Thursday April 11th

With  the vegetable garden planted

I set about cutting up more of the chopped down branches.

Although when its all done...

I shall miss our little feathered friends

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Wednesday April 10th

Both the raised beds are planted with peppers and zucchini in the second... 

leaving room for Brussels sprout plants and pumpkins Im growing from seed

Ive also planted some parsley, dill and basil  seeds. 

I had them in my box so I might as well use them

I hope the visiting birds eat the seeds in the bird feeder and not the ones in my plant pots

Dinner was tasty pulled pork sandwiches with potato wedges and coleslaw...with plenty of  leftovers for MrD to take to work for his lunch tomorrow

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Tuesday April 9th...

I always love waking up to new photos of the grandchildren...

Today Little Miss went to a birthday party... and met Moana and Stitch....

doesnt she look thrilled

Little Tufty had to settle for the company of the doll we got her for Christmas... and who she calls Baba.

For me it was more work in the garden... a bit of planting... but I thought I would take a job from MrD and cut up some of the tree limbs. I did what I could with the clippers and shears... but decided not to use the chainsaw. I foresaw a loss of a limb!! Still I managed to fill another cart of logs and sticks ready for the winter

When MrD got home he continued leveling the dirt out front. Hes almost there and thinks he can sow the seed this weekend

We worked hard in the garden so I was so ready for dinner which was a new recipe for Chicken Enchilada Bake. 

I found it a little dry...maybe too much rice which absorbed the sauce. But it was flavourful...so next time.. less rice more sauce. 

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Monday April 8th...

Well...I waited with anticipation for the eclipse...but it was a total let down, Obviously we wernt in its path.. and apart from it seeming quite quiet.. the sun shone brightly.

I was outside any way working in the Victory Garden and managed to get one bed completed and the other half done. We now have tomatoes. peppers and cucumbers safely tucked in... and a couple of zucchini in the second bed. I also planted lettuce in trays and sprinkled a few flower seeds in tubs. I dont think they will be going into a border this year

Our back garden is a big mess... even worse than the front... and this year needs a lot of work. Right now MrD is concentrating on reseeding the front.. but he intends to do the back lawn too. The grass is wrong for an active dog...and in many parts the ground is sinking... leaving pot holes and bare patches. Also, new neighbours have moved in behind us and have hacked down trees and foliage.. leaving a bit of a mess on our fence line. Yesterday he cut down some big branches from over the vegetables.. I told him to leave them and while hes in work this week I will cut them and stack the logs..

Time goes so fast when Im working outside and before I realized it was past lunchtime. So I grabbed a quick sandwich.. did some ironing then made a couple of chocolate chip banana bread

and a batch or MrD's favourite cookies

Tonight's dinner was Honey Garlic Chicken Fried Rice...first time making... from scratch with no jarred sauce and absolutely delicious. A big winner with MrD. 

Its been a busy day.. I will sleep well tonight... 

Have a great week and here's the rest of this weeks menu

 Weekly Plan - 8th April 2024

Monday              Honey Garlic Chicken Fried Rice

Tuesday              Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Wednesday        Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Spicy Potato Wedges

Thursday            Creamy Beef Pasta Bake

Friday                  Pizza 

Saturday             Hawaiian Turkey Burgers, Coleslaw, and Fries for MrD

Sunday                Leftovers Beef Pasta Bake

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Sunday April 7th

I always enjoy my Sundays...

its a chance to recharge my batteries ready for a new week.

There are some things you dont expect to see on a Sunday... 

which also leaves you pondering...

why??

After all that rain and hail the weather is pleasantly warm...

I think its time to get all my plants into the vegetable garden as some are getting a bit leggy. This year its a mixture of home grown seedlings, cuttings and shop bought.

I think the threat of frost has well gone now...so the only thing I have to worry about is this little devil... who is already planning his grocery run.....

And talking of food... for dinner we had a lovely chili made from this weeks meatloaf. This is an old family recipe and it says to divide into two serving bowls and sprinkle with cheese, but I wanted it to go a bit further and served it with mac and cheese 

A very tasty dish, not too spicy, and I will make it again

Grandma Addi's Leftover Meatloaf Chili

1 1⁄2 - 2cups leftover meatloaf 
1⁄4 cup chili powder
1(15 ounce) can undrained kidney beans
1(14 1/2 ounce) can undrained diced tomatoes
1cup sharp cheddar cheese, divided (optional)

• In a medium sized saucepan, combine beans, tomatoes, and chili seasoning.
• Heat and stir until seasonings are well blended.
• Add meatloaf and stir until meat is heated, about 15 minutes.
• Divide into two serving bowls, and if desired top with equal amount of cheese.

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Saturday April 6th

After storms yesterday...Saturday was quite pleasant.. even though there is more snow on the mountain

MrD and I cut down a lot of dead wood on the trees around the garden.. especially around the Victory Garden.

We need as much light as we can for our veggies... and our potatoes are thriving in the sunshine.
Thick branches will be cut for fire logs for the winter..and the smaller ones for kindling. Waste not want not

This done we took Prince off to the dog park for a run

and MrD made a new friend...who was shared his first name

When we got back we found a box of fruit on our front porch. A thank you from a neighbour for us looking after her cats while she was away visiting family. It was very kind of her... and she didnt have to... but we thanked her profusely...and I assured her that none of it would be wasted

While I made a quick chili for dinner..MrD continued working on his front lawn.

Then we spent a relaxing evening listening to a couple of our favourite 1940s radio shows

It really was a pleasant day all round

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Friday April 5th

We had a thunderstorm this morning... and were hit with torrential rain.

It eased a little by lunchtime but the sky was still grey and heavy

but then we were hit by hail!

Not a day for working in the garden, so I Facetimed the Uk 

where Little Miss and Little Tufty were at a birthday party

Later Little Tufty introduced me to her Babba.

And then surprised us.. by taking her first steps..

Oh how I miss my little family

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Thursday April 4th...

We already have the first flower on the strawberry cuttings... but I think Im going to snip it off to encourage the plants to grow

I think the squirrel is eying up the little fruit...

But I think an over excited Prince may try to stop him... If not for eating the fruit...but for sitting on the phone wire and wiggling his tail at him... playfully of course

Prince gets equally excited when MrD gets home from work. 

They really are best buddies

Love and Hugs
Phoebe x

Wednesday April 3rd...

I must be honest...nothing much happened today..

just the same old round of housework... garden work and cooking... 

And I love it

I think we have another Dare Devil in the family..

Little Tufty will give her Nana a heart attack if she carries on....

Dinner... leftover beef, with onions and mushroom, 

garlic mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus

Lovely!!

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x