Showing posts with label cottage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cottage. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Thanksgiving Weekend at Quarterdeck Cottage

 


We welcomed friends to the cottage for a Thanksgiving Dinner.
The sun shone and the winds abated for their arrival.

The menu was Italian themed and Julie and I cooked in the kitchen while the guys hung out on the deck watching the boats.

I was Julie's sous chef :-))
It is a great day being in the kitchen when Julie cooks 
I Watch and Learn.


Caesar Salad to start...
Julie mixes her dressing (which includes anchovies) directly in the bowl.
Then we added the romaine, croutons and cheese.
Julie also adds bacon which gives it a real zesty flavour!


We made Stanley Tucci's Favourite pasta dish.
On an episode of his series Eating Italy they featured the recipe.
Julie got her recipe from Chef John Pierre who has a You Tube Channel.

The basis of the sauce is deep fried zucchini slices...
it tastes delicious, nutty and thick and you'd never guess it was zucchini!
WOW

I made an apple crisp using our Liberty apples
served it with French Vanilla ice Cream.


The wine we served was Italian from the Tuscany region...
(I had to get Mr. HB to go out to the recycling bin and snap a photo)


We went to the Pender Island Museum...
saw this buck sitting in the sunshine.
Tried to walk at Roseland but the tide was in and so we couldn't get across
the inlet to wander along the scenic trails.

For breakfast the next morning I served a fruit salad and a smoked salmon frittata.
The frittata was simple to make...

Frittata

Sliced small red onion
diced red pepper
sliced 4 large mushrooms
6 ounces smoked salmon cut into small pieces
grated cheeses about 1 1/2 cups
a dozen eggs whisked til frothy
salt pepper and some chopped mint leaves

Bake in a deep dish at 350 for about 40 minutes until eggs are cooked and no longer runny.


Lunch was a charcuterie board...
we call it a "picky plate"

We walked at Hamilton Beach in the rain...
our friends left later in the afternoon before dinner.

I made scallops for dinner...
Chef Jean Pierre's scallop recipe is on his You Tube Channel and online at his website.




Delicious!


Will be reading these books over the next few days...
Am really enjoying The Last Devil to Die!
I love the Thursday Murder Club.


We are fortunate to have a great little boutique on the island.
I always pop in and peruse the stock...
you never know what you'll find!


C'est Moi


White Linen shirt

I found another one in a sleek percale cotton but I couldn't justify buying two...
I love a crisp white shirt to wear with black pants or jeans and my pearls.

Well I suppose that I better get some lunch ready for my husband...
he's out walking in the rain and will be cold and hungry when he returns.

In case you are interested lunch will be bacon and home grown tomato sandwiches on homemade sourdough bread!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Monday, September 11, 2023

Quarterdeck Cottage ~ September Snippets

 


Here at Quarterdeck Cottage we keep things simple.

I am in my casual cottage cooking gear...
Apron
White Tee
Black Yoga pants
Bare feet (with red polish)



It is a cloudy Monday morning so 
I baked the sourdough boule
and
made a Frittata


Today's Frittata Recipe

 7 large eggs beaten
1/3 cup milk (or cream)
1/3 cup chopped pitted black olives 
1 small green pepper diced 
10 cherry tomatoes cut in half 
cup of grated white cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Place in shallow ovenproof quiche pan
Bake at 350 for approximately 35 minutes.


We brought some green tomatoes with us...
I fried them up for breakfast and served them with worchestershire sauce.

Yesterday
we invited some of the neighbours from the nearby cottages over for a Happy Hour.


It was so lovely that we sat on the deck...
chatting away and laughing
nibbling on the charcuterie offerings
sipping our beverages
time passed and before long it was getting chilly.
We packed up just after 7pm


I finally finished knitting the Miriam sweater...
it is at home and I need to block it before I can wear it.
But I never like to be without my knitting so I went shopping last week!


I started knitting a shawl "River's Wrap"
 in this gorgeous Japanese Noro Akari Yarn
from The Beehive in Victoria.

The yarn is wonderfully soft and so soothing to work with...
silk, cotton, viscose, mohair and wool.

In other shopping news...
Found a wee crystal vessel at the thrift shop in Sidney on Friday 
before we caught the ferry....

There's a bit of magic in the way the light reflects
 in the crisp cut design of a crystal piece.


I foraged some wild dried flowers...
they look so pretty in the vase.


Am smitten with the light!!
The glow is so warm, and it does feel like magic.


On my walk to day I went to Bricky Bay.
In the early 1900's a brick making crew used this area and the beach.
They shipped the bricks off island from the bay, there are remnants of the dock.

Bits of bricks cover the beach and many have worn down and are soft shapes.
Some are small round shapes like marbles...

I managed to find a couple of pieces of sea glass but not much.

I sat on a log and listened to the call of the ravens and the swish of the waves.
Watched a few boats cruise past before pulling myself away from this idyllic spot.


I spied this sunny painted rock.
People paint rocks and leave them on the beaches here...
I usually don't take the rocks, just snap a picture to share on Instagram.

Before I close 
I must share with you a totally unexpected gift from a dear reader Rosemarie, 
who resides in Vancouver.
Rosemarie and I correspond regularly via email
we've met several times for lunch and tea when she visited Victoria
Last time I was in Vancouver we met for a glass of wine and some nibbles at The Cactus Club.


Look at this beautiful kimono style wrap!
She knows me so well...
It will be a welcome addition to my wardrobe.

THANK YOU ROSEMARIE :-))
You are such a generous person.

(I am going to find something to send Rosemarie)


Well I must close for now and go outside with my knitting.
The views are stunning!

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Holidaze in July...

 


Sunshine and Sweet Peas

Popped this posy into a thrifted English Ironstone Meakin sugar jar.
I LOVE finding interesting vessels that I can use for flowers.
If memory serves me I think this one was 35 cents!


We celebrated our 49th anniversary on July 20th...
no fanfare or big gathering just a quiet evening for two.


We ate some champagne truffles...
a surprise gift from friends.

Our closest friends had us over for a dinner on their lovely porch a few days before our actual anniversary and we felt very spoiled...


Those same friends will be celebrating their 50th next year so
maybe we'll have to do something exciting for our 50th?


We are enjoying some time at the cottage.


Have some special guests here to share the time with us.


I made a fresh loaf of sourdough bread...
this fun adventure in bread making is so satisfying!


We had a couple of days with rain 
which should help with the drought and the forest fires here in BC.


The deer obviously do not like to nibble these plants...
I think this might be Queen Anne's Lace?
Feel free to chime in if you know the name of this flower.


I believe this is Yarrow...
the bees love this flower and are usually busy buzzing atop these blooms.

I took the photo after dinner so they may have all gone back to their hive.


~ Hosta Flowers ~
In The Humble Bungalow Garden

This huge Hosta is called Sum and Substance.

We built a deer fence 
so that we can keep this safe from being nibbled to the ground!

Here at the Cottage...


I am taking a break to relax, restore and mend...

The last round of antibiotics are almost finished.

I've been going to bed earlier than usual and sleeping soundly.

Staying hydrated with cans of flavoured Bubly Brand Water.
~ Zero calories ~

While I am having LOTS of fun with the family and the three grandchildren...
I am also "pacing myself."

Reading Three by Valerie Perrin, knitting the Miriam sweater,
gazing out at The Salish Sea
taking time to reflect on all the good things in life and counting my many blessings.

Making time to be focused and calm is good for the soul.

Walking along the beach...
breathing in the fresh salty air
listening to the calls of the gulls and the songs of the eagles.


Picking up a few pieces of sea glass...

~ LIFE IS PRECIOUS ~
it is a gift
not to be wasted.

I feel Grateful everyday.

Hope that you are well and feeling positive.
Life can be a challenge as we know
it is a journey.

When we navigate the rough patches life teaches us more...
we can be resilient or we can be weak.

It is a personal choice that we make...
we can rely on others or find strength within ourselves.
Or a little bit of both...

How do you handle adversity?


~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Saturday, April 29, 2023

Last Week ~ in a wink of an eye...

 


Gorgeous flowers
a surprise cottage welcome bouquet from a friend.

Springtime seems to have finally arrived at the Cottage...
warmer days and sunny skies.
Such a tonic after all the grey gloom and rain.


~ Thrift Shop Finds ~

Adams English ironstone jug and a well used wood board


A soft wool sweater...
it is lovely but is a wee bit too small.

I have a friend who stretched a lovely wool sweater by washing it in conditioner and manually stretching it back into a larger size!


I hope the conditioner trick works!


Read this book and loved it...
set in a charming picturesque area of Cornwall
involves a woman who has a daughter
is recently separated
and
with her mother buys a rambling old house on a cove by the sea.

This book appealed to me on so many levels...
I would LOVE to buy an old rambling home by the sea and redecorate!!


If one cannot have a rambling old home by the sea...
how about a week at the cottage once a month?
(I cannot nor dare not complain, I am immensely grateful)

My husband brought a few lettuce plants with us so we could harvest it fresh.
He really has discovered his "green thumb" upon his retirement.


The expansive sea views feed my soul.
They never "get old" and there is always something to see.

Boats, otters, whales, birds...


I baked a sourdough boule and two kinds of cookies.


Found a "flat oyster" shell on the beach...
they are a European variety.

I walk the local beaches daily in search of sea glass and the occasional shell.
I am surprised by the amount of glass I find.
There must be 8 or 9 jars full downstairs here in The Humble Bungalow.
What to do with it?

I suppose if I felt creative I could make mosaics...
for now I just keep it on the window ledge in the vintage sealer jars.


Have you read Anne Morrow Lindbergh's book Gift From The Sea?
I love the gentle story that she weaves of her time spent alone in a small rustic cabin on the beach.

She went there to rest, restore and recharge...
we all need a place to find solace and peace.

Years ago when life was really busy and hectic I went to the Spa for relaxation.
It was not a frugal option, but I was working and could justify the expense.

As a retiree, now living on a pension, I chose to find relaxation in Nature.


~ Things I find soothing ~

puttering in the garden
 reading a good book
knitting
sipping a cup of tea from a pretty vintage cup
baking bread
walking
beach combing
soaking in the tub
looking in thrift shops
ironing linens 

What do you find soothing?

Our week at the cottage passed so fast...
in the blink of an eye and here we are back home in The Humble Bungalow.

Well I have a busy week ahead...
lots of social things planned and will be catching up with friends.

How about You?
What does your week ahead have in store?
Hope its a good one.

Until next time...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~