Monday, September 15, 2014

Orange...a pop of colour that elevates the spirit and energizes.

The heart of the home...
our kitchen
in The Humble Bungalow
where I spend many contented hours cooking, baking and cleaning.


Orange Gerberas in a vintage vase add a shot of colour.


I keep an old fashioned day timer in which I record our appointments and meals.


Mandarin oranges add colour and a tangy flavour to this coleslaw salad...

Mandarin Orange Coleslaw

Shred or slice a red cabbage
chop a few scallions
grate a large carrot
1 cup mandarin oranges sliced in half
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Place in a bowl and top with dressing.

Dressing

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Toss together and chill until ready to serve.
Enjoy.

I served this to company with BBQ ribs and boiled new potatoes topped with butter and freshly chopped mint.


Dessert with a little help from Ina Garten.
It is from her Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook.
(You could substitute the lemons for oranges and make orange bars.)


A delicious and easy recipe.
The Kitchen aid gets plenty of work here in The Humble Bungalow.
I love mine and they come in many colours...even orange!


Luscious lemon squares served with fresh blackberries.


This luxurious linen towel is made specifically to clean glass and crystal.
I use it to clean the windows.
It is from the Irish Linen Shop here in Victoria and I cannot recommend it highly enough...
some may like micro fibre for this job but I am a die hard linen fan.


The drawers in the kitchen have been cleaned and sorted.


The Humble Bungalow everyday cutlery is Reed and Barton stainless.


If you have a bumper crop of tomatoes you might like to pop them in a hot oven for a few minutes
so that they take on a rich flavour and top them with some freshly grated pepper and sea salt.
I like to drizzle mine with some balsamic crema...which is a reduced balsamic vinegar.
I buy mine from the deli area of Thrifty Foods.


I'm feeling in an orange mood and will pop this vintage silk Lanvin scarf on when I go out to do my errands.
It may hide my pearls but that's OK as I know they'll be on my neck...
rather like wearing nice lingerie..
it's a secret that makes me feel a bit more dressed up and adds that little bit of French Chic.

Hope that your week will be fun...
thank you for taking your precious time out to stop by my humble blog today
and I appreciate the emails you sent introducing yourselves to me. 
It's nice to meet and connect with readers.

Hostess

23 comments:

Madame Là-bas said...

I love orange and it plays a large role in my decor and in my wardrobe. It lifts the spirit and it feels so autumnal and cozy. I just bought a Chinese lantern plant for Autumn Moon Festival. I do like to "dress up" a bit as I go about my errands. Your Lanvin scarf is so elegant with the white shirt.

GSL said...

Orange, but more specifically tangerine, has become my favorite accent colour. Hostess, you and that Kitchen Aid may be the Fred & Ginger of dessert offerings.

On all matters of domestic debate I follow the Hostess....put me down as a linen guy over those microfiber upstarts.

The vintage Lanvin is quite lovely.

DaniBP said...

I adore that vintage Lanvin scarf! Funny I've been attracted to orange lately too, I have an old Hermes shopping bag hanging in the foyer with some things on their way to the thrift shop and that flash of orange is really pleasing.
Your dinner looks gorgeous and thanks for that yummy looking recipe, I'm definitely going to try it!

LostRoses said...

I stayed away from orange for years, even in the garden. Now I find myself leaning toward it more and more - like a spice of life color! It's also a great foil for deep blues and most greens. Thanks for this very orange post, your blog is wonderful and I love how you hit so many topics.

La Vie Quotidienne said...

Orange...what a perfect color for fall, or for any time of year. Love your idea of roasting tomatoes they sound delicious.

Jen Lawrence said...

Great scarf. French indeed! I have lots of garden tomatoes and that's an excellent idea. I'm a Reed and Barton stainless fan too. It has a nice heavy weight yet is no-fuss.

Anonymous said...

How did your lemon bars turn out? Some people say that Ina Garten's baking time is too long and the filling turns out too much like a sweet quiche. I haven't tried this recipe before. Your picture looks really good! :-) Emily

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I love that Hermes uses orange bags!
Your recent post on the dinner party with zucchini fritters sounds amazing...I recall a wonderful post of yours when you served acorn squash and served a lovely dinner to your guests...Emma Bridgewater mugs were prominent in your pics...I finally figured out that to buy them locally was the simplest way to add to my collection.
Hope you enjoy the salad.

Anonymous said...

That salad looks yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

I'm considering what brand of planner to purchase for 2015. What make is the one you showed here?

Honey Bee

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I thought of you today at French class when we were sharing travel plans...you have influenced and aspired me to get on with my dream, even though I may be on my own.

Jim & Sonya Guthrie said...

I've been attracted to orange this summer too. I just bought a little orange top at one of the local shops in Oak Bay. Love it!!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Oh GSL...I have taken dance lessons but it was so long ago I cannot remember much except the words "slow slow quick quick slow !"
Mr. HB and I took weeks of lessons before we wed...just in case we were to pair up with a guest who wanted to waltz, tango, jive or polka!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Merci beaucoup Lost Roses...
I believe that we can love and crave colours even if they are not what we choose to wear everyday.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

The bars were lovely and moist...oozing lemonly goodness.
My oven does run a wee bit below temperature so you might be onto something...
it was a keeper and I shared it with my guests and family.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Hi Honey Bee,
This is a simple planner from Monks Office Supply in Victoria made by Mead Co. "Day Minder"...my sister and I have been given these for Xmas for years by our parents and when Dad was alive he was a big fan of keeping track of details...his accounting background spilled over into our upbringing...I still love this attention to detail and have kept them since 1975 and can tell you what we ate on any given day since then....a quirky tidbit.

Jane and Lance Hattatt said...

Hello Leslie,

The citrus accents around your house really do add a zest to life! Everything sings out cheerfully, as we imagine you do when creating something delicious in the kitchen. The lemon bars look to be the perfect accompaniment for an English Afternoon Tea, definitely more luxurious than cucumber sandwiches!

Your Lanvin scarf looks great, just the thing to open up the day!

KSL said...

That cole slaw will be added to our Thanksgiving menu this year - just what I was looking for.
I also love pops of orange around, and my mother has kept a large antique blue and white bowl on the kitchen table as a centerpiece for about 45 years, as she made fresh squeezed orange juice every morning for my father who has since died, but she still buys the oranges for the bowl.

Karen said...

Hi Hostess
I love orange second only to green .I have a kitchen aid and it's green I'm so in love with it. Makes cooking a dream.
Kind Regards
Karen

Anonymous said...

Hi Hostess, You always have the most interesting ideas. Going to try the coleslaw right away!
Jen in NY

Greeker than the Greeks said...

It all looks lovely, I will have to try out the lemon bars, lemons...I love them!

Lynne said...

Like that French Chic look . . . very nice!
I must try the Lemon Bars . . .
Enjoy the rest of the week!

Bonnie said...

Love the hints of orange. It is such a happy and creative color. I have made those lemon squares...I agree, they are delicious. Happy Wednesday!

No Sacrifice Bags said...

Lord knows, I always have a lot of glass to clean, so I will definitely check out the Irish Linen Shop!

Love your Lanvin scarf!