Anniversary Meal - Dining In

Today is our 21st Wedding Anniversary and since we went all out last year (20th Anniversary Getaway) its a quiet night at home.  Our celebration extended to a home cooked chicken schnitzel meal after work with our preferred topping.

For Rob, its our version of a chicken parmigiana  - herbed tomato paste, triple smoked ham, melted tasty cheese.

For me a schnitzel sitting on a slice of Jarlsberg cheese and covered in avocado.   I know this looks likes it piled on and it is but I'm the only one who eats avos in this house and i had half on a salad last night and had to have the other half tonight.  

At a restaurant these meals would have cost $18.50 each plus with the glass of ginger ale we imbibed in we would have been lucky to get out of there for $50. The schnitzels cost me $2.50 each from IGA and everything else was from the fridge.

Weekend lunch - more lettuce under potato fritters made from whatever i can find -  potato, onion, bacon, cheese, corn, parsley, egg and flour, salt and pepper.  

We are eating lots of lettuce these day as the garden is full of it.  Its not even summer yet and i think he might already be a bit sick of salads. I go out every other day and bring in a bunch of mixed lettuce along with herbs. Both are washed, spun and placed in a sealed container with a drain rack on the bottom.  I love the fragrance from the dill and the parsley when you open it.  It penetrates the crunchy leaves.

Since we are trying to cut back on bread, i usually add lettuce to a wrap with some kind of protein and vegies for a quick packed lunch for Rob each morning.  This is usually accompanied by a yoghurt, apple, small can of flavoured tuna (yes everyday, plenty of omegas), an oatmeal bar and two bottles of water (from the tap).  I know its old fashioned but i do think its a wife's job to send her husband off with a home packed lunch each day.  A lot of the boys at our factory grab take away each day for morning tea and lunch.  It not only the cost but how can you do a full days of often physical work if you don't have proper nutrition (and they smoke to boot - Yuk!).    

Of course, only one of us knew it was our anniversary today but that's OK (i guess it would be me).   We both work hard and there have been lots of other things going on in the last few weeks, so he is forgiven for forgetting the date.  I'm not a girl who craves reassurance by spending lots of money on gifts so i passed on the offer from one of my friends to remind him so that he would rush out and get me something that i probably dont need.  That seems a bit contrived and greedy.

I feel lucky that we get to go to Bunnings each weekend for a coffee together and  i can buy the odd plant or seedlings while im there.  He regularly provides both tech support and hands on tools for my projects and i feel blessed.  We wont go into the long list of things i do for him or we would be here till next week, but im hoping he feels like he got a good deal as well.

So, what else has been happening around here.

Oh you have got to see this.  Remember our visitor that has come to stay, Stig, Tilly thinks he is real and keeps placing her balls at his feet and barking to get him to throw them.  Poor Tilly, not much action happening there.

I have more metal artwork in the garden.  Rob was given some metal animals to test a plasma cutter he had just repaired. I took them to our metal shop and had spikes put on them and powder coated.

I was hoping this one might scare the real birds away but nope, they ate my zucchini seedlings today.  Arghhhhhh

Sharon - you cannot breed this one and Anne, you cannot eat it!

My potted mandarin is covered in flowers now i just need them pollinated.

Go bees!!!!!  There are lavender plants surrounding this pot.  

This will be my first real crop of blueberries.   Im watering everyday to keep them hydrated.  I think that was my problem last year.  I'll soon have to think about shielding them from the Tilly the veggie eater.  

Baby Tomato Seedlings - these are from the heritage plants i had last season.  

Isn't this flower's colour just divine.   Good contrast with the Lobelia.  

Till next time.  For those of you who have been following my marathon of country weddings this year, i have another one next week.  My nephew Ashley is being married back up home and it will no doubt be as awesome as the last two.  Glenda and I have another girl/sister trip planned so i have one week to dream up some mischief.

Thanks for Visiting Living In The Land of Oz