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| Papaya trees. |
Sometimes I wonder why time seems to go by too fast now. It's already mid October. Just two more months until winter break! 💃💃💃
I spent too much time crocheting, and did not declutter the spare room.
I made a small bag for spices such as cloves, cinnamon sticks and cardamom. When I use them in curries, I always forget to take them out once the curry is done. Sometimes it's hard to find them. Once in a while I wrap spices in a piece of cheese cloth. So I thought may be I could crochet a tiny bag using kitchen twine so I can reuse it. I don't know how long it will last ( I didn't use it yet).
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| Spice bag. |
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| Soap saver. |
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| Dishcloth. |
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| Butternut squash risotto. |
I'm always inspired by my blogger friends. Do you know what a toad in the hole is? I didn't, until I read Christina's post. I Googled it and found many recipes. It's an English dish made with sausages and Yorkshire pudding batter. I added sausages to my grocery list and plan to make it sometime soon.
Yesterday I bought a small exercise bike for $20 at a garage sale. According to Google, a brand new one is about $130. This one also looks new, perhaps the person who sold it to me rarely used it. I'm determined not to follow their steps. 😉 I cleaned it well, and was thinking of keeping it in the spare room. Then I realized that the spare room is where things go to disappear. Maybe I should keep the exercise bike somewhere I can see it often. Otherwise, one day it will end up in my own garage sale! I am happy to say that I did use it for 10 minutes yesterday.
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| Exercise bike. |
This morning I fertilized a flower bed, mulched papaya and katuk, planted a pineapple crown, and several four o'clocks. I have a habit of trying to sprout almost every seed I find. 😄Here's another mango sprouted from a store bought fruit.
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| Mango. |
How was your week? What are you growing in the garden?
I hope you all have a wonderful week. 🎕
This week's to-do list:
1)
2) More decluttering in the spare room. - Not done.
Next week's to-do list:
1) Fertilize passion vines.
2) Decide what to plant in raised beds and sow seeds.
3) Declutter spare room.
XX
Nil
I love to see your crochet projects! The spice bag is an interesting idea! I usually just leave the spices in the curry!
ReplyDeleteThat exercise bike was a good bargain! Keeping it out where you can see it is a good idea! Spare rooms tend to swallow things up, I think!
I've said this before, but I'll say it again - you are a great gardener! Look at all those papaya trees and the mango seedling! You'll be picking your own papaya and mangoes before too long!
I hope you have a wonderful week ahead.
I don't like accidentally biting cloves, so I like to remove them. :)
DeleteHehee, I'm not sure if I will ever have mangoes from these trees. All my mango plants are still in pots. I hope I'll be able get a papaya or two next year. :)
I totally understand the concept of trying to sprout every seed I find. I am currently saving Mizuna seeds. I keep my 'seed bank' in the crisper of the fridge. Don't always achieve germination, but I enjoy trying!
ReplyDeleteKeeping seeds in the fridge is a great idea, earthmotherwithin. Thank you for the tip. :)
DeleteIt's a nice-looking exercise bike. That was wise of you not to hide it in the spare room. May you and your new bike enjoy many happy hours together.:-)
ReplyDeleteHeheee thank you Priscilla. :)
DeleteI've never thought of using a little spice bag. I spend ages hunting for cloves and cardamom before serving up curries. I'm so pleased you enjoyed the risotto, it's such a great autumn colour too. X
ReplyDeleteYou can also use a piece of cotton cloth to keep spices, Jules. That's what my mom does. :)
DeleteCrocheting work looks so great☺
ReplyDeleteThank you Natalia. :)
DeleteHi Nil your soap looks like it is really creamy.
ReplyDeleteI used to have various exercise but it didn't last long.
I really prefer a nice walk and being out in the garden, working in the garden is good exercise and enjoyable.
I too like walking, Marlene. But I'm too lazy to get up early in the morning to walk. And it's late when I come home from work. So I hope this bike will help. :)
DeleteWhat are you using for mulch around the papaya trees? It looks like straw but not really? Your crochet work looks great.
ReplyDeleteAnita, it's grass clippings. :)
DeleteCool exercise bike! It has a place for reading or for computer. So as to make the time on it, go faster!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh no, don't put it in the place where things-go-to-be-forgotten!!!!!! -gigggles-
🍂🍁🎃🍁🍂
Yes, Wisps. I can keep my iPad or a book there. :)
DeleteYou had a very productive week! And your papaya trees are so cute. Good deal on that exercise bike! The risotto looks very good. I also looked at your link for the recipe at Jules' blog. Thank you! Andrea
ReplyDeleteI hope you will also enjoy butternut squash risotto, Andrea. 😊
DeleteCan't believe how quickly you've learned to crochet and it all looks so nice! (Not like you are just learning.) I could keep making comments, but that is meant as a compliment but isn't coming out right:-) Have a beautiful day.
ReplyDeletePS - I might need to try planting a mango seed, yum.
Hehee, thank you Lady Locust. I still sometimes drop stitches, but they are hidden. 😊
DeleteYou are really doing well with your crocheting, Nil. I like the little things you are making:) This past weekend, I bought a new-to-us solid timber bed. Although second hand, with a few new nails and lots and lots of polishing it has come up beautifully. I made an olive oil and lemon juice polish and the timber came up a lovely warm honey colour. We saved hundreds on buying a new bed frame by buying second hand so happy with that. Meg:)
ReplyDeleteSolid timber is very expensive. Good job on buying secondhand, Meg. Just the other day I thought if I added up the money saved by buying secondhand furniture it would be huge.
DeleteSometimes I too polish the kitchen table and the coffee table with olive oil and lemon juice. It gives a really nice shine.
I have never thought of crocheting a spice bag but it is a really great idea. I just tie mine in a piece of cheesecloth with a little butchers twine.
ReplyDeleteI was so inspired by your papaya trees I looked them up to see if they could over winter here___nope!
Fortunately here we rarely have below freezing weather, so papaya can survive even after a cold day or two. 😊
DeleteHi Nil, Your crocheting looks fantastic! I don't know if you are interested in making slippers, but there are some great tutorials online. You have picked it up so quickly, and your stitches look so even. That's a terrific deal that you got on the exercise bike. I read somewhere that most people use them so hang their laundry. haha. I am sure you will use yours. I love to ride my regular bike on the bike paths here. Your plants look healthy and green...
ReplyDeleteI will look up slipper tutorials, Stephenie. I like to make things that are useful, and in Florida we don’t need too many scarves, beanies etc.
DeleteYour exercising routine inspires me. I really need to exercise, so I think this bike will help me do that.
Everything looks wonderful. Have you ever crocheted a “scrubby”?
ReplyDeleteNo Akasha, not yet. I’ve seen YouTube videos though. There’s a special yarn for that with more texture, and I don’t have any.
DeleteIt's good to read about what you're up to Nil, always something interesting and productive. Not much planting here, it's already hot and with drought and water shortages, it's too hard to keep new plants alive. I'm still picking kale and spinach I planted in winter, and have some lettuce and herbs on the verandah where it's coolere, but that's all.
ReplyDeleteIt’s nice to have home grown greens , Nanette.
DeleteI don’t think I also will much in winter unless I plant something soon.
Stay cool, and I hope you will soon get much needed rain.
The exercise bike looks like a nice one. I like your little spice bag, that will work out very well. I have that problem with bay leaves too. The butternut squash and sage risotto looks good - I need to get some butternut squash to try out a new to me chili.
ReplyDeleteOoh, butternut squash in chili! I must try it one of these days. 😊
DeleteI just love reading about your crocheting. It brings back so many memories of when I started learning to crochet. I was still in high school so that was a loooooong time ago. Wow, you got a great deal on your exercise bike. I love a great deal. The risotto looks interesting. I may have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Toni
I’m planing to make another one of your crochet patterns as soon as I have more free time, Toni. I find crocheting so relaxing. 😊
DeleteSprouting a mango seed is a neat idea... I had no idea you could do that. I used to sprout avocado seeds but even when they sprouted the results weren't very pretty.
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I have several avocado and mango plants sprouted from store bought seeds. I'm not sure why I keep doing it because I don't have a big yard for all these trees anyway. :)
DeleteWhen you described the exercise bike, Nil, I had a different image in mind. Thanks for posting a photo as it looks like you can be working at the desk area while pedaling and wise not to keep it in a spare room. The crochet projects looked good but I liked the risotto dish myself!
ReplyDeleteI’ve been exercising every day now. 😊 Keeping it where I can see really helps.
DeleteI like the idea of keeping a list for the "to do" items. I however keep messing up that list. I love to see seeds sprout also but having to abort them later because sadly avocados do not grow in ND. :) I like your exercise bike and keeping it where you see will be helpful.
ReplyDeleteAngela, often I don’t complete everything on my to-do list. But having a list helps me a lot. 😊
DeleteI’m sure ND is too cold for avocados. 😊
The butternut risotto looks delicious! Wish I could grow mango tree, but too cold in Philadelphia!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and commenting, Judee.
ReplyDeleteEven here mango trees turn brown during cooler months, and come back when the weather turns warm. So it’s no wonder mangoes don’t grow in Philadelphia.
It takes a long time to fruit because of the changes in weather.