Reminiscing

Right now I am reminiscing our Apple and Cherry picking with friends. I just realized that I loved cherries very much and for the fact that I can climb this tree two weeks ago I bought two cherry trees. Yup I am so determine to have cherry trees right in my own backyard. For the apple tree we have what they call crab apples but I will soon plant my own apple tree and the variety should be red delicious like the apple below ,red and juicy. Here are the photos of my cherries and apples.

                                    Linking to Green Monday and Ruby Red Tuesday
           

We don't know what we missed

Philippines is considered a tropical country and there are many indoor and outdoor plants there that I am familiar with because my mother love indoor plants. Since we lived in the city we can only put plants indoor and or hang the plants or just place it in the veranda. Later did I know that I know more of these plants when I get here in the USA. It is because it is expensive and it is an air purifier too. I never know that when I was in the Philippines, lol! Hubby and I were at this garden and they had a place inside the building that they planted all kinds of tropical plants. I so wished that I would have them all but for now I have at least five of plants that purify the air. Winter is fast approaching and everything is close in order for not the cold breeze of air come in the house. That is why we need to have a natural air purifier and we can only get it from plants.

My mother had this plant like forever. Even at my grandparents house they make this as a fence ^_^ We call it espada or sword, and there is even a story attached to this plant. It says that if you have this plant all the enkanto/ or enchanter won't go near you. ^_^ That is what I hear when I was young lol!

The ferns and other tropical plants which my mom used to plant.

This plant on the right side we call it San Franciso, and on the left hand corner we call it palm plants which I have it here in the house now. What about you do you put plants inside your house?

                                                                             GREEN MONDAY

Green Leafy Vegetables

The first time I arrived here in the US it doesn't take long I did missed all the vegetables in the Philippines. I missed the Malungay, patola and many vegetables there that I couldn't find here in the US. Thankfully, in some Oriental store they do sell some but it takes me to drive at least 45 minutes just to buy Malungay or Kangkong. This past few weeks I have a good time going to the Farmers Market since I find some of the vegetables there. This one box okra is $2.00 ^_^ next time I will visit farmers market I am going to buy more of this so I could make a pickled okra. ^_^

                                                               GREEN MONDAY

Market Colors

                                                Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday is our Farmers Market day.
                             I love going to Farmers Market the colors of the vegetables and flowers makes me
                                    happy and I have a good time taking photos of it too.

                                                     

1.  Cauliflower $1
2.   Red Potatoes $2/box
3.   Bell Pepper 3 for $1
4.   Eggplant $2
5.   Broccoli $ 1                                                                  

                                                                    I love the colors

                                    Then I saw this cute little centerpiece. I love to bring this home!

                                                          And there are the green leafy vegetables. Remember to have a good        healthy body eat lots of green leafy vegetables, but I am guilty of that I don't I mean not much. ^_^

                                                       Ruby Red Tuesday, Behind the Camera, Green Monday

Bitter melon/Ampalaya

This is bitter melon or ampalaya in the Philippines. The taste of this vegetable is bitter but I remember my mom used to cook this and the bitterness just disappeared. One time I asked her how she do it and she told me that she squeezed salt with it then wash. And in cooking, after sauteing the garlic, onion  and tomato put the chopped bitter gourd then just stir ONCE. Do not cover because the water that we allow to evaporate will come back that would cause bitter again. Then my mom scrambled one or two eggs then mixed it with the bitter gourd.
Oh my that is so yummy and it is only her cooking like this that I like to eat. Now I missed my mom and her cooking -sniff-

Here are some information about Bitter Melon

This herbaceous, tendril-bearing vine grows to 5 meters. It bears simple, alternate leaves 4–12 cm across, with 3–7 deeply separated lobes. Each plant bears separate yellow male and female flowers. In the Northern Hemisphere, flowering occurs during June to July and fruiting during September to November.

The fruit has a distinct warty exterior and an oblong shape. It is hollow in cross-section, with a relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed cavity filled with large flat seeds and pith. The fruit is most often eaten green, or as it is beginning to turn yellow. At this stage, the fruit's flesh is crunchy and watery in texture, similar to cucumber, chayote or green bell pepper, but bitter. The skin is tender and edible. Seeds and pith appear white in unripe fruits; they are not intensely bitter and can be removed before cooking.

As the fruit ripens, the flesh becomes tougher, more bitter, and too distasteful to eat. On the other hand, the pith becomes sweet and intensely red; it can be eaten uncooked in this state, and is a popular ingredient in some southeast Asian salads.

When the fruit is fully ripe it turns orange and mushy, and splits into segments which curl back dramatically to expose seeds covered in bright red pulp.

[edit]Varieties

Bitter melon comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The China phenotype is 20–30 cm long, oblong with bluntly tapering ends and pale green in color, with a gently undulating, warty surface. The bitter melon more typical of India has a narrower shape with pointed ends, and a surface covered with jagged, triangular "teeth" and ridges. It is green to white in color. Between these two extremes are any number of intermediate forms. Some bear miniature fruit of only 6–10 cm in length, which may be served individually as stuffed vegetables. These miniature fruit are popular in India and elsewhere inSoutheast Asia.

And more information here (source) WIKIPEDIA

                                                        GREEN MONDAY

Sweet potato tops

This is sweet potato. Here in the US they plant this together with other plants in a huge pot because it has a nice yellowish color it blends well with other plants. But in the Philippines we don't usually put it in a pot for decoration because  the top of this sweet potato plant we use it for salad. I always remember my mother used to bring this from school and she make a good salad from this. She blanch the top leaves with hot water, then she prepare vinegar, salt, tomatoes and onions then mixed it to the sweet potato leaves. 

                               The sign that spring is here. This buds is from forsythia bush.

                                             Linking this post to GREEN MONDAY