So far it doesn’t look like rain today. I was enjoying not having to water so many times a day.
But my cherry tomatoes were splitting at the top. And I read that that could be too much of either heat or rain.
Yesterday evening I saw a hummingbird through the French doors while I was waiting for Charlie to come to the door. I was so excited because I literally haven’t seen a hummingbird in several years.
Naturally I ran for my camera. I tried to get a photo but the hummer proved elusive. I was so disappointed. I’ll watch out for it today.
I’m reading a book called “Then She Was Gone” by Lisa Jewell.
THEN:
She was fifteen, her mother’s golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.
NOW:
It’s been ten years since Ellie disappeared, but Laurel has never given up hope of finding her daughter.
And then one day a charming and charismatic stranger called Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet.
Before too long she’s staying the night at his house and being introduced to his nine year old daughter.
Poppy is precocious and pretty – and meeting her completely takes Laurel’s breath away.
Because Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age. And now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back.
What happened to Ellie? Where did she go?
I do love a good mystery.
Last night for supper I took a couple of pieces of cornbread out of the freezer and warmed them up.
I made potatoes and pinto beans. I put a little chopped purple onion in the beans along with small pieces of pepper and some chopped chives. Had a few slices of cucumber. Delicious.
I think that is my ultimate comfort meal. I remember eating the same meal as a child.
Oh, and I added beets. I know a lot of people don’t like beets, but I always have.
Beets from the garden that were canned tasted so good and refreshing to me back when I was a child. Preferably cold from the refrigerator.
I have read several books by Lisa Jewell. They were always an interesting read with a twist that is unexpected.
I planted a black and blue salvia plant in a huge planter on my front porch and the salvia is now huge itself. The plant is not only gorgeous, but it attracts hummingbirds! A hummingbird – I’m assuming the same one – comes several times a day to feed from this plant. I can never get a photo of it either – they eat so quickly and then hurry off. By the time you grab your camera or phone, the bird is gone.
I love beans and cornbread, too and did so as a child. Unfortunately, I can’t digest beans too well anymore, especially pinto beans. A few black beans or a small amount of hummus is all my intestines can handle. Food intolerances, including legumes and gut problems run rampant in my mom’s side of the family.
There’s only two vegetables I don’t like. One is beets. (The other is mushrooms.) My husband loves beets and the other day, my neighbor-friend gave me three fresh beets that she picked up from the farm stand. I peeled and cubed them and roasted them in the toaster oven. Brian loved them! I couldn’t even stand the smell while they were roasting. To me, it smelled like I was roasting dirt, lol.
I have a healthy banana cake in the oven right now. In a few minutes, I’m going to start a pot of organic brown rice and then make a main dish of Korean style beef. Will make a side of broccoli, too.
Have a good weekend!
I love beets right out of the can and better warm, with butter and best in chocolate cake. We’re all so different and so alike.
And you never mentioned if you shared your cornbread crumbs…
I love beets too especially warm with butter! Here in WV we have quite a few Hummingbirds.They are so pretty. My husband loved Hummingbirds, they would come over to him when he was sitting on the porch and hover as if to say the feeder is empty! One year I bought him a handheld Hummingbird feeder!
My comfort food is meat and potatoes, or some variation thereof, LOL. I’ve learned to eat more fish, nuts, vegetables and fruits as an adult and have cut back on the meat/potatoes (or meat with some form of macaroni, spaghetti, fettucine or noodles, dumplings, etc). for health and weight reasons, especially over the last few years as I approach the end of my 60s. It doesn’t get any easier and every disappeared pound is a victory! It started out cool this morning and I finished up the first part of the final part of dressing up the flower beds at the front of the house. The first part was hauling all of those concrete blocks weighing 14 pounds each from the back shed to the front yard and lining the beds. That certainly helped develop the arm muscles! I’ve been pulling weeds constantly, and early this morning I cleared out the smaller of the two flower beds as best I could, lined it with layers of newspaper and hauled buckets of mulch from the bags in the garage to the front beds. The bags weigh 50 pounds each and I can’t even drag them when full, let alone lift them! So, I slit them open and scoop out mulch until I have a bucket full, repeat until the bag is about 2/3rd empty, and then I can haul what’s left in the bag out to the front and place it where I want it. I apply mulch like an art form, not like a guy does, dumps the bag and rakes it around a bit and calls it done 🙂 It looks beautiful in that one bed now. If it’s not raining tomorrow when I’m ready to hit outdoors, I will start working on the longer bed on the other side of the front stoop, that will be done in 2 sessions. Just doing the smaller bed took 2 hours, I was shocked, the time flew by so quickly and I was sweating and panting by the time I was done. Whew! It’s looking overcast and dreary out now, and it got very sticky/humid once again. Maybe we’ll finally get the rain that was forecast, fingers crossed. We need it here. Too bad we don’t have magical powers and can send each other rain and sunshine upon request.
My husband’s mom made the BEST pickled beets I ever ate…of course, they were full of sugar….but anyway what a treat!! When they came to visit, she always asked what to bring and I always said, if she had any extra of her beets on hand!! The elementary school my mom worked at made the best chocolate cake that had beets in it…my mom always used to laugh and laugh at how those kids would fight for all that chocolate cake they could get their hands on…never knowing they were eating beets!! Haha…I make chocolate brownies with black beans for my granddaughter here who often asks me to make them…hahaha…she does not know so much beans are in them either!! What a way to get some good stuff into kids!!
I love beets, too!! The ones from the Farmer’s Market are the BEST—taste just like candy, especially the small ones. Yummm!
Hi on Saturday Brenda!
Hello Charlie & Ivy!!
Oh my. I so love beets. Any way really. Warm with a touch of melted butter is amazing.
Cold in salads delicious!
We always had beet borscht w/cucumbers & a dollop or 2 of sour cream as kids. Especially with Italian bread so good! That meal went far with a big family!
Oh, so nice re the bird. I’ve never seen a hummingbird in person.
They are lovely from photos.
Book mentioned sounds good Brenda! Would love to read it.
Nice weekend to you! 🙋
My tomatoes are not doing well this year. They are all spliting. I googled for the reason and google said too much moisture. It also suggested that we should apply mulch when planting.
We have had rain the last few days also. Woke up at 8, decided not to wash clothes. By the time they would have been done it was sunny. Washed, carried them out, turned around and right in the dryer. It seemed even more humid and the clouds were out. By the time they were out of the dryer of course, the sun was out! Love hanging the large items out. Smaller items go on the clothes rack in the sunroom next to the open window. Waiting for more rain everyday for the next week. And we will have to watch the hurricane coming up the coast Monday and Tuesday. Stay cool.
For years I never liked beets. Then a lady who helped my Mom out by cleaning once a week( my Mom worked very long hours and my Dad hires this lady to give my Mom some relief) brought to the house one day a large pot of stewed baby beets with the greens still attached. My brother, sister and I would eat bowl after bowl of those. Just another way I guess of serving beets and I bet the greens gave us added iron. Not sure how she cooked them but they were delicious.
Beet greens are excellent,we eat them in Maine all the time in season. You boil them,like fresh spinach or Swiss chard or kale. It’s an excellent food group!
Good morning Brenda, I hope that all of the rain has not spoiled your tomato crop. The book sounds interesting but I have to be honest, I don’t read anything scary. Send me an email with the spoiler alert so I know what happens and then I do not have to read it.
I like corn bread if it is on the sweet side, with sugar sprinkled on top when it is baked. As for beets, love them roasted and in salads. Comfort for me is a cup of hot chocolate, I have it every morning, I find great comfort in the ritual of making it and savoring it in a favorite cup.
Have a wonderful weekend, I hope the hummingbird comes back!
Love the taste of certain comfort foods that take us back to special memories. Yours sounded very nutritious. I hope you and your lovely family have a good weekend.
I love pickled beets.
This year my tomato plant is not good i believe the heat is not doing it any favors. Take care and have a great day