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| Roses from the Garden |
On Sunday, I picked some roses from the garden, for the altar and the living room mantelpiece. Then, as usual, I made milkrice for brunch, along with a fish curry, and some seeni sambol from a jar:
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| Milkrice, Seeni Sambol, Fish Curry |
With that auspicious beginning, the month is sure to be a good one, right? LOL!
My half-sister called in the morning to check on me and we chatted for a little bit. Then, neighbor T called for our weekly chat. They both wanted to know how I was doing now that my daughter has gone back after her long, extended visit. I assured them that we are both managing quite well. I think we slipped back into our regular, me-down-here and she-up-there lives quite easily.
I had woken up feeling rather tired, so, I took it easy for the most part, responding to blog comments, visiting and commenting on other blogs, watching some videos online, etc. Later, I cleaned the litter box, put water to the back garden, did the dishes, etc. There is a new flower on the passionfruit vine:
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| Passionfruit Flower |
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| Passionfruit Flower |
Hopefully, there will be some fruits, later. If not, the flowers are pretty and the leaves are very nutritious! They are often made into a mallung (shredded and cooked with grated coconut). With our new watering restrictions going into effect this summer, I've read that some farmers in California will no longer grow certain vegetables and fruits to conserve water, which will, no doubt, have an impact on what will be available in the grocery stores and prices. So, if I can grow more plants that do double and triple duty (edible flowers and leaves as well as the fruits), then, all the better! For now, there will be broccoli leaves and chard leaves for leafy greens and later, there might be passionfruit leaves (provided the vine grows well enough to harvest some leaves from time to time).
Speaking of food, my daughter did her cooking for the week, on Sunday evening:
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| Daughter's Meal Prep |
Rosé pasta with sauce made with gochujang and milk, glass noodles stir fried with mushrooms, broccoli, and peas with some black bean paste, steamed broccoli and peapods, and chicken curry. With some cooked rice, it gives her three dinner possibilities for the week, she said. She is planning to have salads for lunches.
Which reminds me, I need to do a meal plan for the week, myself! LOL.
Today, Monday, I was woken up rather early by a certain kitty demanding breakfast! Of course, once his tummy was full, he went back to bed and has slept practically all morning and early afternoon. He will wake up around 3:30 p.m. (it's 3:00 p.m. as I type this) and demand his afternoon tea!
I had leftover milkrice for brunch, today, and have done two loads of laundry. Still to do: put away the dried laundry, take the trash cans to the curb for pick up in the morning, do a meal plan for the week, and some housework (dusting, etc.)
Today, I am grateful for:
- The start of a new month
- Garden flowers
- Washing machines and working appliances
- Calls from family and friends
- Water - for drinking, for washing, for growing a garden - a most precious resource
- Garden flowers
- Washing machines and working appliances
- Calls from family and friends
- Water - for drinking, for washing, for growing a garden - a most precious resource
Today's planned joyful activity is crocheting.
What are your plans for May?
I'm impressed that you daughter does all of her cooking for the week at one time. I know it helps her when she is working, but I've never quite able to pull it off even with good intentions.
ReplyDeleteShe says she prefers to cook for 2 hours once a week than spend 30 minutes each evening, especially when she comes home late after acrobatics classes. This way, when she's hungry, all she has to do is serve to a plate or bowl and warm it up! :D
DeleteThe passion fruit flowers are so exotic looking! I hope they give you fruit. Your daughter's meals look very good. I also have a kitty who demands early breakfast! Of course, we are here to serve! We've had a lot of rain here, and cold spring so far. I hope you get the rain your area needs. Will you also have to restrict garden watering?
ReplyDeleteThe flowers are very eye-catching, aren't they? There are two more buds on the vine!
DeleteYes, we humans exist to serve our cats! :D
Yes, I'll be subject to watering restrictions. We are allowed to run the sprinklers once a week, but, we may water trees and perennials by hand as needed. I rarely use my sprinklers, anyway, preferring to water by hand. But, I will probably not plant anything in the parkway now and will just cover it over with some pebbles or something.
Sounds like a busy day! The passionfruit flower is beautiful
ReplyDeleteIt is a very pretty flower, isn't it? Yes, it turned out to be a busy day, especially since I decided to strip the bed and wash all the bedding!
DeleteThe roses are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI hope your meal planning goes well. I'm pleased that I've managed to plan mine this week. It makes doing the weekly shop much more straightforward. X
Thank you, Jules. I love roses. :)
DeleteI posted my meal plan and now, it's a matter of actually following through! Glad you were able to make a meal plan for this week and it helps with the weekly shopping. :)
I can't believe it's May already, how did that happen :) Your roses in the vase look beautiful. Your daughter is well organised with her meal planning, she takes after you of course and I'll go and read your meal plan next. May for me has husband's birthday and our wedding anniversary later in the month and my plans for the latter are made but I will keep under wraps for my blog when all will be revealed :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, already May. Time flies when we are having fun, they say! :D Thank you; I was glad to be able to pick enough roses to fill a vase. :) Yes, my daughter is very organized when it comes to her meal planning and prep. Hm, I used to do something similar and cook at least a couple of main dishes for the week, during the weekend, back when life was a bit more hectic and I had to be organized to make things work! :D
DeleteSounds like you will be doing some celebrating this month, Eileen. Looking forward to reading about it when you post about it on your blog. :)
There is nothing as loud as a cat that wants feeding, or as insistent!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that you could eat the leaves of the passionfruit - not that it will grow here. I love seeing your garden.
You'd think he was starving! He has access to his dry food 24 hours a day, but, he wanted his wet food and he wanted it right then! He was complaining that service was slow! :D He is spoiled rotten!
DeleteYes, passionfruit leaves can be eaten. The tender leaves can be eaten raw in salads; the older leaves are better cooked. I have only eaten it cooked.
As usual, the food all looks so tasty (yours and your daughter's). Is the fish in your fish curry cut in steaks or fillets? When we did fish curries in the online Indian cookery class I was surprised to learn that traditionally, Indian fish curries use fish steaks and wondered if that's the same in Sri Lanka.
ReplyDeletePassionfruit flowers are so interesting aren't they? It'll be lovely if you do get some fruits too.
Thank you, Eileen. Yes, the fish was cut in steaks. :) Most Sri Lankan fish curries use steak if the fish is big; if the fish is small, then, it is cooked whole. I often cut the steaks into smaller pieces; the one I cooked was a 1/2 lb. steak and I cut it into 4 pieces before cooking.
DeleteI checked on the passionfruit flower, today, and it has already faded! But, there are a few more buds on the vine and when they flower, I will make it a point to hand pollinate them to increase my chances of getting fruit!
Your flowers are beautiful. I love them!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Becky. :)
DeleteYay for her meal prepping. I really need to take a stab at that habit, and see how I do. It would certainly simplify a lot of meals.
ReplyDeleteShe finds it easier to spend an afternoon cooking and then, having the week's meals prepped and in the fridge. It leaves the rest of the week free for her to do other things (work, classes, relax, etc.) :)
DeleteBeautiful rose selection! Did you boil over your milk rice? The Passion fruit flower is lovely. I had no idea the leaves were edible. The nerve of that Dancer waking you up for some breakfast! But that's cats for you. All the food photographed looks delicious as usual.
ReplyDeleteDH had his annual physical today and was quite upbeat about it afterwards, as it seems he is being well looked after. I went down with him to get out of the house and got into the book sale at the library.where I found 2 books and an interesting DVD.
Glad you liked the roses, Bushlady. No, I didn't boil over the milkrice. We let the milk boil over on the 1st of the year, but, that is all. :) Dancer is spoiled rotten, that's what he is!
DeleteGlad to hear that DH's annual physical showed that he is being well looked after! :) That's nice that you were able to get a ride with him and visit the library book sale. Enjoy your new books and the DVD. :)
I almost got it right for the milk rice. I shall remember now!
DeleteLOL, yes, you almost did. Milkrice won't boil over, anyway - it will just get burned! :D
DeleteThe roses are lovely and I love passionfruit flowers they look so exotic. Naughty Dancer waking you up for breakfast, lol. Your daughter is very organised, her meals look healthy and yummy. I have been seduced into taking out a Hello Fresh Subscription, 50% off for 3 weeks, so I will do 4 weeks and cancel! It will be nice not to have to think about what I will have.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon. Dancer waited a bit more patiently, this morning. :) Yes, my daughter is very organized, especially when it comes to meal prep, etc. I think you did well with that Hello Fresh subscription! Having everything planned for you can be so helpful. :)
DeleteYour May 1st brunch looks delicious. And what a nice vase of flowers from your garden to begin the month with.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping, in addition to her work outfits, we would see your daughter's meal prep. I always used to enjoy seeing what she was cooking up and this offering doesn't disappoint. It will be nice for her to come home from work and have her meals all ready for her.
Thank you, Debra. Those roses have faded, now, so, time to pick more flowers for tomorrow. :)
DeleteYes, I told my daughter that you had mentioned you enjoy seeing her meal prep! :D She told me, yesterday, that she made so much food that she won't have to cook this weekend - she'll eat leftovers, next week. All she really has to do is cook some rice, she said. :)