Spicy tomato and Butternut soup.

I thought after 14 weeks of 'weightwatching' I ought to try a recipe from my Weight Watchers leaflets.

This soup is good value at 0 pro points but, as I was roasting the veg, I added 6tsp of oil from a jar of chargrilled peppers making it 1 pro point per serving. That's still pretty low when every point counts.


I added Harissa paste instead of using fresh chilli


Ready for roasting and nice colours!


Lunchtime and 5 Pro Points out of a daily allowance of 29 - and the soup was really good.

Belfast Zoo.

We went to the zoo this week.. The Floral Hall looked sad and neglected.


a little prairie dog looked longingly at my grandaughter's lolly


it's up hill all the way


gorilla on the loose..



penguins in a flap


bird under umbrella


bird in basket


bird on table


bird on branch

I like birds!!

Better than chocolates!

Now this is the type of gift I like to receive!
Fresh vegetables from Fermanagh.
Sometimes it's been fruit -- rhubarb,blackcurrants,damsons, raspberries.
Today it was a big bag of peas! I loved 'popping' peas when I was a little girl and I love it just the same now.

Onions too and lovely lettuce..



broad beans popped out of their soft white beds..

Wonderful what two amateur gardeners and a bit of neglect can produce!

In and around Botanic Park.

Lots of changes and new building been going on around Botanic.


Fancy sculpture outside a new library


New pathways around Queens and a nice shiny mosaic wall to sit on

Blue skies

and colourful leaves


Crocosmia Lucifer


and the Palm House that remains the same.

Newry Canal.

I've been to Scarva today for a walk along the canal. I don't like this kind of water. Dark and foreboding.....


...deep too


I prefer the tearooms!




We sat and had our picnic in the gardens of the tearooms and I thought of scones and jam and cream...



Sloes made me think of Autumn.


Arum maculatum - we used to call these Lords and Ladies.

Not sure what this is - looks like a thistle.



Then we bought ice creams in the shop. Mine was Limoncello Sorbetto, I told myself that it was slimming.


Scrap heap was part of the scenery but I don't mind a bit of junk.

Nice day out.