Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
The clock read 6:00 am, and my eyes opened, ready to take on the day. Sleeping Beauty made some sounds but then fell back to sleep, as yesterday was very busy! Finally, at 7:08 am, I ran in and kissed her, and she awoke immediately… screaming and throwing things at me! She was expecting a handsome prince, not me!
And off we went in the carriage drawn by seven little dwarfs! At the gym, we rode our bicycles for miles and gleefully watched the staff and members dig into Antony’s birthday box of dates.
Dates were not really “discovered” by one person. They grow on date palm trees, native to the Middle East and North Africa. Ancient people likely found them growing naturally and realized they were sweet, nutritious, and easy to dry and store. Dates have been cultivated for thousands of years, especially in places like Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Arabian Peninsula.
- Dates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits, grown for over 5,000 years.
- They come from the date palm tree.
- Dates are naturally very sweet and are often used as a natural sweetener.
- A single date palm can produce hundreds of pounds of dates in a year.
- Dates are important in Middle Eastern and North African cultures.
- They are commonly eaten to break the fast during Ramadan.
- Dates contain fiber, potassium, magnesium, and natural sugars.
- Popular types include Medjool, Deglet Noor, and Barhi.
On our way home, we decided not to eat breakfast since we were heading to the lodge for lunch; it’s Girl’s Night Out!
Lunch at the Elks was fun, as always, and I got the tickets for other friends who are joining us on Halloween. We have finally figured out our costumes for Halloween!
After returning home, we both took our beauty naps. Mary’s worked; mine did not!
Mary decided dinner needed to be light and healthy, so she tried her homemade Tabbouleh.
Tabbouleh, also transcribed as tabouleh, tabbouli, tabouli, or taboulah, is a Levantine salad of finely chopped parsley, soaked bulgur, tomatoes, mint, and onion, seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and sweet pepper.
Tabbouleh is a traditional Levantine salad with deep roots in the eastern Mediterranean, especially in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan.
Its history is closely tied to the mountain regions of Lebanon and Syria, where fresh herbs, wheat, olive oil, and citrus were common ingredients. The dish likely developed as a simple rural food made from what was readily available: parsley, mint, tomatoes, onions, bulgur wheat, lemon juice, and olive oil.
The word “tabbouleh” is generally believed to come from the Arabic root related to seasoning or spicing, reflecting the dish’s bright, herb-heavy flavor. Unlike many modern versions outside the Middle East, traditional tabbouleh is primarily a parsley salad, with only a small amount of bulgur added.
Tabbouleh became a central part of mezze, the spread of small dishes served across the Levant. Over time, migration helped spread it around the world, especially to Europe, the Americas, and Australia. In many Western adaptations, the bulgur or couscous portion became larger, but in classic Lebanese-style tabbouleh, the herbs remain the main ingredient.
Today, tabbouleh is strongly associated with Lebanese cuisine, though it is enjoyed throughout the Levant and beyond as a symbol of fresh, seasonal Mediterranean cooking.
Again, I am blessed with a partner in life who loves trying new things and is fearless in the kitchen.
By the by, my next recipe is banana bacon. Say what? Yes, banana bacon! Great in sandwiches, burgers, breakfast plates, or chopped over salads.
Ingredients
- Peels from 2 ripe bananas, washed
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp oil
- Optional: a few drops liquid smoke
Instructions
- Prepare the peels – Wash bananas well. Peel them, then scrape the white inside of the peel lightly with a spoon.
- Cut into strips – Slice the peels into long bacon-like strips.
- Make marinade – Mix soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, oil, and liquid smoke if available.
- Marinate – Coat the banana peels in the marinade. Let sit for 10–20 minutes.
- Cook – Heat a pan over medium heat. Fry the strips for 2–3 minutes per side until dark, sticky, and slightly crispy.
- Serve – Let them cool for a minute — they crisp up more as they cool.
The rest of the day we piddled. Mary did her packing list for the trip; I put together the roll-around cart. We made our daily phone calls. I worked on our Apple Picking Website and updated our Halloween 2026 Website.
After dinner, we watched Reacher again. Mary decided to check for light leaks (her eyes closed and she took a nap). I ended up staying awake until 1:00 am when the Sandman sent a nasty text demanding I get horizontal.
