at his true love and he missed not his mark

With her white apron pinned 'round her, he took her for a swan,
He shot and he killed her, his own Molly Bond.

He ran down to her, these words he said
And a thousand of tears on her bosom shed.

"Oh Molly dear Molly you're the joy of my life,
I've always intended to make you my wife."

With your white apron pinned 'round you, I took you for a swan,
I shot and he killed you, my own Molly Bond.

He ran to his uncle, his gun in his hand,
Saying "Uncle, oh uncle I've killed Molly Bond."

Up stepped his dear uncle with his lock all so gray,
Saying, "Stay at home Jimmy and do not run away."

"Stay in your own country till your trial comes on,
You won't be molested, if it cost me my farm."

The day of Jim's trial Molly's ghost did appear
And to this jury Jim Randle is clear.

With my white apron pinned 'round me he took me for a swan
He shot and killed me and now I am gone.

That’s all for this week. Stay tuned next week where I look at a version entitled Polly Vaughan. 

What We Ate Wednesday--Magic Beans, Kale and Potatoes

Hello lovelies! I can't believe it has taken so long to write a post about Magic Beans.

I  mean....they are actually *magic*.

I  cannot take credit for Magic Beans. The idea comes from one of favourite bloggers Bonzai Aphrodite. They are magic because they are delicious, child friendly, healthy and practically made in an instant. This is great dish when you have a child (or a Spidergrrl) who is HANGRY (Hungry + Angry). You can read about what Bonzai Aphrodite has to say about it here.

This is our new go-to picnic meal. Because I cannot eat wheat, it requires different bread to make a sammich. Then Spiderman needs his own wheat-y loaf and then it gets all expensive and faffy. Enter Magic Beans. Now nobody needs bread. These are great cold or hot, so perfect for picnics.

Magic Beans can be made with any bean (or lentil), but we like to use kidney beans for their flavour and cheapness (30p a tin). Plus, the red bean and the green kale and the gold potatoes look all festive like Christmas (but in a good, nostalgic way like the memory of a happy holiday, not your local craft shop selling Christmas stuff in July sort of way).

At picnics, we just mix up the Magic Beans ans divide the into two containers, but for a meal we like to serve it with potatoes and kale. This only takes as long to put together as it does for the potatoes to boil. If you have de-stemmed and torn up your kale ahead of time, this comes together in a *snap*.

Magic Beans, Potatoes and Kale (serves 2)
You need:
400g potatoes, diced
3 tsp broth powder or a stock cube
100g of kale (4-5 cups, de-stemmed and torn into bits)

1. Chop the potatoes and put them in a pot and cover them with cold water and either the 3 tsp of broth powder or a crumbled stock cube (we want them to be really flavourful. My stock has lots of turmeric in it so my potatoes come up lovely and yellow) and then bring them to the boil.
2. Meanwhile make your magic beans.

Magic Beans
1 tin of beans or lentils, drained and rinsed
4 TB nutritional yeast
1 TB olive oil
1 TB tamari or soy sauce
Mix together.

3. When the potatoes are done and soft enough to be pierced with a knife, drain them.
4. In a large pot, stir fry your kale in a splash of water until it bright green and cooked down then add your potatoes and Magic Beans and stir together.

That's literally it. And if you are too tired and hungry to cook potatoes or kale or rice to go with it, then just eat the magic beans straight from the pot.

I won't judge.

Murder Ballad Monday--Molly Bond

Welcome to murder Ballad Monday. Last week I looked at the traditional ballad Polly Von. This week I want to explore a version of this song called Molly Bond hauntingly sung by the Oysterband. We discovered this band when we lived in England and I was thrilled to have a counterpart to Polly Von.

                      

I cannot find the origin of this particular version except that it is “traditional.” It differs from the Peter, Paul and Mary version in that the man does go to trial and at that trial Molly’s ghost appears and exonerates him saying that it was not murder, but a case of mistaken identity and accidental death. It also explains something that always puzzled me about the Peter, Paul and Mary version—why was she “hiding” with her apron wrapped around her? This song says there was freak hailstorm and she was sheltering herself from the hail.  

About 20 odd years ago, we found a picture book of this version at Barnes and Noble and we were surprised to see her ghost appearing at the end. I have searched on and off over the years and have never found this book again. If you know of it, please let me know.

Here is the Oysterband singing this ballad. The music has an almost sinister quality to it that gives me the chills. I have included the lyrics below if you’d like to follow along.

Lyrics:

Come all you young gallants that delight in a gun
Beware of your shooting at the setting of the sun

It happened one evening in a large shower of hail
When under a bower my love was concealed

He apron flew around her, I took her as a swan
And I shot my own darling at the setting of the sun

As I walked up to her and found it was she
My limbs they grew weary and my eyes couldn't see

The ring on her finger, most bitterly I cried
O Molly, if you were living, you'd've been my fond bride

Home to my father like lightning I did run
Saying Father, dearest father, do you know what I've done?

Her apron flew around her, I took her as a swan
And I shot my own darling at the setting of the sun

Her apron flew around her, I took her as a swan
And I shot my own darling, and where shall I run?

His father in the corner with his hair turning grey
O my dear Jimmy, don't you run away

Stay in this country until the trial comes on
You never shall be hung by the laws of this land

The day of the trial to the judge she appeared
As God is my witness young Jimmy must go clear

My apron flew around me, he took me as a swan
And I know his heart lies bleeding for his own Molly Bond

That’s all for Murder Ballad Monday. Stay tuned for another version of Molly Bond. 

What We Ate Wednesday--Copycat M&S Supergreen Salad

Hello lovelies! When we are on holiday, we often eat ready-made meals from M&S as they have a good variety of vegan and gluten free salads that are 2 for £4. Several times I have fallen in love with the salad and carefully torn off the label with the ingredients and then gone home and attempted to make a copycat version of it for less. And by less I mean less money and less plastic for while these meals are delicious on holiday, they are all just excess plastic. /sadface/

When we were on our anniversary trip the Magical Mystery Tour, I bought a new salad that M&S had on offer--Supergreen Salad. 

It was amazingly good and very green as the name suggests as it contained cucumber, edamame, peas, sugar snap peas, broccoli, courgette (zucchini to my American peeps), spinach, coriander, apple, pumpkin seeds in an apple juice based garlic ginger mint dressing.

I figured I could make a version of my own at home.

Firstly, I had to decide what ingredients to use. I always have peas and edamame in my freezer, so I knew that would be a given. We've also always got apples. Cucumbers are cheap and this would only use half (if that) so the rest could be used for another recipe. Even though it wasn't in the original recipe, this would be a great way to use the dreaded green pepper that comes in the three pack of peppers. I also decided to use kale instead of spinach just because we like it better and it lasts better in the fridge without going slimy. Mint sauce is also a staple in my kitchen as it is 55p a jar and gives a really nice flavour punch to food. I don't know if my American friends can find mint sauce in the States. Here, it is often eaten as an accompaniment to lamb (poor lambs *sob*) but it vegan and delicious.  I debated about buying a green apple like a Granny Smith for 35p, but decided to just use the Gala apple we already have and put that money towards the apple juice. I also decided to get some nice pressed cloudy apple juice from Lidl for £1 that was really delicious. Because I knew I would want to make this again, I froze enough for 3 more meals in the correct proportions and drank the rest.

Here is my version of Supergreen Salad.

Supergreen Salad
100g kale, (about 4-5 cups)  destemmed and torn into bite sized pieces
1 cup frozen edamame
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 of a cucumber, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 apple, diced
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
(feel free to add some broccoli and courgette if you have some on hand)

Dressing:
1/3 cup apple juice
3 TB lime juice
1 TB white wine vinegar
3 tsp mint sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp liquid sweetener (I used golden syrup)
1/4 tsp tamari or soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp stone ground mustard like Grey Poupon
pst of salt
3 grinds pepper

We served ours over brown rice, so if doing this cook your brown rice and when it is nearly finished make the salad.

To do:
1 Destem and tear up the kale..
2. Defrost the edamame and peas in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain.
3. Cook the kale in a splash of apple juice until bright green and softened and add the edamame, peas, apple, cucumber, pepper and the pumpkin seeds. Pour over the dressing.

This is a great summer meal with lots of flavour. try it today!

Murder Ballad Monday--Polly Von

Hello and welcome to Murder Ballad Monday. Last week we looked at Tom Dooley which was the first murder ballad that I ever recall hearing. Today I want to look at the second murder ballad that I remember from my childhood. It is a song called Polly Von sung by Peter Paul and Mary.

Versions of this traditional Irish ballad date back to the 1700’s and the first English tune by this name dates from around 1890. In the Roud Folksong Index it is listed as song #166 and has over 200 versions catalogued. It also can be listed with a variety of different spellings such as:

"Polly Vaughan"

"Polly Vaughn"

"Molly Bawn"

"Molly Ban"

"Molly Bender"

"Molly Bond"

"Molly Vaughan"

"Molly Van"

The ballad can be traced back to the Greek myth of Cephalus and Procris, which can be found in Ovid's Metamorphoses. In this tale, the hunter Cephalus, sees his wife hiding in a thicket, mistakes her for a deer and kills her with a magic dart. While Polly Vaughn is mistaken for a swan rather than a deer in this ballad, the similarities are certainly there. Interestingly, there is a variation entitled “The Shooting of His Dear” whose use of the homophone dear/deer is suggestive.

                                      

                         

In the Peter, Paul and Mary version, a hunter went out shooting at sunset and saw what he thought was a white swan and shot it. He is horrified to discover it was not a swan, but rather his true love who was sheltering in the bushes. The song says, “she had her apron wrapped about her and I took her for a swan.” You never know the outcome except for his extensive grief. The song says, “He wept bitter tears, but his cries were all in vain.” Will he be tried for murder? It is up to the listener to decide.

I never realised until recently, that this was also a song about poaching. So, I suppose his fears could be that he would be arrested for both attempted poaching and actual murder.

To me, as an impressionable young child, it was an anti-hunting song. Those last lyrics broke my heart where he revisited the lake and saw a swan gliding by and mocking him.

It is certainly not a case of premeditated murder as so many have been, but a clear case of accidental death. But will a jury believe him?

Here is a recording of Peter, Paul and Mary singing Polly Von. I have included the lyrics below if you would like to follow along.

Lyrics:

I shall tell of a hunter whose life was undone
By the cruel hand of evil at the setting of the sun
His arrow was loosed and it flew through the dark,
And his true love was slain as the shaft found its mark.

She'd her apron wrapped about her and he took her for a swan
But it's oh and alas it was she, Polly Von

He ran up beside her and found it was she
He turned away his head for he could not bear to see
He lifted her up and found she was dead,
A fountain of tears for his true love, he shed.

She'd her apron wrapped about her and he took her for a swan
But it's oh and alas it was she, Polly Von

He bore her away to his home by the sea
Cryin' "Father, oh father, I murdered poor Polly!
I've killed my fair love in the flower of her life!
I always intended that she be my wife."

"But she'd her apron wrapped about her
and I took her for a swan,
And it's oh and alas it was she, Polly Von."

He roamed near the place where his true love was slain
He wept bitter tears, but his cries were all in vain.
As he looked on the lake, a swan glided by
And the sun slowly sank in the grey of the sky.

She'd her apron wrapped about her and he took her for a swan
But it's oh and alas it was she, Polly Von."

That’s all for this week. Stay tuned next week for another murder ballad.

What We Ate Wednesday--Mini Crustless Egg Free Quiche

Hello lovelies! We still had a packet of delicious smoked tofu that was generously given to us by our friends Carole Rivers and Rosie-Mai Rivers-Cole and I thought quiche would be the perfect dish to use it in.

But wait Spidergrrl....you can't make quiche without eggs! That's where you are wrong, my friend!

There are actually *several* ways to make quiche without eggs! This is the way I made quiche for many years. It is a good way, but it has a crust and therefore, by default, is more complicated that a crustless one. The way I make it now is cheaper, higher in protein and easier to make. It has 8 grams of protein per quiche and 7.2 grams fibre for the basic batter not counting vegetables!!

What's not to love?

My old recipe for quiche was made from silken tofu and it was good, but these days I make it with chickpea flour (sometimes called gram flour or besan in Asian shops) and it is better.

I also make it my handy-dandy muffin tin so it makes a dozen adorable little quiches! This is great for parties where you need to provide nibbles or portion control if you are a greedy so-and-so. We eat them over two days because they are delicious both hot and cold. One day we have it with sauteed kale and the other day with potatoes and peas in a cheezy sauce.

Chickpea flour is a bit lumpy, so be sure to sift. You can make these plain or you can make them with veggies. I normally use onion, peppers, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. This time we also included the smoked tofu. I always cook more onion, pepper, mushroom than I need then fill the muffin cups and whatever is left over, gets cooked a bit more with the kale to add some veggies and flavour to my cooked greens. Also if you have de-stemmed and torn your kale into bits first, it makes a difference in how quick it comes together.

Egg Free Quiche
Preheat your oven to 250C/500F
Grease well (all the way up the sides) a 12 cup muffin pan (or 2 six cup muffin pans)

You need:
100g kale (4-5 cups) torn into bite size pieces (if you are having kale as a side dish)
1 onion, diced small
1 pepper, diced small
5 button mushrooms, diced small
half a pack smoked tofu, diced small (if you are lucky enough to have some)
sun-dried tomatoes snipped into tiny bits (optional, but good)

1. Tear up your kale first. If you are not having kale as a side dish, then obviously ignore this bit.
2. In a large pot cook your onion, pepper and mushroom until softened. Set aside to cool.
3. Put a little bit of the veg mixture into every muffin cup and top with a few pieces of smoked tofu and sun-dried tomatoes (if using)

In another bowl whisk together:
2 and  1/4 cups SIFTED chickpea flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tsp salt
lots of black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 and 3/4 cups cold water
3 TB oil

1. Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake for 12 minutes then open the oven for  ten seconds to let some steam out and bake for 10 more.
2. Remove from oven and let stand about 5 minutes to firm up and carefully run a butter knife around the sides to pry them out. Let cool on a cooling rack for another few minutes to firm up. If you are having kale, while the quiche is firming up and cooling then saute your kale for a few minutes with the leftover veg and a splash of water until bright green and softened. I love to add a splash of tamari soy sauce, but hey. Do what you like. Then eat.
3.Leftover can be stored in an airtight container.

These taste delicious and have a custard-y eggy texture. And did I mention the protein? It's a great way to show folks that they can still eat all their favourite dishes without animal cruelty. Enjoy!

Murder Ballad Monday--Tom Dooley

Hello and welcome to Murder Ballad Monday. For 21 weeks, I researched different version of Child Ballad 10 (the folk song about a sister killing her sister out of jealousy and then the murdered girl’s bones being turned into a musical instrument that call out the name of the murderer) and then I spent ten weeks looking at prose versions that bore a similarity to Child Ballad 10. These “singing bone” tales were classified as ATU 780 The Truth Comes to Light in the Aarne-Thompson-Uther Tale Type Classification system.

I decided to move back to musical forms of murder ballads and I thought I would begin with the one that really started it for me—Tom Dooley. My dear old dad worked very hard learning to play this ballad on the guitar and it was the first murder ballad I ever consciously remember hearing. I have a vague memory that my father told me it was based on a true story, but it has been interesting to research it myself since he is not here to tell me about it.

                                     

Thomas C. "Tom" Dula was a Confederate soldier convicted of murdering his sweetheart the (possibly) pregnant Laura Foster in 1866. The murder and subsequent trial received extensive newspaper coverage which turned Dula’s story into a folk legend. Many years later, a North Carolina poet Thomas C. Land wrote a song about Dula using the Appalachian pronunciation of Dula which was Dooley. (This confused me until I thought about how folks say the words Grand Old Opry where the final letter a in opera sounds like an ee). The first notable recording of this song was in 1929 and the Kingston Trio had a hit record with it in 1958. This was the version I grew up with and undoubtedly the one my dad was trying to play on his guitar.

Dula was quite a musician and had a reputation as a bit of a “lady’s man.” He was supposedly in a relationship with both Laura Foster and her married cousin Ann. Some articles I read say he was also having his way with Ann’s sister Perline. Some accounts say he contracted syphilis and blamed Laura, some accounts say she was pregnant and they were running away together. Another account says Ann was jealous of Laura and murdered the girl to punish Dula for his unfaithfulness. The truth is not known. But what is known is that Dula was hanged for her murder.

According to the North Carolina Visitor’s Center:

It was on the first day of May, 1866, that Tom Dooley rode through the streets of Statesville in a wagon. He sat on the top of his coffin on that bright and shiny day with his banjo on his knee, joking with the throng of people walking along. He picked his favorite ballad on the old banjo, laughing as the wagon neared the gallows. When the rope was placed around his neck, he joked with Sheriff W. E. Watson, "I would have washed my neck if I had known you were using such a nice clean new rope".

Asked in seriousness if he had any last words to say, Tom held his right hand and replied, "gentlemen, do you see this hand? Do you see it tremble? Do you see it shake? I never hurt a hair on the girl's head". The trap door was dropped.

So, who did kill Laura Foster? I don’t know, but the song will forever remain in our consciousness.

Here is a video of the Kingston Trio performing Tom Dooley. I have included the lyrics below if you want to follow along.

Lyrics: 
Throughout history

There've been many songs written about the eternal triangle
This next one tells the story of a Mr Grayson, a beautiful woman
And a condemned man named Tom Dooley...
When the sun rises tomorrow, Tom Dooley... must hang...

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to die


I met her on the mountain
There I took her life
Met her on the mountain
Stabbed her with my knife

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to die

This time tomorrow
Reckon where I'll be
Hadn't a-been for Grayson
I'd a-been in Tennessee

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to die

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to die

This time tomorrow
Reckon where I'll be
Down in some lonesome valley
Hangin' from a white oak tree

Hang down your head, Tom DooleyHang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to die

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to die

Poor boy, you're bound to die
Poor boy you're bound to die
Poor boy, you're bound to die...

 That's all for this week's Murder Ballad Monday. Stay tuned next week’s song.