HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - BEGIN IN PEACE...

"...begin in peace and end in gratitude."

~Patricia Routledge~

You can find out more about this wonderful lady at this link. 

Has anyone watched "Keeping Up Appearances"? It was one of our favorite British sitcoms and we have watched many reruns on our TV. Patricia Routledge portrayed Hyacinth Bucket but insisted that her surname is pronounced "Bouquet". She was a wonderful actress and I was very familiar with her even before this popular role. 

I read her biography recently and there was one quote that stood out for me, which I have shared today below the butterfly photo. 

She had been made a Dame and her full title was Dame Katherine Patricia Routledge (2.17.29 - 10.23.25), born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, UK. Her father, Isaac Routledge, was a haberdasher and gentleman's outfitter, who married Patricia's mother, Catherine Perry, in 1924. Dame Patricia was a wonderful lady and more can be read about her life at the above link. 

.

A FAVORITE PHOTO - BIRD OF PARADISE

 Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)

An old photo that I thought I would showcase today. It has other names, Crane Flower, Mzimvubu Flower and Queen's Bird of Paradise. It is native to South Africa. Its name comes from, as you might guess, its resemblance to the head and beak of a colorful and exotic bird. 

I haven't seen one in several years. I found this one inside the conservatory of Brookside Gardens, in April 2013. Others I found while on vacation in various areas of the States. 

It doesn't do very well in cooler climates. Summers may be okay depending on where they thrive, but in the winter-time it should be brought inside. You just have to check on your zone I guess. That's why we saw it in the conservatory. Also, people tend to put them in large pots in their gardens, so that they can be brought inside in the wintertime.

We haven't been to Brookside in a very long time as it's a little further away in Maryland. Only 47 minutes to an hour by car but as we have several botanical gardens within easy reach, we usually head to one of those. Still, it would be nice to go back, maybe this year. It has a lovely butterfly house in the summer. I am not sure if it still does as it's been a long time, and I need to check on that. The butterflies are always a big draw for me. You can click on this link which will take you to Brookside’s website. More information can be found here. Added note: The inside butterfly exhibit was closed in 2023 due to staff and supply shortages. Hopefully it will open again one day, but I have not been able to find any current information. There is an outside butterfly garden. It is always worth looking through their website for extra info, and that is what we will be doing before going again, whenever that may be.

LAVENDER TO WARM US UP ON A CHILLY DAY.

This is Spanish Lavender I found while walking around Meadowlark Gardens, in Vienna, Virginia.  Their home page is here. The photos were taken some years ago.

Spanish Lavender is also called French Lavender, Topped Lavender, Butterfly Lavender and Fringed Lavender. Its botanical name is Lavandula stoechas.

It is an evergreen and blooms in the spring and summer, attracting bees and butterflies due to its nectar rich flowers. I love its scent as the flowers and leaves are very fragrant and can be used for potpourri and essential oil, and used in aromatherapy. 

Spanish Lavender is one of about 45 species. It is a native to the Mediterranean, so it thrives in hot, dry climates and is less tolerant of cold weather compared to other lavender types. It is unique for its pineapple-shaped flower heads topped with distinctive bracts that resemble rabbit ears. It also attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies due to its nectar-rich flowers. They do well in landscaping or in pots, and I certainly would love a few of those pots around here. 

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

(This is actually tomorrow’s post and one of those I occasionally post too early.  I didn’t want to reset it though, as I know new posts show up in your feed, and how confusing it can be when it suddenly disappears. Therefore I am leaving it as is. There won’t be another post appearing at midnight. This is it until my regular one tomorrow at midnight.)

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - ROAST SALMON SANDWICH WITH CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE

I found my recipe here, at Season with Spice, hosted by Mark and Reese. My thanks to them for a very nice lunch. I think you will enjoy checking out this recipe blog, as there are some great dishes in here and the photos are great. 

Roasted Salmon with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Makes 2 sandwiches

1/2 salmon fillet

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fresh lemon juice

1 avocado - sliced

Handful of arugua leaves or your choice of leafy greens

Slice of red onion

4 slices of your choice of sandwich bread (a dark rye is suggested)

Chipotle Mayonnaise

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream

1 large garlic clove, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)

1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle, or to taste

1 teaspoon honey

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.

Line a baking pan with foil. Coat salmon fillet with a drizzle of olive oil and place it on the pan.  Season the salmon with salt, freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice.

Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until just cooked through (roasting time will depend on the thickness of the fillet and your oven temperature).

While the salmon is roasting combine all the ingredients for the chipotle mayo in a bowl.

When the salmon is cooked, remove from the oven and flake it with a fork into small pieces. Add the salmon into the bowl of chipotle mayonnaise and mix well.

To assemble the sandwich, add the chipotle mayonnaise-salmon mixture first, then top with red onion, avocado and arugula. Enjoy!

I thought this was a very tasty recipe, and very filling. I fixed this for lunch one day when Gregg was away for a few days. (This is an old recipe, before retirement. It has been made several times since and enjoyed each time.) 

I had half a portion for dinner and ate it minus bread with salad fixings. The salmon tasted really yummy even before adding the rest of the ingredients. In fact, even though I enjoyed the sandwich very much, it would be excellent with just salmon and salad. 

This time I used a crusty Ciabatta-type bread roll but I can also see how good it would be with a dark rye, as suggested by Season with Spice. 

MONDAY RECIPE POST - RED CURRY TOFU WITH COCONUT CHILE, CARROTS AND BOK CHOY

Another blog, another delicious recipe found here at "Eats Well with Others", hosted by Joanne.  I haven't used Tofu in a while. I haven't cooked anything new this week, so this recipe was transferred from my old blog.

Red Curry Tofu with Coconut Chile Carrots and Bok Choy

Servings: 4 to 6

Serving size: 1/4 of the recipe

For the carrots:

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon coconut milk

1-1/2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths

1/2 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

For the tofu:

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon Canola oil

12 ozs. super firm sprouted tofu, cut into 1-inch slices

1 head of bok choy, coarsley chopped

(I also had snow peas left over from another recipe, which I sliced and added to this mixture)

You will need enough rice depending on how many people.  I usually use Jasmine rice but also have used brown rice.  Quinoa was also suggested in the original recipe.

(Because there is just the two of us, I put 2 cups of water in a small saucepan, waited for water to boil before adding 1 cup of uncooked white rice.  Lower the heat and cook the rice according to package directions.  For us this took 20-25 minutes.)

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

For the carrots: in a large bowl combine the oil, sugar, lime juice, soy sauce and coconut milk.  Toss together with the carrots, onion and chile.  Add salt to taste, or if watching sodium levels, leave salt out. 

Pour into a large baking pan and roast for 45 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.  Stir every 15 minutes.

While they are roasting prepare the tofu.  In a small bowl whisk together sugar, soy sauce, red curry paste and minced ginger.  Set aside.

In a large wok heat the oil over medium heat and add the tofu slices.

Sauté until lightly brown on each side, about 5 minutes per side.  Add in the bok choy, along with the snow peas if using them.  Sauté until bok choy is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the sauce and coat all the vegetables thoroughly.  Cook for a few more minutes.

Serve tofu and carrots on top of a bed of rice, or Quinoa.

What did we think of this recipe?  Very much enjoyed and is in the make-again folder.  Tofu may seem bland, but it is one of those foods that takes on the flavors of the sauces and other ingredients it is being cooked with.  We are still trying to add meatless meals into the week, and this fits in perfectly.  You can, however, use any other protein, like chicken or shrimp for instance.  Any favorite will do.

That's about all I can think of but if you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section and I will do my best to answer them.

Thanks for looking,

have a great week and good appetite!

QUEEN ANNE'S LACE

My photos were taken along Skyline Drive.

The following is its story: 

Queen Anne of Great Britain was tatting white lace. (Tatting is the art of making lace by hand.) The beautiful white lace she was tatting became the white lacy flowers of the wild carrot plant. She pricked her finger and one drop of blood oozed out. This became the central dark red or purple sterile floret that is present on some, but not all, of Queen Anne's Lace flowers.

Legends disagree as to which Queen Anne was tatting such lovely lace. Some say it was Anne (1574 - 1619), the first Stuart Queen Anne, who was brought over from Denmark at fourteen years of age to be a Queen to King James of Scotland. Others argue it was Anne (1665 - 1714), the daughter of William and Mary, and the last monarch in the Stuart line. Both died in their forties.

Her lawn

looks like a meadow, 

And if she mows her place

She leaves the clover standing

And the Queen Anne's Lace.

~Edna St. Vincent Millay~

This is from one of my older blog posts.  We were on Skyline Drive.  Wherever we looked there were hundreds of these pretty wildflowers. The one above and below has a little visitor.  I thought the ant was special, it looked almost metallic.

It has another name besides Queen Anne's Lace and Wild Carrot.  It is also called Bees Nest, with a botanical name of Daucus carota.  It usually blooms mid and late summer and early fall.

SATURDAY MORNING NOT AT THE BIRD FEEDER - SANDERLINGS ON THE BEACH

 This is an old one, but I hope you'll find it worth repeating.

SATURDAY MORNING NOT AT THE BIRD FEEDER - TELEPHATHIC CANINE CHIT-CHAT

We had stopped at a traffic light and I looked over at the passenger in the car next to us.  It was a long light.

By the expression on his face, he seemed a bit tired, and a little bit grumpy.  I understood!  It was very hot with the sun beating down, even with the air on.

He asked his companion why the woman in the next car was taking a photo. "She doesn't want me to smile does she?  I don't smile when I am hot and grumpy."

"She's so boring, I wish she would leave me alone.  She keeps smiling at me" but he gave me his good side, and posed as if he was on a model's runway.  "Give her a smile, you'll feel better for it" his companion said.

"I wish she would leave me alone." but he gave me his good side anyway.

And then, of all things, he gave me a wink....and a smile....sort of....and his day and my day brightened.  

"Now go away woman with black box in front of face.  The light has changed and it is time for me to help my human navigate.  He would no doubt get lost without me."

This was all done telepathically and I speak dog you know.  I wish!  But the way technology and science is going, it won't be long before we can speak to all the animals.  We will all be Dr. Doolittle.  Everything will come to pass and that will be a happy day.  And don't forget that smile!  A smile goes a long way even if you don't understand each other’s language. With a smile we can all speak telepathically, and all will be understood.