Thursday, April 28, 2022

Mid-Week on Wednesday

Wednesday's Outfit

This is the outfit my daughter put together, with items she had in her closet which still fit her, to wear to the office, on Wednesday.   She wore tights and boots with the dress and jacket.  She said she received several compliments on her outfit from various colleagues.  

Below is the outfit she's planning to wear on Thursday:

Thursday's Outfit

Maybe with the silk infinity scarf I sewed for her, with fabric from a sari my mother used to wear:

With Scarf

She said she will decide on the scarf in the morning.  

Yesterday (Tuesday), I took it easy and relaxed.  I brought in my trash cans from the curb after they were emptied and took neighbor T's bins in for her.  Cleaned the litter box.  Checked on the garden.  Called friend A and left her a message.  Called friend R and chatted with her for a bit.  Exchanged emails with a friend.  Watched some news and a few videos online.  Made my meal plan for the week and cooked sausages (with onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and broccoli stems sliced thinly) for dinner.  Afterwards, I baked some banana muffins to use up the last two bananas that were getting a bit overripe; they got a little too brown, but, they tasted fine.  Then, did the dishes.  

Today, M tended to the garden in the morning.  He brought me four sunflower seedlings, which he planted out for me.  Then, he pruned a couple of branches from an euphorbia bush since they were going over the back wall into the neighbor's yard.  

I watched some videos online in the afternoon and crocheted.  Later, I watched news and crocheted.  

Cousin V called to confirm our planned visit to see friend A, tomorrow.  I called A and asked if she would like me to bring her something.  At first she said no, she's fine, but, I asked her if she'd like me to bring her some mallung, which is a dish of shredded leafy greens and she said she'd like that.  So, I picked some broccoli leaves from the garden.  I removed the central rib from the leaves before I shredded the leafy portions and cooked them with just a bit of water, finely minced onions, turmeric, and salt.  Mallung is usually cooked with grated coconut added to it, but, A can't eat coconut.  Then, I removed a portion for her:

A's Portion

I added a little bit of oil, grated coconut, and a little bit of spices (chillie powder, etc.) to the rest:


Broccoli Leaf Mallung

I will take most of that for A's family, but, I'll keep a portion for myself and a little bit for M to try, because he is very intrigued by the fact that I actually cook and eat broccoli leaves.  

As for the central ribs that I removed from the leaves, I put them into a zippered plastic bag and put them in the fridge!

Broccoli Leaf Ribs

I will add them to a stir fry or any other dish I will be making, later.  There is no need to toss them in the compost bin.  

I went off the meal plan slightly, at dinnertime, today!  After making the broccoli leaf mallung, I didn't feel like making the spaghetti sauce, too, and, besides, the ground turkey hadn't thawed, fully.  So, for dinner, I boiled pasta and had it with the leftover sausage and vegetables I had from Tuesday's dinner!  Somehow, it created more leftovers!  LOL.  

Later in the evening, I spoke with friend R and video chatted with my daughter.  She said she had a very productive day in the office and went for one of her acrobatics classes, afterwards.  She said that, starting next week, they will no longer be required to wear a mask at the office!  They will still be required to test at least once a week (daily if unvaccinated).

Today, I am grateful for:
- M tending to the garden for me
- Sunflower seedlings
- Garden produce
- Phone calls and video chats
- Daughter had a good day at the office

Today's joyful activity was crocheting.

Plans for Thursday include going to my cousin's to have lunch with her and visiting friend A, afterwards.

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?  Have you eaten broccoli leaves?  

24 comments:

  1. Your daughter's outfits look very smart, I especially like Wednesday's outfit and I like that both jackets compliment the colours of her dresses.
    Your friend will no doubt enjoy the leafy greens dish you made for her. I have never eaten broccoli leaves only broccoli florets and I buy them frozen. I will write a blog post later as Tilly went to the groomers yesterday and I really must get some housework done today.

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    1. Thank you, Eileen. Yes, mix and match - either jacket will go with either dress! But, she does need a well fitting black jacket.
      I think most people only eat the broccoli florets, as that's what's available in the stores, but, since I have the plants growing in my garden, I can harvest the leaves as well. :)

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  2. A good jacket always pulls an outfit together, I think. She will look very smart

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  3. Your daughter has put together some nice outfits. The yellow/gold scarf really brought out the same colours in the pattern of the 2nd outfit. When I use broccoli, I also cut up the most of the upper stalk - there's so many nutrients in the stock. I rarely get any leaves of broccoli on the stalks I buy in the store, but if I do I'll trying cooking. Cheers to meeting up with friends again.

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    1. Thank you, Mary-Lou; I told her all she really needs are 6 outfits, and repeat them every 3 weeks, but, she wants a bit more variety than that! :D
      Unless you grow your own broccoli, you only get the heads of broccoli florets, with the stalk (or sometimes, what they call broccoli crown, here, with very little stalk).
      It was nice to see my cousin and friend A. :)

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  4. I like your daughter's outfits with their nice bright colors. It sounds like things are going well with her return, and I'm glad the numbers are down enough that they won't have to wear masks any more.

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    1. Glad you like the bright colors, June. :) Yes, her return to the Bay Area and work has gone well. I hope the masks off policy won't have any unwanted repercussions.

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  5. I like your daughter's choices of outfits but I'm so glad I no longer have to dress in that way for work. I can be as casual as I like now, which wasn't the case when I worked in the Civil Service!

    I hope you enjoyed the meal with your cousin and have had a lovely time with A. Did she enjoyed the mallung? I eat the broccoli leaves when I see them but often can only buy just the heads. I use the stalks in soup or in veggie stock, and the same with cauliflower stalks.

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    1. Glad you liked my daughter's outfits, Eileen. She actually wore a different outfit than planned, today, changing her mind in the morning. :) It is nice to be retired and not to have to worry about dressing up for the office, isn't it?
      I did enjoy having lunch with my cousin and visiting A. I put the mallung in A's fridge for her to have with dinner; I hope she enjoys it. Broccoli and cauliflower stalks can be added to soups and stocks, too; it is a very good way to use them. :)

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  6. It looks as though your daughter is excited about dressing up for the office. Both of those are nice outfits. I actually had an occasion to dress up the other day with nice slacks, a top and a suit-type jacket over the top. It made for a really nice change, and definitely lifted my mood. I am so tired of my own pandemic induced casual wear of leggings and jeans - time to move on.

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    1. She does enjoy dressing up. Her only problem is she gained weight, so, a lot of her clothes don't fit her anymore! I'm glad you enjoyed dressing up, the other day. I've been in casual wear ever since I retired! :D

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  7. I do like your daughter's outfits. I hope you have a good visit with A and that she enjoys the broccoli mallung. I'm amused that you managed to create more leftovers by using leftovers! It happens to us all.
    So nice to have the sun out today and I may go out and pick up some small fallen branches and bits that fell from the trees during one of our windy days.

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    1. Thank you, Bushlady; daughter changed her mind and wore a different outfit than what she planned to wear, today, but, it worked out well, she said.
      I had a nice visit with A. I thought it was funny about the leftovers! All I did was boil some pasta and add it to the leftover sausage and vegetables, but, it became a big dish of pasta!
      Glad you had a sunny day. Hope you enjoyed being outside, cleaning up the fallen branches and twigs. :)

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  8. Hello Bless. I think I have finally figured out how to post a comment using a blog I set up awhile ago (i've not been able to get to that blog!) I hope to start posting sometimes on my new blog. I'll let you know if I figure that out!! ... Your daughter has great taste and her outfits are lovely. The sari-scarf is lovely and must have very sentimental meaning for you and your daughter. I like the looks of the Mallung you made for friend A. I don't really like coconut very much in savory dishes, so omitting it sounds good! I do like it in sweet desserts though! Glad to hear your daughter had a good day at the office. I hope she is adjusting to the return well.

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    1. Hi Celie, I found your blog! I left a comment saying Hello! :D Looking forward to reading your posts.
      Thank you; the challenge is putting together outfits that still fit her! Fortunately, my daughter has several dresses that still fit! :)

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  9. You are wonderfully creative with food. The mallung sounds delicious!

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  10. M isn't the only one intrigued by eating broccoli leaves. I am too. Are they bitter? Probably not with everything you added to them. Be careful with the sunflower seedlings. We didn't know how invasive they were when a family member gave them to us. For the last few years they have been everywhere, and I mean everywhere. My poor husband, for the last few years it's been a full time job keeping them under control. All our neighbors love them though. They just don't want them in their yards. LOL Denise

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    1. Broccoli leaves can be a bit bitter, but, I don't think they are any more bitter than kale or collards, etc. I add a little lemon juice at the end of the cooking and I think that helps to cut any bitterness. It is usually eaten with rice and other curries, as a side dish.
      Thanks for the warning about the sunflowers! The ones I've grown before have not been invasive. But, then, I tend to manage to kill most plants, even when they are plants I'd like to encourage to grow, such as mint!

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  11. You must have a nice amount of leaves on your broccoli plants.
    Ever since you mentioned that the broccoli leaves are Dancer's favorite part :) I make sure to use them when making my broccoli. lol
    I never thought about keeping the center stem of a green. I don't always remove it but sometimes if I have some fresh spinach and the center is particularly large (or with kale) I do strip out the center.
    I will think about tossing it next time!

    I hope your visit with your friend A went well and she is feeling strong. I'm sure she will enjoy the Mallung.

    Your daughter's outfits are very nice and I'm not surprised she got compliments at her office.

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    1. The broccoli plants are mostly leaves! Although, I noticed more side shoots are ready to be picked. The stems can be a bit tough, but, for the most part, they soften up when cooked. Use them when you are making stock/soup or add to a stir fry. We grow celery for the stalks, don't we?
      The visit with A went well. I need to write my blog post for yesterday - I ran out of time, last night! :D
      Thank you, Debra; my daughter is managing to find enough outfits among the items she has, but, she said she has about 5 jackets that no longer fit her!

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  12. Nice outfits your daughter has! I have never eaten broccoli leaves, will try them when my plants are bigger. That Mallung looks yummy.

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    1. Sharon, good to hear from you, again. I was a little worried; hope all is well with you.
      Thank you; her challenge is to put together "business casual" outfits with what she has that still fit her, after gaining weight over the past couple of years!
      Broccoli leaves provide another harvest from your plants and are quite nutritious. Cook it as you would cook kale.

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