Saturday, June 16, 2012

The Humble Egg, Saturday's roses and body image.

The Humble Bungalow stuffed eggs make the rounds.
It really mystifies me that these retro basics are requested for events and always gobbled up quickly.

They are simple, healthy and easy to prepare.
I've been making these for years and probably could make them with one hand tied behind my back.
Good thing too as I have my hands full with Chester these days.

I mix the hard boiled egg yolks with relish, mayonnaise, worchestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, curry powder, salt and pepper.
Mix well and fill the eggs, top with parsley, chill and serve.

The great thing about these stuffed eggs is that you can customize them to suit your palate.
Be creative and have some fun.


Joy is in tatters
(Ode to Joy)
Mr. HB gave this book to me when we were married
 it is a month short of 38 years old.


I wonder what the designer of this egg dish had in mind for the centre section.
I mix it up and often I place olives or cherry tomatoes in the middle.
Today it's a bed of parsley and a few thin slices of orange pepper.


A jolt of coffee has been brewed 
it's helping me to jump start this cloudy Saturday morning.
Molly Johnson is hosting the CBC radio 2 drive...
she's taking us on a trip down music memory lane.


The coffee is Drum Roaster from Cobble Hill
if you love a smooth tasty brew this is the ticket.
This mug was a gift from the student that I sponsored this year.
She shadowed me for 3 weeks and I wish her every success.
It heartens me when I see young women who are wise, capable, sensible
have patience and have realistic expectations of the special needs students.
In a few years I'll be retiring and it's good to know that our kids will be well looked after.


Saturday Roses
Climbing Royal Sunset


I'm Really Not a Waitress
OPI

I cannot believe that I need to return some Land's End clothes that I ordered...
they are too big.
I will reorder them in a smaller size.

Don't think that I am wasting away because I am a size 10-12
still register as overweight by the online BMI calculator.
I'm just whittling away at the middle section
which was making my clothes feel snug and uncomfortable.

Weight and body image are a mine field for many women...
perceptions, reflections
impressions, misconceptions
acceptance
denial
comfort, confidence
reality 

Life is such an interesting journey
it startles me often when I stop and reflect.

How we women never stop growing
how we are constantly reinventing ourselves
learning to love and be joyful in the now
the everyday simple things that keep ticking along 
whether we are fat or thin
tall or short 
pretty or plain
introverted or extroverted
 weak ~ strong
who will you choose to be?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject.


Embrace the beauty that is within
you are an original....

Hostess
XO

24 comments:

L'age moyen said...

I have both a recent and old Joy - the latter was a gift from my mother and came in two paperback volumes which are now held together by elastic bands. Would I throw them away? Never. As for the old classics - mine is a Mary Vicker: a retro combo of mayonnaise, old white cheddar, green onions and bacon all of which are mashed and spread on white bread then toasted. A crowd pleaser.

Congratulations on your slow and steady waist trimming. I now hear the body image talk coming from my daughter as she describes the obsessive behaviour of her 13 year old friends.I'm sorry to say we've made no gains if these girls are any test. Skinny is queen and the skinnier the better. I feel it must be a conspiracy against women and I wish I knew who to hold accountable. Is it commerce? Is it men? Is it us?

LPC said...

Wishing you a very, very happy weekend.

Anonymous said...

Oh I cannot stomach eggs but they do look very tasty.
Well done on the waist whittling, it's a never ending scourge for me.

Lorrie said...

I do love stuffed eggs - we call them deviled eggs. Losing weight in the midsection shows results and is healthy. I often wish I could spread out the weight - my ankles have always been really skinny and could do with some bulking up.

I continue to learn that I make the choices of who I am. I have tendencies one way or another, but my attitudes and behaviours are wholly mine, for good or for bad. I hope I make good choices more than bad ones. Isn't life full of opportunities to reinvent oneself?

Anonymous said...

The devil is certainly in the details of those delicious bites, aren't they? The second edition of JOY! Mine is the eighth and she's, well, feeling her age but still has her wits about. Not bad for finding her buried amongst an old roommate's abandoned goods - Grace Van Zant. I will never forget you : ) Have a beautiful weekend!

La Vie Quotidienne said...

I love eggs prepared this way and you are right...everyone seems to enjoy them.

I have a new little friend at my house too...a la Chester. I will be sharing this on a post as soon as I can get some good photos. She just arrived today...has worn me out and is now sleeping, probably preparing to keep me up wanting to play tonight!

Anonymous said...

Ah, the deviled eggs got my attention. This self-image business has been on my mind. I am anticipating retirement soon...and I've realized that so much, perhaps too much, of my self image is caught up in my occupation. I expect that it will prove to be a major transition.

Susan B said...

Deviled eggs are a favorite of mine. I never actually had a recipe, just messed around until I figured out what I like. And a happy accident, I had no paprika in the house to sprinkle on top, so tried just a pinch of cayenne pepper for color, and gave them just a little "heat" and zing.

I could write tomes on the body image thing. Good for you for the waist whittling. Did you know that statistically the highest longevity corresponds to those with a 25-29 BMI? So maybe those "extra" pounds aren't such a worry overall. I've been seeking out pictures of beautiful women who pre-date our cultural obsession with stick-thinness, like Marilyn Monroe. Reminding myself that the media "norm" now isn't "normal" at all.

Anonymous said...

Our son-in-law (who happens to be an architect by training) love to make deviled eggs for family parties, and he smooths out the "stuffed" part and then with a small stencil and paprika, puts everyone's initials on top of the eggs - very cool.
Deja Pseu is absolutely correct on the BMI 25-29 having the highest longevity. I think it's sort of sad, that we all ( me included ) are spending these years so consumed with still coming to grips with our bodies. It should be about health, and feeling good. There's a Portuguese saying (which of course escapes me now) but it translates roughly into "assuming yourself". A good goal.

Anonymous said...

Good for you! Looking forward to seeing more photos of normal women. I was looking at some old photos comparing Princess Diana and Kate - we all thought Diana was stick thin. She looks positively plump compared to Kate - who is beautiful, but now having the little body, big head look.

Lori said...

I dearly love deviled eggs and yours look wonderful. To me it's sort of like potato salad. . .everybody's version is different in some way. I like to make a batch of deviled eggs and keep them for snacks. We make them for every holiday and get togethers.

I lived with my grandparents growing up and my Grandma had an obsession with thinness. She was constantly telling me that I was fat. I was 16 years old, 5'9" and weighed 130 pounds. That is NOT fat. But she lead me to believe that I was. It saddens me to think of all the wasted years that I bought into her thinking. It led to years of yo-yo dieting. Now that I am older, I know that it is more important for our girls to eat healthy no matter what the dress size says.

Susan B said...

Oh, and may I confess to envy of that deviled egg plate? It's a lovely piece!

J.W. said...

Deviled eggs were the first item my mother taught me to make. They remain a favorite to this day...as do deviled egg plates!

J.W. said...

I enjoyed the photo of Marilyn Monroe and am looking forward to other pics.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I think our body image issues are a combination of media, attitudes and our thoughts.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thanks and wishing the same for you.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Tabitha you look amazing! Whatever you are doing is working well for you.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

If you had fat ankles they might be difficult to hide!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I love the sound of your former room mate's name, rather melodic isn't it?
Joy at any age is a reliable tome.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Oh Adrienne your news is very exciting!!!
we both may need to nap to catch up on our lost sleep.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Reinvention for retirement sounds like fun.
I imagine our wardrobes will be influenced greatly when we are not off to the workplace.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

My sister was in Palm Springs last week and they have a large statue of Marilyn Monroe in the city square, apparently it is touring the country.
It's interesting to note that Marilyn's waist measured around 25 inches despite her large hips and bust...a true hourglass physique.

That is good news on the BMI front I had not heard that news.

Kathy I saw Princess Diana when she visited here and my gosh she was so thin. I cannot imagine why Kate would feel the need to be so skinny.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Wow your son has a flair for decoration!
Our ideals and expectations are often skewed by the media. If fashion magazines and runways are any example, the average woman is not be represented accurately. Size 12 is the average size for a woman.
So I ask you why are we not kicking up a fuss and making some noise?
There should be a magazine for "real women...Perhaps there is one and I have not yet discovered it.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

We need to change the way that women feel the need to be stick insect thin.
I am not advocating obesity either, just a happy medium.