Quiet day for the Fourth

 Today was about gardening until I got too tired, clearing dead foliage, generally cleaning up and returning the debris to the earth among the trees where it's good for the ground. It does look much better.

Lavender's fading now but will bloom again at least once. Last year three periods of bloom. And the daisies are coming along.

The thyme is blossoming now, lovely tiny flowers

 

Stella d'Oro daylilies in full swing. They're all over this development, from my stealth gardening, planting them around the dumpster areas, and giving divisions to neighbors. 

There's a healthy stand of them, and pachysandra, in the median strip of a highway in Trenton, from bags of divisions  which I gave a teacher working on the environment with her high schoolers. That was a very happy Freecycle a few years ago.

Here are the beginnings of the white chrysanthemums, just budding up, and next door is packed with bloom, some from seeds I'd collected on the sidewalk down the street, and gave him because I had no space!

After this strenuous time, not as energetic these days,  l retreated to rest (!) by making pasties from scratch. Yes, funny way to rest, I know.

Ready to steam spinach, microwave yellow potatoes, saute mushrooms and scallions and grate parmesan, for stuffing pasties using a different dough.

Bolted whole wheat and regular wholewheat

olive oil, hot water, not milk.

Stuffing under way, then mixed with an egg, the cheese, pinch of baharat, and spiced ground salt. Of course!

The dough was drier than with milk, easy to roll and manage and fill

And here's lunch,  decorated with Thai basil, which is now growing fast out there, and some Bad Food chips there.  

I think next time for the dough I'll do half water half milk, because it was just a bit sort of floury, though good. Adding milk with water will give a nice texture to work and to eat. At least that's the plan. Enough stuffing for  about six pasties in all.  

Glass of sun tea, with lemon slice.

This is pretty labor intensive foodbst the outset, but it's so good and it makes a lot. Then for several days meais are pretty fast. Dough's ready in the freezer, filling's in the fridge. Just bake.

While I'm getting all up there about my kitchen prowess, such as it is, I should show you a couple of tools.

Here's my coffee maker. Very technically advanced

Piece of ancient linen, ancient filter. I simmer coffee grounds in milk and water, just bring to a boil, then pass once through the strainer lined with the linen, into the cup. Done. Excellent coffee. Strong not bitter, snarling with caffeine as I like it. 

And my grinder cost me $10 about forty years ago literally. 

And already, already, the blades have lost their end bits, from dealing with tough chickpeas, and the lid has seen better days. But the motor still runs fine.  Two speeds -- off, or running like it's trying to get away, hold on there.

And there's a fun preschool activity yet to do, matching the lids and containers from yesterday's spiceapalooza.

I'll save that for tomorrow. Can't handle any more excitement today.