We were treated to an hour of bright sunshine this morning, before the clouds socked in turning blue and white to grey and more grey. Ugh! Tonight though, the snow was gently falling down, and my flashlight shone sparkles in the fluffy snow.
Ten minutes to eat… 90 minutes to cook… I'm sure this is a lament that anyone who spends time in the kitchen understands. It wasn't anything really fancy, but all the bits and pieces seemed to take forever to cook. A few days ago I boiled some small potatoes and stuck them in the fridge to increase their resistant starch which is good for our microbiome. My plan for these was to toss them in olive oil and salt and then to smush them for roasting in the air fryer. But before cooking the potatoes, I dug out some lentil 'meatballs' from the freezer, then I peeled & roasted a small butternut squash. Next in the airfryer was some lightly steamed broccoli. During all that I juggled sauteeing cherry tomatoes & red pepper with garlic, and making a sauce with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, korean chili paste, all thinned with a bit of water.
All those bits came together on our plates: lentil meatballs on a bed of melted tomatoes & peppers, roasted butternut squash & broccoli drizzled with lemony garlic sauce. Finally, roasted smashed potatoes. Carm gave it a 5/5!
I've been feeling more and more like myself - you can probably tell as I've been writing more than I had been and I'm even starting to cook more than sandwiches finally. I have worries but those feelings are so different from mood issues. One is less physical than the other. Mood issues sap all strength from my brain and my muscles. I felt weak and barely able to lift anything let alone a weight - it was impossible. But now, even though I've lost fitness and can't do as many reps as before, I can push my muscles and while they tire, it's not the same bone deep fatigue. Hurrah!
Chapter 2 'Cato and Bailey see a Concert''
With the smell of toast perfuming the air, like two hobbits (without the big feet), Cato and Bailey prepare themselves for second breakfast. They know that Carm will be giving them toast, specially prepared with butter on one side and a slather of peanut butter on the other. Bailey hangs from the top of his cage, swinging in excitement before positioning himself on his pellet dish, while Cato is more lady like and sits quietly on hers.
The toast finally arrives, still warm from the toaster. Cato grabs the giant piece from Carm, and so does Bailey. Carefully eating over their dishes so as not to lose even a crumb, their beaks gets coated in peanut butter. In the end, there's not a crumb left in Cato's cage, while Bailey is not as enamoured so leaves the crust in his bowl. Maybe he's still a bit full from first breakfast. Or just doesn't like crust!
Their morning then continues like most. Playing with toys, whistling and chatting, and occasionally a bath. Cato is more reserved and tends to sit quietly more often, but Bailey can't resist pulling the threads on his 'boing' which is a cross between a perch and a swing. The floor of his cage is thick with colourful cotton threads, but he seems happy. A third breakfast of crunchy pellets soon follows (or would that be fourth breakfast if you count the banana that they had earlier?).
Earlier in their morning, a few rays of sunshine beamed through the windows giving all the birds a warm sun spot. Unfortunately, today, the clouds raced back to block the energizing rays.
This is a young me in the kitchen... strangely, the paint colour looks exactly like what we have in our main hall ways and bathrooms!
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Awesome!
"Mexican whistler"
"the glint of light on snow"
"the hush on a snowy night"
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