Friday: Milk Rice and Pizza

Yellow Rose

Another mostly cloudy day, but, the sun tried to shine through the clouds and it was not gloomy and grey.  The morning was chilly and I put the gas heater on to warm up the house (then, turned it off and kept it off the rest of the day).  

It was a struggle for me to go for my walk, today, but, eventually, I bundled up and walked for 15 minutes.  I got tired after 10 minutes, but, paused the timer and sat down on the low stone wall between neighbor T's house and mine for a minute or two, then, set the timer back on and walked for the remaining 5 minutes.  I have managed to walk for at least 15 minutes, Monday through Friday this week.  It might not sound like much to some people, but, this is a big accomplishment for me!  I am not sure if I will walk on Saturday and Sunday, as well, but, if I can walk on five of the seven days, I'll be happy.

Then, I spent another 5 minutes or so, checking on the garden plants, taking a couple of pictures, and picking snow pea pods.  Today, I picked about 25 pea pods.  

Afterwards, I made milk rice to celebrate the Sri Lankan New Year.  I know I had planned to make it on Thursday, but, once I checked the time the new year dawned in Sri Lanka and the time that was recommended for lighting the stove and partaking of the first meal, it made more sense to make the milk rice on Friday.  I took a portion of milk rice and seeni sambol, along with the snow pea pods I picked, over to neighbor S to share with her.  Later, M enjoyed a plate of milk rice and seeni sambol, when he came to tend to the garden.  There is a small portion left for Saturday's breakfast.  

M bought me a small Serrano chili pepper plant and a box of long-lasting tea lights/candles (they are supposed to last for 8 hours, according what's written on the box).  We planted the chili plant and some beans and M weeded, pruned, and tidied.  

Afterwards, I watched the evening news and knitted a bit.  I am making good progress on the sweater I am knitting, considering I only knit for about one hour each evening while I watch news.  

There were leftovers from Thursday night's meal for dinner, but, I had a craving for pizza!  I didn't want to go out to pick up pizza and I didn't want to order for it to be delivered, either.  Instead, I decided to make a pizza.  There was not enough time to make a traditional yeast pizza dough (it was already past 7:30 p.m.)  but, I had seen several recipes online for a two ingredients pizza dough using yogurt and self-rising flour.  Basically, you mix Greek yogurt and self-rising flour to make the dough.  Sounds simple enough, right?

Of course, I didn't have self-rising flour because I have never bought any, so, I just used all purpose flour and added some baking powder and salt to make my own self-rising flour substitute.  And although I had half of a 5 oz. container of Greek yogurt, I wanted to keep that as a starter for my next batch of homemade yogurt.  What I wanted to use for this recipe was the last bit of the old homemade yogurt, except I didn't have enough of it (recipe called for 1 cup).  Not a problem - I used what I had and added approximately half a cup of milk!  Then, I mixed up the dough, kneaded it a bit, and let it rest while I got the other ingredients for the pizza topping ready.  

Pizza sauce?  I didn't have pizza sauce, but, I had some leftover pasta sauce in the freezer - I broke off a portion and microwaved it to thaw it.  Yes, I know they are two different types of sauces, but, I was going to use what I have on hand.  

As for the toppings, I like pepperoni on my pizza, but, guess what?  I didn't have pepperoni.  What I had is smoked sausage in the freezer - I cut off a piece and microwaved it to thaw it, then, sliced it (and microwaved it a bit more to cook it, a bit).

Mozzarella cheese?  Don't have any!  But, I have the Armenian cheese that neighbor S gave!  It's a crumbly cheese, but, it would do just as well!  I broke off a piece and crumbled it.

I was ready to make my pizza!

I took approximately half the dough and rolled it out to a circle, approximately the same size as one of my frying pans.  A frying pan?  Don't you mean a pizza pan?  No, I mean a frying pan!  I don't have a round pizza pan and besides, this pizza dough was going to be cooked on top of the stove!

Pizza Base "Baking"

Once the bottom was browned (took about 5 minutes), I flipped it over so that the other side could brown, too, and I spread the toppings on the side that was already browned, covered the frying pan with a lid and let it cook for another couple of minutes:

Stove Top Pizza!

The Armenian cheese didn't melt that much, but, that was OK.  

I had half of the pizza for my dinner!  Considering how much I tweaked the recipe, it didn't taste half bad!  The dough didn't turn out quite as soft and fluffy as the recipe had said it would, but, then, again, I didn't use the exact ingredients the recipe called for, either!  Maybe if I had used the exact ingredients called for in the recipe, the dough might have turned out soft and fluffy!  My pizza base was similar to a thin crust pizza.

All told, my pizza satisfied the craving I had, but, as I told my daughter, next time, I might just call for a pizza delivery!  LOL.  However, this pizza didn't cost me anything extra because I used what I had on hand and by cooking it on the stove, I didn't have to use the oven!  I am thinking ahead to the summer, when it will be too hot to have the oven on.

I went ahead and made two small flat breads with the remaining dough:  

Leftover Pizza Dough Flat Breads

I will eat them as I would any type of flat bread or roti, with some chicken curry or something.

On Friday, I was grateful for:

- The early morning shower of rain we had!  (More water for the garden!)

- M helping with the garden
- Being able to share the milk rice with neighbor S and with M
- The power didn't go off!
- Being able to walk each day (Monday through Friday)

Friday's joyful activities included sharing snow peas and milk rice with neighbor S and my pizza making adventure!  

Saturday's weather forecast says it will be sunny with a high of 71F.  I don't have any specific plans for the day.  I'll just spend a relaxing day at home.  

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for the weekend?  Have you made this yogurt bread dough?

Rainy Thursday

Raindrops on Roses

It rained very early on Thursday morning and, again, in the evening.  The garden appreciated the rain, I'm sure.  The day was chilly and grey.  

The power went out, once again, at noon, but, fortunately, it came back on in about 15 minutes.  I don't know what caused the power outage - it had been windy, earlier, so maybe a tree fell on some power lines or a car skidded on the wet roads and hit a power pole?  Or, maybe the crews were doing some additional repairs after Wednesday's power outage.  My cell phone had a 56% charge left in it, so, when the power came back on, I recharged it.  And because the house was chilly, I switched on the gas heater to warm up the whole house (I had been sitting in front of the electric space heater when the power went out) - that way, if the power went out again, I'd start off with a warm house!  The power has stayed on and I turned the heater off after the house warmed up.

I took my walk in the afternoon, when the rain had ceased.  I couldn't walk at my usual pace because I felt some pain in my left hip.  So, instead of walking for 15 minutes at my usual pace (which isn't all that fast, anyway), I strolled for 30 minutes!  I figured I got in about the same number of steps!  

Aunt C called in the afternoon and I had an interesting conversation with her.  Afterwards, I did some quilt repairs.  Later, I watched news and knitted.  I cooked some rice for dinner and had leftover chicken, cashew curry, and mango curry with the rice.  I also cleaned the kitchen and my bathroom, ran the dishwasher, and did a load of laundry.  Still later, I video chatted with my daughter.

On Thursday, I was grateful for:

- The power outage was of short duration and we had power for the rest of the day
- Rain for the garden
- Being able to walk for 30 minutes at a slow pace
- Working appliances
- Phone chats with family, emails with friends, video chatting with my daughter

Thursday's joyful activities included knitting and video chatting with my daughter.

Plans for Friday include tending to the garden with M.  He was able to buy me a small Serrano chili plant, he said, so we will plant that out and maybe plant the bean seeds, too.

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

Mid-Week on Wednesday

Jasmine Vine
(Photo taken on Monday, when it was sunny)

  

Wednesday was cloudy, cool day, with a high of 63F.  After morning tea and prayers, I did my 15 minutes of walking.  Eventually, I'd like to extend that to 30 minutes, but, for now, 15 minutes is all I can do.  But, that is OK.  The goal right now is to do this on a daily basis.

Gardener friend M was here, later in the morning, and he watered the garden, front and back, for me.  

In the afternoon, I started the car, picked more snow pea pods (I froze them all for future meals), replied to blog comments, and watched some TV.  I also went through all the grocery ads.  There are some good sales this week, too, but, I am not planning to do any grocery shopping this week.  All the ads have been put aside to recycle.

Aunt C called me in the evening and we chatted for a good long time.  Friend R called me while I was on the phone with my aunt, so, I called her back after I finished talking with my aunt.  Later, daughter and I video chatted.  

I had the munchies, today!  Brunch was half a bagel with cream cheese followed by the puff pastry burek that neighbor S had included with the Easter meal.  Dinner was eaten in two sessions!  I had the last bit of rice and fried fish that neighbor S had given me, first, followed a short time later by the lavash bread, eaten with leftover mackerel curry!  Dessert was half an apple and a bowl of cereal!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- M helping with the garden
- Being able to walk
- Phone calls with family and friends
- The snow peas harvest
- The car started

Today's joyful activity was video chatting with my daughter.  She is now going in to the office two days a week and working from her apartment on the other three days.  This was her first week of doing so (her two assigned days to be in the office are Tuesday and Wednesday).  So, there's more in-person interaction with her co-workers, especially since her cubicle is next to the kitchen!  People pass by her cubicle on their way to the kitchen and often stop to greet her, etc.  

Plans for Thursday include tidying up the house.

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

Sunny and Warm Spring Days

Spring Roses

Monday was the warmest day we've had so far this year, with an afternoon high of almost 80F.  I actually felt warm in the afternoon, sitting in the sunshine coming through the living room window, with the quilt spread on my lap as I repaired it!  LOL.   

I walked for 15 minutes up and down the driveway, watered some of the plants in the front garden and the newly planted loquats and tomato plants in the back garden, using water I had collected in buckets while waiting for the shower water to get warm and the rain water I managed to collect.  Then, I filled the green yard waste bin with some branches that M had trimmed.  I took the yard waste bin and the trash bin to the end of the driveway to be collected on Tuesday morning.  There are a few more trimmed branches to be put into the yard waste bin, but, they need to be cut down to fit into the bin.

I had leftovers from my Easter meals for lunch (the rest of the rice and curries) and dinner (the rice, fish, and cabbage salad from neighbor S).  

Tuesday was sunny, too, but a little cooler, with a high of 72F.  I brought the emptied trash bins in, then, set my timer for 15 minutes and walked up and down the driveway and on the sidewalk in front of my house and neighbor T's house.  I am comfortable walking this little bit without a mask; I could easily step back into my garden or neighbor T's garden should another person walk by and I wanted to put some distance between us.  If I walk any further down the sidewalk, to the end of the block, for example, I'd feel the need to wear a mask.  

I was checking my blog comments in the early afternoon, when my internet connection went down.  I tried to reset the connection, but, nothing happened.  So, I decided I'll wait until my daughter got off work and then, ask her what I should do.  In the meantime, I spent the afternoon repairing the quilt.  I usually watch some online videos while I repair the quilt, but, because I didn't have the internet to amuse me, I sang while I sewed.  

It was later, in the early evening, that I realized that the power was not working properly!  The microwave indicator light was on, but, the kitchen light didn't come on and the fridge light didn't come on when I opened the door.  The TV indicator light was on, but the family room ceiling light didn't come on.  The other small ceiling light fixture in the family room came on, but, the light was very, very dim!  I checked all the lights in the rooms and some of them didn't come on and those that did, had a very dim light!  I checked the fuse box, outside, to see if any fuses had gone off, but, everything was as it should be!  I was very confused!  The stove is gas, but, the automatic ignition needs electricity; I lit the stove with the lighter I had bought for the purpose, to boil the water to make my cup of tea in the evening. .  

I cleaned the litter box and swept my bathroom while there was still some natural light and I knitted for a bit.

I was just telling my daughter about the power situation when all the power went off and nothing was working!  Including the land line which I was using to talk with my daughter!  I looked across the street and my neighbors, who had their porch lights on earlier, had also lost their power!  Fortunately, I had a fully charged cell phone, so I called my daughter on that and explained what was going on.  She checked online and said that the power company had posted that there was a power outage in my area and they were working on fixing it.  I got off the phone with my daughter as I didn't want to run down my cell phone battery (my daughter is ordering me a phone charger to have as a back up, she said). 

Then, I gathered most of my candle holders and candles and set them up on the living room mantlepiece in readiness for the evening.  I had been considering decluttering some of my candle holders because I don't really use them on a daily basis, but, I now know that I will continue to keep them for just such an event!  I have flashlights (torches), as well, but, candles are better to provide some general light.  I don't have any battery operated candles, because then you have to make sure you have batteries for them,  but, I'm thinking it might be useful to have a few of them on hand, too.  Around 8:00 p.m., I lit the candles.  There were six candles and they provided a nice glow.  Dancer no longer jumps up on to the mantlepiece, so I don't have to worry about him knocking over any candles.

Around 8:30 p.m., the power was restored and I was very happy!  I put out the candles and turned on the lights!  The internet came back on once the power was restored and daughter and I were able to have our usual nightly video chat.  I also called friend R to check on her and see if she had a power outage, but, she said her power didn't go out.  

Brunch was an egg salad sandwich, using the hard boiled Easter egg that neighbor S had given me.  Dinner was some of the leftover Easter dinner that neighbor S had given me.  

I am grateful for:

- Electricity!
- Working appliances!
- Having internet connections!
- Phone services!
- A stash of candles and candle holders!  

Today's joyful activity was turning on all the lights to check them when the power was restored!  LOL.  

Plans for Wednesday include tending to the garden with M and doing a bit of housekeeping.

How prepared are you for power outages?  Do you have a generator?  Do you have flashlights and spare batteries?  How will you keep warm if the power goes out in winter?

April Meal Planning: Week 1 Review and Week 2

I started the first full week of April with lots of leftovers and they dictated the meal plan options, which were as follows:

Brunches:  Leftover pancakes (1 serving)✔, leftover milkrice (1 serving)✔, leftover mackerel curry (at least 2 servings) ✔, a leftover piece of cornbread✔, salads✔, frozen burritos, boiled mung beans

Dinners:

- Leftover beef stew (1-2 servings; maybe I will make that pot pie, after all?)✔(twice)

- Chicken drumsticks in teriyaki sauce curry, rice, dhal, broccoli stir-fry, baked potato chunks(Saturday)

- Battered fish fillets (frozen), rice, snow pea pods✔ (twice)
- Stir-fried shrimp, rice, tabouleh (Good Friday night)
- Easter meals compliments of friends and neighbors
- Turkey and vegetable soup
- Leftovers

Desserts/Snacks: leftover bread pudding (about 3 servings) plus a bit of leftover custard✔, fresh fruit (apples and mandarins)✔, canned fruit, baked chicken wings, cookies, chocolates/Easter candy

I'm afraid I didn't keep a detailed record of what I ate each day, but, I ate leftover pancakes with mackerel curry for brunch on Monday, leftover milkrice and mackerel curry for brunch on Tuesday, salads for brunch on Wednesday and Thursday, the leftover piece of cornbread on Friday, followed by a banana after I picked up my groceries.  On Saturday, I had a banana and a bagel with cream cheese for brunch and, on Sunday, I had another bagel with cream cheese.

I had stew for dinner twice, battered fish fillets with rice and pea pods twice, stir-fried shrimp with rice and tabouleh on Friday, sauteed chicken drumsticks with baked potato chunks and stir-fry on Saturday, and on Easter Sunday, I had Sri Lankan rice and curries (compliments of friend S) for a late lunch and Armenian rice pilaf, fried tilapia, and cabbage salad (compliments of neighbor S) for dinner!  

Moving on to this week (Week 2).  Once again, the fridge is full of leftovers!

Brunch options: Leftover Easter rice and curries (Monday), bagels with cream cheese, tabouleh, garden lettuce salads, cereal, milkrice (Thursday)*, leftover milkrice, egg salad sandwiches

Dinner options:

- Leftover Easter dinner (rice pilaf, fried tilapia, cabbage salad) (Monday and Tuesday)
- Sauteed chicken drumsticks with stir fried vegetables and rice
- Lavash (Armenian flat bread) made into Sri Lankan koththu roti
- Rice, chicken curry, and vegetables
- Leftovers

That is the plan and, as always, it is subject to change!  Are you making a meal plan for this week?

* Milkrice on Thursday - April 13th is the Sri Lankan New Year and it is customary to make milkrice for the first meal of the new year.  

Easter Sunday

Gazania Flowers

Easter Sunday was sunny and warm, with a high of 75F.  As you can imagine, I was more than happy and opened the windows and the front door, too, to get that warm air in to the house!  

Once again, I sat outside, in the back yard, to say my morning prayers and enjoy the warmth (at the time, it was warmer outside than it was inside).  Afterwards, I walked around in the garden checking on the plants and admiring the flowers.  

While I was still in the garden, I had a phone call from my friend S (not to be confused with neighbor S).  Friend S is Sri Lankan and she asked me if I could give her some curry leaves from my trees since she was all out of curry leaves.  I said yes, of course.  She said she had to go to work in the afternoon (she works at a grocery store and our grocery stores are open on Easter Sunday), but, her husband and daughter will stop by in the evening, around 5:00 p.m., to pick up the curry leaves; would I be home at that time?  I said yes, that would be fine.  I went ahead and picked a bag of curry leaves for her and added a few fresh lemons, as well.  

In the afternoon, I continued to repair the quilt top and watched some videos, online.  Cooking videos, decluttering videos, a video about clothes from the "gilded age" that are part of an exhibit in a museum, etc.  

Around 5:00 p.m., friend S's daughter called to let me know that she and her father were on their way to pick up the curry leaves.  Well, guess what?  They brought me a meal!

Rice and Curries, Compliments of Friend S

Friend S is a wonderful cook and she had prepared a meal in the morning, before she went to work!  Ghee rice, chicken curry, fried and cooked eggplant "moju", cashew curry, served in a container with extra cashew curry and mango curry in baggies and homemade tri-colored marshmallows for dessert!  Everything smelled so good that I had to have a taste of everything!  The rest was put in the fridge for later in the week.

Then, I watched the evening news and knitted.

A little while later, neighbor S brought me the Easter meal she and her family had prepared:

Easter Dinner, Compliments of Neighbor S

She brought me a feast!  Rice pilaf, fried tilapia, cabbage salad, a piece of cheese filled puff pastry known as burek/borek.  In addition, there were two pieces of Armenian cheese, Armenian bread, cut up tomatoes, some greens (scallions and herbs such as parsley), an Easter egg, and for dessert, there were slices of two different cakes her daughter N had baked!  One was an olive oil cake and the other was a yogurt lemon cake.  I had some of it for my dinner and I've put the rest in the fridge for tomorrow.

I don't think I will need to cook for at least a couple of days!  Next week's meal plan will be leftovers!  LOL.

Later in the evening, I called friend R and checked on her and video chatted with my daughter.  

On Sunday, I was grateful for:
- Good friends and neighbors who bless me so much with their kindness and generosity
- An abundance of good food
- Phone calls and emails with friends and family
- A sunny and warm day (didn't need to switch on the heater at all!)
- Being able to share curry leaves and lemons from the garden

Today's joyful activity was enjoying the wonderful meals provided by my friend S and neighbor S!  

According to the weather forecast, Monday will be another warm and sunny day!  Plans for Monday include a little housework and more quilt repairs.  

What are your plans for Monday?  

Friday and Saturday

 

The First Rose of Spring

We've been having cooler temperatures this year and, as a result, the roses are late in blooming.  This iceberg rose is the first one to bloom, this spring.  

On Friday, I put in an order for groceries in the morning and picked up the groceries in the afternoon, at 3:00 p.m.  Dustin (who had served me once before) brought the groceries out to the car for me.  

Later in the evening, M arrived to tend to the garden.  He brought me two Early Girl tomato plants I had asked him to buy for me and a gift of Easter chocolates!  He applied some weedkiller spray to the front walkway, where some weeds were starting to push up through the gravel.  That is the downside of getting all the rain; long dormant seeds are germinating!  Afterwards, he planted the tomato plants; last year's tomato plant didn't do well at all, but, I'm hoping that this year's plants will do better.  M also thinned out the baby peaches.  I realize the need to do so, but, it makes me sad to get rid of all those tiny peaches!  They have been added to the compost heap.  I picked snow pea pods while M was planting the tomato plants and thinning the peaches; I gave yesterday's harvest to to M as his snow pea plants were eaten by some animal (he suspects the mourning doves).  I wrapped the pea pods in a lettuce leaf and tied it up with a long stem of grass to make a very eco-friendly package.  

Shortly after M left, neighbor S called me.  Her husband had shopped at a big warehouse type store and bought some tabouleh and shrimp cocktail, but, it's too much for them as they were going to be away from home on Saturday and with a big Easter meal on Sunday; would I like some tabouleh and shrimp cocktail?  I said I'll take just a little bit and she brought me some.  Then, she told me that she had forgotten to ask me if I wanted some baked potato pieces and said she could bring me some; that way, I'd have salad, a protein, and carbs!  So, she went back home and brought me some potatoes, too:

Good Friday Night Dinner from Neighbor S!

I made over the shrimp cocktail by sauteeing the shrimp with some onions and Sri Lankan spices and had it over warmed up leftover rice.  I reheated the potatoes, today, and had them with some of the chicken drumsticks I cooked.  There is still some leftover tabouleh in the fridge!  

On Friday, I was grateful for:

- Being able to order groceries online in the morning and
- Being able to pick up the groceries in the afternoon

- A safe drive to the store and back and the car started!
- M helping me with the garden and picking up the tomato plants for me
- Neighbor S bringing me dinner!

Friday's joyful activity was gardening with M.

On Saturday, after I replied to blog comments, etc., I spent some time in the garden, watering the newly planted tomato plants and the loquat plants, adding kitchen composting stuff to the compost heap, and picking more snow peas.  In the afternoon, I put away laundry, paid the water and electricity bill and the gas bill, cleaned the bathroom, sewed on the quilt, did some knitting, and watched some TV.  Later, I cooked the chicken drumsticks I bought on Friday and ran the dishwasher.  I froze most of the chicken drumsticks and kept a couple of pieces for dinner, later this week.  

I had a banana and a bagel with cream cheese for brunch.  Dinner was some of the chicken drumsticks with the reheated baked potatoes that neighbor S had given me, along with some of the tabouleh. 

On Saturday, I was grateful for:

- Sunny and warmer days
- Working appliances
- The first roses
- Being able to pay my bills
- What I was able to accomplish 

My joyful activity on Saturday was video chatting with my daughter.

Plans for tomorrow include more quilt repairs and relaxing.

Hope you have a wonderful day, tomorrow, and no matter what religion you might belong to, may your day be blessed and peaceful.