My Cooking and My Garden: THREE . . .

THREE is the number for this entry. I have been working in the garden and looking around to find out what else has to be done. The answers are there are plenty. However, I was so impressed with these plants that are looking great together, most of them are the combination of THREE plants or THREE of the same kind.

It was not the plan to have the plants look this way, but now when the garden is almost well established, everything looks lovely, it pleases me.
Three layers of shrubs, the colours blend beautifully, from the bottom is Japanese maple, then nandina domestic or sacred bamboo shrub and the very top is the smoke bush which is in buds. The flowers are a mash of delicate petals and greyish colour, gorgeous.

From seaside daisy, Just Joy rose to conifer topiary. Today these plants look even better after Rayner trimmed the topiary. It is almost planted arrangement, so lovely.

The right picture is tree layers in a pot, from the bottom is mondo grass then two layers of pily lily topiary. I think it works well, and it looks different.

More plants to show you, they are three potted bamboos. Thanks to the Worlands who gave this plant years ago. Now they are potted for easy caring and for preventing spreading. Looking back, this plant- bamboo has a lovely story. It was a gift from a friend, and since then it has been with us and moving around where ever we went. Now, it is settled with us forever.

THREE Bumble Bees, another story relating to THREE. These three plastic bumble bees are cute and pretty. I got more than three, there were ten. THREE were for dressing up one of my potted orchids and the rest I kept in a safe place.

Look at the picture, don't you think they look cute?

A month later, I needed the rest of the bumble bees; unfortunately, I could not find them. They have gone, vanished. We looked for them everywhere but no result. I remember vividly where I kept them, I could see with my own eyes as they were in the computer room. But when I opened the bag, they were not the bumble bees but something else. Since then we have been looking for them, even today. The morning greeting becomes, 'looking for bumblebees", yes before doing other things that what I do, looking for the bumblebees. Rayner said this is so ridiculous that such a big bag simply vanished to thin air. I remember the story about the 'lid of a worm farm'. The loss of the heavy lid of this worm farm could not be explained said, Roland. It could not be blown by the wind, and they looked for it everywhere, and they could not find it. He said jokingly it may be stolen by people from other planet-extraterrestrials, but I don't believe in such a thing.

Now the bumble bees, No, I could not find them in the house, but we did find them at KMart. We got seven to take home. The yellow potted orchid needs more than three bumble bees.

An excellent story to tell I thought, does it ever happen to you, losing things without any trace. Often I think that I have to let it go, but the thought of finding them is still there. Any time I remember, I start to look . . ..

Yes, I do have the new bumblebees, but the thought about the others still echoing in my mind. Would you believe the plastic bumble bees almost drive one crazy?

THREE for healthy cooking. We don't need a lot of ingredients to have a delicious meal, sometimes the most straightforward cooking technique gives the best result and flavour. What I did with salmon fillets were simply pan fry about 3 minutes as we like it nicely done but not overcooked, and spices were only mixed fresh herbs. It's garnished with couscous, add the cooked herbs also fresh herbs and seasoned very lightly with salt.

Serve hot for easy and enjoyable eating as a sauce was not there, but the crispy skin enhanced the flavour.

The best size to serve salmon is 130 to 140 gram per person, small and sufficient for healthy eating.

It is an excellent treat in terms of cooking because it takes only less than ten minutes altogether.

THREE for a treat. On a day that we might want to have a treat, something small, but sweet to go with our coffee. This delicate cake has three layers, it is a coffee cake square with coffee icing and meringue.