Quiet Weekend

     Not much happening this weekend - laundry and errands on Saturday morning were completed before noon. Electricity is cheaper on the weekend so works in with my schedule. A restful afternoon and some good shows on PBS in the evening.

   Today I was up early and had the ironing done by 8:30. A quick shower and I was off to the tennis courts. It was already quite hot but managed a set with Susan, Chan and Paul. I wasn't playing particularly well but Paul and I managed to pull off a win.

  On returning home I surprised a huge rabbit in the back yard. I suspect he is the one that has been eating my tomatoes. I've lost two now, just as they were ripening. The red pepper is still on the plant but for how much longer? I will need to pick it soon. I tried to get a photo of the intruder but he took off lickety-split.

    After lunch and a nap I got on my bike and had a quick run down to Starbucks for a Frapaccino. I had a $1 off coupon and it was very refreshing after the bike ride. Then just relaxing, reading and swimming for the rest of the afternoon. The air conditioning is currently running although the house stayed quite cool until late afternoon. I made barbecued ribs for dinner last night with potato salad and green beans, and will be having the leftovers tonight so no cooking required!

And there he goes under the gate, just like Peter Rabbit in Mr. McGregor's garden!

 

Another strongly perfumed lily.

Cooling Off

   We have had a few hot days but yesterday and today have been both cooler and fresher.

   Grandkids on Monday for a swim, tennis on Tuesday - I was "0n the board" that is organizing the sets using our name tags and a board with hooks, I will post a photo of it next week. So I didn't play until almost noon and it was really too hot to be enjoyable.

   Wednesday was catching up on chores and I did achieve quite a lot. First a trip to the mall for a few errands including picking up yeast. I  had gone to make bread last week only to find there was no yeast in the house, so had to make do with soda bread. This time I was out of bulgar so had to substitute oat bran and porridge oats. It actually was an improvement, came out very light and tasty, so I may do that again. Of course the temptation of newly baked bread was too powerful to resist so the loaf was half gone before I got it sliced and in the freezer!

   I also made a batch of strawberry rhubarb jam with some berries from the freezer and the last of the rhubarb. The berries were very soft and mushy when defrosted but I gave the jam an extra long boil and it seems to have set perfectly. I will know when I finally get around to eating it. I am still using up my 2012 jam, if you can believe it!

    Thursday and today tennis in the morning (nice cool fresh conditions) and then a bit of gardening in the afternoons - digging out the violets again. I thought I had got rid of them last year but they're back with a vengeance. The nights have been great for sleeping with the windows open and a cool breeze. long may it continue!

Last of the jam making for this summer - strawberry rhubarb.

Can't remember the name and it only lasts for one day, but it is magnificent!

Nothing better than picking a ripe tomato for your lunch - and then eating it still warm from the sun.

My one and only red pepper - will it ripen and be picked before the rabbits/squirrels/raccoons get it?

  

Rogers Orientation

   I was up early this morning to head over to Yorkdale Mall for the Orientation meeting for volunteers at the Rogers Cup which is coming up in a couple of weeks. It was an 8:30 start in the cinema auditorium for all of us, then breaking off into our different committees. Sandy had laid on a nice breakfast spread and we munched happily as she went through the handbook. We have quite a few "newbies" this year.

    I had time to do my weekly grocery shop once I got home but didn't bother with lunch as I was still stuffed. The afternoon was rainy so I pottered in the kitchen, making some roasted red peppers and a batch of mango chutney. I got two small jars from one mango, one apple, some raisins, a garlic clove and half an onion. Not too shabby!

   Tonight is leftover Tuscan chicken but I made a delicious fish dish yesterday. It was supposed to be just a pan-fried basa fillet but at the last minute I topped it with an artichoke dip I had made previously. It was very tasty!

Amazing what can be concocted from an over-ripe mango!

Pickling

   Up early this morning as I wanted to get the shallots pickled before I headed out to the tennis courts. First they needed to be rinsed and dried as they had been soaking in salt overnight. Then it was a quick process of boiling up some vinegar, sugar and spices, bottling them and filling the jars with the vinegar. I was done by 8:30 a.m. but now have to wait a couple of weeks before trying them.

Two jars each of pickled onions and beetroot - should keep me going well into the fall.


 

     I got to tennis quite quickly as the traffic was relatively light for once or maybe because I was a little later, everyone else was already at work. I had three good sets with reasonable breaks in between but it got quite hot and humid as the morning progressed. Jasmine had organized a lunch outing so I needed a shower and fresh clothes after I got off the court. Once we had cooled off we gathered at "Joey's" for a very convivial meal - all 17 of us.  It was fun to end the morning thusly - we should do it more often!

   A light dinner tonight - fish, quinoa  and a few vegetables - and definitely no dessert!