Trees, Hurricanes, Spring & Dinner

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#s 1 to 5 A tree I call Wilma because it survived Hurricane Wilma in 2005 after being almost completely shredded is getting its annual tree trimming for hurricane season. In the second and third picture, you can see the tree trimmer getting to work! I know it is a necessity and it does make my view out the window easier to see the canal and at night downtown lit up but I like it when, as in the first picture my window is covered by a tree screen! #s 7 to 10 We have set records with more days over 90 degrees temperatures in March and April than ever before but we did get 4 Spring days this past week. The temps were in the lower 80s for highs, the sky was cloudless for most of the days, the humidity was low and there was a breeze from the ocean right over Gateway! #6 Every Saturday I make up complete dinners for 5 nights. (Listening Mark? Sharon? And the rest of you who complain about cooking and making dinners! Or you can always hire me as your private chef with expenses paid!) On each dinner plate, I put a base that I make up of the 'new' cauliflower 'rice', cauliflower and broccoli 'rice and a can of black beans mixed together and I cover that with a mixture of a meatless spaghetti sauce mixed with a jar of salsa. On the side of each plate I will put either mixed veggies, Brussel sprouts, string beans, beets--varying them every day. In the center of the plate will either be a chicken breast or 2 thighs or a piece of tilapia or shrimp, etc. I, also, will make 5 salads (I love veggies of all kinds!) of either various chopped lettuces or slaw, adding onions, 10 grape tomatoes--yes I count them as I slice them--adding a different salad every evening from oil & vinegar to blue cheese to a mustard/mayo combination. At the same time, I will make fruit cups with a combination of fresh strawberries, grapes and various frozen packages of fruits. Last, but not least, my dessert is two 4 ounce cups of various flavors either eating them separately or putting over the fruit 'cups'. I cover them all---the main course, the salad and fruit cups--with plastic cling wrap and put them in the refrigerator--not the freezer! All of this takes, at the longest, 2 hours! The next evening while I am nuking the main course I put the dressing on the salad and some sweet 'n low on the fruit and within 5-8 minutes I am ready to sit down and eat. I don't know why the numbers 'move' when I post this--they are all right when I make up the collage!