Photo diary: week 24, 366

Another busy week, with all sorts of appointments for me, including a medical one, which resulted in yet another referral. I felt quite tired this week and totally lacking enthusiasm regarding taking photos, hence most of the images for this week are of food or the garden. On Sunday I made a quick watermelon, feta and cucumber with mint salad. It was light and refreshing.

Little daisies by the path are enhanced by the tiny red wild strawberries. They really shouldn't be growing where they are, but I have no heart in weeding them out, they look so pretty.

The dog rose in the garden is covered with delicate blooms.

On Wednesday I baked a batch of oat walnut cookies, and they were lovely with a cup of tea. Half an hour after taking this photo, it was pouring so much, both Eddie and I were drenched on the way home.

I enjoy taking part in an Instagram daily challenge called #scrumptiouskitchen, though I'm not doing it regularly. Thursday's topic was Wooden, so I snapped a carved wooden chest with a lion and a troika-shaped wooden salter, both of which were made in Russia. They are modern makes, but copy the traditional folk art.

I cannot resist new chocolate flavours, and found two new Vanini chocolate bars in Waitrose yesterday. Lemon and pink pepper milk chocolate turned to be just OK, not too bad, but nothing special, won't be buying it again. While the boys were at school, I was trying to finish reading Empress Orchid.

Inspired by Empress Orchid, I cooked a plain Chineses noodle soup today, with chicken stock, ginger, sesame oil, spring onions, soy sauce and noodles. It was very nice.