I've had too much birthday, it seems. I'm actually a wee bit exhausted and spent most of last night rather under the weather.
Prior to that, it was full tilt, with plans afoot to find and hire another builder to complete the work on this flat. I've got feelers out, based on a friend or two's recommendations. The man who did my bathroom earlier in the year has not followed through with any of his promises to give me an estimate, so it is time to look elsewhere.
The kitchen needs to be made more functional and trackless sliding doors installed on the enclosed patio, among other things.
In the meantime, cooking has been the order of the day. Last week, I linked this blog to a recipe I got from Shaheen. This week, I trolled the pantry and fridge, coming up with all of the ingredients for a chunky vegetarian chili which you can see below.
It contains a mix of chili seasonings, vegetable broth, sweet potato, diced tomatoes, green pepper, yellow squash, kidney beans, carrots and a handful of green beans. Add a dash of salt to suit, if you like. I served this with some brown rice and have about three quarts. It will freeze, which means I do not have to eat it until it's gone unless I feel like it.
I've found that taking a recipe to the market cuts costs overall on a week's groceries, so I will do that until I run out of ideas. If any of you have recipes that are simple to make and feature vegetables and you feel like sharing them, feel free to send an e-mail.
Stay Well...
The after service birthday oneg (Hebrew word for joy) on Friday was well received and without complications. In addition to the items purchased for the occasion, there were two home made birthday cakes--a vegan carrot cake and a frosted lemon sheet cake. I was stuffed at evening's end and thank both parties for their fine efforts. I cannot recall the last time someone baked a cake for my birthday.
Saturday I was treated to a trip to the beach and lunch at a cafe on the water. It was last minute, so the camera was forgotten, but the three of us had a wonderful time and it was a beautiful day without a drop of rain, a rarity this summer. We strolled around and people-watched, licking ice cream from our fingers before heading home.
Sunday was rainy but made brighter by the floral arrangement sent by friends en route to a new job in South Carolina. The flowers are lovely and smell divine but, in order to keep them from cat's claws, I tried putting them in the bathroom with the door shut. This was short-lived as Jacob soon mastered the door and entertained himself by clawing to bits every toilet roll on the bathroom shelf. As the flowers would have been next, they are now in the hall pantry.
Last night, another impromptu birthday dinner, which was great, left me quite full and happy that I am blessed with good friends. Tomorrow, I have yet another birthday lunch, with the finale this coming Saturday.
Though I've prepared a delicious post-birthday recipe which you can find here, I've not had the time to taste it yet. It is a Sri Lankan vegan pepper pot, and the lovely Shaheen, whose blog features a diversity of flavours, is a wonderful cook. Give her a read. The photos alone will make your mouth water.
Until Next Time...
