Monday, September 12, 2016

Food, friends and flowers...


Glorious pink rose blooming in The Humble Bungalow Garden.
Pretty pink shade and an intoxicating fragrance...

It has been a lovely weekend with friends and family.

We enjoyed having our dear friends from France visit 
we spent hours chatting and catching up....

There was an abundance of food and the wine flowed.

Beef Daube with a baguette followed by a green salad and rhubarb crisp for dinner the night that they arrived.

Tapas following a cruise up the Gorge waterway on the Harbour ferry on Saturday
then dinner out at a French Bistro.

We met our children and grand children for brunch on Sunday
so our friends could reacquaint themselves with Isla and Henry and meet Mira.
After brunch we drove out to the Marina and took our Sea Ray out for a scenic cruise off the Sidney waterfront.

I have a fridge full of food and will not need to cook for a couple of days!

You can see how much food played a major role in our weekend!

I refuse to step on the scale today.
I do not want a shock.


We enjoyed a cocktails on the deck of The Humble Bungalow


The weather cooperated, the sun shone and there was only a hint of a breeze...


We hosted a casual dinner party and invited a long time friend of our house guests.
The menu was simple and tasty.


veggies skewers with goat cheese in balsamic creme
grilled lamb chops 
salad
a dollop of lemon and dollop of mango sorbet 
served with a square a locally made chocolate for dessert.


A reader asked me to post some of my meals and this one is easy quick and tasty.

My plate has a healthy portion of vegetables
1/2 cup rice
small pork chop in a mustard marmalade glaze.


Brown chops in oil and butter.
Cook until no longer pink and remove from pan, cover with foil.
 De-glaze pan with orange juice
stir in grainy mustard
marmalade
add thyme and Worchestershire sauce and blend.
Add chops back into mixture and cook a few more minutes.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Domestic jobs await...
and they will not get done if I keep typing!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yummy!
It sounds perfect. It is wonderful to spand weekend with friends,family and delicious food,isn't it?
And the best for me are not only leftovers, but the super clean house as well!
Don't worry about scale :-)
Dottoressa

Anonymous said...

Spend-sorry
D.

Marilyn said...

What fun. Old friends, good food and family. Love the cocktail glasses by the way. Those kebabs look so yummy. Keep away from the scales until you have time to compensate.

Jeannine said...

Food looks wonderful. And thanks for the recipe - sounds delicious!

thepoutingpensioner said...

Sounds like you had a great time with your friends and you got the catering spot on Leslie, you must have put a lot of thought into your plans. I love the sound of that marmalade sauce, I'll definitely give that a try, I'll maybe try it with some chicken too. Thank you.

Kathy said...

Looks like a wonderful time! I love the color of your house, and I also love any time you post photos of the inside. What a beautiful home!

Anonymous said...

Dear Hostess, I adore your cocktail glasses - are they vintage? Or still available in shops to buy? If the latter and if you are inclined to share I would greatly appreciate details. Thanks for great post. R

Julie said...

Even your cocktails are artistic. The extra long twist of lemon makes a difference, one I must try.

La Vie Quotidienne said...

It all sounds wonderful...especially the food!

Rosie said...

It sounds like the perfect way to spend the weekend! Really classy cocktail glasses!
Hope your week is going well too ...
Rosie

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

My blinders are on and I will wait a few more days before hopping on the scale!
We hope to see our friends next year sometime if they have time when they make their annual pilgrimage back to Canada.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Cheryl made the kebabs...and they are a guilt free appetizer...fresh and healthy.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Hope you like the recipe...you can use it for chicken breasts or thighs too.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

It is good with chicken...your bottle of bubbly from your sons' 40th looks wonderful!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thank you Kathy, I usually post garden photos in the spring and summer and get back to posting the interior when the rains start falling and obscure the outdoor photo ops!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

They are not vintage...I purchased them many years ago from The Hudsons' Bay store here in Victoria and have seen them in Homesense and Winners too...I think they may be a Tapio Wirrkala design.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

We used the lemon twist as the gin was flavoured and we thought an olive would be too strong...I cannot take the credit for the twist though as I am not as good with the lemon twisting as Mr. HB is!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I ate some leftovers last night and so dinner was quick and easy and I was able to read a few more chapters in my current novel...bliss!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

My week so far is good...thank you Rosie!

Dana said...

Your dining room is so warm and cozy! Thanks for the recipe- looks delicious- I will try it! Love your easy peasy recipes as they are a life-saver! Your blog is always a breath of fresh air- so calming and peaceful.

LPC said...

Oh, Hostess, this all sounds just delicious! You have very fortunate friends!

Anonymous said...

Lovely. You entertain with style and grace. Your beautiful home makes for a perfect setting and atmosphere. The pork dinner looks and sounds delicious. I do believe, with small portions, the diet is still mostly on track. So what if it is slightly off. Time with friends and family is more important. I'm sure your guests had a wonderful time. Susan

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

The wood makes the room feel especially cozy at night...thank you Danielle!
Hope you like the recipe...and you can substitute apricot or peach jam if you do not have marmalade...I have done so in a pinch and they are both yummy!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Hi Lisa! I am so excited to see that you have been traveling with Sue and went to NY fashion week! You two must have had a blast!

Anonymous said...

Looks like a great and easy recipe! Must try sometime! Emily

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Susan you are a gem...thank you for your kind words.
Friends and family are way more important than perseverating on points!
We had so much fun and I am a wee bit sad because I do not know when we will see them again...unless I get on a plane which I may have to do and revisit Paris and the SW of France.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Hope you like it Emily!