Joy in the Little Things

[ducks4you]

Pitiful Christmas wrapping in 2022. I even gave DD's their woven baskets (something like this

both in a big cardboard box and wrote the to and from on the outside with a Sharpie. We threw the used paper into the box afterwards to burn.
DH learned to wrap and HIS packages looked better than Mine!
My Christmas ornaments/extras were such a mess I didn't put most of them out last month.
Today, I organized my 12 inch tall x 5 inch deep plastic container (with a locking lid and handle) for gift tags organized. They are almost put away in their spot, but I rolled up ribbons and put them all in a plastic bag that a gift had arrived in, threw away stickie tags that wouldn't stick, folded two pages left from one book of stickie tags so that the 7 tags can still be used. There is a pair of long scissors, an open package of 5 glitter pens and one roll of scotch tape packed away, as well as the 2 packages of fancy cardboard tags with ties, 16/package, 2 packages that I got on clearance, which I try to do after the season every year.
Took me less than 10 minutes.
I hope to reoraganize my Christmas decorations all of this year, 10-15 minutes at a time.
It sparks joy!

 

[Phaedra]

Reading a new book before going to bed

 

[Branching Out]

I find gazing at your carefully chosen images truly relaxing, and I very much look forward to seeing them each day. Thank you for sharing them with us Phaedra.

May I please ask what you like to make with the Adzuki beans? I have a bag of them in my pantry, but have never cooked with them before. The recipe that I was looking at involved coconut cream. Also, have you ever grown Adzuki beans in your garden?

 

[baymule]

I love the egg colors, they make it fun.

 

[Phaedra]

I find gazing at your carefully chosen images truly relaxing, and I very much look forward to seeing them each day. Thank you for sharing them with us Phaedra.

May I please ask what you like to make with the Adzuki beans? I have a bag of them in my pantry, but I have never cooked with them. The recipe that I was looking at involved coconut cream. Also, have you ever grown Adzuki beans in your garden?

Thanks, that's great you like the photos.

I only use Adzuki beans for desserts, so the first step is to cook them until they are soft. And then, I add (half weight of the beans) sugar and let them rest overnight. They will become pretty sweet and easier to preserve. I usually make a large portion but use smaller containers to store them in the freezer.

When I have no time to process them further, I will:
(A) take 2-3 spoons of them, add milk and ice cubes (summer), or heat them together in the microwave (winter)
(B) use the mixer and turn them into something like a smoothie.

When I have time, I can make another dozen things from such prepared beans, such as:
(C) fillings for sweet bread rolls (Anpan) or cakes or steamed buns, or other pastries like Taiyaki
(credit: Internet)

(D) a traditional Chinese sweet for winter time - Eight Treasure Congee. Adzuki bean is one of the eight ingredients.
(E) adzuki bean Matcha ice cream (it's a very flavorful Japanese sweet that can be presented in different ways)
(credit: internet)

(F) filling of sticky rice cake (Mochi)
(credit: internet)

So, Adzuki bean is an essential ingredient that got permanent residency in my pantry. I didn't grow them as the weather here is not that suitable (not warm enough).

I need to buy them from a Japanese store in Paris once a year, as they offer reliable adzuki beans directly from Hokkaido. What we can get here from Germany, bio or non-bio, is all imported from China, which I won't consider.

 

[flowerbug]

...May I please ask what you like to make with the Adzuki beans? I have a bag of them in my pantry, but have never cooked with them before. The recipe that I was looking at involved coconut cream. Also, have you ever grown Adzuki beans in your garden?

aside from @Phaedra 's excellent answer if you are familiar with lentils i find the adzuki beans have a similar texture and flavor to those so they can be used fairly interchangeably.

they will grow here so i think they may do ok where you are at but if you can start them early in deep cells to then transplant out later that will likely help them give a larger crop. i've not done that here. they're reasonably productive enough and mixed with other beans of similar length to harvest times they make a nice alternative, filler or companion crop. so far the thing i've also found that i like about growing them is that the chipmunks don't seem to bother them. perhaps that is just because they've not found them yet but i'm trying to be hopeful here about that.

 

[baymule]

I would have never considered beans as a sweet dessert. Thank you @Phaedra for widening my horizons.

 

[Zeedman]

So, Adzuki bean is an essential ingredient that got permanent residency in my pantry. I didn't grow them as the weather here is not that suitable (not warm enough).

I need to buy them from a Japanese store in Paris once a year, as they offer reliable adzuki beans directly from Hokkaido. What we can get here from Germany, bio or non-bio, is all imported from China, which I won't consider.

You might be surprised. I grow several varieties successfully here in Wisconsin, which I believe has climate quite similar to Germany (probably the reason so many German-descended people live here). I harvested 10 ounces (about 280 grams) of "Takara Early" adzuki beans this year, from 4 large pots. "Takara" is red-seeded & has the shortest DTM. I grow a buff-seeded variety ("Buff") with a slightly longer DTM, but a heavier yield, and it too matures fully in my climate. Either of those should succeed anywhere pole beans can be grown for dry seed. Not sure what the import rules are there @Phaedra , but I'd be happy to send you seed... just send a PM if interested.

Oh, and thank you for the adzuki bean suggestions. I've only seen them used here in the bean cakes, and in a desert "drink" called Halo-halo. I have a large steamer, and hope to try making some of the bean cakes.

 

[Phaedra]

You might be surprised. I grow several varieties successfully here in Wisconsin, which I believe has climate quite similar to Germany (probably the reason so many German-descended people live here). I harvested 10 ounces (about 280 grams) of "Takara Early" adzuki beans this year, from 4 large pots. "Takara" is red-seeded & has the shortest DTM. I grow a buff-seeded variety ("Buff") with a slightly longer DTM, but a heavier yield, and it too matures fully in my climate. Either of those should succeed anywhere pole beans can be grown for dry seed. Not sure what the import rules are there @Phaedra , but I'd be happy to send you seed... just send a PM if interested.

Oh, and thank you for the adzuki bean suggestions. I've only seen them used here in the bean cakes, and in a desert "drink" called Halo-halo. I have a large steamer, and hope to try making some of the bean cakes.

Thanks @Zeedman , I PM you later. I think you are right, I should give it a try, too. May I ask roughly how much space you need for growing them and are they climbing like peas? I am thinking of utilizing the space outside the chicken runs - the soil should be pretty fertile.

Besides, what DTM means?

Adzuki beans can create a lot of delicious desserts, and I hope you will create some that can bring you delight.

 

[baymule]

DTM date to maturity.
Do adzuki beans taste like regular beans if you don’t sweeten them up? I’m really intrigued here. I may have to find recipes and grow some.

@Zeedman Russ is licensed to ship seed overseas. You might have to send bean seeds to him and he send them to @Phaedra.