Growing Tomatillo Or Wild Cape Gooseberry Plant & Its Health Benefits

One morning while I was weeding and tidying up my garden, I found this nice looking weed in one of my flower pots. This plant must have sprouted from a seed brought by a bird. I was about to pull it out but on second thought I was thinking to myself that it might turned out to be an interesting plant.

I dug it out from where it was and planted it into an unoccupied pot. Wanting to satisfy my curiosity I watch it grow.

The plant started growing and branched out. I began to find this plant familiar. I remembered this plant from my childhood days. To confirm, I needed to see the fruits, i.e, if it has any. So I waited...

Then I started to notice small flower buds forming.

The flower is yellow and brownish on the inner side.

Then I saw the fruit and I immediately recognized this plant. It was the same plant that my girlfriends and I used to pluck the fruits and play 'masak-masak' (children's cooking game) with it.

This is the Tomatillo plant. It is related to the tomato family. Some of its other names are Wild Cape Gooseberry, Pymy Groundcherry, Native Gooseberry, Physalis Minima (or Letup Kelambu in Malay).

From my plant, the fruit with its papery skin is about 2.5 to 3 cm wide and 3.5 to 4 cm long. The papery skin is easily removed and the round fruit inside is slightly more than 1.5 cm diameter. It is slightly sweet and has many tiny seeds. It tastes a bit like cherry tomato.

These are some of the ripen fruits which have fallen to the ground.

The papery skin opened to reveal the fruits inside.

The fruits are cut to reveal the seeds.

Tomatillo is considered a useful plant or herb when the fruits are consumed and is considered a weed when the fruits are not used. The fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals and can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruits are usually used in salsas, stews and sauces for meat. The fruits are also used to make jam and marmalade.

Tomatillo is claimed to have medicinal value and traditionally used to treat diabetes and fever.

A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

(Proverbs 17:22, New International Version-NIV)

My Garden Guests And Pests

We can have all the healthy and beautiful plants and flowers in our garden but our garden will never be complete without our garden guests and pests. I think they come as a package because naturally all gardens attract these guests and pests.

I have taken photos of my garden guests and pests. Today, I will share some of the photos with you. I will start with my garden guests.

Saw this honey bee enjoying my Japanese rose.

A dainty yellow butterfly/moth fluttering around my Water Jasmine plant, moving from flower to flower. I don't know how to differentiate between a moth and a butterfly.

This one looks like an abstract art piece. I think this looks more like a moth.

Another pretty one settling on my blue plumbago plant.
This one likes to pose - it changed position for me.

This cute, delicate one in white with fine green lines on my blue plumbago plant.

A brown one clinging onto my miniature hibiscus flower.

A bigger one, darker brown and spotted with purple and white.

Posing for my camera.

This is one of the few bird species that frequent my garden but I do not know the name. This is the best photo I can get and so far the only photo that is presentable. The birds are so alert and the slightest movement will put them to flight!

Looks like a big housefly, not exactly the same as the common housefly.

A glowing green fly.

A lady bird on my bird's eye chili plant.

A small glossy black beetle?

One morning after a rainy night, saw these delicate white parasol mushrooms sprouting out from my garden soil.

Can anyone tell me what this is? A worm/caterpillar with a black cap.

Another unknown insect on the mulberry leaf.

Below are the unwelcome guests or pests that I do not want to be in my garden because they do a lot of damage to my plants.

Baby garden snail that can eat up my baby plants especially chili plants overnight.

And this green glutton fella can totally batok or bald my plants.

This nasty hairy thing can cause terrible discomfort, redness, swelling, itch and even pain once it touches our skin.

This tiny black insect can cause harm too. Once I was cutting off some old hyacinth twine and 2 insects fell on my neck. They left behind 2 red spots, very painful, burning sensation and later turned to 2 dark burnt scars on the skin which took quite a while to heal.

Initially I left this alone. I didn't know it can multiply so fast! Later, I found these all over my garden, especially in the soil of my potted plants! Now I am thinking of ways how to get rid of them. They ea and destroy the young roots of my plants.

Once it is touched, it curls up like this - I have seen the big black sized ones in Fraser's Hill which were more than 6 inches long! Scary!

Is this a locust or grasshopper? Saw this on my blue plumbago, sometimes on my orange bauhinia plant. It is not easily frightened away. It is about 3 to 3.5 inches long. I used water to shoo it away but it came back again.

Spotted another one again, or could it be the same one that I saw earlier.

Oh no! One morning when I was watering my plants I saw these tiny grasshoppers on my plant and fence. This is only part of it.

And also on my kaffir lime plant (limau purut). Fortunately they haven't started their work of destruction yet (chewing and balding my plants). The first thing I did was to turn on the tap and hosed them away. Later I saw a few still sticking around and I hosed them again and after that they didn't come back again.

Linking to Saturday's Critters.

"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten

- the great locust and the young locust,

the other locusts and the locust swarm

- my great army that I sent among you.

You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,

and you will praise the name of the LORD your God,

who has worked wonders for you;

never again will my people be shamed.

(Joel 2:25-26, New International Version-NIV)

Reunion Dinner & Gathering Of New, Old Friends

A few days ago, our friends from overseas came back to Ipoh again after a round of visiting friends and relatives in other states and neighbouring countries. Once again, there was another round of reunion dinner and gathering of both new and old friends. Most are old friends and one or two new friends were introduced to us through our friends from oversea.

Again, our friend who is a good cook was in charge of the menu and the cooking. The rest of us were to gather at the chosen venue (house of another friend) and we all sat down to enjoy a very yummy, delicious home cooked dinner. Many thanks to our cook who cooked all the dishes!

Poached or steamed chicken (referred to as bearded chicken or woo soh kai in Cantonese)

Special ginger paste and bird's eye chilies with soy sauce as dipping sauces for the chicken.

Very appetizing assam fish curry with ladies finger, tomatoes, brinjal, etc.

Mixed veggie - Chinese cabbage, carrot, Enokitake mushroom (golden needle mushroom) & glass noodle, etc.

Steamed white silky smooth tofu with sauce & spring onion.

Healthy red rice and white rice, according to our preference.

2 bottles of red wine - generous contribution from the host.
A little red wine is good for health.

Later in the evening, more friends came to join in for a drink and we also had chilled sweet, juicy cut mangoes.

Not everyone likes wine. Some preferred the canned 100 Plus isotonic drink.

Finally, our oversea friends presented the men each with a can of Guinness Draught specially brought back all the way from overseas. The men's positive feedback ... the taste was very soothing. Drinking Guiness has its share of health benefits too!

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.

Instead, be filled with the Spirit,

speaking to one another with psalms,

hymns, and songs from the Spirit.

Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,

always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Ephesians 5:18-20, New International Version-NIV)