Sunday, December 28, 2014

Post Christmas Wrap Up....

Mr. HB gave me a new Butter Dish by Emma Bridgewater which I love as it is in my favourite Black Toast pattern but more than that it is really very apropos...



One of our cats, Pepper, has earned the nickname "Butter Lick-er"
She can smell the butter on the counter in the butter dish, which has a cover and she often is caught licking the outside of the butter dish which is really kind of gross and so unhygienic.


Now if she could read...
we'd be in terrible trouble!

Last week I met up with some girlfriends for lunch at Rebar  and was served the most amazing kale salad.
I decided to try to replicate it and I think it was quite successful so I thought that I would share it with you all.


I used small tomatoes that are sold on the vine and cut them in half.


Sprinkled them with sea salt and fresh ground pepper and a lean drizzle of olive oil.
Roasted them in a hot oven until they were soft...about 15 minutes.


I thinly sliced two onions.


I put them in a cast iron pan with a bit of olive oil and a small knob of butter and cooked them until they were transparent.



A secret I learned about carmelized onions is that they love a dollop of brown sugar and a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar...don't ask why it works, try it and you will be happy you did.


Gently wilt a bunch of kale leaves in a small amount of water...
(remember to remove the inner tough stalk and discard)

In a jam jar 
mix 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of vinegar...screw the lid on tightly and shake.


Shave some Asiago cheese...
put kale on a plate, top with carmelized onions, add tomatoes, and top with dresssing and shaved cheese.

Enjoy!


I went online and found a recipe for turkey tetrazzini and it was yummy but not WW point friendly.
I'm going to need to get back on track after New Years!
We have been walking a lot but it doesn't really compensate for all the extra treats that have been consumed with gay abandon!


Chester has had a rough day...
I guess I won't be cooking dinner tonight unless he moves!

We took the tree down earlier and I vacuumed up the fir needles...
I cannot believe how much preparation we do to get ready for Christmas...
and then it's over so quickly...

We are leaving some of the decorations up as we are hosting New Years Dinner here for two other couples.

We will have our friends John and Cheryl here visiting for a few days too.

I'm looking forward to seeing them...
Cheryl and I plan the meals, shop and cook together in the kitchen
 we all go for long walks
there is a lot of chatting and catching up
we plan to take in a Yoga class
I'm going to ask them to tell me more about Paris and Auvillar.

So I may not be posting much here on the blog...
I'm sure you'll understand.

Happy New Year!

Hostess 

27 comments:

La Vie Quotidienne said...

Love your butter dish. Miss Twiggley's bad habit is drinking water from the kitchen faucet...it's okay when we are alone but not suited for company!!! Cats will be cats and when determined to do something very hard to stop.

Have a very happy New Year...I have all of my grandchildren coming over to help me celebrate, I will cook them a traditional prime rib dinner which they all love.

Susan B said...

What a cute butter dish! The salad looks yummy. We're having a few people over for New Years, may make Raclette again which also isn't WW-friendly. But it's SO good, and only once a year...

Sheila said...

Reading over a few entries...looks like you had a lovely holiday, Leslie! Merry Christmas to you!

Anonymous said...

All the best in the New Year Hostess!, lovely post as always and lovely gift. Today I found that my local Chapters had Emma Bridgewater paper napkins in the Black Toast pattern on sale, needless to say, I purchased two packs. Best regards, Luciana from Edmonton.

Susan said...

Your salad recipe looks really delicious! I am going to try it.

Very cute butter dish--and evidently very appropriate for your house!

Grace @ Sense and Simplicity said...

That kale recipe looks delicious. I always find kale a pain to use because of habing tomcut the stem out of each leaf so i don't often buy it. I know it is a super food so i need to work on that.

Pondside said...

Happy New Year Hostess! What an eventful year it's been - and 2015 is shaping up to be an exciting one for you. Have a grand New Year's Eve at home with friends - sure to be just right!

Madame Là-bas said...

You post the most mouth-watering recipes. I have not been very careful about WW during the holidays so I must recommit. So far, there has been no big transformation but I will persevere. Today is a walk and lunch day so I will have one small glass of wine and a light meal. WW has taught me to just "start again" when I fall off the wagon. No guilt or shame, just renewed commitment. Have a happy time with your friends at New Years. 2015 has lots in store for you!

materfamilias said...

Happy New Year! And thank you for that recipe--I'm a big fan of kale salads, and that one looks great (I also have a weakness for caramelized onion and I agree that brown sugar and balsamic make it even better).

Veronica Roth said...

Happy New Year in a little advance to you and your family Hostess! :D Don't talk to me of butter licking cats...I've got one. My Morgan is the kitchen fiend from hell. I use those vintage pressed glass butter holders but love your Emma Bridgewater dish. So much E.B. in England I usually stay away from it...sort of like the ubiquitous Cath Kidson. But, near us in the next village (Aston, OXON) is a little pottery place and they produce, one of a kind, painted under the glaze pieces. Anyway, I'm waffling on again. I hope you have a fabulous New Year's celebration and have so much fun with your friends. We're only just starting to slow down and actually have a bit of a holiday round here. Christmases in Van are so full of family obligations that it's usually way past Christmas by the time we get a break, so rest day today and I get to catch up on all your lovely blog posts which I missed. Big hugs to you and yours. :D

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Both our cats drink from the kitchen tap!!
Your traditional New Year's Eve dinner sounds delicious and fun...
Happy New Year Adrienne!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

With all these wonderful dinners it is very difficult to stay on track...I'll be determined to eat better come January 2nd!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thank you Sheila and Happy New Year!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Ooh lucky you...
we have one shop in town that stocks some of Emma Bridgewater's things but I never thought to look at Chapters...thank you for the tip.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Sheepishly I agree it is a perfect choice of butter dish...cats do appear to rule our house.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

You can buy kale in those plastic containers in the produce section of the super markets...they are washed and ready to go...a bit more expensive than regular kale but if you need convenience this is the way to go!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I hope that you are settling in nicely in your new home and when you have a free moment I'd love to pop over for a visit. Happy New Year!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Renewed commitment is the way I am thinking too...enjoy your lunch. The sun is shining here and it is a cheery day for a walk.
Happy New Year!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Hope you like it mater...it would be lovely with some of pater's homemade bread and a glass of wine!
Cheers and Happy New Year!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Ah it is great to hear that our Pepper is not alone in her bad habit of butter licking!
I have a weakness for Emma's Black Toast pattern...Cath Kidson does some charming prints too and they have a very English Country feel to them.
Hope the sun is shining on your part of Vancouver today...it is cold, crisp and sunny here right now...
take care,
Leslie

Coulda shoulda woulda said...

Love that recipe - I haven't seen one with kale and melted cheese. Love the pic of that cat on the stove. Wishing you a happy new year!

Anonymous said...

Happy new year hostess and thank you for all the lovely posts this year. Sadly way too much cat info for me this time. When it came to the salad just kept imagining cat hair in it and as for the cat on the stove... I'd be taking you out to dinner if I was a house guest! LOL. On a more serious note why do you take down your christmas tree so soon? Is that usual in Canada? Mary

Northmoon said...

That butter dish is delightful, perfect find. I've got a cat with a taste for butter licking too. I keep my butter in a cupboard and must remember to always close the doors on both halves right away or he's climbing in there.

The onions with balsamic vinegar sound delicious, not sure if I'm ready for kale salad though. Enjoy your company, and all the best in 2015.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Mary I quite agree...too much cat stuff in this post, such is my life.
If you could see me with my apron on and in one hand the bottle of Methid cleaner, in the other a cloth....constantly wiping and cleaning my countertops and stove. I would be mortified if anyone found cat hair in their food. We do have standards to maintain here in the Humble Bungalow. We usually take our tree down New Years Day but are having guests for dinner on NYE and will be too busy enjoying the company of our friends to take it down while they are visiting. Where do you live Mary and when do you take down your tree?

Anonymous said...

Dear Hostess, do hope I didn't offend you. As a regular reader of your blog I am in no doubt as to the high standards of cleanliness and care you take with your beautiful home. Apologies if my comment implied otherwise. It was meant lightheartedly. We take our tree and decorations down after the 6th January - Little Christmas. In Ireland it's known as Nollaig na mBan (women's christmas). Traditionally it was a day of rest for the women after all the christmas preparations.Enjoy your visitors and I look forward to more posts when you have time (even the cat bits!) Mary

No Sacrifice Bags said...

Your kale salad looks positively scrumptious!

Happy New Year, Leslie!

kristieinbc said...

Thanks for the kale salad recipe - it looks terrific! I really need to try out the Rebar restaurant on one of my visits to Victoria. I agree about how there is so much preparation for Christmas, then you blink your eyes and it's finished. Happy New Year!