Morning Routine

Dear Family & Friends

It's another gorgeous morning! I really got no complains what-so-ever this summer...This year, weather and temperature wise is all so perfect. I know it is not the usual year.. but all that rain that we got at the start of summer gave us a perfect garden and cooler temperature...Thus, for a change, I'm managing good sleep at night. To think that, I don't normally sleep much in summer time for the past years...ICK!

I started my morning admiring what was growing in the garden.This Morning Glory Vine never cease to amaze me....everyday it grows by leap and bound! Have to look at it in the morning because that's the time when the flowers are open:)

Last year was my first time to grow Brussel Sprouts...but of course, we never had any as the greedy chickens pecked on the whole plant.This year, I started all over again, but this time, it will be people's turn to enjoy the harvest...we still have a few more months till we can have those tiny cabbage like produce!

Don't you love their bluish green leaves? 

I used to have a preconception that brassica plant groups are hard to grow....but it's not true, for I've also managed to grow cabbage plants this year for the first time:)...See...its forming it's round head...I'm excited!

Okra is a plant that loves hot temperature...so every summer, we have to grow them as we love Okra:) Simply steam it and sprinkle with salt and vinegar. Fresh okra is so delicious! The plant flower looks so pretty too:)

My daily morning routine consist of roaming around the garden to find some food to prepare for the family...

Today, I've gathered some tomatoes...

Snipped a few okras and threw into the glass container...

Added a few ruby chard leaves... Now that I've got my bowl full, I will start to prepare the day's menu.

Summer is easier because we prefer to eat fresh and simple food meals: like salad. These Russian black tomatoes variety (the camera didn't really picked up the black tint on this fruit) harvested today are simply sliced and sprinkled with salt, or sometimes with sugar instead. As simple as that!

The two girls will visit the garden to do some more extra harvesting later, part of their summer's day routine.... the extra harvest will be given out to friends or we preserve them for later consumption.

While I was preparing lunch, my little girl ran to pick up her camera....she spotted an enormous caterpillar climbing up the wall...on the upper part of the house wall! She said it was almost a foot long!! Unfortunately, by the time I got out to see what she was talking about... the caterpillar was up by the window ledge somewhere, just missed it!! All I got to see was this photo she took..but she insisted that it was much bigger than what it looks like in reality..... REALLY!? Perhaps, I should watch out for a giant butterfly soon:)

I mustn't be late next time around:)

Yours