Rain on Saturday

 

Dr. Huey Rootstock Roses

Dr. Huey is one of the most common rootstock roses that other roses are grafted onto, chosen for its vigorous growth.  Sometimes, it will send up suckers which must be removed right away to prevent them from taking over.  Sometimes, the grafted rose will die due to one reason or another (drought conditions and extreme heat in my garden) and the rootstock rose will survive and, often, thrive.  This is what is happening in my garden.  I have at least seven Dr. Huey rose plants growing in my garden after the grafted roses have died.  It is considered a rambler rose and it blooms only once a year.  Most rose growers, including my gardener friend M, hate them.  I, however, am happy to have a drought resistant rose that is not high maintenance.  

We had some rain on Saturday morning and I'm sure the garden appreciated the extra watering.  The rain had stopped by 9:30 a.m. when I woke up and we had a partly cloudy rest of the day, with some afternoon sunshine and a high of 57F.

I spent a fairly relaxed day on Saturday.  I did a load of laundry which I hung up to dry inside the house, ordered and picked up more groceries (more about that in another post), dusted the living room, exchanged emails with friends, chatted on the phone with friend R, watched some videos, and knitted, unraveled, and knitted some more on the sock I am knitting for myself.  

Lunch was part of a frozen pizza; dinner was a baked potato with some of the leftover ground beef mixture.  

On Saturday, I was grateful for:

- Rain for the garden
- Being able to order and pick up groceries
- A safe drive to the grocery store and back
- Working appliances
- Keeping in touch with friends

Saturday's joyful activity was knitting.

Plans for Sunday include a visit from friend S who wants to borrow some of my collectibles for a cultural display.  

How is your weekend coming along?

On Friday

Yogurt and Rose Syrup

Friday was a chilly day (for me) with a daytime high of 63F.  My rose jelly didn't set overnight and remained a syrup, but, it is a pretty color and tastes delicious.

I spent most of the afternoon doing some paperwork, dealing with insurance, and making appointments for May.  May will be a busy month as I have two medical appointments (one of which had to be rescheduled) and two appointments for lab work prior to the medical appointments,  as well as my late friend A's daughter's graduation, and a quick visit by daughter who will be coming down to attend the graduation.  

M was here in the evening to tend to the garden and I served him some rose syrup with yogurt for him to try and gave him a jar of the syrup to take home with him.  He liked the rose syrup.  

Brunch was a banana; dinner was the last of the pasta I was given.  Dessert was a bowl of yogurt with rose syrup.

I am currently watching the televised funeral of Pope Francis.  I am not Catholic, but, I respect all religions.

On Friday, I was grateful for:

- Warm clothing on a chilly day
- Getting some paperwork and scheduling done
- M's help with the garden
- Blueberries from the garden
- Television

Friday's joyful activities included video chatting with my daughter, tending to the garden with M, and knitting.

I've no specific plans for Saturday.  We have a chance of rain in the morning, according to the forecast.  I will probably spend a relaxed day, knitting.

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

Rose Syrup

On Thursday

 

Rose Petals Marinating in Lemon Juice and Sugar

Today (Thursday), I went to the store to buy the small 4 oz. canning jars.  I have some 8 oz. jars, but, I wanted the smaller jars for the rose jam I was planning to make.  Since I give a lot of my jams as holiday gifts, I was thinking that an assortment of 3 or so smaller jars of jam, maybe one each of rose petal, blueberry, and peach, in a small basket or container with perhaps a packet of tea and crackers might make a nice gift. 

The store had  a box of a dozen 4 oz. quilted canning jars on sale for $11.98 (a different store I checked had them for $13.50, according to their store website).  I bought two boxes plus a small box of 12 canning jar lids only (no rings) for $2.97 (for the store brand; the name brand was $3.98).  The jar lids are to use on the 8 oz. jars I will be reusing for my peach chutney, etc.  

I walked around the grocery section of the store, checking out the prices of items, and I bought a bunch of four bananas at $0.50/lb. which is cheaper than at the grocery store I regularly buy from.  I was out of bananas and it is a fruit that I am supposed to eat on a regular basis for the potassium.  They came to $0.63.

In addition, I bought a small container of cat food, "salmon pâté", for $1.18 for  Dancer to try (he's been off his regular canned cat food for weeks now and this is a brand we haven't tried yet), but, he sniffed at it and walked away.  Eventually, he was persuaded to try a little bit of it, but, not more than one or two nibbles.  He's ignored it since then.  

I spent a total of $31.69 at the store, including taxes. 

I had mistakenly stood in the self check out line as the sign simply said, "15 items or less" and I hate those self check out machines.  I never seem to be able to figure them out.  But, there was a store clerk stationed in the self-check out section and he helped me, although I could sense his impatience at having to put his phone down and help me. 

After I came home, I had a banana and a roast beef sandwich for brunch.

Last night, I had put the washed and trimmed rose petals to marinate in lemon juice and a cup of sugar.  Today, in the evening, I decided to make the jam.  I boiled the 4 cups of water, added the rose petal and lemon juice mixture, with another two cups of sugar and a little more lemon juice (went by taste), and simmered that for about 20 minutes.  One look at the boiled rose petal mixture and I knew that I will be making a rose jelly rather than a jam!

Boiled Rose Petals

The cooked petals looked unappetizing to say the least!  But the syrup was a lovely color.  So, I skimmed out most of the petals and left just a few, almost translucent ones.  Then, added a package of powdered pectin and boiled for another minute or two and poured the syrup into the jars and processed them in a water bath.  Unless the syrup thickens as it cools and "gels", the contents of the jars will be called a "pourable topping" for ice creams or a syrup for making faluda!  Maybe I should have used two boxes of pectin!  

Rose Syrup!

The kitchen lighting isn't the best, but, the syrup is a dark red.  I made 12 of the 4 oz. jars and half filled an 8 oz. jar which I didn't process.

I am a little disappointed with the results, but, at this point in time, I am not planning to open all the jars and re-boil the syrup with more pectin.  Daughter and I love rose syrup faluda, especially in the summer, and I haven't seen the bottled rose syrup I used to buy in the ethnic stores, lately, so the contents of the jars will not be wasted.  But, they may not be given as gifts!  Maybe I'll try making another batch of rose petal jam when the pink roses bloom again.  Or, accept M's offer of some of his roses!

I managed to get everything washed and the counters and stove top wiped down before my hands started to cramp.  Afterwards, I was tired and done for the day!  I was going to cook some rice to have with the ground beef mixture for my dinner, but, I decided to reheat some of the pasta my friend's daughter brought me.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Being able to find the 4 oz. canning jars at a reasonable price
- A safe drive to the store and back and being able to drive
- Helpful store clerks 

- Working appliances
- 12 small jars of homemade rose syrup!

Today's joyful activity was making rose syrup.  

Plans for tomorrow (Friday) include doing some paperwork, making a couple of phone calls, and tending to the garden with M.

How was your Thursday?  What do you do when your jellies don't really gel?  What are your plans for Friday?

This Week

Ladybug on Rose Leaves

This week started well two visits from friends on Monday.  Monday morning, I did two loads of laundry and did a little house cleaning and tidying.  In the  afternoon, friend R visited and we spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and having tea and cake.  Around 6:30 p.m., I drove her home and after I came home, I took the trash cans to the curb.  I had planned to water the back garden, but, it was too late to do so by then.  A little later, my late friend A's daughter stopped by to bring me some dinner.  

On Tuesday, I brought the emptied trash cans in, watered the back garden, washed my bed sheets and remade my bed, unraveled a sock I was knitting as it was turning out to be too big (I was trying to knit with two strands of yarn to prevent the heel from tearing), cooked a shrimp curry (had some of it with rice for dinner and froze the rest), and watched some videos online.  I also called the temple and spoke with the monks.

Wednesday was chilly and grey.  I felt cold and unmotivated to do much of anything.  So, I spent the majority of the day knitting on my sock, catching up on my blog reading, and watching online videos.  I did break down some boxes to recycle them, deadheaded some of the rose bushes, and when M came to tend to the garden in the afternoon, helped him to transplant the tangerine tree, out of its planter and into the ground.  M brought me two more rescued plants another client had tossed because they were both not looking their best - a pink double flowered kalanchoe (nothing wrong with it that a good watering wouldn't fix) and a pot of freesias with dried up flowers (he will share the freesia bulbs with me).  

Friend S called to ask if I had some items from Sri Lanka and if so, could she borrow them for a friend of hers to use for a cultural display; I told her she's welcome to borrow anything and she said she'll come over on Sunday to pick up the items.  I have some items I had already picked out to declutter and I can offer them to her to keep if she wants them, as well.

Later in the evening, I spent some time preparing 5 cups of rose petals to make a batch of jam, washing the petals and tearing off the white part at the base of each petal as that part is bitter.

So far this week, I've been grateful for:

- Visits and phone calls from friends
- A gift of a meal from one of them
- M sharing rescued plants with me

- M's help with the garden
- Working appliances

Joyful activities have included visiting with friends, spending time in the garden, and knitting.

It is early Thursday morning as I write this.  My plans for the day include a quick shopping trip to buy a box of 4 oz. canning jars for the rose petal jam I am planning to make.  

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

Ladybug

Did you know that a ladybug (also known as a ladybird in some parts of the world) is actually a beetle and not a bug?  

April Week 3 Meal Plan Review and Week 4 Meal Plan

Ham and Split Pea Soup

This was the plan for April Week 3:

Brunches: Leftover milkrice✔; Leftover turkey and veg soup; Bread, butter, and bananas; chicken sandwich;  French toast; tuna salad sandwiches; ramen noodles; scrambled egg, bacon, and fried potato; pancakes or waffles; leftovers

Dinners: Ham and split pea soup✔;rice and peas with ground beef; rice and curries✔ (lentils, eggplant, cabbage); sauteed chicken breast and vegetables✔; leftovers✔.

The meal plan was based on what I had on hand, but, I did some grocery shopping during the week and that resulted in some changes to the planned meals!  And, on Sunday, my friend brought me Easter Dinner, so that was another change.

As a result, this is what was actually eaten:

Monday:

Brunch: The last bit of turkey and vegetable soup, drop biscuits, blueberries from the garden
Dinner: Ham and split pea soup, a piece of chocolate cake

Tuesday:

Brunch: Leftover milkrice, the last of the seeni sambol, lunu miris; strawberries

Dinner: Ham and split pea soup, a biscuit, a piece of chocolate cake

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Bread and butter, banana
Lunch: Ham and split pea soup, a biscuit

Dinner: Rice with peas, ground beef and vegetables mixture

Rice, Ground Beef & Vegetables Dinner

Dessert:  Strawberries and yogurt 

Thursday:

Brunch: Banana

Dinner: Rice and ground beef mixture (same as Wednesday)
Dessert: Yogurt and palm treacle

Friday:

Brunch: Chicken sandwich

Dinner: Chicken sandwich
Dessert: Chocolate cake, strawberries

Saturday:

Brunch: Chicken sandwich

Dinner Saline crackers; plain toast (slight tummy issues)

Sunday:

Brunch: Bread, butter, banana

Dinner: Easter dinner compliments of friend S: yellow rice, chicken curry, cashew curry, mixed pickle, sauteed eggplant "moju", pappadum
Dessert: Homemade marshmallows

I went mostly off the plan, but, didn't go hungry!

The meal plan for April Week 4 will be fairly simple: leftovers!   In addition to the leftovers from last week, my late friend A's daughter, who had invited me to join her family for Easter dinner, brought me a plate of pasta and roast beef for my dinner on Monday and I have leftovers from that, too!

I might freeze some of the leftovers, but, here are my meal plan options:

Brunches: Bread/toast/sandwiches with peanut butter, scrambled eggs, tuna salad, roast beef; or cereal and milk 

Dinners: Leftover pasta and roast beef, leftover rice with peas and ground beef, leftover curries with freshly cooked rice, leftover ham soup with leftover drop biscuits, etc.

Snacks/desserts: fresh fruit, granola bars, yogurt, leftover cake, crackers

We shall see how that works out!

Are you making a meal plan this week?

Easter Sunday

 

Gazanias

It was another warm (high of 77F) and sunny day, on Easter Sunday.  I had a very relaxed morning and spent some time in the garden, checking on the plants and getting a few steps in.  I picked some lemons and a few serrano chilies, too.

In the afternoon, I put away two loads of laundry and tidied up the big table in the family room.  It's the full sized folding table I brought in when the smaller dining table broke.  I keep it covered with a table cloth and it functions well as a convenient place to do crafts projects, prepare food, etc. (I don't have a kitchen table as the kitchen is too small for one), but, it is also a convenient place to put things like mail, packages, and baskets of laundry waiting to be folded and put away!  

Later, I was busy in the kitchen, doing dishes and wiping down the stove top and counters, etc., when my friend S called (not neighbor S) to ask if I was home.  I said yes, and she said she would stop by.  I knew what that meant - she was bringing me some Easter dinner!  I quickly put the lemons I had picked earlier into a bag to give her and a bunch of curry leaves, too.  And I was so glad that I had finished tidying the house!  I know she was not coming to see the state of the house (and she has seen it quite messy, at times), but, it felt good to have the place looking somewhat presentable.  Friend S, her husband, and their daughter brought me a lovely meal of yellow rice and curries (chicken curry, mixed pickle, cashew curry, sauteed eggplant "moju", and fried pappadum) plus a few pieces of S's homemade marshmallows.  I was going to take a photo, but, I forgot!  I gave S the bag of lemons and the curry leaves and she was very happy to receive them.  

Brunch had been buttered bread and a banana.  Dinner was some of the Easter dinner that friend S brought me.  Marshmallows for dessert.

Much later in the evening, around 8:00 p.m., the power went out!  The whole block was in darkness.  I switched on the flashlight I usually keep by my side and lit a few candles in the living room.  As always, when the power goes out in the evening, I become even more aware of how much I depend on having electricity!  Candle light is lovely, but, I can't see well enough to read, sew, or knit by it.  I can't go on the computer because there is no internet and I don't want to use my phone because I don't want to run down the battery.  And I worry about the food in the fridge (I know the contents of the freezer will keep cold for several hours).  What do you do when the power goes off and it is too dark to read, etc.?  I played the piano for a little bit. playing one or two songs I know to play by ear, while Dancer complained about the noise.  Then, I sort of snoozed a bit and waited for the lights to come back on!  The power was restored around 8:45 p.m. and I heaved a big sigh of relief!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- A lovely, sunny and warm day
- Friend S bringing me Easter dinner
- Lemons and curry leaves from the garden
- Electricity!
- Working appliances

Today's joyful activity was friend S visiting and bringing me dinner.

Plans for Monday include:

- A load of laundry (my bed sheets, etc.)
- Meal planning for the week
- Cooking
- Taking the trash cans to the curb
- A little more tidying
- Watering the back garden
- Maybe a visit from friend R in the afternoon

What are your plans for Monday?

On Saturday

 

Pink Rose

On Saturday, we finally had some sunshine and warmer temperatures, with a high of 73F.  I sat outside to warm up because the house was still chilly.  And, of course, I walked around the garden and took a few pictures of the garden and admired the roses.

Later, I did a load of laundry (some of the knitted and crocheted blankets) and put away some laundry that I had done earlier, including a couple of quilts.

I also continued with cleaning the family room, tidying, dusting, vacuuming, and doing a bit of furniture rearranging.  I found a few things to declutter, too, and sorted through some paperwork, as well.  I still have a few last little bits and pieces to put away, including some files and another basket of clean laundry, but, the room is mostly done.  

On Saturday, I was grateful for:

- A sunny and warmer day
- Working appliances
- Time spent in the garden
- Phone calls and texts with family and friends
- What I was able to accomplish

Saturday's joyful activity was spending time in the garden

I am planning to have a quiet, relaxed day on Sunday.  My late friend A's daughter called and invited me to Easter lunch with her family and a few of their friends, but, I declined the invitation.  I did appreciate the invitation, though.  

I wish my blog friends a blessed day on Sunday, whether you are observing Easter, Passover, or, like me, a day of rest and relaxation.

On Friday

 

Roses are Red

These are the red roses in the front garden.  Sometimes, they bloom as individual flowers; sometimes, they bloom in clusters.

And then, we have this color-changing rose;

And Mostly Yellow

Until it Turns Orangey Red!

It's the same flower, it was yellow when it first bloomed and the next day, it was orangey-red!

Friday was another grey, cool day, with a high of only 63F.  I know that might sound quite warm for some, but, for me, that's chilly!  A hot shower warmed me up and I dressed in layers.  

Dancer had an appointment at the vet's clinic for his arthritis injection.  I gave him his sedative before we left, but, he was not happy on the ride to the clinic.  He was very vocal about how he felt and threw up for good measure.  He was very subdued on the ride home, though.  

"I don't like going to the vet's"

After I brought him home, I went to the ethnic grocery store to get my 10 lb. bag of potatoes for $1.99 (in comparison, the supermarket is selling a 5 lb. bag of potatoes for $3.99 and the 10 lb. bag for $4.99).  The bananas I had bought for $0.59/lb. on Tuesday was now priced at $0.89/lb., which is more than the price of bananas ($0.69/lb.) at the supermarket.  Romaine lettuce was on sale for 2/$0.99, so I bought one (they are $1.99 each at the supermarket).  

After I came home, again, I put away my groceries and made myself a chicken sandwich for brunch.  Dancer received a tiny bit of the cooked chicken as a treat for having endured the trauma of a visit to the vet clinic.  It was whisker-licking good, he said.  

In the evening, M arrived to tend to the garden.  He had picked up a couple of bags of mulch for me and I reimbursed him for them.  He mulched some of the fruit trees and watered the garden.

Later, I started to tidy and clean the family room.  I changed the sofa dust sheets, cleared and dusted the coffee table, and vacuumed the area rug.  I still have to do the rest of the room, but, that will be done on Saturday.  

On Friday, I was grateful for:

- Dancer received his injection
- We had a safe drive to the clinic and back

- M's help with the garden
- Bargains at the grocery store
- Phone calls and emails from friends

Friday's joyful activity was spending time in the garden.

Plans for Saturday include tidying the rest of the family room and maybe a visit from friend R?

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

More Grocery Shopping

April Groceries - Part 3

April Grocery Shopping Part 3

After dithering about getting the ham on sale, I decided to go ahead and do so, fully aware of the fact that I will be going over my grocery budget for April.  Since I needed a minimum purchase of $25 in order to qualify for the sale price (which was $1.69/lb., not $1.65), I decided to stock up on butter which was also on sale with a digital coupon (I was down to 2 lbs. butter in the freezer; 1 lb. will last me 1-2 months depending how much I bake), milk and bread which I needed, and a whole pineapple which was on sale for $1.99.  I put in the order for groceries around 3:00 p.m. and was able to pick up the items at 5:00 p.m.

Here's the receipt:

Order Summary

Original Item Total$70.19

Item Coupons/Sales-$31.22

Fulfillment Fee+$0.00

Sales Tax$0.00

Order Total$38.97

---

Item Details

9 Items

Farmer John's Bone-In Smoked Ham Half-Portion Limit 1 at Sale Price, 10 lb*$18.05

10.68 lbs x $1.69 $3.49 each (approx.)

Item Coupon/Sale: -$19.22

Fresh Ripe Whole Pineapple, 1 ct$1.99

1 x $1.99 $3.99 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Kroger® Butter Sticks, 16 oz$14.95

5 x $2.99 $4.99 each (approx.)

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Kroger® White Sandwich Bread, 20 oz$0.99

1 x $0.99 each

Ralphs® Vitamin D Whole Milk Half Gallon, 1/2 gal$2.99

1 x $2.99 each

Total = $38.97

* The label on the ham that I was given states 9.36 lbs. and shows the price as $15.82; I'm not sure why I was charged for a bigger ham.  Maybe it is because the rest of my groceries didn't quite amount to the minimum order of $25 when the discount for the butter was applied?  Or, maybe the store clerk who shopped the order picked up a bigger ham and then saw my request for a smaller ham.  In any case, I am not going to argue with the store!

I paid a total of $38.97

I had $29.79 left in my grocery budget and, obviously, I went over budget by $9.18 with today's grocery shopping and I am still wanting to buy the 10 lb. bag of potatoes for $1.99.

I think I will increase my April grocery budget from $100 to $125 and see how that works (the extra $25 will come from the car gas budget).

As always, I am grateful for:

- The availability of groceries
- Free curbside pick-up (with a minimum purchase)
- A safe drive to the store and back
- Being able to stock up when there is a sale
- Being able to increase the grocery budget

What do you think?

On Wednesday

 

Roses

I was up quite early on Wednesday, for a change.  I had gone to bed after 3:30 a.m., fell asleep sometime after 4:00 a.m. and then, was wide awake at 6:30 a.m.!  I tried to go back to sleep because less than three hours of sleep is not enough.  It was a cold, grey morning, too, not bright and sunny; ideal for sleeping in, but, I couldn't sleep, so, by 7:30 a.m., I gave up trying to go back to sleep and got up.

I had a cup of tea, said my morning prayers, checked my emails, read the news online, did a load of laundry, and tried to get myself enthused about cleaning the living room.  I couldn't quite manage the enthusiasm, but, I did tidy and dust the living room.  Afterwards, I had a banana and two slices of bread and butter for breakfast.

M was here in the early afternoon to tend to the garden and he enjoyed a piece of cake and the ripe blueberries I left on the bush for him.  Then, he watered and tidied the garden.  

After M left, I had a bowl of soup for lunch and then, I took a nap for almost two hours.  I had a cup of tea, watched the evening news, played some online sudoku, and watched a few online videos.  

Then, I did some not-quite batch cooking (the quantities I cooked were very small).  I cooked the salmon fillet, sauteing it with onions and tomato.  I kept half of the fillet in the fridge for later this week, and froze the other half for a future meal.

Then, I cooked the ground beef, browning it with an assortment of vegetables.  First, I sauteed onions, tomatoes, diced bell pepper, grated zucchini, a small amount of onion leaves, and red stemmed celery (all from the freezer) and two grated carrots:

Sauteed Vegetables

Then, added the ground beef and some basic spices (garlic powder, salt, black pepper, etc.) and cooked it:

Ground Beef & Vegetables Mixture

The vegetables not only adds some extra nutrition, it also helps to extend the ground beef.  I portioned out two thirds of the ground beef mixture and once cooled, I froze them for future meals.  One portion might be mixed with a jar of spaghetti sauce for a couple of pasta meals; the other portion might be made into a keema curry or turned into a sort of cottage pie with a mashed potato topping.  I added some frozen corn to the balance one third:  

Ground Beef and Vegetable Mixture with Corn

and had some of it with rice cooked with green peas for my dinner:

Dinner

There are leftovers in the fridge for upcoming meals.  

I was planning to cook the sauteed chicken I had included in my meal plans for the week, but, I got tired.  I will cook the chicken on Thursday.  

On Wednesday, I was grateful for:

- The early start to the day
- Afternoon naps
- M's help with the garden
- Water for the garden
- What I was able to accomplish

Wednesday's joyful activity was tending to the garden.  

Plans for Thursday include cleaning the family room and another load of laundry.

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

April Grocery Shopping - Week 2

April 15 Groceries

I went grocery shopping, today.  The store was having a one-day only sale on organic jumbo brown eggs for $4.49/doz., which is the cheapest eggs have been in my area for several months.  

The store was fairly crowded for a Tuesday afternoon, but, not too bad.  There were several shoppers gathered around the area where the eggs are kept, waiting.  Apparently, the sale priced eggs that were on the shelves had sold out and they were waiting for new eggs to be brought out from the back of the store.  Several of us formed a line and we stood for about 15 minutes before more eggs were brought out and suddenly, the line dissolved into a crowd of people reaching for the eggs!  One of the store workers was handing out the cartons of eggs, asking how many the customers wanted (apparently, there was no limit and some people were taking 5 or 6 cartons).  At the same time, other customers where helping themselves directly from the cases of eggs that had been brought out and some who stood in line protested that they had been waiting in line and others who hadn't been in line were getting the eggs.  I almost wanted to leave the eggs and just get out of there, but, the lady behind me nudged me forward until I was at the front and I asked the store worker for one carton (which was all I wanted, anyway) and got out of the crush!  My goodness!  

The rest of the store was not bad and the meat counter (they have a full service meat/seafood department), which is usually quite crowded was actually empty and I was served right away.  I bought a pound of ground beef that was also on a one-day only sale for $4.99/lb. and one salmon steak (priced $6.49/lb.)

I had made my shopping list based on the sale items and I wanted to get one or two additional fruits and vegetables, giving myself a budget of $25 to spend on this grocery shopping trip.

I bought:

1 lb. (just a bit over a pound @ $4.99/lb.) 15% fat ground beef = $5.29
1 salmon steak (a little under a pound @ $6.49/lb.) = $5.22
(next week's grocery ad, prices effective 4/16 has salmon fillet for $8.99/lb. which is still cheaper than the supermarket's $11.99/lb. for a full fillet or $12.99/lb. for center cut)

1 doz. eggs = $4.49
1 (16 oz.) yogurt (labne) = $1.99

2 Granny Smith apples @ $0.69/lb. ($1.99/lb. at the supermarket) = $0.95
1 Ever Crisp apple @ $0.79/lb. = $0.32 (a little more expensive, but, I wanted to try it)
2 x 1 lb. strawberries @ $1.50 ($4.99/lb. at the supermarket or $3.49 with digital coupon) = $3.00
3 bananas @ $0.59/lb. ($0.69/lb. at the supermarket) = $0.63

1 broccoli crown @ $0.99/lb. ($1.99/lb. at the supermarket) = $0.50
1 lb. carrots ($0.99/lb. if you buy the 2 lb. bag at the supermarket) = $0.89
4 onions @ 4lb/$0.99  ($1.29/lb. at the supermarket) = $0.40

I wanted to buy potatoes, too, but, the 10 lb. bag will be on sale for $1.99 as of Wednesday, when the new prices come into effect.  So, I plan to buy that later this week.

My total came to $23.68, so I stayed within my budget.

April 15 Grocery Receipt

My April budget is $100 + $8.54 carried over from March = $108.54

Spent to date: $55.07 + $23.68 = $78.75

Balance left in the budget = $29.79

So far, so good.  However, the supermarket's ads for the upcoming week includes store brand butter on sale for $2.99/lb. (my new stock up price), chicken on buy one get one sale, whole pineapple for $1.99 each, not to mention the ham on sale for $1.65/lb. with $25 purchase!  And I'm going to need bread and milk at some point before the end of the month.

Will I go over my budget?  Will I increase it by $25? (I haven't put gas to the car, yet, in April).  Will I not get the ham or the chicken this time around?  

How is your grocery shopping coming along, this month?

On Monday

The First Blueberries of the Year

On Monday, I picked the first ripe blueberries of the year.  There were only eight of them, but, they were absolutely delicious.  There were another three or four not quite ripe ones that I left on the bushes for M to try when he's here on Wednesday.  The rest of the blueberries won't be ready for another few weeks, I think.

In the morning, I received a text alert warning of an earthquake!  I didn't feel any shaking, however, but, later, I found out that there had been a 5.2 magnitude earthquake in San Diego.  I'm glad it was not a bigger quake, but, it feels like there's been a lot of shaking going on, recently.

I decided to try my oven, again, and to my great joy, it worked!  I was so happy that the oven was working, I decided to go ahead and bake a cake!  It was a boxed mix I had in the pantry and the "best by" date had come and gone, but, I don't pay a lot of attention to the dates.  The directions on the mix called for three eggs, but, I decided that eggs cost too much to use three on a boxed cake mix, so, I added only two and the cake turned out just as well as when I've added three.

I also made a batch of ham and split pea soup.  I had put the split peas to soak overnight, and today, I boiled them, along with the diced ham, some homegrown red stem celery, a can of sliced carrots, and a can of chicken broth (instead of chicken bouillon powder, because I want to use up some canned items I have in my pantry which are well past their "best by" dates.

Later, I called a friend to wish her for the Sri Lankan New Year.  I had made milkrice for brunch on Sunday, to celebrate the occasion.  I was planning to have the leftover milkrice for brunch, but, I decided to have the last bit of leftover turkey soup with a drop biscuit or two, instead.  

I watered the back garden in the evening and took the trash cans to the curb for pick up in the morning.  Then, I vacuumed my bedroom and tidied it up a little bit.  

Dinner was a bowl of the ham and split pea soup with another drop biscuit.  There was cake for dessert.  

On Monday, I was grateful for:

- The first blueberries of the season
- Receiving the earthquake alert even though the earthquake happened somewhere else
- The oven worked without any problem
- Water for the garden
- Roses blooming

Monday's joyful activity was baking a cake.

Orange Rose

Plans for Tuesday include going to the grocery store to buy the eggs that are on a one day only sale.  I will probably pick up a few other items, too.

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

April Meal Planning Week 2 Update & Week 3 Plan

This was the meal plan for April Week 2:

Brunches: Tuna salad sandwiches✔, scrambled egg, toast or fried potato, and bacon✔; leftover soup✔; peanut butter toast; muffins✔

Dinners: Rice and curries✔; turkey and vegetable soup✔; grilled cheese sandwich✔; fried rice✔; leftovers✔

And this is how it turned out:

Monday:
Brunch: A scrambled egg, bacon, and toast
Dinner: Turkey and vegetable soup with toast
Snacks included a banana and the last 2 banana muffins (from the freezer)

Tuesday:
Brunch: Banana sandwiches
Dinner: Rice and curries (chicken curry, beets, sauteed cabbage, cucumber slices)
Snacks: Turkey & vegetable soup, crackers

Wednesday:

Brunch: Tuna salad sandwich
Dinner: Leftover rice and curries

Dessert: Creme caramel from a boxed mix - didn't like it that much and will not buy it again

Thursday:
Brunch: Tuna salad sandwich
Dinner: Frozen dinner (roast beef, mashed potatoes, carrots and green beans); it was good, considering I paid $1.99 for it.

Friday:

Brunch: Lemonade (skipped brunch as I wasn't hungry)

Dinner: Turkey soup, drop biscuits

Saturday:

Brunch: Drop biscuits

Dinner: Ham fried rice (ham from the freezer)

Sunday:
Brunch: Milkrice with leftover mackerel curry
Dinner: Grilled ham and cheese sandwich; pears

I mostly stayed on plan and it turned out well, I think.

Here's the plan for April Week 3:

Brunches: Leftover milkrice; French toast; tuna salad sandwiches; ramen noodles; scrambled egg, bacon, and fried potato; pancakes or waffles; leftovers

Dinners: Ham and split pea soup; rice and curries (lentils, eggplant, cabbage); sauteed chicken breast and vegetables; leftovers.

The meal plan is based on what I have on hand, but, I do plan to go to the ethnic grocery store on Tuesday to take advantage of their one day only sale on eggs and I will probably buy some bread, fresh fruits and vegetables when I am there.

That is the plan; we'll see how well it works out.  

How about you?  Are you making a meal plan for this week?  

It Took One Year: Bottlebrush Tree

 

The Bottlebrush Tree (Callistemon) after Pruning: March 2024

I had M prune the bottlebrush (Callistemon) tree quite severely last year.  He did it in stages, over the course of a few weeks, but, above is how it looked in March 2024.

By September 2024, it had leafed out very nicely:

Bottlebrush Tree in September 2024

Here's how it looked in January 2025:

Bottlebrush Tree in January 2025

I stated in my Back Garden in January post that there were no flowers yet, but, I thought it would flower later this year (as it usually flowers in the spring and, again, in summer).

I noticed some flower buds forming in March, but, I didn't take a picture.

And here it is now:

The Bottlebrush Tree in April

Bottlebrush Flowers

The Flower Clusters 

The tree is full of flowers and buds; the flowers do resemble bottle brushes, don't they? 

Close Up of Flower Clusters

So, it took one year for the tree to rebloom after getting pruned quite severely.  But, it looks fully recovered now, doesn't it?

On Friday

 

Drop Biscuits

Friday was another warm day with a high of 85F.  I loved it.

I didn't get as much housework done as I had planned to, but, I did a load of laundry, attended to Dancer's needs, knitted a bit, watched some news and other programs on TV, and tended to the garden with M when he was here in the evening.  I had put a packet of wax beans seeds to soak overnight and we planted them along with with some watermelon and silver bell squash seeds that M shared with me.  

I served M some of the turkey and vegetable soup I had made and he really enjoyed it.  I had some of the soup, myself, for dinner, along with some drop biscuits I made.  

I found that my oven wouldn't come on when I turned the knob; it's a gas oven and 31 years old, so maybe the automatic pilot ignition is not working.  I managed to light it with a candle and baked the drop biscuits.  I will check on the oven again, over the weekend, and, if it still doesn't come on by itself, I might request a service call by the gas company.  Two of the top burners don't light automatically, either, unless I light them with a candle or one of those long handled lighters.  I have been thinking of getting a new stove, but, but kept putting it off because I had a working oven and I could get the burners to work with the lighter or candle.  But, if the oven is not working, then, it might be time to replace the stove.  And do so during the pause in tariffs!  

On Friday, I was grateful for:

- Another sunny and warm day
- Working appliances
- M's help with the garden
- Emails from friends
- Garden flowers

Friday's joyful activities included knitting and tending to the garden with M.

Plans for Saturday include getting more housework done and more knitting.

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

Another Pink Rose

On Thursday

 

Pink Rose

The roses are blooming!  I spent some time in the garden in the morning, taking pictures of the roses and other flowers.  

It was another warm day, which was lovely.  Cooler weather is in the forecast for next week, though.

Orange Blossom

On Thursday, I did some paperwork and paid a couple of bills that were coming due. Then, I put away some of the stock up items I had bought.  I took the opportunity to update my pantry inventory, at the same time.  

Osteospermum

On Thursday, I was grateful for:

- Another warm day 
- Garden flowers
- Having a garden
- A well stocked pantry
- Emails from friends

Thursday's joyful activity was spending time in the garden.

Plans for Friday include some housework and tending to the garden with M.

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

Mid-Week on Wednesday

A Trio of Red Roses

This week seems to be going by very quickly!  It feels like the week just barely started and here it is Wednesday and mid-week, already! So far, the weather has been beautiful - sunny and warm with the highs in the 80s!  My kind of weather! 

On Monday, I more or less finished cleaning the kitchen.  I scrubbed under the burners on the other side of the stove, cleaned the top of the stove hood (the under side, with the extractor vent and cover, was not done - that's for another day!), and swept and mopped the floor.  Towards the end, my hands were starting to cramp, but, I was happy to get the kitchen cleaned to the extent that I did. 

I also updated the freezer inventory, cleaned the small shelves on the freezer door, and reorganized them a bit (found a package of baklava, leftover from the almsgiving, that I had forgotten I had!)  Then, I  cleaned the fridge, wiping down each shelf; I had to toss some milk that had gone sour and a table spoon or two of yogurt I had been saving to use as a starter that had grown moldy because I didn't make the yogurt!  I don't like food waste, but, sometimes, it happens. 

I had planned to go to the library to return a book I had borrowed (and see if I could re-borrow it because I hadn't finished reading it) but, the library automatically renewed it for me, so I didn't need to go to the library, after all.

Later, I took the trash cans to the curb and watered the back garden.

Brunch was a scrambled egg, bacon, and toas; dinner was turkey and vegetable soup with toast; snacks included a banana and the last 2 banana muffins (from the freezer)

On Tuesday, I took it easy.  The day started off cleaning up some Dancer mess up (he had left a couple of unwanted gifts by my bed!) I brought the trash cans in, checked on the garden, watered the house plants, watched some videos, phoned one of my friends, and started to knit a second pair of bright pink socks.  I also checked the up coming week's grocery ads.  The Armenian store is having a one day special on eggs, next Tuesday - 1 doz. organic jumbo brown eggs for $4.49, just in time for Easter.  I will definitely be making a trip there on Tuesday morning!  Eggs at the regular supermarket are still priced at $6.99/doz. for large eggs; but, they are offering a full half ham for $1.69/lb. with an additional $25 purchase.  I am debating if I want to get one to portion out and freeze.  Then, we can have ham sandwiches over the summer or ham and eggs for brunches.

Brunch was a banana sandwich (sliced banana on buttered bread - a childhood treat); dinner was rice and leftover curries (the last of the chicken curry, sauteed homegrown cabbage, boiled beetroot, and cucumber salad). Snacks included a small bowl of turkey soup and some crackers.

Which brings us to today, Wednesday.  M was here to tend to the garden and after watering the garden he prepared one of the planting beds to plant the wax bean seeds I had bought.  We will plant some of them on Friday (the package says to plant every 2 weeks for a continuous harvest over the growing season).  We will need to figure out a way to keep the mourning doves from eating the bean seedlings!  

I made tuna salad sandwiches for brunch.  Dinner will probably be leftover rice and curries.  

This week, I am grateful for:

- The sunny and warm weather
- Automatic library book renewal
- What I was able to accomplish
- M's help with the garden
- Garden flowers
- Fresh lemonade made with lemons from the garden
- Phone calls and emails with friends

Joyful activities have included spending time in the garden, knitting, watching videos, and reading.

Plans for Thursday include tidying the family room and maybe some sewing.

How is your week coming along?