Weekend snippets and a cookie recipe...

How was your weekend?
Ours was busy and we had the opportunity to go shopping, we enjoyed lunch and brunch out at two of our favourite spots, there was time for my knitting projects, then some baking and Mr. HB mowed the lawn as we heard that snow was in the forecast.

We picked up the newlyweds at the airport.
It feels so good having them back in town
and we look forward to spending Christmas together.

Their honeymoon was spent touring NZ and Australia where Nick grew up.
They had a wonderful time.
Except for the earthquake in Wellington, which sounds like a stressful experience and now that we have more details we can understand better what they went through.

Saturday we wandered through the shops downtown.
I particularly like seeing the shop windows all decked out for the festive season...

This cute little jacket is made for a toddler.

The Tapas Bar in Trounce Alley

where we ate a yummy lunch.

The Beehive Wool shop windows

I purchased more yarn so I could knit up some gifts.

Sunday brunch at 

The Beach House restaurant, 

the seas were calm and the skies were blue.

I love this wee table accent...so simple and festive.

Delicious food and a fabulous view made for a wonderful start to the day.

Avocado on toast with poached eggs and pea shoots.

Speaking of food...

I discovered this delicious cookie recipe on line.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/218878/citrus-shortbread-cookies

The cookies are tasty and you can make the dough one day pop it in the fridge and bake it when you have time.
That works well for those of us who like to pace ourselves
especially important at this time of year!

The Kitchen Aid does most of the work.

I will bake these today.

I am also sending Carol a gift as a token of her kindness.

Carol is giving the cookbook she won in the giveaway to Nadya 

who I hope will read this and send me her address

(bungalowhostess@gmail.com)

The neighbours' cat has settled down for a nap on our front porch in the sunshine.

I must get that oven heated up and bake those cookies so I will close for now...

Hope that you have a wonderful week.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

OOTD and some budget friendly ideas

My "new to me" thrifted cognac coloured vintage Due Fratelli bag inspired me to take out my old Burberry jacket which I have not worn for ages.

This jacket was an "investment" piece.

I purchased it when I was working.

It was worn almost every chance I got when it was new 

but of late it has languished in the closet.

I have a weakness when it comes to coats and jackets...

Quite a few are in hanging my wardrobe, a mix of casual and dressy.

Some new and others thrifted.

Walking jackets make up a good portion of these and there are a few cold weather down options in the closet too.

A priority for me "being prepared for all kinds of weather."

~ OOTD ~

Burberry jacket, NYDJ, Jessica Simpson flats, Due Fratelli bag

what you cannot see is the 

thrifted crisp white shirt by Northern Reflections and my baroque pearl necklace.

"Retirement dressing"

Mixing high and low priced pieces help me stay within a budget.

I have a book where I record all the garments that I purchase so I can keep track of my expenditures.

It is surprising how it adds up!

My retirement budget also requires me to mix high and low priced cosmetics and skincare products.

The newest items in my arsenal of products...

Jane Iredale Dream Tint with an SPF of 15

100% natural Brilliant Lip Shimmer by Burts' Bees in Cherry

I love a pop of red in the Fall and Winter.

this is not a sponsored post

 opinions are mine, and are posted for the convenience of my readers

I switched from the powdered Jane Iredale foundation to the tinted moisturizer 

it adds a soft glow and boosts moisture levels

works with my dry skin.

The Brow Drama is like mascara for the eyebrows...

I have found that a spa eyebrow tint lasts only a few weeks 

then the coarse white hairs are visible again...

This product is under $10 and lasts for months.

Spa visits are few and far between...

pedicures in sandal season and possibly one or two facials each year.

While I love the pampering I cannot afford to indulge as often as I would like.

I have fun doing my own facials.

Often I will dedicate a morning to some self care

using products similar to those available at the spa.

This red rose looks so pretty against the soft yellow siding of our neighbours' home.

Thankfully the wild storm that was predicted did not hit us as hard as we expected.

The book that I have been waiting for at the library arrived!

In the spirit of thrift I have been reserving books at the library instead of purchasing every book that I want to read...

Hope you are having a fun weekend.

Are you saving for something special?

Do you try to live within your budget?

Thank you for stopping by my humble blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Labour Day Long Weekend...

We have been out on our boat for the past few days enjoying a relaxing time with friends and family.

Port Browning on Pender Island

Many boats drop the hook and anchor in the bay.

We tie up at the marina as we do not have a generator on board.

There is a lovely beach just over this rocky outcropping.

Beach combing while walking along the shoreline is an activity that I quite enjoy.

I heard that Ellie passed away...

so sad 

she fought long and hard battling ALS.

I hope that she is at rest and that her family will be supported and surrounded with friends and family to help them cope with their grief.

I read her blog and bought her book and hope that she will now be at peace.

I thought about writing a tribute to her here on the blog but after reading 

The Vintage Contessa 

Stephen Andrew Jones 

 Heather from Lost in Arles 

 I felt that they said it best.

I thought of Ellie on my beach walk.

Clam shells were scattered along the stretch of beach...

A driftwood shelter

Rock with a heart on it...

Heart shaped rocks...

might be a strange thing to collect but I do!

Mr. HB found the last two heart rocks.

Queen Anne's Lace and Chicory line the paths...

such a pretty combination Mother Nature has painted for us to enjoy.

I have been savouring every word of Louise Penny's newest mystery novel.

She is a brilliant writer and I absolutely LOVE her books.

I have several chapters left to finish and so I will close for now...

Hope that you have had a lovely weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

The recipe that you have been asking for...a boat ride and a new book.

Sidney Spit Marine Park is a short cruise from our Marina so it is a great spot for a day trip and a picnic lunch.

After a relaxing ride we tied up at the dock...

there are buoys available to tie up to 

and one can always opt to drop the anchor.

There are sandy beaches and trails in the forest.

Sidney Island is serviced by a small ferry for landlubbers who want to come for a day trip and there are campsites for those who wish to stay longer.

Sunday was a scorcher and there was not much wind so we kept cool by hydrating with water and lemon drinks and I stayed in the shade.

We enjoyed a simple lunch.

 Salad, buns, egg salad, olives, fruit salad and some deli meat.

Mr. HB got some reading time and I played a few games of Sudoku.

My skin burns easily and I suffer from rosacea which flares up when exposed to too much sun. 

I wear big hats, sunglasses and I use Eminence powdered sunscreen which is gentle on the skin and offers decent coverage.

I saw this vintage book in the shop Kay's Korner in the Cook Street Village.

This book is intended to be read while one is "in the head."

"In the Head"  is not a state of mind, 

it is the term that boaters use to indicate the lavatory on board ship!

~ Nana's Bread Recipe ~

1 tbsp. fast rising yeast

1 tbsp. sugar

3 cups warm water

 6-8 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. salt

(makes 2 loaves)

In a large bowl pour in 3 cups warm water and stir in 1 tbsp. sugar

 sprinkle 1 tbsp. yeast over top and let sit for 30 minutes

Stir in 3 cups flour cover bowl with saran wrap

let stand about 1 hour

(it will look fluffy and bubbly)

Ad 3 cups of flour 1 cup at a time stirring well after each addition.

add 1 tbsp. salt after the 3rd cup

add about 2 more cups of flour

when dough is too hard to stir place on floured board and knead in more flour

Knead until no longer sticky.

Grease the large bowl and place the dough back in the bowl. cover with saran and lay a towel over top to keep free from drafts

and leave to rise about 1-2 hours until it has doubled in size

(dough rises faster in a warm kitchen)

Punch dough down to get all the bubbles out and grease two bread tins

shape dough into two loaves 

 let rise on counter until it is just above the bread pans 

about 1-2 hours.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45- 60 minutes

(I often need to bake them for the full hour)

Remove from pans and cool on a rack.

Enjoy!

This bread is quite dense and tastes great with some butter and  jam.

You might be surprised just how fast it gets eaten!

This pretty and delicate honeysuckle flower is attracting the hummingbirds...

they love to flit about and sip the nectar.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and will be back soon.

In the meantime...

Fiona Ferris's new book arrived in the mail and I have started reading it.

I am not going to rush through the book

 as each chapter offers a lot of "food for thought."

I will review this book when I have finished but already I can tell it is going to be a best seller...Fiona writes the lovely blog How to Be Chic.

Pop over and pay her a visit and please tell her I sent you!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Victoria Day Long Weekend...aboard ship!

This past weekend was a long weekend so we took to the sea...

Our "humble" boat is a 27 foot 1996 Sea Ray Sundancer.

We can cruise fast or slow depending on the weather and our mood.

I always take flowers from the Humble Bungalow Garden.

My all time favourite David Austin Rose is Jude the Obscure.

I know it is not fair choosing just one rose but I cannot help myself...

as Jude is sheer perfection in a rose

Fragrance, form, and colour all exceptional.

I use silverware on the boat.

It might strike you as odd but there is a reason that we have this on board.

When I went shopping to outfit the boat with the few necessities that we needed I was trying to keep the costs down...

when one buys a boat it is usually a tad expensive so I tried to cut corners elsewhere...

I ventured into the big box stores looking for stainless sets and the ones I liked were around $100 a set.

I saw this one in the antique shop for less than half that and it is vintage WMF from Germany...I only need to polish it twice a year to keep it looking good.

I pack my tote bag full of books and magazines 

there is plenty of time to relax and read.

We eat simple meals.

I have a one burner stovetop, microwave and BBQ.

Our small fridge prevents us from bringing too much food!

I eat oatmeal with a wee bit of honey for breakfast and Mr. HB prefers V8 juice and a bagel.

Dinners and lunches revolve around salad and some type of protein...

maybe a few new baby potatoes with butter and fresh mint.

"Snacks" are often naughty...

chips and popcorn...

 chocolates.

We try to walk or swim everyday.

I read Motherland by Maria Hummel.

It is a well written story about the hardships that women and their families had to live through during the Second World War. 

It held my interest right from the very first page...

I highly recommend it.

I am a magnet for mosquitoes so I need to wear these bracelets!

Here is the beautiful morning view at Poets Cove Resort on Pender Island.

The roses in the morning sunshine.

We went for a hike in the forest.

It was cool in the shade and there was a lot of buzzing so I was glad that I wore my mosquito bracelet!

The rocky shoreline is mostly sandstone.

The weather was much better than we had anticipated...

blue skies and sunshine and very little wind.

My favourite kind of weather for cruising!

This is the view the last morning 

before we packed up and came home.

Today I am doing laundry...and the skies are grey and the weather cool.

I am so grateful that we had such nice weather for our getaway.

Our house and cat sitter made the weekend possible and I am so thankful.

I am still trying to figure out why my blog will not appear on the Feed as soon as I publish it and I have contacted Blogger but have not heard anything yet.

I am using smaller images on this post to see if that is what is the delay...

so please bear with me as I work on sorting out this issue.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~