Sunday, June 9, 2013

A Pleasant Surprise


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Aren't these Peonies gorgeous?  Not only they looked great, they also made my whole living room smelled wonderful too.  The smooth and velvety petals were soft to the touch, like baby's skin.  Every time I walked into the living room, the  elegant, sweet floral aroma simply filled the air.  I couldn't helped it but took deep breaths and inhale the sweet scents. 

Mind you, I haven’t receive flowers for many years.  So, let me dream a little and admire these pretty buds for the time they last in my vases.  It’s kind of a “silent agreement” between my hubby and I that I don’t want him to buy me flowers, even on special occasions.  I rather receive something edible, or more practical.  I know, I think I’m a very unromantic person. hahaha….But I guess that’s the case when you earned the title of “Mommy”.  I rather save the money for kids’ college.  So, where did these gorgeous Peonies came from?  Of course, they were from my sweet Mother-In-Law’s garden.   It was a pleasant surprise from her.     

Update:  Many of you corrected me in the comment that these flowers are actually Gardenia, and not Peonies.  Hehe...this once again proof how little I know about flowers and gardening.  Thank you so much you all for the information.  


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She was on her way to my area the other day.  So, she called to meet up after I picked up the kids from school so we can all enjoy an afternoon tea together.  And she made this very special delivery for me.  That’s so sweet of her.  Of course, she knows me so well and include something edible, too.  Open-mouthed smile

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These prunes are straight from my In-Law’s garden too.  I got this huge basket filled with these sweet little gems.  So good!  I’ll make some pastry with them and share the recipe, that is, if we don’t finish them before that happens.

I also got a basket full of tangerines.  So sweet and lovely.  These will be all gone before I have a chance to “transform” them.  But that’s okay, they are super good as the way they are.

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Last but not least, I got the very last crop of Loquat (枇杷).  These are the fruit I grew up eating.  They have a thin, hairy skin (that you remove before consuming), the flesh is also orange in color, very tender, sweet, juicy and has a hint of floral tone.  The seeds are brown color and quite big.  My kids don’t care too much about these loquat (just yet).  But I’m so happy I got to enjoy them.  Smile  So, thank you again for all the goodies.  I sure did enjoyed them a lot.


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93 comments:

  1. You are so blessed indeed to have such a generous mother in law:D Looking forward to see what you did with those pretty prunes.

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    1. Yes, I'm very fortunate to have a wonderful MIL. :)

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  2. Lovely pictures, Amy.
    Flowers are beautiful: in Spain, they are called "gardenias" and smell mmmmmm!!
    And fruit, delicious!
    Regards from Spain.

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    1. Thank you, Laurel. Thanks for the information, I think these are gardenias, and not peony after all. haha...I'm obviously not good at flowers nor gardening. :P

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  3. Lovely flowers I thought they look like gardenias

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    1. hehe...Thank you for your correction. I guess they are gardenias after all. I need a book of flower dictionary next time. :P

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  4. How sweet of her - beautiful baskets!!

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    1. Thank you, Belinda. Yes, I have the best MIL in the world. :)

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  5. The fruit and flowers look great. How sweet of your mother-in-law!

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    1. Thank you, Ann. Oh, I agree. She's one sweet lady.

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  6. Your mother-in-law sounds like such a sweet lady! These are such beautiful baskets of fruits and flowers. These will certainly brighten up anyone's day :)

    Kelly @ Life made Sweeter

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    1. Thank you, Kelly. You are absolutely right. :) my MIL is simply the best. :) Oh yeah, these really brightened up my day. Wish you a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend ahead.

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  7. Such lovely surprises, Amy! You mother in law is very sweet. I am just like you in the "please don't buy me anything" department when it comes to my husband. Like you, I'm practical and hate waste. : )

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    1. hehe...so great to know that I'm not the only girl out there who's so practical when it comes to gifts. :P I say, great minds think alike. Have a wonderful Friday and a beautiful weekend ahead.

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  8. What a great post of delicious and pretty treats! Those tangerines look tasty. :)

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    1. Thank you, Pamela. Oh yeah, those tangerines were the sweetest thing! Thank you for stopping by. Have a great Friday.

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  9. Loquat,.. never heard or seen this fruit before, I swear. Does it grow in a tropical climate because maybe they might be available in the Indian subcontinent for me? =)

    You lucky duck! I want such fresh and perfect looking prunes, I d make a million tarts for the whole neighborhood.

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    1. The loquat was originally from China. It's quite popular in many Asian countries. Hope you will be able to find it and give them a try. They are really sweet and tender when ripen.

      Hehe...yes, I'm such a luck duck who got all these yummy treats. Wish you a wonderful Friday and weekend!

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  10. Beautiful flowers...they do look like what we call gardenia here. Lovely fruit, too...how nice!

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    1. Thank you for your information. hehe...yes, I guess they are gardenia and not peony. :P I have a lot more to learn around flowers and gardening.

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  11. Woww tengo que esperar el verano para tomar mis nísperos y ciruelas frescas adoro estas frutas,agradable sorpresa y hermosas fotos,hugs.

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    1. Gracias. Sí, el amor estas flores y frutas. Yo digo que en realidad son los regalos perfectos.

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  12. Wow, I would love to your her daughter-in-law too! What a sweet MIL you got, Amy, and the flowers are gorgeous! I still haven't made that agreement with hubb, as I love his weekly roses too much to let it go :-)

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    1. I know, I have the best MIL! :) Wow, you get weekly roses? You are a lucky girl. If I get weekly roses from my hubby, I might not make that agreement either. hahahaha...

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  13. Beautiful photos of such lovely gifts. I'm putting loquats on my "must try" list.

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    1. Thank you, Karen. Oh, give those loquats a try if you see them. They are really special treats. :) Have a great weekend.

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  14. Wow. I love your mother-in-law already. :-) I would also prefer something edible rather than flowers. But the occasional flower is always nice. haha.. I told my mom that if anyone wants to get me anything (major hinting to them LOL!), I would appreciate a tube of vanilla bean paste or cheese. That would be the ultimate bday/whatever gift for a greedy human like me.

    ~Jayne

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    1. Oh yeah, my MIL is simply wonderful. LOL...oh, vanilla bean paste and cheese sound like the perfect gifts for foodies like us. :P I think it's better to give out hints (to make their lives easier), and the receiver really get what they wanted. ;) win-win situation for everyone. LOL

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  15. Boy, I don't have a mother in law like that! How lucky you are. And what gorgeous gifts. She must think a lot of you!

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    1. Thank you, Abbe. Yes, I have such a sweet MIL. :) Not sure if she thinks a lot of me...but I'm sure she thinks a lots of my kids. hehe...just like all grand kids...they are spoiled by granny. ;)

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  16. I love those pipa! Lucky you, Amy, having such a sweet MIL.

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    1. Thank you, Angie. Yes, I adore the pipa, too. Hope we'll get more fruit next year.

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  17. Lucky you! I would be so happy to receive those baskets! When I lived in Houston, I had my flower bed leading up to my front door filled with gardenia bushes. They smelled divine come May/June when they flowered. I sure miss gardenias in Colorado, it's not tropical enough for them here. I guess I'll make do with lilacs.

    Nazneen

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    1. Thank you, Nazneen. Those were wonderful baskets of fruit, in deed. I know, the gardenias smelled wonderful. I love lilacs too, that's my favorite color as well. :) Have a wonderful week.

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  18. I love the smell of gardenias! Gorgeous baskets!

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    1. Thank you, Katerina. Yes, the gardenias smell wonderful. I absolutely loved them.

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  19. What gorgeous flowers and fruit from your MIL's garden! I wore gardenias in my hair at my wedding...love them!

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    1. Thank you. Oh...what a beautiful choice of flower for your wedding. They are so gorgeous and smell wonderful too.

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  20. Amy, please forgive me, but I would take the plums and tangerines and loquats and leave the flowers ;-) I have repeated hundreds of times to everyone in my family and among friends that I don't like receiving flowers. I have nothing against a good bottle of wine or champagne though ;-) Or maybe excellent chocolates...
    I still have to taste loquats. I sometimes see them here but never dared buying.

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    1. hehe....good to know someone also "practical" like me. I would take the fruit over flowers any given day too. Oh...you've got to give those loquats a try. they are unique, sweet and juice. You never know if you like it after you try, right? Have a wonderful week.

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  21. spring and summer are definitely here!

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    1. Oh yeah, in deed. Hope you're enjoying the seasons as well. :)

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  22. Can we trade mothers-in-law? Please? LOVE the flowers (like you, I wouldn't know the difference between a gardenia and a peony, but I can still appreciate either one) :)

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    1. Thanks, Julie for your sweet comment. But no thanks on the trading part! hahahah.... ;) Wish you a wonderful week ahead.

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  23. Hi Amy, your mother in law so kind, so nice of her to bring you fruits and flowers. Hard to get this type of good in laws. The flowers are beautiful.

    Have a nice day.

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    1. I agree with you. I don't see such nice in-laws around anymore. That makes me even more grateful for my family. :) Wish you a wonderful week ahead.

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  24. What lovely gifts! You have the best mother-in-law ever. Enjoy those beautiful fruits.

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    1. Thanks, Lisa. Yes, I enjoy my special gifts a lot. Wish you a wonderful week ahead.

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  25. Your in-laws really have a very lovely and useful garden. Really nice gifts - especially those edible ones.

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    1. I agree. I love fruit and veggies from home gardens. :)

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  26. What beautiful and delicious gifts, you have a lovely and generous mother in law! The flowers are gorgeous!

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    1. Thanks, Carol. Yes, love my in-laws. :)

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  27. Beautiful! We had gardenias at our wedding, floating in little glass jars. My husband soon HATED the smell of them because the whole room was so strong with the smell. I loved/love them! Love your fresh fruit photos, too!

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    1. Gardenias floating in glass jars sounds romantic and dreamy. :) LOL....I guess most men don't care about flowers.

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  28. What a nice mother-in-law you have. All look wonderful and delicious! I have not yet seen loquat here in US. I love them.

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    1. Yes, I love my family. I don't think I've seen loquat in the U.S markets either. But my In-Law has one in their garden and I remember seeing one on campus when I was in college here. So, I think the climate in the U.S. is okay...guess it's just that loquat is not a popular fruit.

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  29. Thanks for stopping by our blog... We just followed you back...

    we have a gardenia tree and it just started to bloom... They are so wonderful and fragrant!

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    1. How lovely that you've got a gardenia tree. They really smell great. :) Enjoy and wish you a wonderful week.

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  30. I was going to say...they look an awful lot like gardenias...haha!

    I love gardenias. They smell wonderful and are so sweet and pretty.

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    1. hahaha....I'm just not good at gardening or flower names. :P Sorry to get everyone confused...oh well, maybe I was the only who's confused. LOL...have a wonderful rest of the week.

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  31. Amy, what wonderful gifts of flowers and different fruits from your dear mother-in-law! The fruits look like they were harvested at the peak of their season and they must have tasted absolutely wonderful and fresh!

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    1. Thank you, Andrea. Yeah...home grown fruit and flowers are the best. They definitely made the best gift.

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  32. You have a wonderful blog and loved the way you write, different ideas of crafting and decor...Thank you for stopping by my food blog, extremely happy to follow you...will also be glad if you could follow back :)

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    1. Thank you so much, Divya. I'm also following you on GFC and Facebook. Glad you like my blog. :)

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  33. Beautiful shots - those flowers are just lovely.

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    1. Thank you Ladyfi. Glad you like my pictures.

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  34. Lucky you!! Super great mother-in-law :) Can't wait to see what you make with the produce.

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    1. Thank you, Kiran. Yes, I love my In-Laws. They are the most generous people I've ever met. :)

      Wish you a beautiful rest of the week.

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  35. You're such a lucky person..
    the plums is make me wanted that badly now!

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    1. Thank you. Yes, I'm such a lucky girl, I have to agree. :) Wish I can share those plums with you. They are so fresh and sweet. Have a wonderful rest of the week.

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  36. Lovely pictures! I would love to try loquat, I will have to look for them in some specialty grocery stores.

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    1. Thank you. I think I've seen the loquat once or twice at Chinese supermarkets when they are in season. :) Hope you can get a hold of them.

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  37. You should buy yourself flowers sometime. A few years is too long to go without ;)

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    1. LOL...I'm too "cheap" to spend money on flowers. I rather get myself a bar of dark chocolate. I would be more happy that way. hehehe....

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  38. Amy, you sure have a nice mother in law :)
    The peonies are beautiful and the fruits awesome...very summery.
    Enjoying this fresh fruits and the flowers!

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    1. Thank you, Juliana. Yes, I love the flowers and fruit. They were the best gifts ever.

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  39. What a great mother-in-law! Perfect surprise - so nice of her. We used to be "practical" and never buy flowers either, but life is too short - you should get some occasionally for no reason at all - just because. ;-) Really fun read - thanks.

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    1. That's so true. Life is too short not to enjoy and cherish what we have. :) Wish you a wonderful rest of the week.

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  40. What fun and delicious gifts. I can't wait to see what you will be making in the kitchen with your new gifts. Take care, BAM

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    1. Thank you,BAM. Yes, fruit and flowers made the best gifts ever. Wish you a wonderful rest of the week.

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  41. The gardenias are so beautiful and the fruit too! How kind of your mother in law to send you all these gifts!

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    1. Thank you, Ruby. Yes, very kind and sweet of my In-Laws who brought over the best gifts ever. :)

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  42. I definitely prefer Gardenia than peonies. Peonies are too big with too striking color. Plus not a very nice poem that goes with it.
    牡丹花下死 做鬼也风流 Lol !!!!

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    1. LOL....I can read every single word in this poem but not sure the exactly meaning. I can probably guess what it means...but I could be wrong. Hehe...your Chinese is definitely better than mine. :)

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  43. How nice and thoughtful of your Mother-in-Law to give you flowers and baskets of fruits. Can't wait for the recipes Amy. :)

    Anne ~ Uni Homemaker

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    1. Thank you, Anne. Yes, it's so sweet of my MIL. She's the sweetest and most generous lady I've ever known.

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  44. What a treat to receive beautiful, home grown flowers AND fresh fruit! Your lucky day:)

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    1. Yes, definitely my lucky day. :) They are simply lovely and delicious.

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  45. I've lots of gardenia in my front yard, they love the sun and flower twice a year. The flower just dry off without falling petals, lovely smell, too. I would love my hubby or son to pick a flower from the yard than buying a bunch of flowers for me! And the fresh fruit just so nice!

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    1. I agree, the fragrant from the gardenia is just lovely. hehe...yes, why buy from the store when you can pick your own from the garden, right? :)

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  46. I finally got around to reading this (because your site is blocked at my office), and I couldn't help but laugh because my husband just sent me flowers at work for an early bday present, and I (as politely as possible) told him not to buy me flowers for a present again because it's a waste of money and I'd rather have something useful/edible. That's very sweet of your mother in law though :)

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    1. LOL....great minds think alike. I bet you would agree a bar of chocolate is better than a bunch of flowers from the florist, right? But what a sweet hubby you've got. hehehe...

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  47. How thoughtful! These are gorgeous pictures. I tend to have a black thumb, so it is rare for fresh flowers to be in my home. ;)

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