Daughter left to go to the barbecue her friends had organized, in the afternoon. Instead of each one preparing a dish and taking, she and her friends were all getting together to prepare the food; much more fun to cook together than separately. :) You know the world's going to be OK when 8 young adults in their early 20s think getting together to cook and enjoy a meal is a fun way to spend a Saturday evening. She took one of my Pyrex baking dishes with her for the sliders they were preparing.
She said the menu included, 3 types of chicken skewers (tikka masala, rosemary ranch, and lemongrass honey), 3 types of sliders (ground beef and onions with cheese, ground beef and onions without cheese, and pulled barbecue chicken, all on Hawaiian rolls), grilled veggies (asparagus, eggplant, sweet peppers, and zucchini), salad with romaine lettuce, spring lettuce mix, spinach, cucumber, and red onions, with choice of homemade ginger and herb dressing and a balsamic vinegar dressing, and garlic mashed cauliflower. For dessert, there were jakfruit smoothies (made with fresh jakfruit) and haluhalo (a Philippino shaved ice dessert). She brought some of the food home for me - I especially enjoyed the fresh jakfruit (she knows I love jakfruit). I was laughing when she described how they cut and cleaned the fresh jakfruit. The edible flesh is surrounded by non-edible fibrous stuff that exudes a very sticky substance. In Sri Lanka, we used to oil our hands with coconut oil to avoid getting the sticky stuff on our fingers. My daughter and friends, however, used disposable gloves! Very clever!
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| Some of the Jakfruit |
I thought I'd be productive after daughter left, but, instead, I relaxed! I did clean my bathroom, however, did the dishes, took some recycling out to the bin, and did a bit of paperwork (though not as much as I should have). But I didn't clear the table in the family room.
Instead, I did a freezer inventory! I won't need to buy any meat or fish for some time! I have:
1 package (11 pieces) of battered cod
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 packets of chicken curry
2 pork chops
1 package of smoked sausages
1 package (1 lb.) of cooked ground beef
1 cooked hamburger patty
1 package frozen shrimp curry
1 package of dried shrimp
Plus other items such as a packet of rice and curries wrapped in banana leaf, half a bag of chicken and vegetable pot stickers, several meat-filled bread rolls, half a bag of taquitos, a package of flat bread, 2 packages of spicy garbanzo beans, 3 packages of cashew curry, frozen strawberries, frozen bananas, frozen lemons (for making marmalade), 1 package of grated coconut, muffins, zucchini bread, various vegetables (asparagus, spinach, bell peppers, onions, blackeyed peas, green peas, chillies, etc.), flour, nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, macadamia), cranberries, tomato sauce, butter, etc. I could probably eat for a whole month from just what's in the freezer! I'll just need some fresh fruits and vegetables.
Saturday's To Do List:
- Clear small dining table in family room - NOT DONE
- Clean my bathroom - DONE
- Water the indoor plants - DONE
- Paperwork/Filing - DID SOME
- Freezer inventory - DONE
Sunday's To Do List:
- Take daughter to the airport
- Clear table in family room
- Paperwork/Filing
- Water the front garden
By the way, my stomach was fine, today. In fact, I didn't need to go at all!
I had leftover steak and corn from last night's dinner along with some cucumber salad for my lunch today. Dinner was a scrambled egg on toast. Later, when daughter brought me food from the barbecue, I had a slider and some fresh jakfruit.
Today, I was grateful for:
- A relaxed day
- My tummy was fine
- Daughter had a fun evening with friends
- She had a safe drive to her friend's home and back
- She brought me dinner
How was your Saturday? Have you tried jakfruit? It is available in cans (in syrup), as well. There is a difference in taste between the fresh and the canned fruit, but it is not too bad.
I've never tried jackfruit but I know there are some people that grow it in Florida. I've never seen it sold in cans over here.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever thought of asking your neighbor to perhaps call you later in the day so she doesn't keep waking you up? While it's very nice of her to check in on you, she won't know that she's waking you up until you mention it to her. Maybe I'm projecting. I'd be very irritated if the same person kept on waking me up no matter what the reason, lol. I've had to ask my BFF to not call or text after 10 p.m. because sometimes she texted me past midnight and I was asleep. Since I keep my phone with me at all times in case one of the kids has an emergency, it kept on waking me up. But if it doesn't bother you, no big deal.
You said you relaxed but you still did a lot! It's good that you did a freezer inventory. I have one too that I even keep on Google Drive so I can access it when I'm at the store, but I always forget to do just that, hahaha. You might even spend only $20 or less next month if you just eat what you already have on hand!
I didn't know that jakfruit grew in Florida! Check the Asian grocery stores for the canned stuff; they are sure to carry it.
DeleteNo I haven't asked my neighbor to call later in the day. Even when she asks me if she woke me up, I tell her no. That's just how I am. :) It's not that she calls me too early; it's just that I sleep in too late!
I just realized I had some catching up to do. I was thinking of you today and wondering how many more treatments you had ahead of you, and now I find that the last one is on Monday!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had a relaxed Saturday and some jakfruit which I had never heard of before. So glad to hear that your tummy was better and I hope this continues.
Bushlady
Yes, my last radiation treatment will be on Monday! I'll be so happy when it will be over. Thank you for being there for me on this journey.
DeleteI love reading about the food in your blog. I have never eaten a jack fruit and I have no idea what a slider is, nor what Hawaiin rolls are like. However Leeds is quite multicultural so if I ever get my hands on a jackfruit I now know what to do. You sound incredibly organised with the freezer and using it properly. I need to follow your example. You are being a good influence on me! x
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be several Asian grocery stores in Leeds; you'll most probably find canned (tinned) jakfruit and maybe even fresh ones. The whole jakfruits tend to be huge, so, quite often, they'll sell cut pieces.
DeleteA slider is, generally speaking, a small hamburger. Sort of like an appetizer sized hamburger. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slider_(sandwich)
Hawaiian bread is a slightly sweet bread. King's Hawaiian bread and rolls are the most famous ones here, in California.
Thank you for the kind comments about the freezer. I have one of those side-by-side upright fridge/freezer combinations. I try to keep it organized, but it doesn't always work that way!
There is a mix of all sorts in Leeds, which is wonderful. I remember when I first came to Leeds and heard a right argument from two old men in what I think was Polish right next to a stall in the market selling sugar cane. Thank you for clearing that up. I shall probably wimp out and get tinned! Thank you for explaining. I love reading about your food! x
DeleteIf you do try it, let me know how you liked it. It can be a bit of an acquired taste. You might also like to give tinned rambutan a try (a bit like a lychee in appearance and taste) and magosteen. :)
DeleteDaughter and friends cook out, sounds really good.. And so fun.. I love sliders..[My husband makes a good one]. Never heard of jakfruit??
ReplyDeleteHave a great day.
ReplyDeleteThose sliders they made were pretty good. I love that they think getting together to cook is fun.