December 6th...Fairy Lights, a Christmas Tree and Fruitcake

 

Are you in Christmas baking mode yet?

I'm not making a ton of sweet things but have a few basic recipes on the go...

I make shortbread and mince tarts.

This year I decided to make a simple fruit loaf and searched on line to find a recipe that was quick, easy and could be made as a single loaf.

I found one on the Lord Byron website...

Holiday Fruitcake 

I brewed up a small pot of strong tea and added all the fruit to steep.

The rest of the ingredients are mixed in and then popped into a prepared loaf pan.

Bake about 55-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out cleanly...

I highly recommend this fruitcake!

My candles had melted onto the candle holders

which I cleaned in super hot water in the sink using a soft scrubby.

 Plus I needed to replace the wee ones with new candles.

I love the scent of beeswax as they burn...

and they are a "clean" burning candle.

Honey Candles are a BC company.

Easy to find in the shops and even our grocery store stocks them.

Frequently they go on sale so that's a good time to stock up...

they make great gifts too!

So I have a wee confession...

I absolutely HAD TO BUY new jeans.

My old MNG pair were hanging off me and the butt area was SO BAGGY...

it was terrible...

(I've lost over 12 pounds)

I was on The Avenue mailing Christmas cards...

wearing said baggy jeans under my long puffer vest...

Feeling SHABBY.

Well fitting clothes really DO matter.

I happened to go into Nicholas Randall to look for some gifts.

Spied a pair of jeans made by SPANX :-))

Did you know that SPANX made jeans?

( I didn't!)

They have a smooth waist, back pockets, and wide legs.

Tried them on and Bingo they fit...

smooth around the hips and derriere

wider legs for a bit of fun.

They were not cheap

 but I didn't give that a second thought...

I have one other pair.of jeans...

(they too are baggy)

Will see if I can salvage them by having them altered...

as they were new in the summer.

If not I will consign them...

The fairy lights are glowing...

orchids are in bloom.

Things are looking Festive.

The house is feeling warmer with the lights and the Christmas tree.

I'd say they are positive mood shifters during these cooler grey days of December.

Bought some new walking shoes by Remonte 

(by Rieker)

which will replace my New Balance shoes from 2019.

These are very comfy and have great support.

(on sale for half price)

Darling Daughter found me a pair of Tod's driving Mocs at the thrift shop !!

These are suede so will be dry weather shoes...

Tod's Gommino Penny Bar Driving Shoes  

(NEW price well beyond my budget)

So when Jennifer asked if I would be interested I said SURE!

She's got a great eye for bargains and quality.

My OOTD is uber casual...

LuLuLemon Black Yoga pants

Gap Faded Denim shirt

Cashmere socks

Slippers

I'm

dusting and vacuuming

knitting and reading

and

making soothing chicken vegetable soup.

You can see the melted wax on these candle holders here...

my current murder mystery book

by Caroline Graham

Chief Inspector Barnaby of Midsomer Murder Fame.

Love a good murder mystery book...

If you celebrate the Festive Season...

Are you getting ready for Christmas?

Do you send cards?

Have you started decorating?

Shopping?

Making Gifts?

What recipes are you planning to make?

We will have a fairly quiet time here in The Humble Bungalow this year...

I'm not planning much entertaining as my hips are not great.

I have good days and bad days.

I am still coming to terms with this...

I do accomplish stuff but need to take breaks in between tasks.

It is all completely new and I am figuring out as I go...

Any how...

Hope that you are doing well and enjoying the start to the festive season.

Merry Christmas

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Yoga and Knitting Retreat ~ Stowell Lake Farm

 

I attended a 5 day Yoga and Knitting Retreat at

Stowell Lake Farm located on Salt Spring Island.

The Farmstand is full of fresh farm grown produce, plants, herbs, fresh soups,

and teas.

I bought some tea and a canvas tote bag.

We had the option to practice 90 minute Yoga sessions twice a day.

There was a 30 minute morning meditation before breakfast.

During the day there were opportunities to walk the property.

  Afternoons had knitting workshops and a knitting circle.

The meals were served buffet style 

with vegetarian dishes using veggies grown on the farm.

It was a wonderful venue and there were comfy cozy rooms.

There were yurts with rooms and a communal bath house.

I stayed in The Village Building just across from the modernized Barn.

Fountain and fire pit with chairs...

reminded me a bit of Provence...

the periwinkle blue chairs and the sound of the water.

The barn is spacious and warmed by a wood burning fireplace.

These tables were where we ate our meals and had our workshops.

There were many cozy couches and chairs...

foot stools and side tables.

Perfect for making connections while knitting

Tea, chats and knitting...all go so well together.

Books, projects, an emotional support chicken...

I had never heard of these emotional support chickens.

Apparently they started during Covid and people are knitting them to give away to people who could use a little bit of comfort.

One of the participants has made over 80 of these chicken and has randomly given them to people she meets.

There were 30 women in attendance as guests.

Several knitting instructors and our Yoga teacher and her assistant.

Two women made the trek from Whitehorse.

Several came from Alberta and the rest of us were from Victoria, Vancouver and the lower mainland.

Lighting was excellent in the evenings.

 Most of us wore our knitting 

neck lights.

I finished Alexandra's Airplane Scarf on the last evening.

I now need a new project :-))

There was a local pop up shop from Salt String Wool Shop

a guest from the Weavers Guild

and 

a felting workshop.

The cloth is laid atop a foam block and you use fuzzy wool

and a straight needle ~ poke up and down to secure the yarn to the cloth.

It was a new thing for me...my little scene is rather loose

but I got the idea behind the craft.

~ Bowls on display ~ 

Nature focused 

 shells, rocks, dried flowers, antlers.

~ The Farm Stand ~

~ Rock Walls ~

Sunshine was welcomed as most of the weather was rainy.

I took the opportunity to go and explore the farm.

Several families live on the vast acreage...

 The Seven Seasons of Stowell Lake Farm,

a book

which has the history and the story of how the families came to the farm.

It goes into detail of how the farm functions... the animals and the crops they grow.

Recipes from the various seasons are published.

It was published in 2018 and many of the younger children are now adults.

The retreats are offered from March to November

Yoga is a popular retreat as there is a large Yoga studio on site.

This was my first retreat and I plan to attend next year.

The Farm is incredibly peaceful, the food is yummy and the beds are cozy.

Meeting 30 women who share the love of knitting and practise Yoga 

makes for an easy introduction and the formulation of friendship flows.

I am slowly getting back to my routine...

been reading a LOT 

Broken Country is one of the best books I have read in the last few months...

I read a wide variety of books and am always impressed by a page turner.

This story had and held my attention from the first page.

I think it's a winner!!

Works that are resonating with me...

As I breathe deeply

embracing

Gratitude, Peace, Contentment.

A few days away practising Yoga in a warm sun filled studio

has worked it's magic.

I'm ready to start some festive decorating, 

do some baking 

get together with friends and family 

to celebrate The Joys of the Season.

Hope that you are doing well.

Thank you for stopping by to read my Humble Blog.

Until next time...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Calm, Quiet, and Cozy Cocooning...

Am enjoying a very peaceful morning here in The Humble Bungalow...

Hot Coffee, read a few chapters in my new book.

Took a hot shower

 prepped the sourdough bread.

Beeswax melting slowly...pooling and coating the icy candlestick.

Oddly the other beeswax candles are not dripping like this one.

Perhaps there is a story behind this?

I did a quick search and the internet says...

The wick was too short...a tall pillar candle needs a wick that is 1/2 an inch

 ~ OR ~

the candle had not been burned long enough the first time to establish a "memory" which prevents tunnelling.

Who Knew?

(I know now)

I made a batch of my Christmas nuts...

they are a favourite among friends and family.

Very simple to make and they are a great Hostess Gift!

~ Christmas Nuts ~ 

2 cups each ~ almonds, walnuts, pecans

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. allspice

2 tsp.cinnamon

2 tsp. coriander

2 tsp. ginger

2 egg whites

3 tbsp. water

In a large bowl:

Sprinkle nuts with sugar and spices.

Beat egg whites and add water, mix into bowl of nuts.

Spread on a buttered sheet pan.

Bake at 275 degrees for an hour...turn once after 30 minutes.

Add to jars when out of oven, leave lids off until they are cool.

(if you let the nuts cool on the pan they stick!)

Enjoy

Patterns galore....

New to me...

Linen and feather pillow.

~ Above the Farmhouse Sink ~

a wide ledge for an array of "things"

my daily view.

I like to look at at variety of things when I do my dishes.

Candles, flowers, and the occasional seasonal accents frequently appear.

WOW 

what an amazing book.

Sensitive subject matter but so incredible.

A MUST READ

I dried oranges in the oven and wired them to a wreath with greenery.

The oranges are sliced thinly then dabbed with a paper towel

 to soak up some of the juices...

place slices on a parchment lined sheet pan 

Bake at 275 for about 2 hours turning every 30 minutes until dried but not browned.

~ OOTD ~

Ralph Lauren quilted barn coat

MNG jeans

Chelsea Boots by Clarks

Scarf by Petrusse

not shown...

Eileen Fisher long sleeved black top

Rainy day walk at Marshalls :-))

aisle walking and perusing...

checked out the sweaters, only wanted wool or cashmere 

found 2 to try on but neither ticked all the boxes.

Found a Christmas gift for one of the grandchildren...

New book...

Both Mr. HB and I like Richard Osman's books.

Light reading, very engaging and rather fun.

Making progress on my Alexandra's Airplane Scarf 

( a Churchmouse Pattern)

 Knitting For Olive Silk Mohair Yarn

One more skein to knit on and it is a darker shade of blue.

So soft and cozy...

will be a wonderful neck warmer for the winter weather :-))

Hope your week is off to a great start...

I've got an exciting getaway planned for a few days.

Will tell you more in the next post...

until then

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Early morning post...a bit of this and that.

 

Time is flying along and I find the days full and rewarding...

Lately I have been pacing myself.

A wide variety of tasks await here in The Humble Bungalow.

Homekeeping

Baking

Creative pursuits

Reading

There are many choices and I like to mix them up...

a wee bit of work balanced with some knitting or reading

accompanied always with mug full of hot tea.

Tea has been my saviour during these past few weeks...

I've been reducing my food intake to shed a few pounds.

It is a challenge and a much needed focus.

Refining my diet to include protein with every meal...

adding fibre and a colourful array of vegetables.

So far I have lost about 8 pounds...

I cannot really see it but my jeans are looser.

The difficulty seems to be my stamina which is waning due to the chronic hip pain.

I won't go into much detail, suffice to say it is not pleasant.

I am embracing distractions at every turn :-))

This book was brilliant...I will be seeking out more of his many novels.

I've been baking sourdough french baguettes on repeat...

freezing them and giving some away.

The trick to the crust is to bake them above a roasting pan filled with ice.

Mr. HB bought this fabulous baguette pan for me...

it's a game changer.

Graham Thomas roses are putting on their last flush...

I asked Mr. HB to bring them inside so I could appreciate their beauty.

The petals are dropping off as I expected but their fragrance is strong.

~ Small Joys ~

These are especially important to me...

they lift my spirits and I find them soothing.

Those that are free and cost nothing are the BEST.

Perhaps that's what we gardener's enjoy the most?

The foraging habit continues to delight and reward me.

Pine cones, seashells, sea glass, free things on the nearby boulevards.

Books in the many wee free libraries.

So many things on offer.

Oh and this yummy recipe.

I can't remember if I shared this delicious pork 

marinade with you before?

Pork loin rib roast, 

I use the marinade to cook the roast in too.

So good...

easy too and most things are already in the fridge or pantry.

Let me know if you make it...

Our Christmas Cactus is in bloom.

I bought this orange variety last year, we have pink ones too.

Madly love these matte white McCoy planters with the drip tray attached.

Have been on the hunt for more 

Ebay and Etsy

but they seem to be as rare as hen's teeth.

When your cup and coaster match your knitting project...

Alexandra's Airplane Scarf

Churchmouse pattern using Knitting For Olive yarn

from my favourite local shop The Beehive.

So relaxing knitting this pattern...

quiet, meditative and great with a hot mug of tea.

Needs Must :-))

The front Hallway here in The Humble Bungalow.

Baskets galore...

dried hydrangeas and an antique pot.

Sourced locally from an estate sale about 30 years ago.

The woman having the sale showed me around each room filled with treasures.

I would have purchased many things if I had a wallet stuffed with cash.

Back in those days 

We lived within a tight budget,

 so extra expenditures were purchased with a LOT of thought

careful not to over extend ourselves.

The last "room" Mrs. Lettuce (not sure of the spelling) showed me was her garage.

Inside was a jumble of tools, an old car, a canoe, some old machinery...

and a bunch of pots and this antique pot with a chip in the rim.

I bought it for $10 or $20 dollars...

The large palatial home is still standing on the original site on Woodstock Street.

A new house has been built behind the old house...

I can still see Mrs. Lettuce working in her garden...

wearing her tweed skirt and cashmere sweater set.

Her messy bun and those serious black oxford shoes.

She was such a delight to chat with as I pushed the pram past her home all those many years ago..

a real character full of vim and vigour

such a charming gardener

full of knowledge 

and classy

in a genuine "old school" way.

Translation...in case you might like to know = old money.

Reminds me of The Duchess of Devonshire.

Hang in there...

a creepy spider waiting in its web for a tasty meal.

I've been "organizing" my baking stuff...

bought some Classic Anchor Hocking glass jars for the counter.

I got tired pulling out all my supplies from the cupboards.

Even though they take up valuable real estate I find them super handy.

I've been up for about an hour now and I am in desperate need of a frothy Espresso!

Hope you are keeping well and enjoying the small joys of the season. 

Take care and thank you for stopping by

The Humble Bungalow Blog.

Until next time...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~