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| Ripe Strawberry |
I had arranged to video chat with one of my friends this morning, but my laptop didn't corporate! I got an error message saying I couldn't chat on-line using the particular program I wanted to use and had to download something, which I tried, but couldn't get to work. So, I spoke with my friend on my cell phone, instead. I could hear her, but couldn't see her because I don't have a state of the art cell phone, just a very basic one. It was a little frustrating to me, and I was rather disappointed, but happy that I got to chat with her.
After that, I did a load of dishes in the dishwasher and washed my special china cups and one or two non-stick pans by hand. Then, I cooked milkrice for brunch and had it with some of the beef curry I had brought home from last night's dinner at my cousin's house.
It was another warm day and in the afternoon, I felt tired. I lay on the sofa and read for a bit and tried to take a nap, but couldn't fall asleep. While I rested, my half-sister called to check on me and we had a nice conversation. Around 5:30 p.m., I gave up trying to nap and had a cup of tea.
The messy house was getting to me, so, I decided to do some cleaning. I tidied, dusted, and vacuumed the living room and dining area and vacuumed the hallway and the kitchen. I will do the family room and the bedrooms tomorrow.
After that, I watered the front garden and the back. When I was watering, I noticed that one of my two strawberry plants had a ripe strawberry and picked it!
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| My Strawberry Harvest! |
Yesterday, my aunt had wanted to come for a visit in the evening, and when I told her I was going to a cousin's house, she said she might try to visit today, instead. I had spent some time in the afternoon wondering what I could prepare for dinner should she and my cousin visit. Aunt usually says don't worry about dinner, but that is just one of our cultural conventions. It is just one of those social niceties. One doesn't take that to mean anything. Our custom is to offer a meal to anyone who visits. Aunt has some dietary restrictions, I was out of a couple of meal items including bread, and I didn't feel like going grocery shopping in the afternoon or cooking in anticipation of them visiting because aunt hadn't called to confirm they were coming. Eventually, I decided that, should they visit, I could cook a pot of rice, make a fish curry using canned fish, and saute the spinach or some of the cabbage I had bought for a quick meal that could be prepared in 30 minutes (it would take aunt and cousin a little more than 30 minutes to get to my house). Eventually, around 8:00 p.m., I called aunt to see if they were planning to visit and she said my cousin was still teaching piano and it would be too late to come after that. We agreed that they'll visit on another day, instead. I was glad I hadn't actually cooked anything in anticipation.
Instead, I cooked a quick, one pot dish for myself, using part of the beef smoked sausage I had bought (aunt and cousin don't eat beef, otherwise I could have made it for them).
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| Smoked Sausage Meal |
I sliced a medium potato and sauted it with some sliced onion; added about one third of the smoked sausage, sliced, and half a large carrot. Finally, I added some shredded cabbage. I sprinkled some chili flakes to season. I ate about half of it for my dinner and the rest will be for tomorrow's dinner.
For dessert, I had:
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| Strawberry and Cream! |
LOL! I felt like Curly Locks in the nursery rhyme, who was told all she'd have to do was sit on a cushion, sew a fine seam, and eat "strawberries, sugar, and cream"! I only had the one strawberry, but I savored it!
Today, I am grateful for:
- I was able to chat with my friend
- Phone call from my sister
- Resting on the sofa
- Getting some housework done
- A strawberry from my garden!
Sunday's To Do List:
- Dishes/run dishwasher - DONE
- Living room - tidy, dust, vacuum - DONE
- Dining room - clear table, dust, vacuum - DONE
- Hallway - vacuum - DONE
- Kitchen - Wipe counters and stove top, put away dishes, shine sink, vacuum floor/mop - STARTED
- Water the garden - front and back - DONE
- Water indoor plants - DONE
Monday's To Do List:
- Doctor's appointment in the a.m.
- Grocery shop for bread, bananas, mangoes
- Family room - tidy, dust, vacuum
- Bedrooms - vacuum
- Clean out the fridge
- Empty waste baskets
- Take the trash cans to the curb
- Transplant the seedlings
- Clean the bathrooms
- Paperwork (at least 15 minutes)
- Put away laundry
How was your Sunday? What are your plans for tomorrow and the rest of the week?
Your sausage meal looks really tasty. I love meals that can be cooked in one pan. I did laugh at your strawberry and cream. I was wondering if you had eaten it. Surely one of your five a day. 😊
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to chat with your friend even if you couldn't see her. X
The sausage dish turned out well - I sort of created it as I went; I think some celery and bell peppers would have been good additions, too, except I didn't have any (they make me burp, so I don't generally include them in my dishes).
DeleteThe strawberry and cream was lovely! Yes, definitely one of my five a day! LOL.
The first strawberry, yum! I can almost taste it now. :)
ReplyDeleteIt was delicious! It might very well be the only strawberry, too, but I hope there will be more!
DeleteBet that one strawberry tasted better than anything you could find in a store!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly was delicious! I've never had much success with growing strawberries, so I was very pleased to actually have a home-grown strawberry to harvest!
DeleteYou abandoned the sisterhood already? Haha. If I may quote you, you stated " I will join you and Nathalie in the don't feel like doing chores sisterhood!" And not 24 hours later, you have been tidying, dusting and vacuuming. I feel betrayed. LOL.
ReplyDeleteSausage, cabbage and carrots are such a great taste combination. I think I will put that on my menu plan this week as I have all the ingredients on hand, and your dish looks so yummy. I made a turkey pot pie with a biscuit crust over the weekend with some of the leftover turkey from the freezer. I also made a coleslaw to go with it.
No, Susan, I am still in the sisterhood! I might have cleaned, but I still don't feel like doing the chores! Would it help if I tell you that my "after" pictures tend to look like other people's "before" pictures?
DeleteOh, pot pie sounds good! And coleslaw! I love coleslaw but have never made it from scratch! I keep telling myself I will learn how to make it, but haven't done so, yet.
"Our custom is to offer a meal to anyone who visits" - here in the Midwest dinner is not usually eaten as late as 8:00 pm - we usually eat no later than 6:00 pm.
ReplyDeleteI did not remember the "Curly Locks" nursery rhyme and I thought I knew them all. Enjoy your delicious strawberries.
Another beautiful day here so I want to get the sheets outside on the line. As my friend says "why pay to dry something that God dries for free".
Sandy
Glad you are having another beautiful day, Sandy. Line dried laundry is the best, isn't it?
DeleteI'm still on my way home from work at 6:00 p.m. (don't get off work until 5:30 p.m. and the office itself is open until 6:00 p.m.) When I get home, it is often 6:30 or 6:45 p.m. Then, I have a cup of tea and maybe a snack. When I was growing up, dinner was usually eaten around 8:00 p.m., and we've continued that tradition, here, too.
Hmm such luscious strawberry! Was it nice and sweet?
ReplyDeleteYour smoked sausage dish look very yummy too. I think that if I had to cook for myself, I'd probably just make soup and sandwiches. Speaking of which, I should make soup. Off to consult my soup cookbook! Have a great week, Bless.
Yes, it was nice and sweet, Nathalie, and I thought of you and your strawberries and the fight you have with the squirrels who try to eat them. As much as I love squirrels, I was glad I didn't have any trying to steal my strawberry! LOL.
DeleteSoup and sandwiches are good, too! It's been a while since I last made soup; should make some, next weekend. Thanks for giving me the idea, Nathalie. Hope you, too, have a lovely week. Take care.
I have given up on growing strawberries here. The chipmunks in my yard will be so disappointed though. For years they have happily eaten each strawberry and tomato right before it ripened.
ReplyDeleteOh, no, Anne! How frustrating for you to have them eat your berries and tomatoes!
DeleteI was surprised the birds hadn't tried to eat it, but they are busy eating the mulberries on my neighbor's tree so maybe they didn't even notice the strawberry!
Smoke sausage meal looks very good. And what a pretty strawberry [Because you only had one.. I bet it tasted even better.]
ReplyDeleteWe are having revival at church [starting this past Sunday], so a busy week.. Just getting meals cooked and cleaned up before having to leave.. So not accomplishing much.. Have a good day.
Judy, it was savored as it was the only one! LOL. Sounds like a busy week for you, but I'm sure you are enjoying the revival. Have a wonderful week!
DeleteYum strawberries or in this case strawberry! I'd settle for just one growing in my garden. The last two years I've tried growing them and nothing. My sister says she grows hers in pots so I might try that.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had much luck with strawberries, before, either. But these are 2 plants that my gardener gave me and so, I'm trying again. I do have them in a window box type planter. Good luck with growing them, if you decided to do so.
DeleteYour sausage meal looks yummy, I bet that strawberry was wonderful, a taster of what is to come. Its Anzac day here, so a holiday which is a sacred day for NZ and Australia to commemorate Gallipoli where almost a whole generation of young men lost their life in the WW1. The weather was beautiful and hundreds of thousands attended the dawn ceremonies held in every community.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon. The sausage meal was pretty tasty, considering it was something I just threw together and made up as I went along. The strawberry was delicious! I do hope there'll be more to come, but we'll have to wait and see. It might be a harvest of one berry! LOL.
DeleteSounds like it might have been a very emotional day to a lot of people. Yet, commemorations like that are so important, aren't they?
Hope all is well with you, Sharon. Take care.
Your dessert made me laugh aloud!! Actually I dug up and gifted a lot of my strawberry plants last year, as the squirrels were benefiting from the crop before I was! (And picking green ones, then throwing them away.) They can even get through wire. Love strawberries!
ReplyDeleteHey, we make the most of what we are given! :D I can't grow strawberries! I've tried and tried.
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