I am linking this in to the monthly In My Kitchen round up, currently hosted by Lizzy of Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things.
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| Spring flowers - visible from my kitchen |
Happy autumn to my Australian readers. We have a few weeks until spring officially starts in the UK, but it is starting to feel spring-like as the days grow longer and spring flowers start to appear. Indeed, some are visible from my kitchen, thanks to the bulbs I planted last year starting to sprout.
My kitchen has flowers inside it too. Indeed, it has been a good month for them. Mr Bite gave me a Valentine's Day bouquet that is still blooming, pictured below with some veganised chocolate muffins that I made for him for the day.
Additionally, one of my old Australian students sent a bunch of flowers to say thank you for supervising her PhD. This is the first PhD student I've supervised who has reached the end of her thesis (not, I should add, due to drop outs but just due to time!) so it was an exciting milestone for me as well as her.
Moving to edible items, my kitchen has seen a frozen tropical fruit mix. With pineapple, mango and papaya never really in season here it was nice to get the flavours in frozen form, and the cold fruit was soothing on my sore throat last week. I ate it straight from the freezer on top of soggy weetabix (each to their own!).
I made a return trip to our new M&S foodhall and picked up this vegan addition to their salad range. Featuring edamame beans, edamame falafel bites, black rice, pickled beetroot and a soy and chilli cashew nut dip, it was nice but probably not worth the £3.99 take-away price.
I have been on a turmeric kick lately and so my kitchen has also seen turmeric flavoured products. This bowl of couscous with butter beans and kale was an example and provided a quick and easy lunch over several days.
It wouldn't be right to have an IMK post without chocolate (!) so I am pleased to picture this Waitrose Indian Ocean dark chocolate with coconut. Despite my love of very dark chocolates I am partial to lighter dairy free options too. I have been keen to try this one since I saw it reviewed last year, and with Waitrose having 25% off their chocolate range this week, I seized the opportunity to do so now.
Despite being marketed as dark chocolate, to me this tasted closer to milk than dark and the tones were sweet and mellow. The coconut component reminded me of a Golden Rough and took me back to the occasional Australian childhood experience of eating them. All in all, I liked it very much and may buy another block before the special runs out!
What is happening in your kitchen this month?
How lovely to see fresh flowers inside and outside your home, so surprised to see a bouquet from Valentines still blooming, that is is wonderful. Apparently today is the meteorological start to spring in the uk, but I am with you we still have a few weeks to go - still half expecting snow here.
ReplyDeleteI've seen that M&S salad and agree with you too that its not worth 3.99, though it does look very appealing. I do like turmeric as I have grown up eating and drinking it. And yes a bar of dark choc...I am still going through the Christmas stock and it may even be the end of spring before we finish them all. Kari, always nice to have a peek in your kitchen space.
I get confused with which is the official start to spring (and autumn) here - I guess the two dates allow people to pick what season they want to be in while the overlap occurs :-) You are certainly in winter if you have snow!!
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Loving those flowers in pots, the first sign of spring! We'll be in the UK from mid May onwards for a month, so I'm feeling joyful to know that the warmer weather is coming your way. So many other pretty flowers, too, Kari. I enjoy seeing flowers in my kitchen as well. Thank you for the very kind shout out, and happy March to you xx
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Lizzy and I hope you have a wonderful trip over this way when the time comes!
DeleteAny chocolate that brings golden rough to mind sounds delicious to me - I love golden roughs though have them very rarely. The flowers look lovely - hard to believe around this time last year we were in the UK admiring all the spring flowers. Glad to get a peek at yours this year. And hope your throat feels better.
ReplyDeleteThank you Johanna :-) It is hard to believe a year has passed since your visit - it feels longer but then a lot has happened in the 12 months.
DeleteSeeing the first bulbs flower is always lovely isn't it after a long winter. I'm not too sure about your frozen fruit with Weetabix - but each to their own as you say :) !!
ReplyDeleteI suspect you won't be the only one to express uncertainty over that mix ;)
DeleteYour lovely flowers must really brighten things up in your kitchen. Isn't turmeric just the bomb? I take it every day now to help with a painful knee.
ReplyDeleteIt's a magic ingredient, isn't it! I hope it helps with your knee.
DeleteKari, your lovely bouquets brightened my day and thankfully yours. Hope you're feeling better! Do what you need to do for YOU, including consuming soggy Weetabix. :) Loved your snazzy colorful "snail planter", your recent blooms, and your turmeric infused salad.... and chocolate! Take care, xo.
ReplyDeleteHaha, thanks Kim!
DeleteI loved your bouquets and potted spring flowers, hope they helped you feel better. Your own couscous with butter beans and kale looks much superior to the M&S bowl.
ReplyDeleteCheaper, too :-) Thanks Liz.
DeleteLook at all of those fun things in & out of your kitchen. The flowers are all so beautiful. That was so incredibly sweet of your student to send you that gorgeous bouquet as thanks.
ReplyDeleteThat salad looks so good! I wish I had a grocery store near me that sold fun packaged salads like that.
I'm also on a turmeric kick, although it seems to come up mainly in smoothie form.
And ahhhh chocolate =)
It was so kind of the student - such a nice touch!
DeleteI need to try turmeric in a smoothie as I am yet to do so :P
I love that snail plant holder. So cute. Dark chocolate is the best. Yep I have good memories of coconut roughs too. Love the flowers.
ReplyDeleteCoconut roughs are a classic, I think :-)
DeleteKari that chocolate sounds amazing! So it's dairy free? I'm not sure if we have anything like that here in Australia but I'll be keeping my eyes open for some. I'm not dairy intolerant but I like trying new chocolates :) Love spring time with all the blooms coming out & you're flowers are very colourful x
ReplyDeletehttps://missfoodfairy.com/2017/03/10/in-my-kitchen-march-2017/