PICTURES

Beautiful Flowers, Natures.
The joy of Spring is here, today is a lovely sunny day, it may be too warm for the blossoms and new flowers. In my garden, there are pretty flowers in every nooks and corner, talking about the generosity of nature, this is it.  For a long time, the garden has been neglected for various reasons, but we are forgiven. Everything is growing beautifully, at a glance it looks magnificent, even the weeds are everywhere with the lush leaves some are creeping up to the hedges proudly, what we have to think is let them be giving the extra green for coolness.  Calm and peace is the outcome that way, we appreciate the beauty of nature.

Spring In The Garden.

The Backyard at Dusk and in the Morning.

At Dusk

In the Morning

The Front Garden is Looking Good.
The banksia rose starts to flower, and the Japanese maple is springing and showing off the red colour.

The Twin Yellow Banksia Roses

Red Japanese Maple

Thinking of other gardens in the other part of the world is nostalgic.  It brings the memory back from our visit.  We are blessed to be able to see places now and then.  Snapshots from the Netherlands and Spain.

The Netherlands

Keukenhof with Its Tulips and flowers.

A Taste of Spain
Visit the Prada Museum with the formal garden etc.

It is precious to have experience seeing places, the memories, that will be with us absolutely is treasured.

The Chinese trip this year was cancelled. It could have been good to see the beautiful ancient place and the gardens and to learn about the culture.  No regret, it is always next time.

Apple Blossom

The Blossoms don't last long, especially with the strong wind, cut a few to place inside the house, that reminder of the springtime.

Back to our garden, every corners and nook giving so much pleasure with these pretty flowers, amazing!.  It's full of surprises, 

The ground covers faithfully hidden the weeds entirely.

Nature teaches us to be kind and caring, look at here, the aphids are sitting on the new leaves of these roses, what annoying-nuisance.  No, it is not, it tells you to care for the plants, get rid of the aphids and it will be alright. Agreeable?
It is easy enough before it gets worst, simply hoses it down with water.  Check the next day, and do it again to make sure.

Pretty sites in the backyard with beautiful blending colours of plants and flowers.

 
Pictures always look better than reality.
Pleased and Proud of the gardener, love sharing the beauty with everyone, with you all!

Happy Spring Garden.

More Posts
Thank You for Visiting.
Susy

Coconut Milk.

What is Coconut Milk?
Coconut milk is liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts, and the colour is similar to cows milk, which is an opaque, milky-white.

Using Coconut Milk.
- Cooking Rice
- Cooking Curry
- Cooking Sweets
Use the fresh coconut for the cooking if you wish too, but the tin coconut milk is readily available at the markets, and I am happy enough with it.  Dried coconut powder is as good; also, it is easy to store.


Cooking, using coconut milk-based on Javanese Cooking.

Savoury Fragrant Rice.
(Nansi Gurih)
1 cup long-grain rice
1 cup of water
1 cup of coconut milk.
Fragrant Herbs
Kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass
1 teaspoon salt
Method
In a heavy-based pot, place  the rice and the water
Cook over medium heat, until the water, is almost absorbed.
Add in the coconut milk, stir together thoroughly, and continue cooking until the liquid is absorbed.
Place the lid on, reduce the heat to a lower setting, and cook for ten minutes more.
Open the lid, fluff the rice, transfer to a serving bowl.

The companion of this rice is meat, egg, vegetables, hot sambal and krupuk.

There are lots of different curries.  But here it is my cooking curry Javanese Style-Sambal Goreng Mini beef balls.

Sambal Goreng Mini Meatballs.
Susy’s Way

Ingredients.
Mini-Meatballs
500 g minced beef and one egg (optional)

Mini - Meatballs with the broth

One teaspoon salt crushed clove of garlic, ground white pepper (little)
Mix them together, and keep on mixing until the meat mixture becomes sticky and slightly firm.  Now you can make small mini meatballs (the size of an olive)
Poach these mini meatballs in stock or salted water (very little water) until cooked-hold the shape.  Keep aside together with the broth.

The Herb and Spices for the Sauce.
2 Red chilli (as much as you like)
1 Red onion or 5 shallots
5 Clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste (for extra red colour)
(blend/crush the ingredients to make a rough paste)

Daun salam (Indonesian bay leaf) 2 leaves.
Galangal- a sliced as big as walnut- crush a little to flatten out.

Petai-fragrant bean (Indonesian)
1 large red capsicum, sliced thinly.
2 cups sliced beans or sugar peas
Vegetable oil
1 tin coconut milk – 400mill approx
1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)

Sambal Goreng Beef Balls

Fried shallot flake to garnish.
Method
Saute the rough paste in oil until fragrant.  Add in the Daun salam, galangal.
Add in half of the coconut milk, cook to simmer
Put in the poached mini meatballs, also stir in the broth.
Continue cooking until it bubbling away.  Add in the Petai, the sliced beans and the sliced red capsicum.  Stir together, cook away for a little longer.
Now, add in the rest of the coconut milk, cook over lower heat, let it simmer and bubbling gently - blub, blub, blub.  Not too loud, to keep the coconut milk stays creamy.  Add in the fish sauce at the last minute.
Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnished with fried shallot.

The sambal Goreng should be reddish looking and creamy. The meat and vegetable cooked beautifully in the coconut milk with hot spices and herbs.

Serve with steamed white rice, garnish with krupuk udang (prawn cracker)

Variation: Sambal Goreng Ikan (Fish)
Delicious Sambal Goreng Fish for Dinner.  One of the varieties of sambal goreng.  You need an extra ingredient for it, small fresh ginger to be added-shredded or crushed.

And here are the pictures of cooking it.
Barramundi in the hot spicy sauce.

Simply add the fresh diced fish in the hot spicy coconut milk sauce, until it's cooked.  You do not need to cook the fish before adding to the sauce.

Serving and Tasting

Cooking Sweets with coconut milk.

Poached banana in coconut milk
A cup of sliced lady's finger bananas
1/2 cup brown sugar or grated coconut sugar
1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, and Daun pandan
1/2 cup coconut milk
Place the coconut milk, sugar and the spices, cook over low heat, bring to simmer
Put in the banana, and continue cooking for five minutes into the gentle simmer
Transfer in a small bowl to serve.  To refresh, drop some fresh coconut milk before eating.

Wajik Nongko-Sweet Steamed Rice Cake with Jackfruit.




To Be Continued

Susy

Beautiful!

There is the time that we could not do lots of outdoors activities, but nothing will stop us from enjoying the beauty around us. Visiting gardens, seeing beautiful plants and flowers is one of the Dos during the spring season.  It is good to settle for less, in the backyard is not much happening just yet, the blossoms are coming slowly, it is somewhat behind compared to the last year.  However, beautiful flowers are always with us, from potted orchids, flowering herbs to the ground cover etc.  In fact, not a long time ago, I almost brought the garden to the house, saving the feet to walk back and forth in and out of the yard.  Feeling Very Blessed.

Here, They are the Beautiful Flowers.

 

Healthy Herbs, Beautiful Blue Borage, and Soft Spinach.

Beautiful Wisteria and Pretty Pink Phalaenopsis

 Little did I know, that wisteria flower is pretty in a vase, how long does it last, I have no idea.

 Gorgeous Green and Beyond

Too ambitious to bring the garden to the inside the house, but to compromise, merely looking out from the window.

The daffodil is glowing among the wild weeds.

Beautiful Flowers, Bright Colours.  From Pretty Pink to Gorgeous Green.  These are the gifts that we could not ignore.  With eyes closed, we can see clearly even the white and purple ground cover.  We shall Celebrate.  The soft colours take place, but the bold and the beautiful cheers up with encouragement.

It is agreeable that bright colours bring so much joy and enthusiasm.  How about bright colour in food.  It is warm and appetising. We eat daily, one has to cook, right!  Here, they are the bright and beautiful food that nourishes us.  Yes, cooking is fun, every day is never a dull moment.  Pampering oneself is alright-tea for one.

 Ode to Fish
Nori, rice and smoked salmon, Barramundi-a gorgeous golden colour

Tea for One

Golden Baked Fruit Sponge, one of the family favourites.

 Baked Parsnip, Potato, look rustic and colourful. Cup Cakes-the Tiny Tipsy Cake for a Treat.  Look fantastic with the vibrant colour

Lots of Colours.  Beautiful!



Until Next Post
Susy