Sunday Smiles - Happy Easter

 Happy Easter!

Istanbul

 Who knew this was the most  visited city?  I have been there, I remember we took a wonderful boat ride up the bosphorus strait that divides Europe and Asia.  We did pass by some luxury homes/palaces.  We visited the Haggia Sophia mosque pictured here.  My preference is always the scenic tours.  

Friday Art - Horse

 Welcome to Friday Art!  This is my horse ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2").  I had fun drawing the hairstyle!

Linking to Nicole's Friday Face Off.

Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date - Appliances and Silken Tofu with Dressing

 Welcome to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date 'Appliances' theme!  I did an electric kettle, I liked the sleek lines on this one.  It was $275 when I googled months back not inexpensive.

For the Dinner date, I made a silken (soft) tofu with dressing.

1 package of silken tofu, sliced.

Dressing:

2 1/2 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs Chinese black vinegar (can substitute rice vinegar)

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbs chili oil crisp (or use your favourite hot sauce)

1 tsp sugar

3 cloves of garlic minced

2 green onions diced

In a bowl, slice the tofu into 1/2 inch sections.

Top with dressing. I like to microwave it for 2 1/2 minutes until it is deliciously warm.

This is my inspiration link from Instagram.

Wednesday Memes

 

How short life is

 For some reason I thought of an old high school friend I had lost touch with some 40 plus years ago.  Because it is 2024, I tried to Google her.  To my surprise I found her obituary.  It seems she passed away in 2018 at 59 years old.  She had aged obviously from her obituary photo, it did not look like the young slim attractive girl in her early twenties that I remembered.  I felt sad at the thought of her passing.  It is a reminder of how short life is.  Now I am trying to piece the memories together of when I last saw her.

Do you Google old friends?  I don't usually.

In other news I am breathing a sigh of relief that my blogger comments are going through quite well lately.  

On tea consumption

 I thought this was interesting.

Sunday Smiles - Spider Webs

Here is the source of that information.

 Linking to Gillena's Sunday Smiles.

Happy Sunday!

Tigers and Deer

 

Isn't this interesting?

Friday Art - Ochre collared monarch

 Welcome to Friday Art!  This is an ochre collared monarch ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2").  

Linking to Nicole's Friday Face Off and to Gillena's Art For Fun Friday.

Welcome to Spring!

Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date - Rabbits and Chinese Broccoli

 Welcome to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date's 'Rabbits' theme!  Here are my bunnies just in time for Spring!

For the dinner date I made some Chinese Broccoli using this recipe I found on Instagram.

1 bunch of chinese broccoli (gai lan).

2 tbs oil

water for boiling

Sauce:

1/2 c water, 1/2 tbs cornstarch, 2 cloves of garlic minced, 1 tsp sugar, 3 tbs oyster sauce

Make an incision into the thickest part of the broccoli stems to aid in softening them during blanching.  Bring enough water to cover the broccoli to a boil, add some oil.  Blanche the broccoli for about 3 minutes and set aside.  Mix the sauce ingredients and simmer 3-4 minutes.  Pour this sauce over the broccoli.

Wednesday Memes

 

Statue of Liberty

 This is an interesting bit of history on the Statue of Liberty.

Pruning Tips and belated Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 I found this handy diagram showing how to prune trees.  It is the time to do it in early spring (or winter too).

And I hope you had a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sunday Smiles - Right to Broadband

 Linking to Gillena's Sunday Smiles.

Have a great Sunday!

A lovely goodbye

 My sister's 93 year old mother-in-law was laid to rest this past March 8th.  Husband M and I went to the morning funeral.  It was well attended and a lovely goodbye.  I was reminded again that weddings and funerals are like family reunions.  Two of the granddaughters gave moving speeches celebrating their grandma who had lived a full life.  We were unable to attend the burial and the restaurant meal after but I was able to take a video of my niece's speech.

Our plans for dinner that evening had to be cancelled because our good friends had gone through a difficult night and were facing the real possibility of putting their mature dog to sleep that day.  Dinner will be rescheduled and we will receive updates.  The dog had been lingering on since last Christmas and they knew it wouldn't be long.

Friday Art - Deer Portrait

 Welcome to Friday Art!  Showing my deer portrait ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") in watercolour pencil and acrylic marker.

Linking to Nicole's Friday Face Off and to Gillena's Art For Fun Friday.

Rains Thursday Art and Dinner Date - Boots and Cauliflower Carrot and Ginger Soup

 Welcome to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date!  Here is my 'Boots' ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2").  It is outlined with a black acrylic pen, and coloured in with watercolour pencils.  I added highlights with white acrylic pen.

For the dinner date, I made a cauliflower , carrot and ginger soup.  The ginger really adds flavour to it.  Warning that you can leave this out if you find ginger too strong a taste. This is a yummy way to get all your vegetable servings in.  And you can use whatever soup stock you want, vegetable, beef, or chicken.

1 cauliflower cut into florets including the stem

1 large carrot peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic minced

1 onion chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tbs lemon juice

4 tbs light cream

a handful of shredded cheese

1 900ml carton of low sodium soup broth plus 2 c water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1" fresh ginger peeled (with the back of a spoon) and sliced

3 tbs olive oil

Saute onion, carrots, ginger in olive oil then add garlic after the onions have browned.  Mix in salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano and  parsley.  Add cauliflower and broth, lemon juice and water to just cover the vegetables.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes until the vegetables are fork tender.  Mix in cream and cheese for a few minutes.  Blend with an immersion blender, I waited until the soup cooled a bit.

Wednesday Memes and failed to publish issues on blogger

Very frustrating on blogger lately, I keep getting 'failed to publish try later'.  Then usually it starts working later in the day.  If I haven't stopped by your blogs that is the reason.  Wordpress blogs are fine of course.

 

Crocus Bloom

 I snapped this photo on March 5 2024!  It is very unusual to see a crocus in bloom so early in the year.  

Blood Test

 I took a blood test a few weeks ago in advance of a call from my doctor today.  The good news is that my blood sugar readings are back to normal and my cholesterol readings are also very good so that cholesterol medication must be helping me.

Sunday Smiles - Bitter Coffee

 Linking to Gillena's Sunday Smiles.

Happy Sunday!

The Super Premium Plus Coupon

 So I got this $4 coupon for this Chapman's Super Premium ice cream.  My friend S told me where to find it at the grocery store as I couldn't find it.

Another flavour of this same ice cream was on sale for $3.74 so I considered getting it for free with my coupon.  I decided to buy this chocolate flavour for $4.99.  Then I looked at the nutritional ingredients and it is horrific!  Oh well.

In answer to the comments of course it is delicious!!

Friday Art - Baby Woodpecker

 Welcome to Friday Art!  This is my baby woodpecker ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2").  Linking to Nicole's Friday Face Off and to Gillena's Art For Fun Friday.

Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date - Corners and Beef with Black Bean Sauce

 Welcome to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date!  The theme is 'Corners'.  I used a photo of the Egyptian pyramids as my inspiration.

For the Dinner Date I made this beef with black bean sauce using this recipe I found on Instagram.  It was so good.  

Wednesday Memes