Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Summer Photo Scavenger Hunt - 1st Link Up

It is time for the SPSH first link up, hosted by Mary-Lou at Patio Postcards!

I had posted a few of my first SPSH photos in an earlier post, too, but, these are the ones I have selected for this first official link up:

No. 5: The Art of the Fold - An origami heart my daughter did in high school with a piece of paper on which she had worked out a math problem, which is why I call it "A Calculating Heart":

No. 5: The Art of the Fold - Origami; "A Calculating Heart"

It's a bit battered, partly because it was among a pile of old school work to be recycled when I saw it and rescued it.  

No. 7: What's in Bloom - There are different things blooming in the garden almost every day.  But, these double colored roses are a favorite as no two flowers are the same.  

No. 7: What's in Bloom - Roses


No. 9: Something Older than You - Figurine that belonged to my mother:

No. 9: Something Older than You - Figurine

No. 11: Shape of Round/Circular - Canning Jar Lids

No. 11: Shape of Round/Circular - Canning Jar Lids 

No. 14: Inside Your Fridge or Cupboard - After the week's zucchini harvest!

No. 14: Inside Your Fridge or Cupboard


Thank you, Mary-Lou for this opportunity to participate in the SPSH.

The full list of prompts, with the ones I've photographed crossed out:

2021 SPSH  List

 

  1. A Breakfast of Champions
  2. Favourite Time of Day
  3. Something To Represent Home But Not The Building
  4. Head In The Clouds; shapes or interesting patterns
  5. The Art Of The Fold
  6. Something That Makes You Laugh or Happy
  7. What's In Bloom
  8. Window Views
  9. Something Older Than You
  10. The Delivery Van/Truck Making The Deliveries
  11. The Shape of Round/Circular
  12. Something That Is Cause For Celebration
  13. Your Marie Kondo Moment – Or Not
  14. Inside Your Fridge Or Cupboard
  15. Your Best Doodle Art (not public graffiti)
  16. A Guilty Pleasure; Something That Recharges You
  17. An Exit
  18. Upside Down, Right Side Up
  19. Steps, But Who's Counting
  20. Decades Of Sharing; find something in your home that is from the 70's or80's or 90's or 00's


ALTERNATES

A: show off your  COVID safety; masks, cleaning, or other related supplies

B: a local landmark

C: the most beautiful landscape photo of the season

Monthly Photo Challenge - June

 Eileen sets monthly photo challenges and this month's theme was "Beginning with D".  I was mostly resting in bed, this month, so all of my photos were taken at home and mostly from my bed!    But, these are my "Beginning with D" photos:


Dancer - Cooling off on the tiled floor


Dancer Dressed Up

Dough - Pie Dough made into a pie crust

Dough - Zucchini Bread Dough waiting to be formed into a loaf


Delicious Dessert 1 - Homemade Peach Pie




Delicious Dessert 2 - Tiramisu

The theme for July is "Many".

Another Successful Zucchini Experiment!

Remember the Big Zucchini?

 
Remember the big zucchini that was picked last week, on Wednesday?  The huge one at the back?  I had been planning to make something with it, but, I had to wait until my daughter was free.  It was a bit of an experiment and my daughter was a bit dubious about what I planned to make, but, she was willing to give it a try.

Step one was to weigh it - it weighed in at 5 lbs.!  But, by the time she trimmed the ends and removed the seeds at my insistence (she didn't think the seeds needed to be removed), it weighed in at 4.5 lbs.  Then, it was processed in the blender (I don't have a food processor) with a cup of vinegar and turned into this:


Ground Zucchini
Isn't it a pretty color?

Then, daughter and I peeled some fresh ginger and garlic and she ground them up in the blender along with chili flakes, mustard seeds with another cup of vinegar, which was added to the ground zucchini, along with more vinegar, salt, and sugar and cooked down (while stirring all the while) until it turned into this:

Zucchini Chutney!

The color is due to all the red chili flakes and brown mustard seeds (4 oz. of each).  It made eight pint sized (16 oz.) jars of deliciously spicy zucchini chutney!  There was a tiny bit leftover which daughter and I had with our dinner, tonight.  My daughter, who had her doubts about zucchini chutney when I first mentioned it to her, now agrees that it makes a wonderful chutney!

I processed the jars of chutney in a water bath for 10 minutes, just to be on the safe side.  I used my tomato chutney recipe which is the one I used for making peach chutney, too.  It is my all-purpose chutney recipe!  No, the chutney doesn't taste like zucchini!  It tastes like chutney - spicy, sweet, and tangy from the vinegar.  

We still have more zucchini (daughter picked three more, today!) and more canning jars!  There might be another batch of chutney being made in another week or two!  

It has been another good day.  I took it fairly easy during the day, sewing and watching videos, but, I also brought in the trash cans, ran the dishwasher, helped with the chutney making (my daughter did most of the work), and walked around the front garden a couple of times.  Guess who was in the garden, today?  


Brown Bunny

I call him "Little Bunny Foo Foo" after the children's song by that title.  

Well camouflaged in my brown front garden!

Today, I am grateful for:
- Another pain-free day
- Zucchini chutney experiment worked well
- Daughter's help with the chutney making
- Another way to preserve the zucchini harvest
- Phone chats with family (half-sister) and friends (R, neighbor T)

Today's joyful activity was making chutney with my daughter.

Plans for tomorrow include M's visit to tend to the garden.  

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

Monday, June 28, 2021

MRI on Monday

Today marks one month since the last sciatica flare up!

This morning, my daughter drove me to the clinic for my MRI appointment.  My appointment was for 10:30 a.m., but, I had been asked to check in at 10:00 a.m.  We arrived there in time and I was called in after a short wait.  The MRI itself went well.  The last time I had one done (a few years ago, after I fainted in the bathroom and knocked my head on the edge of the bathtub shower door railing; still have a dent from that!) they gave me headphones to shut out the noise and they worked well.  This time, I suppose due to Covid, they gave me disposable ear buds which didn't work quite as well.  This time, I heard the noise more loudly and it gave me a slight headache!  The procedure, itself, took about 15 minutes.  I was told that the results will be sent to my doctor, but, I forgot to ask how long it would take them to send her the results.  Most probably, a couple of days or so.

After we came home, daughter cut some of the zucchini bread and made us sandwiches with cold cuts and lettuce, etc., for brunch.  Daughter had the day off from work, so, after brunch, we both rested and napped a bit.

In the evening, I decided to try out an experiment:

Zucchini Roti (Flat Bread)

Roti means flat bread.  I usually make roti with grated coconut and a bit of salt added to flour and water to form the dough.  Today, I added grated zucchini instead of coconut and I didn't add any water as the moisture from the zucchini was enough!  I used a couple of smaller zucchini and added as much flour as I needed to form a dough that didn't stick to my hands!  I found myself adding more flour to the dough as I made small balls of dough which were then flattened and placed on the electric skillet to cook.  As it was an experiment, I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but, the resulting roti were very good!  My daughter gave them a thumbs up!

I also cooked a chicken curry to go with the roti - the curry, too, was made in the electric skillet, after the roti were made.

In between, I did a few other things, including loading the dishwasher and taking the trash cans to the curb!  Later in the evening, my daughter took a few more zucchini to neighbor S and I chatted with aunt C and friend R.

Today, I am grateful for:
- The MRI appointment went well
- A safe drive to the clinic and back
- Modern diagnostic tools and technology
- Medical insurance coverage
- One month since the last flare up!

Today's joyful activity was trying out another new way to use my zucchini harvest!  

Plans for tomorrow include trying out another zucchini experiment, but, it requires my daughter's help.  I will post about it once we try it!

How was your Monday?  What are your plans for tomorrow and the rest of the week?

Sunday, June 27, 2021

More Zucchini and Bread on Sunday

 

Sunday's Zucchini Harvest

Today, my daughter picked six more zucchini when she went out to water the fruit trees in the back yard! 

Eileen had asked me, in a comment on an earlier post, how many zucchinis I have picked.  I didn't keep a tally, but, I went over some of my earlier posts and found out that the first zucchini harvest took place on June 2 and we picked 9 zucchini (although only 7 were photographed).  Two days later, on June 4, we picked another 8!  The next day's post states that I pointed out more zucchini to my daughter for picking, but, I didn't say if she picked them or not.  On June 9, another 7 were picked.  On June 11, more zucchini were picked, but, I hadn't made a note of the number, although, on June 16, M picked 12 zucchini and I had written that we had picked "almost as many" the previous Friday (June 11) - so maybe we picked around 9 or 10?  I am sure we picked at least a couple of zucchini on June 18 and going by my reference to some salad made with one of the zucchini picked that day, we must have picked at least another couple of them on June 22, too.  Then, on June 23, M picked 6 zucchini followed by another 5 on June 25.  And today (June 27) we picked another 6!  Of course, we have 14 zucchini plants. 

Today, I tried a new to me zucchini bread recipe that Lady Ella had mentioned making on her blog, Flowers of Progress (not sure if I should post a link to her blog as her blog is now a private blog I have Lady Ella's permission to link the post) and emailed to me.  It is a regular yeast bread with grated zucchini added to it!  You salt the grated zucchini and leave it to drain, then squeeze out as much moisture as you can, add the drained zucchini to some yeast that has been activated with lukewarm water and flour and mix it, adding more water to mix as needed.  Then, you knead it and leave it to rise:

The First Rising


Lady Ella mentioned kneading by hand, but, I used the dough hooks on my stand mixer, because I wasn't sure how well I'd be able to knead.  After the first rising it was kneaded again.  Once again, I used the dough hooks for the second kneading, too.  The dough seemed very gloppy!  Lady Ella had said she used a lot more flour than the recipe had called for because she found the dough to be very sticky when she kneaded it, so I added more flour and a little more flour and still some more!  My daughter and I were worried that we might have added too much flour, so we shaped the still somewhat gloppy dough into a tapered loaf on a greased baking sheet and allowed to rise again. Even with all that extra flour, my bread dough spread sideways and didn't form a nicely shaped loaf like Lady Ella's had done!   I was afraid that it might overflow the edges of my baking sheet, so after the second rising, I brushed the top of the dough with some vegetable oil (Lady Ella had used olive oil which I don't have) and baked it at 425F for 20 minutes.  Her recipe had said to bake for 40-45 minutes, but, my bread was done much sooner because it was flatter!


Zucchini Yeast Bread Fresh Out of the Oven


It was, however, as delicious and as crusty as Lady Ella had said it would be:


Crusty and Delicious!

My daughter and I couldn't wait until it had cooled - we just cut into the bread right out of the oven (which, I know is a big no-no!)

A Slice of Deliciousness!

You really can't taste the zucchini.  We ate it spread with a little butter.  We will definitely make this again!

In addition to the zucchini, my daughter picked the only two nectarines we had on the new tree:

Nectarine Harvest!

The tree was planted only this spring and we weren't really expecting any fruit!  Therefore, these two are a bonus!  Daughter and I shared one and it tasted wonderful.  I hope we get a good crop of them, next year.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- More zucchini from the garden!
- The first nectarines!
- A new zucchini bread recipe (Thank you, Lady Ella)
- The old oven still works and didn't explode!
- Another pain free day

Today's joyful activity was baking zucchini yeast bread.

Plans for tomorrow include going to my MRI appointment in the morning.  I'm not planning anything else, but, daughter and I were discussing the possibility of making another batch of chutney!

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

Updated to include link to Lady Ella's blog post about her courgette bread.

Relaxed Saturday

I slept well, last night, and had another pain free and very relaxed day, today. Spoke with cousin P in the morning, neighbor T in the afternoon, and friend R in the evening.  

It was another warm (highs in the 90s) day today.  I had considered trying out a new zucchini bread recipe, but, it was too hot to turn on the oven!  Instead, I spent the majority of the day repairing the quilt and watching videos.  My daughter vacuumed the house and said it was quite a work out!  I offered to do some of the vacuuming, but, she didn't let me. 

I guess my biggest accomplishment today was cooking my brunch (scrambled egg, sausage, toast) while standing at the stove!   Haven't done that in over a month!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- The blessing of another pain free day
- Daughter doing the vacuuming
- Phone calls with family and friends
- Working appliances (ceiling fans, stove, etc.)
- Being able to watch online videos

Today's joyful activity was sewing and watching videos.

Plans for tomorrow might include some chutney making, provided my daughter is up to it.  If not, I will continue to repair the quilt and watch more videos!

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

Saturday, June 26, 2021

Friday

Today, I felt a little tired from all the excitement of the past couple of days, with the stove acting up, the gas service technician's visit, having the plumbing work done, etc.  I rested in bed for the most part today.  But, in between resting and watching videos, I swept my bathroom, again, took a nice hot shower in my bathroom as opposed to daughter's bathroom, folded and put away the laundry from yesterday, played one song on the piano, ran the dishwasher (daughter had loaded it for me, earlier) and unloaded it afterwards, washed a few items including the electric skillet by hand, and cleaned one section of the kitchen counters.  

I also called neighbor T to check on her, called friend A (not neighbor A who recommended the plumber) to find out how the appointment with her oncologist went and wished her daughter C for her birthday, spoke with aunt C and chatted with friend R.  

When M came over in the early evening, I asked him if he could continue to tend to the garden twice a week in July, too.  He was agreeable to that, much to my relief!  I am feeling better, but, I don't know if I am quite up to taking care of the garden, yet.  He picked 5 more zucchini, a handful of green beans, and the first ripe tomato!  

Today, I am grateful for:
- Continuing to be pain free
- Being able to rest when I need to
- M helping with the garden
- Today's garden harvest
- What I was able to accomplish

Today's joyful activities included watching videos online and chatting with family and friends.

Plans for tomorrow (Saturday) include trying a new zucchini bread recipe!  

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

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Productive Thursday

 

New Kitchen Faucet  (Oops!  Should have cleaned the back splash, first!)

Today has been another good day and a productive one as well!  

I had asked M if he knew of a plumber and he said that neighbor A (behind me, one house over; he tends to her garden, too) had recommended a company she had used.  Both he and I contacted A to find out the details, which she texted to us, this morning.  

I called the plumbing company and they sent a plumber out this afternoon.  In addition to the drippy faucet in the kitchen, I also had no hot water in my shower (although I had hot water in the sink faucet).  A previous plumber had told me that I needed to replace the whole shower unit - that was shortly before the Covid lockdown, but, since I had another bathroom, I just used the shower in that bathroom and put off buying a new shower unit.  

Well, the plumber who was here today checked the shower and made an adjustment in how much the shower handle could be turned and just like that, I had hot water!  Apparently, the shower handle didn't turn all the way up to open the hot water valve fully!  Who knew?

The kitchen faucet wasn't such an easy fix; he recommended that I replaced the faucet, which is what I expected I would have to do.  He would go and buy it for me, if I would reimburse him for it when he brought me the receipt.  Yes please!  He asked me if I wanted the same type of faucet and I said yes (single handle, with a side nozzle that pulls out).  The new faucet cost $88.01 with tax.  The labor charges for both the shower handle adjustment and kitchen faucet installation came to $110, which was surprisingly reasonable I thought.  The last time I had the kitchen faucet replaced (over 12 years ago), I paid $200 just for labor.

As he was leaving to go, I asked the plumber if he would like to have some freshly picked home grown zucchini and he said yes, his wife would like to have some.  I gave him three zucchini to take home with him!

Later, I texted neighbor A to say the plumber had been and thanked her for the recommendation.  Then, I asked her if she'd like to have some homegrown zucchini and she said she'd love some!  My daughter walked over to her house and gave her a bag with three zucchini before A could change her mind!  LOL

In the morning, before the plumber was due to arrive, I cleaned my bathroom - this time, I not only swept the bathroom floor, I mopped it, too!  Daughter was anxious that I was doing too much, but, I felt OK.  In the afternoon, I did a little more repair work on the quilt and watched some videos.  Later in the evening, I did two loads of laundry (still have to fold and put away the washed clothes).  Then, I cooked sausages and a stir fry with zucchini and carrots in the electric skillet for dinner.  That took care of another half of a fairly big zucchini - the rest of the zucchini will be cooked tomorrow.  

I am happy with what I was able to accomplish today!

Today, I am grateful for:

- A and M helping me with finding a plumber
- Getting the plumbing work done
- Working fixtures
- What I was able to accomplish today
- Finding two more willing takers for the zucchini glut!

Today's joyful activity was getting the plumbing work done!  

Plans for tomorrow include M's visit to tend to the garden (what are the chances that he'll find more zucchini to harvest?) 

How was your day, today?  What are your plans for tomorrow?




Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Wednesday

Wednesday's Zucchini Harvest


The largest one is 14 inches long and is quite heavy!  The second largest one is 13 inches long!  Those two were hiding from us!  I cut up the smallest one to make another salad for our dinner.  

It's been another good day, today.  In the morning, I used to stove to boil water for my tea and it worked well.  I will still buy a new stove, though, just to be on the safe side!  Later, I went out to check on the back yard and walked around a bit.

M was here this morning to tend to the garden and he picked the zucchini and another handful of green beans.  He'll be here again on Friday.  I must ask him if he can continue to make twice weekly visits in July, as well.

In the afternoon, I spent some time repairing the quilt, but spent more time watching videos online!

Lunch had been hamburgers and both daughter and I had some zucchini bread for tea.  Dinner was leftover curries from yesterday, with freshly cooked rice and zucchini salad.

Today, I am grateful for:
- Another good day
- Today's zucchini harvest
- A walk in the garden
- The stove worked well
- Online videos to watch

Today's joyful activity was checking on the garden.

Not sure what my plans are for tomorrow!  I will continue with repairing the quilt, but, anything else will depend on how I feel, etc.  

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?


Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Tuesday

After all the excitement with the gas stove, last night, both my daughter and I slept well.  I woke up at 6:30 a.m., feeling wide awake.   I boiled the water for my tea in the microwave instead of on the stove   and I was ready and waiting for the gas company service technician by 7:00 a.m.  While I waited, I emptied a couple of the buckets of water that had collected overnight from the drippy kitchen tap and used the water to water some of the plants in the front garden (I really need to find a new plumber - the person I used to call is no longer available; I called the company that fixed my water heater, but they said they specialize in water heaters and don't do regular plumbing repairs).  

When I went outside to water the plants, I saw not one but two white bunnies playing near the sidewalk!  They seemed to be smaller than the white rabbit that comes to my back yard; I don't know if these are new bunnies or, perhaps, they are the ones neighbor S's daughter mentioned seeing some time ago?  Just how many rabbits are there running around my block?

The gas service technician checked out my stove and was amazed that my stove is 27 years old!  He said these stoves have a life span of about 8 to 10 years!  He said I have kept my stove well maintained.  He checked everything and didn't find any gas leaking and couldn't find what might have caused yesterday's "whoosh" sound and the reason for the flame to go off.  He did say that, sometimes, a bit of ash or debris might clog an opening which would result in a blockage and a build up of gas which might then burn like a fireball.  Maybe that's what happened, last night and then something cause the flame to go off?  But, he checked for clogged openings and couldn't find any!

Even so, he brushed all the burner parts where the openings are for the gas to come out and turned the stove on and off while he checked for gas leakage, etc.  He checked the oven, too, and said everything seemed OK.  He did seem a little concerned by the fact that the self-ignition on one of the burners is no longer working (I usually light that burner with a lit candle), and on one other burner, the flame only lights on one side (although the openings are not blocked; I usually just blow on that burner and it causes the flame to light all around).  These are minor inconveniences as far as I am concerned, but, maybe they are reasons to be concerned?

The stove has a sealed top which doesn't allow the technician to check what is going on underneath the burners, where the wires are, etc.  According to him, getting a manufacturer recommended technician to come out and take the whole stove apart would not be worth the cost because the stove is so old.  

I was told I could continue to use the stove, but, his recommendation was to get a new stove, because once these sort of burner issues show up, they might continue to be a problem.  Plus, with gas stoves, one can't be too careful.  My daughter has been telling me to get a new stove for at least a couple of years, so, I guess that's what we will do!  My only concern is if a new stove will fit in the space between the two cabinets!  I remember the trouble I had with the new fridge not quite fitting into the space the old fridge occupied!  The space we have for the stove is exactly 30 inches wide and my current stove is 29 1/2 inches wide!  All the similar stoves I looked at online said they were 30 inches wide.  I am hoping that they will be just that half inch less than 30 inches!  Otherwise, we might have to do some kitchen remodeling and I am not sure if I am ready for that!  I would, however, like to get a new vent hood to go with the new stove.  The one I currently have is not quite as old as the stove, but, it is almost 24 years old and it looks grimy no matter how much I clean it.

In the meantime, we left the old stove be and didn't use it, today, at all!  Instead, I cooked a fish curry (with frozen pollock fillets) and green beans from the garden (we had picked almost a pound of green beans!) in the electric skillet!  I also made a salad with one of the small zucchini my daughter picked today - I made it the way I made cucumber salad - thinly sliced, with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  My daughter, who normally doesn't like raw zucchini, said it was very good!  Dinner was rice with fish curry, sauteed green beans, and zucchini salad.  

I spent most of the morning on the family room sofa sitting up with a cushion at my spine and my legs stretched out on the sofa.  As I told my daughter, I felt less of an invalid while lying propped up on the sofa than propped up in bed!  Besides, I could look out into the back garden from the window and see the plants and the birds, etc.  There was a very territorial mockingbird who must have a nest nearby because it was dive bombing at one of the garden cats and pecking at it!  The poor cat was trying to run away from the bird!  

But, my daughter was worried that my leg pain might return because I was up and about.  So, in the afternoon, I went back to the bed and sewed on the quilt that I am repairing.  Aunt C called while I was doing that and we had a long chat.  Aunt C is in her mid-80s and occasionally repeats a story, but, I don't mind.  Sometimes she'll ask me if she has told the story earlier and I always say that a good story is worth repeating!  LOL.  Later, I chatted with friend R.

Today, I am grateful for:
- The stove is safe to use, although a new stove has been recommended
- The electric skillet which is earning its keep!
- Another good, pain free day
- Green beans from the garden
- All what I was able to do today!

Today's joyful activity was looking out at the garden and enjoying the view!

Plans for tomorrow include M's visit to tend to the garden.  

How was your day and what are your plans for tomorrow?

Monday, June 21, 2021

Monday

 

Gladioli

Happy summer solstice!  

I've had another good day, today - as my daughter reminded me this morning, it's been three weeks since my last flare up!  I hope I didn't just jinx it by writing that!  

Today started with a phone call from one of my friends who called to say she was dropping something off at my front door in return for all the zucchini we had given her!  When I opened the door, this is what I found: 


Vietnamese Meat Pies

What a lovely thank you gift!  These meat pies are so delicious!  I had two for my breakfast and daughter had two for brunch.  The other two are in the fridge to be shared tomorrow!

This morning, I noticed two neighbors (a man and a woman, from a couple of houses down the street from me) walking all over my front yard!  I watched them from the doorway (they didn't see me and I was not dressed enough to go outside).  I guess they were trying to chase one of the neighbor's rabbits (the brown one who likes to sit in the front garden)!  I am not sure if they were trying to capture it (why else would they be bothered that a rabbit was in my front garden?), but the woman had a long stick which she was using to chase the poor bunny!  She might have been trying to get the bunny to run towards the man so he could catch it.  Instead, bunny ran across the street and either hid under a parked car or went into that neighbor's yard.  I saw the man gesture towards that yard and then, the couple went back to their house (which they are renting; it's the house next to neighbor T's and T has been complaining to me about them because apparently, their children throw stones and trash into her yard!)  Later, after I was dressed, I went out into the front garden, but didn't see the brown bunny.  That's when I took the photo of the white gladioli stalk that is flowering near the climbing rose.  I do wish the neighbors who own the bunnies would provide better care for them!  

I had another relatively relaxed day, today.  I did a load of laundry, made a card for my niece's son who graduated from high school earlier this month, sewed a few more patches, cut up the last of the peaches to be frozen, cooked hamburger patties in the electric skillet, and did the dishes.  

Later in the evening, however, when daughter had kept a pot of water on the stove to boil and we were in the bedroom watching a video of her playing the piano, we heard a sort of "whoosh" sound - I thought the water might have boiled over, but, when daughter checked, she said the water was not boiling yet, and came back to the room.  A few minutes later we both smelled gas and when she checked the stove, she noticed that the flame had gone off!  She quickly turned the stove off and opened the windows to air out the place.  I called the gas company to report the incident; I was asked if I heard or smelled gas leaking after the stove was turned off and I said no.  Since there is no active leakage, they will send a technician tomorrow morning to check on the stove.  I have a feeling it is time for a new stove - this stove is one I've had for 27 years.  So, that was our excitement for the day!

Today, I am grateful for:
- It being 3 weeks since my last flare up
- My friend's thank you gift of meat pies
- Brown bunny evaded its would be captors!
- The stove didn't blow up/we smelled the gas in time/the stove isn't leaking gas
- The gas company will send a technician out tomorrow morning

Today's joyful activity was a very brief walk in the garden during which I picked a handful of green beans.

Plans for tomorrow include waking up early to wait for the gas company technician to arrive (any time after 7:00 a.m. is what I was told).  

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

Sunday, June 20, 2021

Sunday

Today has been another good day!  I slept in a bit because I had stayed up till 2:00 a.m., last night, but, my daughter was up bright and early to take an online exercise class!  I slept till a little past 10:00 a.m., then, made myself a cup of tea and said my morning prayers.  Cousin P called and we had a nice chat.

In the afternoon, my daughter went to pick up the groceries.  There was one substitution - we had ordered the store brand hamburger buns (a package of 8 buns for $1.25); the store substituted brand name organic hamburger buns that were regularly priced at $6.49 for a package of 8!  I am not sure who would pay $6.49 for hamburger buns, even if they were organic and the name included the phrase "Killer Hamburger Buns Done Right"!  I was charged only the $1.25 I would have paid for the store brand, though, so I am not complaining!  I'm very grateful that this store charges only the lesser price of the item when they make a substitution.

When daughter came home, I baked the deli pizza we had bought for lunch.

While the oven was on for the pizza, I pulled out all the bread ends (or heels as some call them) that had been saved over the past several weeks in the fridge.  I love the crusty bread ends of homemade bread, French bread, etc., but, not the ends of store bought sandwich bread.  These are kept in the fridge until I have enough to do something with them.  Today, I took some of them and cut them up into small squares, tossed them with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and some dried basil, spread them out on a baking sheet with a bit of oil on it and put them in the oven, along with the pizza, to make croutons to add to our salads.  They were done in a few minutes and daughter liked them so much that she ate a bowl of them just as they were!  

The rest of the bread ends were cut up and put into a small square baking dish with a mixture of eggs (I used three large eggs), milk (didn't measure! About 1 1/2 cups?), and sugar (about 2/3 cups) poured over them, some cashews sprinkled on the top along with a handful of raisins on one half of the bread mixture (daughter doesn't like raisins so her half doesn't have raisins), dotted on the top with a few pats of butter and baked for about 20 minutes to make a bread pudding.  We both had two pieces each from our respective halves!

In the afternoon, daughter's friend A stopped by to pick up some zucchini to take to her parents - four medium sized zucchini have now left the house and there is a little space in the fridge for the next ones to be harvested!  

I sewed a few more patches on the quilt in the afternoon and had a long chat on the phone with my half-sister.  Later, I spoke with Aunt C and with friend R.  And with one of my cousins who is in Sri Lanka.

Afterwards, I emptied the dishwasher that daughter had run yesterday and washed today's dishes by hand.  Wiped down the stove top, too, but not the counters.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another good, pain free day
- All the little things I was able to do as a result
- Daughter picking up the groceries and curbside pickup
- Being able to share more zucchini
- Phone chats with family and friends

Today's joyful activity was baking bread pudding (and croutons) from the bread ends.

Plans for tomorrow include making a graduation card.  

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

Saturday, June 19, 2021

Saturday

Yesterday evening, I cooked a chicken curry using the electric skillet!  It turned out quite well, but, I don't think I planned that too well, because I was constantly getting up and walking back and forth between the kitchen and the living room to get ingredients, etc.  Next time, I should gather all the ingredients together and take to the living room with me!  It's only a matter of a few feet between the two rooms, but, I got a bit tired.  As a result, I didn't make the roti I was planning to make to have with the chicken curry!  Instead, my daughter cooked a pot of rice to go with the chicken curry and I chose to have pita bread.

I didn't have any pain in the night and woke up feeling well, so the walking back and forth didn't cause any problems, after all.  I thought that bode well for my recovery.  And I felt I might be able to do a little more housework, today!  

I had been noticing that the kitchen floor felt rather sticky (I can't remember when it was last mopped - certainly before I had my sciatica pain!).  I had mentioned the sticky floor to my daughter, but, she said something about getting a Swiffer mop.  So, this morning, while my tea was brewing, I swept the kitchen floor and mopped it, with the old string mop that I use.  I didn't scrub too hard because I wasn't sure how I'd feel afterwards, but, the floor is no longer sticky!  

Later in the day, I also swept my bathroom (Dancer's litter box is in my bathroom; enough said!) and did two loads of laundry (daughter switched the last load for me and brought me the clothes to  be folded, etc.)

In the afternoon, I sewed a few more patches on the old quilt and washed a couple of dishes.  Daughter made us salads for lunch and I had some of my zucchini pancakes with chicken curry for dinner; daughter had the rest of the Tex Mex chicken zucchini for her dinner.  

I called one of my friends and offered her more zucchini; daughter dropped them off for me.  My friend was pleased to have them.  Tomorrow, daughter's friend A will stop by to pick up more zucchini to take to her parents.  That stash of zucchini in the fridge is dwindling!  

Later in the evening, daughter made a grocery order for pick up, tomorrow.  We mostly needed more half and half for her coffee and some sandwich bread.  But, we ordered a "bake at home" pizza ($5) and a few things like cold cuts, hamburger patties and buns, plus potato salad and coleslaw from the deli for easy meal prep during the week.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another pain free day
- Being able to do a few housekeeping tasks!
- Daughter's help with some of the other household tasks
- Being able to share the zucchini bounty with friends
- Fans, electricity, internet, phone services, etc.

Today's joyful activity was being able to mop the kitchen floor!

Plans for tomorrow include processing the rest of the peaches before they spoil!  

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

Friday, June 18, 2021

Friday's Happenings

It is a much cooler day, today, with the high being only 85F!

Yesterday evening, I went for a stroll around the front garden after a long time.  I was disappointed to see that, even though the pomegranate tree had been covered with flowers earlier in the spring, not a single fruit was forming!  I guess the tree decided to take a break this year?   

Afterwards, I took a stroll around the back garden, too.  Bun Bun was there, happily munching on the cat food; it barely moved off the steps when I walked past!  LOL.

I enjoyed the strolls, but, later, my calf muscle felt a little sore.  I'm hoping it was just from the unusual activity of strolling both gardens!  It didn't turn into a flare up, for which I am very grateful!

Modified "Tex Mex Chicken and Zucchini"

My daughter found a recipe online for a dish called Tex Mex Chicken and Zucchini that she made for dinner, with modifications.  The original recipe called for black beans and tomatoes; we didn't have black beans (she didn't think much of my suggestion to use a can of baked beans with the sauce rinsed off!  LOL) and she left out the tomatoes, too.  She also substituted chicken thighs for chicken breasts and sweet peppers for bell peppers as that's what we had!  And she doubled the amount of garlic called for in the recipe from three cloves to six and reduced the amount of cheese to just a sprinkling (she doesn't like cheese)!  There might have been a few other modifications, too, as we didn't have some of the spices and seasonings called for in the recipe ( (she added some regular chili powder and chili flakes instead of taco seasonings, for example)  LOL.  But, the resulting dish tasted good.  PLUS, it used up two zucchini from the stash!  We had some of it for our lunch, today, and it was just as good warmed up as it was when it was cooked, last night.

Speaking of the zucchini stash, my daughter took this photo on Wednesday night, after she put away the day's garden harvest and I thought it would do so nicely for the SPSH prompt No. 14 - Inside Your Fridge or Cupboard:


SPSH: #14: Inside Your Fridge or Cupboard

There are more zucchinis in the drawers, as well!

Today, has been another good day without pain!  I made my cup of morning tea, fed Dancer and the garden cats, did a load of laundry (bath mats, Dancer's towels, etc.) which were put on the clothes drying rack to air dry, folded and put away the blankets I washed yesterday (the linen closet needs to be tidied, but, that's for another time),  and swept my bathroom!  I even sat at the piano for the first time since the sciatica pain started and played one short piece!  I didn't sit there for longer than a couple of minutes, but, at least, I played one very easy piece (from the beginner book)!  Not ready to resume lessons and practicing (don't think I can sit for longer periods of time, yet), but, it felt good to play even that one easy piece.

Daughter warmed up the Tex Mex dish for our lunch and just now, I've eaten a fresh peach in lieu of my usual cup of tea.

Later in the evening, M stopped by to tend to the garden and he got to try one of the zucchini pancakes with peach chutney and some of the Tex Mex chicken/zucchini dish.  He's a good sport and declared them both to be delicious!  LOL.  

I've planned to make something that will use up more zucchini for our dinner!  I don't know how that will turn out - it will be an experiment, but, I'll post about it, tomorrow, after I make it and we'll be able to tell if it was a success or not!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another good day
- What I've been able to accomplish
- Working appliances and electricity
- My mother insisting on buying a piano for us
- Phone chats with family and friends

Today's joyful activities included playing the piano for just even a short time! 

Plans for tomorrow/weekend will depend on how I am feeling and daughter's schedule, but, there might be more chutney making taking place!  

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for tomorrow/weekend?

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Zucchini Pancakes on Thursday

Zucchini Pancakes

I tried my hand at making zucchini pancakes, today, using 1 cup grated zucchini, 1 cup pancake mix, and an egg.  Remembering how watery my waffle batter became, I squeezed out as much liquid from the grated zucchini as I could before measuring out a cup of it; but, that made the batter a bit too dry and I had to add a little bit of water to the mixture!  Maybe I shouldn't have squeezed out the liquid from the zucchini, after all!  I also added a tiny bit of salt and a little bit of chili powder, but, neither my daughter nor I could taste the chili powder, so I might add more, next time.

I made the pancakes in the electric skillet that I had mentioned earlier, while seated in the armchair in the living room.  Oh, that electric skillet is certainly  coming in useful!  The batter was a little too thick to spread out evenly on its own, but the pancakes turned out nice and fluffy.  There was enough batter to make nine small pancakes.  Neither my daughter nor I could really taste the zucchini, which surprised us both!  I ate them with peach chutney and they tasted great.

I had a pain free night last night and a pain free day, so far, today (typing this in the early afternoon).  Being pain free is a blessing I will not take for granted, anymore!  

Today started out sunny, but nice and cool (about 80F); I opened the doors and windows to get the cool morning air into the house.  Then, it got a bit cloudy and, around 10:30 a.m., we had a surprise drizzle of rain!  I hurried as best I could to the sliding glass door to take a picture of the unexpected rain, but, it only lasted for about two minutes and the 50 drops or so of rain we received dried up almost before they reached the ground!  There was nothing to photograph!  LOL.  After that, it became sunny again and now, in the early afternoon, the temperature is 92F.  Today's forecast is a high of 94F.  

I did a small load of laundry, this morning - two blankets that had been on the bed, which will be put away for the summer.  I was able to do this load by myself without daughter's help!  I also folded and put away the bed sheets, etc., that were washed yesterday.  I feel like I managed to accomplish something!  

I received a phone call from the MRI imaging center, asking me if I could be there for the MRI in the morning of June 28, instead of the evening; if not, they'd have to reschedule it for another day.  I said I will be able to be there in the morning as I don't want to postpone the MRI for a later date.  

The rest of the afternoon will be set aside for sewing/repairing the quilt.  I am hoping that I will be able to go for a walk in the garden this evening.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Being pain free (so far) today
- What I am able to accomplish each day
- Zucchini from the garden
- Daughter being willing to try the results of my zucchini experiments
- Working appliances

Today's joyful activity was trying out a new zucchini recipe!

How is your Thursday coming along?  What are your plans for tomorrow?

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Zucchini, Anyone?

 

Wednesday's Zucchini Harvest

This is what M picked today, after picking almost as many on Friday!   What a bountiful blessing!  We gave away most of Friday's pickings to friends and neighbors.  I think some of today's harvest might be set out in a box with a Free sign on it!  

It was a slightly cooler day, today and another pain-free day.  I spent the majority of the day reading and sewing on the quilt.  My biggest accomplishment today was changing my bedsheets (daughter helped with putting on the fitted sheet) and doing a load of laundry (again, she helped with getting the last of the washed items out of the washing machine because the tub is deep and I am short; she didn't want me to bend over too much to reach the last few items at the bottom).  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another pain free day
- The bountiful garden harvest!
- M being able to water the garden midweek
- My daughter's help with the housework
- Electricity to run the fans

Today's joyful activity was sewing on the quilt.

How was your day?

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Hot on Tuesday

 

Before: Middle Strip Completely Worn Off, Sides Frayed


After: Entire Patch Replaced

Today's daytime high was 102F.  It has since cooled off to 84F (at 9:30 p.m.).  The rest of this week will only be in the upper 90s.  I think the zucchini in the garden will be picked pre-baked!

Last night, my leg started to twinge a bit - there was a pain behind my knee which, thankfully, didn't flare up!  I guess it was a sign that I had done a bit too much.  My leg was fine by morning, but, I've taken it easy, today.  I did a few things such as washing a few dishes by hand (items that don't go in the dishwasher; dishwasher has been loaded and will be run after dinner), but, I spent most of the day sitting propped up in bed, repairing the quilt and reading blogs.  

The quilt repair is coming along slowly.  In some places, I replace just a single piece of the worn fabric (the pink strip on the left in the second picture) and in other places, the entire patch is replaced.  The top picture shows a place where the middle strip has been completely worn off (the white fabric that is seen is the lining I used to sew the patchwork blocks to for added strength) and the side strips were fraying, too.  In this case, I decided to sew a new patchwork block and sew that in place (second picture).  I might replace that dusty pink floral strip to the right of the new patch because I noticed that it, too, was starting to fray.  

In between reading blogs and sewing, I spoke with people on the phone!  Called neighbor T to check on her (especially to make sure she was doing OK with the heat), and friend A (who had been hospitalized again due to recurring bacterial infections which are preventing her from receiving the chemo treatments; she came home yesterday), and neighbor E across the street who had been in the hospital for surgery!  I left a message for E as he didn't answer the phone.  I also spoke with cousin P, aunt C, and friend R.

I also called and scheduled the MRI; I had waited to call until I received the authorization letter from my insurance in the mail, which I received yesterday.  It was a good thing I waited because they needed the authorization number that was on the letter (the one I received from the doctor's office had a different number!  I don't know why they were different, but, I'll take both the print out I received from the doctor and my letter when I go to the appointment, just in case!).  The earliest appointment they could give me was Monday, June 28.  But, I was happy to take what they had available.  

Today, we discovered that warmed up zucchini waffles go well with daughter's peach chutney!  My daughter and I shared the last two waffles with chutney as a tea time snack.  I think I will be making another batch of zucchini waffles before too long!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another pain free night and day/last night's twinges didn't become a flare up
- Having an appointment for the MRI
- Electric fans, both ceiling fans and stand fans
- Electricity to run the fans (and other appliances)
- Telephone services/phone calls with family, friends, and neighbors

Today's joyful activities included sewing and chatting with people!  

Plans for tomorrow include M's visit to tend to the garden and more quilt repairs.

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

Peach Chutney and Other Happenings

Peach Chutney

Yesterday, after daughter picked the peaches, we decided to peel and cut up the really ripe and bruised fruits.  We both sat at the little table I had used earlier in the morning to make the zucchini waffles to cut up the fruit, so I could help.  We had 5 lbs. of cut up fruit!  Then, I read out my peach chutney recipe to my daughter and I rested on the bed while she made the chutney!  It was her first time making chutney from start to finish and she was able to make almost eight jars of chutney - each jar is one pint (16 fl. oz.)  I showed her how to process them in a water bath and all the jars sealed.  The one jar that was not filled right to the top was kept in the fridge (she took it out for this picture) and will be used up first.  

We were a little worried that I might have done too much, yesterday, but, I had a pain free night and woke up feeling fine.  

Today has been a good day, too.  I spent most of the morning resting in  bed, but, in the afternoon, I moved to the family room sofa and continued to repair the patchwork quilt.  I was wearing a short sleeved blouse, leggings, and socks; the quilt I was repairing was spread on my lap and it was backed with cotton flannel. The ceiling fan was on, but, the daytime high was 96F.  Eventually, I felt warm enough to remove my socks!  LOL.   

In the early evening, daughter drove to her friend P's house to drop off a bag of zucchini for P's parents.  Afterwards, she watered some of the fruit trees and the vegetable plants in the garden because they were wilting from the heat.  I put out some dry cat food and guess who showed up to eat the kibbles?


Bun Bun!  You are not a kitty!

Later in the evening, I cooked some salmon fillets in an electric skillet set up on the same table I used when I made the zucchini waffles.  It's been years since I last used it, and, in fact, every time I decluttered, I wondered if I should give it away since I wasn't using it (along with the electric wok which also hasn't been used in years).  But, there was that little voice whispering, "But, what if you need it, again?"  And, today, I was very, very glad that I hadn't decluttered it, because it meant I could cook something for dinner and give my daughter a break from having to cook a couple of meals!  She says she, too, is very glad that I kept the electric skillet.  

Today I am grateful for:

- Another good day
- Peach chutney
- Being able to cook dinner
- Having kept the electric skillet after all
- Daughter watering the garden

 Today's joyful activity was sweeping the bathroom!  

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

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Zucchini Waffles on Sunday


Waffle Station in the Living Room

Zucchini Waffles Hot off the Waffle Iron!

I've been blessed with another good day, today.  

I scrubbed one side of the kitchen sink (it is a double sink) and washed some dishes, this morning, after I made myself a cup of tea.  Then, I did two loads of laundry with daughter's help (she took the dried laundry out of the dryer and switched the second load for me).  Later, I folded all the laundry and put away my stuff.

While the laundry was being done, I grated another zucchini and tried my hand at making zucchini waffles!  There are several recipes online; I adapted a recipe that called for boxed pancake mix.  The recipe called for 1 1/2 to 2 cups grated zucchini, 1 cup pancake mix, 3/4 cup milk, 1 large egg, 2 tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. vanilla, and cooking spray for the waffle iron.  I had 2 1/2 cups grated zucchini so used all of it, which made the batter a bit too thin for my liking, so I added a little more pancake mix (can't really say how much because I didn't measure!  I might have used 1 1/2 c. pancake mix, total).  I didn't measure the ground cinnamon and vanilla, either!  And I used vegetable oil to brush on the waffle iron, because I don't use cooking spray.  

I made the first waffle standing at the kitchen counter, but, I soon realized that standing while the waffle baked would be too much for me.  So, I moved everything to a small folding table in the living room!  This meant I could sit in my chair while I made the waffles.  I set the waffle iron to "dark" because I wanted to make sure the zucchini cooked!  

The resulting waffles were slightly sweet from the pancake mix and the cinnamon (I didn't add any more sugar) and crispy when hot off the iron (but, got soft quite rapidly when cool).  Both my daughter and I ate them as they were, without additional syrup, for brunch.  The leftover waffles will be kept in the fridge and warmed up in the toaster for breakfasts, later in the week.  

My daughter took over two more zucchini to neighbor S and did some grocery shopping in the afternoon.  Later, she watered the fruit trees and noticed that birds have started pecking at some of the peaches!  So, she picked most of the rest of the peaches!  I washed them and set aside the ones that were bruised to be processed first.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another good day
- What I was able to accomplish today
- An abundant zucchini and peach harvest
- Being able to share some of the harvest with friends
- Daughter being able to do the grocery shopping

Today's joyful activity was making zucchini waffles!

I am hoping that I didn't do too much, today, and the leg pain won't start!  I am planning to take it very easy, tomorrow!  I will also call the imaging center to schedule the MRI appointment.

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

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Warm on Saturday

Love!

On Wednesday, M cleared the vegetable/wildflower planting bed and yesterday (Friday), I asked him to remove the wire mesh we had put around it.  The wire mesh was reused around the other half of the bed where we planted the okra seeds and replaced the caution tape I had put, earlier - hopefully, the wire mesh will keep out the neighbor's bunny from eating the okra seedlings!  Later in the evening, when I looked outside, I saw that M had rearranged the edging around the former vegetable/wildflower bed to form a heart shape!  Isn't it cute?  I took the picture this afternoon.  The stick you can see in the middle of the heart is the trunk of the moringa plant which I thought had died over the winter, but, which has put out a new leaf!  Hopefully, it will continue to grow!

It has been a nice, warm day, today, with a high of 86F!  My kind of weather!  

I've had another good day.  Today, I took the kitchen trash to the big trash can outside and checked the mail!  Then, I took the picture above, took a short walk in the back garden, and picked two peaches.  These are things I used to do without thinking twice about it, but, these days, they are big accomplishments and I am savoring each and every step!  

My daughter's friend A visited in the afternoon.  She brought a tiramisu cake to share:

A Piece of Tiramisu Cake

We gave A a bag of zucchini to take home.      

I spent most of the afternoon sewing, repairing the quilt.  While I sewed, I watched some videos. 

Today, I am grateful for:
- Another good day and being able to do a few more things
- Daughter was able to have a fun afternoon with her friend A
- A walk in the garden
- Fresh peaches
- Phone calls with family and friends

Today's joyful activity was walking in the garden.

Plans for tomorrow include more sewing!  

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