The Annatto Tree's Pretty Secret: Seeing Atsuete Flowers for the First Time 🌸

Hi everyone!! 😊
I hope you’re having a safe and cozy day,, wherever you are...
How’s the weather in your country!?

Here in my area,, it’s a bit rough right now.. ⛈
It’s super rainy and the wind is strong,, we’re under a storm signal because there’s a typhoon hitting my country..
It makes me a little worried about all our trees and plants..
Fingers crossed that everyone stays safe and there's no major damage!!

It’s the kind of day where you just want to curl up inside with a warm blanket and a hot drink..

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☀️ A Sunny Visit to Auntie's House
Even with the bad weather today,, I want to tell you about a really nice time I had yesterday..
The weather was totally different then,,
it was sunny and bright,, a perfect day for a little trip!! 🌞

I decided to finally go visit my aunt's house..
I hadn't been there in a very, very long time,, so we had a lot of catching up to do..
You know how it is with family,, you just talk and talk and talk about everything that's happened since the last time you saw each other..
It was so great to just sit and share stories and lots of laughs..
It’s a simple joy,, but sometimes the best times are those simple ones..

While I was there,, something totally amazed me in her garden.. 😍

I saw these atsuete trees!!
Now, most of you probably know atsuete (or annatto) for its seeds..
We use those little red seeds all the time..
They give that great, warm color to food,, it's a natural food coloring.. ❤️

For example, we use it to make chicken inasal look super yummy and appetizing and it’s a key part of the sauce for dishes like pancit palabok..
The color just makes everything look better..

those seeds aren't just for color!!
They also have health benefits, like being good for you because they have stuff that helps fight bad things in your body,,
ike antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers..
Who knew a tiny seed could do so much? 😁

But here’s the really cool part......
I saw the flowers of the atsuete tree and it was my first time ever seeing them!!
They were beautiful soft pink..

They looked so delicate and pretty..
I was so surprised by how lovely they were..
I immediately grabbed my phone and took photos of them so I could remember the sight..
It’s funny how you can see something all your life but never see all of it.. 😆
Those pink blooms were a real garden surprise!!

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After all that talking and flower gazing,, I decided to wander around the garden a bit more..
Gardens are like little worlds,, full of small things you might miss if you don't look closely..

As I walked,, my eyes caught something super unique..
It was a tiny flower.. And I mean very tiny!! 😁
It was maybe as small as the head of a pin..

It looked so small and perfect on the green leaves..
I thought it was incredibly cute..
It’s funny how something so small can make you stop and smile..
I bent down low and I took photos of this little jewel, too..
I felt like I was on a tiny treasure hunt and this flower was my prize..

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So,, that was my day yesterday,,
full of good talks, big pink discoveries and tiny white secrets..
I love finding little bits of beauty in simple places..
It makes the world feel bright,, even when today's sky is gray..

Stay safe out there, everyone..

❤️ ❤️ ❤️

Texts and Images by @vvodjiu. The lead photo was edited on Canva

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