The garden has had lots of rainy days so not much blooming. But a few drier+sunnier days and there's progress again! Butterflies and bees circling the Buddleja, the Erigeron has a bloom-spurt and tiny visitors, the Anaphalis is nearly blooming, and the Armeria is finally budding+blooming again too!🌱
Made a simple new thing for dinner tonight: roll of puff pastry, ham, brie cheese, pear. Walnuts and honey added after baking. It was okay, probably not a keeper though. Rather bland, especially the pear. 🍜🍽️
Hey cooking feeds! 🍜🍽️ I've got a vacation coming up, and want to cook something new each day, so I'm looking for recipes. Can you share recipes for local dishes with me? Bonus points for: no tomatoes, relatively easy to get ingredients and recipes for things that aren't already popular world-wide :D
I spent all evening yesterday with my mum helping her make a creative money gift for an aunt and uncle who love cycling and are celebrating their wedding anniversary today (so it was very last-minute). I think we succeeded :-) #craftsky
It's (predicted to be) way too hot (for the next few days), so the "outside kitchen" will see some usage in the coming days. Glad I invested in it, it really makes a difference not to have the heat (and to an extent, moisture) from cooking stuck inside the apartment! 🍽️
Took advantage of the dry weather yesterday and today to take care of the garden again. So many weeds... But also, so much prettiness! I'm amazed the neighbours haven't yet made noise complaints... the lavender was buzzing louder than the heat pump XD 🌱
Yay! I found some new friends, I didn't know there was a nest or I'd have made progress pictures. But for now, grow big and strong and eat lots of mosquitoes, all of you :) 🌱
They arrived! Finally, the last five little plants I ordered on Ascension Day were delivered. I can now declare that my front yard is 'DONE' (until the next batch of weeds and lilly beetles pop up, that is). Also, the plants in the flowerpots in the backyard are starting to do great as well. 🌱
Well the garden is being *a lot* of work this year, needing loads of weeding and pest control (bindweed from a neighboring property, physalis I mistakenly planted last year and lily beetles in the lilies) but seeing (and smelling) the flowers and plants almost makes it worth it 😆🌱
Planted some Scabiosa today. Also, really happy seeing the aster bloom again, I was afraid I killed it by cutting away the dead growth too soon. And the lilies seem to be thriving, this one is having seven buds! 🌱 Just waiting for the Coreopsis to arrive and the garden will be done (for this year).
I may have planted slightly too many pink plants now. Was going for a chaotic mixture of colors... But everything that blooms at the moment is pink XD Little bird seems satisfied though. 🌱
A different kind of gardening today: Cleaning the canopy roof. Originally planned to this next weekend (Easter weekend means a 4 instead of 2-day weekend), but they're predicting bad weather then, so doing this today on my lunch break and after work. 🌱
Things are going fast in the garden now. The Armeria has buds again, the Lily bulbs are sprouting, as is the Hypericum (everywhere XD), and the first little leaves are visible on the Amelanchier, together with loads of buds that seem close to flowering. 🌱
Started a new diamond painting. This one has been under all sorts of books and other (heavier) weights like full water bottles, but still doesn't lie entirely flat. And adding the diamonds seems to only make it worse. Anyone have any tips? 🧶
More garden spring progress! Some very promising buds in the Lewisia, loads of flowers from the bulbs already, and the first peek of color on the magnolia. 🌱
Finally seeing some color in the front yard again! Iris, crocus, Fritillaria(not yet blooming, but there are buds!) narcissus, and scilla. 🌱 Can't wait until the 'last frost' has been (a few more weeks and I should be safe), and I can start cutting back the dreary dead stuff on some other plants.
The pictures of meals to show others vs. what I end up with on the couch in front of the TV. 🍽️ I'm not the only one I hope? Or does everyone in the cooking feed eat their dishes as nicely plated as they share them? :D
Another round of meal prep done. Sweet tomato soup, a traybake, chicken pilav, 3 different sets of vegetables/meat to make salads with (and dressing for 1 set), roasted carrots and beetroot. I kinda overestimated how much time this would cost, but at least I don't have to do it again for a while! 🍽️
Doesn't look all that special, but remains one of my favorites. Link to the recipe in the alt text. By blanching/freezing/unfreezing portions of the green beans, it's a very quick and tasty meal to make! No chicken with it today, but one of those meatballs I posted earlier. 🍽️
Started a small cross-stitch about three years ago. Packed it away when I moved into my new apartment. Finally unpacked it and made a tiny bit of progress today. Ways to go still with regards to tension and working neatly, but I'll get there someday and make one of those big wall centerpieces.
Used the slowcooker to make meatballs today. Super easy, turned out much better than the attempts I've made at making them in a pan. Doesn't show well, but there are 8 meatballs in the beef stock, number 9 is already eaten for taste-testing purposes. 🍽️
Finished my first diamond painting. Not my best work in terms of working neatly (bits are all over the place up close), but I absolutely loved how mind-numbing and relaxing just putting small bits of plastic on their corresponding characters was. 🧶
Well this was a failure... Burnt on top, raw and soggy on the bottom, even though I followed the instructions in the box mix to the letter. After six minutes in the oven (mix said they needed 10), they were starting to smell so horrible. Good thing I always have some stroopwafels for backup. 🍽️
