An Afternoon Tea Party

Afternoon Tea

Daughter held her afternoon tea party for her friends on Sunday.  She had invited them to arrive at 1:30 p.m.  

Daughter made the sandwiches in the morning.  I especially liked how the the cucumber sandwiches looked while she was making them:

Cucumber Sandwiches with Dill and Chives

I helped her with arranging the food on the plates and doing the last minute preparations including picking chives for the cucumber sandwiches, ironing the table cloth, for the coffee table, picking fresh flowers for the vase, etc.    

One friend arrived just before 1:30 p.m. and the friend whose birthday they were celebrating arrived shortly after 1:30 p.m., which was fine.  I stayed in the family room while they sat in the living room and chatted and enjoyed their tea.  

Then they moved to the family room/crafts room to work on their craft project and I retreated to my bedroom, where I knitted and watched some online videos.  

They put together a "book nook" from a kit that one of the friends had gifted to my daughter.  It depicts a train (No. 315) on a bridge over a river with cherry blossoms:

Sakura Densya

It's hard to tell from my pictures, but, there are two people on board the train!

So Detailed!

It took them hours to assemble the book nook!  At one point, I suggested to daughter that she ordered a pizza or something for dinner, but, her friends didn't want anymore food as there were leftovers from the tea and daughter gave them some of the leftovers to take home, too.

They were here till after 8:00 p.m.!  The friend whose birthday was being celebrated stayed behind to help daughter tidy up the family room/crafts room and she left just after 8:30 p.m.  

Daughter put away the last of the leftovers and I helped her by washing all the dishes.  We ate sandwiches and leftovers for dinner and relaxed.  Daughter was tired, but, very happy and I was happy, too.

On Sunday, I was grateful for:

- Daughter being able to host a tea party for her friends
- The sound of laughter as daughter and her friends enjoyed each other's company

- Daughter having some good friends who I know will be there for her

- Good food to share 
- A lovely day all around

My joyful activities included helping daughter with the tea party and knitting.

Another Look at the Afternoon Tea Spread

It was a tiring day, but, everyone enjoyed it.

On Saturday

 

Earl Grey Tea Mini Bundt Cakes

On Saturday, daughter vacuumed the whole house and I dusted.  Then, we both tidied up the living room, dining area, and family room.  I took the recycling, kitchen compost, and the trash out, checked on the garden, and did a load of laundry.  Daughter cleaned her bathroom.  We shared another frozen burrito and the two pineapple guavas I had picked from the garden for brunch.  Later, daughter baked the Earl Grey tea cakes and frosted them with a simple powdered sugar glaze.  I made the egg salad for the sandwiches and I also made a small batch of jam using strawberries I had bought and frozen in the summer.  They will have a choice of strawberry jam and peach jam to go on their scones.  

Neighbor S called to say that she had seen someone's dog come into my yard and her cousin managed to get a leash on him.  She asked if I would happen to know whose dog it was. So, I went over to her place to look at the dog to see if I recognized him. Both neighbors on either side of me have dogs, but, I haven't seen this little dog before.  It was obviously someone's pet, as it was wearing a little red plaid coat.  But, apparently no tags.  And we didn't see anyone out and about who seemed to be looking for a little lost dog.  I tried calling on the neighbors on either side of me to see if they knew who the dog belonged to, but, no one was home.  I suggested taking the dog to the shelter to see if it was chipped and if they could locate the owner.  I am not sure quite what they ended up doing.  I shall call S on Sunday to find out.

Daughter selected which tea set she wanted to use and washed all the items (they were stored in the china cabinet, but, things still get dusty in there).  While she washed the items, she asked me to repeat the story behind this particular tea set.  It was one of two sets that had been given as gifts to my step-father's mother by two of her daughters.  We had brought the sets back with us on a subsequent visit to Sri Lanka.  One set is more complete than the other, after more than 70+ years of use.  

Daughter's friend, whose birthday is being celebrated, doesn't know that daughter is planning a surprise tea party for her.  Her friend thinks they are just getting together to play some board games and maybe do a craft activity.  She texted daughter this evening to say that she's bringing some of the chocolate cake she had made for her birthday!  She is an excellent baker, too, so we know her chocolate cake will be delicious.

I cooked a boxed pasta mix with frozen green peas added to it and fried a few slices of ham I had in the freezer to go with it for dinner.  It wasn't in the meal plan, but, we finished most of the mac and cheese I made the other day and the little bit that's left isn't enough for a meal.  

The Mini Bundt Cakes Before Being Glazed

On Saturday, I was grateful for:

- A clear day after all the rain
- Daughter doing most of the housework and cleaning
- Working appliances
- Quick and easy pantry meals
- My strawberry jam turned out well

Saturday's joyful activities included helping daughter with preparations for the tea party.  

Plans for tomorrow include doing the final cleaning (removing the sofa dust covers and wiping down the living room coffee table - can't do it earlier because Dancer likes to sleep on it at times), helping daughter make the sandwiches, and putting the water to boil for tea.  Later, I will help daughter put away any leftovers and the clean up.

How was your Saturday?  What are your plans for Sunday?

A Whole Lot of Baking Going On

 

Olive Oil-Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Daughter has started baking for Sunday's tea party.  Due to the dietary restrictions of one friend, she is trying out new recipes using olive oil instead of butter and lactose-free milk instead of regular milk.  

She baked a dozen olive oil-dark chocolate chip cookies (no nuts as her friend can't eat nuts) and we sampled one.  I thought it tasted delicious and I couldn't tell any difference in taste from a cookie made with butter.  Then, again, it's been a long time since I've had a homemade chocolate chip cookie!  We gave one to M to taste test, too, and he thought they were very good.

Olive Oil Scones

Daughter also baked a batch of scones using olive oil instead of butter and they turned out well, too.  These will be served with some jam.

Chai Muffins

Daughter also baked a batch of chai muffins. We sampled one and it, too, was delicious.  The chai tea gives it a lovely taste of spices.  

The final item to be baked is the Earl Grey tea cake, but, that's on the list of activities for Saturday.  

There was some rain in the morning, but, it cleared up by the time I had to go for a fasting blood test.  Later in the afternoon, daughter and I went to the dollar store and I bought a few items I wanted, including a large grid wall calendar for 2026, some solid air fresheners for the bathrooms, a couple of frozen burritos and some ice cream bars.  We shared one of the burritos for brunch, followed by an ice cream bar.  Then, we put away some laundry, daughter did her baking, we both tidied the family room a bit, and chatted with M when he came to tend to the garden.  I made macaroni and cheese with canned chicken and frozen green peas added to it for dinner.  

On Friday, I am grateful for:

- The rain for the garden
- Medical insurance
- Access to medical services, including screening tests
- Safe drives to the clinic and the stores
- M's help with the garden

Friday's joyful activity was knitting (and sampling some of daughter's baked goods!)

Plans for Saturday include cleaning the house.

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for the weekend?  

After the Rain: A Garden Tour

 

Rain Soaked Rose

You might not appreciate yet another garden tour, but, I took some pictures of my own garden after all our recent rains.  It is not a botanical garden, by any means, but, you are welcome to tour my garden with me.

In the front garden, we have, in addition to the rain-soaked red rose above:

Jade Plants
This one plant is about 3 ft. high

Aeoniums
This is one plant that is spreading out

Lantana

Euryops

And various other plants that I didn't take pictures of this time around.  

In the back garden, we have:

A New Strawberry Plant: "White Carolina Pineberry"
White fruit with red seeds

Plant Tag for White Carolina Pineberry

Then, we have the citrus plants:

Satsuma Tangerines Starting to Ripen

Lemons Starting to Ripen, Too

Lemon Blossom

Buds on the Orange Tree

The summer vegetables are mostly over.  But, this one butternut squash plant still has baby butternuts:

Late Season Butternut Squash

Then, there's what I'm calling my little glimpse of autumn colors:

Nectarine Tree Shutting Down

Plum Tree Turning Color, Too

In addition to the new strawberry plant, there are some more new plants for the garden, too, that daughter wanted to grow in the raised bed planters she bought and assembled:

Japanese Herbs: Japanese Mugwort, Mizuna, and Some Others

Japanese Herbs in the Planter
with Radish Seeds at the Other End

Daughter's Raised Garden: Arugula & Kale, Japanese Herbs,
Newly Transplanted Kale Seedlings in the 3rd Planter

Meanwhile, the plants in the "bulbery" (mostly bulbs that M shared) are thriving:

Calla Lilies and Irises

Another Look at the Bulbery

And on the other side, we have the Stonery:

The Stonery

Which seems to have its own little stumpery started!  LOL.  

The Mini Stumpery! 

M put the big stone and two branches down to discourage the garden cats from digging up and sleeping on the plants and I added a third branch more recently!

I am very happy to see that there are at least four nasturtium seedlings growing in the stonery, growing from the seeds that the previous plant, which died in the summer, had dropped:

One of the Nasturtium Seedlings

Currently, there aren't many flowers in the back garden.  But, if you look closely, you can find one or two:

Chrysanthemums Hiding Among the Four O'Clocks

Paperwhites 

It's raining, again, as I type this.  I know the plants are enjoying the extra watering.

The garden cats are not too happy, but, they are managing to keep dry:

Fluffy and Scruffy Sharing a Cardboard Box
Moo Sheltering Under the Patio Table
Patches, their Mother, Disappeared

Thank you for visiting my garden.  Hope you enjoyed the tour.

November Grocery Shopping - Part 2

We ordered groceries on Sunday and, again, on Wednesday.  Sunday's order included groceries for the house, some facial tissues which fall under household products in my budget and not part of the grocery budget, and some specific items that my daughter wanted for the birthday afternoon tea party she is hosting for one of her friends.  Wednesday's order was exclusively items for the party and for the dish she is taking to a "Friendsgiving" potluck dinner she has been invited to by one of her friends.

At first, I wanted to pay for all the groceries.  However, daughter insisted on paying for her part of Sunday's grocery order and all of Wednesday's order, saying that if she had ordered the food already prepared from a bakery or cafe, she would have paid for it, herself.  Plus, she didn't want me to go over my grocery budget because she was entertaining her friends.  

I didn't take any pictures of the groceries, but, here's the receipt.

Sunday's Grocery Receipt:

Order Summary

Original Item Total$61.79

Item Coupons/Sales-$16.50

Order Coupons-$1.00

Fulfillment Fee+$0.00

Other Fees+$0.20

Sales Tax+$0.71

Order Total$45.20

---

Item Details

11 Items

*Barilla Rustic Basil Pesto with Italian Basil Pasta Sauce and Spread, 6.5 oz$3.79

1 x $3.79 $5.49 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.70

*Bertolli Sustainably Sourced Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 16.9 fl oz$7.99

1 x $7.99 $13.99 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$6.00

*Bigelow® Earl Grey Black Tea Bags, 20 ct$3.99

1 x $3.99 $4.79 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.80

Bush's Original Baked Beans 28 oz, 28 oz$2.99

1 x $2.99 $3.29 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.30

Kroger® Easy Care Everyday Facial Tissues, 4 ct$7.49

1 x $7.49 each

Kroger® Onion Bagels, 6 ct / 18 oz$2.79

1 x $2.79 each

Kroger® Original Cream Cheese, 2 ct / 8 oz each$3.29

1 x $3.29 $4.69 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.40

Kroger® White Sandwich Bread, 20 oz$1.99

1 x $1.99 each

*Nestle Toll House Dark Chocolate Chips, 10 oz$4.99

1 x $4.99 $6.29 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.30

Ocean Spray® Fresh Premium Cranberries, 12 oz$1.99

1 x $1.99 $3.99 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

*Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Slow Roasted Roast Beef Thin Sliced Lunchmeat, 7 oz$3.99

1 x $3.99 $6.99 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.00

---

Order Coupons

-$1.00

Store Coupon-$1.00

---

Other Fees

$0.20

Bag Fee$0.20

2 x $0.10 each

* Items ordered by daughter for her tea party

The total came to:  $45.20

Of which, daughter's share of the bill came to $24.75

My share of the bill came to $20.45

Of which, $7.49 + $0.71 tax = $8.20  was for the facial tissues, which are not part of my grocery budget.

So, my grocery bill came to $20.45 - $8.20 = $12.25

Since daughter paid for Wednesday's grocery order (all the items were for the tea party and a "Friendsgiving" potluck dinner she has been invited to), I am not going to post the receipt here.  But, her order included lactose-free milk, half & half for herself, fruit, an English cucumber, dill, and two cans of mackerel.

My November grocery budget = $250 + $15.09 carried over from October = $265.09

Spent to date = $49.02 (on 11/5) + $12.25 (on 11/16) = $61.27

Balance left in the grocery budget = $265.09 - $61.27 = $203.82

I am positive that I will come under budget, this month, even with Thanksgiving coming up next week.  I am keeping an eye on the Thanksgiving sales and the store I order from is having whole turkeys for $0.79/lb. with an additional purchase of $25 in a single transaction.  

As always, I am grateful for the availability of groceries, being able to afford groceries, and the convenience of ordering and picking up.  I am also grateful that daughter insisted on paying for the items she wanted to get for her friends.  

Have you started shopping for Thanksgiving yet?

November Meal Plans: Week 2 Review and Week 3 Options

Birthday Lunch: Pad Thai, Beef Fried Rice, Seafood Drunken Noodles

These were my meal plan options for November Week 2 (11/10 to 11/16:

Brunches:  Egg salad sandwiches; cereal and milk; the last bagel; leftover pizza; leftovers from dinners

Dinners:  Smoked sausage, spicy oven baked potato wedges, broccoli; Chicken curry, dhal, rice, cucumber salad; Thai food (birthday meal); Leftovers/Planned-overs 

Snacks/Desserts:  Fruit; crackers; chips; granola bars;  banana/zucchini bread; blueberry-cranberry muffins; maybe cheesecake?

And here's how that worked out:

Monday:

Brunch:  Early birthday celebration lunch: Thai food

Dinner:  Leftover Thai food

Snacks/Dessert:  Feijoa (pineapple guava) from the garden; crackers; chips

Tuesday:

Brunch:  Egg salad sandwiches

Dinner:  Leftover Thai food

Snacks/Dessert: Chicken nuggets and ice cream cones

Wednesday:

Brunch:  Egg salad sandwiches

Dinner:  Leftover Thai food

Snacks/Dessert:  Grapes, granola bars, crackers, cereal and milk

Thursday:

Brunch:  Leftover Thai food/leftover pizza

Dinner:  "Breakfast for Dinner": Pancakes and sausages with syrup

Snacks/Dessert:  Grapes, granola bars or crackers, chips; cereal and milk

Friday:

Brunch:  Various leftovers (daughter had leftover pancakes and sausages; I had the leftover bagel with cream cheese); persimmons

Dinner:  Smoked sausage tray bake with seasoned baked potato wedges; cucumber salad

Snacks/Dessert:  Blueberry-dried cranberry muffins

Saturday:

Brunch:  Milkrice!  Yes!  Mid-month!  LOL. It was a rainy day and I wanted something warm and creamy.  With fish curry, lunu miris/seeni sambol, and jaggery

Dinner:  Various leftovers - Thai food, smoked sausage, cucumber salad, etc.

Snacks/Dessert:  Leftover muffins

Sunday:

Brunch: Leftover milk rice and fish curry, the last of the pad Thai 

Dinner:  Leftover smoked sausage and potato wedges, last of the cucumber salad

Snacks/Dessert:  Feijoa (pineapple guava); Olive oil scones which daughter baked (she was trying out a dairy-free scone recipe), spread with butter (daughter as she doesn't like cream cheese) or cream cheese (me) and homemade peach jam.  The scones were delicious.  

The birthday Thai food lasted us practically the whole week!  This time, my favorite was the seafood drunken noodles.  

Moving on to Week 3 (November 17 - 23), here are my meal plan options:

Brunches:  Onion bagels with butter or cream cheese;  boiled mung beans with lunu miris; instant stringhoppers with chicken curry and seeni sambol; cold cuts sandwiches; leftovers

Dinners:   Instant tonkatsu ramen noodles and parathas with scrambled eggs and lunu miris (Monday) Chicken curry, dhal, broccoli and rice;  macaroni and cheese with canned chicken or tuna; scrambled eggs and toast or fried potatoes; beef pot pies; leftovers

Snacks/Desserts:  Fruit; crackers; chips; granola bars; leftover scones and maybe cookies and cakes, too*

* Sunday Afternoon Tea Party: Daughter is hosting an afternoon tea party for a couple of her friends to celebrate one friend's birthday.  She is planning to have 4 varieties of sandwiches (cucumber with chives, egg salad, roast beef cold cuts, and roasted peppers with pesto), dairy-free scones with homemade peach jam,  chai cupcakes/muffins, Earl Grey Tea cake, olive oil chocolate chip cookies; and fresh fruits, served with a variety of teas and lactose-free milk to accommodate the dietary restrictions of at least one friend.

Once again, the meal plan options might, or might not, change as the week progresses!

As always, I am grateful I am able to have access to a variety of food and plenty of it, and for daughter treating me to birthday meals.

Are you meal planning this week?

A Rainy Monday

 

Rain Soaked Roses

We had more rain all day, today, on Monday.  I was humming "Rainy Days and Mondays" by The Carpenters, all day.  So far in November, my area has received over three inches of rain since November 13; some other areas have received over 5 inches.  Which is a lot of rain for us.  One year, our annual rainfall for the year was 5 inches!  There's more rain in the forecast for this week.

It's been a bit cooler, too, and last night, we put the furnace on for the first time this season.  We warmed up the house and turned it off when we went to sleep.  I turned the furnace on, again, this evening, too.  

Daughter had work today and meetings; I kept myself busy doing a few little things, replying to blog comments, visiting a few blogs, and trying to get myself motivated to do some "real housework" (wasn't successful; need to try harder!).

Brunch was toasted onion bagels with butter or cream cheese.  I put out a package of chicken thighs to thaw to cook for dinner, but, they hadn't thawed enough, so, dinner was something quick and easy - instant tonkotsu ramen bowl, followed by parathas cooked with scrambled eggs and lunu miris.  Grapes for dessert.  I will keep the chicken thighs in the fridge to marinate overnight and cook them tomorrow.  I haven't made my meal plan for this week, but there will be chicken curry with rice or parathas!  

Friend R called in the evening and we chatted for a bit, which was nice.  Later, daughter took the trash cans to the curb for me, which was also very nice.  

On this rainy Monday, I am grateful for:

- All the rain we are receiving
- A working furnace
- Quilts and blankets on the beds
- Working appliances
- Having electricity to run the appliances

Today's joyful activity was knitting.

Plans for tomorrow include making a meal plan and cooking the chicken curry.

How was your Monday?  What are your plans for Tuesday?