Turning onto my street as I finished my afternoon walk, I was struck by the way a scattering of yellow leaves caught the sunlight. Too bad I hadn’t brought a camera, I thought. Oh well.
I went inside and put some mung beans on to boil. I didn’t know much about mung bean recipes, so I was running a few ideas through my head. Maybe I’d add brown rice, onions, garlic, turmeric, and dill. Throw in some leafy greens, maybe tofu cubes. I’d have to think about it, maybe find a recipe.
Then I noticed my iPhone on the counter. Why not? It would only take a minute to run back and photograph those yellow leaves. I picked up my phone and hurried out the front door.
Sure enough, the light was still shining through the leaves, making a lovely last-leaves-of-autumn photo. Turning back toward home, I paused just long enough to capture this crispy fallen leaf.
Then these naked willow branches caught my eye.
And these lacy branches with three poignant little leaves stubbornly clinging on.
I tiptoed through Julie’s back yard to get a shot of this tree with its lovely white bark.
Get with the program, luscious little Japanese maple, I whispered. It’s late November. When are you going to let go of those leaves?
Only steps away from my front door, I stopped again. The little pine cones in my patio pot don’t represent the end of autumn, but–what the heck–they are awfully cute.
Okay. Enough picture taking. I opened the front door, and … OMG! The scorched smell billowed out, nearly choking me.
Rushing in, I turned off the stove and switched on the fan. Then I opened some windows and a skylight and carried the smoking pan outside. Once it cooled down, I would throw the burned mung beans away and soak the pan. I could scour it later.
What in the world was I thinking!?
All I have to say is, it’s a good thing my street is a short one.
P. S. — The pan was fairly easy to scour. I made more mung beans the next day.
The photos above were taken on November 22nd.
Ooh the same thing happened to me! Well, in my case, I left the mung bean to pick up the clothes from the drying lines.
I find it funny that most people I know always have this scorched mung bean story. I mean, it never happens to red bean soup, Chinese pearl barley or any other grains!
Very funny! I didn’t know so many people had scorched mung bean stories.
(Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I found your comment in the spam box.)
It’s okay, Nicki!
I always reply late too.
(well, in my case, I have none or bad internet access. I have not visited so many blogs I follow because the sites fail to load!)
Hahahhaa. Great picture story. I was following along and forgot the beans, too!
Oh no! But I’m glad it could be scrubbed off. And those are some lovely pictures! I especially liked the one with the yellow leaves and the pine cones.
I soaked the pan right away and then went to work on it with SOS.
Today the blue sky and yellow leaves are gone. It’s raining. The lacy lichen on the branches outside my window are pretty, though.
I thought you were trying to invent a new recipe . . . Blackened Mung Beans! Glad you didn’t burn the house down while you were out and about looking up and away.
I might invent a new mung bean recipe, but I can assure you, this time it won’t be blackened.
Nature has such a way to distract us! For our benefit I’m glad you forgot to turn the heat off! Gorgeous pics. I also forgot a chicken once in the oven and rushed home from a local pond where I had taken my kids for a summer swim. My friends thought someone was not well when they saw me rushing everyone out of the water. On my way home I was expecting to see the firefighters in my driveway but I only found a very burnt and very small chicken in the oven. It served me as a lesson, though.
Your recipe sounds great, by the way. Stay safe and enjoy the season.
Your experience with the chicken makes for a good story … now that the danger is past. I smiled thinking of you hurrying your kids out of the water and rushing home to find a shrunken black chicken in the oven. I guess we both were lucky.
I still remember how shocked the kids were to leave the beach so quickly, while we always stayed late. When they saw the chicken they understood. We had pasta instead. ?
You are right about this kind of events being great to include in a novel for example. Back to writing! ?
Luckily nothing happened! My ex flatmate did something similar once and almost burnt the whole apartment down… Be careful, Nicki! 😉
Oh, Marta. You’re scaring me. I promise I’ll be careful and not leave my cooking unattended next time.
Oh no! Burnt mung beans! I hope the kitchen didn’t smell for too long, and I hope that pot wasn’t too hard to clean. Beautiful photos of nature around your area, though. I love the drooping willows. So delicate against the crystal clear blue sky.
Fortunately the pot was easy to clean and a few open windows cleaned out the smell within an hour or two. I was lucky.
Even without their leaves willows are lovely. I like the symbolism of willow branches that bend (or adapt) without breaking.
Oh, Nicki, as I scrolled through your beautiful photos, I kept thinking, did she really leave food unattended, on the stove? Yikes! I’m happy your house didn’t end up as a photo in the newspaper.
Apart from the fire hazard, your photos are beautiful. We have a Japanese maple, it’s one of my favorites.
Confessing my scorched pot really drove the message home. I think I’ll be more careful next time.
Love your pictures! Especially the Japanese maple. Totally worth the scouring.
We have several lovely Japanese maples in my neighborhood and along the route of my walks. Don’t you just love it when your neighbors are good gardeners?
Nicki, I think you were in the zone. You took some gorgeous pictures and the house is still standing ~ so no worries.
Yes, I’m glad the house is still standing. I dodged a bullet, as they say, and ended up with some pretty pictures and a blog post.
So glad it worked out that way!
Caught up in capturing moments of beauty – who wouldn’t forget the pot of mung beans on the stove? We creative types have to wander where the muse takes us. And as you say – lucky thing your street is short.
Seeing a beautiful sight is nice. Capturing and sharing it is even better. And near disasters are good learning opportunities.
I thought the mung beans might have taken the hit for your photo shoot. Since it all worked out I think it was worth it. You’ve got some beautiful photos, Nicki, especially those blue skies.
Yes, I’m glad I caught those blue skies. Intense blue and bright yellow are such a delightful combination. Now the skies are mostly white with a touch of gray.
That’s exactly what would have happened to me. Already has. Cooking and anything else never works for me. I wouldn’t know what to do with mung beans! Beautiful pictures though. Very worth it!
That wasn’t the first time I left something unattended on the stove. Most of the time I try to schedule other jobs in the kitchen so I can set a buzzer or smell when something goes wrong.
I have done that. Now I set a timer and carry the timer with me. A simple check on the computer can ruin a whole meal!
You’re right. A simple check on the computer could lead to many minutes away from the kitchen. A timer in the pocket sounds like a good idea.
I say what lovely photos.
Photo taking with an iphone has made a real difference for me. However, whilst it’s uploading to Dropbox, it does not capture the photos that have been edited. I have much to learn. I will have to speak to some young adults who are a pro with an iPhone.
Cooked rice and brown lentils is a popular dish in the Middle East. I can only get red lentils here.
I was in Antalya on a day trip recently but I didn’t manage to buy any foreign foods eg soya sauce. My bus was an hour late (no trains in this part of Turkey); I went on a boat trip and bought some fabrics (much cheaper than where I currently live). It was fabric galore. In the second fabric shop, I eyed a wool crepe at an eye popping £90 per metre; it was certainly no crap. There was a mixed wool crepe but the quality was not as good. I couldn’t get any fine wool/printed wool in Antalya, perhaps it’s to do with fashion.
I also have a lot to learn from my iPhone camera. Mostly I just point and click. I have done a little bit of editing without problems. My sister knows more about photography than I do, so I’m lucky I have someone who can give me advice. I wish I knew someone who could give me WordPress advice.
I did make a tasty mung bean soup a few days later. I think I’ll try out some more recipes this week. Mung beans are said to have lots of health benefits. They’re high in protein and good at combating obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
I used to buy fabric when my mom and I both sewed. Then, when we moved to the Philippines, I bought fabric to take to the dressmaker. Now I buy ready-made clothes. But I remember the pleasure of choosing fabric.
Photography above food! Art above hunger! Scrubbing a pan gives time for thinking.
That’s what I like–friends who look on the bright side.
Oh dear! When you mentioned the beans, then mentioned grabbing your phone, I had a feeling you would then mention this aftermath. Sigh. I would have done the same thing. Sorry about the beans. I’m glad you were able to clean the pan.
Lovely photos by the way. The little pinecones are cute. 🙂
The pot containing the little pine and a manzanita was a new addition this spring. I hope they hold up.
I don’t write suspense fiction, Linda, but that’s what I was going for–a big hint without totally giving it away.