Sunday in the 'burbs

    I made the Mango and Rhubarb chutney this afternoon and I am happy with how it turned out. It's a really easy recipe, just boil everything together until you get the right consistency. There's still some rhubarb left so maybe another rhubarb cake is in the offing!

   We played tennis for an hour early this morning (can't believe we used to play for two hours) then I came home for a late breakfast and the Sunday newspapers. Now I am all caught up on the news. Two dips in the pool today, one after tennis and another after a bit of gardening. And that's my Sunday, done and dusted!

Some good news and some bad news

    Picked another zucchini today, not sure how it will be prepared but it will keep a few days before I have to use it. Suggestions are welcome!

    I was off early this morning for my grocery shopping, mostly fruit and veg. The mangoes were still on special so I picked up another and may make some rhubarb and mango chutney. Last week's one went into a salad although I had left it just a day too long and some of it was squishy!

   After the deluge yesterday and having to drain off so much rain water, I now am having to refill the pool as it seems to have sprung another leak! It lost a couple of inches overnight but luckily stopped above the bottom of the skimmer so I am able to keep the filter running for the time being. The next day or two should reveal what needs to be done. No doubt it will cost me a pretty bundle whatever the result!

Weather Complaints

   Torrential rain today for several hours and flooding all over the city. We had only managed one set of tennis before the skies opened and driving home was horrendous. When I got home I had a fairly big puddle in my basement but it is all mopped up now and should dry out pretty quickly. 

   With all the rain the pool almost overflowed but I had called a friend who advised to do a backwash out to the street to lower the level. However, now I see the liner has detached from the cement wall and will have to be pumped out - another big bill, I suppose! Pool-related expenses have been brutal this year. 

   Now the sun is out and it is getting steamy. The grass badly needs cut but I will wait until the sun goes down to give the grass a chance to dry off and it will be cooler by then. That's it for today, folks!

First Produce

    Apart from a few raspberries (a very small crop this year after last year's bumper one), I finally got to pick a zucchini today. It wasn't very big but was enough to make a batch of fritters. It made 6 fritters and I had three with my evening meal and will have the rest tomorrow. It was a very easy recipe from Lidia's cook book, just grated zucchini, an egg and some flour with baking powder and salt mixed in. It probably took me 20 minutes to make and cook. I think the secret is to squeeze the grated zucchini in a kitchen towel to remove as much moisture as possible, then they fry up nice and crisp.

    We had quite heavy rain this afternoon so, since I was house bound I made a loaf in my bread machine. It will be cool enough to slice soon so that's my last chore for today.