Sea Scallops

While we were on our boating holiday in the Gulf Islands we invited our lovely daughter to join us for a weekend.
Seafood reigns supreme onboard our Chris Craft and not to disappoint we kept the theme going and bought some sea scallops. There are many ways to serve these tasty morsels and I have tried numerous recipes and as we sat chatting about how we should prepare these...lovely daughter grabbed her IPhone.
(which is never far from her reach!)
She googled scallop recipes...she found this great one and while my BFF (whose boat was tied up next to ours) and I sipped our cocktails she prepped this delicious appetizer...
did I mention that I have a very clever daughter?

It could be a main course if served with a salad.

Don't they look delicious?

cooked and prepared in our teeny tiny galley

served on the aft deck in the sunshine.

If you'd like to make this dish

go here for the recipe.

Bon appetit!

Weekend recap...

Summer weekends in the rain onboard the Chris Craft is a time for cocooning with a great book a mug of tea and a cozy blanket.

Vintage 1957 Constellation

 original for the most part

compact 

and 

snug.

Our weekend getaway

I like to think of it as our floating waterfront cottage!

The stresses of the city leave the minute we step aboard.

Life on the boat is easy.

Domestics are quickly finished

meals are simple and tasty

and 

slumber comes swiftly after all the fresh air.

I love the hum of this lifestyle

and could easily fall into a routine of quiet 

 days 

where the only clock is an inner timepiece

dictating meal times based on hunger

and bedtimes based on fatigue.

I am halfway through Cool Water

which is set in the prairie town of Juliet, Sask. 

Dianne weaves an interesting story of eccentric characters whose lives are intertwined

with such deft skill that you are pulled into the town life 

and feel like you are sitting amongst them watching from the front porch swing!

Pepper is at ease

she has settled in quite nicely now that the noisy motors have stopped!

Bobbing on the calm ocean she has found many spots to snooze.

She has been brave enough to come up on the back deck and explore

we need to keep our eyes on her as she is fascinated by the water

and we really do not want her to jump in and go for a swim!

Twinkling crystal encrusted Lily Blues

and a sparkling rippled sea.

A floral bouquet painted for the sole purpose to remind me of my garden

(one of my early works)

when the garden bouquet wilts 

I still have these...

The rain has stopped for now

and there has been some sunshine

there are grey clouds gathering

I plan to finish my book and start in on another.

I enjoyed Isabel's novel A Vintage Affair 

I am looking forward to this one.

My wardrobe for the boat is very minimal and practicality not fashion sets the tone.

If I were to give my nautical attire a theme it would be active wear.

It all fits into a medium size sturdy Lands End tote.

Lands End tank tops

one in in navy and one pink 

both with white polka dots

white Joe tank tops

quick dry pants for kayaking

a waterproof anorak cream with grey accents

 that folds into a pocket size 

a Lululemon hoodie in grey and cream

Buffalo grey cargo pants

shorts

a fleece jacket by Royal Robbins

a grey and white jersey dress

2 bathing suits

one black with white polka dots

one black and white print

flip flops

Sperry deck shoes

nightie and warm socks.

I need to close for now and catch up on some blog reading...

before I get back to my book!

Friend and artist...Cheryl Fortier

Cheryl Fortier is a BC artist and a personal friend
she spends time in her Vancouver BC studio
and in Auvilar, France as a host for the VCCA

She lives aboard a classic Chris Craft in False Creek
she has a lovely husband, dear friend to mine...
a skilled I.T. guy, photographer, navigator, scotch drinker and wine connoisseur...

Seen here about to partake in fresh Dungeness Crab Cakes...
caught by Mr. HB one of the the best crab hunters and catchers I have known.

The Humble Bungalow Hostess's specialty at anchor...
crab cakes served with my BFF 's amazing ginger dip.

Cheryl is at home on the sea

prawns anyone?

Mr. HB and I have enjoyed many a cruise together with Cheryl and her hubby

theirs is the large Chris Craft 

originally powered by 3 motors

we are the smaller vessel

powered by two

sharing an anchorage 

tied together

going nowhere

and somewhere

sharing time

bobbing

and ebbing

on the tides

Cruising is all about the journey

and we are steering a course

of friendship

                                          We are fortunate to have a few pieces of her work....

Cabbage Island, BC 

I commissioned her paint the Humble Bungalow

 a gift to my husband a few years back for Christmas

she has captured it brilliantly.

                                                         She has been very generous...

 watercolour of a totem 

 Queen Charlotte Islands, BC

which has a place of honour in our dining room

and 

fresh from France

circa 2011

Poppies painted on antique French linen

framed floating in glass

with the Humble Bungalow green paint in the bathroom as a backdrop!

I fell in love...

"still life with apples"

and

wave pattern china

(which we both have and use on our vintage Chris Crafts)

I purchased this on a surprise visit to her studio during the Vancouver Eastside Cultural Crawl.

here she is cooking in the Humble Bungalow

French cuisine

naturally

she's so beautiful...

looking very chic

on a cold winter walk

her smile is bright and genuine

she has a passion for colour 

evidenced in her art

clothing and accessories

she embraces life with zest 

I find that trait enviable and admirable

balanced and strengthened with the practice of Yoga

she embodies grace

and

her spirit is light

 she's started a new blog 

here

please go visit and say hi 

it's her birthday...

say that I sent you!

Happy Birthday Cheryl

Hugs from the Hostess!

Bungalow Hostess is now a Boat Hostess!

I have traded the Bungalow for a Boat for a few days of rest and relaxation....

View from starboard...

aft...

Port...

We are putting some nautical miles between home and where we are going.

It feels energizing and there's a sense of optimism that comes with the freedom of our relaxed boat pace.

I pack light..

after all it's a small boat....

35 feet and when they built her in 1957 she was meant to be a day boat.

In the marina there are many US boats

  one as far away as Santa Barbara, California

We are the only Classic Wooden vessel at this time,

most are what we call Gin Palaces...

large Fiberglass yachts with flying bridges and all the bells and whistles...

and frequently a distinguished gentleman with a very attractive

 "trophy wife"

Our V berth has bunks...we sleep side by side, it's very cozy.

There's a hatch above with screening for fresh air

or star watching at night.

Without all the ambient city light you can really see the Milky Way and thousands of twinkling stars.

My chair...I am the Admiral...doesn't that sound important?

my duties are..

 hands on galley slave, chief cook and bottle washer

my job is to keep the boat ship shape!

I married the Captain and he does the navigating...

I took the Power Squadron Course

 so I now have a license to be...

 the NAG-A-VATOR!

My teensy weensy galley...

it's very retro...mostly original

 with the exception of safety upgrades and a few modcons.

(I adore a hot shower so we installed a water heater!)

2 burner stove top, marine fridge below.

BBQ on deck and I have managed to turn out dinners for up to 10.

I keep everything very simple.

fresh in season food

with an alfresco theme.

I acquired this interesting piece of pottery several years ago at one of the Island markets

it was made by a local island artist

I love the ocean feel...

I bring boat plants and flowers to keep my green thumb happy.

The basil elevated fresh heirloom tomatoes, feta cheese and balsamic vinegar.

The lavender smells fresh and keeps for a long time.

I must be off...my book is calling to me.

The American Au Pair by Marjorie Leet Ford

I do not want to put it down.

Hope that you have a good book on the go...

it's a holiday through words.

Nearly 100 years old.....Bungalow kitchen, over 10 years in the making!

I promised Frugal Scholar that I would post some pictures of my kitchen. The renovation took years as we did most of the work ourselves while living and cooking in said space. We actually entertained, hosted dinner parties and celebrations here amid dust, and lack of walls...think Thirty Something! We lived it too. I cannot believe it has been that long...thirty something  and now we are 50 something..where did the time go?
It has to be noted that we opted for granite countertops and they are not traditional and we have been severely chastised by Jane Powell of Bungalow Kitchen fame! We really are beyond critiscism in that area because we felt that the benefits of being able to put hot pots, pans and roasters directly on the counter would outweigh the negative comments. We are, after all, the ones who inhabit the space.
Mr. L made all the cabinets himself using just a table saw and hand tools. The glass panes were cut by a local sash and door company and the hardware is new but in the same style as the original would have been. The sink is a Shaw French Country model in porcelain, now in vintage looking condition with scratches and a few chips. The stainless appliances are new of course and yes Jane Powell sneered at them as well....tsk tsk! The floor has been patched and resanded and is soft fir so it is honestly "distressed."

The walls are dark stained fir in "board and batten" is the same as the rest of the house and in an original bungalow there would be "wainscotting" which would more than likely have been painted white. We dithered about for several years in the planning process and the "architect" in the family convinced me to stay with the dark fir. The architect has the professional eye and I bow to his expertise!

The room is smallish, with 3 door openings; the butler's door which is on hinges that swing from the kitchen to the dining room, the French door to the deck, the third has been removed and opened up  onto the family room/den and then there is the stairway to the basement. These were challenges that we had to work with because we did not want to add on and expand.

The granite we purchased from a dealer, had it professionally cut and we installed it ourselves....very hard, heavy work. I do not recommend doing it yourself...we were slightly crazy to attempt it but budgetary considerations played a huge part in that descision!

I did not keep receipts, but I do remember one Valentines Day I received a large piece of steel painted red...a reinforced brace designed by a local engineer...and it was about $250....more than a dozen red roses and dinner out. (It was in the late 1990's) We were frugal and resourceful because we had to be. We sold our Catalina sailboat and had purchased the Chris Craft Constellation, so our time, money and energy was split in several areas...not to mention being parents and holding down jobs.

Wood on the water...propelled by fossil fuel 2 X 350 CC conversions...not that green, but a lot of fun.

It is a quality ride...I am the admiral and the Galley Slave!

After taking the Power Squadron course I am aka as the "Nag-i-vator"...it has paid off, I am a second set of eyes and am aware of the rules on the ocean...