Sunday, June 25, 2017

Peas! Tomato and Bread Salad with Chicken Bites


I was so focused on pruning and caging my tomato jungle the other day that I completely missed the fact that I have peas! I pulled the two containers of garden peas out of tomato land to cage them better and only noticed after that there were pods (top right of the plant)...I don't even know if they are ready to be picked yet, I have to look into that. I planted these indoors at the end of April, so I guess the timing is right! Another first time crop for me! :) Alex loves these, I'm not too big on them, but he'll eat them right out of the pod, I wonder how many I'll get?


Alex always picks me wildflowers. He knows it makes me giggly happy, I find it very romantic. Here is a sampling of the flowers we have growing all over the property. The flowers I planted at the beginning of the month are just now starting to push out of the earth so it's nice that someone took the time previously to plant all of these beautifully colourful flowers. It's still raining and thundering out tonight, which is okay because it's the weekend and as my friends know, I love it when it rains on the weekend because it keeps the loud people away! :) 


The fireworks drove our husky Marlene into panic last night...I do worry about her heart rate, it's nerve-racking to see her so physically shaken. I'm ordering the Thundershirt for her tonight, the reviews are good, some of my Blogger friends have had good results...and if I buy through Amazon, I can return it if it's not effective. Win win. I can't bear to see her suffer and thunderstorm season has just begun...I know what panic feels like personally and the thought of anyone or any pet that I love dearly going through that just breaks my heart. To our surprise, Oscar the rescue cat showed us last night that he is also terrified of fireworks! He ran under the bed and wouldn't come out until after midnight...at least thunder doesn't bother him so it's only once a year that he has to go through this...how do we comfort these poor little creatures?


Anyway, we can only do our best right? :)

Last night I made my version of a Tomato and Bread Salad with Chicken Bites. It is very similar to the recipe in my Salad cookbook, but I changed and added stuff. It was really delicious and despite the fried chicken bites and bacon, it was a light meal!

Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warm so I'm hoping to spend most of the day on my cozy porch either reading or painting a watercolour...which I haven't done in ages! Hope everyone has a good week ahead! :)

24 comments:

  1. I don't what's better, the beautiful flowers, the adorable furries, or the fabulous food!!!

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  2. Yes, pick the peas! Eat them pod and all. Eat them raw, stir fry them, cut them up in salads. We've been eating lots of peas here for over a week now. They come on so quick don't they?

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  3. awwww....your poor pets. thankfully fireworks don't bother teddy one bit. it's a good thing since we have them here all summer long. i'm getting snap peas now too. your flowers are beautiful!

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  4. A few of our dogs have needed thundershirts, and they worked for both. One still uses one. We are picking peas daily here lately. Enjoy them. Snap peas are wonderful cooked in butter with onion or shallot. Yum.

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  5. My dog, Bernie, used to fall to pieces at any loud noise. I would just open my bedroom door and let her scootch under the bed. As she got older and less limber, I had to put the bed on blocks! It is so hard to comfort them. One of my cats used to hide in the shower during thunderstorms or fireworks. Your peas are beautiful! I continue to be amazed at how much you produce!

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  6. Fresh peas out of the garden have to be one of the best things about summer!

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  7. We have a Thundershirt for our Tucker's incredibly excessive car sickness. It helped to a certain degree but I do hope it helps for Marlene. Tucker's issue clearly is a different "thing" so I am hoping this will calm her down so she can settle enough with the noises. So hard to watch a pet get so nervous.

    I need to get out into my gardens to see what's going on. If it would only stop raining long enough. Tonight will be the night, no rain and sunny skies! I may have peas too!

    That salad looks delicious and lovely, lovely flowers! I can't have flowers anywhere in the house, the cats eat them....and then they throw them up. Ugh.

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  8. The only way I like to eat peas is raw and fresh out of the pea pod.

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  9. Mmmm...delicious. peas right out of the garden ... yummmm
    Poor Marlene ... I hope you will find a away to comfort her.

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  10. I love eating fresh peas! We have the same problem with Coco with fireworks and thunder. She shakes and likes to be near my husband or me. So nice to have Alex bring you wild flowers. Nancy

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  11. Thanks 1st Man! :) I think it's a three-way tie. :)

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  12. Hi Donna! :) I was really surprised at the peas, I didn't expect them that fast, mind you it's the first time I've planted them. I'm going to harvest them today. Alex will really enjoy them! I might give them a try myself. Bad childhood pea event makes me turn my nose, but I won't get into that! :)

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  13. Hi Joyce! :) Thanks! The wild flowers here are very beautiful, it's one thing I really look forward to each summer. Marlene is so on edge from the other night, any small bang she hears she starts to shake...I'm giving her natural remedies nearly every day now as prevention.

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  14. Hi Kristina! :) I remember you telling me about the Thundershirt, that's one of the reasons why I'm trying it. But it's only getting here after July 3rd so hopefully there won't be too many thunderstorms before then.

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  15. Hi Susan! :) Thank you! I am also amazed at what my plants are producing!!! Honestly, I didn't expect much with the weather we're having. I just wish I had a nice big window in another room to start more plants...I have to work with what I have but I've already hinted to Alex about a big greenhouse (heated? that would be nice!) in my future... :) Marlene jumped into the bathtub the other night too...they really try to find the safest place they can. I hope the Thundershirt helps her.

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  16. Hi Jenn! :) We'll be finding out today! :)

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  17. Hi Dianna! :) Wow, the Thundershirt helps for car sickness too? I haven't even received it yet, but part me of feels like I may have to return it, but I don't want to think too negatively...seeing how she reacts to thunder and loud noises, I wonder if she's just too scared for anything to work...but then I hear great things, so I'm going to keep my hopes up! I did read that if you keep it on them too long it loses effect. We'll have to try it out to see I guess!

    I hope you have peas!!! I have to keep the flowers up on a high shelf where one of our cats, Leo, can't get to them or he snacks on them too!

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  18. Hi Debra! :) I hope I like them, the memories of canned peas from childhood still make me feel queasy.

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  19. Thanks Nik! :) I hope the Thundershirt is the solution!

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  20. Hi Nancy! :) Yeah, Alex does spoil me, I feel pretty lucky. :) Marlene just runs from one floor to the other, jumps around, we try to comfort her but she seems inconsolable...I'll be reporting here on my blog and let everyone know.

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  21. Yay to the peas! When young I bet you can eat the shell too.
    Such pretty flowers.
    I think it is common for animals to become scared during loud noise.

    Thank you for your nice message. Lovely week to you!

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  22. Thanks Tammie Lee! I hope that you have a great week as well! :)

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  23. Aw, I think that's very romantic about the wildflowers!
    Those poor fur babies. It is heartbreaking when they are terrified by something they can't understand and something we can't explain to them!

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  24. Train puppies with a cap gun while they eat. There are other steps, but this is the beginning. This is how guard dogs, military dogs, and hunting dogs are trained. Booms mean food, so it works.

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