Leela's Garden & Kitchen

 The other day we noticed that we are finally getting some broccoli! They are still small, but hopefully they will keep growing. We still are not getting any cabbage or cauliflower but we are using the leaves in omelets. Baby broccoli! We have started planting more. We sprouted some menthulu (fenugreek) and are excited to use it in curries and chapatis (bread). We are planning to plant more every few weeks to have a continuous supply.  Menthulu We have also planted some seeds for spinach, carrots, and round squash. Some spinach seedlings have already come up! Baby spinach! Sushma and I have also been busy cooking. Today we had fresh idli with sambar for lunch and made almond barfi sweet. Almond barfi 

 Today, Shilpa found some unexpected carrots in the garden! It was a really nice surprise, and they taste really good. We bought some biodegradable cups online to grow seedlings and are planning for the Spring. But other than that, not too much to report in the garden. Surprise carrots! They taste great! Like I mentioned last time, Sushma is at home with me more now, and we are doing lots of cooking. I always loved to cook, so I'm really happy that I can keep cooking even though I have limited mobility. We prepare all the ingredients before starting, and I can add them each to the Instant Pot right from my chair.  Today, we made mamidikaya pappu (green mango and dal curry)!  All the ingredients, prepped and ready to go! At my cooking station Final product!  

  As I mentioned in my last post, Shilpa planted several winter veggies and greens, including kale, cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli. So far, we have not seen much from the vegetables, which is disappointing. They do have lots of leaves, and we have been picking the leaves to use in curries and in omelets.  Cabbage Broccoli Kale On a side note, I hope that everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday season. We had very nice time at home. Shilpa decided that we needed a real Christmas tree, and it smells great! My younger daughter, Sushma, has decided to take this year off from school and stay home with me during the day. I'm excited for all the cooking and baking that we'll do. This blog might start to include some kitchen posts as well! Our first real Christmas tree! Vegan pumpkin pie - tastes so good!