Christmas Gifts
Kosta Boda Rose pattern crystal votives.
Gift from darling daughter and her husband.
I love the design and the icy light from the candles.
The festive season was a bit different this year due to catching Covid.
My husband and I both had it earlier in December.
I have scarred lungs from repeated bouts of pneumonia
so when I get a cold (or Covid) I tend to get a chesty cough.
We went to our son's home for Christmas morning where we exchanged gifts and had brunch.
I made Jacques Pepin's French Toast Bake, a fruit salad and sausages with croissants.
The kids were so excited!!!
Lovely to see their enthusiasm and joy.
Here is the island that Mr. HB made for our son's home.
It was a summer project and I have serious Island Envy!!!
I didn't have a ton of energy and so I had to give up on most of the baking.
Fortunately I had prepared the candied nuts ahead of time
the chocolate bark is a quick recipe to make.
(posted the recipe in a previous blogpost)
Food is a BIG part of our traditional celebrations...
turkey and lots of side dishes.
Simple table setting...
using
red and greens.
The cute little tree was found in our Cook Street Village Garden Centre.
I used it as our centrepiece on the Christmas table...
The turkey was about 10 pounds...
I made stuffing, maple glazed carrots, whipped potatoes, sweet potatoes, Brussells sprouts with pancetta, gravy and cranberry sauce.
Dessert was Panna Cotta with Italian sour cherries in syrup.
Served in an iittala Ultima Thule Glass
We have quite a few pieces of Tapio Wirkkala's Icy Modernist Crystal.
It was popular when we got married in 1974 and is still in business today.
After Boxing Day...
made a small batch of Yorkshire puddings to add to the leftovers.
Turkey Soup
Candles in The Humble Bungalow Kitchen above the Farmhouse Sink.
This morning I woke early...
have been going to bed before 10:00 most nights.
Coffee in the dark and thoughts swirling...
felt a surge of energy to get some decluttering done.
The car was loaded up and I dropped off the donations around noon.
Starting downstairs in the guest and hobby rooms.
Still a few more things to deal with but it feels way better!!
Funny thing that has happened since I had to cancel my haircut...
I have been using the flat iron and straightening it...
I think it is "growing on me"
Not perfect
getting to the stage where I can wear it up in a French Roll
or put it in a scrunchie for a loose ponytail.
So I suppose that's enough rambling for one post...
Hope that you had a wonderful Festive Season.
Hope that you are staying healthy and are avoiding Covid.
Let me know how things are going...do you declutter after the holidays?
~ Be Well and Be Kind ~
18 comments:
Your festive food all looks absolutely delicious, and beautiful in your Modern crystal. I love the rose votives, just gorgeous. The island is amazing, what a gifted maker is Mr HB. I have serious turkey envy - I always used to cook one at Christmas, but gave up over recent years as they are more difficult to find. This year I really tried, but the cheapest I found was $116, just too much. Meantime, my daughter in Ottawa bought hers for $40. Such a difference in the supply chain between our countries. Your hair looks really cute with the straightening. I do that sometimes too. Happy New Year.
COVID hit two of the three of us last week so we didn't get to celebrate with the extended family and gifts are still under the tree waiting for healthy days in the new year. C'est la vie. I love everything you post, thank you for another year of sharing simple beauty. Happy New Year. My word for 2024 is peace.
Happy new year! Liking the new look for your hair..elegant…
What a beautiful island your husband built! And all your Christmas decor is lovely! Your turkey dinner looks delicious!
I am at home resting with Influenza A caught from a Christmas guest. I got to catching up on blogs. Your Christmas looks lovely. All your crystal pieces are beautiful. I was just lamenting to my husband yesterday that my electric kettle is fast but I miss the whistle of the old stove top kettles. Can you tell me the brand of your kettle and if you would recommend it?
Happy New Year,
Jan
Such a joy to see your ambitious feast and holiday decor. I tested positive for Covid on Christmas, a real shock to me.
A quiet week with rest, lots of tea. Slowly regaining strength so I’m putting away my holiday decor a little at a time. No rush.
Your new “ do” looks quite nice.
Hi Leslie! Glad you are getting over your covid. I've talked to so many people who'd avoided it all together until this Fall.
Love those beautiful rose Kosta Boda votive holders. My best friend lives in Sweden and I have a Kosta Boda "snowball" candle holder she brought as a gift on a visit here a few years ago, precious to me.
Trying to decide when to take the holiday decor down, probably by next weekend at latest. Yes, feels like time to declutter, and the wardrobe too.
Your food all looks great. What a beautiful island your husband made for your son.
Tried to grow my pixie cut out this past month, then this morning I went shorter than ever. Your style looks perfect on you.
Making pappardelle with mushroom ragu tomorrow night. Finished "Mrs. England" yesterday, enjoyed it so much I'll look for the author's other books now.
Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!
Brenda
Festive Greetings Leslie!
I have always found the space between Christmas and New Year's the perfect time to declutter after the many excesses. My brother gifted me with one of Don Aslett's wonderful declutter books 30 years ago and I have been an acolyte ever since. It's the perfect time to de-clutter, clean and reset for the coming year. Marguerite
Patricia ~ Mr HB is a very clever fellow...OH $116 does seem like a lot for a turkey...but we would pay that for a prime rib of beef roast. Our turkey was about 10 pounds and cost around $30. I think that I will keep growing my hair until I can pop it in a pony tail which will be particularly good for the aqua fit classes I attend! Best wishes for 2024
Stacey ~ Peace would be my wish for 2024...sorry to hear about your Covid at Christmas. Seems like the new variant spreads so fast. Hope you are on the mend and that you can enjoy the start to the New Year.
Laura J ~ Happy New Year! Hope that you have a wonderful start to 2024.
Susan ~ I appreciate my husband's creative talents and have much to be grateful for here in The Humble Bungalow. He was the energy and design force behind the restoration. Happy New Year!
Jan ~ I hope that you are feeling better...lots of respiratory viruses happening here too. The kettle is by Chantal and they are available in a wide variety of colours. I found it several years ago at Marshalls or Homesense...shop at both and cannot remember which one!! Best wishes for 2024
Brenda N ~ Glad to hear that you enjoyed Mrs. England.
I bet your new short cut is very chic...very French too! Do you wear red lipstick and pearls?
I have 2 of those Kosta Boda snowball votives...found them in Charity Shops. LOVE the icy reflections when the votives are glowing. My wardrobe has been pared down a lot over the past few years as I have become a minimalist and mindful of what I buy, BUT I think I will give each piece a good assessment and decide if any things need to be replaced or discarded.
Happy New Year!
Marguerite ~ That book must be good if you have kept it all these years! I found that my tastes have changed...I like to display a few things...cannot abide clutter these days. I suppose it is a form of control when things around us are in chaos.
Happy decluttering and all the best for 2024.
It's only sensible to scale back when you're recovering from illness, and I'm so glad you had a good Christmas celebration with your family. Your Scandinavian glass is so pretty with candles and with that delicious looking dessert. I hope you continue to feel better and gain energy every day.
I began taking down some Christmas decor today and will continue tidying up tomorrow. Next week the renovations will begin again as my husband works on the staircase and lays the hardwood floor in the living room. So things are still not in their correct places in the house and I'm looking forward to when it's all done.
Happiest of New Years to you, dear Leslie.
Finally catching up on your blogs and daily posts. Early December went into hospital for the insertion of a pacemaker. Great surprise to me. A week earlier my heart actually stopped for a full 10 seconds, knowing now that it could have caused a stroke going into A-Fib or having a heart attack. It was caught by a loop recorder they had implanted a year before. And to further complicate the surgery they found my right lung had partially collapsed! Spent the next 5 days in the hospital after insertion of a chest tube. Just now starting to get some of my energy back. Christmas was very quiet and very good friends cooked our entire Christmas dinner and brought it over! I loved seeing all of your beautiful pictures of the decorations in your home and the delicious looking foods you prepared. Glad you recovered from COVID!!
Lorrie ~ Happy New Year!
You must be so pleased to have your new kitchen finished for Christmas, baking and cooking must have been so much fun! Sounds like you have a new renovation starting soon! It must be like having a new house when it is all done.
I am feeling a bit more energy and enjoyed aquafit class this morning.
Dianne Coop ~ Oh dear that's too bad about the unexpected health issues that you are dealing with...thankfully modern science can make these problems manageable. Take it slow now and heal before you try to do too much...sounds like you have the right attitude and I hope your medical team are excellent.
Best wishes for 2024
Look at you and your flat-ironed hair! I love it! Do be cautious and ensure you use heat-protecting products, as it can fry your hair if you overdo it.
Your house, food and decorations are gorgeous! Happy Happy!
What a lovely post despite your suffering. Hope you quickly regain your former energy. Love those candle holders. What a beautiful gift.
Happy New Year, Leslie.
Seems to me you did an ample amount of cooking of very delicious-looking things, notwithstanding being laid low by Covid!
Sheila ~ Oh yes I have a tube of protector from the salon...I might need to buy another one if I keep up with the flat iron!! Happy New Year!
Christy ~ Have regained the pre Covid energy and was able to attend the two aqua fit classes last week...Hope 2024 is starting off well for you.
Judith ~ It was a funny few days ahead of the turkey feast...cook, rest, repeat!! Happy New Year!
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