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| Irises |
Happy Tuesday, everyone!
We've enjoyed a long weekend with Monday being a holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On Saturday afternoon, one of daughter's friends came over for a cooking lesson! Daughter is showing her how to make Sri Lankan food. They made a dhal curry with red lentils and a mallung with kale (a mallung is shredded greens sauteed with grated coconut, onions, green chillies, turmeric, etc.) They had fun and, afterwards, daughter kept a portion of what they cooked for us and gave the rest to her friend to take home to share with her father and sister. They are planning to make chicken curry, next weekend!
On Sunday, daughter and I visited my cousin V and her family. V was recovering from surgery on her right shoulder. I prepared a chicken curry for her and also took some cashew curry and moringa curry I had cooked and frozen earlier. One of V's sisters-in-law had made a big pan of chicken biryani for her, so, at V's urging, daughter and I enjoyed some of it for lunch.
After we came home, I phoned Aunt C baked another batch of no salt added blueberry muffins:
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| Blueberry Muffins |
We enjoyed some of them with our evening tea.
Dinner was chicken fried rice:
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| Chicken Fried Rice |
On Monday, friend R visited in the afternoon. She brought us Christmas gifts and collected several of her packages that had been delivered to my address. At 11:00 a.m. on Monday, R texted me to notify me that another package she had been expecting to be delivered on Tuesday was being delivered on Monday, instead, and that it would require a signature. However, a short time later, I discovered a notice on my door from a different delivery service than the one R had said were delivering her package, stating that they had tried to deliver a package but no one was at home! Apparently, they had tried to deliver it before R had told me to expect a delivery and if they had knocked on the door, I had not heard it. It upset me a little and I felt as if I was at fault, even though I know that it wasn't.
Anyway, R called them and they are going to redeliver it today, but, R didn't know at what time. I woke up at 7:00 a.m., which is early for me (especially after going to bed after 3:00 a.m.) in order to be ready to accept the delivery. They just delivered it (at 11:00 a.m.)
On Monday evening, after R left, I cooked the pork roast that I had bought on Friday. Daughter cut the roast in half for me and further cut one of the halves into 8 pork chops and cubed the rest. I roasted the one half, froze the chops in two packages of four chops each, and made a curry with the cubed pieces.
Breakfast had been a scrambled egg on toast for me (daughter made herself a sandwich with fried eggs and the last bagel). We had blueberry muffins with tea when R visited (and we gave R some of the muffins to take home). Dinner was rice, pork curry, dhal, the last of the kale mallung, and tomato chutney:
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| Monday Dinner |
On Monday afternoon, before R visited, daughter and I spent a little time in the garden, watering the plants, feeding the compost bin, and just checking things out. Later, daughter took the trash cans to the curb for me. Later, I texted with cousin N.
Also on Monday, I finished knitting the back of daughter's sweater:
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| Daughter's Sweater - Back |
It's the same wool I used for my sweater, but, a different color, called "Aran". I'll start the front, today. She wants the same design, but, just a little longer than my sweater.
Today, Tuesday, is another sunny and warm day. I woke up early, as mentioned above, brought the emptied trash cans in, accepted R's package, and tidied the living room a little bit. I will knit and do some quiet activities today as daughter is having a migraine and is resting (she took a day off from work).
Today, I am grateful for:
- A lovely long weekend with plenty of social interactions
- Pleasant weather (sunny days, warm temperatures)
- Being able to accept the delivery of a package for R
- Weekly trash collection services
- Daughter is able to take time off from work when needed
Today's joyful activity will be knitting.
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| More Irises |
How was your weekend? What are your plans for today?
Your irises are so pretty. It will be a few more months before they are in bloom here.
ReplyDeleteThank you, June. I really didn't expect them to be flowering in January, but, it has been a warmer than usual January and the plants are tricked into thinking that it is spring!
DeleteOh my goodness, you had some delicious looking food! How wonderful that your daughter is sharing her cooking skills with her friend. Yum. It also sounds like you've been very busy. The sweater is pretty, and I love the one you knitted for yourself. Knitting always looks so difficult and time consuming. I doubt I could do it. I hope your daughter's migraine has cleared. I used to get them, but they seem to have disappeared as I've aged!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Celie. Daughter is enjoying cooking with her friend. I enjoy knitting and I am sure you'd enjoy knitting, too, once you learn the basics. Daughter's migraine is much better now, thank you.
DeleteHow are you feeling? Have you recovered from the cold/flu you caught from your sister?
Sounds like a lovely long weekend. It's really nice of daughter to teach her friend some dishes. It sounds as though food and feeding people is a great tradition with your family and friends. I love how everybody seems to come together and take care of one another. A lovely community.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon. Yes, it was a lovely long weekend. Daughter is teaching her friend to cook and also to crochet. Yes, food and feeding people is a big tradition among my family and friends. It's how we show that we care, I guess. :)
DeleteI just looked up a mallung recipe and think I will enjoy it. What is the flavor of curry leaves. I've never seen them before, so where might I find them.
ReplyDeleteDaughter's sweater is going to be beautiful.
Curry leaves have a distinct flavor and aroma. You might be able to find fresh or dried curry leaves in Indian grocery stores. You could omit them from the recipe if you aren't able to find them; the mallung will still be quite tasty without them.
DeleteThank you, Anne; I started on the front of daughter's sweater, today. :)
Very lovely white irises. I really like the color.
ReplyDeleteLots of good food in this post. Hearing about it and looking at it.
Yes, you were very social and it sounds like you had a nice visit with your cousin and also with friend R.
I'm glad the delivery got all settled.
And then more company at Chez Bless and for a cooking lesson. Which is a perfect thing to be going on at your home.
I like the Aran color for your daughter's sweater.
Thank you, Debra. The iris bulbs were a gift from M and I'm really glad that they are growing and flowering.
DeleteLots of socializing and cooking (and eating, too!). And it's all good. :)
I love the twisted rib pattern on the sweater. I used to knit a lot for the children when they were small. Sadly I can't wear any animal wool myself including alpaca, cashmere etc as they give me a rash so it's cotton or synthetic yarn. Wool is so much warmer and always looks nicer.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sally. That mock cable rib is becoming my signature rib! Wool is definitely warmer, but, I like synthetic yarn, too, because it can be machine washed and dried. :)
DeleteJust love the iris, beautiful colour. Lots of yummy meals, I like the sound of Kale Mallung, can you use desiccated coconut soaked as it is hard to get fresh coconut here. I have lots of Kale in the garden.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon. Yes, you can use desiccated coconut rehydrated with water for the mallung; just make sure it is not sweetened desiccated coconut.
DeleteThe irises are beautiful and the food looks delicious! Lots of good cooking and good visits sound like a perfect weekend!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mandy. It was a lovely weekend. :)
DeleteThe jumper is coming along well! Lovely. Equally lovely is the iris. I saw some very early ones blooming here last week too. Amazing!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lady Ella. Daughter's sweater is coming along very nicely. How lovely that you, too, were able to see some early blooming irises!
DeleteI didn't realize you had irises in your garden! They are lovely.
ReplyDeleteThat was a good idea to cut up the large pork roast into more manageable portions. Now you have a lot of variety from it.
The sweater is looking good.
Yes, Bushlady; irises compliments of gardener M! He shared some of his bulbs with me. :)
DeleteCutting up the pork roast made it much more manageable and we will have some variety.
Daughter's sweater is coming along nicely. I got about 1/3 of the front done, so far. :)
Beautiful irises. Your daughter's sweater is lovely. Your chicken 🐔 fried rice looks delicious 😋
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda. :)
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