Garden time post! But first, I must get to the very important thing of breakfast. It is the start of my weekend, although I had to work job #2 for about an hour. No biggie. Today was a rest day before the race on Saturday, so I was kind of lazy this morning. It was much cooler and drizzly as well, so I had a hankering for pumpkin.
This is pumpkin custard cream of wheat topped with pecans and some cream cheese with powdered sugar mixed up (yes, we can call that cream cheese frosting 😳 ). My trick when I want something really decadent on top is to have the cream of wheat instead of oats. That saves me 50 calories, so the topping can be more indulgent and I still stay within my preferred calorie range for breakfast.
Ate on the porch with some coffee! This was soooo good. I then browsed catalogs online and ordered some fall bulbs. I need to double check where all my others are planted. Good thing I take a lot of pictures of my garden.
Speaking of – here is what is really the crowning jewel of the garden. My butterfly bush.
This is 5 feet tall. I would have taken a picture of me standing by it if I wasn’t in my jammies and unshowered. I was so afraid this one got killed by frost because it had started leafing out really early with the warm spring and then the hard freeze, but it survived. It normally is more arch shaped, but I think the frost kill made it grow a little different this year.
The butterflies just love this plant. These flower cones are about 8 inches long and smell like honey.
The globe thistle also started blooming. Actually a bit late on the photo of this one. I’ll try another one this week on the other blooms.
My first successful attempt at this plant. 2 other times they never grew for me.
Another potted geranium and allysum:
The purple trillium (??) keeps blooming, too. This one wandered into my garden bed, and I think I will take it out.
One thing I like about perennials is that they come into their own all summer and fall, so there is always something new. I still have plants that won’t bloom for another month or so!
I cleared out all the volunteer black-eyes Susan’s on the left side of the path, so you can actually walk through it now. Hopefully the other plants will get sun and get bigger on that side.
Lunch time! I made more tuna/hummus on toast for lunch. I almost tried the tuna and cottage cheese, but I just couldn’t make myself do it LOL!
Delicious plum on the side. Plums are awesome right now!
I had to go out and run errands, including picking up food for Pixie (and some hairball stuff….). There was the sweetest dog at the pet supply shop today. Meet Buddy:
Is that the cutest face or what?? He only has 3 legs and is their mascot. So sweet.
I then convinced John to play hooky for a while and go out for a treat. We are buying his birthday cake from Baker’s Dream in a couple of weeks, so we went to go see what flavors they had to choose from, and had to have a little treat to go with! I had a vanilla cupcake. Perfect size.
Plus some coffee. I actually brought a jar of 1% milk with me to add to it, as Baker’s Dream only has half and half, which I just don’t like in my coffee. It coats my mouth or something, but I just don’t like it. I am not above bringing things I want when going out to eat.
It poured all afternoon. Good thing it was a rest day for me and I wasn’t planning on a bike ride or anything….
Dinner time:
Chicken curry salad – minus the bed of lettuce. It was cold enough today that a salad was unappealing to me.
The blog was down for a bit this evening. I have to say that I actually like my webhost. I use justhost.com and they knew about the problem and got back to me right away about how they were working on it. Customer service really goes a long way to stand out in a crowded arena.
I had a few extra things to eat today, some blueberries and one of these:
I’ve been very hungry, which seems to happen on my rest days. I don’t mind a few extra carbs for tomorrow’s race. Going to bed early tonight as the race starts at 8 am, and it is 15 miles away!
Question: Do you ever bring your own food out to an eatery?
When my boys were little, I brought food for them to a restaurant, but no, I haven’t done that for me.
Good luck on your race tomorrow!!! Let there be a wind at your back (the whole time.) 🙂
.-= Kim Zepp´s last blog ..Caesar Creek Olympic Triathlon – Race Report – July 11- 2010 =-.
Like Kim, I’d sometimes bring the kids finger food when they were toddlers. I think I went through a phase when I brought vinegar along to use on my salad instead of salad dressing, but I stopped, since most places will bring vinegar if you ask, and I now like regular salad dressings.
Love your garden! I think the black-eyed susans are especially pretty.
Good luck on your race tomorrow! 🙂
.-= Pubsgal´s last blog ..Weekly Update- 7-21-10 =-.
Wow! That pink buddelia is beautiful! I can only find purple butterfly bushes in my garden center. I keep telling myself the last two years i’m just gonna have to venture out to the nurseries and stuff cause where i work just doesn’t carry the things i want and i’m tired of waiting.
I also love the combo of the alyssum and geranium. Have you ever tried an ivy leaf geranium? I bought one for the first time this year and i’m so happy with it. I have to take a pic and show you.
I’ll tell you the 5+ inches of rain we had two weeks ago have really brought out the pests.I had to spray my Tx purple sage for web worms for the firt time. Theres fritillery butterfly catipillars on my passion vine but i don’t mind sharing as long as they don’t go crazy.
I don’t like half and half either. I use 1% but i’ve never carried any with me. Its a thought. Best wishes on your race tomorrow. I know you’ll do great. Just be mindful of your leg. Not obsessed just mindful…. 🙂 I jumped down out of a pick up bed at work today and had a twinge in my left hammie. Its happened once before. Just a friendly reminder that this old lady needs to stretch more. 🙂 Let us know how you do. deb
Love your flower pix. My butterfly bush died from a particularly harsh summer. I’ll have to plant another–I’d forgotten how fun they are. I think your purple flower is a spiderwort, maybe Blue Denim. I have to get some good dates–that just looks too decadent. I couldn’t resist them in the house, but I think I saw some of the fancy ones at Whole Foods in a bulk container where I can buy them by the pound. I wonder what they’ll say when I present my plastic bag with just two dates in it?? Is that nut butter in your date?
.-= Tish´s last blog ..The Next Step =-.
You know, yesterday was my rest day, and I was super hungry. Maybe that was the tie=in. Normally, the exercise is acting as a partial appetite suppressant?
I’ve taken my own ingredients in the past, but not so much anymore. I’ve kind of weeded out the places that don’t do things like I think they should be done. LOL
Love that butterfly bush! I think the pink ones are my favorite color.
.-= Cammy@TippyToeDiet´s last blog ..I Wouldn’t Really Eat a Horse =-.
Lucky you and it being cool where you are. It is so humid here that there was this crazy mist rising off the roads tonight.
I have brought my own food to restaurants, non-fat sour cream, salad dressing and my own tea.
Love the flowers…especially the butterfly bush.
Good luck tomorrow!
.-= Kimberley´s last blog ..Vacation!!! =-.
I LOVE the butterfly bush. I wish I could get one to grow. Maybe I’ll try one more time.
Mmmmm. Cream cheese frosting. Need that for my TVP carrot cake!
And you know I love the smushy faced doggie.
Good luck on your race tomorrow!
.-= debby´s last blog ..IE Brain Swirl =-.
Love your garden! Not sure where you are, but am envious of your cooler temps and rain. We desperately need BOTH!!
Yes,I’ve taken my own food plenty of times. I take salad dressings a lot. I have also taken my entire meal. Wouldn’t do that in a nicer restaurant, but at a casual dining place, why not? It’s easier for me NOT to have to make choices from a menu or menu board, but not fair to deprive my husband of eating out when he wants. We always tip as if we were both eating. I’ve never been made to feel uncomfortable by servers. They are always very accommodating.
I really enjoy your blog. Thanks for the time you spend on it.
.-= Sharon´s last blog ..Do It While Youre Young! =-.
I bet you smile when you see your flowers every morning 🙂
I smiled when I saw Buddy.
I do take my chicken when i’m prepping for a show and want to make sure my meal is clean. I’m hoping their lettuce is just lettuce 😉
.-= April´s last blog ..Did you know =-.
I don’t know why but I love geraniums. They make me happy. Easy to care for and they bloom constantly. I have 4 or 5.
Good luck this morning!
I have brought my own food. I tend to bring syrup. I use pure maple and very few places have it. Or powdered sugar. I love french toast with fruit and powdered sugar.
What a lovely garden you have! And I hope your race is going great this morning.
I haven’t brought my own food to a sit-down place, but I bring my own snacks to more informal cafes all the time. I order a drink and then eat my own food, though I do tend to try to eat it a little covertly.
.-= Desert Agave´s last blog ..A Pop Weigh-In =-.
Hope the race went okay!! And I hope it’s not already stinkin hot there :\
Just the other day I brought an apple from home to a wrap place to have along with my wrap. I’ve also been known to bring my own cans of tuna to Subway and add them to veggie subs 😉
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Fitness Friday – Love Handles =-.
You have a beautiful garden Lori!
I never brought my own food to restaurants, what’s the point otherwise of going out for dinner 🙂
I bring food out with me all the time! 🙂
Just love your garden pics.. beautiful!!! And that dog.. cutie! OK, I want that cupcake too!!! Any spice flavors at that place?? 😉
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Saturday Fun Thought! =-.
What are the pretty pink flowers? I’d love to plant something like that!
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..Beer- It’s What’s for Dinner =-.
That’s the closeup of the butterfly bush. Also called buddelia and they come in different sizes.